 FROM My perspective
A Front Row View of Leadership
By Linda Jimenez
Chief Diversity Officer and Staff Vice President – Diversity & Inclusion
WellPoint, Inc.
T
The flame of revolution
in the Middle East that began
in Tunisia and toppled the
leader of Egypt has now spread
to Bahrain and Libya. There
are rumblings that China may
be next. We have a front row
view of leadership, and we
must be cognizant of this picture because the same forces
that are reshaping the leadership of nations around the
world may also touch upon management in corporate
organizations.
The facilitators of change were a
few individuals, fueled by the Internet
and social networking services such
as Twitter, Facebook, Skype and
YouTube, and they provided us with
a new evolution of revolution. Egypt
shut down the Internet inside the
country, but the revolt and our con-
nection and view of the events taking
place continued unabated. What we
learned is that people can organize
and express themselves in ways that
were inconceivable a few years ago. Egypt’s struggle
for relief from the oppression of the Mubarak regime
could have ended very differently but it didn’t. When
an attempt was made to crush the revolution by force,
“connecting technologies”—as Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton referenced them—allowed world opinion to
intervene and rebuke these efforts.
For corporate organizations, this front row view of
leadership has heightened leaders’ responsibility to be
more aware of the challenges posed by a digitally con-
nected world, and the opportunities that world presents
to us. The Internet as a commercial phenomenon is
about two decades old. Within our organizations today
many techniques for digital insight and learning within
12 Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 11
corporate communications, operations and training are
already well grounded. We can be certain that digital
connectivity will become more pervasive. Blocking it is
not an option – just ask Hasni Mubarak. Social media
has provided a megaphone that is giving voice to the
aspirations of millions.
What does the story in Egypt and Libya tell us?
From my perspective, we must recognize that lead-
ers are defined by those who choose to follow. Power
expressed through coercion, dictatorship, and strong-
arm tactics are short-term leadership strategies that are
destined to fail. Leaders need to be
able to live with, cope with and learn
“Leaders need to be from dissent, as long as it is properly
able to live with, motivated. This requires emotional in-
telligence, superior listening and com-
cope with and learn munication skills, and the maturity of
an open heart.
from dissent, as long What revolutions are brewing in
as it is properly your organization? How do you know,
and what are you doing to keep your
motivated.” finger on the pulse of your industry,
your employees, your customers, and
your marketplace? Our front row view
of Middle East transformation makes it clear that suc-
cessful leaders lead not by oppression, but rather with
open dialogue, the courage to fail and a culture that
doesn’t involve retribution. The fundamental lesson
from the Middle East and recent events is that revolts
seldom explode overnight. Great leaders must be willing
to listen, engage, influence and ultimately lead change.
And, the power of “connecting technologies” cannot be
ignored. PDJ
Linda Jimenez is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and attended the
University of Texas at Austin where she received her BA with honors.
She is also a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has
spent 20 years specializing in labor and employment law.