How can leaders ensure that their organizations not only survive but thrive in a changing world? Kevin sits down with Willie Pietersen about the importance of self-leadership, strategic direction, and interpersonal skills, framing them as the three essential domains of effective leadership. Willie explains that true leadership begins with self-awareness and is really about service to others. They also discuss the value of asking the right questions. Kevin and Willie also about how many priorities are too many. Drawing on research, Willie argues that leaders should limit themselves to three or four key priorities to maintain focus and effectiveness.

Listen For

00:00 Introduction
02:18 Guest Introduction: Willie Pietersen
02:40 Willie Pietersen’s New Book
03:08 Willie’s Transition to Teaching
03:38 Willie’s Passion for Learning
04:06 Kodak Insolvency and Career Transition
04:56 Teaching at Columbia University
05:07 Overcoming Teaching Challenges
05:31 Writing Journey and Book Process
06:13 Strategy and Leadership
06:36 Blog Inspirations for the Book
07:14 Leadership Insights from South Africa
08:14 Lifelong Leadership Learning
08:38 Leadership Philosophy: Self, Strategy, and Interpersonal
10:14 The Role of Questions in Leadership
11:07 Socratic Approach to Learning
12:38 People and Strategy in Leadership
14:00 Leadership Priorities: Setting the Right Number
16:00 Example from the American Revolution
18:30 Creating Effective Priorities
21:07 Final Reflections on Leadership
23:00 Closing Thoughts

Meet Willie

Willie's Story: Willie Pietersen is the author of, Leadership--The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek To Lead. He was raised in South Africa and received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. After practicing law, he embarked on an international business career. Over twenty years, he served as the CEO of multibillion-dollar businesses such as Lever Brothers Foods Division, Seagram USA, Tropicana and Sterling Winthrop’s Consumer Health Group. In 1998, Pietersen was named Professor of the Practice of Management at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He specializes in strategy and the leadership of change. He has served as an advisor to many organizations in both the commercial and not-for-profit fields.

https://williepietersen.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-pietersen-286b149/

Book Recommendations

Leadership--The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek To Lead by Willie Pietersen
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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Time-Tested Prescriptions for Better Leadership with Willie Pietersen

The Remarkable Leadership Podcast