I am a huge fan of Tom Peters, and he recently said on Twitter (@tom_peters):
Unequivocally my #1 leadership quote, courtesy Oscar-winning director Robert Altman: “The role of the director is to create a space where actors and actresses can be more than they have ever been before, more than they have ever dreamed of being.” (Degree of applicability: 100% of contexts.)
He may be 80 years old, but he remains one of the best business thinkers and authors.
That quote resonated with me on two levels.
First, the practitioner leader (CRO, CAE, CISO, CCO, etc.) needs to be a leader of a team. They need to inspire, but they also need to “create a space” for every member of their team to thrive: to learn, to explore, to think, to imagine, and to have fun in their work.
When a team member is doing what they are told to do and no more, sometimes because they are told not to do anything else, their growth and personal enjoyment is stifled.
There was a commercial in California that said that happy cows make better milk.
Happy team members make better decisions and assessments, and produce higher quality results.
Every team leader should consider whether they are living up to the expectations in the Altman quote.
The second level where it resonated is how the practitioner (at all levels) can help “create a space”…
