Our year-long series of 36 Minutes LIVE: Beyond the Book is going strong! Check out the recordings of our two most recent calls and stay tuned for more information about upcoming calls!
A surface look at the “leadership industry” reveals enormous investment in the development of leaders, but limited time and money spent on leadership research. We have turned toward teaching the how of leading rather than teaching about leadership. Bad leadership is everywhere and the stakes are very high when misguided and even immoral leadership are allowed to go unstudied. Viewing the world through rose-colored glasses without recognizing that “the heart of darkness” is everywhere puts us all at risk. Barbara Kellerman is asking us to view the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be.
Barbara Kellerman is James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Founding Executive Director of the School’s Center for Public Leadership. She is the author of multiple volumes including Bad Leadership, Followership and Hard Times: Leadership in America.
Click here to see Barbara Kellerman’s call.
When it comes to leadership, words matter. How a message or lesson is phrased can make people defensive or feel a call to action. It is no surprise that we are drawn to leaders that comfort us with kind words and a warm demeanor. The danger is that they are telling us what we prefer to hear, not what we need to hear. While there are many factors — from stereotypes to cultural norms — that influence tone, the way a leader delivers his or her message certainly influences how the message is heard. Tough love can make all the difference in propelling us forward and bringing about our best.
David Bryfman, WGF Alum (Class 17) is the chief innovation officer at The Jewish Education Project in New York. He completed his PhD at New York University in education and Jewish studies. After many years of working in formal and informal Jewish education in Australia, Israel and North America, he now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Mirm, and two children, Jonah and Abby.
Click here to see David Bryfman’s call.
