University of Texas' Yudof: Success flows from planning and leadership

An excellent article "UT's Yudof: Success flows from planning and leadership," that appeared in a recent Sunday edition of the Austin American Statesman. Mark Yudof became chancellor of the University of Texas System as of August 2002. The system has 85,000 employees at 15 institutions with an annual budget of $6.4 billion. I believe his remarks are as relevant to a small principle-centered organization (practice, association, or small business) as they are to a large institution.

Chancellor Yudof believes successful organizations have traits that fall into three broad categories: values, service, and action. (All of these are central elements to the Applied Strategic Planning processes we lead.) He believes we must work to flatten the hierarchy. (Imagine the hierarchy in the UT System—our small practices, associations, and businesses pale by comparison. But too often we have seen heirarchy present even in these small organizations. There too it stiffles front line people from taking responsibility for the success of the enterprise.) Yudof says, "A highly authoritarian leader is a lot like a cemetery manager. You have lots of people under you, but no one is listening!"

He also references EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and author, Daniel Goleman, whose work will serve as a foundational centerpiece of a workshop ("Authentic Personal Power ... the Extraordinary Power of Emotional Intelligence.") that Bill Woodburn, MEd.,LPC, and I will conduct the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday every November. We are currently integrating EQ into all of our programs. This article is good grist for the mill of anyone exploring effective leadership. (Goleman's latest two books are Working with Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership.)