Leadership Can Be Taught? LO2180

Gary and Lilly Evans (100451.3477@compuserve.com)
22 Jul 95 09:55:43 EDT

Replying to LO2127 --

I love Andrew Moreno's posting of 16th July. Just great - what a
wonderful break from so many thoughtful and deep contributions! Now I
feel I can enjoy them even more. He ends with:

>Instead of, "Let's seriously study this situation," [and possibly narrow
our focus at the same time.] We could ask, "How much fun could we have
doing this?", "How much more can we have to chuckle about?" and ask
ourselves, "Isn't most of this silly when you REALLY look at it?" <end
quote>

I would like to tell you a story about fun. Some to years ago I was
involved in an inter-company learning assignment. My, American
counterpart and I somehow have had a great rapport from the day we met -
originally over the phone! I first went to Cleveland and saw there that
Larry always took pictures with his little camera of all encouters. His
colleagues were apparently quite used to this. When he came subsequently
to UK, I mentioned that it is up to him whether he feels appropriate to
use his camera again.

Now, our first meeting was with the CEO. Within two minutes, Larry aked
him if he would not mind having a picture taken. So, I took the camera
and clicked. Well, the course of the meeting changed totally. We were
talking with a person, who showed emotion and interest, who had a laugh
with us. Following this experience, for the rest of the week's meetings
and conversations with senior executives and board members we set
ourselves a private goal "To make each laugh". Of 22 encounters we failed
on two occassions only. The person in one of those subsequenly felt so
bad about it that he was offering to go and see Larry again.

And, what is most important in business terms, we have accomplished an
immense amount. However, I would not dare claim that we were operating at
the learning level IV. And, it just sort of happened without preplanning!

--
lilly evans                       100451.3477@compuserve.com

"Exploring the mystery of other people's thoughts and feelings is the new spiritual quest. Finding empathy is the new reward of intimacy." Theodore Zeldin