Six keys to leading positive change: Rosabeth Moss Kanter at TEDxBeaconStreet

Summary

This inspiring talk shares six key leadership lessons for making a positive impact. The speaker emphasizes the importance of showing up, using your voice, aligning with values, forming partnerships, persevering through challenges, and uplifting others. Through powerful examples, including Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and social initiatives like the Clean Cookstoves Project, the talk illustrates how these principles can drive meaningful change. The message encourages everyone, regardless of age or position, to embrace leadership and contribute to a better world.

Takeaways

• 😀 Show up: Being present and available is the first step toward leadership and success.
• 🗣️ Speak up: Use the power of your voice to share ideas, frame issues, and shape discussions.
• 👀 Look up: Keep a focus on higher principles, values, and vision to inspire others and stay on course.
• 🤝 Team up: Collaboration and partnerships are essential to achieving big goals.
• 💪 Never give up: Persistence through challenges and obstacles is key to success.
• 🙌 Lift others up: Share credit and success to create a supportive environment and elevate others.
• 🌱 Leadership can start at any age: Examples like Katie's Krops show that even children can make a big impact.
• 💡 Influence through ideas: Thought leadership can be as powerful as formal authority in creating change.
• 🏗️ Build together: Successful ventures often come from bringing separate efforts into alignment through teamwork.
• 🙏 Resilience and forgiveness: Leaders like Nelson Mandela demonstrate the strength of perseverance, even after great adversity.

Q & A

What is the speaker's primary goal in their work?

The speaker's primary goal is to provide others with leadership skills to help them make the world a better place.

What does the speaker believe is the first universal leadership lesson?

The first universal leadership lesson is 'show up.' Being present and making oneself available is essential for leadership, as nothing happens if you don’t show up.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of 'speaking up' in leadership?

Speaking up is important because no one knows what you're thinking unless you express it. The power of voice helps shape the agenda, frame issues, and influence others' thinking.

How does the speaker define the concept of 'looking up' in leadership?

'Looking up' refers to focusing on higher principles, values, and a bigger vision. Leadership needs to be grounded in a sense of purpose and vision to elevate others beyond everyday challenges.

What role does 'teaming up' play in successful leadership?

Teaming up is crucial because partners make difficult tasks easier. The best projects and ventures thrive when there’s a strong sense of partnership and collaboration.

What is Kanter’s Law, and how does it apply to leadership?

Kanter’s Law states that 'everything can look like a failure in the middle.' This reflects the idea that leadership involves perseverance, as obstacles are inevitable, and success often requires overcoming mid-project difficulties.

Why is 'lifting others up' considered a key element of leadership?

Lifting others up is essential because it ensures that success is shared and recognized by the broader team. It builds support and creates an environment where success can be repeated.

How does the speaker connect Barack Obama’s leadership to the lesson of 'showing up'?

The speaker uses Barack Obama’s rise from a relatively obscure state senator to the U.S. presidency as an example of 'showing up.' Obama’s keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention was the moment he showed up and gained wider recognition.

Can anyone start a social venture, according to the speaker?

Yes, the speaker believes that anyone, regardless of age, can start a social venture. They give the example of Katie, who started Katie’s Krops to feed the homeless at just nine years old.

What example does the speaker give of 'teaming up' for social progress?

The speaker mentions the Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a project spearheaded by Hillary Clinton, which brought together governments, businesses, and NGOs to solve the problem of unsafe cooking practices in developing countries.