Week 24.51 World Creation

Last week, I had the privilege of catching up with my friend JD Meier, who previously led Satya Nadella's innovation team at Microsoft. Our conversation centered around a powerful concept: leadership as world creation. As we explored this idea, I found myself deeply resonating with the notion that great leaders don't just manage existing realities – they imagine and create entirely new ones. In our wide-ranging discussion about transformative leadership, three key insights emerged: the power of imagining new possibilities, the importance of creating spaces where others can flourish, and the transformative impact of inviting others into your vision.

The ability to imagine new possibilities is the most fundamental aspect of world-creating leadership. When Satya Nadella took the helm at Microsoft, he didn't just implement changes – he reimagined what Microsoft could be in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. This vision wasn't constrained by existing limitations but instead opened up new horizons of possibility. Great leaders don't just work within existing systems; they dare to envision something better and more meaningful. They see beyond current constraints to imagine worlds where innovation, growth, and transformation can flourish. This requires courage, conviction, and the ability to help others see past the limitations of the present moment to embrace a more compelling future.

Creating spaces where others can flourish is equally crucial in world-creating leadership. These spaces aren't just physical environments but ecosystems of opportunity, growth, and belonging. Whether it's Disney's world of imagination and wonder or Apple's realm of elegant innovation, great leaders craft environments where people feel inspired to contribute their best work. They understand that their role isn't just to direct or manage but to cultivate conditions where creativity, collaboration, and excellence can thrive naturally. This involves careful attention to the tangible and intangible elements of the environment – from physical spaces and processes to culture, values, and relationships. When leaders successfully create these nurturing spaces, they set the stage for unprecedented levels of innovation and achievement.

The most powerful aspect of world-creating leadership is the ability to invite others into your vision. It's not enough to imagine new possibilities or create nurturing spaces – true leadership involves helping others see and believe in the world you're creating. This requires more than just communication; it demands making your vision tangible and accessible to others, allowing them to become co-creators rather than just followers. When leaders successfully invite others into their vision, they create a multiplier effect where each person adds their creativity and energy to the shared world being built. This collaborative approach to world creation enhances the original vision and creates deeper engagement and commitment from everyone involved. The most successful world-creating leaders understand that their role is not to be the sole architect but the catalyst that sparks others' imagination and contribution.

In life and leadership, our greatest impact comes not from managing what exists but from creating new worlds of possibility. Our role for those we love and lead is to imagine better futures, create spaces where they can thrive, and invite them to join us in building something extraordinary together. By embracing our power as world creators, we can transform our organizations and the fabric of how people experience work, purpose, and belonging. The worlds we create as leaders become our true legacy – they continue to inspire, connect, and transform long after we've moved on to our next challenge.

With love, gratitude, and wonder.

Scott

Leadership is not about 'what to do'. Leadership is about 'how to be' by Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith recently, shared a powerful story about Frances Hesselbein, the former CEO of the Girl Scouts and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Hesselbein exemplified true servant leadership through a simple yet profound act. During her 14-year tenure leading the Girl Scouts, Hesselbein demonstrated her exceptional character when she carried a volunteer speaker's laundry to be washed at their conference facility. She performed this humble task in full view of other high-ranking Girl Scout executives from major cities across the country.

This small but significant gesture perfectly captured Hesselbein's leadership philosophy that "leadership is not about 'what to do', leadership is about 'how to be.'" Throughout her distinguished career, earning 23 honorary PhDs and serving as editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader journal, she consistently demonstrated this principle of leading by example. Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, considered her the greatest leader he had ever met, and her authentic approach to servant leadership left an indelible impression on all who witnessed her in action.

The Pro Move: 12 Habits to Break in 2025 by sudhir venkatesh

sudhir venkatesh wrote an insightful article challenging the conventional wisdom about personal transformation, particularly during the reflective holiday season. Rather than advocating for sweeping life changes and philosophical soul-searching, they draw compelling parallels to elite athletes who achieve success through careful attention to small details and pattern recognition. The article emphasizes how these athletes break down every play and interaction into observable facts, creating concise "1-Minute Stories" that help them identify and capitalize on future opportunities.

Building on this athletic analogy, they suggest that real personal growth comes not from grand identity overhauls but from analyzing specific situations that bring out our best qualities. Their practical approach encourages readers to examine recent challenges by asking concrete questions about what happened, who was involved, and how events unfolded. By sharing these brief stories with others and gathering feedback, they argue we can develop sharper pattern recognition skills and ultimately achieve more meaningful transformation through mastery of small moments rather than sweeping changes.

Why Mentoring Programs Fail — and How to Make Them Worthwhile by Andy Lopata, Ben Afia, and Ruth Gotian, Ed.D., M.S.

Ruth Gotian, Ed.D., M.S. and colleagues recently wrote a thought-provoking article about the surprising gap between mentoring program availability and actual participation in corporate settings. They highlight a stark contrast: while nearly all Fortune 500 companies offer mentoring programs, only about a third of professionals take advantage of them. Through their research and organizational experience, they identify several key barriers, including poor communication about program availability, lack of clear benefits messaging, and limited access for many employees.

I found their proposed solution framework particularly interesting. They emphasize the need for personalized communication strategies, compelling storytelling about mentoring successes, and consistent advocacy from senior leadership. They make a compelling case that mentoring shouldn't be viewed as just a "nice to have" perk but as an essential component of career development that can significantly impact employee retention and satisfaction. Their recommendations for expanding program access beyond high-potential employees could help transform mentoring from an underutilized resource into a cornerstone of talent development strategy.