This year’s World Business Forum featured iconic leaders like Jack Welch, Al Gore, Jim Connelly and David Gergen discussing their views on how to lead, and how to be successful in today’s environment. There were some amazing presentations, and some memorable moments…almost too much to remember. Thankfully, they issue a summary report of each session to everyone who attended – to help capture the lessons and the wisdom, and help attendees implement what they’ve learned.

If you didn’t have two days to spend at Radio City, you can still benefit from the advice of these leadership greats… download the 2010 World Business Forum Report, courtesy of HSM and MWW Group.

Enjoy!

cwinters MWW Group Leadership, World Business Forum

Every day, there is a book, a blog, an article or a discussion about the challenges of the “Trophy Generation” for managers….generally categorized as needy, entitled young people who want the corner office just for showing up. After all, they are the first generation where everyone made the team, and everyone got a trophy. What can they possibly understand about competition? (As the generation who grew up on American Idol instead of Atari, it seems to me that they might understand competition in our democratized society better than anyone.)

As a member of Generation X – a label I shunned as I worked 14 hours a day paying my dues while my GenX peers watched Reality Bites over and over on their VCRs, it occurs to me that each generation in the workforce has trouble understanding the generations that follow. They have different priorities, different motivations and a different point of view. Like the proverbial grandparent who walked to school barefoot, in the sleet and snow uphill, both ways, we all want the newbies to understand that we’ve worked hard to get where we are.

Perhaps the common experience of looking for a first job in a recession has made me sympathetic to our newest members of the workforce, who can’t like the Trophy label any more than I liked the GenX stereotype. Or maybe it is the fact that I am raising the Trophy Generation 2.0 in my own home. But it seems to me that blaming the “followers” for the challenges of leadership may be misguided. After all, the power of a leader rests with his or her ability to relate to all of the generations in the workforce, and mobilize them toward common goals. As careers grow longer, the multi-generational workforce is here to stay. And with each new generation in the workforce, the one prior moves up a rung, and gets to roll their eyes about the kids who just don’t get it.

Will leaders of the future be the ones with the fanciest degree? The best work ethic? The “smartest” ideas? Or will they be the ones with well developed Emotional IQ. That’s my takeaway from this Fast Company blog a friend shared on Facebook about the essence of great leadership. Leaders need to understand the needs of their followers and manage people individually to meet their needs. The notion that your team essentially mirrors you, and their self belief is a reflection of your belief in them is an interesting one. I can recall many occasions in my career when I was thrown in to the deep end, and unsure if I could swim…our CEO, and my mentor, always let me know that he believed I could handle it and would succeed. And for the most part, I have.

Great leaders see our individual potential. They help us see it, believe in it and translate that belief into achievement. That’s a reliable formula for any generation.

cwinters General Corporate American Idol, Atari, GenX, Leadership, Millenials

After a series of horrific mining accidents in recent years, the world was glued to their televisions for the ultimate happy ending…the rescue of 33 copper and gold miners after 69 days trapped under ground, including initial days when they were all presumed dead.

Every one of these men is a hero. Their courage is the stuff that Hollywood can only dream of (and certainly will). But at a time when panic, and the instinct to survive, would easily pit one man against another, this group apparently behaved in a manner for the collective good. Under the leadership of their shift manager, 54-year-old Luis Urzua, 33 men whose lives were in the balance for almost two months, banded together so they would all survive.

We don’t know much about Luis Urzua, except that he thinks of himself as a miner, not a hero, a TV star or even a leader. We know that he kept order, even when he knew the crew was in for a much longer ordeal than most of them realized. We know that he stretched 2 days of food for 48 days. We also know that he was the last one out of the mine, and that he credited God, not himself, for the men having the will to resist the temptations that would have meant death for some, or all of them.

I doubt that whoever had the wisdom, or good luck, to hire Urzua could have predicted this scenario, or how he would perform. I doubt he read any of the leadership guru books on behaviors or philosophies of leadership. And it is unlikely that any training he received on the job could have prepared him for this incredible leadership task….he just had the “right stuff” for the job.

A recent MWW Group survey of leaders at the World Business Forum indicates that leaders are born, not made.

Case in point.

cwinters Executive Visibility Chile Mine Rescue, Leadership

A lot of excellent speakers talked about leadership attributes over the past two days at the 2010 World Business Forum. What was interesting about Al Gore’s presentation this morning is that we witnessed many of those leadership traits in action.

When asked to list leadership skills yesterday at the MWW Group’s panel discussion on sustainable leadership, David Gergen cited “trust and the capacity to inspire others.” As Gore rolled through an hour-long presentation largely focused on the global climate crisis, inspiration virtually dripped from the stage.

Deloitte CEO Jim Quigley, speaking on the same panel, talked about vision and leadership. Gore offered multiple visions – a vision of what could happen if we don’t change, a vision if we do change and a vision for how to get there.

Jack Welch warned that complacency is one of the greatest dangers facing leaders. Clearly, Gore is one motivated individual when it comes to the topic of climate change. I doubt that complacency is anywhere in his vocabulary. And that, of course, leads to passion.

The words “passion” and “leadership” have been in lockstep in virtually every presentation over the past two days. Gore embodied passion when he spoke about the challenge – and the opportunity – associated with the climate crisis. I, for one, was ready to buckle up and follow him over the ramparts. I suspect that most of the audience felt the same way.

I frequently tell clients that the best way to communicate is to “show, don’t tell.” Most of the speakers at WBF10 have told us about leadership; Al Gore showed us what it looks like.

bsilver MWW Group al gore, climate change, Leadership, World Business Forum

Al Gore, Nobel Laureate and former Vice President of the United States spoke to the World Business Forum on Wednesday morning. Al spoke passionately about the current state of the environment and captivated the audience with his unique insight into one of the greatest challenges that we face today.

Mr. Gore is a man who knows a little something about leadership. For over thirty years, Al has been spreading the word about the perils of climate change and he is recognized around the world as being the foremost leader on the environment.

Mr. Gore epitomizes what it means to be a leader. During his decades long campaign to raise awareness and drive change to environmental policies and behavior, he’s received more than his fair amount of criticism. Despite the criticism, Al has never backed down. This is one of the tenets of true leadership.

Al Gore used his time at the World Business Forum to issue a charge to the leaders of American enterprises. Quoting an African proverb, Al said: “If you want to go quickly go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Today more than ever, the challenges that we face require us to “go far.” We need leaders who can unite and lead us so that we can go far together.

admin MWW Group al gore, climate change, Leadership

I attended the World Business Forum today, and MWW Group hosted a terrific panel discussion on leadership. So it’s been the topic on my mind for the past few weeks.

It was on the WBF speakers’ minds, too. Over the course of the day, all of the speakers were talking about leadership, in one way or another. Jim Collins, Jack Welch, and David Gergen are leadership gurus. They offered words of wisdom to President Obama, the Board of HP, and the audience at World Business Forum. Jack Welch told us to hire people smarter than ourselves. David Gergen pronounced that there is a crisis in leadership today, and people don’t know who to trust. Jim Collins warned that successful leaders should be focused on responsibilities and outcomes, not jobs or titles, because the environment would continue to be tough for leaders:

“I don’t think we will have a new normal, I think we will have a continuous series of not normals.”

Thought provoking, for sure. And exactly what I hoped and expected them to speak about. But some of the others, like Charline Li (social networks), Martin Lindstrom (marketing) and Joseph Grenny (influence), it wasn’t what I was expecting. And it begs the question…is success in business – any business – fundamentally about leadership?

Here are some of my favorite takeaways about leadership from today’s discussions:

“No matter how sound the process, if you can’t influence people to execute, it is worthless” – Joseph Grenny

“Leadership isn’t just about setting direction, but about inspiring people to follow.” – Charlene Li

“Leadership requires making a connection with those who follow.” Jim Quigley
“You have moments of truth every day, all day. And your customers vote after every one of them.” Arkadi Kuhlman

“To sustain leadership, brands need to tap into your senses: sound + vision = emotional engagement, which ultimately equals brand preference” – Martin Lindstrom.

Tune in tomorrow for more from World Business Forum 2010.

cwinters MWW Group Leadership, World Business Forum

What makes great leadership? More importantly, what makes great leadership sustainable?

A panel of experts kicked that topic around for a while this afternoon during the lunch break Tuesday at the 2010 World Business Forum. Compelling topics, to be sure, and the team at MWW Group assembled an equally compelling panel that did it justice.

David Gergen. Advisor to four presidents. Editor at U.S. News & World Report.

Arkadi Kuhlmann. President of ING DIRECT USA. Author of a soon-to-be-published book on values-driven leadership.

Jim Quigley. CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Leader of a world-renowned consulting firm that today was named the leader in its field.

And Michael W. Kempner. President and founder of MWW Group. A classic entrepreneur who has built one of the nation’s leading PR firms.

In short, these guys know the topic and it was great to hear them strut it over the course of an hour. I’ve transcribed some snippets below, but to get the full experience, stop by www.mww.com and dial up the video of the session, which is archived on the Web site.

Kempner started things off with introductions, and then set the stage with some salient comments. “What do we need from our leaders to maintain the quality of life for citizens and employees, and to sustain greatness among our companies,” he asked. “What we have to do as organizations to keep up and compete in these extraordinary times? No one expected these challenges. No one would have anticipated this recessionary economy or the true impact of globalization, the shift to knowledge-based economy and speed of change. The only thing we know for certain is that change will continue.”

Kempner then asked the panelists to define leadership, and Kuhlman set the bar. “Leadership takes doubt out of the situation,” he said. “Leadership can eliminate doubt by being authentic, galvanizing emotions and having a vision that people can aspire to. People have a huge hunger for this – they’re looking forward it across the board.

“The questions become, how well can you articulate your values? Who you stand for and what you stand for? That’s what’s critically important, as it constantly resonates with people you work with. “

Added Quigley: “Sustainable leadership is leadership that works through the entire business cycle. It’s effective when you are rebooting your company and sustainable going forward. Leadership that’s all about this month’s numbers is not sustainable. “

Quigley talked at some length about values-based leadership, which is based on “sound principles that become timeless.” In it, leaders actually walk the talk and make people want to become part of the enterprise. That’s what people are looking for – belief in their leader.”

Kempner’s next question: What are the greatest challenges facing this generation of leadership?

Quigley: “It’s all about the people side of the equation. Leaders have to collaborate and communicate. And play ball. They have to have the ability to create teams and interact.”

Gergen: “Reputation for excellence matters. It’s about trust and continual refreshing of what you’re doing. Without that, it’s easy to be seen as yesterday.”

Kuhlmann: “The gap between what you say and what you do is much shorter than it was, in large part due to social media. The alignment of what you say and what you do is absolutely critical. It’s the only way to get through the noise and support a brand. And the most effective way to do this is to get on the side of the consumer through social media.”

Kempner wrapped things up with one final question. What are the skills necessary for a 21st Century leader.?

Gergen: “Trust and capacity to inspire others. Leaders have to lead beyond their own boundaries.”

Kuhlmann: “Be authentic. Have a willingness to commit and become vulnerable. Accept notion that you are vulnerable and risk failure.”

Quigley: “Trust, authenticity and nimbleness. Leadership and corporate reputation is linked together. The CEO must be the keeper of the flame.”

bsilver MWW Group Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, ING Direct, Leadership, World Business Forum

MWW Group is sponsoring a luncheon and panel discussion on Sustainable Leadership next week at the 2010 World Business Forum. As we’ve developed the content and panel topic, I’ve been reading and thinking about the topic of leadership pretty much around the clock. If you haven’t been down that aisle at the book store lately, there are hundreds, if not thousands of books that attempt to teach people how to be great leaders. Many of them enjoy 15 minutes of fame, some of them even endure.

So in addition to a stack of books on my credenza just waiting to be read (yes, I still like to hold an actual book in my hand … and do often judge books by their covers), I’ve been wondering how leaders become leaders. Can leadership be taught, yes or no? Or is it simply enhanced in individuals who are born to be leaders?

Are great leaders born or made? Can anyone be a leader? Or are those without natural leadership qualities destined to fail, no matter how hard they try?

These are great questions, and ones we’ll discuss next week with our panelists. Join the conversation and help shape the debate by participating in our survey – it takes less than a minute to answer the four questions. Or tune in to the live stream Tuesday at the special WBF2010 section on the MWW website and join the conversation via Twitter #wbf10.

cwinters General Corporate, MWW Group Leadership, World Business Forum

How do you create an environment for great ideas? Look no further than your nearby coffee shop, says author Steven Johnson in an inspiring lecture delivered earlier this year at the TEDGlobal 2010 conference in Oxford, England and posted recently on the TED Blog.

It’s been that way since 1650, Johnson says, when London coffeehouses offered a fertile environment for the ideas, discussion and debate that sparked the Enlightenment. Johnson offers a series of compelling anecdotes, from Newton to Darwin to today’s high-velocity Internet, about the evolution of idea and makes the case that share a common thread of connectivity. “That’s how innovation happens,” he concludes. “Chance favors the connected mind.”

Johnson’s lecture can be most instructive to today’s leaders. One of the primary functions of leadership is to create and foster an environment that enables people to think freely. Some companies encourage, pay and reward employees to follow ideas that spark their passion. It’s likely that these topics will be discussed when MWW Group hosts a panel on leadership next month at World Business Forum 2010.

So if you’ve ever wondered where those eureka moments of great ideas come from, take a look around the next time you’re waiting for your triple-tall Americano. This may be the place.

bsilver General Corporate Leadership, Ted Global, The Enlightenment, World Business Forum

The new season of Undercover Boss is about to begin, and each of the CEOs involved this season penned a piece for Fortune about what they learned. You may recall that when the show launched, my position was that great leaders don’t need a show to work shoulder to shoulder with their front line employees, and they don’t need to go undercover.

The pieces in Fortune underscore my position. The learnings and observations are exactly what you would expect from a forced, performance for TV based experience…this job is harder than I thought (as my 10-year old would say – DUH); these employees have great ideas (DUH again); I don’t have the proper training to be a line chef/NASCAR pit crew/lettuce harvester.

These sanitized experiences, and even more sanitized accounts don’t do much for creating a culture or for advancing leadership. But there were two nuggets of wisdom worth sharing:

• Drop in unannounced…anything where the CEO is expected (like a TV taping, for instance) is scrubbed, prepped and designed to put a best foot forward. Drop in unannounced, these meetings will be much more informative. (From the Chairman and CEO of Chiquita Brands International)

• You have to stick around long enough for the employees to relax and start to talk to you. And you have to do it often enough that it becomes an ongoing conversation. (From the CEO of Great Wolf Lodge Resorts)

My take on the article, and the season, in a nutshell.

cwinters Executive Visibility Chiquita, FOrtune, Great Wolf Lodge Resorts, Leadership, NASCAR, Undercover Boss