This presentation examines leadership through the lens of L. Frank Baum’s ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. The reader will learn that a leader’s success is dependent upon a belief in oneself, having a goal for a better future, wisdom, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to take action. Throughout this presentation you will learn that developing these combined capabilities is a journey, a road filled with difficulties and obstacles. Baum’s fantasy provides a platform for leaders and students of leadership to reflect and gain perspective on their own journey down the yellow brick road of leadership.

1. The Yellow Brick
Road of Leadership
Jonathan Stutz
@jmstutz (Twitter)

2. Let’s start here…
• If you could select among these leadership attributes and only
have one, which would you choose and why? Why are they
important?
• Confidence and determination
• Vision: a goal for a better future
• Brains: intelligence developed into wisdom
• Heart: empathy and compassion
• Courage: commitment transferred to action
ACTION: Select one and write it down now

3. Do you have everything you need?
• Among the listed leadership attributes below, what
attributes, if any, are missing?
• Why are they important?
• Confidence and determination
• Vision: a goal for a better future
• Brains: intelligence developed into wisdom
• Heart: empathy and compassion
• Courage: commitment transferred to action

4. The power you hold within
• Glinda warns Dorothy, “Keep
tight inside of them – their
magic must be very
powerful, or she wouldn’t
want them so badly!”
• “When I gain those ruby
slippers, my power will be
the greatest in Oz!” – The
Wicked Witch of the West

5. The Power Within:
Confidence and Determination
• “Nothing in the world can take the
place of Persistence.
• Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men
with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a
proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts.
• Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent. The slogan
'Press On' has solved and always
will solve the problems of the
human race.”- Calvin Coolidge

6. The Power Within:
Confidence and Determination
• “One cannot teach a man anything. One can only enable
him to learn from within himself” - Galileo
• Christopher Robin to Pooh bear, “Promise me you’ll always
remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger
than you seem, and smarter than you think” - Milne

7. Dorothy’s Goal:
“There’s no place like home”
• Clarity of purpose: I want to go
home
• Commitment and the power of
repetition:
• Tell everyone about your goal
• Driving commitment requires
repetition
• Authentically engage your
followers in the adventure
• Take the time to understand
your follower’s goals – What’s in
it for me? (WIIFM)

8. Dorothy leads through a participative
leadership style
• Relations-oriented
• Achieve the tasks
• Implement the changes
• Benefits of Participative
Leadership
• Higher decision quality
• Higher decision acceptance
• Greater satisfaction with the
decision process
• Greater development of decision-
making skills

9. Leaders – Nature vs. Nurture?
• What is ‘a born leader’?
• Do born leaders exist?
• If so, provide examples.

10. The Scarecrow’s Brains:
Intelligence developed into Wisdom
• Highly reflective thinking
• A capability to reflect in the
moment
• It’s not “thinking”, it’s
“contemplating”
• Listening to followers is a
difficult but important task

11. The Tin Man’s Heart:
Empathy, Compassion and Authenticity
• An ability to motivate and inspire
• Vulnerability-based Trust
• Asking for support is an act of
courage, heart and thoughtfulness
• Having heart is the pinnacle of
susceptibility
• Followers want to see the real you
• Yes, positive leaders have heart,
more importantly, they share their
heart and encourage the hearts of
others

12. How Leaders can Lead with their Heart
1. Connect work to a mission, for example,
to journey to Oz and meet with the
Wizard
2. Connect to your co-workers – build
strong relationships through a shared
experience on the journey
3. Leave no employee behind – inviting
people to participate to achieve your
shared goals

13. How Leaders can Lead with their Heart
4. Insist on work/life balance – such as
taking time for self-care and grooming
before meeting the Wizard of Oz for the
first time
5. Share the wealth (the success)
6. Have more fun – happy employees are
more productive and singing along
journey is fun (“We’re off to see the
wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz”)
7. Believe in the power of each person –
one person can make all the difference

14. Authentic Leadership
• Core Values of Authentic
Leaders:
• Honesty….Altruism…Kindness…Fairness…
Accountability…Optimism
• The traits and characteristics of
heart-centered leadership are:
• High mutual trust
• Transparency (open and honest
communication)
• Guidance toward shared objectives
• Emphasis on follower welfare and
development

15. The Lion’s Courage:
Commitment transferred to Action
• Change management
• Enabling change by taking action when
the risks are apparent and the likelihood
of failure is very real
• We experience courage when our
commitment to change enables us to
overcome our fear of failure
• Perseverance: Leading change against
walls of resistance
• It takes courage to challenge the status
quo and stay the course

16. Let’s end here…where we began
• If you could select among these leadership attributes and only
have one, which would you choose and why?
• Confidence and determination
• Vision: a goal for a better future
• Brains: intelligence developed into wisdom
• Heart: empathy and compassion
• Courage: commitment transferred to action
ACTION: Select one and write it down now.
Did your response change? If so, how and why?

17. Questions?

18. The Yellow Brick Road of Leadership
• Success as a leader depends upon:
• A belief in oneself
• Having a goal for a better future
• Wisdom
• Emotional Intelligence
• A Willingness to Take Action
• Leadership is a Journey, filled with
Difficulties and Obstacles
• Reflect and Gain Perspective on Your Journey

19. References
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20. References, Cont’d
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21. References, Cont’d
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22. References, Cont’d
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