As a young teenager, almost on a whim Steven McCrindle walked into a dance studio and, to his complete surprise, discovered a talent for ballet. It was the first thing he was ever passionate aboutâlike finding a second family. Encouraged by an instructor, Steven committed to mastering the craftâa grueling discipline of six days a week, seven in the morning to seven at night. âThat discipline and focus separated people who made it and those who didnât,â Steven told me. âTalent alone did not get you there.â His crowning achievementâa lead role in Swan Lake at the London City Ballet. Today, Steven is our firmâs co-head of Global Asset Management & Alternative Investments. From the moment he sat down with me recently and shared his experiences as a professional ballet dancer, I was absolutely riveted. âWhen youâre on stage, the lights are so bright, you canât see the audience,â he explained. âYou canât even sense their presence.â That comment took me a moment to process. Could anything be more counterintuitiv [Black Korn Ferry logo JPG 400.png]() As a young teenager, almost on a whim Steven McCrindle walked into a dance studio and, to his complete surprise, discovered a talent for ballet. It was the first thing he was ever passionate aboutâlike finding a second family. Encouraged by an instructor, Steven committed to mastering the craftâa grueling discipline of six days a week, seven in the morning to seven at night. âThat discipline and focus separated people who made it and those who didnât,â Steven told me. âTalent alone did not get you there.â His crowning achievementâa lead role in Swan Lake at the London City Ballet. Today, Steven is our firmâs co-head of Global Asset Management & Alternative Investments. From the moment he sat down with me recently and shared his experiences as a professional ballet dancer, I was absolutely riveted. âWhen youâre on stage, the lights are so bright, you canât see the audience,â he explained. âYou canât even sense their presence.â That comment took me a moment to process. Could anything be more counterintuitive to leadership? That said, leadership is an artâone part strategy, two parts judgment, and three parts grace. Long gone are the ballet slippers, but for Steven the show goes on. âItâs been my lifelong journey,â he said. âBallet is all about making the difficult look easy. Thatâs the real art of it.â And with that, Steven was off for an evening of dancing Argentinian tango with his wife ⦠Recently Iâve had numerous conversations, particularly with young colleagues and interns seeking advice as they launch their careers. Theyâre looking for direction in a world in which so much has changed over the last four years. How we live and relate to others. How we produce and consume. How we are entertained. Where, when, and how we work. Itâs a parallel to the parable of recent timesâand a testament to the shifts not only in humanity, but also in organizations throughout the world. So where do we begin? - Humility ⦠to never stop learning
- Hunger ⦠to find our why
- Heart ⦠to give to get
- Hustle ⦠to network, network, network When we find what weâre passionate about, we tap into our purposeâwhy we do what we do. This intrinsic motivation is far more durable than any extrinsic reward. As we network, we foster new relationships and savor new experiences. And as our firmâs psychologists tell us, those experiences we share organically with others are particularly meaningful. This all comes together in learning, to continuously explore and expand our knowledgeâincluding about ourselves. It starts with applying past experiences and lessons learned to new challenges and first-time opportunities. In other words, itâs knowing what to do when we donât know what to do. The more curious we are, the more eagerly we embrace complexity, make fresh connections, and examine problems in new ways. Weâre open to diverse viewpoints, while challenging our preconceived notionsâto move beyond âthis is the way weâve always done things.â Uncomfortable? Sometimes. Transformational? Always. And that brings us back to the moment when Steven first entered the dance studio as a fourteen-year-old. Ballet hadnât been on his mindânor had he really wanted to learn how to dance. Instead, heâd gone there with a friend who had told him about all the interesting people he could meet in that class. The willingness to try something new changed the trajectory of his life. Only with opportunity can we exceed our potential. And thatâs the essence of leadershipâcreating that next path for others ⦠and then being by their side. Indeed, thatâs what should keep us all on our toes. We are pleased to launch [Love, Hope & Leadership: A Special Edition]() â a collection of reflections, with the look and feel of a coffee table book. Through stories and beautiful imagery it captures how we live and lead. [Check it out]() â and we hope you enjoy. Regards, Gary Burnison
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