The Art of Leadership - Video 1

Summary

In this leadership module, Sadal NE, a Harvard Business School professor and leadership expert, emphasizes the importance of leadership beyond formal authority. She encourages individuals to act like owners, solve problems, and lead teams to foster personal growth and prepare for future leadership roles. Sadal discusses the necessity of change management as a core leadership skill, the ability to invent the future by setting direction and vision, and the impact leaders can have on securing personal and communal futures. The conversation highlights the idea that leadership is accessible to all and can be a catalyst for positive change.

Takeaways

• 😀 Leadership is accessible to everyone, regardless of formal authority. You can be a leader by acting like an owner, solving problems, and engaging in conversations.
• 🌟 Leadership is about personal growth and setting up individuals for actual leadership positions. It's an attitude and behavior that can start early in life.
• 🔑 The concept of 'L in each of us' suggests that leadership potential is inherent, and it can be activated by taking responsibility and initiative in various settings.
• 🚀 Leading teams is a fundamental aspect of leadership. Being able to lead a small group effectively can scale to leading larger organizations.
• 🛠 Teams are critical for problem-solving, leveraging individual strengths, and achieving more than what one person can accomplish alone.
• 🌐 Inventing the future involves understanding the present and anticipating possibilities. Leaders act as beacons, guiding others towards a vision based on their understanding of current and future landscapes.
• 📚 Change is a core competency of leadership. It's about continuous improvement and adapting to the dynamic world, which requires leaders to be ready to transform when necessary.
• 🔄 Change management is not just a corporate buzzword; it's essential for leaders to drive improvements and meet evolving demands, which involves reshaping cultures and mindsets.
• 🌱 Investing in leadership skills can secure personal, familial, and even community futures by empowering others and shaping lives positively.
• 🌟 A favorite leadership quote by John Quincy Adams emphasizes that leaders inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, which is a beautiful definition of leadership impact.
• 🌏 Leadership is about being a global collaborator, understanding local contexts, and connecting with peers worldwide to lead effectively in an interconnected world.

Q & A

What is the significance of leadership according to the transcript?

Leadership is significant because it is not just about holding a position of authority; it is about personal growth, acting like an owner, solving problems, and engaging in conversations, which can eventually lead to actual leadership positions.

Why is it important to care about leadership from an early age?

Caring about leadership from an early age is important because it allows individuals to develop an attitude and behavior that can lead to positions of authority and is essential for personal growth and future leadership roles.

What does Sadal mean by 'acting like an owner' in the context of leadership?

'Acting like an owner' means taking initiative, feeling a sense of obligation and personal responsibility, solving problems, and not being a bystander, which are behaviors that can develop leadership skills without formal authority.

How does leadership relate to team dynamics?

Leadership is closely related to team dynamics because leading a team, regardless of its size, requires the same set of behaviors and skills that can be scaled to lead larger organizations, making it a fundamental aspect of leadership.

Why is inventing the future a part of leadership?

Inventing the future is part of leadership because it involves understanding the current landscape, anticipating what could be possible, and setting a direction and vision for what's next, which requires leaders to be beacons that guide and shape the future.

What is the '30% rule' mentioned in the transcript?

The '30% rule' refers to the idea that leaders need to learn enough about new technologies or areas to understand and shape them effectively, even if they are not experts in the field, which is a baseline knowledge requirement for leadership.

Why is change management a core competency for leaders?

Change management is a core competency for leaders because it is about making improvements, anticipating the future, and adapting to the dynamic world, which are essential for leading organizations effectively.

How does leadership enable others to change?

Leadership enables others to change by setting a vision, providing direction, and creating an environment where change is not only accepted but also embraced as a part of growth and development.

What does John Quincy Adams say about leadership in the quote mentioned in the transcript?

John Quincy Adams says that if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are a leader, highlighting the importance of leadership in enabling others to grow and achieve more.

How does leadership contribute to securing personal and communal futures?

Leadership contributes to securing personal and communal futures by empowering individuals to make an impact, shape lives, and drive change that benefits not just themselves but also their families, communities, and potentially their countries.

What role can young leaders play in the context of rapid societal and technological changes?

Young leaders can play the role of agents of change, skill amplifiers, and global collaborators, adapting to and shaping the rapid changes in technology, societal norms, and cultures, and connecting with peers worldwide to lead effectively in their local contexts.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Leadership Module

The script opens with a warm welcome to a leadership module, highlighting the esteemed guest, Sadal, a close friend of the host and a renowned professor at Harvard Business School. Sadal's impressive CV and her expertise in leadership, change, and digital mindset are emphasized. The host expresses gratitude for her presence and outlines the session's agenda, which includes discussing the importance of leadership, defining it, exploring whether leaders are born or made, and sharing essential tools for aspiring leaders. The conversation aims to inspire the audience to prioritize leadership and understand its significance in personal and professional growth.

05:02

🤔 The Significance of Leadership Beyond Authority

This paragraph delves into the concept that leadership is not confined to those with formal authority. Sadal emphasizes that anyone can act as a leader by taking initiative, solving problems, and engaging in meaningful conversations. The host reflects on his own misconceptions about leadership and learns that leadership is an attitude and behavior that can be cultivated from an early age. Sadal advises the audience, especially the younger generation, to start acting like owners and develop the 'L' in them, which can eventually lead to formal leadership roles.

10:03

🛠 The Role of Teams in Leadership

The speaker discusses the importance of teams in the leadership process, stating that leading a team is a critical early step in developing leadership skills. Teams are essential for solving complex problems and achieving more significant outcomes than an individual could. The ability to structure, motivate, and manage a team is a crucial leadership function. Sadal suggests that leading a small team effectively can scale up to leading larger organizations, as the fundamental behaviors and skills required remain consistent.

15:04

🌟 Inventing the Future and Change Management

The script touches on the idea of 'inventing the future,' which involves anticipating and shaping what's possible based on current observations. Leaders are described as beacons, able to foresee and set direction and vision for what's to come. The concept of change management is introduced as a core leadership competency, with change equated to improvement. Leaders are expected to drive change, transform cultures, and adapt to the dynamic world. The discussion also addresses the resistance to change that people often exhibit and the leader's role in enabling others to embrace and adapt to change.

🔒 Securing Futures Through Leadership

The final paragraph focuses on the broader impact of leadership, emphasizing its role in securing personal, familial, community, and even national futures. Investing in leadership skills is portrayed as a means to make a significant impact on the world. The importance of being proactive rather than reactive is stressed, with leadership positioned as a way to empower others and shape lives. The conversation concludes with a memorable quote from John Quincy Adams about inspiring others to dream, learn, do, and become more, encapsulating the essence of true leadership.

Keywords

💡Leadership

Leadership is the act of guiding a group of people or an organization towards achieving a common goal. In the video, it is emphasized that leadership is not solely about holding a position of authority but also about taking initiative and responsibility. The script highlights that anyone can demonstrate leadership by acting like an owner, solving problems, and engaging in important conversations, which is crucial for personal growth and future leadership roles.

💡Authority

Authority in this context refers to the formal power or right to command and make decisions. The script points out that formal authority is not a prerequisite for leadership, as one can lead by example and action without a title. This concept challenges the traditional view of leadership tied to hierarchical positions and encourages individuals to step up and lead regardless of their formal rank.

💡Personal Growth

Personal growth is the process of improving and developing oneself in various aspects, such as skills, knowledge, and character. The video script discusses how leadership contributes to personal growth by encouraging individuals to take on responsibilities and solve problems, which in turn prepares them for formal leadership roles in the future.

💡Change Management

Change management is the systematic approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. The script identifies change management as a core competency of leadership, emphasizing the importance of not only maintaining current operations but also driving improvements and transformations to meet evolving challenges.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The video script connects innovation with leadership by suggesting that leaders play a critical role in envisioning and driving new possibilities, often by connecting seemingly disparate dots to create something novel and valuable.

💡Direction

Direction in the context of leadership is the ability to set a clear path or course for an organization or team to follow. The script mentions that leaders act as beacons, guiding others by setting a vision for the future based on their understanding of the current landscape and their ability to anticipate what may come next.

💡Vision

Vision is the ability to think about and plan for the future, often involving the creation of a compelling image of what could be. The video script underscores the importance of vision in leadership, as it is through envisioning the future that leaders can inspire and guide their teams towards achieving ambitious goals.

💡Team

A team in this context refers to a group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. The script highlights the importance of leading teams as a foundational aspect of leadership, noting that the ability to effectively lead a small team can scale to leading much larger groups and organizations.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of giving individuals the authority and power to make decisions, take action, and shape their own lives. The video script discusses how leaders empower others by enabling them to change, grow, and become more, which is a key aspect of leadership that contributes to the overall success and development of both individuals and organizations.

💡Global Collaborator

A global collaborator is someone who works with others across different countries and cultures to achieve common objectives. The script suggests that in today's interconnected world, leaders need to be global collaborators, learning from peers worldwide and understanding broader contexts to lead effectively at a local level.

💡Digital Mindset

Digital mindset refers to the ability to understand and adapt to digital technologies and their impact on business and society. The script mentions this concept in relation to the '30% rule,' which suggests that leaders need to acquire a baseline understanding of digital technologies to effectively shape and lead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Highlights

Sadal is a renowned authority on leadership and change, with a significant online presence and impressive CV.

Leadership is not about formal authority; anyone can act like an owner and solve problems.

Leadership is about personal growth and can lead to actual leadership positions.

The 'L' in each of us can come alive by taking initiative and responsibility.

Leadership begins with acting like an owner and can scale to leading teams and organizations.

Leading teams is a critical early step in developing leadership skills.

Leadership is about structuring, motivating, and creating processes for team operations.

Inventing the future involves anticipating possibilities and setting direction based on current understanding.

Leaders act as beacons, able to see the landscape and imagine future necessities.

Leadership involves understanding and shaping technology, even for non-technologists.

The '30% rule' suggests learning enough about a technology to shape its direction.

Leadership is about change management, which is a core competency for improvement.

Leaders must enable others to change, despite the natural resistance to it.

Leadership is about securing personal, family, community, and even national futures.

Leadership is accessible and should be a goal for everyone to consider.

A favorite leadership quote by John Quincy Adams emphasizes inspiring others to dream, learn, do, and become more.

Leadership is about enabling others to become more, which defines a true leader.

Leaders can be community builders, economic catalysts, and agents of change.

Leadership involves being a global collaborator and learning from peers worldwide.

The journey of leadership begins with imagining oneself as a leader and is accessible to everyone.

Transcripts

welcome to the leadership module I'm so

delighted and excited to have with me

sadal NE sadal is first of all a good

friend of mine we've known each other

for 17 years yeah uh sadal is the n

fitzu professor of business

administration at the harvor business

school she's also the senior associate

Dean uh at the haror business school and

my boss uh yeah I reported to her uh and

is one of the leading authorities on

leadership and change digital mindset

and remote work if you see her CV it's

incredible if you see her on YouTube 12

million views about her teaching at the

Hard business school so I am truly uh

grateful and blessed that sadal is with

us to talk about her area of expertise

which is leadership I'm so happy to be

here Kareem I'm really excited to talk

about leadership and to be with all of

you yeah so what we're going to do in

our in our in this in this module is why

should we first care about leadership in

the first place why do our our audience

should make this uh a priority for

themselves then we'll get into defining

leadership what does it mean the

dimensions of it um then an essential

question that everybody asks our leaders

born or made I know you have definite

opinions about that so would love to get

that perspective and then we're going to

open up the leadership toolkit what are

the essential uh for aspiring

Trailblazers who want to be leaders who

needed to be leaders in in their worlds

in their communities as well so should

we begin let's go go I'm excited um so

sadal I mean you've been studying this

for your whole life and youve also been

practicing this for your whole life why

should we care about leadership in the

first place why should our audience care

about leadership you know leadership is

one of those things that's incredibly

important because you don't have to have

you don't have you don't need you don't

need to have have a position of

authority to be a leader okay you can

act like an owner you can solve problems

you can engage in conversations you see

a problem you solve it you need to be a

follower you become a follower in a role

of a leader so leadership is all around

us and it's about not only our personal

growth but it sets us up for actual

leadership positions well wait can hang

on a second you said something profound

you said like you don't need formal

authority to be a leader can we just

double click on that because I think

when I was their age long time ago uh I

thought like leader with a capital l

like you had to have a leader or

executive blah blah blah in your title

or like stand on a big mountain and be

the leader like tell tell me about this

view because that's new to me there's an

L in each and every one of us there's an

L in each and every one one of us and

the way in which this L Comes Alive

before we have these positions of

authority is by acting like owners is by

feeling a sense of obligation and person

responsibility so if there's a problem

you solve it as opposed to being a

bystander if there's um uh a moment when

we need to speak up we need to speak up

and we can do this in our families we

can do this in our communities we can do

this in our school RS and this is where

it begins that l in us can grow into

that position of authority but it's an

attitude it's a behavior it's a

definition that starts out early so my

big advice for everyone starting from

the age of 18 and on is to begin to act

like an owner on route to becoming a

true leader with authority I love that

so what else what else uh why else

should we care about uh about leadership

listen leadership is really interesting

it's actually a social science and it

starts out like I said with ourselves

that L and all of us and acting like an

owner and eventually we begin to lead

others and most often where we see this

early on is in teams leading teams and

leading teams teams are defined uh as

three people or more so if you have

three people or or more and you take on

a leadership role whether it's at school

or otherwise it's really important

because Kareem if you can lead a group

of three people yes or 10 or 15 yes you

can actually lead an organization of

15,000 people SC it scales completely

it's the same set of behaviors that

scales because if you can lead those 10

people or 15 people it is through them

that you lead wide organizations it's

through them that you lead communities

it's through your team that you lead

even countries wow and I guess I guess

the the thing about why you need to

think about teams is because to solve

important problems right you need a team

you'll need more than yourself if it was

a problem that you could solve yourself

that takes you so far but problems that

are big that are naughty that need U

leaders like you to be engaged you need

to be thinking by teams absolutely in

fact teams are critical to leverage

yourself to scale teams are critical for

the division of labor teams are critical

uh in order to achieve much more than

what an individual can do and so how to

structure a team how to motivate a team

how to create the processes by which a

team operates is a very crucial function

of leaders so once you establish that

you can act like an owner and be an

owner and then the first thing to do is

to find ways to lead a very small team

and once you figure that out you can

lead entire

organizations that's fabulous so also so

I often say one of the things that

leaders need to do is invent the future

do you agree with that is that is that

like how does that fit within your sort

of research and practice of leadership

you know inventing the Future these are

such intimidating words right inventing

the future but what it is it's really

determining and thinking about what's in

the present and beginning to anticipate

what can be possible in the future

sometimes is to say whoa I see an

oncoming train I see it others don't so

that's part of the future other times is

to say whoa I see all these dots imagine

if we connect them yeah what new

possibilities can we engage in and so

part of that is we talk about this in um

uh our leadership work here at the

Harvard Business School As Leaders as

beacons yes to be able to see the

landscape yeah and

to imagine what may be the very next

thing that we all need to think about so

you're right in a sense that is

inventing the future and it comes com

from understanding the landscape

understanding today in order to imagine

what's for tomorrow which means we need

to be exposed yeah to a lot of things

and so and so this is like setting

Direction and vision right like part of

inventing the future is Direction and

vision it's absolutely Direction and

vision I mean even if you think about

the image of the leader as a beacon uh

it's the ability to look far um and to

set uh a a direction and a vision based

on not facts that are very much in front

of you but the facts that you imagine

will be in the future so if you think

about all of the innovators of our world

those who've invented telephones uh

those who've invented new ways of doing

things and as you know we're living at a

time where there's so much Innovation

going going on but it took leaders to be

a ble to see those things and sometimes

it's also responding to what's here yeah

uh in in an affirmative way so for

example we know that technology is

moving very fast and Leadership requires

us to understand those Technologies to

start shaping those Technologies that's

where Vision Direction but what happens

if you're not a technologist you learn

as much as you need to learn often time

there's a baseline we call it in fact

the 30% rule you've done a lot of

research on this ton of research my

latest book with uh poon Aris called the

digital mindset and you learn the

baseline or some Basics some common

vocabularies languages around these

Technologies and you shape it that's

what it means to be a beacon you shape

it and to shape it you have to

understand it yeah now one of the things

I've heard you say quite a bit when

you've been uh you know sadal talks to

leaders everywhere Executives of large

companies uh around the world um you've

often talked about like the importance

of becoming good at change so why should

our audience care about change change

management because that seems like a

thing that companies do you know like

you're old fart company sorry you're old

company around for long and then the the

old line Executives say we need change

management why should they care about

change and and becoming good at change

change is a fundamental core competency

of leadership because what is change

ultimately it's Improvement it's either

small Improvement or big Improvement and

change management is actually an entire

field uh we can teach a whole a whole

module on it uh but it's a core

leadership competency otherwise you're

presiding over something and you're not

anticipating the future and you're not

making any improvements so to make

improvements to think about the future

it requires change and change management

and there um two ways to think about

leadership one is leaders uh as um or

the role of leaders as transactional

which is the presiding over to make sure

the trains are running and the uh buses

are running and everything that need to

run on time on time and

adequately but that's not enough the

world is so Dynamic it changes so much

all the time that we need to be ready to

improve and change and meet the moment

and at times we need to transform that's

why it's a very core competency for

leadership change yeah you and you know

like you have to be able to

change cultures

organizations people their mindsets

their perspectives and and that to me is

part of this leadership Journey right

like how do you actually enable people

to change because most people tend to at

least what I found in all of my

inventing the future activities that she

knows all about uh that I come to her

for therapy uh uh is is that you got to

be able to enable others to change to

sort of be comfortable with change

because most people resist change people

don't love change they may say they like

change and you know change is good for

others not for ourselves good for others

not for ourselves and you've heard

people say I love change you know I

change my hair all the time and change

change change that's not true people

like predictability they like certainty

and they like um stability yeah change

by definition is not about certainty

it's not about predictability it's not

about stability so they resist and

there's always this belief of if we

enact any of these changes are we

actually going to break things that are

working change is also breaking things

that are working yeah you're very

familiar with that aren't you a little

bit

you can ask our Dean about that I think

it's a big file in the Dean's office U

with f it's a good file yeah but you

know a lot of change lot of change um so

the other thing that I want to sort of

add to this about why we should care

about leadership is that for the young

leaders we're working with uh this is

about securing your personal future

right if you invest in learning about

leadership if you invest in practicing

leadership if you invest in actually

changing things then that's going to

secure your personal future because that

it will enable you to to to impact the

world in ways that others cannot can I

add to that sure it's also about

securing the future of your family it's

about securing the future of your

community it's for some people it can

even mean securing the future of your

country it's a very very big deal so you

either are a bystander or an observer or

you can help shape the the lives and the

future of many others so um so it's it's

about securing your future and the way

you secure your future is by empowering

shaping the lives of others I love that

so let's recap just just even this this

whole notion about why should be careful

leadership uh first is you got to act

like an owner right second is it's about

sort of the team and making sure the

team that you put together can actually

get the work done uh the third is is

inventing the future setting the

direction and vision then driving change

becoming good at change uh and then

securing

Futures do you have a favorite quote

about leadership is there anything that

that stands out to you I do actually

this is this comes from one of the

former US presidents I love it so much

because you don't have to be a current

leader to appreciate what he says so

this is John Quincy Adams yes and he

says that if your actions Inspire others

to dream more learn more do more and

become more you are a leader wow wow you

can you just repeat that again so if

your actions if your action inspires

others to dream more dream more that's

the vision that's like that's like the

the inventing the future yeah learn more

yes yes practice practice yes do more

yes get more things done solve more

problems and become more themselves

others becoming more so part of the

leadership is enabling others to become

more as well absolutely enabling others

to become more that's what defines you

as a leader isn't that a beautiful quote

Yeah I love that I love that quote maybe

that should be part of our motto as well

of this of this program for our program

we care a ton about leadership uh

because I think that that is you know

that is a core principle that we're

trying to uh

Infuse in young people around the world

um and for us U this is because we feel

as we've discussed that these leaders

can be Community Builders these leaders

can be uh economic catalysts they can

actually have meaningful impact in the

economies that they're work work in they

can be educa uh agents of change in

their in their environments and that's

so important because we don't want to be

stuck in a static world where technolog

is changing fast societal Norms are

changing fast cultures are changing fast

you can be the Agents of change and

actually nudge the change in the

direction you see important uh and that

also you can be a skill amplifier if you

act as a leader not just for yourself

but for others and then finally I I

really feel uh like you can be a global

collaborator right you can learn from

other peers from around the world and

because the the problem sit around uh

what's happening in Mogadishu is also

happening in Montreal it's also help in

in in Melbourne Australia and Melbourne

Florida at the same time yes we're such

an interconnected world that for us to

be true leaders we need to not only be

very aware of our local scenarios and

context but we need to understand beyond

our context and connect with others in

order to lead better uh uh locally even

I love all the things that you talked

about and the thing that I love most

about this and what I'm hoping is is um

going to be something that people

internalize is this journey only begins

if we begin to imagine ourselves as

leaders that we can be leaders and that

it's accessible to us and that can be a

goal the question is how do we learn to

be leaders and defining leadership it's

completely accessible to each and every

one of us