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Readings
Collins, J. 2001, Level 5 Leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve', Harvard Business Review, January.
Very familiar, I'm pretty sure I've read this before - possibly for Org. Behaviour. Talks a lot about how a certain type of leader has lots of resolve but doesn't let their ego get in the way. Worth reading.
Heifetz, R. & Laurie, D. The Work of Leadership, Harvard Business Review, Dec 2001, Vol. 79 Issue 11, p131-141.
Guest Lecturer: John Akehurst
Mr. John Akehurst is currently a member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and a non-executive director of CSL Limited, Securency Limited, Origin Energy, the University of Western Australia’s Business School, Curtin University’s Sustainable Development Institute. He is Chairman of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases and of the Fortitude Foundation. Mr. Akehurst has extensive relevant experience as a senior executive in the oil and gas industry with Royal Dutch Shell (1976-1996) and as Chief Executive Officer of Woodside Petroleum Limited (1996-2003).
He is a former director and Chairman of Alinta Limited and of Coogee Resources Limited as well as former senior adviser to McKinsey and Company. John will share with us his insights and leadership wisdom gleaned from a successful, unique and ongoing leadership journey.
Discussion about value of meditation for clearing the mind, brainwave activity (alpha, beta, gamma and delta). We often get our best ideas not when we are in alpha mode but when we are engaged in routine activities such as showering, walking, and decompressing. Our intuition seems to kick in when gamma has an opportunity to engage.
Meditation is a tool for accessing those states. Many techniques for doing this!
Intuition is often underrated in business environments - secret weapons!
Exercise! Simple breathing mediation with eyes closed for 4-5 mins. Benefits are considerable "...the important stuff gets done much more quickly".
Discussion of Woodside project, John turned up with a mandate to create a 40% cost reduction, massive changes were made in order to improve performance. First four years saw massive improvements but was trailing off and amount of effort gong into more improvement was disproportionately large. Review of staff said morale was LOW. Command and Control management team worked very well initially - survival mode was ON. Need to shift from C&C to Empowerment model. Need for changes to management team was recognised... eventually. Management team learned new skills.
Discussion of the difficulty in giving feedback - hard to give bad news, hard to receive. This is one way to frame it, could also frame it as an opportunity to help someone - could be a very different experience. Could view it as a gift - an act of generosity. NB: normal human rules of politeness still apply.
I will authentically deliver my view without judgement.
People also have difficulty being told they are awesome. Yay!
Discussion of how we're kinder to people at work than we are to the people we are closest to - this is not true in my life but I couldn't think of a way to express it without sounding smug.
Discussion about mindfulness and being aware of one's environment - we can change how we react, we can't change other people.
Stages:
Compilation of various fears from the class: rejection, lack of control, not being good enough, failure, being disappointing, exposure, ridicule.
Am conscious that I've done about as much of being the alternative queer person in this class that I can bear and am no longer interested in being vulnerable, exposing myself or in participating in this kind of discussion. I don't feel like I can have that kind of conversation with this group. Is this situational or my own issues emerging? Both methinks. I trust my feelings regarding the level of safety in that room but how that makes me feel is definitely an expression of my issues relating to this.
Discussion about the possibility that we attract circumstances that we need to learn from. Do things come up over and over again?
Exercise! Staring at a person for 90 seconds... Was pretty peaceful and had none of the nervous giggling from the first time we did this. As leaders, feeling comfortable being looked at is pretty important, it's a skill worth developing... through practice funnily enough.
Examine why one feels uncomfortable in these situations.
Truth speaking, are we honest in our dealing with people? If we are not, what does that attract? This about authenticity and not perpetuating energy consuming relationships.
Trust "...one of the greatest business efficiencies you can have..." a hugely valuable thing just in terms of time management - you don't have to follow up and check all the time.
Elements of Trust
Discussion on the impact of body language and on developing sensitivity to it. At the simplest level, crossing your arms to protect your heart and reduce feelings of vulnerability. Other people respond to this and respond, sometimes by feeling uncomfortable with you :p
I'm reminded of the time when I was in high school and someone brought up the need for tampon vending machines in the girls toilets. Our poor, older, male headmaster practically went foetal.
Discussion of the use of language and words like 'we'll try,' 'we hope' and 'we think' and how they reduce confidence. Can say 'we intend' without losing impact.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
Wrap up, meditation, intuition, mindfulness, authenticity, choosing our response, mindfulness of body language. What is my mindset? What am I bringing?
Quotes!
Collins, J. 2001, Level 5 Leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve', Harvard Business Review, January.
Very familiar, I'm pretty sure I've read this before - possibly for Org. Behaviour. Talks a lot about how a certain type of leader has lots of resolve but doesn't let their ego get in the way. Worth reading.
Heifetz, R. & Laurie, D. The Work of Leadership, Harvard Business Review, Dec 2001, Vol. 79 Issue 11, p131-141.
- Identify the Adaptive Challenge
- Regulate Distress
- Give the Work Back to People
Guest Lecturer: John Akehurst
Mr. John Akehurst is currently a member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and a non-executive director of CSL Limited, Securency Limited, Origin Energy, the University of Western Australia’s Business School, Curtin University’s Sustainable Development Institute. He is Chairman of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases and of the Fortitude Foundation. Mr. Akehurst has extensive relevant experience as a senior executive in the oil and gas industry with Royal Dutch Shell (1976-1996) and as Chief Executive Officer of Woodside Petroleum Limited (1996-2003).
He is a former director and Chairman of Alinta Limited and of Coogee Resources Limited as well as former senior adviser to McKinsey and Company. John will share with us his insights and leadership wisdom gleaned from a successful, unique and ongoing leadership journey.
Discussion about value of meditation for clearing the mind, brainwave activity (alpha, beta, gamma and delta). We often get our best ideas not when we are in alpha mode but when we are engaged in routine activities such as showering, walking, and decompressing. Our intuition seems to kick in when gamma has an opportunity to engage.
Meditation is a tool for accessing those states. Many techniques for doing this!
Intuition is often underrated in business environments - secret weapons!
Exercise! Simple breathing mediation with eyes closed for 4-5 mins. Benefits are considerable "...the important stuff gets done much more quickly".
Discussion of Woodside project, John turned up with a mandate to create a 40% cost reduction, massive changes were made in order to improve performance. First four years saw massive improvements but was trailing off and amount of effort gong into more improvement was disproportionately large. Review of staff said morale was LOW. Command and Control management team worked very well initially - survival mode was ON. Need to shift from C&C to Empowerment model. Need for changes to management team was recognised... eventually. Management team learned new skills.
Discussion of the difficulty in giving feedback - hard to give bad news, hard to receive. This is one way to frame it, could also frame it as an opportunity to help someone - could be a very different experience. Could view it as a gift - an act of generosity. NB: normal human rules of politeness still apply.
I will authentically deliver my view without judgement.
People also have difficulty being told they are awesome. Yay!
Discussion of how we're kinder to people at work than we are to the people we are closest to - this is not true in my life but I couldn't think of a way to express it without sounding smug.
Discussion about mindfulness and being aware of one's environment - we can change how we react, we can't change other people.
- Proposition: we can choose how we feel
Stages:
- Acceptance
- Mindfulness
- Choice
Compilation of various fears from the class: rejection, lack of control, not being good enough, failure, being disappointing, exposure, ridicule.
Am conscious that I've done about as much of being the alternative queer person in this class that I can bear and am no longer interested in being vulnerable, exposing myself or in participating in this kind of discussion. I don't feel like I can have that kind of conversation with this group. Is this situational or my own issues emerging? Both methinks. I trust my feelings regarding the level of safety in that room but how that makes me feel is definitely an expression of my issues relating to this.
Discussion about the possibility that we attract circumstances that we need to learn from. Do things come up over and over again?
Exercise! Staring at a person for 90 seconds... Was pretty peaceful and had none of the nervous giggling from the first time we did this. As leaders, feeling comfortable being looked at is pretty important, it's a skill worth developing... through practice funnily enough.
Examine why one feels uncomfortable in these situations.
Truth speaking, are we honest in our dealing with people? If we are not, what does that attract? This about authenticity and not perpetuating energy consuming relationships.
Trust "...one of the greatest business efficiencies you can have..." a hugely valuable thing just in terms of time management - you don't have to follow up and check all the time.
Elements of Trust
- Accountability
- Reliability
- Openness / vulnerability
- Authenticity / congruence
Discussion on the impact of body language and on developing sensitivity to it. At the simplest level, crossing your arms to protect your heart and reduce feelings of vulnerability. Other people respond to this and respond, sometimes by feeling uncomfortable with you :p
I'm reminded of the time when I was in high school and someone brought up the need for tampon vending machines in the girls toilets. Our poor, older, male headmaster practically went foetal.
Discussion of the use of language and words like 'we'll try,' 'we hope' and 'we think' and how they reduce confidence. Can say 'we intend' without losing impact.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
Wrap up, meditation, intuition, mindfulness, authenticity, choosing our response, mindfulness of body language. What is my mindset? What am I bringing?
Quotes!
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"
- Marianne Williamson
Debrief post John with Stacie. Nice to have someone quite that corporate expressing such human values.