Pulse Legacy Archive May 2012 | Page 66

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T

his being the “leadership issue” of Pulse—it only seems fitting
that we explore what makes a true leader. The word “leader” is
used in many different types of situations. There is an entire
industry that has been built around the concept and thousands
of individuals have written books, taught seminars or found ways

PHOTO © TIFFANY BROWN

to “teach” leadership. I have noticed that some of the strongest leaders I have had
the pleasure of working with didn’t even know they were one...
We recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of U.S. President Richard Nixon’s
landmark visit to China to officially open the border and build relationships
between countries that had long been closed. Historians have named it “the week
that changed the world.” At age 32, my dad was identified and handpicked by
President Nixon to serve as his chief advance man for this trip. In turn, my dad
identified and hand-picked an entire team of young leaders to support him. But
they did not know they were leaders and certainly did not know how their efforts
would continue to impact the world 40 years later! My dad humbly says
he was doing his job with an amazing group of friends. During the
anniversary of the event in Washington, D.C. last month, U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton applauded all of them for their extraordinary leadership and bravery.
Wikipedia defines leadership as “organizing a group of people to
achieve a common goal”—I love this definition because it speaks to the
reality that a leader doesn’t mean a manager or one who has been put in
a position of authority, but is a person who displays leadership qualities

despite their position or authority. So my question to you is: Have you
identified those, perhaps unassuming, leaders on your team that have
stepped up? And have you told them they stand out from the rest? I
encourage you to recognize those around you who are instinctively taking the
brave step to lead a group of people in order to reach a common goal.
Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said: “Leadership and learning are
indispensable to each other”—if we are not learning, we are not leading. What
have you learned today?
Dad circa 1972.

—LYNNE McNEES, ISPA PRESIDENT

P.S. For all you junkies out there, my mom wrote a book, China Calls, about
the week that changed the world after transcribing all the recorded phone
calls between Peking (at the time) and The White House. It is a fun read!
64 PULSE

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May 2012