I was a new CEO, making one of my first live TV appearances. Somewhat nervous and wanting to gather my thoughts, I grabbed an espresso-to-go and took a walk down Wall Street before heading to the studio. I strolled through the old cemetery at the historic Trinity Churchâperhaps hoping for a little inspiration from above. Instead, I got something else from on high. A pigeon flew over and dropped a âgiftâ ⦠on my head. Stunned, I stood there in my best pinstriped suit, knowing I was going to be on air in 30 minutes. When I got to the green room at the TV studio, the makeup artist gave me a strange look. âYou wonât believe what happened,â I told her and started to explain. âYouâve got bigger issues than pigeon poop,â she said. âThose bags under your eyes have gotta go.â Opening a drawer, she took out a tube of Preparation H, of all things, and rubbed it under my eyes to reduce the swelling. It was all so absurd, I just started to crack up. And just like that, I was taken out of the moment, and my nervousnes [Black Korn Ferry logo JPG 400.png]() I was a new CEO, making one of my first live TV appearances. Somewhat nervous and wanting to gather my thoughts, I grabbed an espresso-to-go and took a walk down Wall Street before heading to the studio. I strolled through the old cemetery at the historic Trinity Churchâperhaps hoping for a little inspiration from above. Instead, I got something else from on high. A pigeon flew over and dropped a âgiftâ ⦠on my head. Stunned, I stood there in my best pinstriped suit, knowing I was going to be on air in 30 minutes. When I got to the green room at the TV studio, the makeup artist gave me a strange look. âYou wonât believe what happened,â I told her and started to explain. âYouâve got bigger issues than pigeon poop,â she said. âThose bags under your eyes have gotta go.â Opening a drawer, she took out a tube of Preparation H, of all things, and rubbed it under my eyes to reduce the swelling. It was all so absurd, I just started to crack up. And just like that, I was taken out of the moment, and my nervousness was gone. As paradoxical and preposterous as it may sound, that pigeonâs give was really my get. Everywhere we look, there are gifts to be discovered. And itâs up to leaders to help others find theirs. This calls to mind a parable a colleague once told me. A ship out in the middle of the ocean was rocked by a fierce storm. Everyone had to abandon ship. After countless days in a small raft, the captain finally stood on the beach of a deserted island, surrounded by 10 wet, cold, and scared people. The captain reassured them they would be rescued, but in the meantime, the priorities were shelter, fire, and food. As people worked together, the captain climbed a hill above the beach to scan the horizon for signs of a rescue. Instead, he saw 10 more life rafts riding the tide toward the island. Soon there would be 100 more people on the beachâall of them needing help. Calling the group together, the captain told them, âI would like each of you to meet one life raft and assist those people for the next few days until we get rescued.â The group didnât look happy. âHow will we do that?â they asked. âThe same way I did,â the captain said. âReassure them about their future and help them understand what needs to be done now.â âSo, what will you be doing?â another person asked. The captain explained: âItâs my job to help each of you become the leader that your team needs.â Moral of the story: Leadership is not a role, itâs a calling. Itâs the gift of lifting others up. After all, when they see just how far theyâve come, they appreciate how capable they can become. It starts by looking within: Thatâs where we find our gifts. For an individual, it might be creativity; for an organization, it could be collective genius. Once we find them, we then must give our gifts. At the same time, we must continuously grow our gifts.
As Kevin Cashman, our firmâs vice chairman, CEO & Enterprise Leadership, shared with me this week: âGifts are those things that we are uniquely equipped to give to others. They may be characteristics, they may be competencies, they may be knowledge ⦠And when we give them, we make a difference in peopleâs lives.â
So, what are a leaderâs gifts to others? The possibilities are numerous, but letâs unpack a few: Time: Itâs the one thing we canât make more of, but itâs the one thing that matters most. Elevating the Horizon: Contextualizing can be liberating. Encouragement and Recognition: We all want to be seen and heard. Empathy: Itâs not about you, but it starts with youâby walking in othersâ shoes. Belonging and Believing: Inspiring others to believe and enabling that belief to become reality. Indeed, thatâs howâand whenâwe can get, give, and grow our gifts. Weâre pleased to feature our book [Lose the Resume, Land the Job]() â and itâs all about getting ahead and advancing careers. Or, check out [The Five Graces of Life and Leadership](), offering imagery, emotions, and insights that capture the human side of leadership. Regards, Gary Burnison
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