>> LEADERSHIP, IT'S A SKILL THAT CAN BE LEARNED, HONED AND
SHAPED.
SO HOW DO YOU BECOME A BETTER LEADER?
LEADERSHIP EXPERT BRENT ROBERTSON SAT DOWN WITH VERONICA
GARCIA TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE ON HOW HE'S BEEN ABLE
TO GUIDE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS TO REDISCOVER THE LEADERSHIP
POTENTIAL THAT EXISTS IN EVERYONE.
>> THERE IS THIS NOTION OF LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR
PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME UP THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION, AND THERE IS A
LIMIT TO THAT, RIGHT?
BEFORE YOU'RE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED.
REALLY, WHAT I SEE AS SORT OF THE NEXT STAGE OF LEADERSHIP,
IT'S NOT SO MUCH HOW MUCH CAN I GET DONE IS HOW MUCH MORE CAN I
BE FOR THOSE AROUND ME THAT ENABLES THEM TO STEP INTO
THEMSELVES IN A BIGGER WAY.
SO I FIND THAT THESE IDEAS OF PURPOSE AND WHY AM I LEADING,
AND WHAT AM I BRINGING INTO MY LEADERSHIP, WE NEED TO STEP
BEYOND SORT OF THE ASSUMED IDEAS OF, WELL, IT'S HOW MUCH I KNOW
AND HOW MUCH I CAN GET DONE.
WHERE LEADERSHIP REALLY GETS INTERESTING IS WHEN WE BRING IN
THE DIMENSION OF WHAT DO I IMAGINE IS POSSIBLE, AND WHAT IS
MY PURPOSE?
>> SO IN THAT CASE, HOW DO YOU BUILD THE HEART OF THE LEADER
AND THE SPIRIT?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT TO DO SO, YOU
SIMPLY NEED TO BRING MORE OF WHAT YOU ALREADY ARE.
AND AGAIN, MORE OF WHO YOU ARE, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW AND HOW MUCH
YOU CAN DO.
SO OUR WORK IS ABOUT CREATING A SPACE IN WHICH WE CAN BE FREED
TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS.
THINGS WE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO.
OUR IMAGINATIONS, OUR CONSCIOUSNESS, WHAT IS IT WE
BELIEVE IN WHAT IS IT THAT WE SEE IN THE WORLD?
WE TEND TO THINK THIS CALCIFIED NOTION OF LEADERSHIP IS SIMPLY I
NEED THE ANSWER.
IF WE WANT TO STEP INTO THE FINAL FOR OURSELVES AND OUR
TEAMS WE NEED TO STEP INTO BEYOND WHAT WE KNOW INTO THE
DOMAIN WHERE WE HAVE TO ACT, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW WHAT
TO DO, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ANYWAY.
THAT'S HOW IT IS TO BE LEADING IN THE FUTURE AND IT REQUIRES
MORE OF US.
>> I LOVE THIS TOPIC, BECAUSE I EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW TO BECOME
A BETTER LEADER.
HOW DO I DO IT?
>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FIND INTERESTING IS THAT
IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT REFERENCE POINT WE USE.
AND I THINK THE NATURAL THING IS TO USE SOMEBODY ELSE'S REFERENCE
POINT.
WHAT'S THE LATEST LEADERSHIP BOOK I READ.
WHAT LEADERS DO I IDOLIZE.
WE SPENT A LOT OF ENERGY LOOKING ON THE OUTSIDE.
IT'S ALREADY IN US.
MY MENTOR SPEAKS TO IT AS LEADERSHIP IS A UNIQUE
EXPRESSION OF THE LEADER.
IT'S AN ART FORM BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT YOU AND YOUR OWN
INDIVIDUAL WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD, WITH IS WHAT LEADERSHIP
IS LIKE.
UNLIKE MANAGEMENT THAT CAN BE TAUGHT IN A BOOK, LEADERSHIP CAN
ONLY BE DEVELOPED THROUGH EXPERIENCE, AND THE EXPERIENCE
OF EXPRESSING YOURSELF, THE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT IS IT THAT
YOUR LEADERSHIP ALLOWS FOR?
UNDERSTANDING LIKE, HOW DO I AMPLIFY MY EFFECT?
IT'S ALL ABOUT DISCOVERING WHAT'S ALREADY INSIDE, AND BEING
ABLE TO USE THAT AND TO TAILORING IT TO PRODUCE THE
EFFECT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT ALLOWS US TO CONNECT TO THE THINGS THAT WE VALUE BECAUSE
VALUES, WHEN YOU'RE LEADING, ARE THE PRINCIPLES IN WHICH YOU HONE
YOUR BEHAVIORS ON. AND SO IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, YOU CAN BE LEADING IN QUITE DANGEROUS WAYS
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT, AIM LEADING, AM I CAUSING EFFECT AND AM I
LIVING THE VALUES THAT I BELIEVE IN AS A HUMAN BEING?
IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE, THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT OURSELVES, WE CAN
BE EFFECTIVE AT LEADERSHIP AND BEING AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING AT
THE SAME TIME.
>> WE KNOW MANY LEADERS.
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP?
>> NOT HAVING THE ANSWER.
ONE OF THE THINGS, THE FIRST CRITERIA WE FILTER IS WHETHER OR
NOT THEY ARE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE.
ARE THEY WILLING TO BE SET ASIDE?
ARE THEY CURIOUS?
IF YOU'RE PURSUING SOMETHING IT'S NOT ABOUT HAVING THE ANSWER
IT'S ABOUT GOING AND FINDING OTHERS WHO WANT TO FIND IT WITH
YOU.
THAT'S WHERE IT GET INTERESTING.
>> WHAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE DAILY HABIT THAT YOU POSSESS?
>> WOW!
YOU KNOW, I'LL SPEAK JUST FOR ME PERSONALLY.
RIGGER AND DISCIPLINE ARE CRITICAL AND YOUR OWN
DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL.
MEANING THAT EVERY STEP YOU TAKE IN GETTING RELIABLE FOR SOME NEW
THING THAT YOU WANT TO BE DOING IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THEN
DISCOVER THE NEXT NEW THING.
BUT THIS IDEA OF HAVING, FOR ME, I HAVE A RECIPE, THAT I KNOW
THAT IF I FOLLOW, IN THE MORNING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT NO
MATTER WHAT HAPPENS THAT DAY, I'M GOING TO BE OKAY, AND IT'S
MATTER OF HOW RELIABLE AM I FOR FOLLOWING THE RECIPE, RIGHT?
I GET UP BEFORE THE SUN IS UP.
I RUN, I MEDITATE.
I HAVE MY COFFEE.
I CHECK IN WITH MY FAMILY, AND THEN I GO TO WORK.
IF THOSE THINGS CAN HAPPEN FOR ME, THEN I KNOW IT WILL BE OKAY.
HOW DO I MAKE THOSE NONNEGOTIABLE?
SO FOR ANY LEADER IT'S LIKE, KNOWING WHAT YOU NEED TO BE AT
YOUR BEST, AND JUST MAKING THOSE THINGS NONNEGOTIABLE, WHICH IS
REALLY HARD AS A LEADER BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE AND MORE CALLS FOR
YOUR TIME, HOW DO I MAKE THOSE THINGS NONNEGOTIABLE BECAUSE IF
I DON'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE EFFECTIVE FOR
OTHERS?
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE LAST WHAT WILL BE THE SECRET TO I
SUCCESS?
>> TAKE YOURSELF SERIOUSLY.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW FOCUSED
ON MAKING ROOM FOR THE PROMISES OF THE GENERATIONS THAT ARE
COMING.
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, I THINK, WHAT WE ALL HOPED, AND SO
IT'S UP TO THE NEXT GENERATION TO REALLY STEP IN AND TAKE
THEMSELVES SERIOUSLY, BUT JUST TO KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE OUT THERE TRYING TO DISMANTLE AS MUCH OF THE
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NO LONGER NEEDED TO MAKE ROOM
FOR THE PROMISE OF THE FUTURE.
WE NEED IT.
>> WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT -- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT?
>> THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE TEND TO
COLLAPSE THE TWO AND USE THEM INTERCHANGEABLY.
WHEN WE DO IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE AN
ORGANIZATION.
NOW, WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY ISN'T THE TRUTH.
IT'S JUST USEFUL.
MANAGEMENT COULD BE CONSIDERED A SCIENCE.
ITS JOB IS TO MAKE THINGS RELIABLE AND CERTAIN AND
PREDICTABLE, RIGHT?
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY AND INCREASING VALUE IN THE WORLD,
RIGHT?
A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS LOOK AT HOW CLOSE ARE WE MANAGING
OURSELVES WITHIN OPERATING TOLERANCES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE.
THAT'S GREAT.
AND IMPROVEMENT IS ABOUT FINESSING THAT SCIENCE TO GET
NARROWER AND NATIONAL ROW WE ARE TOLERANCES FOR HOW WE OPERATE.
LOOK AT THE iPHONE.
IT LIVES UP TO TOLERANCES THAT WE'VE NOT HAD BEFORE IN 17
COUNTRIES.
SCIENCE AT ITS BEST.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON'T WANT iPHONES ANYMORE?
WHERE WILL THE THINKING COME FROM THAT WILL DISRUPT THAT
RELIABILITY AND PREDICT ABILITY, SO IF WE THINK ABOUT THE WORLD
THROUGH A MANAGEMENT LENS, WHEN SOMETHING FLIES OUTSIDE OF THAT
OPERATING TOLERANCE WE CONSIDER IT A PROBLEM.
LEADERSHIP WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY,
BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T FIT.
WHAT IS THAT THING THAT DIDN'T FIT?
WHAT IS I CALLING FOR?
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER
EXISTED BEFORE?
SO LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT FROM OUR IMAGINATIONS BRINGING
SOMETHING INTO EXISTENCE AND BRINGING IT INTO A MINDSET WHERE
WE CAN CREATE RELIABLE VALUE OUT OF IT.
IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO,
THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, WE WIND UP
GETTING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION, A BRAIN
STORMING SESSION ABOUT INNOVATION AND YOU'VE GOT SOME
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, THAT WON'T WORK, IT WON'T WORK AND HERE'S
WHY AND ALL OF THAT THAT'S MANAGEMENT THINKING.
LEADERSHIP THINKING IS THINKING, WHAT ABOUT THIS OR THAT?
THROWING OUT IDEAS.
IF WE'RE INTENTIONAL WE CAN SHIFT EVERYONE TO SAY, LET'S
FORGET ABOUT HOW REAL IT WILL BE TO MAKE THIS.
LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT COULD BE.
NOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT COULD BE, WHAT INTERESTING
IDEAS WOULD THERE BE TO BRO TOE TYPE WITH?
YOU CAN BRING IT DOWN INTO A CONVERSATION TO SAY, NOW WE CAN
TURN IT INTO SOMETHING THAT'S BULLETPROOF BECAUSE IF IT ISN'T
BULLETPROOF WE CAN'T SELL IT AND THEN WE CAN BRING IT INTO A
SCIENTIFIC CONVERSATION OF MANAGEMENT BUT WHEN WE COLLAPSE
THEM WE WIND UP IN CONVERSATIONS, SO AND SO IS A
STICK IN THE MUD BECAUSE HE'S TELLING ME WHY IT WON'T WORK.
OTHERS ARE GOING, WAIT A MINUTE.
THEY ARE OFF THE RAILS.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THESE IDEAS ARE CRAZY.
IF WE CAN HOLD THOSE DISTINCT KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS IT ALLOWS
US TO NAVIGATE BETWEEN THEM IN A SAVVY WAY.