More Hesselbein on Leadership

Seeing Things Whole

Focus on the bottom line is drilled into many potential leaders who then lose their way on the journey toward significant and effective leadership. Certainly leaders need to manage the financial aspects of the organization with great effectiveness, but if we do not see the enterprise whole—including passion for the mission, values that are embodied in all we do, the customer who is listened to, partners whose collaboration is essential for our work, and a vision of the future that shimmers in the distance—we fail. Pulling out one piece, one action, one aspect of the leadership challenge is like playing a one-string guitar—noise but not much music.

Peter Drucker admonishes us to “Focus, focus, focus” (he never says it once). ...