TED Community » Mike Myatt

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Working with Board and C-level executives on matters of leadership, strategy and innovation.

An idea worth spreading

Leadership Matters…Whether through malice or naiveté, those who tolerate the abuse of leadership, or turn a blind eye to poor leadership place us all at risk. Poor leadership cripples businesses, ruins economies, destroys families, loses wars, and can bring the demise of nations. The demand for real leaders has never been greater - when society misunderstands the importance of leadership, and when the world inappropriately labels non-leaders as leaders we are all worse for the wear. Nothing inspires change and innovation like great leadership, and likewise, there is no more costly legacy system to maintain than poor leadership. Put simply, the greatest testimony to the power of real leadership is what happens in its absence - very little.

Talk to me about

CEO and board level coaching assignments, speaking and teaching opportunities and anything having to do with leadership.

My TED Story

There is a lot of talk about the importance of culture, and rightly so. An intentional focus on creating culture by design produces the glue that holds communities and organizations together and allows them to thrive. Contrast this with the abundance of train-wrecks that occur as a result of a culture that evolves by default over time and you'll quickly see why culture is important. Most people won't debate the importance of culture, but they vehemently argue over how culture should be built. My premise about what the major construct of a cultural ecosystem should look like is more than hypothetical - it's undeniable by anyone who studies successful organizations with an open mind. My TED story is about how to create a culture based upon an ethos that empowers, attracts, differentiates, and sustains. The ONLY culture that flourishes over the long haul is a culture of leadership.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +1.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Is Facebook affecting our life, and the world, in a positive or negative way? Do you think it adds value to communicate with others?

  Oct 27 2011: Not to be trite, but on an individual basis, I think it depends on the person and their motivation. Positive people will use it for for a beneficial purpose, and negative people will use it create havoc. On a more global basis, I think the jury is still out. For every positive benefit Facebook creates, I think there are likely just as many horror stories (if not more) to recount. Good vs. Evil? The story is still unfolding...
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What is the most inspiring TED Talk of all time?

  Sep 28 2011: http://www.ted.com/talks/rick_warren_on_a_life_of_purpose.html
  Few things are as inspiring or as challenging as discussions about the existence of God. Rick's talk is not just inspiring, but it's also controversial to many. My hope is that those who believe in God and those who don't can learn that dissenting opinions are healthy - that people can disagree without being disagreeable. I would actually like to see a panel discussion, a debate if you will, rather than an individual talk. I believe dialogs are more healthy than monologues and that challenging discourse, when civil, can be helpful to all.

• A comment on Conversation: What ingredients do you put into making a CHOICE / DECISION?

  Sep 22 2011: I recently outlined a framework for decision making which can be found here: http://www.n2growth.com/blog/why-businesses-fail I hope these thoughts help.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What's your TED habit?

  Sep 19 2011: Hi Chris:
  
  I somewhat randomly watch talks, most of which I find when browsing by topic or author. I also tend to look at talks which have been recommended by people whom I know. I hope this helps...

• A comment on Talk: Jason Fried: Why work doesn't happen at work

  Sep 10 2011: I've often said organizations and their workers don't fail, leaders do. Expectations about productivity, passion, performance, etc., are shaped by leadership or a lack thereof. Furthermore, environment and culture can be shaped by design or by default. The former requires leadership and the latter does not. The greatest indication of the value of leadership is what happens in its absence - very little.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: why do people give leaders too much credit or blame for organizational outcomes?

  Aug 19 2011: Hi Jason:
  
  Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I would suggest there is a difference between accountability and responsibility. All people need to be accountable for their actions regardless of title or position. That said, the leader is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on their watch. Moreover, good leaders will use accountability as a development opportunity rather than an opportunity to blame. Perhaps semantics are in play here, but there are subtle distinctions between accountability, responsibility and blame that can have a not so subtle impact on organizational success.

• A comment on Conversation: why do people give leaders too much credit or blame for organizational outcomes?

  Aug 19 2011: Leadership isn’t about blaming others, but realizing any blame levied should rest solely upon the leader. The best leaders will only point the finger at one person – themselves. The truth of the matter is no victories are won by participating in the blame game. Blame doesn’t inspire, it breeds malcontent and discord. If trust is the cornerstone of leadership, then blame can only be viewed as the corrosive behavior that eats away at the foundation. Don’t be the “Teflon” leader who worries about what might stick – be the mature leader who takes the hit, deals with the issue, and moves forward with character. Lead – don’t blame…
  
  Real leaders won’t accept credit for success, but always claim responsibility for failure. In analyzing why some leaders struggle with blame shifting I’ve concluded it usually comes down to an overabundance of pride or a lack of courage. Excuses, rationalizations, and justifications will never serve as an adequate substitute for courage and humility. Those in leadership positions who talk rather than listen, and point fingers rather than take decisive action have simply failed to lead.
• +2

  A comment on Conversation: What is your definition of success?

  Aug 12 2011: I believe “success” can be a very dangerous thing in a vacuum…You see, success is in the eye of the beholder, whereas significance is a view of you that is held by others. Complicating matters further, I believe few successful people actually make the transition to significance, but every person of significance is successful.
  
  Just take a look around and you’ll see that most people use their knowledge, resources, and experience to acquire things in an attempt to satisfy their personal desires, which in their minds constitutes success. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves great potential on the table when you contrast this with the people that use their knowledge, resources, and experience to serve and benefit others, which by my standards constitutes significance. Just as success must be defined before it can be achieved, so must significance. While both require sacrifice, success comes at a great price and is often based upon the compromise of values. Significance on the other hand is driven by personal values and is a gift that cannot be purchased.
• +3

  A comment on Conversation: How can we cultivate courageous, non-violent dialogue between youth and power?

  Aug 11 2011: Courage isn't destructive - it's one of the things that keeps people from being destructive. Perhaps most importantly, courage isn't a skill, it's a decision. The decision to be courageous becomes easy when the focus isn't on you, but something greater than self - a principle, cause, movement, vision, etc. What youth is lacking has little to do with talent, drive, ability, skill, etc., but everything to do with a lack of mentoring. This debate is really about a lack of engaged leaders, more than courage. All generations have much to learn from one another and the only thing keeping this catalytic collaboration from taking place is pride, ego, arrogance, and apathy. I've long said that there is more to be learned from dissenting opinions, positions and perspectives than there is to be learned from like minds. If you really want change, look beyond yourself, avoid intellectually dishonest rhetoric, and seek out those whom you act as both student and teacher. I'll leave you with this thought - apathy is mediocrity's most valuable asset, and the greatest liability for those looking to find significance.
• +2

  A comment on Conversation: Beyond race, creed, color, nationality and personal narratives there is a universal humanity. Where is this? How do you go there?

  Aug 10 2011: Humanity is universal, but so is diversity. The issue is not whether we recognize diversity, but rather how it is dealt with…Cultural differences and realities are normal and healthy - diversity mandates are not. When we are focused on service more than self, matters of diversity become less of an issue. The diversity argument is divisive and only serves to enable dependence on rationalizations and justifications more than contribution. Don’t attempt to make a case for anything by playing the diversity card, play the I’m qualified card. Compete on your merits not why your lack thereof should be overlooked. If we stop identifying ourselves based on diversity segment, and identify ourselves by accomplishments and character the world will be a better place.