#1. It's NOT about you - "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves" => good leader shows the way in the dark, great leader shows the way in the dark and commends the team on it - 5 levels of leadership (why people follow you): +they have to +they like you +you deliver +you help them grow +of who you are and what you represent - "The best leaders don't create more followers, they create more leaders" => firstly teach the team rule #2 #2. It's ONLY about you - "I couldn't change others until I change myself" => try looking within for the answer to change. e.g. meditating - "If we want to bring about change in those around us it starts with our behaviors, with who we are; because the environment that we create around us is simply a reflection of our thinking and of our behaviour" => focus on the environment we are creating. e.g. does my environment attract success?
Please can you do me a favour? Various MBA and Graduate programmes around the world are using this talk as part of their module on leadership, which is a great way to spread good ideas! I'd love to know where it's being used, so if you're on an MBA or a graduate programme and that's why you're watching this talk, please (a) add the name of your course and university in reply to this comment and (b) like this comment to keep it at the top so we can keep it up to date. If your course is already on there just like this comment rather than adding a comment. Thank you, and have a great week!
How do you know that the video is used as part of a module on leadership when you ask people here to leave a comment when it’s used? A bit contradictory.
Great leadership is not defined by a title or position; it’s rooted in character, vision, and the ability to inspire others. True leaders lead from within, embodying qualities like integrity, empathy, and resilience. They create a sense of purpose, foster collaboration, and empower those around them, regardless of their formal role. Leadership is about actions, not status. It’s about stepping up when it matters, making tough decisions with courage, and lifting others even in the face of adversity. The most impactful leaders are those who understand that leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege; a way of being rather than a hierarchy. Ultimately, great leaders leave a legacy not by the power they wield but by the lives they touch and the positive change they create. Leadership begins with the question, Who am I?, not What is my position?
Too many people call themselves leaders, when they purely dictate and order but what today's leaders promote is exactly the realization that "Its not about you, and it's only about you" Very powerful - Than you Peter Anderton.
2 rules for great leadership: Rule 1 is it's not about you! Make complex into simplicity. Rule 2 is it's all about you! You can not change anything until you change yourself.
Wow, Peter Anderton, you have distilled the complex subject of leadership into such simple, yet apt, rules: "Rule#1: It's not about you; Rule#2: It's ONLY about you." And, of course, "listening" is the final key to being able to practice the two rules. If a leader (designated as one, or a self-styled leader) just takes the two rules to heart and drives his/her vehicle with the third key, he/she would leap high in their role of a leader. Thank you for such a simple message. Yes, I get it, "it's not easy" because our EGO is always lurking over our heads.
I wholeheartedly agree with the rules (#1: It's not about you; #2: Its only about you)! It sounds relatively simple, but the challenge is defeating human ego. Our society has indulged itself in producing egotistical beings who find it impossible to conceive Rule #1. Unfortunately, our society rewards egocentric people with leadership positions because they produce results regardless of the carnage left behind. Yet, there is still hope! Thanks Peter and death to the key goblin!
Spot On !! so very well thought & presented.... Loved the extract of Leadership - the 3 simple but powerful rules " Leadership is not about you but about others" "Leadership ...works only when you walk the talk" " Pay heed/Listen to what has already been said & successfully demonstrated by some of the Great leaders...and adapt it for effective results rather than trying to reinvent the wheel" Thanks for sharing this wonderful insight Peter...you are Amazing !!
Rule#1: it's not about me, it's about them. A leader inspires others to be at their best and doesn't try to create personality cult. Rule#2: it's only about me. A leader knows the values to which he and his followers hold on, and he tries to be a manifestation of those values before preaching them to others.
Thank you Peter. What an amazing gift you have and thank you for deciding to share it with the world. I stumbled upon your seminar whilest researching for my research paper (post grad project management EQ & leadership) and what I was hoping to say in it, you have so neatly packaged and substantiated and validated: If one just sits back and take into consideration the whole picture and listen carefully, the patterns amongst the chaos will present themselves. The basic truths in life are right there under your nose and it always has been - such as gravity and relativity. None of them are new. It's just that history repeats itself in seemingly new traits and every generation is convinced of it's own uniqueness and obsessed with itself. The human need to want to learn more is beautiful, but so often we want to recreate the wheel and become misguided with shortsighted competition and personal fame; costing us to unlearning the simple truths we already learnt and were originally yearning for. I love how you have looked at the whole picture and illustrated, as I had hoped to subtly demonstrate in my paper, that these "new wisdoms" are simply something we have unlearned through popular beliefs and media fads over recent history. Too often it is just the most controversial elements that shout the loudest that become fashion or popular belief. Thank you again for your passion and perseverance.
What a wonderful and succinct insight into the true meaning of leadership. Too many people take on this title of being a "leader"without the necessary emotional and intelligent response to succeed. Thank you for putting this content out for us all to learn how to become better leaders.
Very wise and I love that you close with the need to just listen. Listen to others, listen for the soft wisdom that lies below the surface, and I might add, listen without judgment either of others or of yourself. Great TED Talk Peter. Thank you.
Loved the history lesson - definitely simple and not easy. Interesting that we speak about rule number 2 in the context of things going wrong or needing to improve. We also need to recognise when they go well and we need to keep doing whatever it is that we are doing. And when people thank us and tell us things are going well, we need to take a breath and thank them.
Great ! Thank you, Peter. What you are saying is that people follow you (1) because you do something for them (i.e., it is not about you), (2) or because you represent their aspiration (i.e., it is only about you).
Once I get back into my program, I'm about a year away from a PhD. in Organizational Leadership and I appreciate the clear way you articulated these two rules. It is pretty much on point with my thoughts on a lot of the theories I've had to study... You pretty much just articulated exactly what I have wanted to share myself, which has helped me to gather my thoughts a little better on the subject. Getting a better focus from another perspective is very helpful, so thank you for getting the simplicity of it and explaining so well.
It's so different: what makes you a good leader, versus how we should respond to others who are leaders. For ourselves, we should earn respect and not rely on designated authority. Plus, never appear to lack an answer or a task to perform. Turning that around as to how we deal with our leaders, remember Catch-22. Most leaders want one thing only: like us...
Excellent presentation! It's simple, direct and highly information 10/10 Leadership is empowering others through authentic service. I think Socrates had a method that would suit such an approach.
Excellent historial review of the evolution of leadership principles and insights into the most relevant facets of effective leaders! Highly recommend!!!!
Peter: after watching your excellent talk, I went to the store and bought a pack of regular and pack of chocolate Hob Nobs. Wifey brought both packs to the staff room at work today. The chocolate Hob Nobs vanished like gangbusters at morning coffee break! The staff gobbled them up at a ratio of 3:1 compared to the non-chocolate biscuits!
@@PeterAnderton Very Pleased to meet you. Honestly, your talk deserves 10X more watches.. Thanks again! I added your talk to my yearly reminder on how to improve oneself and the others!!
Great well reasoned talk. Buddha, eg. led with wisdom & compassion, showing a way to liberation by inspiring transformation. His noble vision of mindful contemplative living, right livelihood, interdependence and 4 fold community (sangha) is coming back.
The servant-leadership model of Army ROTC is lead by example and its priorities are Mission: Men: Self. The training design of the US Army Ranger School is role play employing these dimensions in a mission-oriented group dynamic.
Indeed!! everything what we need, already laid down for us to consume. The only thing we have to do is to act and change ourselves. We cannot give what we dont have.
0:35 "Leadership isn't about position. Leadership is about who you are". Maybe "Who you are to the environment"... because if I am wealthy, selfish, and I "grope" women, does that make me a "Leader"? For me it's "Leadership isn't about position. Leadership is about positioning" - How I grow other leaders, how I make my decisions during what TIME and how responsive I am from a proactive & reactive perspective.
It is true that leadership comes from service, like Jesus, his passion is the son/servant of God, he cures the sickness people not for money, he teaches us how to love others like love myself. He changes people by giving himself in the cross.
A great leader imagines himself in the other's shoe before he tells him to walk his way. It's about understanding others before leading.....or better said "guiding". Not everyone is the same - a great leader understands this and helps to raise people to the same level....to start the journey together.
When you come to the stage to say there is millions of ways to be a leader. Yet, you come here to say here is “the” way and is very simple. I have found this very interesting when people do this. When ever I get ask a question if I feel I have the answer I say, this is what has worked for me but there are other ways too.
Thank you for your feedback. The two rules are the foundation for all things leadership. Within those two rules there is scope for a range of different styles and approaches so you're right, there's definitely more than one way to do it. However, when you start off with this mindset, you are definitely heading in the right direction!
Just 2 lessons. It is about to guide the player to have they like you and work together Achieve the target. Other is about you that need to change yourself because you are the one that only can change and born other leader
He is very right! Don't read the new books. Many of them are just product of marketing and media influence, instead read the old ones that are good enough to be passed down for centuries!
LEADERS are the opposite of a boss and/or a ruler. LEADERS are love which grows wisdom. And yes they cause more love more wisdom growing. GOVERNMENTS are not leaders but dictators. Very few teachers are. Authorities are the opposite of leaders.
#1. It's NOT about you
- "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves" => good leader shows the way in the dark, great leader shows the way in the dark and commends the team on it
- 5 levels of leadership (why people follow you):
+they have to
+they like you
+you deliver
+you help them grow
+of who you are and what you represent
- "The best leaders don't create more followers, they create more leaders" => firstly teach the team rule #2
#2. It's ONLY about you
- "I couldn't change others until I change myself" => try looking within for the answer to change. e.g. meditating
- "If we want to bring about change in those around us it starts with our behaviors, with who we are;
because the environment that we create around us is simply a reflection of our thinking and of our behaviour" => focus on the environment we are creating. e.g. does my environment attract success?
thank you very much ;-)
you're awesome my friend.
LEGEND
Thank you !
What a legend
Please can you do me a favour? Various MBA and Graduate programmes around the world are using this talk as part of their module on leadership, which is a great way to spread good ideas! I'd love to know where it's being used, so if you're on an MBA or a graduate programme and that's why you're watching this talk, please (a) add the name of your course and university in reply to this comment and (b) like this comment to keep it at the top so we can keep it up to date. If your course is already on there just like this comment rather than adding a comment. Thank you, and have a great week!
I am pretty sure you are the only one who liked your comment
@@Oldman1912 I think you're probably right! 🤣
@@PeterAnderton you got my like too 😁
I am a leadership coach. I use your talk as a starting point with my clients who are new to leadership or who want to grow as leaders
How do you know that the video is used as part of a module on leadership when you ask people here to leave a comment when it’s used? A bit contradictory.
Great leadership is not defined by a title or position; it’s rooted in character, vision, and the ability to inspire others. True leaders lead from within, embodying qualities like integrity, empathy, and resilience. They create a sense of purpose, foster collaboration, and empower those around them, regardless of their formal role.
Leadership is about actions, not status. It’s about stepping up when it matters, making tough decisions with courage, and lifting others even in the face of adversity. The most impactful leaders are those who understand that leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege; a way of being rather than a hierarchy.
Ultimately, great leaders leave a legacy not by the power they wield but by the lives they touch and the positive change they create. Leadership begins with the question, Who am I?, not What is my position?
"Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power"
Too many people call themselves leaders, when they purely dictate and order but what today's leaders promote is exactly the realization that "Its not about you, and it's only about you" Very powerful - Than you Peter Anderton.
2 rules for great leadership:
Rule 1 is it's not about you! Make complex into simplicity.
Rule 2 is it's all about you! You can not change anything until you change yourself.
Beside the 2 rules, what I really loved was "We live in a really complex world that is crying out for simplicity"
Thank you Mr. Anderton
Thank you. Interestingly enough - you could go as far as saying that the two rules are not really about leadership - they are about life!
@@PeterAnderton I agree. We can apply those rules even in our relationships. I was just thinking about my marriage when I was listening to you.
The best 18 minutes about leadership available.
Wow, Peter Anderton, you have distilled the complex subject of leadership into such simple, yet apt, rules: "Rule#1: It's not about you; Rule#2: It's ONLY about you." And, of course, "listening" is the final key to being able to practice the two rules. If a leader (designated as one, or a self-styled leader) just takes the two rules to heart and drives his/her vehicle with the third key, he/she would leap high in their role of a leader. Thank you for such a simple message. Yes, I get it, "it's not easy" because our EGO is always lurking over our heads.
Beautifully put - thank you!
Great leadership must be contagious,because the world needs more leaders, who carry forward the legacy.
Nicely put!
?? Contagious hardly. Shared certainly.
Hands down the best TED talk in a long while (and it is still circulating after 5 years)
now 8
Leadership is about service, but I must have a human revolution within myself first ! Thank you so much for this talk.
Beautifully put! Thank you
Serving others will lance your ego. You can't wash someone's feet - as Jesus did and throw stones at the same time.
Selflessness and Responsibility seems to sum it up. Fascinating insights, thank you!
Nicely put Tom - thank you!
0p
I wholeheartedly agree with the rules (#1: It's not about you; #2: Its only about you)! It sounds relatively simple, but the challenge is defeating human ego. Our society has indulged itself in producing egotistical beings who find it impossible to conceive Rule #1. Unfortunately, our society rewards egocentric people with leadership positions because they produce results regardless of the carnage left behind. Yet, there is still hope! Thanks Peter and death to the key goblin!
It still plagues me today! :-)
thank you
Your comment a year ago is relevant and has always been .
Spot On !! so very well thought & presented.... Loved the extract of Leadership - the 3 simple but powerful rules " Leadership is not about you but about others" "Leadership ...works only when you walk the talk" " Pay heed/Listen to what has already been said & successfully demonstrated by some of the Great leaders...and adapt it for effective results rather than trying to reinvent the wheel" Thanks for sharing this wonderful insight Peter...you are Amazing !!
Excellent ❤🎉 This simplicity is required in the complex world . Thank you 🙏
Rule#1: it's not about me, it's about them. A leader inspires others to be at their best and doesn't try to create personality cult.
Rule#2: it's only about me. A leader knows the values to which he and his followers hold on, and he tries to be a manifestation of those values before preaching them to others.
Beautifully put - thank you!
Thank you Peter. What an amazing gift you have and thank you for deciding to share it with the world. I stumbled upon your seminar whilest researching for my research paper (post grad project management EQ & leadership) and what I was hoping to say in it, you have so neatly packaged and substantiated and validated: If one just sits back and take into consideration the whole picture and listen carefully, the patterns amongst the chaos will present themselves. The basic truths in life are right there under your nose and it always has been - such as gravity and relativity. None of them are new. It's just that history repeats itself in seemingly new traits and every generation is convinced of it's own uniqueness and obsessed with itself. The human need to want to learn more is beautiful, but so often we want to recreate the wheel and become misguided with shortsighted competition and personal fame; costing us to unlearning the simple truths we already learnt and were originally yearning for. I love how you have looked at the whole picture and illustrated, as I had hoped to subtly demonstrate in my paper, that these "new wisdoms" are simply something we have unlearned through popular beliefs and media fads over recent history. Too often it is just the most controversial elements that shout the loudest that become fashion or popular belief. Thank you again for your passion and perseverance.
Thank you Heike - I wish you every success with your research paper!
Simplicity is the mark of brilliance..... It's not about you....it's only about you. Life Changing moment!!!!
What a wonderful and succinct insight into the true meaning of leadership. Too many people take on this title of being a "leader"without the necessary emotional and intelligent response to succeed. Thank you for putting this content out for us all to learn how to become better leaders.
My opinion, make it simple, Good leadership come down to one rule: Good leadership inspire people, not threaten people
Very wise and I love that you close with the need to just listen. Listen to others, listen for the soft wisdom that lies below the surface, and I might add, listen without judgment either of others or of yourself. Great TED Talk Peter. Thank you.
Thanks Brett!
I can listen to this all day! Very well written, delivered and conceptualized! Indeed, our world is crying for simplicity!
Never a truer word said on leadership. Too many politicians peddling fears and channeling hatred, and calling it leadership.
Loved the history lesson - definitely simple and not easy. Interesting that we speak about rule number 2 in the context of things going wrong or needing to improve. We also need to recognise when they go well and we need to keep doing whatever it is that we are doing. And when people thank us and tell us things are going well, we need to take a breath and thank them.
Beautifully put - thank you!
Just 2 lessons. I love it and it makes so much sense to me. Thank you.
Great ! Thank you, Peter.
What you are saying is that people follow you
(1) because you do something for them (i.e., it is not about you),
(2) or because you represent their aspiration (i.e., it is only about you).
Once I get back into my program, I'm about a year away from a PhD. in Organizational Leadership and I appreciate the clear way you articulated these two rules. It is pretty much on point with my thoughts on a lot of the theories I've had to study... You pretty much just articulated exactly what I have wanted to share myself, which has helped me to gather my thoughts a little better on the subject. Getting a better focus from another perspective is very helpful, so thank you for getting the simplicity of it and explaining so well.
Thank you Justin - my pleasure!
"I could'nt change others,until i change myself" -this is true
Rumi said something similar
It's so different: what makes you a good leader, versus how we should respond to others who are leaders. For ourselves, we should earn respect and not rely on designated authority. Plus, never appear to lack an answer or a task to perform. Turning that around as to how we deal with our leaders, remember Catch-22. Most leaders want one thing only: like us...
Simple, clear ,realistic and full of wisdom.
Than you Am - that's exactly what leadership should be!
Great truths wrapped in simplicity. Great advice.
Finally someone who understands and put it simply and with humility.
Thanks Delbert - I am passionate about the simplicity of leadership
Save your self 8:20 seconds and skip to 8:24 for Rule #1, Rule #2 follows shortly after the explanation of R1.
Spoilers! 😉
Its about the team! Making the work environment safe and fun
Leadership explained in simple words, you can be a leader if you action the 2 rules with the listening skill!
Action? Apply, maybe?
Breathtaking review of the definition of true leadership from over the centuries ... it’s awesome 👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you! Glad you found it useful
Finally a TED talk that's actually good.
What an incredible public speaker. Wow.
Your lesson is a guidance for many. Thank you so much for sharing. Best wishes for you and your family.
Thank you - and for you and yours!
Excellent presentation! It's simple, direct and highly information 10/10 Leadership is empowering others through authentic service. I think Socrates had a method that would suit such an approach.
I love watching and listening to this man . you're a Good Leader
Was a very good talk, among the best one which I hv ever listened
"Maybe everything that we need to know about leadership and life was written down a long time ago"
This is just the right message for the season!
Briliant! Rule #1 - We- not- Me Orientation!
Excellent historial review of the evolution of leadership principles and insights into the most relevant facets of effective leaders! Highly recommend!!!!
Excellent and amazing talk on leadership! Loved it because I also have passion for leadership, was an engineer and completely agree with your talk.
Peter: after watching your excellent talk, I went to the store and bought a pack of regular and pack of chocolate Hob Nobs. Wifey brought both packs to the staff room at work today.
The chocolate Hob Nobs vanished like gangbusters at morning coffee break! The staff gobbled them up at a ratio of 3:1 compared to the non-chocolate biscuits!
Great talk Peter. Thanks for bringing wisdom into the talk. You've inspired me, a good leader indeed. And now I'm hungry for hob nobs.
Appreciation is a good example of rule #2 - and you've just made my day with it - thank you!
Thank you for sharing the simple yet powerful rules about leadership!
My pleasure!
FANTASTIC. SIMPLE POWERFUL MESSAGE
Thank you Brian - I prefer simple!
Awesome speech!! Thank you TEDx!! Thank you Peter Anderton!!
Thank you Philippe. Simplicity wins every time!
@@PeterAnderton Very Pleased to meet you. Honestly, your talk deserves 10X more watches.. Thanks again! I added your talk to my yearly reminder on how to improve oneself and the others!!
@@ninaphilippe You've added a spring to my step today - thank you! Spread the word!
Great well reasoned talk. Buddha, eg. led with wisdom & compassion, showing a way to liberation by inspiring transformation. His noble vision of mindful contemplative living, right livelihood, interdependence and 4 fold community (sangha) is coming back.
Good conclusion and insights about the leadership.
He did say Sun Tzu was the author.
"Not so far away, Sun Tzu was writing the art of war"
Oh, I am sorry, I made a mistake. He talked about Lao's leadership wisdom and Sun Tzu's. Thanks for your correction.
@@chelseachang8977 🙏👍😁😁
Excellent. Simple and well spoken. Very practical. I'm preparing a webinar on Leadership in Moments of Change and this helps immensely.
I'm glad you found it useful!
Absolutely brilliant video thanks very much
The servant-leadership model of Army ROTC is lead by example and its priorities are Mission: Men: Self.
The training design of the US Army Ranger School is role play employing these dimensions in a mission-oriented group dynamic.
Thanks Tom - that's a great way of looking at it.
11:00 leadership
"Leadership is about who you are."
Absolutely love this - thank you for a really powerful and interesting talk
And I also value the insights from the question “what environment are we creating?” (After the 16th minute)
The best leadership clues I ever came across so far. Thank you so much. Keep uploading such great videos.
Thank you! Absolutely love this🙏🏻
Powerful!! Simple but not easy!
Indeed - it IS simple - but rarely easy!
Thank you.
Indeed!! everything what we need, already laid down for us to consume. The only thing we have to do is to act and change ourselves.
We cannot give what we dont have.
Beautiful and practical
Simplicity is art of solving compelxity. Thought provoking Video.
Loved your talk. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you
Thank you 🙂
Great teachings
Great job Pete and thank you!
My pleasure, thank you!
Peter Anderson thank you for the Ted Talk!
Thank you David - my pleasure!
It's not about you; It's only about you; and listen.
Nailed it!
Great lecture! Rule # 2: I could't change other until I change myself-- Nelson
A leader is a catalyst. Like in chemistry.
It's such an inspiring talk. I like your idea of simplicity of leadership.
Thank you Jane - my pleasure!
Me new favorite talk! Fantastic talk from a fantastic speaker!
Wow this was extremely insightful. I'm going to change my job because of my boss and this was very educational
It has long been said "We join an organisation - but we leave a boss!"
0:35 "Leadership isn't about position. Leadership is about who you are". Maybe "Who you are to the environment"... because if I am wealthy, selfish, and I "grope" women, does that make me a "Leader"? For me it's "Leadership isn't about position. Leadership is about positioning" - How I grow other leaders, how I make my decisions during what TIME and how responsive I am from a proactive & reactive perspective.
It is true that leadership comes from service, like Jesus, his passion is the son/servant of God,
he cures the sickness people not for money, he teaches us how to love others like love myself. He changes people by giving himself in the cross.
Amazing presentation...
Thank you
A great leader imagines himself in the other's shoe before he tells him to walk his way. It's about understanding others before leading.....or better said "guiding". Not everyone is the same - a great leader understands this and helps to raise people to the same level....to start the journey together.
Wow. There's some really powerful messages here.
Rule #1 service to those you lead #2 cant change them but you can change yourself #3 listen to what is being said
e very good segment! thank you.
Leading and parenting share the essence.
Great talk. I liked the lessons from history.
Powerful message
What a well researched talk, kudos to you man!
Thank you :-)
When you come to the stage to say there is millions of ways to be a leader. Yet, you come here to say here is “the” way and is very simple. I have found this very interesting when people do this. When ever I get ask a question if I feel I have the answer I say, this is what has worked for me but there are other ways too.
Thank you for your feedback. The two rules are the foundation for all things leadership. Within those two rules there is scope for a range of different styles and approaches so you're right, there's definitely more than one way to do it. However, when you start off with this mindset, you are definitely heading in the right direction!
Just 2 lessons. It is about to guide the player to have they like you and work together Achieve the target. Other is about you that need to change yourself because you are the one that only can change and born other leader
He is very right! Don't read the new books. Many of them are just product of marketing and media influence, instead read the old ones that are good enough to be passed down for centuries!
If you haven´t been a leader before, then you become it to a certain degree when you become a parent.
René Henriksen absolutely - and never are the two rules more important than in parenthood!
Amazing talk , I completely agree with you
Thank you
This is a great talk. Thank you.
LEADERS are the opposite of a boss and/or a ruler. LEADERS are love which grows wisdom. And yes they cause more love more wisdom growing. GOVERNMENTS are not leaders but dictators. Very few teachers are. Authorities are the opposite of leaders.
Genuine
Authentic
Engaging
Clever
True
Used this philosophy for our entire team.
Thank you
VERY NICE PRESENTATION
Thank you - I'm glad you found it useful!
They have to They like you You deliver Have done for them Who you are and what you represent.
Great n amazing talk. Thank you. Bless you n all your dreams come true