manager. Tomorrow’s person leads through a vision, a shared
set of values, a shared objective.” Yeats said, “In dreams begins
responsibility.” Vision is a waking dream. For the leader, the
responsibility is to transform the vision into reality. In doing
so, leaders transform their dominions, whether that dominion
is a motion picture, the computer industry, journalism, or
America itself.
- Leaders embrace error. Management consultant Donald
Michael’s elegant phrase sums up the experiences of those, like
Barbara Corday, who are not afraid to make mistakes, and admit
them when they do. Like Jim Burke, they create an atmosphere
in which risk taking is encouraged. Like Sydney Pollack, they
tell the people who work with them that the only mistake is to
do nothing. Like Karl Wallenda in his prime, they walk the high
wire with no fear of falling. As former UCLA basketball coach
John Wooden put it, “Failure is not the crime. Low aim is.” - Leaders encourage reflective backtalk. Norbert Wiener told
me, “I never know what I say until I hear the response.” Lead-
ers know the importance of having someone in their lives who
will unfailingly and fearlessly tell them the truth. One of the
most intriguing discoveries I made in the original interviews
for Leaderswas that almost all of the CEOs were still married
to their first spouse. I think the reason may be that the
spouse—for both men and women—is the one person they can
totally trust. The backtalk from the spouse, the trusted person,
is reflective because it allows the leader to learn, to find out
more about him- or herself. - Leaders encourage dissent. This is the organizational corol-
lary of reflective backtalk. Leaders need people around them
who have contrary views, who are devil’s advocates, “variance
On Becoming a Leader