Leadership Reflections: Wisdom from the Past

Katherine Tyler Scott

When I work with business, philanthropic, and not-for-profit leaders, I often inquire about their earliest remembrances of their leadership. I have learned that I have the same inquisitiveness, passion for creativity, and desire for results as I evidenced as an eight-year-old organizing a parade and circus of neighborhood children! Like so many of the stories I hear, such activities were not perceived as leadership; instead words such as duty, responsibility, and service were used. Invariably, these remembered stories reflect contributing to something greater than the familiar sphere of family or self-interest. Embedded in them are golden nuggets of wisdom—lessons for a lifetime. I’ll share three:

Leadership Lesson #1: Leadership requires the ability to read reality truthfully, and to engage in truth telling. Leadership involves active observation, an ability to perceive patterns, make meaning, discern opportunities, and to respond responsibly. This requires the objectivity and accuracy that comes from the practice of self-reflection and self-evaluation. This “inner work” is foundational to truth telling.

Truth telling is risky business because it can create defensiveness and denial, resentment, and a “kill the messenger” response.

How and when you engage in truth telling makes a difference in whether you’ll be heard, no matter how accurate or right you may be. A wise mentor observed that I was right ninety-five percent of the time; “But Katherine,” she intoned, “it’s the 5% you have to worry about!” No one has the corner on truth, but leaders must remember that while they have a moral obligation to speak their own truth, listening to multiple truths can edify and liberate us all to a fuller truth.

Leadership Lesson #2: Leadership is the courage to persist through adversity. Leaders aren’t perfect; we make mistakes. We desire positive results, but the outcomes of our actions may be negative. When we fail (and it is a question of when, not if), it is essential to acknowledge our mistakes and to reflect on what we have learned. I left a job once that was all-consuming. When I departed, I felt “bloodied but unbowed.” It was my “Rosa Parks moment”—I had chosen integrity over survival. A trusted colleague advised me to have the courage to learn from adversity and to not become mired in blaming, legitimate or not. My energies were then collected and condensed into claiming my true vocation—the development of leaders with the capacity to hold individuals, organizations, and communities in trust. Adversity can be the door to what really claims your heart and mind.

Leadership Lesson #3: Leadership is acting in congruence with your core values. Ron Heifetz reminds us in Leadership Without Easy Answers that leadership is value-laden. Authentic leadership is value based. Such leaders are clear about their core values and the beliefs that guide their personal and professional choices. Their lives reflect these values in word and action. When leaders act in congruence with their core values, they are trustworthy. They not only possess inner trust, they are able to engender trust in others—the essential component in healthy relationships and organizations.

As we think back on our experiences of leadership we discover a depth of wisdom that has shaped us and that still infuses our identities and our character!

Katherine is the Managing Partner of Ki ThoughtBridge, LLC, a company specializing in adaptive leadership development, change management, and conflict resolution. She works with business executives, philanthropic institutions, and educational systems and offers an Inner Work Institute for established executive leaders.

Katherine is a trustee of the International Leadership Association and the author of numerous leadership publications. She is currently a contributing author and panelist for The Washington Post’s “On Leadership”. Contact Information for ktylerscott@kithoughtbridge.com.