Page 20 - How We Lead Matters

Star Gazing

Business is one of the most powerful forces on the planet—for good or for ill.
Its domain is far-reaching and pervasive. Those of us who are “called to busi-
ness” as our life pursuit must learn how best to leverage our influence and
work across sectors on complex problems for the common good. We must be
what I call “integrative leaders.”
I am reminded of the story of Ruth Shaw, the first woman to head a
U.S. power company. When she was tapped for the top job, she was baffled.
She knew she didn’t have a deep specialization in a particular competency
such as marketing, human resources, business law, or operations. The chair-
man told her, “I have accountants, lawyers, and salespeople. I need someone
who can connect the dots.” We know that connecting the dots within a com-
pany is critical to success. But connecting the dots between a company and
the outside world may be as important to the world as it is to the company.
Do you think, for example, in August 2001, I had any idea that a small
group of people living in caves in Afghanistan could bring my business to its
knees? I did not. And then there was September 11. . . . Do you think that
throughout my education I ever thought it might be useful to take a course
in engineering? I did not. And then there was Six Sigma. . . . Do you think
I could imagine the need to give speeches in defense of business as a morally
upstanding way to earn a living? I did not. And then there was Enron.
In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, business leaders
must pause and contemplate the way our businesses can best interact with
the nonprofit and public sectors. It’s not unlike the way the ancients looked
at the skies: some just saw stars, but others saw the patterns of dogs, bears,
goddesses, and hunters. They connected the dots, and we’ll never again see
the sky in the same way.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson 3