power to see ourelves

The Power to See Ourselves

Paul J. Brouwer

Harvard Business Review

No. 64602

HBRNOVEMBER–DECEMBER 1964

The Power to See OurselvesPaul J. Brouwer

A psychological fact is that manager development feel, or otherwise perceive, is influenced by how wemeans change in the manager’s self-concept. Each of us, see ourselves. For example:whether we realize it or not, has a self-image. We seeourselves in some way—smart, slow, kindly, well-inten-

A businessman, who had traveled in many partstioned, lazy, misunderstood, meticulous, or shrewd; weall can pick adjectives that describe ourselves. This is the of the world, was incorrigibly curious about the cus-‘‘I’’ behind the face in the mirror, the ‘‘I’’ that thinks, toms, speech, local places of interest, history, anddreams, talks, feels, and believes, the ‘‘I’’ that no one traditions of any place he visited. However, on aknows fully. In this article we will explore the meaning one-week visit to London—his first—on a delicateof the self-image, particularly in relation to changing be- mission for his company, he might just as well havehavior in growing managers, and how changes in self- been in Indianapolis for all he learned of Englishconcept come about.

ways of life. Being on a business trip, he saw himselfOne reason this self-concept is crucial is that it has aas a businessman, and actually perceived little ofgreat deal to do with manager development—with beingwhat was around him. But as a vacationer in Londona growing person and eventually realizing one’s self-poten-he would have seen England in depth, because hetial. Note the term manager development rather thanwould have seen himself coming to London for thatmanagement development; the purpose of such develop-

ment is to help individual managers to grow. After all, purpose.they have to do most of the job themselves. As a memberof a firm of consulting psychologists to management, I

Photographers often slip a reddish filter over thecan report that fact from experience—and add the furtherlens when snapping pictures of clouds on black andobservation that no one can tell managers exactly howwhite film. The filter prevents some of the light raysto grow. Rather, the most one can do is to help managers

understand themselves in their own situations, and then from reaching the film, so that the final picturetrust them to find the best directions themselves. shows much darker skies and more sharply whitened

clouds. The self-concept is like a filter that screensout what we do not want to hear and see, passesFilters for Realitythrough what we do want to see and hear. In thereverse direction, it gives an idiosyncratic flavor toIn the first place, the self-concept is importantour behavior. Don’t we all usually pick our name outbecause everything we do or say, everything we hear,of a jumble of words on a page? Or hear our nameannounced at an airport amidst all of the other

Author’s note: This article is drawn from material that will appearannouncements that we fail to hear? This is calledas a chapter in Managers for Tomorrow, to be published in 1965selective listening, and it is a function of our self-by The New American Library of World Literature, Inc., New

York. concept. Thus, how we see ourselves determines gen-

Copyright q 1964 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.

erally what we react to, what we perceive, and, in ago. Technically, she isn’t exactly the same today asshe was even yesterday. For one thing, she is onebroad terms, how we behave in general.

And this shows up in business situations too. day older. She has learned something new, howevernegligible, that becomes incorporated in her apper-Imagine two executives, A and B, in identical situa-

tions. Each calls in a subordinate and delegates an ceptive mass. As a result, her perception of today’sevents is different, however slightly and unde-assignment. The italicized words below give partial

indications of their self-concepts. Executive A says: tectably, from what it was yesterday. She may havehad nothing ‘‘significant’’ happen to her—no promo-tion, no accident, no soul-searching upset—but she‘‘Tom, I’m concerned about our relations with thewill be different, even though only a person withXYZ Company. Its purchases from us have fallen offSolomon’s wisdom would know it. Change in behav-lately and rather abruptly. You know our historyior is constant.with it. Will you investigate and find out the cause

The difficulties managers have in thinking aboutof the reduced volume? Let me know if you run intochanges in behavior come from their inability to de-anything you don’t understand.’’tect change, and from fuzzy thinking behind suchcomforting, though fallacious, notions as, ‘‘You can’tExecutive A is confident of her ability to handleteach an old dog new tricks,’’ ‘‘He was born thatthe situation. She sees herself as unthreatened, ableway,’’ or ‘‘She’s been like that ever since I’ve knownto cope with whatever Tom’s investigation discloses,her.’’and willing to delay action until the facts are gath-

On the other hand, sometimes superficial behaviorered and studied.changes are erroneously thought to be basic. For ex-Executive B, on the other hand, says:ample, consider the simplest level of change in be-havior, which is brought about by increased‘‘Jane, the XYZ Company has cut back its pur-knowledge or skill:chases from us for the third month in a row. We’ve

got to get on this and quick. Now, you go visit it. IThe newly appointed foreman learns his new du-wish I could but I’m tied down here. Talk to the

ties, dons a white shirt, delegates jobs he used to dopurchasing agent—uh, what’s her name again? Uhhimself, and learns to participate in his superinten-. . . (shuffling papers) . . . here it is . . . Bailey, Seedent’s meetings. His company provides him withBailey. Oh . . . and you’d better see the chief engi-instruction through manuals, books, conferences,neer, a nice guy . . . named . . . uh . . . his namesessions with his boss, and management trainingslips me for the moment . . . you can get it fromcourses. He joins the National Foremen’s Associa-Bailey. But don’t go near Sam Awful—he’ll cover uption, attends lectures, and may even be sent to a two-whatever’s happening anyway, and might use yourweek seminar at the local university. He learns muchvisit as a sign we’re scared of old XYZ. I’ve got toand becomes suitably skillful in discharging his newhave some answers on this one, Jane. The boss is onfunctions. This new way of life changes the fore-my neck but good. So. . . .’’man’s behavior, of course; but only peripherally, justas living in a new house does not basically alter theExecutive B is obviously less confident. He feelsmarriage relation. He knows more, sees more, hasthreatened by the situation. He doesn’t trust Janemore and better skills.to use her own common sense—as indicated by his

explicit ‘‘do’’s and ‘‘don’t’’s—probably because heIf companies do want such ‘‘simple-level’’ changes,himself lacks confidence.

and only these, then management training is calledfor. The new zone manager learns the policy manual,Continuing Changesand the new vice president of manufacturing learns

Although the self-concept is important in under- how the company’s controller figures costs. Thesestanding human behavior generally, it becomes criti- specific learnings are the objectives of training, andcally so in understanding manager development, can become changes in behavior produced by train-where changes in behavior are the objective. As a ing.matter of cold, hard, psychological fact, a change inbehavior on the job, for better or worse, means a Keystone for Growthchange in self-concept. Thus, we are dealing with animmensely and immediately practical consideration. If, however, a company wants growth in the deeper

sense, then something more subtle and basic in itsHuman beings constantly change their behavior,as we see if we examine ourselves (and others) criti- impact is called for in the manager development ef-

fort. Such deeper growth is, of course, a change incally enough. It is a superficial observation to saythat so-and-so is the same person she was five years self-concept. Managers who once were unreliable in

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW November–December 1964 3

their judgment or who lacked drive grow toward re- tion, the psychological discomfort, the basic conflictin self-concepts, may show in his or her behavior—liability in judgment or toward stronger drive.

Growth in this sense brings observable changes in being unduly critical of business associates (or subor-dinates) who will not follow this example and giveoutward behavior, because each person is now in-

wardly different—different, for example, in self-per- up their family life during the week; resenting thechildren, who blithely go about their own activitiesception, in attitude toward job and company as both

relate to his or her own life, or in a feeling of responsi- on the weekend, ignoring their parents. And if bychance the teen-age child develops any emotionalbility for others.

But experience shows that such growth is as diffi- problems which are ascribed to ‘‘parental neglect,’’our person really hits the ceiling! ‘‘Neglect? Howcult to achieve as it is desirable. It demands the full-

fledged participation of the manager. Actually the can that be? Haven’t I given my children every week-end?’’trite expression, ‘‘Management development is self-

development,’’ is psychologically sound. GrowingIn the deeper sense, conflicts lie behind many self-managers change because they want to and because

concepts, but it is beyond our scope to explore them.they have to in response to new insights and under-In an individual case, this is a matter for professionalstandings gained on the job. They do not changestudy and expert handling. By definition, effective,because they are told to, exhorted to, or because itconsistent behavior is integrated behavior, while un-is the thing to do.integrated behavior is the behavior of conflict.Such growth implies changes within people—in

how they use their knowledge, in the ends to whichUnrealism in Self-conceptthey apply their skills, and, in short, in their view

of themselves. The point is clear that growing people In addition to conflicts between self-concepts asexamine themselves; and as they do so, they emerge a cause of ineffective behavior, there is the crucialwith new depths of motivation, a sharper sense of matter of disparity between ‘‘how I see myself’’ anddirection, and a more vital awareness of how they ‘‘how others see me.’’ Unrealistic self-appraisal haswant to live on the job. Growth in this sense is per- cost many a manager his or her job. Think of peoplesonalized and vital. And such growth in self-concept you know who have been fired, eased out, or movedis at the heart of a real manager development effort. laterally because they no longer ‘‘seemed up to the

But growth in self-concept is not always simple job.’’ Has there not been in many such cases theand clear. subtle flavor of unadaptability, of a rigid inability in

a manager to adjust his or her sights to a new roleas times have changed?Conflicts in Self-concept

Most familiar are the unnecessarily tragic cases ofEach human being is several selves, living comfort- those who cannot grow old gracefully. Next are those

ably in the role of father or mother, husband or wife, uncounted misfits who fail through lack of realisticbusiness person, president, golfer, bridge player, the insight into their true worth. For example, take thelife of the party, and so on. But if there are conflicts good vice president who flunks as president becauseamong any of these roles, then discomfort arises. he never realized his inability to endure the rigorsAnd such conflict brings with it such dynamics as of being top person. There are endless instances oftension, guilt feelings, and compensation. Let us il- failures owing to a disparity between ‘‘who I am’’lustrate with a familiar example: and ‘‘who I think I am.’’

Unfortunately, not only outright failure may comeA person sees him- or herself both as a good parent from disparities in self-concept; more insidious is

and a good business person. As a parent, he or she the effect of partial or fuzzy self-appraisal. In fact, ifspends time with the children; but as a business per- the proposition is right that realism in the individu-son, the time demands can be overwhelming. Now al’s self-view has a one-to-one relationship with ef-what can be done? It obviously is not possible to be fectiveness on the job, then it surely follows that allhome most evenings with the family and also be of us can improve our effectiveness by the simpleout of town on necessary business trips. Both self- expedient of developing a more realistic, more accu-concepts cannot be realized simultaneously. So what rate self-concept!happens? The business gets the time Monday In short, the more realistic one’s view of oneself,through Friday, and the family gets the weekends. the more guaranteed is personal effectiveness. Here

This seems like an easy resolution. What, then, is is an example that underscores this point:the problem? The person in our example has hadto modify both self-concepts and may feel deeply George H., the vice president of sales for a $50-

million company with a staff of 250 sales and servicedissatisfied with such a necessity. So the dissatisfac-

4 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW November–December 1964

people, was in serious organizational trouble. The who is able to make a contribution to the ‘‘mix’’ ofkey executives. Consequently, many companies, ingroup had increased in size so rapidly that it had

long since outgrown its organizational pattern. There selecting their handpicked future executives, feed in‘‘trainees’’ with liberal arts degrees. They are lookingwere constant complaints such as: ‘‘Whom do I work

for?’’ ‘‘Nobody knows whether I’m doing well or for the people, not their knowledge or special skills.By the same token, as the young people grow, it ispoorly.’’ ‘‘We haven’t any system to follow in service

to customers.’’ The executives under George tried their self-concept that will change and come moreinto line with what they are becoming in relation tovaliantly to do twice and three times as much as

they had always done. The situation was, frankly, a their potential. It is on the basis of their self-conceptthat young people emerge as top executives. To twistmess.

George as a person was well liked and respected. an old adage, it isn’t what you know that finallycounts; it’s who you are.He was democratic, attentive to others, soft-spoken,

unlikely to ‘‘order,’’ always likely to ‘‘suggest,’’ andunsure of himself as an administrator. In general he Natural Resistancewas a person who saw himself as a stimulator andcoordinator of his people, an excellent personal sales- But there is still one big question to answer. If

changes in the self-concept of the executive are desir-person, but not a supervisor. Somehow he had com-pletely missed sensing that his people waited for able, just what brings them about? In fact, are

changes in self-concept possible? Of course changesdirections from him. He felt that a sensible districtsales manager should know what to do. His own are possible, but there is one obvious block to growth.

Even when executives want to change, the lurkingperception of himself and his people’s perception ofhim as vice president of sales were poles apart. suspicion that such effort is futile tends to vitiate

the process of change. Faint mutterings of self-dis-The impasse was breached when an outsider onwhom George relied heavily (and who also had the content tend to get quashed by the notion that ‘‘an

old dog can’t learn new tricks.’’ And the basic com-confidence of the top people in the department) fi-nally told him bluntly, ‘‘George, your people are wait- fort of the status quo seems to outweigh the value

of the new mode of behavior.ing for you to clear the air. They’ll follow anyorganizational plan you want them to. This step only One reason for such feelings of resistance is that,

psychologically, the mature person resists change.you can take. They respect you and want your leader-ship. They value you. Don’t ask them; tell them, for By definition, the self-concept is an organization or

patterning of attitudes, habits, knowledge, drives,goodness’ sake, how you’re going to organize theiractivities.’’ and the like. And also, by definition, the fact of orga-

nization means a cementing together of all theseGeorge tried to integrate this new dimension intohis self-concept. At first, he swung to one extreme complex components.

For example, people who for many years have beenand ‘‘got tough’’: He made explicit, directive de-mands; he swore; he told everybody, in effect, ‘‘I want highly and aggressively competitive cannot, except

with difficulty, either suddenly or gradually becomewhat I want when I want it—and that’s right now!’’But soon he abandoned his pretense and absorbed insightfully cooperative; they will still tend to see

themselves as needing to surpass others. They retaininto his self-concept the new ‘‘take-charge’’ aspectof his functioning. He defined an organizational plan, a pattern, a consistency, and basic characteristics;

and in this sense resist change. Indeed, this is a goodset up policies and procedures which sorted out salesand service duties, discussed them fully with all in- thing, or we still would all be going through the

throes of ‘‘finding ourselves’’ as we did as adoles-volved, and said, in effect, ‘‘This is it. Let’s go.’’cents.

When mature people change, therefore, they do soThis example is, of course, an oversimplification;it highlights the fact that disparity in perception can against a natural resistance; but whether this resis-

tance is a deeply stabilizing influence that helpsreduce managerial effectiveness. What George sawhimself to be in the office of vice president of sales them to retain their basic direction and character, or

whether it is a cocoon that makes them unreachable,precluded his seeing the needs of his people. Andthis blind spot nearly cost him prolonged chaos, if is a moot question. Resistance, though built in, may

thus be either a roadblock or a gyroscope.not the loss of his job.Finally, it is manifestly clear that change in self- We have noted that changes in the self-concept of

executives are ‘‘gut-level,’’ not peripheral. They areconcept as a function of executive growth has a pay-off. Recall situations where a critical appointment changes in perception and attitude and understand-

ing, not changes in knowledge or experience or skills.has to be made. Who gets the nod? Usually it is theone who as a person is thought to have potential and So our exploration of how change occurs must in-


clude those factors which seem to operate more Self-expectationdeeply within the individual and which polarize new

As individuals raise their sights for themselves, asdirections and behaviors. We are looking for those

they get insights into the direction in which theybasic vital factors which, as they operate, really

want to grow, as they ‘‘see’’ themselves in a particularchange people beyond their power of dissimulation

respect they do not like, then they are changing theiror pretense. This is change in the fundamental

self-expectations. (This is the next step.) New de-makeup of people, not change in their apparel. When

mands on themselves are set up, not by anyone else,such changes occur, the person is different.

just by themselves. This is another way of sayingwhat the theologians insist on, namely, that a convic-tion of sin precedes salvation. Or, as the psycholo-

Steps to Maturity gists put it, first accept the fact that you have theproblem—not anyone else—and then you are ready

Let us be clear about one point. Growth does not to find a solution. Here are two cases that illustrateproceed in clear-cut, discrete, logical steps. Some- the importance of self-expectation through insight:times it occurs in inexplicable spurts; at other times,

Mary D. was a chronic complainer. Nothing waswith agonizing slowness. There are cases where realever her fault. She frequently and self-pityingly in-learning is so deeply unconscious that no overt be-veighed against her boss, her subordinates, her peers,havior change shows up for a long time. Even regres-and the competition. She was capable, knowledge-sions will occur, as when an adolescent, perhapsable, a hard worker, critical. And never once, whentroubled by a day’s activities, will sleep with a specialshe sang the old refrain, ‘‘Why does this always hap-blanket as he or she did at age six. The process ofpen to me?’’ did an inner voice whisper back, ‘‘It’sgrowth is a nebulous, multifactored, fluid, dynamicno different for you, old girl, than for anyone else.process, often astounding, and usually only partiallyIt’s just the way you take it.’’controllable.

Efforts by her boss and her friends to develop someBut for the sake of discussion, and understanding,insight in Mary seemed wasted. Logical explana-we can postulate a sequence of steps.tions, patiently made, were of course futile. Angertoward her only proved to her she was picked on.Self-examinationGentle tolerance only gave her a bigger pool to wal-

If we were to attempt a systematic analysis of what low in.happens when growth in managers occurs, we would One day in a meeting of executives to find answersneed to begin with self-examination. For here indi- to a particular crisis that had hit everyone (an unex-viduals first know that they don’t know or first get pected price slash by a major competitor), she heldan inkling that they wish their behavior were differ- forth at length on the uselessness of market research,ent in some respect. They are forced, either by cir- on the futility of keeping a ‘‘pipeline’’ on the compet-cumstance or their own conscious introspection, to itor’s situation, on how her department (sales)look at themselves critically. This is what happens couldn’t be blamed for not anticipating the vagarieswhen golfers see movies of their swing, or when a of the competition’s pricing policy, and so on. Sheparent scolds a child by saying, ‘‘Just look at your- finally stopped. And, as though by prearrangement,self—all dirty.’’ Or when the supervisor’s thickly the whole group, perhaps in complete disgust at herveiled anger over a subordinate’s sloppy work finally immaturity and irrelevance, sat in stony silence.becomes known. People see themselves every time At length the silence became so oppressive that itthey look in the mirror, but do they really examine suddenly dawned on the complainer that she waswhat they see? Do they appraise and evaluate and just that—an immature complainer. She recalled thestudy what manner of people they are? words of her colleagues and her own dim awareness

The function of self-examination is to lay the that she did complain a lot. Insight finally occurred.groundwork for insight, without which no growth At long last she was ready to begin to grow out ofcan occur. Insight is the ‘‘oh, I see now’’ feeling which her immaturity. She saw (and disliked) herself at thismust, consciously or unconsciously, precede change point. Now her growth could become self-directed;in behavior. Insights—real, genuine glimpses of our- she could easily find many opportunities to quashselves as we really are—are reached only with diffi- feelings of self-pity and to face reality in a moreculty and sometimes with real psychic pain. But they stateswomanlike fashion, because now she expectedare the building blocks of growth. Thus self-examina- more stateswomanlike attitudes of herself.tion is a preparation for insight, a groundbreakingfor the seeds of self-understanding which gradually Pete B., age 58, was vice president of engineering

of a company that made fine-quality capital goodsbloom into changed behavior.


equipment. He had been with his company 35 years. and automation procedures. His growth began witha new self-expectation.He was a good engineer, who knew the product inside

out; and through the years he had learned to knowthe customers, too. He felt proud of and personally Change in Self-expectationinvolved in each installation of the product. It was

How do people get a new self-demand, a new self-not unusual to see him on an evening, coatless andexpectation? How do they find out that their self-with his tie loose, perched on a stool before a draftingconcept is inadequate? How do people know not onlyboard, surrounded by young engineers, digging at athat they can be different but should be as well?tough installation problem. While some thoughtUnfortunately for those who like recipes or formulas,Pete did too much himself, others felt that with himsuch questions are perennially bothersome becauseon the job the customer would be satisfied.there is no one best way.About four years ago, however, the president,

What can be done to stimulate change in self-ex-whose family owned the company, sold it to a largepectation besides honest, realistic, self-appraisingcorporation, and the company became a whollyintrospection? In the business context, the construc-owned subsidiary. One allied product line was ac-tive pointing up of executives’ needs for growth byquired, then another. Finally Pete’s department wastheir superiors is a tremendous source of insight. Theasked to do the engineering work for several subsidi-emphasis, of course, is on the word constructive,aries that were not set up to do their own.which means helpful, insightful ideas from the supe-Now Pete’s job had changed, subtly but surely, andrior and not, as so often happens, a ceremonial, judg-trouble began to brew for Pete because he couldn’tmental, ‘‘I’ll tell you what I think about you’’seem to change with the situation.appraisal.Psychologically, Pete saw himself as a one-person

A further source of insight is husbands and wives—department (with assistants as trainees) who person-the perceptive ones, that is. Perceptive ones haveally engineered the product for the customer, hisunique ways of jerking spouses up short when theirfriend. He resisted the impersonality of working onself-images become distorted.engineering problems of ‘‘sister companies’’ whose

In fact, anything which enables people to get a newcustomers and products he barely knew and caredperception—reading, observing, studying, going toless about. The new fangled system of a ‘‘home of-conferences, attending meetings, and participatingfice’’ engineering vice president who was ‘‘staff’’in clubs—can provide insight into themselves. Outseemed to him just another unnecessary complica-of insight comes change in self-expectation.tion. Nothing worked the way it used to. He saw

And, of course, life situations which are kaleido-himself bypassed by progress and change.scopic always enable perceptive people to see them-So, unconsciously, he began to resist and to fight.selves in a new light. Here is another example:His yearning for the ‘‘good old days’’ subconsciously

forced him to run faster and faster in order to knowmore customers and more product lines; to work Katherine W. was acutely self-critical, often to themore evenings; to press new systems into the form point where her fear of failure immobilized her. Sheof old procedures. And, of course, he began to slip, delayed decisions, fussed endlessly with details, andand badly. Gradually, Pete was viewed by his superi- generally strained to be perfect. In time her relationors as ‘‘good old Pete, but let’s not get him in on this with the psychologist, who genuinely accepted hermatter or he’ll have to take it over himself and we’ll without criticism, praise, blame, or hostility, enabledget bogged down,’’ and by his subordinates as a fine her to ‘‘see’’ how her self-critical attitudes reallyfellow, but stodgy and old-fashioned. stemmed from her self-pride. She felt she had to be

Fortunately, before the situation compelled a perfect because it was ‘‘safer’’ to be free from criti-major organizational shift, Pete took stock of his cism and failure. But she finally ‘‘rejoined the humansituation, and really saw himself as he was. He got race’’ and demanded of herself only that she do herthe insight that his self-image of a kind of personal best. The insight that she was human after all freedengineer was no longer applicable to the corpora- her to change her self-expectations.tion’s greatly expanded needs. And right then, withthis new glimpse of himself (and the courage and Self-directionself-honesty to face it), he began to change. He startedby focusing on how his years of experience could be People are masters of their own destiny in the

sense that they take charge of their own developmentapplied to the coaching of his subordinates. He puthimself in the shoes of the staff vice president and if they want to grow. Nothing can be done to them

to make them grow; they grow only as they want tocould then see how to mesh gears better. Then hestopped resisting the new fangled data processing and as their own insights enable them to.


The changes in self-concept that executives un- view.’’ The former production supervisor, now a vicepresident, is derided by the people in sales for hisdergo must continue primarily through their own

self-direction. It is clear that many development pro- attitude of ‘‘We’ll make it at low cost; it’s up to youto sell it, and don’t bother me with special runs forgrams miss their mark badly at this point. They make

the naive assumption that exposure to experiences special customers or model changes—sell ’em.’’ Bothpeople suffer from constraint of the self-concept:or people or books or courses is enough to produce

growth. Not so. They effect change in the partici- they perceive their jobs (and themselves) too nar-rowly. For instance:pants only as they reach out and appropriate some-

thing—a bit of wisdom, a new idea, or a newA vice president of sales was brought in from out-concept—that stretches them, and gives them an-

swers to their own self-generated problem. side the company to gear up the effort of merchandis-ing a new line of products. He did a magnificent job,Put another way, we might say that, just as learn-

ing is impossible without motivation, so real execu- old pro that he was, of shaping up and vitalizing asales force. Volume of sales picked up excellently,tive development is impossible unless executives

seek it. Furthermore, the strength of their desire is and he was the hero of the hour.But after a year, when he felt on top of his job,infinitely stronger if they seek development because

they want to develop than if they are merely trying some of his attitudes and habits reasserted them-selves, annoying others and stalling progress. For in-to please their bosses or do what is expected of them.

As any teacher knows, the pupils who listen and stance, he persisted in making frequent referencesto his former (and larger) company. He climbed onlearn merely in order to pass the course are far poorer

learners than those who want to learn. manufacturing for delivery delays, and on researchand engineering for perfectionism before releasingFundamentally, this is the age-old problem of mo-

tivation, of keeping steam up in the boiler. The main- the specifications for what he felt were needed prod-uct changes. The time it took to explain to him,tenance of a growing edge, as executives emerge from

insight to insight to realize their potential, is a con- pacify him, and argue with him was ill-spent andfutile. He was rapidly becoming a block in the pathsequence of intrinsic motivation. They are driven

toward unrealized objectives, perhaps toward unreal- of progress.One day the president approached him directly.izable goals.

After developing insight into themselves in rela- ‘‘George,’’ said the president, ‘‘what’s your title?’’‘‘Why,’’ said George, puzzled, ‘‘vice president oftion to what they want to be, the power that keeps

executives growing is the veritable necessity of doing sales.’’‘‘Right. And what does vice president mean tothings that to them are intrinsically, basically, and

lastingly worthwhile. Growing executives are so be- you?’’George paused. What was the president getting at?cause they derive their strength and desire and drive

from inner, unachieved goals; and their satisfactions ‘‘Well,’’ he said, ‘‘it means a lot of things, I guess.Responsibility for sales, building a. . . .’’from self-realization. This is intrinsic motivation as

it relates to self-concept. ‘‘Stop right there,’’ interrupted the president. ‘‘Re-sponsibility for sales, you say. True in a way. Butsales managers also have this responsibility, don’tBroadened perceptionsthey?’’

‘‘Well, yes.’’The dynamics of this factor of growth are veryclear: people must see themselves in relation to their ‘‘Then what do the words vice president mean in

your title?’’environment, both personal and impersonal, andmust develop their image of themselves partly in ‘‘Oh, I see. . . . Well, I guess they mean seeing or

having responsibility for the sales function of theresponse to what they see around them. So if theysee a very small world (as a child does), their concept company from the point of view of the company . . .

that part of your office.’’of themselves must necessarily be narrow; if theyseem themselves as citizens of the world (as a world ‘‘You got my point before I mentioned it, George,’’

said the president. ‘‘Vice presidents speak from thetraveler might), their self-concept embraces theworld. This is the difference between the real provin- company point of view, not just of their departments.

They try to keep the overall good of the company incial, such as a hillbilly, and the true sophisticate.A most common complaint of superiors is that mind.’’

George thought this conversation over. He got thesubordinates are too narrow in their outlooks. Forexample, the sales manager promoted to vice presi- point. He realized the narrowness of his own view.

He had been thinking of himself as ‘‘on loan’’ fromdent of sales irritates her peers in manufacturingor research by having ‘‘only a salesperson’s point of his former employer to straighten things out here. As


he pondered the president’s comments, he broadened sense, the self-concept of the strong executive is aconstantly evolving, changing thing as they continu-his perception of job—and of himself. And sometime

later he began to act as an office of the total company. ously realize themselves. This is, indeed, genuinegrowth and the kind that continues until senescencesets in.Self-realization Power

Can all people aspire to be this strong—to accom-plish such a self-realization? Of course not. But grow-It is not enough, however, just to see ourselves

as we are now. Such understanding is a necessary ing people (by definition) have unrealized power iftheir self-concept, their self-expectation, their self-starting point, or basis on which to build. But we

must also see what our real selves could be, and grow direction, and their constantly broadening percep-tions (wisdom) allow them to find it. The differenceinto that.

The strong people of history have had one psycho- between a strong person and a weak person may notbe a difference in ability, for many clerks have keenlogical characteristic in common: they seem always

to have been themselves as persons— intelligence; or in drive, for many ambitious peopleget nowhere; or in opportunity, for somehow, strongpeople make opportunity. No, the difference lies in

. . . Beethoven, continuing to compose after heself-concept. How much do I value my life? What do

became deaf;I want to do with it? What must I do to be myself?

. . . Milton, who didn’t allow blindness to inter-Strong people have emerged with clear-cut answers

fere with his writing;to such questions; weak ones equivocate and tempo-

. . . Keller, becoming a lecturer on opportunitiesrize and never dare.

for the handicapped despite being both deaf andThus growth, finally, is the evolvement of personal

blind.goals and the sense of venture in pursuing them. Thisis the meaning of dedicated people. Their personal

Such people have given meaning to the phrase, goals, their company goals, and their job goals havecoincidence to a great extent; and their personal‘‘fulfilling one’s destiny.’’

In less dramatic form, strong executives fulfill power is directed singlemindedly toward seeingthemselves in relation to the fulfillment of their ex-themselves as they live lives that are an unfolding

of their potential. They must be themselves. In this ecutive potential.


power to see ourelves

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