Senator John McCain's bravery under unimaginable circumstances as a prisoner of war in Vietnam is so far beyond the call of duty that, well, words could never do it justice. Those of us with relatively easy military careers really have no idea what heroes like McCain sometimes endure.
The history of one of the proudest and most distinguished of American naval families - the McCains - is also worthy of our utmost respect. I have met the Senator on several occasions. The first time was in 1992 at Maine's Bath Iron Works for the christening and launching of the guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, named for his father and grandfather who were both Navy admirals. Thank you for your service to all three John McCains.
We were all much younger then.
His controversial choice of Vice Presidential running mate raises many issues about leadership. Chief among them is humility. We'll let the political blogs slice and dice everyone. From this perspective, however, one of the most difficult moments during Charlie Gibson's ABC-TV interview with Governor Sarah Palin was when she told him that she "didn't blink" when asked by Senator McCain to be his running mate. Wouldn't and shouldn't any otherwise thoughtful person blink, take a deep breath, pause for reflection and reach for an extra dose of humility - if they have any?
Why is it that some people in leadership positions think that we expect them to be superhero cartoon-panel perfect? Are they lacking that much self-awareness to attempt to hide that they are human? Ironically, here is somebody who gets all kind of political points for being average because, mysteriously, we are somehow supposed to see ourselves in that reflection? And she didn't blink? Excuse me?
Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski and Senge (In Praise of the Incomplete Leader, Harvard Business Review, February 2007) underscore the power of personal humility in the best of our leaders. They write that "It's time to end the myth of the complete leader: the flawless person at the top who's got it all figured out." (p.93) They suggest that leaders often gain credibility, trust and even power when they appropriately reveal the natural and normal condition of human fallibility. I reported to some Fortune 200 CEOs who never got this point and often struggled to appear perfect and all-knowing. The deceit must have been exhausting. It also often prevented the executives around these CEOs from offering ideas and insights because, well, the boss already had all the answers. They never blinked.
The history of one of the proudest and most distinguished of American naval families - the McCains - is also worthy of our utmost respect. I have met the Senator on several occasions. The first time was in 1992 at Maine's Bath Iron Works for the christening and launching of the guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, named for his father and grandfather who were both Navy admirals. Thank you for your service to all three John McCains.
We were all much younger then.
His controversial choice of Vice Presidential running mate raises many issues about leadership. Chief among them is humility. We'll let the political blogs slice and dice everyone. From this perspective, however, one of the most difficult moments during Charlie Gibson's ABC-TV interview with Governor Sarah Palin was when she told him that she "didn't blink" when asked by Senator McCain to be his running mate. Wouldn't and shouldn't any otherwise thoughtful person blink, take a deep breath, pause for reflection and reach for an extra dose of humility - if they have any?
Why is it that some people in leadership positions think that we expect them to be superhero cartoon-panel perfect? Are they lacking that much self-awareness to attempt to hide that they are human? Ironically, here is somebody who gets all kind of political points for being average because, mysteriously, we are somehow supposed to see ourselves in that reflection? And she didn't blink? Excuse me?
Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski and Senge (In Praise of the Incomplete Leader, Harvard Business Review, February 2007) underscore the power of personal humility in the best of our leaders. They write that "It's time to end the myth of the complete leader: the flawless person at the top who's got it all figured out." (p.93) They suggest that leaders often gain credibility, trust and even power when they appropriately reveal the natural and normal condition of human fallibility. I reported to some Fortune 200 CEOs who never got this point and often struggled to appear perfect and all-knowing. The deceit must have been exhausting. It also often prevented the executives around these CEOs from offering ideas and insights because, well, the boss already had all the answers. They never blinked.