My Hero

It isnt everyday you get to meet one of your heroes.  I was very fortunate recently to have the opportunity to meet and interact with someone I have admired for years: Frances Hesselbein.

She certainly isn't a household name and I bet most of you have never hear of her- but she changed my life.

When I left my position in the Clinton Administration in 2001, I knew I had to reinvent my career. I was the head of the U.S. Civil Service, a job the determined human resources policies and practices for 1.8 million federal government workers.  I also headed the world's largest retirement system, with assets of some $60 billion, and the nation's largest health insurance system covering over 9 million lives.  I loved going to work every day, but I knew it would end and I knew my job couldn't be replicated.  It was a job and experience that was truly one-of-a-kind.

So I began to assess what I valued about that role and where I caould find the parts that were the most rewarding.  Every questions I asked myself led me back to the concept of "leadership," which led me to some of management guru Peter Drucker's writings, and ultimately, to Frances who led the the Peter Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, which he created when found that the formula for private-sector success also applied to non-profits.

Frances was the founding president of the foundation, and continues as chairman of the Board of Governots to the Leader to Leader Institute, the foundation's successor organization.  In her career she moved from beign a volunteer leader for a Girl Scout troop in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to become the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America.  Her work their was widely recognized as transformative and in 1998 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, for her work with America's young women.

Rumor has it that Frances is now in her 90s but you would never know it by meeting her or looking at her schedule! she continues to lead the foundation and travels areoun the world giving dozens of speeches each year.

Perhaps the most striking point the Frances makes in her speeches and writings also sums up my view on leadership:

"Leaders of the future lead organizations that are mission focused, values based and demographics driven, and that strive to be leaders of courage, leaders who are healers and unifiers, who embody thier values and live strongly held principles.  Then having the courage to becomes the best way to define these leaders, leading from the front and not pushing from the rear in times of great ambiguity with even greater opportunity, helping to redefine the future of the organization and the community beyone the walls." Courage to Lead: A Call to Action by Frances Hesselbein, Leader to Leader, No. 34 Fall 2004

It is this type of inspirational message that moved me to look into a future in the non-profit world, which ultimately led me to the great job I have now as SLA's CEO.  If you are interested in learning more about Frances and perhaps reinventing your own career, go to www.leadertoleader.com