Calling All Leaders...

I was inspired by historian Nancy Koehn’s recent remarks at Microsoft’s Executive Retreat. Her brilliantly written tale, Forged In Crisis, describes the making of five iconic leaders (Abraham Lincoln, Ernest Shackleton, Frederick Douglass, Dietrick Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson) while delivering a simple set of leadership lessons deeply applicable in today’s digital transformation era.

The biggest takeaway? Leaders are made, not born. It is not just a genetic code that delivers impact; rather, leaders are "forged" by their success and failure, social awareness, and openness to evolving. We all have a chance to become great leaders, but we need to be thoughtful about the journey! Great news – Koehn gives us three key ingredients to consider.

1.      Take pause. As Koehn eloquently states, “…these protagonists came to understand that the more adverse the circumstances, the higher the stakes, the more crucial it was for them to take plenty of time before responding to the latest obstacle or disappointment.” So often we feel pressure to act – to do SOMETHING to respond to our circumstances (especially if we’re feeling defensive). One of Koehn's example of how taking pause can have impact: Lincoln decided not to send his well-written letter of discontent to General George G. Meade, essentially changing the course of history.

Imagine a world where we take pause to file-away all emails of discontent, sharing only constructive thoughts...

2.      Commit to a worthy goal. All of the leaders profiled in the book started with ample doses of personal ambition, but each one eventually set his/her sights on a higher purpose. Shackleton began a quest to be the first explorer to cross Antarctica on foot, but, after becoming catastrophically stranded in ice, he quickly pivoted his mission to saving the lives of his crew. Fortunately, our daily lives don't typically force us into life or death situations like Shackleton's. However, the lesson of trading personal ambition for higher purpose is fundamental to creating leadership impact.

Imagine what life would be like if there were no personal agendas in Corporate America...

3.      Get resilient. Leaders can only have impact if they endure. Even in the face of tremendous adversity, Koehn writes that “all five [leaders] squared their shoulders and tightened their core muscles…to learn what they could do in the midst of the storm, including how they might be transformed for the better.” The most extreme example is Frederick Douglass, who became a leader of the abolitionist movement after enduring years of unspeakable atrocities as a slave. Learning how he endured and transformed to become a great leader can help put things in perspective for most aspiring leaders today, as most of our daily setbacks pale in comparison.

Imagine a world where we don’t sweat the small stuff and save our energy to endure the big stuff… 

Calling all leaders!  We need to take pause and skip sending those flaming hot emails. Let’s put our customers and our companies missions ahead of our personal career aspirations. And let’s ignore the petty distractions so we can save energy for the really big challenges. Imagine the impact. Who’s with me?!