By Frances Hesselbein 

In writing my latest Leader to Leader journal column “A Time to Remember”, I shared the following: “I will always remember 2009, the richness of the encounters, the celebration of the lives and contributions of great thought leaders in our country, and globally.”

As we enter a new year, I would like to share with you some of the highlights of 2009.

• Celebrating Peter Drucker’s Centennial, led by A.G. Lafley, and speaking at the Drucker Graduate School CEO Forum, all of us sharing the significance of our moments with Peter, as students, faculty, leaders in all three sectors. We came from all over the world to celebrate the 100th Birthday of “the man who invented modern management.”

• Celebrating the Drucker Centennial Events in Beijing, Nanchang, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China. Rarely have I been so inspired—with warm, responsive audiences, with an outpouring of love and appreciation of Peter Drucker from Chinese students, faculty, business leaders, philanthropists, philosophers, community, organization leaders, who are devoted to Peter Drucker, his philosophy and his works. Never a down moment. Speaking in Nanchang on “The Leader of the Future—Imperatives of Leadership,” to the Drucker Forum. From Nanchang to Shanghai for a keynote to the China Executive Leadership Academy. Being awarded the first China Drucker Fellow Award presented by Bright China Group’s founder, Chairman, Shao Ming Lo. Spending time with the Girl Guides of Hong Kong, first with their Executive Committee, then with their members and even a chorus of five year old Daisies. As they sang they did little dance steps. My hosts told me that we had reached 5,000 people in these four cities, by the end of our journey.

• Hosting our fourth annual Leader of the Future Award Celebration and honoring General Eric K. Shinseki, now Secretary for Veteran’s Affairs, in President Obama’s Cabinet. General Shinseki, U.S. Army (Ret.) was the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and one of our great principled, ethical, effective leaders, with a long and inspiring leadership history. My tribute to General Shinseki and his moving response are on our website here. Guests included our first honoree, Leader of the Future Awardee 2005, Alan Mulally, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company. He, his wife and daughter hosted the Ford table next to General Shinseki’s.

• Attending Linkage’s Women in Leadership Summit where I presented The Frances Hesselbein Excellence in Leadership Award to Laureen Seeger, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, McKesson Corporation.

• Visiting Claremont where the Drucker Graduate School again had a jubilant celebration of Peter Drucker’s Centennial, again several speeches, including one with students. I could share with them the significance of the same celebration in Asia, just two weeks earlier.

• Being at West Point for the Military Child Education Coalition annual session for the Student2Student Program. The history of West Point, founded in 1802, and its current recognition as Forbes “2009 Best College and Business School in America” provided great inspiration. Add working with gifted faculty, sessions with Cadets, and the Military Child Education Coalition team, and you have a never to be forgotten week for these fortunate Student2Students. The six values our students distilled are: “Potential, Unity, Respect, Progress, Leadership, Excellence.” They found that the values spell “purple”; so we now have a purple t-shirt. On the front: “FHSLP 2009 West Point, New York Student 2 Student”On the back, the six values to live by.

• My first session with a class of Cadets at West Point as The Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership. This is a two-year appointment, and every six weeks I will go to West Point. In the future, I plan to take with me a great thought leader from all three sectors, and we will engage the cadets in a Leadership Dialogue. All the time I was on those hallowed grounds with the inspiring young Cadets and their devoted faculty, my belief, “To serve is to live,” was even more passionate.

As I mentioned in the Journal, this article comes through as more of a travelogue, but I wanted to share with you how all of us are part of the Drucker Foundation/Leader to Leader Institute global family with common philosophy, common language, common values, sharing Peter’s message.