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Bennis is a well-known author and authority on
leadership. Thomas is an Associate
Partner with the Accenture Institute for Strategic Change. The book is about cross-generational leadership
and learning. Their model of
leadership development grows out of interview-based research with 43 leaders
– younger leaders under the age of 35, and leaders from the Builder
generation, 70 and older. Reflections
include not just what makes leaders but what enables people to learn to live
well in successive decades. It is
about human development. (Preface)
Geeks were the first generation to have grown up
“virtual, visual, and digital.” (Preface)
For many older people the world has jelled, closed. It no longer carries the sense of new
possibilities. But for some, the sense
of possibility and wonder has remained alive.
This quality the authors call neoteny. (Preface)
One of the key concepts is the crucible, the
high-pressured transformational experience common to all our leaders.
(Preface) “…if a person can not only
survive but create positive meaning out of such experiences, she or he can
grow into a durable, effective leader.
“History has certainly made it clear that adversity often separates
winners from loser.” “Among men in the
older generation of leaders, World War II was often the defining moment in
their lives.” (Forward)
One. Leading and Learning for a Lifetime
“The ability to learn is a defining characteristic of
being human; the ability to continue learning is an essential skill of
leadership. When leaders lose that
ability, they inevitably falter. When
any of us lose that ability, we no longer grow.” (1)
The leadership model is represented by a crucible, into
which flow 1) the characteristics of the era and 2) everything that makes up
the individual. The crucible is a
formative experience out of which one organizes meaning. Leadership competencies flow out of the crucible. (4)
“We see era as important, not because it defines
individuals, but because it presents them with a shared history and culture
and a specific arena in which to act.”
Eras are characterized by defining events or conditions. “The last twenty years, marked by the
advent of the Internet and the end of the Cold War, can be seen as one
coherent era.” (10)
“The analog world was one that valued linear narrative
and thinking. It believed in
organizational hierarchy and chain of command. The digital world is nonlinear and has
ditched the corporate pyramid for the flat organization.” (11)
“Older leaders were trained to think of the world in
Newtonian, mechanical terms. Younger
ones tend to look at the world in terms of living organisms and biological
systems….” (12) The older generation
valued experience; the younger values the “beginner’s mind” and fresh
insights. Geeks have more ambitious
goals and place more emphasis on balance.
Geeks are much less likely to have heroes. (13)
Both groups are avid learners, straining at limits. Each leader in both groups had a turning
point, an intense experience (crucible) that transformed his or her behavior
and self-understanding.” (13-14)
“Leaders create meaning out of events and relationships that devastate
nonleaders.” (17)
“The one key asset all our leaders share, whether young
or old, is their adaptive capacity.
The ability to process new experiences, to find their meaning and to
integrate them into one’s life….” (18)
They are great at grasping context, of noticing things. (19)
Every one demonstrated neoteny, “the retention of youthful qualities by adults,” such as
curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, energy, willingness to take
risks, hunger for experience, courage, eagerness for the surprises of each
new day. (20)
Two. Geezers - The Era of Limits
“The rules for success were pretty clear: work hard,
produce results, and you’ll get promoted and receive a pension….” Provide for your family and set a good
example for your kids….” (32) Their
parents lost their jobs in the depression so they focused on financial
security. Success was a steady
paycheck. (33)
Military service left its mark. Returning war heroes were mature,
no-nonsense people. (34-5) “Work was
central to geezers’ social identity at age 25-30.” (36)
Paying your dues meant enduring your situation or mastering job
knowledge and demonstrating respect for those you followed. (38)
The judgment of a superior or an elder had meaning. (41)
Geezers were avid readers and their favorite books were
ones of substance, classic works and great literature. (42)
Men focused more on work and less on family during
working years. Women stayed home,
married, and kept the family together. (46)
“Geezers at age 25-30 were profoundly influenced by the
larger-than-life heroes of their times.”
Three. Geeks – The Era of Options (1991-2000)
“The world stage was chaotic and volatile.” (52) Politics became entertainment. The economy went on fast forward via the
internet. Geeks anticipate nine or
more different employers during their lifetime. Women flocked to the workplace. The pace of business accelerated. Enormous economic growth was unevenly
distributed. (54) Organized religion receded in importance,
although ‘spirituality’ and ‘meaning’ are in. (57)
Geeks have much bigger ambitions, e.g. to change the
world, as well as get rich. (58,
60). They foresee a variety of careers
and work settings and many models for relationships and families. (62)
They measure success in terms of challenge, responsibility, and
opportunity to make history. “Work is
a form of self-expression.” (63)
Geeks crave experience but do not believe it has to take
time to get it. They want to learn by
just “doing it.” (64)
Geeks read industry and trade magazines, newspapers,
online journals, thousands of emails, and the Internet. They haven’t stopped reading but have started
‘viewing.’ (66-67) [These reading patterns seem to represent ‘means’ (Geeks) vs.
‘meaning’ (Geezers). dlm]
Geeks are “savvy and world-weary.” They have seen much of the world, both via
real-time TV and in person. (72)
Desire for balance in life is a common theme. (74) Geeks live in a world dominated by
celebrities but they have no larger-than-life heroes. (79)
They live in a transparent world and are sophisticated
and worldly. (82) Michael Klein on
inspiring his workers to continue working for him: “Because people have been
able to compress time frames so much and compress their road to monetary
success so much, there need to be reasons for them being led…. They have to believe that they are changing
the world, almost to that extent.” (83)
“Chaos isn’t just a theory, it is the current reality,
and learning to live with, even love, it is an essential element of leading
today.” “If you’re not confused, you
don’t know what’s going on.” “In a sense, the difference between the
old-style organization and the new is the difference between golf and
surfing.” (83)
Four. Crucibles
of Leadership
Adaptive capacity is the most critical skill for
leadership success. It includes critical skills such as the ability to
understand context and to recognize and seize opportunities. (91)
Leaders don’t get stuck in the crucibles but learn
important lessons, including new skills that lead to new learning and
achievement. (93) They not only survive but are inspired and
strengthened. (94)
Sometime crucibles are forced on leaders but the
majority choose them, albeit without knowing what they will bring. (98) Crucibles are places of reflection where
one asks foundational questions and reflects on relationships with others.
(99) “The test is often
grueling.” There is a real chance of
failure. (100) “Our study dealt only with people who had
passed through their crucibles and had emerged stronger and surer than
before.” (101)
“Adaptive capacity is applied creativity. It is the ability to look at a problem or
crisis and see an array of unconventional solutions.” Leaders “can tolerate
the nettle of uncertainty in situations where others long for closure.” “Flexible, resilient people are not
repelled by problems; they pounce on them, determined to find
solutions….” “Adaptive capacity allows
individuals to confront unfamiliar situations with confidence and
optimism.” They “are not paralyzed by
fear or undermined by anxiety in difficult situations.” (101-02)
Seeking out expertise, wherever they find it, is one of
the strengths of almost all. “Our
geeks tend to be stalkers of first-rate mentors.” (104)
“Success is, first of all, an act of the
imagination. Whatever their age, our
leaders realized that they were not limited by the roles they had played in
the past or the ways they had been defined by parents, teachers or others.”
(106)
“A crucible is a tipping point…where values are examined
and strengthened or replaced, and where one’s judgment and other abilities
are honed.” “Often the
transformational event in the crucible is a realization that one has power
that affects other people’s lives.” (106)
“The transformation that our leaders described…was
essentially a process of education. Learning how to learn was one of the most
valuable tools they took away from their crucible experience, and it was one
of the all-purpose tools, along with creativity….” (117) “The whole point of failure is to learn
from it.” (118, quoting Sidney Harman)
Five. The Alchemy
of Leadership
“All our leaders, whatever their age, brought to their
crucibles four essential skills or competencies…adaptive capacity, the
ability to engage others in shared meaning, a distinctive and compelling
voice, and a sense of integrity (including a strong set of values).” “These
are the qualities of leaders in every culture and context.” (121-22)
“However gifted, great leaders emerge only when they can
find the proper stage, a forum that allows them to exercise their gifts and skills.”
(123)
“More often than not, real leadership flourishes when
faced with imminent threats and dangers.” (125 quoting Gerald Posner) Perseverance and toughness are very
important. (129)
Michael Klein spends much time cheerleading his
knowledge workers. He has no plant, no
physical products. His employees take
home the company every night in their heads.
“If we had a breakdown of key talent walking out the door, we would be
lost.” (133) [This is an important truth for many
leaders to consider. dlm]
Creating Shared Meaning.
One CEO of Proctor & Gamble took a terrific fall by moving ahead
with major changes before getting the company behind him. He failed to engage others by creating
shared meaning. (134)
“Stripped to its essentials, leadership involves just
three things—a leader, followers, and a common goal.” “Effective leaders don’t just impose their
vision on others, they recruit others to a shared vision.” Lingyunm Shao says “the essence of
leadership is taking care of your subordinates.” (1337)
“A strong set of values and rules of conduct were common
to all our leaders….” (141) “What
people respond to in leaders…[is] their conviction, their powerful sense of
justice, and their passionate desire to do the right thing.” “…they behave in ways that reflect their
awareness of the value and rights of other people….” (142)
“Whatever else a leader must do, he or she must know
where to draw the line and find a way to keep these three elements—ambition,
technical competence, and moral compass—in balance.” (147)
Six. A Passion for the Promises of Life
“…our leaders all enrolled others in their
enthusiasms. They had an aura about
them, an energy.” (162) [They had] “an
openness to experience. An
unselfconscious candor. A mischievous
smile and contagious laugh. Wit. Resilience.
Curiosity. Tirelessness. An almost palpable hunger for experience
and an incapacity for bored detachment.” (163)
“Their habit of extracting lessons from every situation
was obvious….” (164)
“…leadership training can’t be an add-on. It has to be embedded in the very fiber of
the organization.” (171)
“Building and maintaining networks across generations,
organizations, and cultures is a way to learn continuously….” (176)
Appendix A is a series of brief biographies of the
leaders interviewed. Appendix B
includes the interview questions.
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