Pass the Torch of Leadership

Here is the next installment of Michael J. Brennan's series, "The Seven Disciplines of a Community of Progress: Creating a New Path." In it, Brennan, the president of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, explores how our region can move forward, and looks at past successes.

---

Pass the Torch of Leadership

Succession planning is difficult for any institution.  If you ask a leader of a group or organization, often their most important job is to make sure someone can step into the leadership role should he or she get "hit by a bus." What is true for organizations, political parties and neighborhood groups, is true for a community.

Every community in this country has the vital few civic leaders who play a central role in shaping the path of progress. These leaders come from public office, corporations, nonprofits or citizens at large. As corporate headquarters lessen in the region, and the transient nature of society permeates, many believe that the days of dedicated civic leaders are gone. I disagree. Leadership is present and willing. They may not arrive from the same historic paths, but, given the chance, they want to be engaged in work that will make a measurable difference.  Established organizations and networks must be willing to welcome 'newcomers' and find pathways to get them involved.

I remember a CEO of a manufacturing firm describing to me how an elder statesman came to visit him after he took the helm of the company. The purpose of the visit wasn’t business; it was about doing the ‘right things in community’.  The elder statesman wanted to stress the importance of being involved not just with monetary contributions, but also with time.  He also wanted the new CEO to understand the significance of having employees engaged in the community that they live and work in.  Those actions, the statesman believed, would make the company stronger, more profitable and in turn, improve the community.  

To be a community of progress, the development of next generation civic leadership is a requirement of current leadership. Formal ways to mentor emerging leadership on civic engagement is an imperative. But equally important, is the informal. If each leader — however defined — mentored one other person, we would build a critical foundation.  

The opportunity to be a civic mentor to a next generation leader is one of the most powerful legacies any leader could leave.  

The conscious effort of individuals to teach others — to help pass on the standard of community involvement — to engage in the public discourse by finding the public square of the 21st century — is one of the most influential strategies in accelerating progress of the region.

Discipline Three in Action

Max M. Fisher – one of the region’s most respected business and civic leaders – built his wealth and reputation through many means. With the passing of Max Fisher in 2005, there was one constant theme that emerged about how he led his life: commitment to model, mentor and give.  

There are known stories of individuals that gathered at Max Fisher's home – not the office, but the home — for the sole purpose of getting others involved, either through time or money, for an important cause. Those in attendance knew they weren't leaving until the commitment was made. They also knew that Max Fisher wasn’t asking anyone to do something he hadn't already done.

A younger friend of Max Fisher remembered sitting down to lunch with him and Max telling him, "You'e just not giving enough."  

Max Fisher believed in the power of being involved. Commitment.

The quiet brilliance of Max Fisher was how he mentored other leaders in the role of civic leader. Business, political, nonprofit, and religious leaders all learned something important from Max Fisher — the responsibility to serve. The responsibility to get involved with a cause he or she cared about. His ability to be a role model was, in itself, powerful. Max Fisher' role in ensuring that there were others beyond him in the lead or in the wings almost always guaranteed success.

The torch of leadership requires one to hand off and one to receive. A community of progress works to ensure someone is at both ends.

Photograph of Michael Brennan by Dave Krieger

Photograph of Max Fisher (1998) by Monica Morgan Photography