Leadership Cafe

How good your memory is impacts how good your leadership is!

Somewhere I recently read that

great leaders serve, love, and remember. 

Improvisational leaders serve by "comping" other perfomers.  Comping is a jazz term that denotes supporting other players - that is, supporting other players' solos by continuing the rhythm and themes even as they create new riffs and rhythms.  In organizations, improvisational leaders similarly "comp." They keep the rhythm flowing  of the organization flowing to so that their performers focus on their talent to innovate and develop new products/themes.  

Like improvisational musicians, improvisational leaders love what they are doing.  They are passionate about the mission and people in their organizations. 

Finally, effective leaders in music, business or any other endeavor remember - they remember the themes, they remember the little things - a name, a successful event, the passion of their performers. 

What do you remember?  How do you support your players?  What do you love to do and how do you assure that your organizational talent has the opportunity to do what they love? 

Leading from the Soul

In my last blog, I talked about passion.  I believe that passion emanates from the soul.  Again, using the comparison to music, can't you just tell those musicians who emanate soul?  Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Chris Botti, Mozart, and on and on. Who comes to mind for you? 

When you think of leaders with whom you've interacted, who do you equate with leading from the soul?  I have probably seen it the most from leaders in non-profits with whom I've worked. Yet, I've also seen it in the for-profit world.  One example that comes to mind is Andrew Liveris at Dow Chemical who I interviewed in my book.  You're probably thinking, a CEO of a global chemical company leading from the soul?  A company that has the potential to pollute and abuse the eco-systems globally?  Well, I can only say that I have hope with Andrew at the helm, that we have leader with a soul in such a sensitive position. 

Also, I think we intuitively identify leaders with soul from our own soul - as Malcolm Gladwell's  Blink depicts.  What do you think? 

Finally, do you lead from the soul?  Those with whom you interact can sense it - choose authenticity - align with your soul.   

Two for Tuesday: Quotes

Noel Tichy, Harvard Business Review.