Leader Pathways
The Life of Leading Greatly
September 2008
Mentoring Leaders for Bold Tomorrows
Individual Mentoring or Custom In-house Group Programs
Publishing and Speaking
In this Issue:
The Olympic Challenge: Testing Our Mettle
Leader Mentoring: The New Development Resource
September 10, 2008 - 9:00AM
Doubletree Suites, Waltham, MA
Michael Shenkman Introduces the Idea
of Leader Mentoring
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In Leader Mentoring: Find, Inspire and Cultivate Great Leaders, Michael Shenkman makes the case that mentoring differs from instruction, teaching, and coaching in that it emphasizes not talents and skills used in executing a project but the qualities and values of life that are needed to sustain oneself in the creative endeavor. "No mentors, no leaders," he says, adding, "I want my new book to strongly advocate for leader mentoring as an essential, premium developmental service that aspiring leaders and their sponsors, bosses and partners need to invest in."
Click the book's cover to learn more.
The Olympic Challenge: Testing Our Mettle
The Beijing Olympics are concluded. All the medal-winning was exciting, and many of the athletes delivered exquisite performances. But the Chinese people also delivered a powerful message to the world: we have arrived, and we will herald in a new age of world competition.
Americans need to hear that message. It pertains to all aspects or our lives, not just athletics.
Some already get it. At a recent event here in Albuquerque, retiring (Republican) senior senator Pete Domenici was asked about the greatest challenge he sees facing America: “We don’t seem to be able to solve the big problems we face,” he said. When Rick Warren asked John McCain a similar question, Senator McCain replied, “We can’t seem to solve our big problems.”
I agree. The issue for Americans, in my humble view, is one of “scale.” We are fabulous at succeeding with the small organization, the small business, and the start-up entrepreneurial shop. But we are much less successful at organizing on a large scale, to accomplish truly big goals. We say we hate “big government” (until, that is, disaster strikes or until we await our Social Security checks, or until we advocate for a grant for our pet “earmarked” project).
The opening of the Olympics, with its evocation of cosmic energy, made it clear: today’s China CAN work on large scales; and its collective efforts proved that, by displaying their dazzling results. I hope the millions of Americans who watched those opening ceremonies heed that message. It wasn’t subtle.
The ability to mobilize our nation to address our large-scale, systemic problems and to creatively produce the tools, technologies and ideas on a global scale, will determine whether or not we can play with the Chinese, European and Indian behemoths, in the decades ahead. If we cannot, regardless of the prowess of our military, we will be relegated to the status of colony from which the world’s leading producers extract natural resources. Or we will be financially buttressed in order to play the role of a vast Wal-mart for the sale of cheap goods that are produced elsewhere. We will no longer hold our destiny in our own hands.
The crux of the matter comes down to this: What are our leaders capable of? At the Arch of Leadership, we talk about “bold” leaders. That now means marshalling a vision that extricates Americans from our attachment to fossil-fueled devices. It also means marshalling a vision in which every American has the education of every single child to their highest level of ability at stake (we can’t afford our 50% national drop-out rate). It means overcoming “health care for the profit of a few” so that staying healthy and curing the sick and injured stops bankrupting individuals and our nation as a whole. These are just a few issues. And lately, our financial system seems pretty creaky too.
If we are going to be able to organize on a large scale, we must also completely rethink our relationship with government. Government isn’t the answer, but it is a necessary part of any large-scale, national mobilization. This is no time to back away from calculated risks -- taken competently, with good intent, and a lively connection to the ways our future can unfold.
We must put competent leaders in government; we must choose leaders who can leverage the best of what our NGO, commercial, educational, technical and spiritual organizations have to offer – for the benefit of all. We can afford to waste neither time, talent, money nor natural treasures on errant military adventures, on placating antiquated ideologies or on pandering to entrenched special interests.
Notice has been served: It’s a new day. Now’s the time for bold leaders throughout our society, in all walks of business, service and community life, to step forward. And it is also time for creative followers to take up the challenge to collaborate on creating something really big: our future.
Help us! You can then say that you too joined forces to launch a new way to develop the aspiring leaders who bring us bold tomorrows. To learn more about how Arch can work with YOUR organization, contact me personally or visit www.leadermentoring.com.
Leader Mentoring:
The New Development Resource
September 10, 2008 - 9:00 am
Doubletree Hotel, Waltham MA (Exit off Rte 128)
$45 at the door, $40 advance registration
Seating is limited - Register NOW!
Hear from Bonnie Gorbaty, Arch of Leadership Mentor and from some of her mentees.
Hear about the real life of leader mentoring, from both sides of the conversation.
All attendees receive a copy of Michael Shenkman's new book
Leader Mentoring: Find, Inspire, Cultivate Great Leaders (Career Press).
Click here to download information on this program.