In this insightful discussion, guest Kirstin Ferguson, a prominent company director and executive coach known for her work in leadership and gender equality, delves into the art of reading the room. She emphasizes how leaders must recognize their biases and be open to diverse perspectives. Kirstin also shares personal anecdotes, including a military hike that highlights the importance of initiating connections. The conversation advocates for empathy and awareness, particularly in understanding neurodivergent experiences, to enhance team dynamics and leadership effectiveness.
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insights INSIGHT
Chess Grandmasters' Perception
Chess grandmasters don't have photographic memories, a study by Adrian de Groot revealed.
They perceive future moves better, similar to how leaders must read their organizational landscape.
insights INSIGHT
Perspective is a Process
Leading with perspective is an ongoing process, not a destination.
Leaders must continually re-evaluate the situation as dynamics change.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Medical Residents' Diagnostic Approaches
A study observed medical residents diagnosing a patient with one correct diagnosis among seven possibilities.
Researchers categorized their approaches as stalled, fixated, adaptive, or vagabonds, highlighting different thinking processes.
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In 'Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership', Kirstin Ferguson provides a comprehensive framework for modern leadership by highlighting eight key attributes: curiosity, wisdom, perspective, capability (head), and humility, self-awareness, courage, empathy (heart). The book offers tools for self-assessment and shares inspiring stories from diverse leaders, challenging readers to become the type of leader the world needs today.
Kirstin Ferguson: Head & Heart
Kirstin Ferguson is a company director, columnist, keynote speaker, and executive coach. Beginning her career as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, Kirstin has held roles that have included chief executive officer of an international consulting firm, and acting chair and deputy chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has sat on boards of both publicly-listed and privately-listed companies for more than a decade.
Kirstin has a PhD in leadership and in 2021 was named one of Thinkers50’s top thinkers to watch. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to business and gender equality. She writes a weekly column on leadership and work in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and is also a contributor to the Australian Financial Review and to Forbes. She is the author of Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership*.
It’s often apparent when someone else doesn’t a read a room, but much harder to see it in ourselves. In this conversation, Kirstin and I discuss how we can do a better job of either literally or figuratively reading the room. Plus, we explore several of the actions leaders can take to do a better job at being more proactive at moving beyond their own perspective.
Key Points
Memory is different than perception. A study by Adrian de Groot shows that chess grandmasters reply more on the former for reading things quickly.
Perception is an ongoing process vs. something any of us arrive at.
A study of medical residents shows four ways we tend to approach situations: stalled, fixated, adaptive, or vagabonds. Vagabonds in particular look at a wide range of possibilities, but don’t fully explore or rule out paths forward.
Zoom out to seek broad input. That’s especially important when the stakes are high. Also important is to get perspective outside of your industry. Reading books from different disciplines is one starting point.
Leaders needs to also recognize that people in the room are reading you as well. There’s an element of partnership that shapes how the room moves forward.
Resources Mentioned
Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership by Kirstin Ferguson
Head & Heart Leader Scale by Kirstin Ferguson
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
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