335. Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership with The Clark Family (Part 2)

The Greg McKeown Podcast

About the Guests:

Kim Clark: Former Dean of Harvard Business School and President of BYU Idaho. He has an extensive career in academia and leadership, shaping and leading renowned educational institutions.

Jonathan Clark: A PhD from Harvard and currently a professor at the University of Texas. Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge from both his executive education experiences and extensive fieldwork.

Erin Clark: Managing Director and US National Leader for Deloitte’s Human Capital Consulting's leadership offerings. With over 20 years of experience as an executive coach, Erin specializes in fostering leadership and driving organizational change.

Episode Summary:

Greg and his guests continue to tackle the profound differences between superficial leadership tactics and truly ethical, value-based leadership. With real-world examples ranging from historical contexts to modern organizational behavior, the discussion sheds light on the internal battle between self-interest and collective well-being. The Clarks share actionable insights on empowering others, recognizing the dangers of conflating control with good outcomes, and creating environments where people can thrive.

Key Takeaways:

The Essence of Leading Through: Transitioning from a controlling mindset to one that fosters collective growth and individual empowerment.

Importance of Love in Leadership: Making other people your primary focus and building deeper connections through attention, affection, and genuine listening.

Competence as Protection: How being exceptionally good at your job can shield you from toxic leadership and help you excel.

Handling Power Over Dynamics: Strategies for identifying and addressing controlling behaviors in leadership while maintaining your integrity and effectiveness.

Moral and Ethical Leadership: The necessity of aligning leadership decisions with fundamental values that promote long-term organizational success and individual well-being.

Notable Quotes:

"You can choose to use your agency in ways that continue the control or choose something different." - Greg McKeown

"The continuum is desires and appetites and passions that lead you to damage or hurt other people." - Kim Clark

"Every person sort of comes into the world the agency, starting at zero." - Greg McKeown

"If you're mediocre, there's no recourse. But if you're really good at what you're doing, then the power over is still there, and you're not worried." - Kim Clark

"Leadership is moral and it is about making things better for as many people as we can." - Erin Clark

Resources:

Buy The Clark's Book "Leading Through"

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