Scale or Fail

5Leading Your Vision

Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.

—Amelia Earhart, aviator

Leaders Show the Way

When I think of brilliant leaders, the names John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Golda Meir immediately come to my mind. But I also personally think about my dad in this context. It happens that he had the privilege of meeting Golda Meir in person, and I have a picture of them shaking hands.

I realize I’m probably biased because he was my dad but, objectively speaking, it was plain to everyone that he had some remarkable gifts as a leader. He was especially adept at making people feel comfortable – employees, customers, famous people (like Meir), and even people he didn’t know. He led thousands of employees, but treated everyone exactly the same – from the janitors all the way up to his senior staff. Everywhere he went he started up friendly conversations with complete strangers, including taxi drivers. It astounded me how many people would recognize him out of the blue. “How the heck does he know all these people?” I always wondered.

There are some famous stories about celebrities like Tom Hanks (as well as the late Robin Williams), who are reportedly friendly and chatty with pretty much everyone they meet. Hanks, in particular, never seems to have any qualms interacting with fans and has been known to treat them as equals. When not acting, ...