THE WORLD ACCORDING TO FRANCES HESSELBEIN

AbstractThe author relates stories about his friendship with Frances Hesselbein, and how he was mentored by her. The major segment of the article is about the creation of the Frances Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Pittsburgh, where the author had a long career. He writes: “Frances continues to have a profound impact on my thinking today. One of her big ideas called for carrying a big basket. Frances explained it was important to adopt and adapt a given idea. This concept has become part of my DNA.” Frances’s leadership ideas are further explored, including the following, as related by the author: “Another big idea I learned from Frances was the need to establish a common language leading to a common vision resulting in common ground.”