Leadership Poem: searching for talent, Robert Morgan

There are a few lines in Robert Morgan's poem, "The Grain of Sound," that connect closely to the challenge of finding good leaders.

A banjo maker in the mountains, 
when looking our for wood to carve an instrument, 
will walk among the trees and knock on trucks. He'll hit 
the bark and listen for a note. 
A hickory make the brightest sound, 
the popular has a mellow ease. 
But only straightest grain 
will keep the purity of tone, the sought- 
for depth that make the licks sparkle.

This poems touches on two key aspects of leadership development.

Walk Among the Trees:  Leaders interested in developing other people need to get to know potential leads.  Talk to a wide range of people in the organization.  Connect with colleges and non-profits where untapped leaders can be found.

Only the Straightest Grains will Keep the Purity of Tone:  There are a few character traits that all leaders should have.  Stephen Covey lists integrity, maturity, and abundance mentality.  Without integrity, no matter what other strengths, the potential leader will be flawed.


"The Grain of Sound," by Robert Morgan, as found in Good Poems, edited by Garrison Keillor (New York, Penguin Press, 2002).

Donald E. Graham: learning the business from all angles

Donald E. Graham is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Post Company.  He is highlighted in the Warren Buffett biography, The Warren Buffett Way by Robert Hagstrom (Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, 2005).  Donald Graham is the son of Katherine and Philip Graham, the long time and well established publishers of the Washington Post.  Even though Donald had a future in senior management at the family run company, he still gained a broad range of experience before going into senior management.

• Drafted in the Army during Vietnam
• Joined the Washington Metropolitan Police and walked a beat
• Worked as a Metro reports in Washington
• Worked as reports for Newsweek in the Los Angeles Bureau (Newsweek is owned by the Washington Post)
• Worked as assistant managing sports editor at the Washington Post

Many companies that Warren Buffett invests in have company cultures where senior management works day to day and often started from the bottom.  This often is a great way for managers and leaders to develop.

Donald E. Graham biography at the Washington Post Company Website:  http://www.washpostco.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62487&p=irol-govHistBio&ID=27428