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“It’s the avenue; I’m taking you to, 42nd
Street!”
The singers sing, the
dancer’s dance and the actors act. On
Broadway there is always something wonderful
on stage. In many ways, Broadway is the
definition of “performance.”
I am inspired by great
theater. Every night, great performers pour
their hearts into each production. Some have
headaches, some have family problems, but it
doesn’t really matter. When it’s show time,
they give it all they have. Although it
might be the thousandth time an actor has
performed the part, it might be the first
time the customer sitting in the fourth row
has seen the production. To the true
performer, every night is opening night.
Like great actors,
inspirational leaders sometimes need to be
consummate performers. When they need to
motivate and inspire people, they do it. It
doesn’t matter if they have a headache. They
do whatever it takes to help their
organization succeed. When they need to be
“on,” like the Broadway stars, it’s show
time.
One of the greatest
leaders I know is Frances Hesselbein, the
former executive director of the Girl Scouts
of America and now chairman of the Leader to
Leader Institute. I am not alone in my
assessment of her talents. Peter Drucker
once noted that she was perhaps the most
effective executive he had ever met. As a
tribute to her leadership skills, President
Clinton awarded Frances with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest
award that can be given to a U.S. civilian.
Frances is also one of my
best friends. Like all humans, Frances faces
the same problems we all face. Just like you
and I, she has lived through health
problems, tragedies with friends and family
issues. Like all great professionals, when
it is time for Frances to work, she is
always there. I have seen her turn down an
invitation from the U.S. president to give a
talk (at no fee) for a non-profit
organization in a small town. When she makes
a commitment, if it is humanly possible to
be there, she delivers. It doesn’t matter
that a “better deal” came along later. She
not only makes an appearance, she is up, she
is positive, she is inspirational and she
gets the job done.
Until recently, I always
had a dilemma. As an executive educator, who
helps successful leaders achieve a positive
change in behavior, I, in a way, teach
people how to act. When is acting part of
being a professional? When is acting part of
being a phony? I want to help leaders learn
how to be great performers, but I never
believe that they should be phonies or
unreal. How can I, as a coach, understand
the difference?
My client Ted helped me
answer this question. I worked with him for
a year, trying to help him fit in a
corporate culture where he really didn’t
belong. At the end of the year, I finally
said, “Why don’t you leave? You are so
miserable that you are starting to depress
me!”
He finally saw the light,
left the company and is now doing something
he loves. There was nothing wrong with the
company. There was nothing wrong with Ted.
He just didn’t belong there. It wasn’t him.
If you are in the right
job in the right company, and you are
learning how to perform to the best of your
ability, you are being a true professional.
If you are in the wrong job in the wrong
company and you learn to act so that you can
better fit in, you are just being a better
phony. It still isn’t you out there.
Today Ted is a lot
happier. He spends his time thinking up
creative ideas in his new company, and he’s
having a ball. He is not only adding value
for the company, he is also adding value for
the world.
Think about your job. As
a professional, is your job consistent with
the person that you really want to be?
If the answer is “yes,”
be like the great actor. Be like Frances
Hesselbein. Put on a great show. Be the
consummate professional. Learn to keep
developing your ability to perform, so you
can get even better than you are today. If
you love what you do, a great coach might
even help you get better.
If the answer is “no,”
change jobs as soon as you can. Why bother
to become a better phony? Even if you do get
a coach and learn to modify your behavior,
it won’t count for much. Why? It won’t
really be you.
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