TLP195: A Look Into Mr. Rogers Leadership Style

Jim and Jan watched Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which portrayed a real-life friendship between Mr. Fred Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel. The leadership, moral and philosophical lessons were many, and Jim & Jan recount their favorites. Listen in to hear what Jim & Jan saw as the most important lesson in the movie for leaders – now more than ever.

Key Takeaways

[3:25] Mr. Rogers had the ability to intently listen and demonstrate true caring for the other person.

[4:25] Leadership is the ability to move people emotionally.

[5:55] Jim is not a big fan of active listening. It involves repeating answers back to people. When it comes to listening, he prefers curiosity and asking great questions.

[6:50] Mr. Rogers had a genuine curiosity and took the time to observe people.

[9:55] It’s a gift to be able to share someone’s burden just by listening to them.

[12:10] William Deresiewicz said, “Introspection means talking to yourself, and one of the best ways of talking to yourself is by talking to another person.”

[13:30] If you forgive a jerk at work, they’re just going to keep doing the same thing again. Jan shares why past guest Dr. Tom Morris believes forgiveness is the highest form or moral leadership.

[15:05] The real test of a leader’s effectiveness is when it does not come from a place of legitimate authority.

[17:25] Mr. Rogers was able to break through to the jaded reporter, Lloyd Vogel, by being incredibly giving, tenacious, and present.

[20:20] Many of the bad behaviors we see in the workplace are due to levels of insecurity.

[24:25] If you want to be great, you have to go to the next level of being really caring and understanding for others.

[28:10] Find the good in others. It’s that simple… and that hard.

[28:35] During this crisis, you might find that you do not like who you are. The good news is, you can manage your responses.

[34:00] Humans are wired to come together in crisis, or else we wouldn’t have survived this long.

[35:35] Jim and Jan are excited to hear from you! Reach out and let them know what your ideas are for future shows!

The Leadership Podcast is sponsored by W.S. Darley & Company.

Founded in 1908, Darley remains a family owned and operated business, providing the highest quality equipment solutions to our country’s warfighters and firefighters.

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Quotable Quotes

“One of the greatest gifts we can give is our attention.” Click To Tweet “Good listening is curiosity.” Click To Tweet “Through your actions, you will change that other person. You’re not going to change them by having a conversation with them.” Click To Tweet “Forgiveness is as much for you as it is for the other person.” Click To Tweet “Being good takes work.” Click To Tweet “Anything mentionable is manageable.” Click To Tweet

Additional Resources

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