Great leadership comes down to only two rules | Peter Anderton | TEDxDerby

Summary

The speaker explores the concept of leadership through the metaphor of chocolate hobnobs, emphasizing that leadership is not about position but character. They critique the modern complexity of leadership theories and advocate for simplicity, highlighting two fundamental rules: leadership is about serving others ('It's not about you') and creating change begins with oneself ('It's only about you'). Drawing on historical and philosophical insights, the talk encourages embracing simplicity and authenticity in leadership.

Takeaways

• 🍫 **Chocolate Hobnobs as a Metaphor**: The speaker uses chocolate hobnobs to illustrate leadership lessons, emphasizing that leadership isn't about position but about who you are.
• 🔍 **Leadership Misconceptions**: The script points out that the modern perception of leadership has become muddled with too many models and theories, making it hard to find the essence of leadership.
• 📚 **Overwhelming Information**: The speaker mentions the vast amount of information available on leadership, making it challenging to discern the fundamental principles.
• 🧩 **Simplicity in Leadership**: Leadership is described as simple, not easy, and based on two powerful rules that can inspire others if followed.
• 🔑 **The Search for Silver Bullets**: The script criticizes the tendency to seek a single solution or 'silver bullet' in leadership, rather than understanding and applying fundamental principles.
• 🕰️ **Historical Leadership Insights**: The speaker references historical figures and their views on leadership, emphasizing service over dominion.
• 🔄 **Leadership Evolution**: The script traces the evolution of leadership theories from ancient times to the modern era, highlighting shifts in focus from service to self-interest.
• 🙅‍♂️ **Leadership Rule #1**: The first rule of leadership is that it's not about the leader but about the people, emphasizing the importance of inspiring confidence in others.
• 🌟 **Authentic Leadership**: Authentic leadership is presented as being true to oneself and transparent, which is a deeper level of commitment from followers.
• 🌱 **Leadership Rule #2**: The second rule is about personal change, stating that to create change in others, one must start with oneself.
• 🔍 **Self-Reflection**: The speaker encourages self-reflection as a means to identify and address the problems within oneself rather than blaming others.
• 📖 **Ancient Wisdom**: The script suggests that the principles of effective leadership have been known for millennia and that we should listen to and learn from these ancient teachings.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script discussing leadership?

The main theme of the video script is the simplification of leadership principles, emphasizing that leadership is not about position but about who you are, and it revolves around two simple but powerful rules.

What does the speaker suggest is the problem with the current understanding of leadership?

The speaker suggests that the current understanding of leadership is overcomplicated and obscured by an explosion of theories and models, which has buried the true essence of leadership deep under layers of complexity.

What is the first rule of leadership according to the script?

The first rule of leadership, as per the script, is that leadership is not about the individual but about serving others, inspiring confidence in them, and enabling them to lead as well.

What historical figures and their philosophies are mentioned in the script, and how do they relate to leadership?

The script mentions Sun Tzu, Cicero, Jesus, and Machiavelli, each contributing different perspectives on leadership. Sun Tzu emphasized leading by example, Cicero focused on leading through others, Jesus advocated servant leadership, while Machiavelli introduced the idea of power maintenance at any cost.

What is the second rule of leadership presented in the script?

The second rule of leadership is that in order to create change around you, it must start with who you are and how you behave, highlighting the importance of personal responsibility in leadership.

Why does the speaker use the metaphor of a 'key goblin' in the script?

The 'key goblin' metaphor is used to illustrate the idea that sometimes the solution or answer we seek is right in front of us, but we fail to recognize it because we are too busy looking elsewhere or not listening carefully enough.

What is the speaker's profession, and how does it relate to his perspective on leadership?

The speaker is an engineer with a passion for leadership simplicity and alignment. His engineering background likely informs his approach to leadership as something that can be systematically understood and simplified.

How does the speaker describe the shift in leadership understanding from the 19th to the 20th century?

The speaker describes a shift from the belief that leaders were born with inherent qualities (19th century) to the idea that leadership could be systematized and optimized through scientific management (20th century), which ultimately led to a disconnect between managers and workers.

What is the significance of the chocolate hobnob factory story in the script?

The chocolate hobnob factory story serves as a personal anecdote from the speaker's life, illustrating the failure to understand and apply the first rule of leadership, which led to problems in his leadership role.

How does the speaker suggest we should approach leadership in today's complex world?

The speaker suggests that we should return to the simplicity of the two fundamental leadership rules, focusing on who we are and how we behave, rather than seeking new and complex theories or models.

What is the final message the speaker wants to convey about leadership?

The final message is to listen to the wisdom and principles of leadership that have been known for millennia, rather than constantly seeking new theories, and to apply these principles in a straightforward and genuine manner.

Outlines

00:00

🍫 The Essence of Leadership Through Chocolate Hobnobs

The speaker begins by introducing the concept of leadership, using chocolate hobnobs as a metaphor. They emphasize that leadership is not about position but about who you are as a person. The speaker critiques the modern complexity of leadership theories, which they argue has obscured the simplicity of true leadership. They propose that all one needs to know about leadership can be distilled into two fundamental rules. The speaker also shares their own experience as an engineer and leader, highlighting their ultimate failure in managing a chocolate hobnob factory, which serves as a personal anecdote to illustrate the principles of leadership they will discuss.

05:01

📚 Historical Perspectives on Leadership and the Shift in Focus

This paragraph delves into the evolution of leadership theories from ancient times to the modern era. It starts with Sun Tzu and his belief in leading by example, followed by Cicero's understanding of leading through others. The paragraph then contrasts these views with Machiavelli's power-focused approach in 'The Prince'. The speaker also touches on the 19th-century belief in innate leadership qualities, Frederick Taylor's scientific management, and the 20th-century focus on leadership behaviors, culminating in the celebrity CEO culture. The paragraph concludes by stating that despite the myriad of theories, the core principles of leadership have been lost, buried under layers of complexity.

10:01

🔑 The Two Fundamental Rules of Leadership

The speaker introduces the two key rules of leadership. Rule number one is that leadership is not about the leader but about serving others, a principle that has been understood for centuries but often overlooked in modern times. The speaker uses the concept of servant leadership and authentic leadership to illustrate this point. Rule number two, which will be discussed in the next paragraph, is hinted at through the idea that change begins with the individual. The speaker emphasizes that great leaders inspire confidence in others, not just in themselves, and that leadership is about creating more leaders, not just followers.

15:02

🌟 Personal Reflections and the Power of Self-Leadership

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on their personal experience in the chocolate hobnob factory, realizing that they were the problem, not the solution. They discuss the importance of recognizing that the environment one creates is a reflection of oneself. The speaker quotes various historical figures to emphasize the idea that change must start with the individual. They conclude that leadership is about mastering oneself, not just leading others, and that the principles of effective leadership have been known for a long time, suggesting that perhaps we should return to these ancient wisdoms rather than seeking new, complex theories.

🎁 Unwrapping the True Gifts of Leadership

The final paragraph brings the discussion to a close by emphasizing the simplicity of leadership principles that have been overlooked in favor of complexity. The speaker uses the metaphor of a 'key goblin' to illustrate the idea of searching for something new when the answers have always been there. They suggest that instead of looking for the latest leadership fad, we should listen to the timeless wisdom that has been passed down through the ages. The speaker ends with a call to action to embrace the simplicity of the two fundamental rules of leadership and to apply them in our own lives.

Keywords

💡Leadership

Leadership in the context of the video is not about holding a position of power but rather about the intrinsic qualities of an individual to guide and inspire others. It's the central theme of the video, emphasizing that everyone has the potential to be a leader. The script illustrates this by stating that 'leadership isn't actually about position, leadership is about who you are,' and further discusses various historical perspectives on leadership, from Sun Tzu to modern theories.

💡Chocolate Hobnobs

Chocolate Hobnobs are used metaphorically in the script to represent the lessons on leadership. They symbolize the idea that even simple things can teach us valuable insights about complex concepts like leadership. The speaker uses his experience with the 'problem child of a factory' that made chocolate hobnobs to illustrate his points about leadership principles.

💡Silver Bullet

The term 'silver bullet' in the script refers to the mistaken belief that there is a single, simple solution to a complex problem. It's used to critique the approach of looking for easy answers in leadership, rather than understanding and applying fundamental principles. The speaker suggests that the search for a 'silver bullet' leads to more complexity and confusion, burying the true essence of leadership.

💡Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership is a philosophy where the leader prioritizes the needs of others and focuses on service over self-interest. It's mentioned in the script as a model that brings back the essence of leadership rule number one, emphasizing that great leaders inspire confidence in others by serving them. The concept is linked to the idea that leadership is about empowering others rather than seeking personal glory.

💡Authentic Leadership

Authentic Leadership is about being true to oneself and leading in a way that is consistent with one's values and beliefs. The script discusses this concept as a leadership theory that brings us to rule number two, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and transparency in leadership. It suggests that leaders should lead by being their authentic selves, rather than trying to emulate others.

💡Rule Number One

Rule Number One, as stated in the script, is the principle that leadership is not about the leader but about the people they lead. It's a fundamental rule that emphasizes the importance of focusing on others' needs and inspiring confidence in them. The script uses this rule to argue against the misconception that leadership is about personal power and control.

💡Rule Number Two

Rule Number Two is the concept that to create change, one must start with oneself. It's a principle that highlights the importance of personal responsibility and behavior in influencing others. The script illustrates this by sharing the speaker's experience in the chocolate hobnob factory, where he realized that the problems were a reflection of his own leadership.

💡Complexity

Complexity in the script refers to the overcomplication of leadership theories and models, which can obscure the simple truths of effective leadership. The speaker criticizes the explosion of leadership theories that have led to confusion and a loss of focus on the core principles of leadership, suggesting that simplicity is needed instead.

💡Search for the Keys

The phrase 'search for the keys' is used metaphorically to describe the quest for understanding the essence of leadership. The script suggests that many people have stopped looking for the fundamental principles of leadership and instead are seeking a quick-fix 'silver bullet.' The speaker encourages a return to the foundational rules of leadership, rather than getting lost in complexity.

💡Key Goblin

The 'Key Goblin' is a humorous metaphor used in the script to illustrate the idea of searching for solutions in the wrong places or overlooking simple solutions. It's a playful way to suggest that sometimes the answers we seek are right in front of us, and we need to listen and pay attention to find them, just as one would listen for a vibrating phone to find it.

Highlights

Chocolate hobnobs serve as a metaphor for leadership lessons.

Leadership is not about position but about who you are as a person.

The essence of leadership has been obscured by an overload of information.

Leadership is simpler than the multitude of models and theories suggest.

Two fundamental rules encapsulate the core of leadership.

The pursuit of a 'silver bullet' in leadership leads to more complexity, not simplicity.

Ancient wisdom and modern leadership principles share common ground.

Leadership is about service, not dominion, according to historical figures like Jesus and Cicero.

Machiavelli's 'The Prince' introduced a power-focused view of leadership that contrasts with service-oriented approaches.

The 19th-century belief that leaders are born, not made, is critiqued.

Frederick Taylor's scientific management principles are criticized for dehumanizing workers.

The search for leadership traits has often led to superficial conclusions.

Behavioral models and celebrity CEOs have created a culture of emulation that often fails.

Rule number one of leadership: It's not about you, it's about the people.

Eleanor Roosevelt's quote emphasizes inspiring confidence in others as the mark of great leadership.

Authentic leadership is about being true to oneself rather than imitating others.

John Maxwell's five levels of leadership illustrate the progression from obligation to genuine commitment.

Rule number two of leadership: Change starts with you.

Nelson Mandela and ancient wisdom emphasize the power of self-change in leading others.

Leaders create environments that reflect their behaviors and attitudes.

The complexity of modern leadership calls for a return to simplicity and the core principles.

The 'key goblin' anecdote illustrates the importance of listening and learning from what's already known.

Transcripts

[Music]

what i want to talk to you about today

is chocolate knobs

what can chocolate hobnobs teach us

about leadership well a lot more than

you might think i've got three messages

that will apply to each one of us today

whatever you think of chocolate hobnobs

and whether you see yourself as a leader

or not

because you don't actually have to be a

politician

or a four-star general or some sort of

chief executive to be a leader actually

every single one of us can make a

difference every single one of us is a

leader in some way or another because

leadership isn't actually about position

leadership is about who you are

but the real message of leadership has

been buried deep over the years the last

time i googled leadership i got 760

million results

in half a second

it's impossible to find what we really

want in all that information

i don't if you know but the average

person in the uk spends up to six months

of their life searching for everyday

things like keys

and mobile phones

six months and of course the more stuff

we have the harder we have to search for

the things that we're looking for

imagine searching through 760 million

things to find your case

and that's the problem that we see today

because thousands of different

leadership models and concepts have all

come together to form this complex

tapestry like some sort of remarkable

chemical formula that we assume any

university professors can understand

well i'm here to tell you today that

leadership is actually very simple

it's not easy

but it is simple

and everything you ever need to know

about leadership comes down to one of

two simple but very powerful rules

and if you grasp these rules and put

them into practice you cannot fail to

inspire others be they teams

organizations or communities

so why this explosion in leadership

theories that causes so much confusion

well i think the problem is this too

many of us have stopped searching for

the keys of leadership

and we've started looking for the silver

bullet instead

constantly on the lookout for something

new this wonderful thing that once i

understand this everything will change

and fall into place

if i can just take my shiny new silver

bullet and load it into my barrel and

fire all will be well

and yet rather than producing simplicity

it should produce more and more

complexity more and more models have

buried the true message of leadership

deeper and deeper and deeper and these

two rules are lost

somewhere underneath all the stuff

i'm going to let you into a secret

people have been practicing leadership

for a very long time

and the essence of leadership goes back

for centuries millennia even

now i'm not actually a head of state

i'm not a professor i'm not einstein i'm

an engineer with a passion for

leadership simplicity and alignment

and i've seen leadership from all sorts

of angles

i've seen great successes and i've seen

some monumental failures and because

i've learned more from my failures than

from my successes i'm going to share

with you my ultimate failure today

because i used to be the man who made

chocolate hobnobs

it was the problem child of a factory

not so far from here

and i was brought in as the young

hotshot who would be able to save the

day irrespective of what the line had

done to my two predecessors

how little we knew

now before we join my worst ever shift

we're going to go on a journey and the

journey we're going to go on is the

journey of leadership

and it's a journey through time and

space we're going to head back to the

6th century bc

and we're going to join out soon

but on our way there let's just

recognize it in under 15 minutes

we're going to go through centuries of

leadership thinking so the one thing we

can be sure of is we're going to leave a

lot out

so like tsu believed that the leader was

best when people barely knew he existed

that when his job was done his aim

fulfilled the people would say we did it

ourselves

not so far away sun tzu was writing the

art of war a book that's on the

recommended reading list for a lot of

top executives today

and he believed that the general who

advances without coveting

and who retreats without fearing

disgrace whose only thought is to

protect his country and do good service

for his sovereign is the jewel of the

kingdom

the roman consul cicero in the first

century bc absolutely understood that

the leader could only deliver results

through other people

he had to focus his attention on others

if anything was going to happen if

anything was going to change

jesus in the first century taught if

anyone would be great amongst you

let him be your servant his disciples

liken the relationship between leaders

and followers

to the relationship between a shepherd

caring for their flock all of these

agreed that leadership wasn't actually

about dominion leadership was about

service

until we come to the 16th century and

our cunning italian nicolo machiavelli

wrote his famous book the prince he

believed it was all about the leader

the leader had to maintain power at all

costs the focus was entirely upon them

they would maintain power by force or by

deceit if necessary

and in fact it needs to appear to be one

thing whilst in reality being something

else altogether

and we're still clearing up his mess

today

because whilst he taught us some great

insights in the perils of managing

change

what we also learned from machiavelli

was how to lock up rule number one of

leadership and throw away the

key then we come to the 19th century the

scott thomas carlisle believed that

leaders were born not made you either

had it or you didn't and if you had it

then you would make great things happen

if you didn't well tough

you were either a leader or a follower

you either a manager or a worker then

into the 20th century frederick taylor

comes along with scientific management

he says forget people becoming their

best just optimize the way their work is

done

the right way to do a job was defined

and workers no longer had any

responsibility for how they did their

work it was all decided for them

and whilst scientific management was

parked by the 1940s the impact of his

thinking still lingers on like a bad

smell today

with this massive gap between managers

and workers

all of this stuff unraveled

the ancient wisdom on leadership

all of it taking the principles the

fundamental principles

of rule number one of leadership turned

inside out and placed it on its head

so in that desperate attempt they find

themselves looking for the traits of

leaders the characteristics what if we

were to study the best leaders and

measure them and see what we can develop

ourselves

and then this study was put to one side

when they recognized that actually the

only statistically significant thing

that they could come up with was that

the best leaders were slightly taller

and slightly above average intelligence

and that was as good as it got

so then finally they moved to what

leaders did they said well let's look at

this behavioral model surely we can copy

the best leaders

and then become great ourselves and this

led to the birth of the celebrity chief

exec

this is where their books their

autobiographies were

written and read like leadership manuals

the whole thinking was if you need to be

brilliant you need to be like me you

need to walk like me you need to talk

like me you need to dress like me in

fact the only way you can actually be

brilliant is to have a frontal lobotomy

and that was essentially the thinking

that went forward

it led to what professor richard jolly

from the london business school called

the heathrow airport school of

leadership this is where your boss goes

on holiday and gets to the airport

realizing they've forgotten their book

so they head to the airport bookshop and

they end up in the business section

clutching the latest celebrity chief

exec autobiography and they go away and

they devour it and they come back trying

to be like them and of course it never

works

so the really enlightened employees

learn to save a lot of pain by buying

their boss a novel before they went away

on holiday

and all of this stuff just buries the

principles of leadership deeper and

deeper and deeper

and so we get to the point that rule

number one is buried and in amongst all

of the

stuff and yet rule number one is

incredibly simple

well number one is the starting point

everything that you need to know about

leadership starts from this one

principle

rule number one of leadership is that

it's not about you

or to misquote bill clinton it's about

the people stupid

everything starts here

eleanor roosevelt put it like this she

said a good leader can inspire people to

have confidence in the leader

a great leader inspires people to have

confidence in themselves

why because they get rule number one

and a leader of course is only a leader

when they've got followers so the

temptation is to create more followers

who need you for the answers that you

can actually then provide but of course

the best leaders don't create more

followers they create more leaders they

recognize that the idea of the hero

flying in to save the day solving all of

the problems answering everything just

doesn't make sense the world is too

complex for any one of us to have all of

the answers

and there i was

with our problem child

i was everywhere solving this problem

solving that problem coming up with

fabulous ideas working all hours

convinced that i could sort it all out

and terrified that i would let the side

down terrified that i'd be some sort of

failure

but i got it all wrong

because at the end of the day i didn't

understand rule number one so the whole

situation was unraveling around my ears

because right then i thought it was all

about me in my head it was my blood my

sweat

my tears and my

ego you see whenever we find ourselves

in a situation where we think everything

is dependent upon us

when we think we're the only one who

cares we're the only one who gets it

whether it's in our home whether it's in

school whether it's at work whether it's

in our community the secret is to get

back to rule number one

robert greenleaf in the 70s brought back

the key to leadership with his model of

servant leadership he brought back rule

number one loud and clear but it was

only part of the picture

the other key was still missing and that

key was rule number two

so just before we come to rule number

two we're going to check in with

authentic leadership

it's not the only leadership theory

during the rounds at the moment but it's

the one that brings us to rule number

two because authentic leadership isn't

about a great man it's not about a fixed

set of characteristics it's about

turning up at the top end of who we

really are it's less about trying to be

somebody else and it's more about trying

to be ourself

brilliantly because any one of us can be

a leader it starts with having a clear

understanding of who we are

of what we stand for of what our

strengths and weaknesses are

and then behaving in a transparent way

that draws all of these things together

john maxwell talks about five levels of

leadership he says people follow first

of all because they have to that's level

one leadership

if you're the boss they have to do as

adult

that's where in the biscuit factory

you've got a queue of people waiting at

five minutes before the end of the shift

all changed and ready to go just to

slide their card to the clock machine as

they head out the door they give you

their minimum never their best

level two is where they follow you

because of how they feel about you as an

individual

level three is where they follow you

because of what you've achieved

level four is where they follow you

because of what you have done for them

and level five is where they follow you

because of what you of who you are and

what you represent

you see each layer going deeper and

deeper

forms a deeper level of commitment and

as you move from each layer to the next

it's all about choice but not your

choice their choice

that's leadership rule number

one so the change apparently much

misquoted

be the change that you want to see in

the world brings us face-to-face with

rule number two

which is as simple and as powerful as

rule number one it's only about you

if ever you want to create change around

you it starts with who you are

and how you behave

a whole range of theories from evolios

to zeleznics takes us through to the

point that ultimately if we want to

inspire others it's about who we are

so wrenches brings us back to our

chocolate hobnob factory

because i thought everybody else needed

to change

i didn't think the problem was me i was

the only one who got it i was the only

one who understood the problem i was the

only one who cared they were the ones

who needed to change

but in reality what was going on around

me and my team and the piles of

chocolate hobnobs that we were crunching

through

they were just a reflection of me

because leadership and life is a bit

like that

things can go a bit pear-shaped from

time to time

and it's easy to find ourselves blaming

other people

and pointing the finger elsewhere but

the true leader looks themselves in the

mirror and says if i want anything to be

different

it starts with me

because the true leader recognizes

that's what's going on around them is a

reflection of who they are that's the

power of rule number two

we recognize there's no point waiting

for everybody else to get their act

together we need to start cleaning up

our own act

but if we want others to live up to our

expectations then it starts with who we

are and what we stand for and are we

standing up for what we believe

or are we just doing time

nelson mandela absolutely nailed rule

number two and he said

i couldn't change others until i changed

myself

and don't think for a minute this is

anything new

ancient wisdom had this long ago

lao tzu said mastering others is

strength

mastering yourself is true power

cicero said the enemy is within the

gates

it is with our own luxury our own folly

our own criminality that we must contend

jesus said as you want others to do

until you do so and to them

his principles have been around for a

very very long time because the rule

number two of leadership recognizes that

people around us don't come with remote

controls

they recognize that if we want to bring

about change in those around us it

starts with our behaviors it starts with

who we are

because the environment that we create

around us is simply a reflection of our

thinking and of our behavior

so it's time for us to ask the question

what environment are we creating

is it like this

or is it like this

because all of us are leaders

we all lead in one way or another we're

all creating an environment around us

so when it comes to leadership in

reality all that we're doing in today's

world

is repackaging and redistributing what

has been known for millennia

and yet too many of us are sitting on

the floor surrounded by wrapping paper

playing with the boxes

rather than focusing on the messages

that are right at the core

i'd love to say that the only mistakes i

ever made in leadership involve

chocolate hobnos but life's not quite

like that

life is a journey and sometimes we go

around in circles

and there's no such thing as the perfect

leader

but the next best thing is a leader who

really gets rule number one

and rule number two

we live in a really complex world

that is crying out for simplicity

so let's just take the lead on these two

simple rules because there isn't a

single element of leadership that

doesn't hinge on one of these two

principles

it's not about you

and it's only about you

so those are my first two messages i'm

going to close with the third

and i'm going to introduce you to my

little friend here the key goblin i

don't know if anybody else has key

goblins in their house but whenever i'm

about to head out the key goblin notices

that i'm trying to get out the door and

it takes my keys and it tucks them away

somewhere safe

you know sometimes it's hidden under a

pile of stuff sometimes it's in plain

view

and the really devious ones will hide my

mobile phone but only when it's on

silent

so there i am just picture the scene

wandering around frantically trying to

find my mobile phone until i recognize

that actually although it's on silent

it's set to vibrate

so i call the number

and i walk around

listening carefully trying to identify

and find what i think is lost

and there it is tucked in my shoe for

some unknown reason

all i had to do was listen

and that's really my final message today

we can find ourselves spinning around in

circles searching for the silver bullet

something new that will magically let

everything fall into place

and my suggestion is that maybe

everything that we need to know about

leadership

and life

was written down a long time ago

maybe it's simply time for us to start

listening

listening to what's already been said

thank you

you