Angie Morgan - Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success

Copyright 2017 by Lead Star, LLC

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Morgan, Angie, author. | Lynch, Courtney, author. | Lynch, Sean, author.

Title: Spark : how to lead yourself and others to greater success / Angela Morgan, Courtney Lynch, Sean Lynch.

Description: Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016002264 | ISBN 978-0-544-71618-6 (hardback) | ISBN 978-0-544-71623-0 (ebook) | Subjects: LCSH: Leadership. | Motivation (Psychology) | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership. | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Motivational. | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Management.

Classification: LCC HD57.7 .M6634 2016 | DDC 658.4/092dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016002264

Cover design by Michaela Sullivan
Cover photograph Getty Images/PM Images

e ISBN 978-0-544-71623-0
v1.1216

Johari Window, : 2016 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

For my parents, Marilyn and Jerry Judge

Angie

To my children, Jessica, Kara, and Brady, who give me reason to Spark

Courtney

To Vera, Connor, and Caitlinyou inspire me

Sean

O UR MOST VALUABLE ASSET at FedEx is our culture.

Of course, its not a line item listed on our balance sheet, but its genuinely tangible nonetheless. Our culture forms the foundation of the daily exchanges individual team members have with each other, our partners, and our customers. It encourages our leaders to lead by example and demonstrate the principles of commitment and teamwork. We know were not just moving boxes around the globe. People depend upon us to deliver their lifesaving medicines, e-commerce items, and one-of-a-kind artifacts. We take that responsibility seriously, and our Purple Promise is a direct reflection of its importance: We will make every FedEx experience outstanding.

You dont just happen upon organizational excellence. Our culture was purpose-built, one leader at a time. And its design began with a great deal of inspiration from the finest leadership academy in the world: the United States military.

I became a Marine in 1966 after graduating from Yale University, and the leadership principles I learned in the Corps have been of incalculable value to me. Most business schools dont break down leadership the way the Marine Corps does. The teachers I found in the Corps, such as Staff Sergeant Richard Jackson and Gunnery Sergeant Allen Sora, were the most competent and courageous individuals Ive ever met. And each one helped teach me that leadership isnt about authority. Its about building credible influence with others.

During my two tours in Vietnam, where I was responsible for leading a group of Marines who had very different backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences than my own, I had the opportunity to apply every leadership principle the Corps taught me (principles I can still recite from memory to this day). These principles were very effective at helping me create a team in a highly volatile, demanding environment.

Though I took off the uniform nearly fifty years ago, theres no doubt the Corps left its mark on my life. My experience as a Marine imbued me with the confidence to revisit an idea I had envisioned during collegea business concept centered on an integrated air and ground delivery system. From there, FedEx was born.

Being an entrepreneur and getting an innovative venture off the ground certainly involves risk. But I was fortunate because the military had given me perspective on risk, which allowed me to have a high tolerance for ambiguity in those early days.

My experience as a Marine officer also allowed me to recognize that FedEx had the potential to exceed my expectations if we invested in our teams leadership development. Whether it was equipping our managers with the right skill sets or succession planning to ensure future managers would be ready to lead, we intentionally built a people-oriented culture. We believe that when people are placed first, they are positioned to provide the highest possible level of service. Profits are sure to follow.

Indeed, diligently building our team members leadership skills has prepared us to be able to respond rapidly to changing market conditions, demonstrate agility amid uncertainty, and weather critical organizational change.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you were to visit FedExs Leadership Institute, youd see the Marine Corps DNA in our culture. And I believe more businesses today could benefit by sharing proven leadership principles with professionals for use at all stages of their career. Leadership development efforts tap into every single team members discretionary effort the level of effort people could give if they wanted to. Unfortunately, too many organizations manage people in a way that ensures they do only what they must to get by. And the difference between these two performance levels is potentially millions of dollars.

The concept of leadership is not a difficult one to understand. Its simply about taking care of others and treating them fairly, communicating in a way that lets others know what they must do to be successful, and passing along praise for a job well done. Its that straightforward, but its by no means intuitive. It must be learned and practiced.

Spark will help you do just that. The following pages detail the leadership behaviors that any professional, at any level, in any organization, can adopt to be a stronger leader. The authors, all military Veterans, share their personal experiences here in learning and applying the same leadership principles I was taught in 1966enduring principles that are still being taught today. These principles have been tried in the most chaotic of environmentswith your commitment, you can test them in yours. Your ability to leadwhether thats yourself, your team, or your organizationwill make the difference in the results you experience for years to come.

Frederick W. Smith

Chairman and CEO

FedEx Corporation

A SPARK IS ALL ABOUT CHANGE.

Sparks are people who recognize that they dont have to accept whats given to them. They can do things differently to create the change theyd like to see. Their actions can directly shape their future, and they can make things better.

A Spark is also a moment when you realize that you have the ability to be a part of the solution you seek. You dont have to wait around for someone to create opportunities for you. You can create them yourself.

When Sparks are ignited, theyre a catalyst for personal and organizational change. Theyre the individuals who have the courage to stand up and say, We dont have to do things like weve always done them. We can do things better. They then cultivate the fortitude and temperament to lead themselves and others toward the results they seek.

Sparks arent defined by the place they hold on an organizational chart; in fact, they exist throughout organizations. Theyre defined by their actions, commitment, and will, not by job titles. Theyre the ones who say, Ill lead this, Ill take responsibility, or, This is tough, but well get it done. And then they follow through.

Sparks are hard to pinpoint during job interviews; their rsums might not convey their ingenuity and perseverance. They also dont always stand out in organizations. They may not fit into the right mold or have the right pedigree to be identified as talent, yet their efforts are the reason great ideas get implemented, organizational change efforts take hold, and employee retention is strong.