http://betsymyers.com/index.htmlBetsy Myers RSSenbetsy@betsymyers.comCopyright 2009 Betsy Myers2010-05-27T20:46:47-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:23:42 -0400betsy@betsymyers.comAppearances2010-05-27T20:46:47-04:00http://betsymyers.com/index.html#unique-entry-id-7http://betsymyers.com/index.html#unique-entry-id-7
I moderated a panel on how to create successful women leaders. The panel consisted of several amazing women, including University of Michigan Dean of Education, Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Eastern Michigan University General Counsel, Gloria Hage. Michigan’s First Gentleman, Dan Mulhern, also participated. He is married to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.

As First Gentleman, Dan has volunteered his time and energy on numerous projects - from chairing the Michigan Community Service Commission to promoting the practices of Michigan’s companies recognized as “great companies to work for.” He is also an accomplished leadership coach, organizational development expert, leadership author and alum of Harvard Law School.

What struck me about our panel conversation was Dan’s willingness to talk openly about supporting his wife’s political career and caring for their 3 children over the past decade. Our culture does not yet completely embrace men taking a back seat to their wife’s ambitions. Although it has become much more commonplace, it is still a difficult role reversal for many men to admit or talk about. Dan Mulhern has been authentically modeling a new way to think about how we choose our roles and what might be best for our family.

In his book, Everyday Leadership, he shares a story about the night his wife accepted the nomination to be Michigan’s attorney general. As Dan and his children stood on the stage, their infant son suddenly needed a diaper change. It was not something that could wait and he made his way off the stage to find a bathroom. In retelling the story, Dan was willing to address both his feelings of pride for his wife and his personal conflict around his own ambition and ego.

Dan’s willingness to share his personal experiences, insights and decision making involving dual careers and raising children showed us his human side. One of his leadership suggestions was that we must support men’s efforts to liberate themselves from roles and thought patterns that hold back both men and women from achieving their individual greatness. This is exactly what women desire for their lives. Dan is breaking a different kind of glass ceiling and while he leads the way for men, he is also blazing a trail for women and girls. His personal leadership philosophy centers on being of service and treating each other as human beings. Dan Mulhern walks his talk. He is a leader to watch and a role model for us all.
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Each governor hosted a leadership forum in their county that included speeches, a panel discussion about leadership and a luncheon banquet. What struck me was how I learned about their real authentic leadership style. It was not by the remarks given at the leadership forum or by the hospitality shown at the celebration banquet but rather by observing small acts of humanity that shone a light into their REAL leadership.

As Governor Chou and I walked together in the Taipei county government building, we heard someone screaming. As we got closer we saw a distraught man surrounded by four security guards trying to apprehend him. He was screaming that he wanted to speak with the Governor about an indignity that happened to him. He had a letter he had written and was waving it toward the Governor. The security guards, conscious that the governor would soon be passing by with guests, seemed especially aggressive towards the man. Instead of walking past and ignoring the highly uncomfortable situation, the governor walked towards it. He asked the guards to back away and he spoke to the man in a respectful way. He was able to calm the situation by his willingness to treat this distraught man as a human being. He promised to read the letter and look into the situation As we continued to walk together, he shared his leadership philosophy with me. “It is about treating people with respect and showing them you care”, he said. “Whether the man was right, wrong or with mental issues, he deserved the respect of his government and the governor”. This small act showed me more about the governor than any words he said on the panel that day in front of 1,000 of his constituents. It is often the smallest acts that show us someone’s real truth.

I spent Saturday afternoon with Governor Yang in Kaihsiung County. Before the leadership forum, he wanted to show me the market he had created during his time as governor. He was very proud of the economic opportunity now available for his constituents, many who are quite poor. As we walked through the market, I noticed his excitement and pride at every stand and with every product. He never stopped smiling, introducing the vendors (mostly women) and their wares to me. Governor Yang was a clearly beloved figure there. Later in the day at a banquet with women community leaders, the admiration for him was also palpable. His commitment to women and empowerment was a key aspect of his leadership. It was not just his words of leadership that day but his actions. I observed how his progress was mirrored back by the appreciation and respect of his constituents. It is in the eyes of those we serve where we learn most about our leadership.
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There are many special memories from my trip but it was the special connection with new friends that made it especially hard to say goodbye. Friendship formed in the moments before and after events where we shared details of our lives, our families and cultures. It was the curiosity to learn more about each other and the generosity to share aspects of ourselves that formed our new bond. To connect with another human, through shared story, is the joyful part of life. We are reminded of how much we share in common as human beings even when we are from different countries and different cultures. My friendship with Nicole and Joanna is the real treasure that I took home with me from Taiwan.
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So here it was that I found myself standing next to former governor, Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky’s first and only woman governor. Memories flooded over me to the 25 years before. As part of the 1984 Olympic games Torch Relay staff, I was traveling with the torch relay through Kentucky that summer as it made it’s way across the country to Los Angeles for the start of the Olympic games.

It was a beautiful July summer night when the torch relay reached Frankfort, the Kentucky capitol, on its way to greet the governor. The night remains very clear in my mind. I can still feel the warm summer air and see the lights that lit up the governor’s mansion with its statuesque white columns and southern charm. I can still see the runner bounding up the marble steps while holding the torch with its golden flame and brilliance. There standing at the top of the steps in anticipation to greet the torch was then governor, Martha Layne Collins.

At this time in 1984, there had only been 3 women governors who had been elected in their own right. She was one of them and a role model for women everywhere. It felt like such a privilege to be actually standing there at the base of the mansion’s steps watching the torch presented to her. I was jumping out of my skin with excitement. The moment felt so historic and special to me and remained clearly in my mind 25 years later.

Governor Collins then invited the relay staff into the mansion for a small reception and gave us a brief tour. All these years later, I still remember her authenticity. She was a woman with power, stature and elegance yet she was also kind, charming, easy to be with and beautiful. She showed me what a women leader could look like.

I was just as excited to meet her today. She has continued to share her leadership with Kentucky over the past 20 years as a university president and participation on boards and organizations to numerous to count. She is still committed to bringing business and trade to Kentucky and currently serves as the honorary consul general of Japan in Kentucky. (As governor, she brought the Toyota plant to Kentucky and created hundreds of jobs in her state.) She is also the CEO of the Kentucky World Trade Center.

She also serves on the board of Women Leading Kentucky and how I happened to cross paths with her. At the end of the conference, the organization gave a prestigious award called the “Martha Layne Collins” Leadership award. During the presentation, a beautiful video was played honoring the former governor and her rich contribution to Kentucky over several decades. At the end, the audience (many with tears in their eyes, including me) stood up to give her a standing ovation. I was seated next her and experienced the same feelings of excitement, respect and awe to be in her presence as I did many years before.

That feeling is what leaders bring out in others. They lead by example, with purpose while including others. Like Governor Collins, they make us want to bring our best selves forward. She is example of what real leadership looks like and how it makes us feel. It is not just a momentary act or only exhibited when your authority is tied to a job or position, it is a way of being that continues over your life. That is the leadership that Governor Martha Layne Collins represents.

I left the conference with a smile on my face. Thank you Governor Collins for inspiring me 25 years ago and thank you for inspiring me today. You are a very special leader but most importantly, a very special person.]]>