Ep 198: Lisa Kline of BreastCancer.org - "The Present Leader"

Are you really here, in this moment?

Lisa Kline is the Vice President of Communications for BreastCancer.org. They describe their mission as helping people make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast health and breast cancer, so they can make the best decisions for their lives.

Have we ever wanted more to be distracted?

Distracted from the chaos, the unpredictability, the anxiety and fear of the last two years.

Distracted from the relentless light of our computer screens.

Distracted from barely understanding the questions any more, and rarely, all too rarely, having confidence in our answers.

Faced by all that, it’s understandable and forgivable that our attention wanders, that our focus is shared, and that our interest often lies somewhere other than here, in this moment.

Leadership has always been an absurd expectation to place on human beings. See further, believe harder, fear less, act faster, be right, be perfect. Lead.

Happily, that view of leadership is dying by the hour in the world’s best businesses.

But as a new definition of leadership rises from the disruption of the last two years, it’s worth pointing out that it contains one expectation that will accelerate the gap between the alright and the great leaders.

The expectation that you are present.

Leadership begins and ends with trust.

When was the last time you trusted someone who wasn’t listening to you?