There’s a book by the name of “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek that I need to finish. In it Mr. Sinek identifies some key principles that I think underscore what Morgan and I have been talking about this week, and will continue to probe next week. Leaders Eat Last makes the following assertion:
"The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own"
According to many experts in the study of historical and modern day leadership personalities and styles, they have found that a great leader always tries to see things from other people’s perspective. They listen. They are compassionate and empathetic when appropriate, as well as directive and decisive as each situational AND INDIVIDUAL constellation of events unfolds. Leadership is not a “one size fits all”. It's more like the jacket the Michael J. Fox puts on in Back to the Future Part 2. Remember how he initially puts it on and it looks like he’s swimming in it? and then, it adjusts itself to his body measurements as he stands there. I think of leadership this way. You have to put it on and take the time to let the role “fit” you. It’s less about skills that are learned, and more about the character traits and emotional intelligence that each of us needs to develop through making mistakes, owning them and working to get better with each day. We’ve got to look under our “hoods” to understand how our engines work and where they NEED work.
Morgan McArthur’s career path has been winding, unconventional and rewarding. He has practiced as a large animal veterinarian in Idaho, mending cattle and horses for 15 years. Was Research & Development Manager at a New Zealand pharmaceutical company for a decade. As if that wasn't enough he has also given keynote/motivational speeches to audiences as small as three people to three thousand and has found a creative niche as a lettering/pinstriping artist. SCIL is one way in which he has enjoyed giving back to his home county as a UW-Madison Extension educator for five years.
Morgan is a co-facilitator in the Sauk County Institute of Leadership (SCIL) program, where participants learn more about themselves, learn a lot about the county and learn leadership skills. He’s also very involved with public art in his hometown of Baraboo. At this stage of his career Morgan knows it’s important to give back to the community and he brings enthusiasm to that mission.