Week 24.15 I See Me in You
My first career was as a professional photographer. I spent four years apprenticing for some of the world's greatest photographers (Denis Piel, a Vogue photographer I worked with for 2 years, currently has a retrospective in Paris). Then, I moved to Paris to continue my photography journey. While I called myself a fashion photographer and shot for fashion magazines and on the runway, I found my greatest joy in my portrait work. I really enjoyed the intimate relationship of working with someone to create their portrait. As my skills improved, I could capture the person as I saw them and how I experienced them. My portraits often highlighted features like serenity, depth, grace, and peaceful joy. Studying my own work and the work of great photographers, I have realized that a similarity runs like a red thread through the images each photographer shoots. Initially, I thought this was each photographer’s style and technique, but I have come to recognize that it is not what we see in the subject so much as the parts of ourselves that they reveal to us. Think about it, we are taking a picture of both of us. How I see the other is informed by how I see myself. This got me thinking about our relationships in and outside work, as with people, we experience a combination of who they are and who we are. This insight has profound implications.
As a photographer I brought my unique perspective to make my work authentic and impactful. From time to time, I would take a portrait of someone famous enough to have different portraits from different photographers over time and each time they sat for photos, they showed up differently. Sometimes, they were funny and lively; other times, haughty and aloof. I sought to find their calm, confident center, which made them solid and approachable. As a leader, being authentic and true to your values helps you build credibility and inspire others. Leading authentically creates a culture of transparency and trust, enabling your team to thrive. And how you show up impacts how you see others and how they show up around you. The culture of a team or a company is directly influenced by how the leaders show up, the example they set, and the behavior they recognize. This is one of the most powerful leadership tools.
My work as a photographer reflected my perspective and biases; a leader's actions and decisions are shaped by their own experiences, values, and beliefs. To be an effective leader, it's crucial to develop a strong sense of self-awareness, seeking to understand how your perspective influences how you perceive and interact with others. As a young photographer, I decided which master photographers I wanted to emulate, and then I worked with them and studied their craft. Eventually, I developed my own style, which I derived from their contribution to my creativity and vision. Leaders can decide how to lead based on what they know and how they want to show up. Great leadership is a choice.
While I was unaware of it at the time, I developed a sense of empathy and connection when I saw a part of myself in my subject. Creating a portrait can be very intimate and collaborative - the subject and the photographer engage in a soft dance of quiet conversation, gentle motion, and deep connection. It is an art both to see others and to be deeply seen. Similarly, great leaders strive to understand and empathize with their team members, seeing situations from their perspective. This allows leaders to build stronger relationships, foster trust, and create a more inclusive and supportive environment. Like a portrait photographer, leaders work to break down resistance through empathy and understanding, and they collaborate toward a common goal.
In life and leadership, understanding how your perspective influences your interactions with those you love and lead is critical to inspiring and empowering your team to achieve great things together. If we look closely, we will see ourselves reflected in others; perhaps they will see the same in us. When we show up and lead authentically, we can create a culture of trust and collaboration that enables everyone to thrive. I hope the lessons I’ve learned from the intimate and collaborative process of portrait photography can guide us as leaders to build stronger relationships, foster understanding, and create an environment where everyone can shine their brightest.
With love, gratitude and wonder.
Scott
Leading a Company That Can Thrive in a Chaotic World by Thomas Buberl, Bill George, Hubert Joly, and Nitin Nohria
Recently, we met with a group of American and European CEOs of major companies to discuss how to lead in the context of the multiple, intersecting crises the world is facing — from geopolitical conflicts to environmental disasters, deepening political and social fractures, disrupted value chains, and disruptive technological change. This challenging context is causing significant stress for these leaders and their employees.
What emerged from our discussion is that leaders need to aim higher than simply withstanding or responding to these seemingly never-ending shocks. Although playing defense may be necessary, it’s not sufficient alone. Leaders must instead ensure their organizations can thrive in this new environment. This article provides six strategies for accomplishing this.
Organizations need leaders with inner strength, character, and a moral compass to thrive in this chaotic new world. Leaders who continually adapt and learn will enable their organizations to navigate these ever-turbulent waters.
The 25 Most Defining Pieces of Furniture From the Last 100 Years: #14. Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck, Madame Dakar Sofa, 2009
When Patrizia Moroso, the creative director of the Northern Italy-based family furniture company that bears her last name, commissioned a show dedicated to the creative prowess and craftsmanship of Africa, a continent that had been historically overlooked by the Western design world, among the works that seized the imagination was the Madame Dakar sofa. Boldly graphic and rendered with both an eye to the future and reverence for the past by the designers Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck, who split their time between New York, Paris, and Dakar, it contributed to the current interest in African design and technique as well as a mania for Afrofuturism. Made in Moroso’s facility in the West African nation, the hand-woven indoor-outdoor piece is constructed by stringing the plastic threads used in fishing nets — in reference to Senegalese traditions — into a herringbone pattern, which is then slung like a hammock over thick, splayed steel legs.
On PBS: A Brief History of the Future with Ari Wallach
"A Brief History of the Future" is a unique six-part PBS documentary series about our futures and how we can reimagine them. Hosted by renowned futurist Ari Wallach, the show invites viewers on a journey around the world filled with discovery, hope, and possibility about where we find ourselves today and what could come next.
This series challenges the dystopian framework embraced by popular culture by offering a refreshing take on the future. The docuseries asks us all: how can we become the great ancestors the future needs us to be? "A Brief History of the Future" weaves together history, science, and unexpected ideas to expand our understanding of the impact our choices today will have on our tomorrow.
Each episode follows those who are working to solve our greatest challenges. The series also features valuable insights from a wide range of thinkers, scientists, developers, and storytellers, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur, musician Grimes, architect Bjarke Ingels, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, legendary soccer player Kylian Mbappé, and more.
Andrew Morgan wrote and directed "A Brief History of the Future," which Zach Morgan of UNTOLD produced. Kathryn Murdoch, Ari Wallach, Wendy Schmidt, and DreamCrew executive produced the series.