I often mention in my Kellogg leadership classes and public talks that the first principle of becoming a values-based leader is self-reflection. When I am asked why, I respond with a three-part answer: If I am not self-reflective, is it possible to know myself? If I do not know myself, is it possible to lead myself? If I cannot lead
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The death of former President George H.W. Bush last Friday, who will be remembered in a national day of mourning this coming Wednesday, brought to mind a very personal memory of a man who once shared a flight with me and showed himself to be a true, values-based leader. I am not a political person, and my convictions tend to
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I realize many of my blog posts include serious topics, and several of you have wondered: “Harry, what have you been doing for fun?” So, here we go: A short post about “something fun but sad,” “something fun and fantastic,” and “something fun and surprising!” Something Fun but Sad I had the opportunity to see my Chicago Cubs play the
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I usually avoid getting into political discussions because the extreme partisan positions of many people make it almost impossible to have a truly BALANCED discussion. Values-based leaders truly need to understand all sides of the story. I strongly believe the words of St. Francis who taught us to “seek to understand before we are understood.” However, since I spend so
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I always focus on my second principle of BALANCE when discussing any issue…..that is “take the time to understand all sides of the issue,” or as St. Francis stated, “Seek to understand before you are understood.” As a result, when I am having a debate with someone, I try to never say, “I don’t understand” because that seems ignorant. I
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[Guest blog post by Rick Waddell, Chairman of the Board, Northern Trust] My personal journey as a leader began in Pittsburgh, PA where I was born. College years were spent in Hanover, NH where I met my future wife, Cate, who was one of the first women to graduate from Dartmouth College. Upon graduating in 1975 I was offered a
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Since it wasn’t cold enough in Chicago, the “Kraemer Gang” (as usual) drove up to Minnesota to spend Christmas with all of our Jansen and Kraemer relatives — always a fantastic time! Luckily, the day after Christmas, as the Minnesota temperature descended to negative 10 degrees (that doesn’t include wind chill), we all flew down to Sarasota — resulting in
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