Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
WHAT MAKES A LEADER?
When leadership experts Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas embarked on a study of exceptional leaders older than seventy or younger than thirty-five, their main goal was to determine how era and values shape people who lead. Along the way, however, they discovered something even more profound--why some people become and remain leaders while other, equally talented individuals do not.
In Geeks & Geezers, the authors assert that it is our response to the "crucibles" of life, those "utterly transformational experiences" that either shatter us or make us stronger, that determines whether we have what it takes to be a lifelong leader. Each of the 43 "geeks" (individuals under thirty-five) and "geezers" (leaders over age seventy) that Bennis and Thomas interviewed had undergone at least one such defining moment, and all emerged powerfully emboldened to learn and lead.
The crucible experiences described were as varied as the interviewees themselves. One was transformed by surviving sixteen years in a Chinese prison; another was forever changed by working for a year in a Japanese factory. The death of a child, important mentoring relationships, service in World War II and a even a Girl Scout troop’s discussion about deforestation were among the other defining moments cited. "Whether the crucible was harrowing or not, it is seen by the individual as the turning point that set him or her on the desired, even inevitable, course," the authors write.
To put it mildly, the two groups of leaders surveyed came of age in vastly different worlds (Bennis and Thomas devote two fascinating chapters to describing and comparing the "age of limits" that the geezers grew up in and the "era of options" that helped shape the geeks). But despite the stark cultural and societal differences that existed between these two eras--and despite the different ways the two groups viewed everything from career and family to heroes and making wealth--the authors discovered that the leaders they interviewed shared some critical characteristics. These traits, they believe, are what set the enduring leaders apart from less successful people.
Topping the list is adaptive capacity, which Bennis and Thomas define as an "almost magical ability to transcend adversity, with all its attendant stresses, and emerge stronger than before."
"People with ample adaptive capacity may struggle in the crucibles they encounter, but they don’t become stuck or defined by them," the authors write. "They learn important lessons, including new skills that allow them to move on to new levels of achievement and learning."
The other common traits include the ability to engage others in shared meaning, a distinctive and compelling voice, and a sense of integrity (which the authors say is made up of a balance among ambition, competence and a moral compass).
Geeks & Geezers doesn’t include much practical, step-by-step help for people who are looking to become better leaders. It does, however, offer a great deal of perspective about what influences and drives individuals from different eras. This could be particularly beneficial for older leaders and Baby Boomers who may have a hard time understanding employees under the age of thirty-five.
Finally, there’s something very inspiring about people who refuse to be defined by their age--seventy- and eighty-year-olds who, although "ripe with hard-won insight and ability," are also hungry for the next big adventure. Regardless of our age, we can all use a bit of such inspiration every now and then.
-Review by Lois Flowers, Maximum Impact consulting editor
In Geeks & Geezers, the authors assert that it is our response to the "crucibles" of life, those "utterly transformational experiences" that either shatter us or make us stronger, that determines whether we have what it takes to be a lifelong leader. Each of the 43 "geeks" (individuals under thirty-five) and "geezers" (leaders over age seventy) that Bennis and Thomas interviewed had undergone at least one such defining moment, and all emerged powerfully emboldened to learn and lead.
The crucible experiences described were as varied as the interviewees themselves. One was transformed by surviving sixteen years in a Chinese prison; another was forever changed by working for a year in a Japanese factory. The death of a child, important mentoring relationships, service in World War II and a even a Girl Scout troop’s discussion about deforestation were among the other defining moments cited. "Whether the crucible was harrowing or not, it is seen by the individual as the turning point that set him or her on the desired, even inevitable, course," the authors write.
To put it mildly, the two groups of leaders surveyed came of age in vastly different worlds (Bennis and Thomas devote two fascinating chapters to describing and comparing the "age of limits" that the geezers grew up in and the "era of options" that helped shape the geeks). But despite the stark cultural and societal differences that existed between these two eras--and despite the different ways the two groups viewed everything from career and family to heroes and making wealth--the authors discovered that the leaders they interviewed shared some critical characteristics. These traits, they believe, are what set the enduring leaders apart from less successful people.
Topping the list is adaptive capacity, which Bennis and Thomas define as an "almost magical ability to transcend adversity, with all its attendant stresses, and emerge stronger than before."
"People with ample adaptive capacity may struggle in the crucibles they encounter, but they don’t become stuck or defined by them," the authors write. "They learn important lessons, including new skills that allow them to move on to new levels of achievement and learning."
The other common traits include the ability to engage others in shared meaning, a distinctive and compelling voice, and a sense of integrity (which the authors say is made up of a balance among ambition, competence and a moral compass).
Geeks & Geezers doesn’t include much practical, step-by-step help for people who are looking to become better leaders. It does, however, offer a great deal of perspective about what influences and drives individuals from different eras. This could be particularly beneficial for older leaders and Baby Boomers who may have a hard time understanding employees under the age of thirty-five.
Finally, there’s something very inspiring about people who refuse to be defined by their age--seventy- and eighty-year-olds who, although "ripe with hard-won insight and ability," are also hungry for the next big adventure. Regardless of our age, we can all use a bit of such inspiration every now and then.
-Review by Lois Flowers, Maximum Impact consulting editor