Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Leadership Essentials SummariesMichael Horst & Ryne Niner
2012
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Kris ColeAuthor & Communication Specialist
1. 70% of workplace mistakes are due to poor communication2. People are not born great communicators, we all need to learn how3. “We can’t influence people if they don’t like us or respect us”4. 93% of what we say comes from our body language, only 7% comes from our
words
Spring 2002
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Peter SheldrakeDirector of Urban Forum, Adjunct Professor of Business Entrepreneurship at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia
1. If you are only in business to make money, you most likely will not succeed2. A company makes a profit to continues its business – to move forward3. Complex Successful Model – companies that are invested in financial, social, and
environmental issues4. Move conversation from improving Leaders within an organization to improving
Leadership within the entire organization
Spring 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Roger HermanStrategic Business Futurist
1. Understanding your organization’s mission is vital to differentiating your organization from others
2. Money is not the main motivator is used to be3. New generations want meaningful, rewarding work4. New generations want “life/work balance” – where life is more important than work
Summer 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Robert CooperAuthor of The Other 90%
1. Everyone is different - discover which foods & activities help you stay energized and focused
2. Good posture, exposure to bright light, drinking a sip of water - all are proven to improve concentration
3. Employers need to loosen job descriptions - no human being is good at every aspect of a job description
Summer 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
John McGrathSuccessful Australian Real Estate Tycoon
1. Businesses can control their clarity, passion, product knowledge, quality of staff & business presentations
2. Success is a state of mind3. The power to say “no” is often not used enough, say no to business that you know
is not good business4. Look at your business goals twice a day to always keep them in mind
Summer 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Dr. John LangAuthor of Re-Life, Runs a successful Health Management Clinic
1. Often people will not follow through with their goals because their motivation wavers2. We need to manage/rationalize our perceptions better3. 5 Point Plan:
1. Eat well 2. Keep fit 3. Manage stress4. Don’t smoke5. Get adequate sleep
Summer 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
David AllenAuthor of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
1. Time management is about management actions, not priorities2. Define your focused work list so you know how to handle ad-hoc work3. If you have only 5 minutes, do the most productive activity you can get done within
those 5 minutes
Winter 2003
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Richard FloridaProfessor & Head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Roman School of Management, University of Toronto
1. Creative Job Sector will continue to grow2. Government has to get out of the city’s way & creative movement has to come from
bottom-up3. Key driver of city’s economic growth = Quality of Human Capital4. Need Technology, Talent, and Tolerance to have a successful city
Spring 2004
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Joan MagrettaAuthor, Former Senior Editor of Harvard Business Review
1. All basic management principles are about getting organization to perform2. Managers need to focus on creating long-term value3. Always look at your organization from the customer’s perspective4. Everything depends on creating value for the customer
Summer 2004
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
George NorrisBusiness Coach
1. Failure to delegate is a failure to motivate or inspire, learn to delegate2. 7 most costliest words in business = “but we’ve always done it this way”3. Keys to Success: education, communication, motivation, evaluation, celebration4. 5 levels of human need:
1. Physiology2. Security3. Social recognition4. Self-esteem5. Self-actuation
Summer 2004
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Malcolm GladwellAuthor of Blink & The Tipping Point
1. 2 types of Thinking: conscious (rational) & unconscious (instinctual)2. Instinctual decision making is often excellent, trust it 3. Business tends to add more information to a situation, but can make the situation
more complex & harder to use instinctual decision making
Spring 2005
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Nancy KazdanStrategy & Training Consultant
1. Active listeners look forward & make eye contact with whomever is speaking2. “True interest means promoting understanding … means trust”3. 4 Types of Listeners:
1. Non-listener: focused on another task while attempting to listen2. Marginal listener: distracted by their own thinking3. Evaluative listener: still not completely engaged, fact-based listener4. Active listener: patience, waiting for the talker to speak fully
Spring 2005
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Albert RatnerCo-Chairman Emeritus of Forest City Enterprises
1. Successful organizations need leaders for vision2. Ask yourself if you really want to be a leader?3. “Figure out who you are and live your life accordingly”
Summer 2005
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Henry CisnerosFormer Secretary for Housing & Urban Development under President Clinton
1. Optimistic about American cities2. We now have “city friendly economy”3. “The suburbs are full,” people do not want any longer commutes4. “Cities are where nations progress”
Summer 2005
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Chris HelderSales trainer, Author of Stop Selling: The Art of Reading the Client & Winning the Business
1. “Best form of selling is to stop selling”2. 4 Ingredients of effective selling: connection, gain information, presentation &
realizing the sell3. 3 Qualities: matching body language, energy, voice tone & personality drives4. 4 Personality Types:
1. Power personality: results & control driven2. Party personality: live in the moment, impulse buyers3. Peace personality: non-confrontational4. Perfectionist personality: processes, structure driven
Fall 2005
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Daniel PinkAuthor of Free Agent Nation & A Whole New Mind
1. Left brain activities used to dominate job market skill set2. Now, right brain activities are becoming increasingly important3. 6 important right brain abilities:
1. Design: ability to create a product/service where customer has an emotional response
2. Story: ability to create a narrative3. Symphony: ability to connect the dots & see the bigger picture4. Empathy: understand someone’s else perspective5. Play: ability to use games & humor6. Meaning: search for meaning in the world
Spring 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
J. Walker SmithExecutive Chairman of the Futures Company, President of Yankelovich, Inc.
1. Hiving: people returning home to reconnect with others2. “Community if about living in the company of strangers,” not like minded individuals3. Self-fulfillment replaced self-sacrifice in the market place with the Baby Boomers 4. 3 Things we need to create a community:
1. Public spaces2. Public psychology3. Public myths
Spring 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Carl HonoreAuthor of In Praise of Slowness
1. Slow has a negative connotation in our society2. Objective should be to choose the right speed to do each of our activities3. Ways to improve our use of time:
1. Make a weekly priority list, eliminate those items at the bottom2. Find times to unplug to rest & recharge3. Find an activity everyday that requires you to slow down
Spring 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Ira KoretskyPresident & Chief Storyteller of Koretsky Communications Group
1. Don’t ask someone what it is they do, ask them something related to the context in which you are meeting
2. People are typically not comfortable giving their elevator speech3. Elevator speech: explaining yourself in 80 words or less4. 3 Must Do’s:
1. Remove jargon from your speech2. Put passion into it3. Speak to your audience
Fall 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Verne HarnishAuthor of Mastering the Rockeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of your Fast Growth Firm
1. Cash flow is the most important thing to your business, it can make or break you2. Keep 10 to 30 year goals for your business3. Take one customer and one employee out to lunch a week to stay in touch with your
business
Fall 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Jim CollinsAuthor of Good to Great
1. Lack of discipline & chronic inconsistency are what separates great organizations from good organizations
2. Willingness to change is not what separates organizations, a common misconception
3. Your core values do not change, but your practices are open to change4. Hedgehog concept: penetrating understanding of 3 issues
1. Passion: understand what you are passionate about2. Best at: if you can’t be the best in the world at it, leave it someone else3. Economics: understand what drives your economic engine
Winter 2006
Robert C. LarsonLeadership Initiative
Dan GilbertProfessor of Psychology at Harvard University, Author of Stumbling on Happiness
1. Wisdom is knowing when and when not to be swayed2. Times when a lot of people think you are wrong you should reconsider your position3. Navigation tools that we can use are: rationality, math, & science4. 2 Things to do to make better decisions:
1. If I do this what will happen? (Understand your odds)2. And if it does happen, how am I going to feel about it? (How much do I value
the potential payoff?)
Summer 2007