The Greater IBM Connection Blog

THINKing and other IBM inspirations

I suppose one of the highlights of working for IBM for twenty years + was learning how important it was to THINK. From my first moments, THINKing was an important part of any task or assignment. The word THINK was on notebooks, signs, and painted on walls. Looking back, it seemed that it was a kind of tap-tap-tap indoctrination into the founder's passionate belief in the power of THINKing. Taken to heart, it was far from the misconception that IBM was a place for conformity. It inspired something bold and independent to come to life inside. Admittedly, I have been forever grateful for the many opportunities I was given to develop this powerful skill in a vast array of wonderful jobs, working with the best in people, and leaders that believed in me.

Over the years, I've collected wisdom here and there from IBM's founder, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. I have always admired his candid way of speaking, giving us a personal moment of truth with each bit of wisdom.  Here are a few timeless favorites...

“Follow the path of the unsafe independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot'' than the stigma of conformity.”

"All the problems of the world could be settled easily if [we] were only willing to THINK. The trouble is that [we] very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think."

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.”

“Really big people are, above everything else, courteous, considerate and generous - not just to some people in some circumstances - but to everyone all the time.”

On my very first day working for IBM in my first career, there was a nameplate on my desk when I arrived. My name had been engraved on the front on a brass plaque. On the back there was quote. It has stayed with me and kept me striving to follow the unsafe path of the independent thinker.

"If all objections were considered, nothing would ever be tried." -- Unknown

How about you?

Do you have a favorite inspiration from IBM?

Best...
Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing author
Greater IBM Connection Blog
Co-Founder, GIBM Women's
International Network for
Leadership (GIBM WIN-L)

Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
author, Putting Our Differences to Work
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco
Twitter: @debbekennedy   @onlinedialogues

LEADERSHIP and DIVERSITY Gathering

We continue to prove the value of the Greater IBM Connection each time we find a way to gather across the world. Last week, we did it again!

Over 490 IBMers past and present from 28 countries signed up to meet each other ONLINE at an appointed time and place to participate in a conversation with IBM Vice President of Diversity & Workforce Programs, Ron Glover. Our purpose in meeting was to explore the topic of LEADERSHIP and DIVERSITY in a CHANGING ECONOMY.

GETTING ACQUAINTED
We started the dialogue by first learning a little about who showed up. This seemed to create a sense we were connected in the distance. We had a chance to plot ourselves on a world map, shared why we were drawn to be there in a POLL, and got a glimpse of how we had described our unique roles in life and work. When each of us registered for the event, we also were asked to identify one DISTINGUISHING QUALITY we had as leaders or innovators. We shared the list with everyone. It had hundreds of unique expressions--- a little peer-to-peer sharing across cultures and twenty-eight countries. Nice!

CONVERSATION WITH RON GLOVER
Ron Glover spent the first hour with us and generously offered his stories and insights. We had received hundreds of questions from participants at registration. Our Greater IBM WIN-L Co-Founders, Cécile Demailly (France), Shara Sokol (New York), and Jane Scandurra (New York), joined me to field the questions submitted. The questions covered four key themes: Ron's LEADERSHIP JOURNEY, his thoughts on BEING A LEADER, the status of DIVERSITY at IBM in this changing economy, and Ron's SEND-OFF for us. We hung out together for another thirty minutes or so to discuss questions, reflect on what we learned, and share stories and perspectives. 

As a Greater IBMer, I admit I was honored to have the opportunity to welcome IBMers past and present to our Global Dialogue Center ONLINE Conference Center and experience the power of connecting in still another way. As someone reflected on the event: "This was a one of a kind opportunity to connect with IBMERS from so many parts of the world and with so many views." 

RECORDED HIGHLIGHTS, HANDOUTS, RELATED LINKS:
We captured the highlights of this global Greater IBM gathering at the Global Dialogue Center.
We invite you to share in the experience too...
Go here for RECORDED HIGHTLIGHTS:
http://globaldialoguecenter.com/events/gibm-june2009.shtml 

It meant a lot to me be involved in this event. It was a special gathering that emerged through the Greater IBM Women's Network for Leadership (GIBM WIN-L) from other online experiences we created together. It was produced in partnership with the Greater IBM Connection team. Together --- Ron Glover, everyone who shared in this gathering, and our global team --- we created a moment in time that would not have been possible at one time...a memorable one!

From the reflective writings of those attending...

"It's very nice to have the opportunity to share ideas among all levels. It's not very common in other companies to have this kind of opportunity."

"...it is nice to see so many locations working to make the world and IBM a better place."

Best...
Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection Blog
Co-Founder, GIBM Women's
International Network for
Leadership(GIBM WIN-L)

Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
author, Putting Our Differences to Work
Video Book Review by futurist Joel A. Barker 
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco
www.globaldialoguecenter.com

What happens when GIBM LEADERS and INNOVATORS gather ONLINE?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOIN US AND FIND OUT!
On Thursday, JUNE 18, IBMers past and present will be gathering from regions around the world to explore the topic of LEADERSHIP and DIVERSITY in a CHANGING ECONOMY. The first hour will include a personal, up-close conversation with Ron Glover, IBM Vice President of Diversity & Workforce Programs. We've been inviting GIBMers to offer questions as they've registered, so we are able to weave key themes into our dialogue with Ron to explore issues that are real and relevant to all of us.

WHO's JOINING US? 
So far, we know it's going to be a remarkable, diverse group of innovators and leaders from across the world --- GIBMers and current IBMers that have registered from many different business vantage points, describing themselves in roles such as...

business analyst - communications manager - consultant -contract administrator - customer service - director -entrepreneur - program manager -  executive assistant - sales executive - manager - web production lead - HR manager - IT analyst - IT architect - IT professional - IT specialist - Internet manager - project manager - president - founder - co-founder - owner - principal - global web production lead - program director - program manager - organizational change consultant - HR professional - IBM retiree - senior support manager - assistant vice president - senior support representative - marketing communications consultant - and other interesting roles...

What we have learned from Greater IBM ONLINE Events is that it is our DIFFERENCES that make for an interesting conversation --- and every time, we affirm that "something special" we all seem to have in common --- a little of BIG BLUE in the DNA that always seems to come out in the process.

THE INSPIRATION for GATHERING:
It came from Sam Palmisano's bold vision of "A SMARTER PLANET: The Next Leadership Agenda" which he shared in his address to the Council on Foreign Relations in NYC. "...a period of discontinuity is, for those with courage and vision, a period of opportunity." He defined current realities for leaders and innovators, painting a vivid picture of a SMARTER PLANET. We plan to explore what we all need to do to be one of those leaders that will "change the game."

This special ONLINE EVENT is sponsored by the Greater IBM Women's International Network for Leadership(GIBM WIN-L) for IBMers past and present in partnership with the Greater IBM Connection team. As a Greater IBMer myself, I'm honored to be participating and to be partnering to host the event at our Global Dialogue Center.

Hope you can be with us!  Learn more here 

REGISTER HERE:  http://tinyurl.com/GIBMJUNE18Registration
Allow a few seconds for the URL to open.

Best...
Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection Blog
Co-Founder, GIBM Women's
International Network for
Leadership(GIBM WIN-L)

Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Cos.
author, Putting Our Differences to Work
Video Book Review by futurist Joel A. Barker 
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco
www.globaldialoguecenter.com

Small Change Leads to BIG CHANGE

After another disappointing week of streaming news about bailouts and leadership decisions flashed in front of us that are painful symptoms of so much that MUST change, I was moved by the corresponding good news headline:

IBM Selects 200 New Global Leaders for the Corporate Service Corps to Tackle Socioeconomic Problems in Key Emerging Markets

The story reads: "Two hundred of IBM's future leaders from nearly 40 countries will participate for international assignments to emerging markets in 2009 as part of the company's Corporate Service Corps program, part of the Global Citizen's Portfolio initiative announced by CEO Sam Palmisano."

What made this good news so meaningful was the slideshow story told by Charlie Ung, 8-year IBMer from Canada about his four week experience traveling to Accra in Ghana, West Africa. It says more than any words I could write:

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/ghana_presentation.html

What I've always loved about IBM remains the same.
They do stuff. They inspire us to do it too. They are on it. Not perfect perhaps, but like everything else, in its cracks, new LIGHT emerges always moving to something higher. Sam Palmisano made sure of it when he put his fingerprint on the future with IBM's commitment November 6, 2008 in a speech describing THE SMARTER PLANET.

The Greater IBM Connection?...
It felt good today to be reminded by the GOOD NEWS above. Another plus was finding out about it on Twitter from GIBMer Jasmin Tragas, IBM Australia (Wonderwebby) It is still another example of the goodness that comes from our Greater IBM Connections across the world. Jasmin reminded us all today in one of her tweets, "Give, give, give. Without take. Learn how Jasmin is setting the example in her own words and in a creative visual exhibitat the Women's Gallery at the Global Dialogue Center --- changing lives for women in the Philippines. Then you are invited to GIVE, GIVE, GIVE. Like Charlie Ung told us in his story from Ghana...

...Maybe that's the key:
small change that leads to big change."  

Tell us what small changes you are leading. Spread the good news!

Best...
Debbe  

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection Blog
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Cos.
author, Putting Our Differences to Work
Video Book Review by futurist Joel A. Barker 
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco
www.globaldialoguecenter.com


ONLINE EVENT: You're Invited!
MARCH 31 
"INNOVATING in HARD TIMES"
...a global conversation with futurist and filmmaker Joel A. Barker
1:00 pm ET - 2:30 pm ET (10:00 am PT - 11:30 PT)
No fees. Registration required. Login/audio sent via email.
We expect it to be widely attended based on registration.
Hope you can join us!
INVITATION and REGISTRATION:
http://tinyurl.com/MAR31joelbarkerDIALOGUE

Contributing to the Success of Others

There is a new call for leadership and service all around the world. Eleanor Roosevelt reminded us...

"Our own success, to be real, must contribute to the success of others." 

Recently, Jasmin Tragas, author of Wonderwebby and Managing Consultant with IBM Human Capital Management in Australia, brought this wisdom to life in an innovative and deeply meaningful way. I wanted to share this unique Greater IBM story...

When you put your heart and talent into a project, wonderful things can happen. Jasmin proved this. In an invitation to women, she promised, “By writing a single sentence"for her special Wonderwebby project, we could contribute to empowering other women, make a difference, and speak out against poverty. “You can change the lives of a group of women in the Philippines,” she explained. ...and twenty-six women showed up to share their insights.

“The reason I am asking you, Jasmin wrote, "is because I believe you are a woman with an entrepreneurial spirit. Along the way, you made an investment. It may have been words you spoke, a course you undertook, a gift you gave, a smile, a risk or an adventure. Perhaps another woman made an investment in you."

 

Jasmin turned the insights from the twenty-six women into a beautiful slideshow with stories and wisdom to share with the world. It was one of the most inventive, mutualistic fund raising ideas I've seen. It is a win, win, win. Our Greater IBM connection across the world, offered an opportunity for Jasmin and I to team up, share our resources and showcase Jasmin's project in a special way.

The online WOMEN's GALLERYat the Global Dialogue Center, which I founded in 2003, is honored to share this special self-learning exhibit, WOMEN's INVESTMENT: A tribute to the Entrepreneurial Spirit. The exhibit features the slideshow Jasmin created with beautiful photographs by Amy Palko (lessordinary.org.uk) that tell mini-stories from twenty-six women around the world taken from their personal experience of WOMEN's INVESTMENT. Jasmin also tells the story of the project in a personal audio message.

THREE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SPECIAL EXHIBIT:

1. Visit the exhibit and take insights of twenty-six women.
   Click through the visual exhibit.
2. Tell your story or share your insight;
   Leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
3. Make a donation...a small contribution empower another woman

Greater IBM Side-Story:
Jasmin and I have never physically met. I live in San Francisco and she is in Australia as I mentioned. We met one another through Greater IBM and have supported one another's events, projects, and contributions. This special story serves as an example of what we can do by putting our differences, experiences, and resources together to create a better world.

Have you joined Greater IBM? Do it NOW...

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Cos.
author, Putting Our Differences to Work 
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco 

The Power of Expressing GRATITUDE

I've thought so much about Greater IBM's Global Holiday Party at Second Life. It  wasn't just an ordinary party by any means and its rippling influence continues to live on in the hearts 
and minds of those who experienced it. We've been talking about it...

The setting was nothing less than a winter wonderland that reflected the hundreds --- perhaps even thousands of fingerprints; mind-boggling brilliance and innovation; mounds of thoughtfulness and care ... and of course, IBM execution second-to-none. The party was also a testament for how far we've come as a Greater IBM community in being able to share such  experiences across cultures and the world.

We seemed friendlier. More of us, found a way to be there in avatar or on the phone.
We were bolder. It wasn't so scary to say hello or volunteer to take a picture of a group.
We're getting polished at VIRTUAL. We saw a whole new level of virtual spirit.
We were more connected. You could feel the JOY we felt to see so many friends honored.

 

Passing the Test of Time and Technology
All my thinking affirmed again a trait of IBM's that is forever burned into my consciousness: We 
are all well-taught about the power that comes from saying THANKS! After I left IBM, I realized many  times that this is not an attribute of every company. Certainly, not today. It is something special.

Fast forward nearly two decades...and the Greater IBM's Global Holiday Party at Second Life was another shining example in a totally different virtual dimension. The party was not only a celebration, but our Greater IBM  leadership and the whole Greater IBM team invested, significantly, in making this event A BIG THANK YOU to our growing community from the moment we arrived. Beyond all I've mentioned already, there was a  treasure hunt with gifts, holiday drinks, huge chocolate chip cookies, and a turkey with all the  trimmings. 

We all gathered for a "recognition and award" ceremony, complete with custom-made "Greater IBM medallions"  for each award recipient --- with plenty of time for clapping, jumping up and down, and  dancing for JOY over the acknowledgment of the global winners in categories like...Greater IBM  Relaters, Greater IBM Community Builders, Greater IBM Evangelists, Spirit of Greater IBM Awards. 

GIBM Awards - Meet the Greater IBMers who drove community growth in 2008
Read about all the award winners in GIBM online article

Each presentation was so thoughtful and specific to the person, helping us all remember so many  contributions that have made it possible for us to be together as a Greater IBM Community across time, difference, and distance. I admit it, I was so  deeply touched to be honored in such a personalized way as one of the "Spirit of Greater IBM" award recipients. I couldn't  believe it. I won't forget it --- especially, imagining that technology was able to teleport me to a place where I got all choked up looking at desktop in San Francisco. :-)

Essential Ingredients of GRATITUDE
In the book, Thanks! by Robert Emmons, he points out two stages of gratitude that can easily be applied to the Great IBM Global Holiday Party at Second Life and all our contributions as we work to put our differences to work to help create a better world than we know today.

1. acknowledging the goodness in what has been achieved, and
2. recognizing the source of this goodness has come from the talents of many.

Emmons also helps us helps us understand what the essential components are to expressing gratitude in a meaningful way, using the French expression “je suis reconnaissant,” looking closely at the translation in three parts: “(1) ‘I recognize’ (intellectually), (2) ‘I acknowledge’ (willingly), and (3) ‘I appreciate’ (emotionally). Only when all three come together is gratitude complete.”

On December 18, 2008 at the Greater IBM at Second Life, all three essential components of GRATITUDE came together. It was complete!

Have you joined Greater IBM?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Cos.
author, Putting Our Differences to Work 
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco 

SMARTER: The Next Great Opportunity

I see it clearly. Vision. Courage. Always thinking an idea ahead. This was one of the first lessons I learned at IBM many years ago. It was taught to us, refined, honed, renewed, revitalized and called upon through periods of change, big and small --- a second-nature for an IBMer. This is how I recall it. Do you?

As the current economic crisis began to unfold in October 2008, I wrote about this quality of "thinking an idea ahead" in a blog post, ECONOMY: The Next Great Opportunity-WHAT TO DO, telling the story of being introduced to the concept at "new employee orientation" at IBM. I told how this quality saved my business some years back and shared "what you can do" ideas. What I remember most about the story that has inspired me all these years was that thinking an idea ahead prepares you to be ready for that next great opportunity.

Last week, Sam Palmisano, IBM's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, took this deeply rooted quality of thinking an idea ahead to a whole new level for the twenty-first century, when he invited all of us and the entire world, into a new bold vision of "A SMARTER PLANET: The Next Leadership Agenda" in his address to the Council on Foreign Relations in NYC on November 6. "...a period of discontinuity is, for those with courage and vision, a period of opportunity."

He defined current realities for leaders: "Our political leaders aren't the only ones who've been handed a mandate for change. Leaders of businesses and institutions everywhere confront a unique opportunity to transform the way the world works."

He painted a vivid picture of a SMARTER PLANET: One that instrumented, interconnected and intelligent with abundantly available, low cost technology solving our most pressing problems around the world. The inspiring examples prove that the time for change has truly come!

He called for new leadership qualities: "There is much serious work ahead of us, as leaders and as citizens," he told us. "Together, we have to consciously infuse intelligence into our decision-making and management systems...not just infuse our processes with more speed and capacity. ...I believe  we will see new leaders emerge who win not by surviving the storm, but by changing the game."

As I wrote in my book, Putting Our Differences to Work: The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance, the word leader has a Germanic origin meaning to "find a new path. There is a constant stream of achievements rising up from individuals and organizations across the world finding the new paths we need. Our part is recognizing that we have to fundamentally change the way each one of us think, behave, and operate as leaders and innovators to reap the benefits of the globally integrated, interconnected world. The next great opportunity is ours to own.

Are you ready?
I am. I want to be one of those leaders. I want to one who helps change the game, don't you?

Ignite your passions, watch these SMARTER PLANET videos on YouTube:
http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D5BD36BC10A92B15

Proudly BLUE,

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies

author, Putting Our Differences to Work 
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco 

GATHERING Matters When It's Genuine

Wow! There is something about GATHERING that matters. People like it, especially when it is genuine. It was especially meaningful today when Greater IBM women (and men) came together to put the spotlight on "learning from each other's role models". The event was sponsored by the Greater IBM Women's International Network for Leadership (GIBM WIN-L) and was held online at my company's Global Dialogue Center CONFERENCE CENTER.

Personally, I am still coming down from the quite remarkable experience. We've not added up all the numbers and details, but we know Greater IBMers showed up from around the world and by all the personal reflections shared at the event, we had an exceptional time together. If you attended, chime in! :-)

Amparo Moraleda, IBM President of Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel, and Turkey was a "bright light" for us all. She sat with us in our "virtual living room" for the first hour and answered our many questions about her leadership journey, her life and work demands, and offered many powerful ideas for us to take away as a personal gift. People called it "intimate" "personal" and "close". She is a remarkable role model for us all. We can't wait to share a summary of what we learned from her experience and wisdom.

We also shared our own stories about our role models and other leadership insights--- and seemed to discover how much we have in common. It meant a lot to have men demonstrate their support and interest in women's leadership by showing up. Enrique from Argentina shared openly how much he learned from Amparo and having a chance to learn from women's perspectives. We learned from him too. All the way around we mentored each other across differences, distance, generations, and cultures.

To top it off, I had the honors of planning, co-hosting, and producing the event with five remarkable GIBMers: Nuria Carretero (Spain), Cécile Demailly (France), Linda Griffin (Virginia-US), Gagan Rudra (Canada), and Shara Sokol (New York). We all met each other at the Greater IBM Connection --- we've never physically met, but our months of virtual collaboration across the world has in itself been a great JOY!

A very special feature was having Nancy Marguiles, well known as the "godmother of graphic recording" join us to do real-time illustration of all we were hearing and learning together. Her unique artistry was a big hit at our first event and by popular demand, she generously showed up to support this "BIG DREAM" that emerged from GIBM women worldwide.

I would have to say it was truly a "peak experience" to connect with others in such a genuine way. I loved standing on the summit together to see the view of what we accomplished in a short time.

A favorite POEM below came to me when we said good-bye...

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again...So why bother in the first place? Just this: what is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above.

One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer but one has seen. There is an art to conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know." --- Rene Daumal, Mount Analogue

TO DO's...

If you attended, tell us about your experience!

If you didn't, tell us how much you wish you had :-)

We invite you to join GIBM WIN-L on Facebook.

Have you joined the Greater IBM Community at our new HOME?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies

author, Putting Our Differences to Work
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco 

LEADERSHIP: Calming the Fears of Others

Over my desk, I have seven paintings of leaders who have influenced me: Mother Teresa, Viktor Frankl, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Jalaluddin Rumi, and Eleanor Roosevelt. They watch over me as I work...and they serve as a constant reminder to check my behavior and actions, remembering what I've learned from each of them. (Nelson Mandela, Original oil by Bay Area Artist, Sally K. Green)

There is lots of talk about leaders these days and plenty to learn from those put in the spotlight --- there is behavior to emulate and other actions to leave out of your leadership portfolio. What is very clear is that this is a time of great marketplace turbulence, workplace uncertainty, community adversity, and worry for many in almost any direction. For most of us, these realities bring some level of fear depending on how you are personally impacted or how close the rippling influence comes to your family.

What is the role of a leader during times of UNCERTAINTY and ECONOMIC WORRY?

In reading and studying the life of Nelson Mandela, he teaches us a great lesson about a leader's response to fear. I recently read an article written to commemorate the passing of Mandela's 90th Birthday, Mandela: His 8 Leadership Lessons by Richard Stengel (TIME, July 2008). His No. 1 lesson is one that talks about the important role of a leader in calming the fears of the people.

Richard Stengel writes:
In 1994, during the presidential-election campaign, Mandela got on a tiny propeller plane to fly down to the killing fields of Natal and give a speech to his Zulu supporters. I agreed to meet him at the airport, where we would continue our work after his speech. When the plane was 20 minutes from landing, one of its engines failed. Some on the plane began to panic. The only thing that calmed them was looking at Mandela, who quietly read his newspaper as if he were a commuter on his morning train to the office. The airport prepared for an emergency landing, and the pilot managed to land the plane safely. When Mandela and I got in the backseat of his bulletproof BMW that would take us to the rally, he turned to me and said, "Man, I was terrified up there!"

Mandela was often afraid during his time underground, during the Rivonia trial that led to his imprisonment, during his time on Robben Island. "Of course I was afraid!" he would tell me later. It would have been irrational, he suggested, not to be. "I can't pretend that I'm brave and that I can beat the whole world." But as a leader, you cannot let people know. "You must put up a front." And that's precisely what he learned to do: pretend and, through the act of appearing fearless, inspire others. ...He knew that he was a model for others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.

LESSONS LEARNED...
This story reminded me that a leader's job is to be the shining example of what you want others to be. It also reminded me that great leader's don't create or promote fear in those looking to them for leadership. They make it easy to be brave, to persevere, to reach inside yourself to find the strength to engage at a whole new level when it is needed most.

I admit these principles were also instilled in me at IBM. When I think back on the "tough times" that came along, we were always a company that transcended the obstacles and made sure we were ready for the next opportunity.

What do you think people need most during the ECONOMIC uncertainty, worry, and recovery?
What leadership qualities calm your anxieties and inspire you?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies

author, Putting Our Differences to Work 
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

Learning from Our Leadership Role Models

UPCOMING Greater IBM Online Event
Women's Global Leadership Gathering
"Learning from Each Other's Role Models"
THURS, October 23, 2008 - 9:30 am-11:30 am ET
Keynote executive interview...
Amparo Moraleda
IBM President of Spain and Portugal.
Learn more below...

The need for leadership seems to be calling out to us from many directions. Over the years, I've learned so much from other leader's journeys and from the wisdom they have generously shared. Haven't you?

On Thursday, October 23, the Greater IBM Women's International Network for Leadership (GIBM WIN-L) is sponsoring a very special online event, creating an opportunity for a broad conversation centered around learning from each other's leadership role models from around the world around the world.

The dialogue will be seeded by a keynote leadership interview with Amparo Moraleda, IBM President of Spain and Portugal


Learn about HOW TO ATTEND at one of the links below:
Xing: https://www.xing.com/app/events?op=detail;id=253998
Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=31658476862&ref=share
GIBM Community Site: https://www.ibmconnection.com/network/events/215

Who's Coming???
Well, it is still early, but so far we have Greater IBMers, current and former that have added their names to the list from twenty countries spanning every region of the world. Imagine the leadership lessons that will be shared across cultures!

Getting Ready to Share with Others
It has been very exciting to think about what we will learn from Amparo's story and her unique leadership journey. The process has also given me flashbacks of my own:
Early in my IBM leadership career women role models were few and far between. One woman who helped me truly understand my power as a leader is Frances Hesselbein, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management). Initially, I only knew her through videos and books. However, through a series a unexpected twists and turns, I ended up meeting her and learning from her. She taught me three enduring leadership lessons:

1. Leaders, at their best, are unpretentious, warm, and friendly to everybody.
The ability to connect with others; to nuture; to encourage; to be real enhances your leadership influence.
2. Every person is important.
Great leaders put a high value on each and every person that makes the team operate.
3. Being accessible and ready to help is an exceptional leadership quality.
The first time I talked personally with Frances, I called at her office in New York and got right through to her. She made me feel welcomed and talked with me as if I was surely her most important caller that day.

Do you have a leadership role model?
Do you have a leadership lesson to share?

Join us on October 23 to share your story! ...or tell your story here and we'll share it at the gathering!

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies


author, Putting Our Differences to Work
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco