Learning About Opera; Rigoletto

We may go see our first opera next month.  In preparation, I decided to learn more about opera.  I picked up the following book as a starting point:
   Fred Plotkin, Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera (New York, Hyperion, 1994)

One quote from Plotkin: 
To me, opera is about consideration of the human experience.  Opera audiences become so involved with performances because they face emotional truths most of us don't confront in daily life.  The late twentieth century, with its rapid-fire information flow, does not make room for the reflection that opera affords.  During a three-hour operatic performance one can focus on the issues that opera explores and find personal meeting in them.  Every human emotion and activity--love, lust incest, hatred, fidelity, bravery, fear, humor, is enacted in opera, but on a grand scale.  It's like going to an amusement park and looking at yourself in one of those elongated fun-house mirrors.  What we see in opera is ourselves, as long as we are honest enough to admit it.

The first opera they recommend learning is Verdi's Rigoletto.  I found the following version at the North Hollywood Branch Library. 
Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto, Carlo Maria Guilini, conductor
starring Placido Domingo, Piero Cappuccilli, Ileana Cotrubas
Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft 1980.

De Pree Questions for Leaders, Part III

In a previous post about Leadership Jazz by Max De Pree, a list of questions was provided.  This list is questions that leaders should expect from their followers.  One of those questions is: 

    Are you ready to be ruthlessly honest?

Stepping back, when looking for people to add to your organization, look for people who ask hard questions.  Good followers and good leaders ask hard questions and will want ask follow up questions to dig deeper.  Good followers will also appreciate the honesty and sincerity; if you disclose personal or corporate details about a difficult decision, they will not share it with every employee, every newspaper, and every social network the moment they leave your office.

Be ruthlessly honest.  Most hard questions require complex answers.  Give the full honest answers. Notice if most of your answers are a few words, a few sentences, or a few paragraphs.  Most answers to complex questions will requires a few paragraphs.  You may need to develop your ability deliver answers that build trust. 

Connect back to core principles.  Both leaders and organizations have core principles, visions, and missions.  Connect the answer to complex questions from followers back to these core principles.  Often, being ruthlessly honest is the most difficult when a question is about deviation from core principles. 

For example, a certain decision may be completely in the interest of short term revenue but completely against the interest of long term employee development. If a follower ask about this, be honest about this.  A good follower or fellow leaders will be more interested in the answer to the next questions: How do we prevent this or change this in the future?

Some leaders only give partial answers.  Avoid this when possible.  However, some information may be confidential due to personnel matters, confidentiality, or legal issues.  In these cases, simple state these boundaries.   If you use these issues sparingly, and have the demonstrated honesty in other matters, followers will respect these boundaries.

Leadership Poem: Pleasing everyone; Robert Lax

Leadership often involves deciding between conflicting desires. Billy Cosby has a quote that touches on this idea.

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." 

Robert Lax wrote a poem entitled "The Alley Violinst." In the poem the violinist has to decide between conflicting desires.

 if you were an alley violinist 

and they threw you money 
from three windows 

and the first note contained 
a nickel and said: 
when you play, we dance and 
sing, signed 
a very poor family 

nd the second one contained 
a dime and said: 
i like your playing very much, 
signed 
a sick old lady 

and the last one contained 
a dollar and said: 
beat it, 

The violinist must decide on which group to please.  Like in life, the easy path, to beat it, has the best short term compensation.

Robert Lax, "The Alley Violinist," as found in Good Poem, edited by Garrison Keillor (New York, Penguin Books, 2002).

Reading Watchmen

I saw the movie "Watchmen" when it was released in 2009.  I liked the movie, but felt there was more background that I was missing.  I added the graphic novel to my "to read" list.

I recently finished the book, which is a collection of twelve graphic novels which were initially published by DC Comics in 1986. 

A few observations.

Special Thanks to Neil Gaiman
I was surprised to see a dedication to Neil Gaiman.  For me, it was one of those situation that once you are aware of a person or thing, you see them everywhere.  I only recently became aware of Gaiman's vast body of work.   I first saw the novel Good Omens.  Then I watched the movies "Stardust" and "MirrorMask".  In connection with "Watchmen," Gaiman is a good friend of Alan Moore with connections to DC Comics and other projects.

Rorschach discovering the heinous crime of the child kidnapper
In Chapter VI, "The Abyss Gazes Also," a lot of Rorschach's back story is given.  In particular, the steps of him finding the burned clothes, the butcher tools, and feeling the cut marks on the butcher board is very well done.  No text is needed in these panels.

Background Information
Rorschach's childhood case files.  Excerpts from Hollis Mason's book Under the Mask.  Interview with Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias.  Quote from Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower".  Letters and news clips from Sally Jupiter.  Article on studying owls and other birds.

Leadership: Changing Accidental Growth to Intentional Growth

In a recent post, John Maxwell discussed some of the keys to personal growth.  In particular, he highlights how important it is to intentionally control and promote growth. 

One particular contrast: 
Accidental Growth:  Thinks Like a Victim 
Intentional Growth:  Thinks Like a Learner

Many great leaders and successful people have learned from their challenges whereas it would be easy to act as a victim.  Mohandas Gandhi went through numerous challenge, learned from them, used the knowledge to success in the future. Early in his career, Walt Disney had artistic staff members lured away from him and had his distributors thwart the release of some of his early film.  Neither Gandhi nor Disney played the victim.  They learned from the challenges and move on better prepared to succeed in the future.

Leaders have daily and weekly challenges.  After each challenge, ask "what can I learn from this?"  If you keep a journal, use this as a starting question each day.  

De Pree Questions for Leaders, Part II

Will I reach my potential by working with you?

This is one of the questions that Max De Pree suggests leaders should expect.  In a previous post, De Pree list of questions was provided.  De Pree is the former CEO of Herman Miller Furniture and writes on leadership and business management.

Often, people are hesitant about discussing such questions with their managers and leaders.  Good leaders should ask and encourage such questions.  You many want to start the conversation with a related question such as "how do you see your role in the organization evolving?"  This will start them talking about themselves before going into the more difficult topic of you as their leader.

What is good?  What is bad?

Move the conversation by discussing what you as a leader had done to move them towards their potential.   Then discuss how you are holding them back. If the conversation needs more encouragement and direction, consider these three areas:  freedom, challenges, support.

You may be tempted to come out of this conversation with a quick list of action items.  The ideal goal of this conversation is to provide broad guidance for future decisions and mentoring.   

Sometimes, the leader's truthful answer to this question is no, you will not reach your potential with me.  There may be a mismatch in chemistry between the person and the leader.  There may be a mismatch in vision or approach.  The sooner this is addressed, the better.  Alternate plans can be pursued.

Novogratz on a Life of Immersion

Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of the Acumen Fund.  Her efforts to start Acumen is highlighted in John Maxwell's Book, Put Your Dream To The Test (Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2011).  Maxwell uses Novogratz work as an example of someone for whom "working toward her dream brings her satisfaction."

Novogratz has presented at TED several times.  In 2010, she gave a talk entitled "Inspiring a life of immersion".  She gave several powerful examples of colleagues who have taken the difficult path in life and continued to learn on the way.  One colleague, Josephat Byaruhanga, reflected on the need for leaders to listen and be humble.   "So I conclude that, in many ways, leadership is like a panicle of rice. Because at the height of the season, at the height of its powers, it's beautiful, it's green, it nourishes the world, it reaches to the heavens. But right before the harvest, it bends over with great gratitude and humility to touch the earth from where it came."

Shuttle Final Flyover Skips Rocket Engine Facility

LAist had a post of about how the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor skipped the San Fernando Valley.  The Valley has always  been a major location for aerospace development.

In particular, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park is the facility that manufactured the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs).  In a press release, Pratt and Whitney said, "But with the program officially over, we are looking to an uncertain legacy and future. It’s critical – now more than ever – for NASA to define its plan for returning humans to space. The nation cannot afford to lose its industrial base, leadership in space, and the knowledge it’s built over the last 50 years. Once that knowledge is gone, it’s gone forever.”

More On Authenticity and Leadership

Continuing on the theme of authenticity in leadership . . . .

In The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, there is a powerful passage on how leaders need to be authentic, sincere, and passionate.

You must know what you care about.  If you don't care, how can you expect others to do so?  If you don't burn with desire to be true to something you hold passionately, how can you expect commitment from others?  And until you get close enough to flame to feel the heat, how can you know the source? You can only be authentic when you lead according to the principles that matter most to you.  Otherwise you're just putting on an act.

Many leaders pour their efforts into many areas.  Beyond their normal job, they may be passionate about a non-profit organization, passionate about an artistic hobby, or passionate about athletic endeavors.  Being passionate in many areas of life is important to be an authentic leader.

Leaders Need Authentic Relationships

Dan Rockwell writes a great blog called Leadership Freak.  He provides insight on a number of topics in the field of leadership.

Recently, he had a post on how leaders need authentic relationships with other leaders. One suggestion that Rockwell gives is "take the first step by opening up, authentically. Don’t spill your guts. Just toss a bit of your heart out."

I am trying to connect to other leaders, both inside and outside my company. More and more, I have been opening up to others.  When others talk, I listen carefully to those small "bits of their hearts."  Sometimes, I ask them more details about those comments later.

Max De Pree talks about how many aspects of leadership are fragile.  Authentic connections are fragile.  A lot of care is needed to start them and a lot of care is needed to nurture them.