Wednesday 1 October 2014

Leadership lessons from US presidents

Keynote today from Doris Kearns Goodwin, Leadership Lessons of History from the American Presidents.

A great speaker and very famous historian researching US presidents. Focusing today on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt. Looked at leadership traits and illustrated them with stories and anecdotes.

Some of the traits she illustrated were
The ability to motivate people
Surrounding yourself with people who will question you, strong people who you trust. Take criticisms with grace.
Acknowledge errors and learn from mistakes. Turn failure into success.
Stay loyal to the constituencies you serve
Understand how to relax and recharge your batteries
Speak to your fellows with language and stories that everyone understands and can connect with. Communication is key.

Fascinating talk, she is a great storyteller, and far too much for me to take notes and record all of the stories she told. The talk was recorded and should be available soon if people want to watch.

The conference centre is huge, and so big that the organisers get around on Segways. I want one!




During the breaks between sessions we spend a lot of time in the very large exhibition, I know I've not been round all of it yet. Talked to a lot of vendors, some of whom we know well and are customers of. Some are ones that are new to me, and they also have a lot of start ups here who are really interesting to talk to. I'm also taking the opportunity to to talk to vendors that might be able to help us with some of our current challenges.




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1 comment:

Unknown said...

US Presidents arrive and go and none became a Dictator which is the best part. American citizens use their judgment when selecting a leader of wonderful country but still there are worst us presidents as mentioned in this list.