futurehub

Some key findings:

• In connection with Self-Leadership, classic values and virtues have a great importance for lots of the interviewees. Furthermore, the nearly fifty conducted conversations show that rituals and rhythms play a particularly important role.

• There are different degrees of personal freedom and self-determination for the leaders I have interviewed, but whatever degree there is, Self-Leadership requires realizing one’s freedom and leeway and actually taking advantage of it to unfold a vision or mission.

• Technical instruments, such as BlackBerrys or PDAs, play a subordinate role - interestingly “planning on paper” has a high priority for various leaders.

After a lot of travelling, both in Germany and in Italy, I am still struggling to get some more interviews with leading women. I was very lucky - and happy - to get the chance for a conversation with Susanne Höhn, managing director of the Goethe-Institutes in Italy. However, there are some frustrations in connection with this project of mine, too: another appointment in Rome with a top leader was cancelled in the short term. But Self-Leadership also means to make the most of any given situation - so I had the chance to sip an espresso macchiato on the Campo dei Fiori, watching the clean-up ritual.

Transition II (2007, Sept./Nov.)

In memory of my aunt Ursula Heinrichs who passed away on June, 13.

The German Blog imgriff.com is collecting some good ideas about how to find your personal Mission Statement. The author, Ivan Blattner, shows some how-to instruments, such as The Mission Statement Builder by Steven Covey or Tina Su’s 15 Questions To Discover Your Personal Mission .
These, in turn, are helpful methods for my Self-Leadership model, especially when it comes to answer key questions of the central field, MISSION / FUTURE.

NYC, June 2007 (Photo: BB)