Yesterday, the staff of Leader to Leader attended the Organization Design Conference at the Marriott East Side in New York, hosted by the Conference Board. We listened as Frances Hesselbein introduced Tom Moran, President and CEO of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company.

Mr. Moran’s keynote was on The Organization of the Future 2; Visions, Strategies, and Insights on Managing in a New Era.

A modest public speaker, Mr. Moran discussed qualities the Organizations of the Future should possess. He talked about mission, integrity, values and respect. He said that you must respect your job to become a respected professional. He talked about ethical leadership and he shared with us stories from his past that have helped shape his future: of Dominick the landscaper, of Benny the hot dog man, of his humble beginnings as a New York City cab driver, and his first position at Mutual of America—paper clipping contracts.

Mr. Moran shared stories of visiting South Africa and of his work with Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty.

You can read more of Mr. Moran’s advice on shaping leaders and organizations of the future in The Organization of the Future 2 .

Learn more about Mutual of America Life Insurance Company

Learn more about Concern Worldwide

By Frances Hesselbein

Leader to Leader Chairman and Founding President  

May I please share with you one of the most inspiring experiences of my life?

Last Friday morning, I had an appointment to meet with Colonel Tom Kolditz and his team from the faculty of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy regarding my two-year tenure serving in the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership, at West Point.

The plan was to drive early Friday morning to West Point, then I had a call, “Major Katie Matthew will be coming by train from West Point, Friday morning to ride up with you, so that the two of you can get acquainted before the meeting.”  She was to arrive at 8:30 am; so I was ready at 8:10 am, remembering the Army’s, “If you are on time you are late.”  Of course, she arrived at 8:10 am and I had a marvelous hour getting to know our officer who is a graduate of West Point, served in Iraq, married to another faculty member.  She is assigned as staff to me for the two years.  


You can imagine my trying to prepare for this planning session for two years of leadership study and engagement with cadets and faculty.  After much thought, I decided that I would not arrive with a plan.  I would meet, listen and the plan would evolve.  So, I went with some ideas and an empty journal.  Colonel Kolditz, the Department head, was waiting to welcome the Major and me with three faculty members and officers.  Warm welcome, hot tea, and it all began.  They had prepared a slide presentation on the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department, its mission, values, objectives, then each department course outlined.  At the end, a print-out of the presentation was in my hands.  This was background.  

I had not brought a plan; they did not have a plan for the future for the same reason.  We all came to listen.  Our team of six dived in and very quickly we developed a mission statement for the Chair, (it fits on a t-shirt) values, objectives and all of us with total freedom to describe the future, the exciting possibilities that could lie ahead.


As you would know, I could not see myself giving lectures to cadets for the next two years.  I suggested a series of Leadership Dialogues, where someone like Jim Collins would join the cadets and me in such a dialogue periodically.  The team was very enthusiastic about the idea and expanded it.  And when I threw out the idea of bringing cadets into the city to spend the day in the heart of an organization making a difference, the team took it far beyond my one-day idea.  As we parted someone suggested we call our team of six, “Team Service.”  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  All things are possible. 


This honor isn’t about me.  It’s about all the work we’ve done together at the Leader to Leader Institute for the past 20 years, and its part of our journey together.  
 

Thank you for letting me share “the West Point Story” with you.  Last month, Forbes named the United States Military Academy at West Point as the best, the #1 college in the United States, and now we have the privilege of serving this great American institution.


It is one of the greatest honors of my lifetime.


Frances

 ServiceNation, along with My Good Deed, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and the Corporation for National & Community Service, would like to designate September 11 as a National Day Of Service and Remembrance.

You can join ServiceNation by participating in the National Day Of Service and Remembrance on 9/11.Getting started is easy. Login or create a new profile on the MyNation community.

The Examiner.com reviews Hesselbein on Leadership, a collection of the most insightful and inspiring leadership advice from Leader to Leader Institute Founding president and Chairman of the Board, Frances Hesselbein.

UPDATE: News anchor Brian Williams is on location in California reporting on the wildfires, so this story has been postponed until further notice.  

The Mission Continues will be featured in a profile on NBC with Tom Brokaw this Wednesday, September 2 on the NBC Nightly News.

Click here to see when the NBC Nightly News will air in your hometown.

If you are in the St. Louis area, The Mission Continues invites you to visit their headquarters for the Watch Party, which will start at 5:00 tomorrow at the top mezzanine floor of The Art of Living Building (1141 South 7th Street). For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Paul Eisenstein at peisenstein@missioncontinues.org.

We congratulate The Mission Continues staff and Fellows for your hard work!