1: One evening, future LinkedIn CEO and Executive Chairman Jeff Weiner was enjoying a pint of Belgian beer with his business coach, Fred Kofman.
He shared with Fred that his personal mission was “to expand the world’s collective wisdom.”
“That reminds me of a Buddhist teaching,” Fred recalls saying in his book The Meaning Revolution. “Wisdom without compassion is ruthless; compassion without wisdom is foolish.”
“Hmmm,” Jeff answered.
“Maybe I should modify the mission. What about, ‘To expand the world’s collective wisdom and compassion’?”
“Yes!” Fred responded, “If that’s your quest, count on me as your ally.”
The two men sealed their pact with a toast.
2: Several years passed, and Jeff was named CEO of LinkedIn. He called Fred and invited him to join the company as a vice president.
“I was flattered,” Fred recalls, “but had reservations. I’d been my own boss ever since I’d left MIT in 1996 to start a consulting company. I’d spent nearly twenty years partnering with many clients. The prospect of committing to a single one of them gave me cold feet.
“I felt like a jungle animal being lured into a very nice zoo; I’d have all my needs met but would no longer be able to roam free. How would I transition from being an entrepreneur owner to an employee without feeling disempowered?”
So, Fred explained to Jeff that while the offer was attractive, there was something holding him back.
“What’s your concern?” Jeff asked.
Fred explained he was anxious about surrendering some of his autonomy and freedom. “I join your company, I work for you,” he explained. “That’s my code. The problem is that I’m not sure I can work for you wholeheartedly as an employee.”
“Don’t work for me, Fred. Work for our mission,” Jeff responded. “If you are serious about expanding the world’s collective wisdom and compassion, let’s do it together at LinkedIn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Help us become an example of compassionate and wise management, and then let us use what we learn to help professionals and organizations all over the world. We play a key role in how companies hire and develop their talent and how people find their jobs. Where else could you have this kind of impact?”
It was Fred’s turn to say, “Hmmm.”
Then he said, “I think I should modify my code to: ‘I join the company, I commit to the mission.'”
“Welcome to LinkedIn.” Jeff said with a smile.
3: The story above describes the power of mission- or purpose-driven leadership.
“Becoming a mission-driven leader requires a redefinition of who we take ourselves to be,” Fred writes.
“Instead of constantly trying to prove that we are worthy of admiration, praise, obedience, and awe, we have to get our egos out of the way. To address the hard problems of disengagement, disorganization, disinformation, and disillusion, we must inspire people to follow not us but a meaningful mission.”
As U.S. Marine Corps General James Mattis once said: “If you want to lead, you must love the mission more than you love yourself.”
Fred writes: “In a race, the runners seem to be following the leader, but that is an illusion.
“The truth is that each of them is racing to the goal. The leader is simply the one closest to it. A true leader is the closest to the mission, its first follower. It may seem that the others are following him or her, but they are all pursuing the mission.”
More tomorrow.
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Reflection: How can I align my actions and decisions with a mission greater than myself to inspire others authentically?
Action: Redefine my leadership approach by focusing on a meaningful mission, ensuring my ego takes a backseat to the collective purpose.
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