132 50 TOPEXECUTIVECOACHES
At some time over the next fifty years or so, the word managerwill dis-
appear from our understanding of leadership, and thankfully so. Another
word will emerge, more alive with possibility, more helpful, hopefully
not decided upon by a committee, which will describe the new role of
leadership now emerging. An image of leadership that embraces the at-
tentive, open-minded, conversationally based, people-minded person
who has not given up on her intellect and can still act and act quickly
when needed. Much of the wisdom needed to create these new roles lies
not in our empirical, strategic disciplines but in our artistic traditions. It
is the artist in each of us we must now encourage into the world,
whether we have worked for the Getty Foundation or for Getty Oil. We
must br ing our v isionar y ar tistic powers into emancipation w ith our
highly trained empirical powers of division and deduction.
—David Whyte, poet^1H
ow do leaders shift their thinking into the realm of possibility? As we
struggle with the dynamic challenges of today’s very complex world,
how can we move to a twenty-first-century definition of leadership that is
free of the constraints of twentieth-century vocabulary and image? In our
desire to create a better future, how do we change the focus of our leader-
ship, as Frances Hesselbein has said, from success to significance?
For a quarter century, I have conducted research, consulted, and coached
on global leadership and cross-cultural management. As the world’s intercon-
nectedness and the demands on leadership have intensified, I have come to
understand that the movement from successful to significant leadership can-
not and will not happen inside our current leadership vocabulary. The twen-
tieth century’s words, concepts, and approaches just don’t stretch far enough
for us to be able to see today’s reality, think possibility, and communicate
powerfully.
Often, when I work with individual leaders, I ask them to assess their
leadership by considering a very simple framework comprised of three
realms: What are you very good at doing? What do you passionately love to
do? And what’s the world’s greatest need.? I then ask, “For you, where do
these three realms intersect?” For all too many leaders, one or even two of
these realms have been ignored in their professional life. Many bright and
talented executives feel lucky to be born in an era that rewards them for the
things they do very well. In the glare of recognition for what they are good
at, they never ask, “ What am I passionate about?” or they split their lives be-
tween doing what they are good at in their professional life while saving what
they care about for “after hours.” Considering the world’s greatest needs and
their own passionate concerns becomes limited to the time remaining for