Desmond Tutu on leadership

Colin Powell speaks about leadership

Colin Powell, former U.S. secretary of state, delivers a lecture to about 4,500 people in Sanford Field House at Colgate. Here's one guy who really knows how leadership works!
Click here to hear Colin Powell's brief/edited speech.

Al Pacino's Leadership Speech in Scent of a Woman

Legendary actor, Al Pacino (as Retired Army Colonel Slade) gives a terrific speech in Scent of a Woman. He's defending Charlie, a young friend of his, who gets in trouble while attending an exclusive prep school. Pacino's speech talks as much to leadership as any class at a university. While Pacino uses a few choice words, the message itself is pure and strong. A speech worth listening to. Pass this along.

Leadership: Starting a Company or a Movement (video)

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement | Video on TED.com If you're an entrepreneur or a leader, this 3-minute video teaches more about how to start a company or a movement better than any MBA program can! Especially, note the lessons at the end of the video.

Kiran Bir Sethi teaches kids to take charge | Video on TED.com

Leadership for Kids: Kiran Bir Sethi teaches kids to take charge | Video on TED.com
Kiran Bir Sethi shows how her groundbreaking Riverside School in India teaches kids life's most valuable lesson: "I can." Watch her students take local issues into their own hands, lead other young people, even educate their parents.

Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors | Video on TED.com

Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors | Video on TED.com

This is a delight to watch. Talgam teaches us how certain conductors conduct and how certain leaders lead. By the way, Ted.com is one of my favorite sites on the Web.

Drive by Dan Pink: FINAL Post

Dan Pink’s attempt at helping hands-on people “get it” is contained in the section of the book called “The Type I Toolkit.” Note: Type I people are those motivated by intrinsic, not extrinsic, carrot-and-stick motivators. I’ll admit that this section seems a bit tacked on—often the requirement of a publisher to make a hardback page length. However, I especially enjoyed some of his examples about how to apply it in daily life as a leader and as a parent—the ultimate leader.

I don’t know that Motivation 3.0: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose will become the 21 Century’s Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—but it comes very close for me. For one thing, it explains some of the extreme generational differences we’re seeing in the classroom and workplace.

In short, Dan Pink has just helped us understand a powerful emerging theory in a simple, straightforward manner. Kudos, Dan. Keep writing.

Drive (Dan Pink): Post #4

Drive: the 10-foot level view for leaders considering Motivation 3.0:

This book is a real “high” for intuitive thinkers, whom Pink would call conceptual right-brainers. On the other hand, I can readily understand why sensory, data-driven folk might have some problems. Notwithstanding an occasional sour review on Amazon, this book ranks at the very high end of Amazon sales.

However, “concept vs concrete” is sort of the key focus or argument of this book and in Pink’s previous book, A Whole New Mind. As a society, America is evolving from a data (hands-on), to concept (heads-on) world. Pink notes that according to a McKinsey study, only 30% job growth in the US emanates from hands-on “algorithmic work;” however, 70% job growth comes from more cerebral, heuristic work. This isn’t just a victory for those of us who have lived in an idea/concept- centered world for a long time. Nor is it relief for many of us who have been swimming against a constant current of “show me the data” bosses, who want you to quantify things like love and emotions—the most ineffable, yet powerful reasons why anyone ultimately does anything !

Drive by Dan Pink -Post #3

Drive : The 100-foot-level view for leaders considering Motivation 3.0:

Foremost for leaders: Work with people and teams to develop a collaborative vision and then get out of their way!

1. Autonomy: Give people autonomy to do what they want (task); when they want to do it (time); in a way they want to do it (technique); and to collaborate with whom they want (team).

2.Mastery: Let people practice to attain mastery, which fosters engagement. When goals are clear, feedback is immediate and people work on tasks they’re interested in, time flies by and they get into what’s called “flow” or being in the zone—like shooting foul shots or three-pointers, when you’re good at it! Three laws help getting into this state: Mastery is a mindset (what I believe, I can achieve); Mastery is often painful (though enjoyable, like writing, running, or whatever you love); and, Mastery is an “asymptote” (something approachable but never attained 100%--like perfection).

3. Purpose: Allow people to define purpose, something larger than the product, process, or even themselves by allowing them to set new kinds of goals (for profit AND for good); use new kinds of words (“purpose,” “greater good” and “sustainable”); and establish new kinds of policies (ethical and work policies in sync with purpose-driven goals).

NOTE: This week I'll be reviewing Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink (Riverhead Books a division of Penguin Group, New York, 2009)