Leadersh*t Rethinking the True Path to Great Leading” by Dr. Foster W. Mobley

Mary Olson-Menzel: What surprises did you discover while writing the book?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: There were three.  First, after being a wonderful adopter and assimilator of others’ worldviews on leading for two decades, how difficult it was to truly develop one’s own path, voice and message.  Second, I discovered how powerful my ego is/was as it fought me, every step of the way, to write a more sophisticated-sounding message to prove how smart and accomplished I was.  The idea of writing a fable that would allow a broader-defined cadre of leaders to include parents, colleagues, sports coaches and the like to access this topic through a simple set of metaphors was initially quite challenging to accept.  Third and finally, I was surprised that I would be inspired to write a book on self-leading, rather than follow the lead of so many others before me into prescriptions, to-do lists and declarative models.  I wrote a book which I hadn’t seen anything like it before and that was a big surprise.

Mary Olson-Menzel: Which leaders do you think really get it right? Why?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: Many leaders in our common experience are glorified for the wrong reasons – one’s a great financial success (but not a leader), one’s very well known (but not a leader), one’s very powerful (but not a leader). In the book, I define leading (the verb) very specifically – “…builds capacity of self and others to create breakthrough results”. Those who do that are typically not the same ones to draw attention to themselves. There is a leader however, who is in the popular press a lot these days who gets it right. Valorie Kondos-Field is the head coach of UCLA Women’s Gymnastics. Coincidentally, she wrote the preface to my book. Besides being a 7-time NCAA Champion coach and best-selling author (Life’s Short: Don’t Wait to Dance), she is returning integrity and honor to the sport of gymnastics in this country and building joy-filled future leaders. She’s a great example.

Mary Olson-Menzel: Where are all the great leaders?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: In a word, everywhere…in our families, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces. The best typically may not get all the attention or notoriety of the worst, or at least those who become known for exceptional success.
Haven’t we all known someone who made us better, more capable than even we thought we could be? That’s a leader.

Mary Olson-Menzel: If you could give leadership advice to a young adult coming out of college what would it be? Someone in mid-career? An executive or CEO?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: It’s probably all the same advice – play big! After working with and learning from some of the finest leaders on the planet over the past 38 years of practice, I see how so many of us play small; that is, show up in life lesser than our full capabilities, talents and passions. In the book, I describe this through the metaphor of the stream, and the boulders than impede our full energies, talents and what we’re capable of. We all have boulders, all the time, and a key to powerful living and leading is the velocity with which we find them, address them and restore the flow to full power. May sound a little funny, but it’s the core of my work with top business and government leaders.

Mary Olson-Menzel: The title of your book is Leadersh*t. Rethinking the true path to Great Leading. What leadership changes and impact would you like your book to make?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: If I could wave a magic wand (and for fun, let’s call that wand Leadersh*t), here’s the impact I would like this book and its ideas to make:

• Leaders, of all stripes and levels, would realize that it’s about THEM (that is, leading by example is still the most powerful tool we have);
• We would each live and lead more fully, by learning and addressing what fears, thoughts, habits and beliefs hold us back;

We could be more present to each other and our lives (kind of tough in today’s world).

Mary Olson-Menzel: What brought you to the seven access points of breakthrough leading?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: My life’s experiences were my teachers, often as much from errors and missteps as from successes. That said, I had a few different sources of learning for each of the seven. Painfully, I learned deeply and powerfully about presence by realizing how little of it I had for my children at stages of their young lives (and how common that was/is for ambitious, driven folks). Through experience and reflection (and maybe a little counseling along the way) I learned about my own stream and boulders. I learned about noise, and how it affects one’s best performance through my work with elite athletes. The idea of finding and connecting to one’s source was introduced to me by a colleague and friend; it’s one idea that I’ve always resonated with. And trail (leading by example) I learned from observing and listening to the leaders I most admire.

Mary Olson-Menzel: Your book talks about presence.  For many leaders, there is a lack of understanding about “presence”.  When did you realize “presence” is key to leadership?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: It’s a cliché (which I’m not above using, a lot!) to say that it’s impossible to lead if you’re not in the room. I believe that to be true. I realized this early on in my career as I studied leaders, many of whom were truly talented, as they lost the followership of others; in many cases, it wasn’t due to intention, talent or direction but it was entirely about being emotionally available when one of those followers addressed a need, a fear, an observation. In a moment, a window of opportunity opens to address a need and connect with a follower and it’s either captured or lost. Presence is that window.

Mary Olson-Menzel: Who are the people outside of work who have inspired you the most?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: I’m going to leave Oprah, St. Theresa and Lou Holtz off my list and unapologetically say that it is my family who most teaches and inspires me. Our youngest daughter, Maddi is my fun buddy and we explore the world together. She inspires me to say yes to life. Our son Lane is my teacher, who has walked some of the most challenging paths in life and survived and flourished. He inspires me to be more courageous. Our daughter Erin, with whom I have worked for 11 years models quality and integrity in her work and deeply honors family. My wife Cathy inspires me through her deep friendships and her tenacious commitment to service and quality in her work. And, maybe it’s supposed to be this way – my wife and children have taught me love.

Mary Olson-Menzel: What is the most courageous thing you have done in your life? Would you do it again?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: As I shared in my book, I chose to put our then-18 year old son out on the streets, knowing he was chronically abusing substances when I realized he was risking the safety of our family and our home. It was a turning point for both our lives, for sure. Would I do it again? Yes. I sure hope I never have to though.

People around us think our decision to uproot after 58 years in Southern California and move to Montana for no apparent reason (other than passion) was courageous. Cathy and I disagree!

Mary Olson-Menzel: If you could have dinner with any one person, past or present, who would that be and why?

Dr. Foster W. Mobley: As a child adopted at birth, I’d choose to have dinner with my birth mother whom I’ve never met. I’d love to learn more about her, and her about me. I’m 63 and grateful for my life, so I’m not looking for a Jerry Springer moment, but rather to address a curiosity I’ve had for much of my adult life.