THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON
In any organization we can banter about who is the most important person. Whether it is inflated egos, a genuine desire to make a difference in people’s lives, or anything in between, concerns about individual importance exist. That is why it is always refreshing to hear from someone who puts importance in proper perspective. Bernard Tyson expresses this concept well.
Tyson is the CEO of Kaiser Permanente. Reflecting on his own position in his organization, here is how he keeps his role in perspective (“How Did I Get Here?: Bernard Tyson” Bloomberg Businessweek , 9/28/15–10/4/15, p. 96):
“ My role is significant but not the most important in the organization. ”
Executive leadership is incredibly significant, but it is not necessarily the most important. The untold numbers of colleagues with whom the leader works are ultimately extremely important. If it wasn’t for them, the executive leader’s role would be greatly hampered. Genuine leaders recognizes these universal truths.
The next time that you or I start to think about how important our roles are, let’s stop and ponder the importance of all the colleagues with whom we work. Ultimately, I think what is most important is what we can do working together, rather than thinking about the person in the mirror. That is a challenge that probably will keep us all busy every single day.
