Leaders and Leadership Innovation: Mark Hunter’s Influences

On his interview on yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Mark Hunter discussed his understanding of what it means to be a leader in today’s world. Here, he provides a list of the individuals who have helped to shape his career and point of view:

1. Seth Godin (author of Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us; sethgodin.typepad.com)

Mark describes Godin as an “innovative disruptor in the world of leadership in teams,” adding that “It was intriguing to me, that conversation: why does someone need me to lead them? Why does the individual need to lead? And this premise that leadership depends on each of us being leaders is something that he wonderfully describes in a very concise book that’s well-written and powerful.

“He’s been a big influencer of mine—I’ve read all his books; I subscribe to his blog. I love the conversation about the individual’s importance in a tribe, or in a group, or in a team, and how that individual can be a disruptor and an influencer no matter how big the tribe or team is. And it really is about how we relate to our importance in that team and tribe, and then how importance that is to the team or tribe.”

2. Malcolm Gladwell (www.gladwell.com)

“He has the conversations about how we interact and operate in life that we are not having.”

3. Christopher McAuliffe, CEO and Founder of Accomplishment Coaching (AccomplishmentCoaching.com)

Mark describes McAuliffe as “a great mentor and friend of mine who is an innovator in the world of coaching. I’ve partnered with him for almost ten years now in training coaches to be coaches and training leadership. The mission of the organization is really profound. I love that they are committed to creating leaders on the planet. They are committed to growing leadership; to helping current leaders become leaders; to helping people who want to become leaders learn about leadership; putting more trained coaches out there in the world, to help organizations and individuals and groups. That’s something that I’m committed to personally and professionally, and my partnership with him and that organization has been a huge influencer of mine.”

4. The Economist magazine (Economist.com)

“My favorite resource for world financial, political and social news: non-partisan, insightful and not over-opinionated.”

5. Thich Nhat Hanh (Twiiter: @thichnhathanh)

“A Buddhist monk and profound philosopher who has been a huge influencer of mine in his writing about leadership and power.”