TLS09 Session 10: Eyewitness to Power
Speaking: David Gergen being interviewed by Bill Hybles
David: Leadership is a journey.
Bill: How does a leader get better at leading?
David:
- Become a reflective practitioner. We really learn leadership by doing it AND reflecting on it.
- Read. Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader.
- Self-educate, yourself
Bill: Disappointed with how few leaders actually reflect.
David:
- Easy to confuse motion with progress. Not so, best leaders choose their big goals.
- Peter Drucker, The Effective Executive.
- At the beginning of a 6-week period write down what you hope to accomplish, then at the end of the period, reflect on where you are at with it.
Bill: when something goes wrong or right, ask yourself, why?
David:
- When you are on the dance floor, it’s often important to go to the balcony to see how it’s going.
- Example: Roosevelt was being pressed for an answer, and he went fishing. As a result he came up with the lent-lease idea, to lend-lease destroyers to Britain.
- We are more in communion with God when we are reflecting.
Bill: What was the most admirable quality of each president you served with.David:
- Nixon = Best strategist, to see the world in the future. Someone who can look farther back can see farther ahead.
- Ford = Most decent
- Clinton = Quick tactical mind, Resilient, Always willing to get back up
- Reagan = Best leader since Roosevelt, principle centered, contageous optimisim, great communicator.
Bill: What were some of their weaknessesDavid:
- Nixion = Had a dark side, he had demons in him that he could not let go of.
- Ford = Tended to be naive.
- Reagan = Detatchment. Leaders must keep their hands on the wheel. It is possible to entrust too much. Inspect is important.
- Clinton = A parallel to Nixon, clear cracks in his character. People are forgiving if you are straight with them.
Bill: Great leaders carry great flaws. David:
- Not exactly, Christ, but humans are flawed. All people have a bright side and a dark side.
- How do you come to grips with your flaws.
- You must have you flaws under control enough so they don’t de-rail you.
- How do you bring alignment between you public and private life?
Bill: Leadership doesn’t have to be lonelyDavid: The day of the lone ranger is over. Your goal as a leader should be to develop a great team. If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together
- What is leadership – inspiring others toward shared goals
- Trust and communications.
Bill: Quoting “Who a speaker is matters the most”
David: Your willingness to listen depends on who the person is.
- Ethos – Who is this person,
- Logos – Logic, Reason,
- Pathos – Emotion.
Bill: Personal Disciplines.David: Churchill, nap, worked in morning and afternoon.
- Fitness, if you let your body go flabby, your mind will go flabby as well.
- Build time in your day to reflect.
- Make time for your relationships
David: Family and friends are great anchors in your life.
- Be the change you want to see in the world – Gandhi
Next Actions:
- What actions are you going to take to develop your team