P.I. Podcast: Interview with Alan Webber
June 4th, 2009
Rules of Thumb: 52 Principles for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self is the outstanding new book from Fast Company co-founding editor Alan Webber that I’ve been enjoying for a couple of weeks now. This past Tuesday, I had the unique opportunity to connect with Alan twice in the same day. I attended his morning session, an interview conducted by author Dan Pink for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and then interviewed him myself for this podcast in the afternoon. (Throw in my meeting with a favorite client in between, and you get a really terrific day!)
When I tell you that this podcast is an hour long, does that give you a good idea of how it went? It doesn’t surprise me in the least. The book is a fantastic and fun read, and I’ve been a fan and admirer of Alan since Fast Company began in the mid-1990s. In some ways, I owe what I’ve been doing with P.I. for the last seven years to Alan because FC was such a crucial and constant source of inspiration for me as I figured out my life plan.
Even though the podcast is long, I hope you’ll take the time to listen to it. Alan reflects on the very personal experience he had in creating the book, and we discuss several of the “rules of thumb” that most resonate with me. In spirit of creating a richer conversation, Alan invites everyone to contribute their own “Rule of Thumb #53″ on the book’s website. As promised during the podcast, here is mine:
Leaders need to stop drawing lines, and start connecting dots.
In the common and control organizations of the last century, leadership was all about lines: product lines…reporting lines…bottom lines. Leaders reinforced their sense of control and privileged positions within the hierarchy by drawing those lines. In the networked organizations of the 21st century, leaders have the awesome responsibility to connect the dots by helping others make sense of an increasingly complex and turbulent environment, by supporting deeper collaboration mediated by powerful social technologies and by activating blended networks of contributors to innovate and create new value under ever-changing market conditions. The work of leadership today is very different, but sometimes it feels like the leaders are the last people to know.
Reactions to my rule of thumb? Please share!
The podcast is 60 minutes in length. If you’re viewing this post on the P.I. Blog, you will see an embedded podcast player below. You can download the podcast here.
If you’re receiving this post by e-mail or RSS, you will see a second download link below. (55 MB download)
As always, I ask for and welcome your comments, feedback and suggestions for future guests on the podcast. I’m working on some new podcast interviews, so stay tuned!
Please follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/pinnovation.
Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, PI Interviews, Audioblogs & Podcasts, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover, The Association Innovator, Simplicity, We Have Always Done It That Way, Garage Memes, Embrace the Revolution
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