Speaker 1
I think that distinction is key. And thnk, i's very arrogant to say that you or i, or anyone else, can take some one and im going to teach you leadership. But i've watched people learn it, and i think a big part of what it ta to learn it, there's a kind of two things thatwould only mate high light one for the moment, embracing the idea of seeing what has to be done, and then exercising the art of getting people to want to join you in getting it done. But it starts with clarity. Af, something's got to be done, and i am not going to be a bystander. So when i look at, for example, the school principles thati that i studied, i know this one superintendent. I us to tell you the storywho sort grew into a leader. Takes over a school district, sees that that school district had kids from previous years before this person was in chargewa not really in charge, but was superintendent, where there'd been low graduation rates. A whole bunch of kids had not graduated from high school. And he takes one look at it and says, his is just wrong. Somebody's got to do something. So you would think, well, tem great, that person is going to lead people to do what's necessary to increase graduation rates. But here was the extra leadership step. When you recognize something is just wrong, something's just got to be done. Somebody's got to step forar. I can't be a bystander, right? He looks at it and he says, we have to take responsibility for the kids before i was superintendent who didn't graduate, and we're going to go find them, and we're going to create a programme to bring them back into the schools, and we're going to make sure that they get out with their high school degree. I'm going to take responsibility to make sure that happens for the kids who were here before i was even superintendent. And i'm going to walk down to a building in this town. And i'm going to say, we need space for this. You have an extra floor in your building. You need to help these kids, because somebody's got to do something. Will you join me and give us space so we can bring them back and get them their degrees? So what is leadership? Eisenhauer put it as leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done. It's an art form. And everybody is a different kind of an artist. Some are painters, some are sculptors. Some are orators. Some are good at, like, just getting the right people together around the table. Some are good at admonition. Some are really good at asking a right question, right? Its different kinds of art, but it's an art and you learn from others. You don't copy them. You get your own artistry of getting people to want to join you and not being a bystander about what's got to be done. Those people are coming over the hill. Some one's got to do something. Those kids didn't get their education. Someone's got to do something. This product has incredible potential. Someone's got to do something. And you infuse that in folks to be able to do that. That is, i think, where the real start of the leadership beginshe we got this computer, we made it for ourselves. Somebody's got to do something to bring this to a whole bunch of other people, because it's so cool we can sit here and think it's cool. We can do something. And i think that's the sea bed o where the leading really begins. Second, one of the people, and i think i've actually asked him if i could write this, so i think i can share this story, one of the great four star general officers, fellow named general austin, who really had a profound impact on me when i ventured off to west point. And and he held the chair two times after me, sto the most recent chair holder for the class of 51 chair. He was one of the only four star generals to come out of his era, his class at west point. He might be the only one, but certainly one of the only ones. Ended up with a very story career, spectacular leader. And he told me the story about, part way through his career, he he was worried a little bit about promotion. I getting promoted fast enough his career, right? And one day he just woke up and changed and he said, i'm not going to take care of my career any more. I'm going to take care of my people. And the moment i did that, everything changed, cause they wouldn't let me fail.