Leadership Moments: Turning Points That Changed Lives and Organizations Review

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Leadership Moments: Turning Points That Changed Lives and Organizations Review
As I began to read this collection of essays, I was reminded of Vince Lombardi's assertion that leaders are made, not born. "And they are made just like anything else that has ever been made in this country -- by hard effort and that's the price we all have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal." I was also reminded of The Managerial Moment of Truth in which Bruce Bodaken and Robert Fritz offer what they characterize as a "gestalt" of mutual exploration and learning. As they explain, the "managerial moment of truth" (MMOT) occurs when a supervisor and someone for whom she or he is directly responsible share a face-to-face interaction during which both are completely honest with each other about a given situation or issue. These interactions can involve praise and recognition for performance "above and beyond the call of duty," constructive criticism offered in response to unacceptable performance or inappropriate behavior, or collaboration on the solution of a problem or obtaining an answer to an especially important question. These and other interactive situations offer unique, potentially invaluable learning opportunities to create a shared experience during which an important truth is revealed. They also nourish mutual respect and trust.
What we have in these ten personal accounts are dozens of "leadership moments" recounted by associates of the ARC Leadership Group, edited by Claire Gerus with an Introduction by Rick Brydges. Each reveals important lessons about leadership in circumstances when difficult choices must be made. In their book Judgment, Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis characterize such decisions as "good judgment calls" that are at "the core, the nucleus of leadership." Brydges refers to it as "leadership in the trenches," moments that provide "a window in which converging circumstances stimulated the exercise of effectual leadership."
It is important to note that most (if not all) of these leadership moments are shared by those at all levels and in all areas of organizational structure. In my opinion, that is a key point because there are already so many books that examine great leaders throughout history such as Moses, Alexander, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and more recently Winston Churchill, Mohandas Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela. We quite rightly admire them but cannot identify with most (if not all) of them whereas we can with those who share their experiences in this book.
For example, with Martin J. Boyle who was a district security manager in his company when it volunteered a DC-8 to transport much needed supplies to Armenia. At one point, he made a decision that "was probably career-limiting (if not suicidal) and I did not expect anyone [among senior management or on his team] to agree with me...Conversely, it was very likely that anyone who did assist me would incur unpleasant repercussions from my boss."
We can also identify with Arthur L. Jue who was a relatively new employee at IBM, an entry-level mainframe programmer, when a "firing blitz had begun, but hardly a humane one" at IBM (its first "but sadly not the last") and terrified employees were darting around his building, "seeking support from their peers, and trying to elude the [armed guards] who were assigned to escort them out." How to react? What to do? Would he be among those to be hauled off "like a common criminal [to] the "containment room"? He explains how he formulated what he calls "spirit-centered leadership" amidst the mayhem.
And we can also identify with Carolyn Salerno who was at one time employed by Science Research Associates. Responsible for publication sales in public, charter, and private schools for five Southern California counties, she had to make a decision whether or not to accept a "compelling challenge" presented to her. If she accepted it and failed, "not only would my current job and professional credibility be shattered, but my employer's reputation could also be deeply tarnished."
The process by which these and other decisions were made as well as the nature and extent of their decisions' consequences are best revealed within the context of the chapter in which each situation is presented.
Although there are significant differences between and among those who recall their "leadership moment," all of them had to make a pivotal decision. As I finished reading the last chapter, I was again reminded that those who make "good judgment decisions," even especially courageous decisions, are not necessarily great leaders. However, they are nonetheless admirable as they illustrate why Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserve their neutrality.Leadership Moments: Turning Points That Changed Lives and Organizations Overview

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