conveying your values with true stories from your life history that have shaped your worldview.embodying your values consistently, wherever you are.knowing what really matters to you, your values.Then they designed and implemented experiments intended to produce demonstrably improved results in all parts of their lives.įinally, they reflected on what they learned about how to create change that’s truly sustainable-built to last because these changes serve the interests of people who matter not just at work, not just at home, not just in the community, and not just for the self, but for all key stakeholders.ĭuncan: What does personal authenticity “look like” in terms of mindset and observable behaviors?įriedman: The six key elements of what it means to be real, to act with authenticity are They considered the people who mattered most to them and then talked to them to clarify expectations. Participants did a series of exercises, starting with those that required them to identify their core values, share the stories of critical episodes in their lives that shaped them, and describe a compelling image of their future. We called it Total Leadership to signify that leadership isn’t just about business, it’s about life. When I had the opportunity 20 years ago, as global head of leadership development for Ford Motor Company, to design a new model for how to cultivate leadership capacity, our team created a program for bringing these three principles to life. Why these particular practices?įriedman: These three principles derive from extensive research we did at the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project on how the people who excel in leading the lives they want actually do it. HBR Pressĭuncan: You say a key to better leadership and a richer life lies in three practices-Be Real (act with authenticity), Be Whole (act with integrity) and Be Innovative (act with creativity). The best leaders know how to harmonize the various elements of their own lives. What I’ve found is that these leadership skills-which anyone can develop and which apply at all stages of our lives and careers-are key to creating harmony among, and good performance in, the different parts of life. That’s the focus of leadership from the point of view of the whole person. So it’s not as much about executive authority as it is about what it takes to clarify what’s important, recognize and respect the whole person, and continually experiment with how things get done. Conversely, you can have lots of people under you and be a terrible leader. You can be a great leader and have no one reporting to you in an organizational hierarchy. How do you help people understand that-even if they lack a title or position generally associated with “leadership”-they need to develop specific skills to lead their own lives?įriedman: Leadership is about mobilizing people toward valued goals, envisioning a better future and inspiring people to move there with you. But our research shows that over the course of time it is possible to have a greater sense of peace and harmony.ĭuncan: A major premise of your approach to personal effectiveness is that leadership skill is required to manage the boundaries between different areas of one’s life. It’s not possible to have it all in balance, all at once. This is what our research and practice show: Consciously and deliberately aiming for what I call “four-way wins”-improved performance at work, at home, in the community, and for the private self (mind, body, and spirit)-leads to smarter use of time, stronger relationships with people who matter most, less distraction and more focused effort, and better results. If instead we pursue the prospect of harmony among the different parts of life-like the instruments in a jazz quartet trying to make good music-then the possibilities for wellbeing and high performance are much greater. When we think this way we’re likely to end up making more sacrifices than necessary. Stewart Friedman: “Balance” is a misguided metaphor because it conveys the idea that we have to give up the prospect of success in one part of our lives in order to have it in another part-one or the other. You call “work/life balance” the wrong metaphor. Many people seem to think that success in one domain must come at the expense of one or more of the others. Rodger Dean Duncan: You address personal development in the context of four interdependent domains-work, home, community, and self.
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