My notes from Harvard Biz Review Leadership Articles

So I was reading a bunch of Harvard Business Review articles this weekend and thought I’d share my notes.

1. Gardner, John W. “The Road to Self-Renewal.” Stanford Alumni Magazine. March 1994: 32-35.

This was a great article written by an 80-year old who had been in numerous cabinet level gov’t positions, CEO positions for companies, and ran non-profits.

-middle years are best in terms of learning. life is hard. and challenging.
-learn not to engage in self-destructive activities. learn not to burn up
energy in anxiety. you learn self pity and resentment are the worst.
most people aren’t against you or for you – they only think of
themselves. no matter how hard you try, not everyone will love you –
actually great and comforting once realize it.
-simplicity that lies behind sophistication
-life not as some end game, w/ goals when arrive. all of them when get are a little empty.
-have to bet on people – want to be on highly motivated
-Be interested (not interesting). Reach out. Be curious. Take risks.

-Build life on tough-minded optimism
-life is tumultous – always losing and gaining balance.
-meaning is something you build into your life…not something magical that you find

2. Goleman, Daniel. “What Makes a Leader?” Harvard Business Review, #R0401H. 1 January 2004.

This article discussed “What Makes a leader”
-Self aware, want constructive feedback
-business is ambiguous and gray
-people who achieve for sake of achievement – not carrots or sticks
-self-confident but self-deprecating
-4 keys of leaders – self awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills

Boyatzis, Richard and McKee, Annie. “Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance.” Harvard Business Review #R0111C. 1 December 2001: 42-51.

This article argues that the leaders emotional mood affects the whole organization. They key is the leader needs to be in an authentic, optimistic, up-beat mood.

Montgomery, Cynthia A. “Putting Leadership Back Into Strategy” Harvard Business Review #R0801C. February, 2008.

-The purpose of this article states that strategy is too important to be left to consultants and run separately
-Strategy should be continuous and implementation should not be a distinct activity from strategic planning.

-Key in strategy is to focus on “What would be lost if your company/agency didn’t exist?” and “If left, who would care the most and what would they miss about you?