Inspired by Chengdu: Journey (Post 2 of 4)

This is the second post in the series "Inspired by Chengdu: Adopting the Leadership Personality of a Design Thinker."  

I live in the American southwest, in the majestic red rocks near Zion National Park. It is a landscape that inspires and reminds me daily what can be accomplished when diverse forces come together in a common goal.

The growth taking place in our world today is exciting and challenging. My last visit to southern China was just months before the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake. My family, and so many others around the world, shared deep empathy and love for the people of China during that time - much as the world did with us after September 11. Their resilience and persistence in re-envisioning and rebuilding is inspirational.

In the spirit of inspirational paths, we are going to embark on a short journey together. On this journey, we shall explore the leadership personality of design thinkers, consider how we can each develop our own authentic voice, and begin to see why this approach is timely and practical for today’s world of explosive growth and complex challenges.  

Every journey begins with a first step. Let’s begin. 

Please close your eyes. In your mind, picture the world as you would like it to be. Land. Food. Air. Water. Is it a peaceful place? Are people happy?    

From that elevated viewpoint, zoom in to observe the city or town in which you live.  How does it look?  What are the things that strike you as important or missing?  

Now, zoom in still further to view your neighborhood. Picture where you live. How you live. How do you feel about it?  Does what you see and feel make you smile?  

Now consider your neighbors. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment.  How would they answer these questions?  

[pause]

OK. Please open your eyes.

Welcome back.  

Now that you have visited the world as you would like it to be, and considered how others feel about it, let’s consider the following questions:  

1) How does what you pictured in your mind compare to what you know to be true in the world today? In your city? In your neighborhood?  

2) How did you feel about that world when you put yourself in your neighbor’s shoes?  Did new perspectives emerge about the ways in which your neighbor sees this world?

This simple exercise is a powerful tool anyone can use to begin solving difficult problems. What makes it so powerful?  The answer is simple: empathy.  

Empathy is the intellectual identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.”  Empathy is foundational to effective leadership, for without empathy, a leader is incapable of understanding the perspectives of others, including those he or she desires to lead.  Empathy is also the foundational element in design thinking: the way trained designers approach problems and develop creative solutions.  

Empathy, then, is the the connection point between practicing effective leadership and developing creative, solution-driven strategies.  As we gathered in Chengdu last week to discuss healthy urban growth, I asked the audience to consider their personal relationship with empathy.  In follow up, I offer you an opportunity to begin to explore how you might adopt the leadership traits of design thinking to meet complex challenges.

We'll continue our journey in the next post in our series "Inspired by Chengdu."  See you soon!