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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
What does it mean in practice to be a values-based leader? When faced with real situations, how can you be your best self and create best teams—while also being a best partner with customers and vendors, a best investment for your stakeholders, and a best citizen making a difference in the world? It's a tall order, but these are the expectations for world-class organizations today.
In his bestselling book From Values to Action, Harry Kraemer showed how self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility are the traits of today's most effective leaders. In Becoming the Best, his highly anticipated follow-up, Kraemer reveals how, in practical terms, anyone can apply these principles to become a values-based leader and to help create values-based organizations.
Drawing on his own experiences as the former CEO and chairman of Baxter International, as well as those of other notable leaders and organizations, Kraemer lays out a pathway for understanding the principles and putting them into practice, showing specifically, how to:
- Use self-reflection to become your "best self" as you lead yourself and others more effectively
- Create a "best team" that understands and appreciates what they're doing, and why
- Forge "best partnerships" through win/win collaboration with vendors and customers that enhance the end user's experience Support the mission, vision, and values of the organization to generate returns that distinguish a "best investment"
- Make a difference in the world beyond the organization by becoming a "best citizen"
Powerful case studies from Campbell's Soup, Ernst & Young, Target, Northern Trust, and many others demonstrate the four principles of values-based leadership in action and show how thinking beyond the corporation can trigger positive outcomes for both the company and the world.
Regardless of level or job title, individuals can make a difference in their organization and beyond by embodying the essential traits of a great leader. Becoming the Best offers a definitive, actionable guide to show anyone how to apply in practice the principles of values-based leadership personally and professionally, making it an indispensable manual for the new wave of better leaders.
All of Harry’s proceeds from the book sales are donated to the One Acre Fund in Africa.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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CONTENTS
Cover
Praise for Becoming the Best
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction: From Four Principles to Five Bests
Section One: Best Self
Chapter 1: The Self-Reflective, Balanced Leader
The Importance of Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection and the Business Orientation of Leadership
Eliminating Worry, Fear, Anxiety, Pressure, and Stress
Centering Your Best Self
Best Self in the Real World
Leading Up
Pause for Reflection
Balance and Perspective
A Balanced Individual
Self-Reflection and Balance—Complementary Tools in the Leadership Toolbox
Your Best Self, Every Day
Chapter 2: The Humble, Self-Confident Leader
True Self-Confidence: What I Know and What I Don't Know
True and False Self-Confidence
The Two-Question Test
Admitting When You're Wrong
True Self-Confidence and Leadership
Genuine Humility
The Genuinely Humble Leader
How Did You Get to Where You Are?
Can You Really Be Truly Self-Confident and Genuinely Humble in the Real World?
Section Two: Best Team
Chapter 3: Turning Around a Team
From Best to Broken: What Can Go Wrong
Turning Around an Icon: Campbell Soup and Doug Conant3
Walking the Talk—Literally
Winning on Four Dimensions
The Turnaround Leader
Chapter 4: Creating a Best Team From Scratch
The Leader's Values
From the Start: A Best Team
Team First, Ego Last
From Launch to Scale
Creating Out-of-the-Box Thinking
The Pre-Mortem
Best Team, Start to Finish
It's All About the People
Section Three: Best Partner
Chapter 5: Suppliers as Best Partners: A Holistic Relationship
Partnerships to Respond to Competitive Pressures
Long-Term Partnerships Are Earned
Northshore University Healthsystem: Collaboration in Action
Building Partnerships on Partnerships
Success Builds on Success
Best Partners and the Pursuit of Excellence
Chapter 6: Building Best-Partner Customer Relationships
What a Customer Best Partnership Is—And Isn't
Focus on the Value Chain
The Human Element
Growing the Business With Best Partnerships: Catamaran Corporation
Best Partnerships Promote Innovation
When a Best Partner Becomes an Acquisition
The Poster Child of Best-Partner Deals
Best Partners
Section Four: Best Investment
Chapter 7: Making a Best Investment in Talent
Getting the Priorities Right
Setting the “People Agenda”
Talent and Culture
Where It Falls Apart
Developing Talent
Intellectual Agility
The Team Mindset: A Best-Investment Perspective
Chapter 8: The Proof Point: Shareholder Value
Northern Trust: Building Shareholder Value by Doing the Right Thing1
Becoming a Best Investment
Tying Incentives to Becoming a Best Investment
Private Equity: The Investor Point-of-View
The Test of the Best
Section Five: Best Citizen
Chapter 9: Values in Action
A Shift in Thinking
Authenticity Creates Alignment
Lead With a Purpose
Targeting Education
An Empowered Team
The Values-Based Culture
Chapter 10: Living the Legacy and Leaving a Global Footprint
Farm Families Served per Year by One Acre Fund
Putting Farmers First
The Ethos of Giving
Finding Meaning
The One Acre Model
Lessons Learned From a Kenyan Farm Field
The Five Bests in Action
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Figure 10.1
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
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Praise for Becoming the Best
“Becoming the Best is both brilliant and powerful. Harry Kraemer recognizes the importance of values-based leadership and provides a focused and insightful how-to primer. He captures the relevance of five often overlooked intangibles that make leadership effective at any level. If you only have time to read one book on leadership, this book is for you.”
—Lieutenant General (Ret.) Franklin L. “Buster” Hagenbeck,Retired Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, West Point
“With Becoming the Best, Harry Kraemer has produced another compelling and insightful addition to the leadership literature. He is not only an accomplished businessman and teacher, he is also a wonderful writer.”
—Morton Shapiro,Professor and President, Northwestern University
“Harry Kraemer has done it again. While management is primarily a business skill, leadership is primarily a human skill—a profoundly human endeavor, in fact, because the most powerful manifestations of leadership occur when we link our day-to-day business activities and behaviors to our overall life values and goals. Once again Harry is shedding light on this challenging trail so that more of us can put on our hiking boots and backpacks and begin or continue this wonderful journey.”
—Kent Thiry,Chairman and CEO, DaVita Inc.
“An award-winning teacher and inspirational leader, Harry Kraemer provides a unique and powerful approach to leadership grounded in the practice of self-reflection and self-knowledge. Becoming the Best is an essential guide for all who aspire to become more authentic and impactful leaders.”
—Daniel Diermeier,Dean, Harris School of Public Policy, The University of Chicago
“Becoming the Best builds on Harry Kraemer's principles of values-based leadership and offers a practical way to apply these values to one's self, to one's team, and beyond. Often this type of advice is most anxiously consumed by those starting out in their careers who look to an experienced CEO and leader like Harry to help show them the right path. But the real value of this book is for current CEOs and others already in leadership positions who also value advice on how to improve their performance. Often, those of us in leadership positions don't get that feedback from our colleagues. Becoming the Best helps fill that critical gap.”
—Jonathan Spector,President & CEO, The Conference Board
“Harry Kraemer is my go-to expert on organizational leadership. There is no one speaking or writing today who has a firmer fix on what it takes and what it means to be a values-based leader. He is self-reflective, properly balanced in perspective, and always guided by true self-confidence and genuine humility. He has made a difference in how executives better understanding the nature of leadership, and I fully expect Becoming the Best will make a difference in how organizations are led into the challenging future that we all face.”
—James Kristie,Editor and Associate Publisher, Directors & Boards
“Becoming the Best provides a compelling combination of aspirational goals and practical advice, valuable at any point in a career. The book reminds us that values-based leadership creates organizations that truly excel on all levels including shareholder return. In each chapter Kraemer's advice and real-world examples challenged me to improve my own leadership style and team skills.”
—Mark Burstein,President, Lawrence University of Wisconsin
Becoming the Best
Build a World-Class Organization through Values-Based Leadership
Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr.
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2015 by Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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ISBN 978-1-118-99942-4 (Hardcover) ISBN 978-1-118-99943-1 (ebk)
ISBN 978-1-118-99944-8 (ebk)
Dedication
To my colleagues from Baxter International—American Hospital Supply, Caremark, Edwards Lifesciences, Allegiance—and Madison Dearborn Partners who taught me what it really means to be a values-based leader.
To my classmates from Abington Heights School in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Lawrence University, and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, who have joined me on the leadership journey.
To my spiritual advisor, Father Edward Sthokal, S.J., leader of the Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, who for 30 years has taught me the benefit of silent self-reflection and prayer.
To my parents, the late Harry and Patricia Kraemer, who built the foundation of my values.
To my wife, Julie Jansen Kraemer, who by her love and example encourages me to be my best self.
To my children, Suzie, Andrew, Shannon, Diane, and Daniel, who will forever be my best team.
Introduction: From Four Principles to Five Bests
Over the past four years, since the publication of my previous book, From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership, I have spoken to more than 500 groups across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. With every audience—whether business, government, spiritual, or academic—I encountered a strong desire to learn more about values-based leadership, which is founded on four principles:
Self-Reflection:
The ability to identify and reflect on what you stand for, what your values are, and what matters most.
Balance:
The ability to see situations from multiple perspectives, including differing viewpoints, to gain a holistic understanding.
True Self-Confidence:
Acceptance of yourself, recognizing your strengths and skill mastery, as well as your weaknesses, while focusing on continuous improvement.
Genuine Humility:
Never forgetting who you are, appreciating the unique value of each person in the organization, and treating everyone with respect.
The more people grasped these principles, the more they wanted to know how, in practical terms, to apply them in their daily lives. From CEOs to first-time managers to students, people want to know what they need to do to make a difference in their organizations and beyond. They came to realize that leadership does not have anything to do with titles and organizational charts. Rather, it has everything to do with the ability to influence others by relating authentically to every individual with whom they come in contact.
People at every level and with any job title, from the newest team members to the CEO, can and should become values-based leaders. Whether someone is the CEO of a company that employs 100,000 people or an entry-level person who just graduated from college, values-based leadership begins with one's ability to understand one's self. Self-knowledge and self-awareness must come first, before someone is able to relate to and influence others in positive and meaningful ways.
For many, becoming more self-aware requires a significant change in mindset. To illustrate, I use the analogy of wanting to become healthier. When people read a compelling book or hear an expert speak on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, they set a goal for themselves to lose weight or start an exercise program. This instantly raises some very practical questions: Where do I start and what do I do? Does being healthy mean I have to exercise excessively or that I can never eat another chocolate bar for the rest of my life? What lasting changes do I need to adopt that will help me reach my goal of being healthier?
Similarly, when people commit to becoming values-based leaders, they want to know exactly what they can do to catalyze change, drive results, and make things happen. People want to understand what it means to lead and influence others, and to do the right thing as defined by their personal values, as well as the mission, vision, and values of their organization. They want to know where to start and what to do, knowing that this is not a fad or a quick fix (like a crash diet), but rather a fundamental change in philosophy, attitude, and behavior (like adopting a healthy lifestyle).
Fortunately, values-based leaders have an invaluable tool at the ready: self-reflection, which is the core principle of values-based leadership. Whenever I address a group, the questions I'm asked most frequently relate to self-reflection and, specifically, how to practice it. People from college students to CEOs want to become more self-reflective in their daily lives. They know intuitively that by gaining greater self-knowledge, they will be better able to lead themselves first, which will then enable them to be more effective in leading others.
As will be discussed further in this book, the benefits of self-reflection are realized through regular (ideally daily) practice, using questions such as: What did I say I would do today? What am I proud of, and not proud of? How did I lead others and follow others? If I had today to do over again, what would I change? If I am fortunate to have tomorrow, given what I've learned today, how will I act? Self-reflection may be practiced at the end of the day, or be incorporated into any personal time for introspection, such as taking a walk, going for a jog, or sitting quietly for 15 or 20 minutes. Having practiced self-reflection for all of my adult life, including as CEO of Baxter International, a global health-care company with 50,000 team members (I prefer this term over employees), I can attest to the positive results of engaging in this discipline.
Other commonly asked questions include: How do I develop a balanced perspective? How do I become truly self-confident? How can I gain true self-confidence without being perceived as arrogant or selfish? What does genuine humility really mean? If I am genuinely humble, will I run the risk of not being noticed or being passed over? Do I need both true self-confidence and genuine humility?
Because of these questions and more, I decided to write this book as a how-to on values-based leadership. In addition, many of my students at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management have asked me to take the values-based leadership journey to the next level. Since I always listen to my Kellogg students, there was really no alternative for me but to do so!
My first book, From Values to Action, stemmed directly from my values-based leadership classes at Kellogg, where I have taught for 10 years. In 2004, I stepped down from my role as chairman and CEO of Baxter International, where I had worked for 22 years, including the last six as CEO. At that time, I was asked by Don Jacobs, Dean Emeritus of Kellogg, to teach at the graduate school. I was surprised by his request, since I'm not an academic with a PhD, but he reminded me (half joking, half serious) of my promise that I would do anything for my graduate school alma mater. Of course, I said yes.
Being a former chief financial officer and having majored in finance at Kellogg, I first considered teaching finance classes. However, based on my 35 years of business experience, I realized I could add more value to the students by teaching leadership. Since then I have taught values-based leadership, which has become one of the most popular classes at Kellogg, because of the keen interest in the topic and a host of talented leaders who, as guest lecturers, share insights from their careers with my students.
One of those students, Samir Gokhale, audio taped all of my values-based leadership lectures and transcribed them in order to convince me to write my first book. His efforts jumpstarted my writing of From Values to Action and my speaking about values-based leadership, both of which have been beneficial to my teaching (a virtuous cycle, indeed). In my opinion, you can't truly understand a topic until you have listened intently to others' questions and explained concepts clearly.
Today, I am responding to the questions I receive as part of my speeches and presentations to audiences of every type and description. Over the past four years (and counting) of giving more than eight talks per month, I have met countless people who want to understand how to put the principles of values-based leadership into practice. They are CEOs and other C-level corporate officers, executive managers, middle managers, entry-level individuals, and students. My audiences have included multinational companies such as Google, Aon, McDonald's, Raytheon, AT&T, Target Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, CareerBuilder, and Hospira; universities, including Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, University of California, University of Minnesota, and Lawrence University (my undergraduate alma mater); consulting and financial services firms, such as McKinsey & Co., Booz & Company, Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of Montreal, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte, Spencer Stuart, and Huron Consulting; smaller startup companies in industries such as software, manufacturing, hospitality, and health care; associations for chief financial officers, chief marketing officers, senior human resources officers, and chief information officers; spiritual leaders, including priests, ministers, and rabbis; and philanthropic and religious/spiritual institutions of all sizes. I also had the opportunity to deliver a TEDx talk on values-based leadership at the United Nations in New York City.
Conceptually, values-based leadership is founded on the four principles of self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility. On a personal level, these principles become the basis of intentional actions and deep commitments that enable each person at every level of an organization to bring his or her best self to work. At an organizational level, these four principles, when applied, enable the creation of a values-based organization.
In these pages, I give both explanations and concrete examples, drawing from my own experiences, and my interactions with leaders at every level. I include interviews with 10 values-based leaders from diverse organizations, ranging from small to large, private to public, for-profit to not-for-profit, and domestic to global. This book lays out a pathway from understanding the four principles to putting them into practice in what I believe are five key areas that define what it means to be a values-based leader and build a world-class organization. They are:
Best Self:
You actualize who you are meant to become with fuller self-knowledge and a deeper understanding that in order to positively influence and lead people, you first need to relate to them.
Best Team:
All team members understand and appreciate what they're doing, why they're doing it, and how that fits with and fulfills the goals and objectives of the organization.
Best Partner:
The organization and its vendors and suppliers forge a partnership in order to enhance the customer experience. Each party understands what the organization is trying to do and why, as it provides products and/or services.
Best Investment:
Everyone in the organization focuses on generating a return for the owners (whether stockholders, debt holders, a foundation, or other stakeholders) through positive and meaningful actions that support the mission, vision, and values of the organization. As a best investment, an enterprise also commits to developing its greatest asset—the talented team members at every level of the organization. The “hard numbers” of best investment are also the proof points that values-based leadership truly does elevate performance over the long term.
Best Citizen:
From the C-suite to the most junior levels of the organization, everyone is focused not only on success, but also significance, through social responsibility and making a difference in the world, beyond the organization and its people. Beyond philanthropy for charity's sake, best citizenship embraces a broader purpose in what we think of as social responsibility.
Each of these bests connects to the others in a holistic structure that elevates the organization, its people, and its purpose. This book mirrors the structure with five interconnected sections, building on the firm foundation of the four principles of values-based leadership.
In Section One, we begin with the individual and becoming your best self as you practice self-reflection to identify your values and commit to act in accordance with them. In this section, we also look at how self-reflection is a valuable tool for developing a balanced perspective, making decisions aligned with one's values, and focusing on what is most important. Two additional components of being your best self are achieving true self-confidence and genuine humility, which are extremely complementary. Working in tandem, these two principles allow you to acknowledge what you know and what you don't, and to value each person with whom you interact.
In Section Two, we broaden our scope from the individual to the collective, with the best team. In the values-based organization, every team member is able to link what he or she does to the overall goals and objectives of the organization. They know that what they do truly matters, and so they commit to doing their best. Developing a best team will be examined in two different contexts: first, turning around a dysfunctional environment and, second, in a fast-paced startup where roles and responsibilities are demanding and fluid.
In Section Three, we widen our perspective outside the organization to become a best partner with suppliers and vendors in order to enhance the customer experience and create value for all. An organization that is a best partner moves beyond financial transactions with customers, and focuses on making customer satisfaction a priority. Within the organization, every department and team—including those that are removed from direct customer interface—are able to link what they do with creating a meaningful customer experience.
Section Four examines what it means to be a best investment, with returns that are measured in more than monetary terms. Being a best investment applies to all organizations—large and small, public and private, corporations and nonprofits—with accountability to stakeholders who want to see evidence that organizational values are being put into action in pursuit of a meaningful return. This section will address the steward leader, who uses self-reflection to examine how team members are motivated and rewarded. In addition, discussion will address team members who need to know if their organization fits their values—and what they can do about it.
The book culminates in Section Five with becoming a best citizen. Part of the mission of both the values-based leader and the values-based organization is to set a standard as a best citizen, making a difference in the local community and in the world. This section will address social responsibility to further the priorities and initiatives that are truly meaningful to the organization and its team members. When an organization is a best citizen, it also encourages people to be their best selves, while developing best teams and best partners, and becoming a best investment—the ultimate win/win. It is a powerful legacy that is both highly personal and yet extends beyond the efforts or ego of any one person.
The need and desire to become the best through values-based leadership have never been stronger or more critical. Organizations today—large or small, public or private—are confronted with ethical issues, which may result from changes in regulations or uncertainty around where the legal, moral, and ethnical boundaries lie. Large, global organizations face the challenges of operating within a varied tapestry of multiple markets, regions, and countries with unique legal systems and regulations. Even smaller organizations focused on a single market or region must navigate a competitive landscape marked by gray areas that are open to interpretation. Within these complexities, and given the serious consequences of making an error in judgment, values-based leadership is the only way to operate. When a problem arises, it is crucial that individuals at all levels of the organization adopt a values-based leadership approach. That means they are committed to doing the right thing at all times—and doing the best they can do.
Values-based leadership is more than just a defensive playbook for how to respond when a dilemma, problem, or crisis arises. It is a way of thinking, acting, and operating at every level of the organization. We cannot merely look at the world and complain about a lack of leadership in general or values-based leadership in particular. We must be change agents within our organizations, communities, and society at large. The values we embrace must be visible to others by our actions, decisions, and how we interact with and treat others. As I have seen in my own life and career, and in those of many others I have worked with, individuals and organizations can be both financially successful and also a force for good.
One of those examples is Andrew Youn, co-founder of One Acre Fund. After graduating from Kellogg with an MBA, Andrew decided to devote himself and his hard-earned knowledge to addressing the problem of hunger in East Africa. By teaching and promoting best practices in agriculture, One Acre Fund has improved the health and raised the hopes of more than 200,000 farm families, touching more than one million people in Kenya and Rwanda, as well as Burundi and Tanzania. Its goal is to positively impact more than 20 million children by 2025. To salute and support Andrew in his commitment to be his best, I will donate my proceeds from this book (as I do with From Values to Action) to One Acre Fund (www.oneacrefund.org).
Guided by self-reflection, informed by a balance of perspectives, and defined by both true self-confidence and genuine humility, values-based leaders at every level make a difference in their organizations. Their values become the basis of their actions and interactions, as they become their best selves. This starts the movement forward in a deliberate process, from best self to best team, best partner, best investment, and best citizen. It is both revolutionary and evolutionary—and it starts with anyone who desires to become a values-based leader.
Section OneBest Self
A fundamental objective of values-based leadership is answering the question: How do I become my best self?
People at every level and with any job title can and should become values-based leaders—those who lead with principles and live by example. Through their actions, words, and support, values-based leaders utilize the four principles of self-reflection, balance and perspective, true self-confidence, and genuine humility to guide their own actions first. With greater self-awareness and self-knowledge, they bring their best selves to work—and motivate and inspire others to do the same.
Leadership is not determined by the number of direct reports or followers you have. You can be a team of one, leading only yourself, and still become a values-based leader by focusing on becoming your best. In fact, for many of us who have reached the C-suite, that's precisely where our values-based leadership began. From your cubicle at the entry level of a company, or working out of your living room as a freelancer, you can put the principles of values-based leadership into action to become your best self, every day.
If you are a middle manager or senior executive, leading a team of 50 or 50,000, grounding your leadership in your best self is equally important. It's a dangerous trap to think that having made it to a certain level—even to the C-suite—your focus should look only outward: on developing the organization's goals, achieving targets, and managing others to do their best.
No one is beyond becoming their best self. At this point in my life, I have been CFO, president, CEO, and chairman of a $12 billion global health-care company, with a combined tenure of 11 years at the top of Baxter International. Currently, I'm an executive partner with Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private-equity firm, and despite the success I've been lucky to have, I remain just as committed to being my best self as I did when I was starting out in one of those cubicles as a junior analyst, decades ago. As a clinical professor of management and strategy at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and a frequent speaker for groups of students, new hires, middle managers, and executive leaders, I stress the importance of being your best self as the foundation to values-based leadership.
Your best self is not about perfection (an impossible and, therefore, futile goal). It is about becoming consistently disciplined and focused, making sure you challenge yourself to truly be your best self—instead of becoming complacent, convinced that you have arrived. No matter how good you are, you can always be better. Being your best self is a lifelong commitment.
Becoming your best self will not occur automatically, nor is it a sudden conversion because some emotionally intelligent light switch has been flipped. It is a process, one that will transform you over time and impact every person with whom you come in contact.
Most people have an innate sense of right and wrong and a set of personal values, even if they don't think about them in a concrete way. Most of us strive to be good people, but we're human; we have good days and bad days. There are times when we say things to people that we regret a moment later. We ask ourselves: Why did I say that? Why did I treat someone like that? Why did I lose my temper with that person? Why did I feel the need to be the know-it-all, instead of valuing others' opinions? Why did I act in ways that are inconsistent with my values?
The answer is that, in those moments, we were not our best selves. This realization may cause us some embarrassment and discomfort, but the purpose is not to feel shame or beat ourselves up. We simply recommit to the journey of becoming better. Even people whom I greatly admire—spiritual leaders, philanthropists, and executive leaders who truly put others first—admit that they are not their best selves every day. When we acknowledge that we've missed the mark, we're just being honest with ourselves. Then we can recommit to the process of being our best selves, to the best of our ability, every day.
In this section, “Your Best Self,” we explore how to use the four principles of values-based leadership to become your best self (which is the foundation for the other bests in the book—best team, best partner, best investment, and best citizen). In Chapter 1, we start with the most important principle of values-based leadership: self-reflection. This fundamental principle enhances your self-awareness and self-knowledge, and allows you to gain insight into your decisions, actions, and interactions with others. Self-reflection leads to the second principle of values-based leadership: balance and perspective. I define this second principle as being open to input and diverse opinions from others, and doing so in a way that improves decision-making. From there, in the second chapter, we move to the principles of true self-confidence and genuine humility, which are complementary—not contradictory. With true self-confidence, we ground our best self in the knowledge of our skills and accomplishments; we know what we know. But we also acknowledge what we don't know, and the benefit of working with others who are strong in areas in which we are weak. We reflect on our strengths and weaknesses, and understand what we can become and not become. Genuine humility reminds us of the value of every person, the importance of showing respect to everyone, and never forgetting where we came from.
The four principles of values-based leadership are the road and the guardrails, leading us toward the goal of becoming our best. Like all journeys, it has a clear beginning: becoming your best self.
Chapter 1The Self-Reflective, Balanced Leader
Self-reflection is the most important tool in the values-based leadership toolbox. It is the intentional practice of stepping back, filtering out noise and distractions, and looking inward to gain clarity on what matters most to you, personally and professionally. By being self-reflective, you think deeply about issues so you can make choices that are aligned with your values. You also gain a fuller awareness of the impact of your decisions. Self-reflection also provides you with an opportunity to know yourself better, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and understand where you excel and what areas you need to develop.
Without self-reflection it is impossible to become a values-based leader. Unless you pause to reflect on your priorities and what matters most, you can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on your to-do list and fail to distinguish between real productivity and pointless activity. Self-reflection can be a potent antidote to the all-too-common experiences of worry, fear, anxiety, pressure, and stress, all of which can undermine your intention to be your best self.
Yet even people who understand the concept of self-reflection struggle with how to put it into practice. In the four years since the publication of my first book, From Values to Action, I have given more than 500 talks to diverse audiences, ranging from students to senior leaders in business, government, academia, and the not-for-profit sector, and the dialogue and questions regarding values-based leadership frequently center on the importance of self-reflection. In this chapter, we will start with the foundation of how self-reflection can guide you to become your best self, in every interaction and facing any challenge, every day.
The Importance of Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is the gateway to self-awareness and self-knowledge. The more you understand yourself, the better you are able to relate to other people. Relating to them allows you to influence them, which is how leadership happens. Values-based leadership moves from the inside out, rooted in the knowledge of what you stand for and what matters most—personally and professionally. All of us lead multifaceted lives, with decisions that impact others, including spouses, partners, and children, as well as colleagues, friends, and team members. The choices we make impact our quality of life.
Self-reflection provides an instant window to what is critically important to you—today, in this moment of your life. You'll make some compromises; everyone does. But you can't really know what you're giving up and the impact of these trade-offs unless you stop to reflect. Otherwise, you will move from activity to activity, from one crisis to another, without a sense of direction or purpose. When you are overwhelmed by everything life is throwing at you, you can't possibly expect to be your best self. That's where self-reflection comes in, helping you prioritize and get back on track.
Often when I talk to people, from students to CEOs, I frequently hear that they are surprised by the consequences of their choices—even things that seem obvious, such as a job requiring extremely long hours or frequent travel. All they know is that they feel out of balance and they aren't living in a way that is consistent with their best selves. The negative aspects of work can quickly become exhausting, even putting a strain on personal relationships and family life. When people suffering from such problems wake up to how stressed and unhappy they are, the source of their trouble often comes as a surprise. The root cause in these situations is typically a lack of self-reflection.
On a business trip to the West Coast, I ran into a former student of mine from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management at Los Angeles International Airport. When “Joe” reintroduced himself, he reminded me that he had been in my class six years earlier. I remembered him as a very bright individual who had really grasped the principles of values-based leadership as we had discussed them in class. However, when I asked how he was doing, he replied, “Honestly, not very well. I'm really surprised at what's happened in my life.”
Joe told me he'd gotten married and had two children, a son and a daughter. Because of his job with an investment bank, which paid him a lot of money, he traveled 90 percent of the time. As a result, he spent very little time with his wife and family, and when he was home, he was exhausted. While Joe was doing very well at the investment bank, and there were aspects of the job he really loved, he wasn't engaged in areas of his life that were important to him, especially his family. In short, he'd lost sight of what he said was crucial to him.
