All right, we are done with the stories of the six very different remarkable people. Where we have looked at just episodes from their lives and careers that demonstrates what it means to be real, to be whole, to be innovative, and the skills that bring theses principles to life. I've offered you a sampling of some exercises, based on research, that we know to be helpful in developing these skills. But you can see from these three different lives, that there are various ways to clarify, your vision, your values, what you stand for or what you believe in. What it means for you to act with authenticity? And to take the leadership leap, as I call it, and see yourself through the eyes of other people to be whole by recognizing who those other people are. And respecting them as important people in your life now and in the future. And to be innovative. To find ways of continually experimenting with how you get things done. There's lots of different ways to do that. Again, these six people demonstrate in very different ways how they have cultivated these principles and skills in their own lives. And like the great ones, all of us can find teachers to help us to pursue harmony. Not balance at any one moment in time but over the course of time, over the course of our lives to be mindful of the decisions we make, the choices we make about What we do with our lives? Who we surround ourselves with? And how we get support for pursuing the things that matter most to us? You can see from these six people that none of them sits still for very long. And they find ways to persist even when they make mistakes. Perhaps because of the mistakes they make, or the ways in which they annoy other people and make them angry, and fight with others in their world. They are continually striving and learning, refining their skills, figuring out what it means for them to live in a way. That is consistent with what matters most to them, and who matters most to them. You may not have the same talents, resources, luck, that these six people have. But all of them started with not a lot of money. None of them were born with riches or with great opportunity, they created the lives they wanted to live. And you might feel like so many people do these days constrained. And your range of discretion and how much you can make something new happen is limited. Well, like these people there are ways of developing your capacity to have the strength and the support you need for pursuing what matter most to you and the skills. Our way to do that. So now, that we're at the end of our course, it's time to think about where you go from here and how you can use what we've been learning together. What do the skills illustrated in these six stories mean to you? There are actions and exercises here that you can take. There's more in my books and other resources that you can find online that I've produced that help you to see. What leaders who exemplify these total leadership skills, what they do? And I'm hoping that on our discussion boards for this course that people will post ideas for leaders that they know and admire who illustrate these principles of being real, being whole, being innovative about the skills that those people demonstrate in their lives and how they grew them. The challenge for you As a leader, developing the capacity to have a positive impact on the world. To mobilize people toward goals that matter is to keep an open mind, and to continually stretch, and adjust in light of what you discover as you reflect on your actions each step of the way. This require some investment for sure. It's not free and nobody will do it for you. Every single leader that we've studied here, in all the minute that I have known and studied over the course of my long career has made themselves into the reader that they have wanted to be. It's a process of self invention. And it is a performing art. So, if you think about the great performers who you admire. Maybe in sport or in music, for example you'll see that the great ones are constantly practicing. Their basic skills. Think about somebody you admire in the world of sports for example. Whoever that person is I am willing to bet that they became better over time and they did that by practicing the fundamentals of their sport and getting coaching. And constantly reflecting on how well they're doing. How they could be doing better? Well, it's the same with developing the capacity to lead the life you want. Scour the fields for ideas. Look to see examples beyond the ones that we've been talking about here, to see What you want to try to incorporate in your own repertoire of leadership skills. It takes some initiative and some discipline to do that. It's research and development, but it can be fun even if challenging if you remain conscious Is perhaps the hardest part. Thinking about why you're doing what you're doing, and practicing these skills. You're going to start to feel more purposeful, more connected. And more optimistic about your capacity to grow as a leader and to have the kind of success of that you're interested in pursuing according to your passions, your interests, your particular gifts. All six of the people that we've studied here learned over time. They learn from their mistakes. They learned these skills of being real. To know what matters. To embody values consistently. To align actions with values. To convey values with stories. To envision your legacy. To hold yourself accountable. They learn these skills over time. The skills associated with the principle of being whole, clarifying expectations to helping others, getting support by building supportive networks, applying what in one part of your life, assets that you've got to goals that matter and other parts. Being smart about how you manage the boundaries between the different parts of life and weaving those disparate strands. Skills you can learn over time, just like our exemplars. The skills for being innovative, to be able to focus on results and be flexible about how you pursue them. To creatively resolve conflicts among the different parts of your life, to challenge the way things are. And grow your capacity to see new ways of doing things and to overcome the inhibitions to trying new things which requires courage to work through the fear and anxiety that always attends trying something new. And finally, to inspire others with your example as being someone who tries new things. Creating cultures of innovation. You don't have to do all these. It's a lot, I know. Nor do you have to do all these exercises. But each one has a distinct purpose although you've discovered by now that they are in some ways very closely related. So the question now for you if you haven't addressed it yet. Is which do you want to focus on now? Which areas do you want to develop most and why is that important to you? So, I would recommend that you go back to the assessment that I asked you to do at the very beginning of our course and look again. What do I want to focus on? Which are the strengths I want to build on? And what are the areas I should improve? You might want to think about what you were thinking as I was talking about these six remarkable people. Tom Tierney, Cheryl Sandberg, Eric Grietens, Michelle Obama, July Fowdy, Bruce Springsteen. As you heard me speak about them, what peaked your interest? What about them did you want to try to emulate? You don't have to aspire to be like any one of these people. You just have to learn from them. That's why I put this course together. For you to learn from these people. To perhaps be inspired by them. But mainly to be instructed by their example. So, whatever caught your attention, go to that and pursue that. If you've just started to think about practicing any of the exercises that I've shared with you, well, you're going to discover that it's hard to learn a new skill, you make mistakes. The muscles feel funny when you start to stretch them in a new direction, hurts a little. But, you have to look at whats working, and use that as you think about, all right now, what's next? As I reflect on my study on the material that I put together to create this course and the books related to it, I think about a few big ideas that I want to share with you now in closing. I have become more convinced now that building [INAUDIBLE] that matters, that significant achievement in the world come from talking action to use what you've got whatever that is, And to apply it with compassion to somehow making life better for other people. That leading the life you want requires striving to help others. Each of our six examples in this course illustrates that. That primary idea In very, very different ways. I also am convinced from this study, as I hope you are too, that accomplishment in your career comes not at the expense of the rest of your life. But, because of what you gain from investments in your family, in your community, and in yourself. Your mind, body, and spirit. Those other aspects of your life sustain you, give you strength. Give you a reason and thereby help to propel you further. And this is of course counter to common myth that's out there. Which says that you have to sacrifice everything and the rest of your life to be successful in your career. I believe and I believe these cases help to prove the point that the opposite Is in fact, true. You can develop these skills. And indeed, you must, if you're going to lead the life you want. Each one of these people struggled to become the person they are, to lead the lives that they want to bleed. Yes, they've made compromises and, yes, of course, there have been some sacrifices along the way. But each one of them shows us in their own unique way. How they cultivated a life in which their values and contributions work over time in harmony. Not all at once but they demonstrate growth and the possibilities for growth. And a willingness to take seriously the idea that they are the shapers of their lives. That, I hope, is an inspiration for you as it is for me. Voluntary action what we do with the opportunities we have that defines our character. That great philosophers and modern researchers tell us that it is meaning that derives from creating value for the people and the momentary happiness that comes from doing things that make us feel good it's both of those things. That make a good life,not one or the other. So having your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground moving in a direction that inspires you and is about creating something better. Than you left. Than you discover when you first arrived here. That is a challenge for all of us. And it's not easy. Growth is not easy but we can learn to become teachers based on the mistakes that we've made and to try with whatever we've got available to learn for the role models around us and to be one. To use what you've got, to heal a world that is broken. To be a model for others. and to inspire, to do good. Well, thank you, we are now done. And I am so grateful to you for taking the time to be a part of this learning community. I hope and expect that our time together has been useful to you. And I very much appreciate your commitment to learning with me.
