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From the Pinnacle - 29 January, 2002
This is a column I've wanted to write for a long time. I want to focus specifically on those executive level minds that live in the "pinnacles" that overlook all kinds of organizations - public and private - large and small - newly emerging and rich with history.
I've been preparing for this opportunity for several decades. I wrote a "Sports Values" column for the Dallas Morning News for six years and often dealt with executive level concerns in the field of sports. Actually, I used the sports pages to discuss those matters which could have just as easily been in the paper's business section, or maybe on the editorial page. At least, I had to purge myself of my normal academic style since the folks who read the sports section in Texas were a tad unforgiving. If "Billy Bob Six Pack" didn't get it, my editor would insist on a rewrite. I got the message.
But I relish helicopter views. I like theories of everything. I thrive on understanding large-scale systems and how they respond in times of transformational change. And, I've done enough presentations to the Young Presidents Organization to be sensitive to their unique stresses and strains, especially since they have payrolls to meet, dangers to avoid, and a host of other "bottom-line" concerns.
I have a special fondness for political leaders who are often confronted with a complexity that would drive 'normal' people slightly mad. I've watched George W. Bush for ten years. We even talked about Spiral Dynamics a decade ago when he was managing partner of the Texas Rangers. I've had opportunities to interact with FW de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, and Bill Clinton several times.
I'm writing this initial column in this Pinnacle series from a hotel in Leon, Mexico, only a few miles from Mexican President Vincent Fox's ranch. Some of my friends in this country who know him well are trying to arrange a meeting. I sense the man has the tiger by the tail as he attempts to deal with many of the identical issues that made South Africa such a fascinating and volatile experience. Many feel he is losing momentum.
I'm intrigued with executive level decision-making because these actions from the Pinnacle spread far and wide. I'm watching Conoco in Houston work with Phillips Petroleum from Oklahoma and Gulf-Canada in searching for more creative ways to design and expedite a merger of the three. (I'm actually an adjunct professor at Conoco's Corporate University). I recently returned from Singapore where I was in a position to assist the more traditional, authority-bound society ratchet into Singapore, Inc without losing it's rich cultural foundations. And, I continue to be intrigued with the magnetic forces that are pulling European societies closer and closer together.
So, this will be a column where we will explore the "lay of the land" for 21st Century leadership. I do have strong opinions which I will gladly share. We plan to develop a clearinghouse of useful information, up-to-date or even cutting-edge resources, and a series of early warning signs and evolutionary trends that you might be able to use. You will need to tell us if this makes any sense to you.
And, because I've maintained my love of books, book stores, and Amazon, I will always provide a quick review of books or articles that seem to offer new thinking in the field of leadership. Here are the two for this week:
Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos (Random House, 2002) by Robert D. Kaplan is one of the most exciting analysis of the current world situation and what will be required in terms of political leadership to get us out of this mess. Kaplan, who has an intuitive understanding of the deeper dynamics that shape cultures, is now appearing on every single TV and radio interview show in the United States. He has a deep understanding of Islam, the Middle East, and other global conflicts but, in this book, he actually suggests solutions.
To go directly to Warrior Politics at Amazon.com follow this link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375505636/qid=1012253005/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_15_1/102-8109109-3579312
Also, you would enjoy the new book Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra (Times Books, 2002). Here is a good example of a version of Second Tier, 7th Level organizational design that is quite refreshing. This model is not for everybody but the book makes a good case for self-organizing principles and processes.
To go directly to Leadership Ensemble at Amazon.com follow this link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805066926/qid=1012253515/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_7_1/102-8109109-3579312
No more prizes for forecasting the rain; only prizes for building the ark.
Don Beck