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  • Lincoln Role Model

The Lincoln Memorial Turns 100

2/22/2022

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This month, as we celebrate Lincoln’s birthday, let’s turn the spotlight on the Lincoln Memorial, which is turning 100 this year. Our good friends at the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia have dug up the story of the original 1922 dedication program, and what a story that is! The lessons for today are startling.

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So, with permission from the Lincoln Group of D.C., we reprint this article, written by Wendy Swanson.

The iconic Lincoln Memorial turns 100 years old this year, and the Lincoln Group of D.C. is hard at work, planning a major centennial commemoration. The Lincoln Group is partnering with the National Park Service (NPS) to present a highly visible and memorable event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event will take place on the morning of Sunday, May 22, 2022.

As a starting point for planning this year’s centennial commemoration, we looked back in time to study the original ceremony, and use that event as a blueprint of sorts for designing a program for today. We soon saw certain aspects of Lincoln’s legacy—so important in recent times—were not prominent themes (if included at all) in the original festivities.

The focus of the Memorial was Lincoln’s saving the Union. Mention of the Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment were intentionally left out of the design because of ongoing segregation. Dr. Robert Moton, the African American director of Tuskegee Institute, was invited to speak at the dedication, but his remarks, critical of segregation and voter suppression laws, were censored. Additionally, Moton was required to stand off-stage before and after his speech, separated from the other speakers—including Chief Justice William Taft, President Warren Harding, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge.

The Memorial rose from the still swampy area west of the Washington Monument. Washington politics complicated the process of proposing, approving, designing, and building the marble structure most of us have come to revere. A commission, tasked with its design, bumped up against the powerful speaker of the house, while wrangling among the artists, design disagreements, and structural logistics led to inflated costs. Interruptions during “the war to end all wars,” i.e., World War I, added to the woes, protracting the Memorial’s construction for nine years.

What was it like to attend that ceremony? Who was there? What did they say and what didn’t they say? Herein, we offer a portrait of the event.
The official program for the original dedication had a straightforward agenda:
  • Invocation by the Rev. Wallace Radcliffe of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
  • Presentation of the Colors by the Grand Army of the Republic
  • Address by Dr. Robert R. Moton
  • Poem by Edwin Markham
  • Presentation by William Howard Taft
  • Acceptance by the President of the United States
  • Benediction and consecration of the memorial by Rev. Radcliffe

If we were transported back in time to that day in 1922, those who know their history would not necessarily be surprised, but might still find the segregated nature of the event jarring. This, after all, was the era of Jim Crow. (Remember, themes such as emancipation and voting rights were left out of the design of the memorial because of the culture of the day, i.e., segregation.) African Americans, who arrived early to honor Father Abraham, and with hopes of gaining a prime viewing spot near the front of the crowd, were not only disappointed, but rudely led to a “colored section” far from the main activity. Meanwhile, a group of Confederate veterans, dressed in their gray uniforms, received seats of honor alongside their counterparts in blue, the Union veterans.  The themes of reunion and saving the union were clearly visible.
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The Speakers: Two of the main speakers at the event, William Howard Taft and the U.S. President (in 1922, that official was Warren G. Harding) were predicable; we would consider them “givens” for this particular type of event. After all, Taft, the president who signed the bill to create the Lincoln Memorial, also served as the chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission. He also was the nation’s Chief Justice. He had the honor at the ceremony of presenting the Memorial to Harding, the U.S. President, as a gift to the nation. Harding, in turn, was there to accept this offering on behalf of the county.
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A crowd estimated at over 50,000 gathered at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial on May 30, 1922. Microphones and amplifiers were used to enable attendees to hear the program.
The dedication’s third major speaker was Dr. Robert R. Moton, selected to give the keynote address, and the only African American with a primary role in the program. Moton had become president of Tuskegee Institute following the death of its founder and first president, Dr. Booker T. Washington. A civil rights activist, he had written President Harding a letter offering suggestions on improving race relations and was a presidential advisor on this subject. Moton, a nationally well-known African American leader, was conservative in nature, and the Memorial Commission’s “careful” choice to “represent his race” by giving the keynote address. However, he was not given equal treatment.
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The Speeches: Moton was not given free rein to speak on all the issues he considered pertinent. Prior to the dedication, he was asked to submit his speech for review. After doing so, he received the following correspondence from Chief Justice Taft, acting in his capacity as chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission. That telegram, dated May 23, 1922, insisted on revisions to the proposed draft:
​Will have to ask you to cut five hundred words, and suggest that in making the cut you give more unity and symmetry by emphasizing tribute and lessening appeal. I am sure you wish to avoid any insinuation of attempt to make the occasion one for propaganda. Our personal relations make me feel that you will understand the motive in the suggestion.  Wm. H. Taft
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Robert Moton gives his keynote address at the Lincoln Memorial Dedication. (Photo credit: Library of Congress)
​Organizers of the event censored significant content of the proposed speech as too radical, and demanded a milder version. Sections of the address considered to be “problematic”—and, which were deleted—referenced the failure of the federal government to protect the rights of African Americans. In one deleted section, Moton referred to Lincoln’s mention in the Gettysburg Address of “great unfinished work” and the need to ensure that “government of the people, for the people and by the people should not perish from the earth.” After quoting Lincoln, Moton added:
and this means all the people. So long as any one group within our nation is denied the full protection of the law, that task is still unfinished…. But unless here at home we are willing to grant to the least and humblest citizen the full enjoyment of every constitutional privilege, our boast is but a mockery…before the nations of the earth…. A government which can venture abroad to put an end to injustice and mob-violence in another country can surely find a way to put an end to these same evils within our own borders.
This language on race relations and social justice did not appear in Moton’s keynote address given on May 30, 1922. In fact, a significant portion of the final section of his original speech was revised.
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Some may wonder why Moton, working under such restrictions, proceeded with presenting his keynote address. He undoubtedly considered when, and if, he would again have the opportunity to address such a large assemblage (crowd estimates were at 50,000 or more, with additional listeners via radio broadcasts). Although he made cuts, as required, Moton made certain points clear. He talked of reconciliation, but he also called on the nation to complete its “unfinished work.” He observed that from the day of Lincoln’s tragic death, “the noblest minds and hearts, both North and South, were bent to the healing of the breach and the spiritual restoration of the Union.” He expressed his desire that the memorial’s dedication would mark the nation’s renewed commitment “to fulfill to the last letter the task imposed on it by the martyred dead—that it highly resolve that the humblest of citizen of whatever color or creed, shall enjoy that equal opportunity and unhampered freedom for which the immortal Lincoln gave ‘the last full measure of devotion.’” Moton closed by quoting Lincoln’s second inaugural address, adding his own belief: 
​that all of us, black and white, both North and South, are going to strive on to finish the work, which he so nobly began, to make America an example for the world of equal justice and equal opportunity for all who strive and are willing to serve under the flag that makes men free.
The audience stood in applause as the band played “America.”

Much has been written about Moton’s censored speech. For those who wish to further explore the revisions made to his original speech, the Library of Congress provides a side-by-side comparison of the two versions of the address. The speech not delivered is also contained in The Lincoln Anthology, edited by Harold Holzer, published by Library Classics of the United States, New York, 2009.

The speeches of Taft and Harding repeated the original focus of the memorial as a symbol of the unification of the previously divided nation. To Taft, the monument signified “the restoration of brotherly love of the two sections” previously divided, e.g., North and South. Thus, he found the site selected for the memorial, on the Potomac, “the boundary between those two sections, peculiarly appropriate.” In fact, according to the Chief Justice, Lincoln was “as dear to the hearts of the South as to those of the North.” Harding offered remarks that dovetailed those of his predecessor—“how it would soften [Lincoln’s] anguish to know the South long since came to realize that vain assassin robbed it of its most sincere and potent friend.”

Harding started his remarks by accepting, on behalf of the government, the monument to the savior of the republic. Again, the focus was unification with no reference to what we, today, consider a major part of Lincoln’s legacy as the Great Emancipator. Harding essentially considered emancipation as a “means to the end”:
The supreme chapter in history is not emancipation, though that achievement would have exalted Lincoln throughout all the ages. The simple truth is that Lincoln, recognizing an established order, would have compromised with the slavery that existed, if he could have halted its extension. Hating human slavery as he did, he doubtless believed in its ultimate abolition through the developing conscience of the American people, but he would have been the last man in the republic to resort to arms to effect its abolition. Emancipation was a means to the great end—maintained union and nationality.
​(One can find the Taft and Harding speeches online). 
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Robert Todd Lincoln (Photo credit: Library of Congress) An important attendee at the dedication, though he was not a speaker, was Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of the martyred president. He was a special guest at the ceremony, one who received a standing ovation upon taking his seat. During the construction of the memorial, he often had his driver go by the site to observe the progress being made on this tribute to his father. He once even received permission to visit the site during ongoing construction. The dedication was his last public appearance at age 79.
The Reaction: The story was reported in various ways, a mixed bag, depending on the source and its political persuasion. Some readers may have wondered if this was “a tale of two ceremonies,” rather than a single event.

Many mainstream white newspapers gave little ink to Moton’s speech. One Washington Post article didn’t mention his name, while another in the same publication deemed the address “a triumph and unqualified assertion of American racial progress.” The reaction of The Chicago Defender, an African American publication, was to advise readers that “no memorial dedication had occurred.” A thumbnail sketch of the coverage offered by two publications—one stressing the nation’s inequities, the other national unity—is provided. Two quite different accounts.

The Chicago Whip, financed by African American businessmen and leaders, ran an article entitled “‘Distinguished Guests’ Find Themselves Roped Off in Pen, Many Leave In Disgust.” This piece focused on the Jim Crow atmosphere of the event, including how twenty-one descendants of slaves found themselves roped off in a small enclosure, away from the rest of the audience. When shown into the enclosure, they were accosted by a white marine acting as guard and told to "sit down, and that damn quick.” Complaints to the commander of the guard failed to result in his removal. All those seated in the “Jim-crowed” section had been given tickets marked "Section S, Platform.” After several protests, they were denied seats elsewhere. They left the enclosure in disgust, a commotion observed by Dr. Moton, who received loud applause in response to his speech. President Harding’s acceptance of the memorial on behalf of the nation emphasized the fact that “the emancipation of the slaves was merely an incident in Lincoln's prosecution of the Civil War, and that if he could have avoided the war; he never would have freed the slaves.”
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The Washington Herald’s article, when describing the dignitaries in attendance, also acknowledged the presence of “those who fought in the war under his banner and those who fought against it; sprightly soldiers of the present day, who have just emerged from the greatest conflict known to man; members of the race he freed.” A spirit of unity was displayed by the cheering crowd:
The great soul of Abraham Lincoln yesterday looked down on a vast concourse of people and realized that "these dead have not died in vain" for he saw America united gathered at the shrine raised to him by a grateful nation and pour forth, in inspired phrases, a paean to the immortal who welded the broken destinies of homeland. White, black, yellow, red and brown people of every civilized land on earth, and representatives from every State in the Union he preserved, gathered to honor the "master martyr" in the dedication of the "lone white temple" which has been ten years in the building.
The quotes cited for Taft and Harding in the article, of course, centered on the theme of national unity. The Herald did acknowledge Dr. Moton’s participation in the ceremony. However, the description given of his talk failed to mention the most powerful part of this message—that concerning Lincoln’s “unfinished task” and the need for justice for all.

And for those who follow after… Near the end of his address, President Harding offered the following insight, one which envisioned the transformation to come for the Lincoln Memorial and its meaning for the country and all peoples: “This memorial, matchless tribute that it is, is less for Abraham Lincoln than for those of us today, and for those who follow after.”

As the crowds dispersed following the ceremony, the military band played “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”

History marches on … and as it does, the meaning of our national symbols transform. Such has been the case of the Lincoln Memorial. That same patriotic hymn, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” played to dispersing crowds following the dedication ceremony, became a cornerstone of the iconic concert performed by Marion Anderson seventeen years later. Barred from performing at the Daughters of the American Revolution Hall because of her race, she relocated her concert to a larger venue—the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—and for a larger integrated audience. That day, the Lincoln Memorial truly became a symbol for racial justice. From that time on, the meaning of the Memorial has continued to evolve as a symbol and rallying point for patriotic and social justice causes. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his “I Have a Dream” speech from its steps. Participants in women’s marches have rallied there. From this location, Presidents-elect often share their thoughts with the nation on the evening before their inauguration. Today the Lincoln Memorial is one of the nation’s most sacred patriotic sites—one symbolizing not only unity, but racial and social justice. There too—whether individually or collectively—we can rededicate ourselves to Lincoln’s still “unfinished work,” as we celebrate our Sixteenth President as The Great Emancipator as well as the Savior of the Nation.
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Other sources for this article: The National Park Service sites offer background on the Memorial, its history, and the dedication, including the dedication day’s speakers and newspaper coverage. Boundary Stones, WETA’s local history website article “The Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial” (https://boundarystones.weta.org/2018/04/18/dedication-lincoln-memorial). “Lincoln Memorial: A Temple of Tolerance,” Harold Holzer; at HistoryNet.
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A Conversation with Antigoni Ladd

1/26/2022

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Hidden Gems

1/21/2022

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Without question, our business world is in the middle of a disruptive, unpredictable time in history. The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work in ways industry professionals predict will redefine “normal” several times before settling. It begs the question: how do we effectively lead through this period of chaos? According to Jeff Wong, Global Chief Innovation Officer at Ernest & Young (EY), the answer is to identify and empower the hidden “transformers” we already have on our teams.

Joining EY in 2015, Wong quickly built a team of forward-thinking employees he called transformers that created GigNow, a global talent marketplace that added more than 16,000 short-term and 1,300 full-time jobs around the world. Under his leadership, these transformers also built an automation center—reducing the time employees spent on repetitive, mundane tasks by 2.1 million hours its first fiscal year in operation—and created new positions and projects to repurpose and reinvest those saved hours back into the company. When asked what made his team so effective in the notoriously fast-changing and chaotic tech word, Wong was quick to respond: mindset. “When CEOs encourage an innovative mindset that embraces agility, resilience, and flexibility, they can set the stage for unprecedented results.” But, how do we, as leaders, identify our own transformers, and effectively capitalize on this forward-thinking approach? Wong has a method:
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  1. Look for “eyes up” employees: “People who focus on keeping their jobs are in protection mode,” Wong says. “They are not focused on learning new skills or executing at pace; instead, they are focused on job protection, corporate politics and what’s happening today.” Wong says this “eyes down” approach, which focuses only on what is happening in the moment, prevents innovation. Instead, he looks for “eyes up” employees, who constantly look for better ways to do the same job. Do you have a teammate who has streamlined a process to quicken turnaround? Is there an employee whose organizational skills keep others on track? How about someone who is constantly on the lookout for ways to combine skillsets, or to divide and conquer to simplify tasks? These “eyes up” behaviors, Wong says, are strong indicators of the hidden transformers in your workforce.
  2. Create “jeans and suits” conversations, then listen carefully: “Diversity and inclusion aren’t ‘nice to haves,’” says Wong. “They are business imperatives… Without diversity, businesses will never successfully solve the complex problems in times of uncertainty.” During the planning phase of any new project, Wong creates diverse conversational groups made up of traditional business veterans (the “suits”) and younger employees coming from technology companies, AI companies, and fresh from school (the “jeans”). He encourages the groups—using their different backgrounds, specialties, and skill sets—to work together to define what the new project should look like in five years’ time. While the answers the groups provide are important, it’s the level of cooperation and mutual respect Wong is watching for. Transformative employees, Wong says, are always open to new ideas.        
  3. Watch for employees with a “startup” mindset: “Business leaders need to encourage experimentation,” Wong says. “But, failing fast and failing often are extremely important to this trial-and-error process.” As Wong works with his teams on established projects, he keeps an eye out for employees who don’t quit or need constant reassurance when something goes wrong. In the same way startup employees need the perseverance to push through setbacks as they break ground on a new company, Wong says your hidden innovators will display this same mindset and grit. Watch for your teammates who look at failure as an opportunity to try something different—they are your transformers.    

Once you have identified your hidden innovators, Wong says it’s time to empower them to help your company move forward. Put them together as a think tank; give them control over a new project; task them with creating a change-plan for an existing project; give them leadership and responsibility over a lesser-performing team. The possibilities are endless. “Empowering employees and enabling them to find deeper meaning in their work starts with building a culture of transformers,” Wong says. The business world is changing around us at a break-neck pace. Fortunately, we already have what we need to keep up.
 
Do you want to find the hidden transformers on your team? Do you need traction or buy-in for new business ideas? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.

​JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Are your teams inspired to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories below!
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Life Lessons from Everett

12/20/2021

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As I move into this first holiday season without Everett, I find myself grateful for the deep imprint his life left on me and on everyone around him. From his siblings, children and grandchildren, to our work family here at Tigrett Corp., to people he encountered in our Gettysburg community, not a day goes by where someone does not share with me a story of how Everett touched someone’s life. A teacher through-and-through, Everett believed we learn best through colorful role models to emulate. What better way to honor his memory than to share some leadership lessons from his life?

Always Be Curious. Everywhere we went, Everett asked questions. He would strike up conversations with people in grocery store lines and restaurants, while taking walks around our neighborhood, and with students in leadership classes we taught over the years. While I would stand quietly, content to wait in silence for our turn at the register or a class to begin, Everett would use the time to learn more about the people around him. Many times, we would enter a restaurant, give our names to the maître d’, and Everett would ask how business was going. Instead of simply nodding at the response and pushing to get to our table, Everett would encourage the person to share, and would pepper the conversation with questions designed to coax out more of the story. Fascinating tales would roll out in front of us, and by the time dessert arrived, we had not only made a new friend, but we’d learned something we didn’t know before. Everett believed everyone has something valuable to teach, and his genuine curiosity and desire to learn more about the people he encountered opened doors to new ideas and sparked learning journeys we might not have otherwise encountered. 

Listen Completely. When Everett and I would attend a cocktail reception or business function, we usually split up and tried to meet as many people as possible. I would charge around the room looking for some spark of interest but would quickly grow bored and gravitate toward the buffet, rather than conversation. When I eventually met up with Everett, I would find him surrounded by a group of people, all talking animatedly, while he stood in their center, nodding, smiling and listening. I remember asking myself how our experiences with people could be so wildly different. How did Everett put people so at ease, and inspire such openness? I watched, and found that he began by asking a question, then looking the person straight in the eye while the new friend answered. Everett didn’t fidget or look over his shoulder. He didn’t graze on hors d’ oeuvres or sip wine. He gave the speaker his entire focus, and in return, the new friend responded with enthusiasm.

People matter more.  As a banker and commercial lender, Everett had always encouraged people to share their stories—their successes and difficulties, their dreams and goals—as he guided them toward financing decisions. Rather than looking simply at numbers, Everett took the time to consider and explain how each financial possibility would impact the business and the people attached to it so the business owners could make the best decision, whether or not it was the most profitable for the bank. When Everett had to turn down a loan request, he didn’t simply send the business owners on their way, but he spent a considerable amount of time talking with them—explaining, with patience and kindness, why a loan was not the best idea, and guiding them toward what they might do, instead. His people-over-profit approach made a difference, and years later, customers still returned to the bank to seek him out and thank him for helping them know it was not the right time for a loan, and for caring enough to guide them in a new direction. 
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Everett touched many lives. As 2021 draws to a close, and 2022 peeks over the horizon, I can see a year marked with memories and with joy over the profound and lasting ways Everett improved everyone around him. Change is hard. As I read over the words of this letter, though, I can’t help but smile. Everett is still teaching me how to be a leader. And, I am still listening.

- Antigoni 

Memorial Fund
Everett was passionate about our leadership training business, and he derived so much pleasure in seeing people “turned on” by history and inspiring role models. No words can express our sadness at his loss, or our gratitude for the years we had together. We will honor his memory by continuing the work he began, and by standing behind his belief that everyone has the capacity to be a great leader.

As a tribute to Everett and his love of education and history, we have set up a memorial fund for a section of the new history museum of the Adams County Historical Society. We plan to name the World War II section of the museum in his honor.

If you would like to honor Everett with a donation, you may contact the historical society online (www.achs-pa.org) and specify that your gift is in memory of Everett Ladd; or you may also write to the society at: Adams County Historical Society, 368 Springs Avenue, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

From all of us at Tigrett Leadership Academy – thank you for making us part of your team! We wish you the happiest holiday season and the most productive new year! 
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Show and Tell

11/13/2021

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Storytelling is a powerful, generative leadership tool. In a season of information overload, it has the power to cut through the noise, motivating change when other approaches have failed. But how do we, as leaders, harness its power?

History remembers Madam C. J. Walker as the first self-made woman millionaire in America. Marketing her line of homemade haircare products for Black women, Walker built a business empire, first selling door-to-door, then empowering a legion of Black “Beauty Culturalists” to sell her products. Though her rise from impoverished washerwoman to wealthy businesswoman was paved with hard work, her approach was straightforward and simple: she told her story. Here are two lessons we can learn:  
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  1. Storytelling Motivates Action – When Madam Walker was 38 years old, she developed a scalp infection that resulted in large bald patches all over her head—a problem many poor women of her era experienced due to infrequent washing and lack of access to clean water. Seeking advice from her barber brothers, and drawing upon her knowledge of soaps and acids from her work as a washerwoman, Walker experimented with different scalp treatments until she discovered a formula that cured her infection. As new hair grew over the bald patches on her scalp, Walker began telling her story to friends and urging them to try her hair tonic, which she called, “Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.” This approach resulted in a nearly 100% conversion rate for her product, even though similar products were readily available. At this point, Walker had an epiphany: story is powerful.

    She began documenting her hair growth in photographs, then purchasing advertising space in Black newspapers. While other manufacturers used illustrations or photos of models and typical advertising language, Walker used photos of herself, showing her real results, and simply shared her story. She traveled from town to town, renting space in churches and schools for “hair talks,” telling other Black women about her journey from hair loss to hair health. Sales were explosive. Letters from grateful customers poured in, and understanding the power of story, Walker included them in both her hair talks and her advertising. Within two years, Walker’s monthly income equaled that of the highest paid white executives in corporate America.
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  2. Storytelling Inspires Change – Whenever Walker held a hair talk in a new town, she took note of the natural leaders in each crowd. Walker would invite these women to a meeting, where she’d share her story. “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South,” she often began. “From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the kitchen. And from there, I promoted myself.” She would tell the women about her many experiments (including failures) to find the perfect formula for her tonic, and her success selling her product simply by telling her personal story. Before leaving, Walker would give the women a supply of “Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower,” encourage them to use it, then challenge them to share their experience as a sales tool. If their efforts were successful, she told them, they could purchase supplies from her at wholesale prices, then build their own business empires with their profits.

    Inspired by her story, the women took her challenge, and changed their lives. Walker’s “Beauty Culturalists,” as she called her grass-roots sales team, sold out of product nearly as quickly as they could order it. Again, letters began pouring in—this time from grateful budding entrepreneurs. And again, understanding the power of story, Walker included them in her newspaper advertisements. One letter, included in advertisements across several newspapers, read: “You have made it possible for a Black woman to make more money in a day… than she could in a month working in somebody’s kitchen.” By 1919, ten years after launching her first grass-roots sales team, Walker had 25,000 Beauty Culturalists selling her product across the country and making a living wage for their families.

​Leadership storytelling can take many forms. Whether you seek to inspire your team by sharing how you overcame a particular struggle, or you need to generate trust and buy-in by sharing how a new business practice has benefitted others, harnessing the power of storytelling can help you achieve your goal.

​Do you want to know what motivates and inspires your employees? Do you need buy-in for new business ideas or practices? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.
​
​JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Are your teams inspired to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below!
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The Power of Purpose

10/20/2021

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Few leaders would argue the importance of knowing your target demographics and the psychographics that drive their decisions. But do you know this information about the people you lead?

A third-generation CEO of H&M, Karl-Johan Persson took the reins of his grandfather’s corporation in July 2009 and immediately began work on a company-wide sustainability program. By early 2010, H&M had drastically reduced its use of traditionally sourced cotton, and by 2011, debuted its “Conscious Collection,” which consisted of fashions made with 100% organic cotton and other sustainable materials. Soon after, Persson spearheaded an international program, offering customers 15% off their purchases when they brought in old clothes—from any manufacturer—to be recycled or donated to charity.

Public reaction was positive. Interestingly, employee reaction was positive, as well. Team leaders reported their sales staff’s passionately directing customers to the sustainably sourced options in the store, and often overheard cashiers prompting buyers to bring an item to recycle the next time they shopped with H&M. Persson, it seemed, had tapped into something his employees cared deeply about, and it improved their job performance. Profits soared.

In the home office, Persson was working with his leadership teams to expand H&M’s sustainability program when Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Bangledesh, collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. Even though no H&M clothing was manufactured by the factory, Persson immediately facilitated conversations between clothing manufacturers and government officials to create greater oversight of the Bangledesh garment industry. Again, employee support was immediate and emphatic.

​Deciding that true sustainability had to ensure fair treatment of all people touched by the manufacturing process, and encouraged that his employee base shared this vision, Persson worked with his leadership teams to take next steps—beginning with Cambodian factories that manufactured H&M clothes. Within months, Persson flew to Cambodia to discuss working conditions and fair wages with government officials. Through his extensive network, he helped bring labor unions and decision makers together, and the resulting negotiation produced an increase in wages 21% higher than the Cambodian garment workers had initially requested.   

Employee response was explosive. U.S. job satisfaction surveys, which had hovered near the 59% typical with U.S. companies, soared to 76%. H&M’s salesforce believed in the mission of the company, and without any change to their working conditions, reported greater happiness and motivation to do their best work. There is a lot we can learn from this.      
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Knowing what motivates those we lead is an incredibly important part of leadership strategy. Whether we use the information to shape future projects that involve an entire department, or to make individual assignments on a case-by-case basis, understanding the target demographic for the job, and the psychographics that motivate the employee are key.  

Do you want to know what motivates your employees? Do you want to help your teams approach their work with excitement? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.

​JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Are your teams motivated to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below.
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Clearing the Bottleneck

9/23/2021

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Organizational speed is crucial during times of change. The ability to innovate or pivot quickly in volatile environments can often make the difference between success or failure. Many leaders, however, are unwitting bottlenecks to this potential when business process requires the majority of decisions go through them. But how do we make the switch from decision making to decision enabling? The answer, and our historical inspiration, might surprise you.

Most of the world remembers Albert Einstein as the brilliant German-born theoretical physicist known for developing the theory of relativity. In fact, his mass-energy equivalence formula, E=mc2, is considered the world’s most famous equation. What’s less known about Einstein is that, in addition to his work within the scientific community, he had a brief career as a rather unconventional college professor. Shortly after publishing several papers on relativity physics, Einstein was invited to lecture at the University of Bern in Switzerland. His reception, however, was lukewarm. “Einstein was never an inspired teacher,” biographer Walter Isaacson summarized bluntly. His first lecture was attended by only two people—both friends from his former job in the patent office—and his second lecture had to be cancelled after only one student enrolled.

​Einstein, however, didn’t give up. He began offering to work with students on his own time, slowly shifting his approach from the traditional lecture format to a more informal, mentoring style of teaching. By the time he was hired to teach theoretical physics at Zurich University, nearly 6 months after his cancelled lecture at Bern, he had completely abandoned the traditional classroom structure. His new students, having experienced only polished professors and strict, nearly sterile classroom etiquette, didn’t know what to make of Einstein’s teaching style.    

“When he took his chair in shabby attire with trousers too short for him, we were skeptical,” said student Hans Tanner, who attended most classes Einstein taught at Zurich. As the semester went on, however, the students grew to appreciate his more casual and accessible approach. While other professors taught finished, linear concepts, Einstein thoroughly explained his thought process—including his mistakes—so his students could understand how each of his ideas moved from germination, through development, and into final decision. He often paused to ensure every student understood not only the concepts presented, but also the process behind his decisions, and he encouraged them to interrupt his teaching whenever they didn’t—an unprecedented classroom behavior at that time.

As the university discouraged casual interaction between professors and students, Einstein began holding weekly “office hours” at the nearby Café Terrasse, where students could sit with him to discuss physics and mathematics and ask him any questions they had not voiced during class. Often he brought newly published, theoretical papers and invited his students to deconstruct the concepts with him, challenging them to find mistakes before he could. More importantly, Einstein encouraged his students to trust their knowledge, take chances, and practice making scientific decisions on their own. 

While Einstein’s peers never approved of his accessible, mentor-style approach to teaching, and though his skill as a formal lecturer never improved, his students were among the most confident and high producing at Zurich University. By providing a substantial level of guidance during the early teaching phases, making himself accessible, then challenging his students to act on what they learned, he empowered a young group of scientists to make decisions on their own, rather than constantly looking to him for guidance.

​There is a lot we can learn from his approach. While there will always be decisions that must pass through leadership, there are many day-to-day decisions we can delegate successfully, if only we provide the right training and support. Einstein often told his class, “The main thing is the content, not the mathematics,” as he believed they could learn more by focusing on the decision-making process than the decision, itself. As we strive to redefine “business as usual” in the wake of this global pandemic, organizational speed could not be more important. Making the leadership shift from decision making to decision enabling might just be the fuel we need.  
  
Are you looking for ways to speed up your business process? Would you like to equip your teams to make more decisions on their own? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.

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Are your teams able to make quick decisions without oversight? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below.
 

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​Rules of Engagement

8/22/2021

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Studies suggest autonomy is the single greatest predictor of employee engagement within a company. But how do we, as leaders, balance our employees’ desire for freedom with our need for predictable, measured results? Lynn Jurich, CEO and co-founder of SunRun, the nation’s largest provider of residential solar energy services, knows something about this struggle. Having founded SunRun in 2007 with business school classmate Edward Fenster, Jurich made most of the managerial decisions herself. However, when SunRun doubled, then tripled in size, Jurich quickly realized she needed a method that allowed her to pass these decisions off to others without sacrificing the outcome. Today, Jurich follows a tried-and-true, four step plan we can all learn from: “Hire very good people, always hold them to a high standard, provide them a lot of context, and make sure they have what they need to succeed.”

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Hire very good people – With a customer growth rate of close to 30% during the past year, no one would be surprised that SunRun has increased its hiring by more than 78%. What might surprise some is that Jurich, as a practice, chooses to leave holes in her employee roster rather than hire anyone who isn’t a great fit for her company—even under pressure. 
​When you have a big gap on your team and a lot of work that needs to be done, it’s tempting to rationalize hiring someone who has a certain set of skills but isn’t a true cultural fit. Yet I’ve found it’s so important to cue into whether I’m having a “whole body yes.” If I pay attention to that physical reaction, I usually make the right call. Either I’ll explore what’s preventing a positive response and resolve it, or I’ll discover the person really doesn’t share our values, and then I’ll move on. By consistently hiring managers who are aligned with the company’s values and mission, and coaching those leaders to do the same with their hires, Jurich has created a workforce that needs very little oversight to ensure its decisions keep SunRun’s interests at the forefront.
2.
Hold everyone to a high standard – Jurich uses a management concept called “Impeccable Agreements,” which she learned through leadership coaching and a book called, The Fifteen Commitments of Conscious Leadership. Essentially, all employees at SunRun (including herself) begin each new project with detailed agreements, delineating their commitment and timeline. Any inability to follow through must be explicitly renegotiated. “When you say something, either you follow through with it, or you come back and renegotiate it… You can run so much faster as a business because you're not checking on what everybody else is doing.” As a result of this practice, Jurich says, not only does SunRun save time, but she and her employees are much more deliberate about what they commit to doing and are much more likely to keep those commitments.
3.
Provide context for decision making
​“You really want to find that balance between providing a real, single and unified vision for the company, but also giving enough decision-making push down and control down at the lower levels of the organization where people are really making the day-to-day decisions… What it means is that everybody is very clear on what the big strategic goals are… They don’t have to go check in with eight other different people…They can just feel empowered that, ‘OK, I know what the right decision is for the company, so I’m just going for it.’ ”
According to Jurich, communication is the key to making this happen. To create clarity and strong alignment throughout SunRun, she not only meets weekly with each of her department heads and quarterly with all SunRun employees, but also provides concise, plainly written goals for each department, then makes these documents easily accessible to every employee on the company server.
4.
Equip your people to succeed – In addition to providing job training and helping to establish mentor/mentee relationships throughout the different SunRun departments, Jurich takes a personal approach to ensuring her leadership teams have everything they need to succeed in their jobs. In all but rare occasions, Jurich walks to work - a journey that takes nearly an hour - and uses that time to mentor any up-and-coming employees. Meeting at her home, Jurich and her mentee walk to work together each morning until the new leader feels confident for the tasks ahead. Establishing this as the standard, Jurich then encourages each person she mentors to provide the same level of help and attention to the people on his or her team.

​As leaders, we have the power to inspire our teams to take more responsibility, and the ability to help them succeed. By filling our teams with carefully chosen candidates, expecting high performance, and providing our people with the information and support they need, we can develop a workforce that’s nimble, accurate and successful, without the micromanagement so prevalent in older business models. The post-quarantine workspace is changing, but we, as leaders, have everything we need to stay in front and continue forward with confidence.
​
​Are you an empowering leader? Are you looking for ways to inspire your teams toward greater autonomy? Let us share more leadership lessons from empowering leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.


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Are you able to inspire your teams toward action? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below.
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​The Subtle Art of Listening

7/19/2021

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The business proverb--a good leader is a great listener—isn’t new. But, while most of us can see the overarching idea clearly, the particulars are harder to make out. What exactly is a great listener, and where can we find a leadership example?

With her meteoric rise to fame as the American Ballet Theatre’s first ever female African American Principal Dancer, Misty Copeland has shattered stereotypes, challenged the racial divide among both dancers and audience members, and mentored a steady stream of ballerina hopefuls toward their goals. And, while her dedication to her craft, hard work and discipline offer much to learn from, her unique approach to listening offers two unexpected lessons that are particularly valuable for today’s leaders.   

Listen to yourself – “It’s important to believe in yourself… If you don’t believe you are worthy, then no one else will.” Shortly after joining ABT, Copeland was called into a meeting with the Artistic Department, who made the company’s casting decisions, to discuss her aesthetic. “We’d like to see you lengthen,” they told her—code for: we want you to lose weight. At 5’2” and 108 lbs., however, weight wasn’t truly the issue. Build was. Where the traditional ballerina is slim and nearly prepubescent in shape, Copeland had matured into a strong, athletic body, with broad shoulders, muscled legs, and the curves of an adult woman. “I hated… that I was different from the others. I felt singled out for all the wrong reasons. I became so self-conscious that, for the first time in my life, I couldn’t dance strong.”

Copeland didn’t linger in that mental space for long. “My priority became simply accepting my new self.” She began each rehearsal by telling herself her strong body was capable, and built perfectly for what she needed it to do. Refusing to believe she was not the “ideal shape,” simply because her body was different from the ballet norm, Copeland began dancing with confidence, again. Soon, the staff at ABT took notice, and the definition of what a “perfect” dancer’s body should look like expanded.

As a leader, you will face moments where your approach with your team looks different from others’—and that’s okay. Listen to yourself. If you know, objectively, that your leadership style is working for your team, draw your confidence from within and move forward with purpose.          

Listen to your mentors – Copeland’s first years at ABT were difficult. “I looked around me, and in a company of 80 dancers, realized I was the only black woman. I felt completely isolated and alone.” Despite her obvious talent and work ethic, Copeland became, as she called it, “the token brown girl,” often hearing whispers that she “must have played the race card” to gain entrance to the company. As time passed, she began to feel hopeless, and considered leaving ABT. One night, however, while watching a documentary on the Ballet Russe, everything changed. “This black woman [Raven Wilkinson] came on the screen and started speaking, and it was the first time I felt like I recognized myself in another dancer. It was so powerful!” Copeland sought a mentorship with Wilkinson, and Wilkinson taught her to find the lesson in any adversity, rather than feeling angry or defeated. She encouraged Copeland to believe in her talent and hard work, and insisted that if Copeland’s response to unfair treatment was measured, thoughtful and never lacking in confidence, her voice would be heard.   

But Wilkinson wasn’t Copeland’s only mentor. In addition to seeking out mentorship with someone in her field, Copeland sought guidance from outside the world of ballet. She credits her business manager, Gilda Squire, with helping her realize there was a larger purpose to her career than simply dancing. “It started out with us sitting down at a coffee shop and her saying, ‘What do you want to say, and what do you want from your career?’” From that conversation, Squire and Copeland designed a platform of public activism to help reach Copeland’s goal of diversifying ballet—for herself, and for others.

​Copeland says of mentoring, “So many of us think, ‘I can do this on my own… But, we’re human beings, and we have those moments of being fearful and having doubts, and that’s the time you need to be surrounded by people who are going to reassure you that you have a purpose and a mission.” Leading can be difficult. Make sure you have people in your corner who can guide and encourage you, and make sure you listen when they do.
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No one will argue that great leaders must listen to the people they lead. But, also learning the art of listening to ourselves and to those who have walked the path before us will make us more confident, better focused leaders, able to face adversity and rise above it. Take the time to listen to the inner voice that guides you, and cultivate relationships with people you respect and can learn from.
 
Are you a great listener? Are you looking for ways to better lead your teams? Let us share more leadership lessons from empowering leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.

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Are you able to listen to your inner leader? Have you developed relationships with mentors who have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below!

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The Forgotten Art of Asking

6/22/2021

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As 2021 progresses, business leaders have a nearly unprecedented opportunity to define new normal in the workspace. Bu, disruptive leadership during a time of upheaval offers its own unique challenge: how do you lead your employees toward change during change?

After nearly 30 years in different positions within USAA, the San Antonio-based financial services giant, Wayne Peacock took control of the helm as CEO on February 1, 2020—just 19 days before a global pandemic began systematically changing our world. Yet, even amidst this uncertain, and at times frightening, backdrop, 89% of USAA’s employees reported high job satisfaction in 2020. It begs the question: how? Looking closely at Peacock’s leadership during this pivotal year, an important trend emerges: he asked two simple questions, again and again:
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  1. “What do you need right now?” – In early March, 2020, Peacock and his technology team successfully transitioned 98% of USAA’s workforce (over 30,000 people) to work from home. Immediately, Peacock issued a company-wide communication, asking a very important question: “What do you need right now?” Some responses he anticipated—faster internet connections, office equipment and supplies—and some responses caught him completely off guard. People were worried about food. Many of his employees now supported other family members who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and they worried about their ability to afford food for their families. Others lived with immunocompromised or elderly family members, and feared exposing them to the virus by shopping at grocery stores. Others, still, worried about their ability to fulfill their work obligations, help their now-homeschooled children with schoolwork, and still have time to prepare meals.

    Within a week, Peacock launched a pilot program at USAA’s company headquarters in San Antonio. Employees could place orders for same-day, curbside pickup of groceries (sold at cost) and prepared, family-style meals (sold at half-price). When the program met with success, he immediately expanded to regional campuses in Plano, Texas, Florida, Arizona and Colorado. To help with financial worry, Peacock issued $1,000 relief checks to each USAA employee, provided three weeks of emergency pay for COVID-19 related illness or childcare issues, and waived co-pays, deductibles and coinsurance for any COVID-19 related medical visit or treatment.

  2.  “What could we do better?” – When Peacock set the plan in motion to create more than 30,000 instant telecommuters, he asked his HR team to create an online tool to provide employees a safe space to voice concerns about what wasn’t working. Overwhelmingly, employee comments centered around their lack of preparedness and training to do their jobs from remote locations. Working closely with leaders from each area of the company, Peacock enlisted subject experts to speak to employees in online meetings, and to create training manuals where they could learn the skills needed to feel confident in their new work situation. He worked with his tech teams to build online forums where employees could share information with one another, and he brought in leadership experts to help his managers struggling to lead their newly off-site team members.

When employee concerns turned from preparedness to connectedness, Peacock worked with the communications team to initiate a program dubbed the “watercooler,” designed to help leaders nurture the social connections within their teams. To lead by example, Peacock began dropping into different departmental meetings, asking questions about his employees’ lives, and sharing from his personal life, as well.

As we slowly move toward a post-pandemic reality, our priorities are shifting. The “come to us” way of doing business is giving way to a “go to them” mindset, and leaders who embrace this new approach with a human focused leadership style will be the ones successfully leading their teams in this new reality. The process, however, doesn’t have to be complicated. Ask simple questions: “What do you need? What can we do better?” and truly listen to the answers. “Lead from the front,” Peacock encourages. “Together, we can take care of each other, and do it better than anyone else.”
 
Are you looking for ways to lead your team during this time of unprecedented change? Let us share more leadership lessons from empowering leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.

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What have you done to help your teams acclimate to this new normal? Do you have a process that’s working? Do you have questions for other leaders? Please join the conversation, below!

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