The groundbreaking
film "2001: A Space Odyssey" premiered 50 years ago this month. Its director
Stanley Kubrick is reported to have said that a leader should never let ego get
in the way of a good idea. Indeed, despite possessing the creative arrogance of
many an auteur, Kubrick was highly receptive to good ideas from all levels of
the organization.
Yes, "the best
leaders are great teachers," as Sydney Finkelstein reminded us in the
January/February Harvard Business Review. Nonetheless, effective leaders must
also be insatiable learners - visibly so and from those they lead.
James Beard
Award-winning Chef Spike Gjerde (Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, A
Rake's Progress in DC where I'll be later this month) is highly regarded as a teacher. Word has it, however,
that he encourages his team to teach, as well, and beams enthusiastically when learning new things from them. He understands that teaching and learning are reciprocal arrangements that work best when they work together.
As with Chef René
Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen, Gjerde understands the benefits of what General
Marty Dempsey and Ori Brafman call "radical inclusion" in their new book by that title. Being
encouraging of and authentically receptive to all good ideas no matter their source provides creative
and competitive advantage. Honoring your people by promoting their ideas
- as their ideas, not yours - also builds loyalty, trust, and serious leadership chops.
Image courtesy of Shaun Terry.