In the most recent episode of our Total Leadership TV (TLTV) Conversations channel, I spoke with Tom Tierney, chairman and co-founder of The Bridgespan Group and former CEO of Bain & Company.
Tom has graciously given his time to visit my Wharton classes for many years. Students absolutely rave about his sessions, many asserting that it’s the very best class in the entire first year MBA program. I like to think of him as the Bono of leadership. He is one of the most thoughtful and inspiring speakers on the subject of leadership that I have ever heard, and I’ve never seen him hit a bad note.
In the three segments of my recent interview with Tom, we cover these topics:
Staying grounded in who I really am.
Tom talks about making a difference to society, his definition of success, how he reflects on his progress in his lifelong personal journal, and the value of his "good will account".
"You're a steamroller!"
Tom reflects on learning from feedback from a young Meg Whitman, asking yourself the tough questions, the power of saying "no", the paradox of rejuvenation, and mustering the will to master your destiny.
It's easy to ignore the soul.
The final segment is about building organizations that encourage personal growth and fulfillment, rewarding results and not hours, motivating volunteers, and learning from your children about what really matters.
I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation and post your reactions here.
Stew Friedman blogs about how to improve performance in all domains of life — work, home, community, and self (mind, body, and spirit) — by integrating them better.
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