10 Ideas from 2011 World Business Forum

It’s been more than a week since the 2011 World Business Forum in New York. I’m still struggling to capture the event in words. Learning from giants like Bill Clinton, Bill George, Jack Welch, Howard Schultz, Malcolm Gladwell and Seth Godin… it’s a lot to chew on. Aftershocks of aha moments hit me daily.

Ten days after the event, here are 10 ideas that stand out:

1. Bill GeorgeYou can’t lead without vision and purpose. All great leaders have a clear vision of the future, which informs, directs and inspires the present. Former Medtronic CEO and Authentic Leadership author Bill George identified vision as a key differentiator between transformational leaders (long-term commitment and focus) and transactional leaders (short-sided focus on short-term value).


2. Vision can’t be something that exists only in your head. Leadership requires followers. And to follow, people need direction. That direction needs to be clearly articulated in a way that resonates with employees. Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre gets it. He said of Cirque du Soleil founder and his boss, Guy Laliberté, “He is a visionary. His mandate is clear. My job is to make his dream happen.”


3. It’s more about EQ than IQ. According to George, after a baseline IQ of 120, emotional intelligence is the defining factor of leadership. He defines emotional intelligence as, “A willingness to be vulnerable. Be open to one’s blindspots. And be one’s authentic self.” The importance of EQ was underscored by global search consultant Claudio Fenández-Aráoz who says it is among the top leadership qualities to look for in a candidate.


4. Howard SchultzFocus on employees. That line about employees as a company’s greatest asset? It’s true. They are the lifeblood of an organization and gateway to every customer experience. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz believes, “The only way you can exceed expectations of customers is to exceed the expectations of your people first.” Amen.


5. To differentiate, be real. There’s great parity in the marketplace. According to Schultz, to differentiate competitors, consumers will look to a company’s values. People want to buy from and work for companies with a shared set of ideals, a company who authentically practices and lives them. Of course I love how Jack Welch put it: “If you’re some pompous ass, you don’t stand a chance.”


6. Tamara EricksonWe each bring our own context. Expert on managing across generations, Tamara Erickson shared that each generation is shaped by the events that happened when they were younger. (For example, the Boomer explosion created scarce resources, which explains their competitive nature. Gen Y is the first generation of unconscious users of technology, which points to their expectation of instant gratification.) These events and our personal experiences shape us and create our personal context, which we bring to work and our relationships.


7. There is possibility within each of us. According to Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and inspirational speaker, “A leader is someone who awakens possibility in others.” In fact, the best leaders tap into that possibility, inspire action and get out of the way. Management consultant Gary Hamel warns, “When you limit autonomy and authority, you also limit a person’s passion.”


8. Benjamin ZanderWords have power. We know this, but we forget it. Zander warns, “The downward spiral lives in our speaking.” Seemingly benign words can limit our thinking – “must” and “need” versus “what if” and “how about.”  So choose words carefully.


9. Like it or not, we need each other. As the world shrinks, our interdependence on one another is growing. Whether its global technologies or local economies, former president Bill Clinton said increasing interdependence is a truth of the modern world. It will be those who can partner and collaborate effectively that will come out ahead.


10. Change is unchanging. Strong leaders recognize the value of change. They put it in context of the business, embrace it and help their teams get on board with it. As he tells it, when Welch first learned about the internet, he didn’t resist it. He quickly found an experienced intern to teach it to him and instructed his executives to do the same. Marketing guru Seth Godin makes change compelling: “Every revolution destroys the perfect before it enables the impossible.