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When we talk about leadership we talk about vision.
But is vision what truly makes leaders successful?
The answer might surprise us.
I recently did a deep dive into three of the men who made New York City: John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), Robert Moses (1888–1981), and Lorne Michaels (1944– ). Rockefeller amassed his fortune in oil, rail, and real estate. Moses was an influential city planner and land steward. Michaels has spent the past 51 years running Saturday Night Live, the most influential comedy show in American history. Yes, I know: these stories are more male and white than a model train convention. But we can learn a lot from these profiles of leadership.
Moses gained influence by amending laws, drafting contracts, and passing bills that favored his interests. Colleagues didn’t bother to read the fine print, which gave him power. Rockefeller used leverage. He was calm and long-suffering. He mastered kickbacks, sweeteners, and grease. He was devoutly Christian, yet his business practices left people wondering about his ethics. Michaels uses mystique. He calmly pontificates with Yoda-like wisdom and casually drops names of celebrity friends. People want to know him and be known by him. Michaels is chatty. Rockefeller is private. Moses was almost reclusive. Rockefeller created reliance. Moses created convenience. Michaels creates enjoyment.
It is hard to say that any of them were gifted with vision for the future. Instead, they mastered timing, habits, and resilience.
“They mastered timing, habits, and resilience.”
Wayne Gretzky is credited with the saying, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” This makes it sound like leaders can anticipate what’s next. But they usually can’t and don’t. When Rockefeller was refining oil for lamps, he expressed legitimate anxiety over what Thomas Edison’s lightbulb could do to his kerosene business, like a network executive worrying about TikTok. He didn’t even imagine that cars and planes would soon create an unimaginable demand for his oil. Speaking of cars, Moses carved up New York’s neighborhoods with interstates that promised to relieve traffic congestion. But it backfired. These parkways and freeways actually multiplied it. The farther out people lived, the more time they spent on roads, which created more congestion. And Michaels has impeccable taste for humor. But he famously lives from week to week. Great cast members stay a few years. The majority of sketches are forgettable. He has a weekly routine, not a 50-year plan.
So what is the substitute for vision? Focus, Timing, and Resilience.
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