In the mid-1930s, while in her early twenties, Frances Hesselbein was asked to be a Girl Scout Troop Leader in Johnstown, PA.  Married, with an 8-year old, she felt unequipped to manage 10-year-old girls.  But she led the troop for 8 years, moved to a state-level position, and was then recruited by national leadership to head the Girl Scouts of the USA as their CEO, a position she held for 13 years.

When she retired in 1990, the Girl Scouts of the USA was the largest organization for girls and women in the world.  Her management style was profoundly influenced by the philosophies of management guru Peter Drucker.  So it was no surprise that following her retirement, she was asked to head the Leader to Leader Institute (founded by Mr. Peter Drucker), where at 96 years old, she remains its CEO.  Ms. Hesselbein has recently authored an autobiography My Life in Leadership.

Leadership lessons from her book include:  (1) If a door opens, walk through it  (2) Have a clear mission  (3) Be inclusive  (4) Accept only the best  (5) Be on time  (6) Look to the future and (7) See yourself “life-size”.

Ms. Hesselbein tells an interesting story to illustrate this last lesson.  When Peter Drucker addressed her annual Girl Scouts board meeting he told the group, “You do not appreciate the significance of the work you do . . . you give a little girl a chance to be a girl in a society that forces her to grow up all too soon.”

As a result, an observation from a respected individual forever changed their personal perception of their work.  Ms. Hesselbein states, “We all realized . . . that the work we did in the social sector was as important as business or government . . . “

 

Putting the Ideas into Action

When managers help employees re-define their job responsibilities as supporting the success of both the organization and society, they make a significant contribution to fostering an engaged workforce. With a little creative assistance, employees can re-discover the “significance of their work.”

Consider these examples:

  • Bus driver who believes his purpose is to help keep kids safe and away from drug-dealers
  • Administrative assistant who had her job title changed to “Chief Enthusiasm Officer”
  • Fast-food employee at a busy airport who views her purpose as getting people to smile
  • Mechanic who believes his purpose is to promote trust, integrity and peace of mind
  • Men’s clothing salesman who doesn’t sell suits – he sells “confidence in business situations”