Shakespeare in Lubbock
Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison highlights the power of keeping an open mind to new and shared experiences.
Gary Burnison is CEO of Korn Ferry. For more career advice, read his latest book, I Need a Job!
“I once taught Shakespeare to cowboys in Texas.”
It was in a meeting, just a couple of weeks ago. As several leaders across our firm made presentations, I invited them to share who they are, versus simply what they do. That’s when Steve Newhall, British by background and who leads our EMEA Consulting team, dropped that opening line, leaving us all wanting to hear more.
And so later, I just had to ask. Many years ago, while working on his master’s thesis at Loughborough University in Britain, Steve pursued an opportunity to teach in New York City. When that position unexpectedly fell through, a twist of fate landed him in Lubbock, Texas.
“I figured Texas couldn’t be that different from New York,” Steve told me with a laugh. “But there I was, holding forth on the Bard and waxing poetically on iambic pentameter to freshmen who drove pickup trucks and wore cowboy hats to class. It was definitely a contrast of cultures, yet a beautiful blend on a host of levels.”
Before long, Steve began embracing the new and different. “I went to the rodeo, learned the two-step, got really familiar with tornado warnings, and saw hailstones the size of your fist,” he recalled. “But as it turned out, there wasn’t as much cognitive dissonance as you might think.”
It quickly became a lesson in learning and, more importantly, the power of connection.
Whether it’s individuals, teams of hundreds or organizations with thousands, when we come together with minds open to new and shared experiences, we become invested in each other.
It’s a progression of connection that seems especially relevant at the intersection of a present that feels far different than our past. Or, as Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest: “What’s past is prologue.”
In leadership, we spend a lot of time talking about the What, the How, and the When. Too often, though, the Why and the Who get overlooked.
The Why points to purpose— why we do what we do. The Who is all about human beings, not human doings.
And when the Why meets the Who, we find what we’re passionate about. We tap into our purpose—an intrinsic motivation that is far more durable than any extrinsic reward.
When we savor new experiences, we foster new relationships. And as our firm’s psychologists tell us, those experiences we share organically with others are particularly meaningful.
This all comes together in learning, to continuously explore and expand our knowledge—including about ourselves. It starts with discarding our preconceived notions, and instead applying past experiences and lessons learned to new challenges and first-time opportunities.
The more curious we are, the more eagerly we embrace complexity, make fresh connections, and examine problems in new ways. When we’re open to diverse viewpoints, we move beyond “this is the way we’ve always done things.”
Uncomfortable? Sometimes. Transformational? Always.
Over the years, while traveling overseas, I've seen Mamma Mia! in several countries. Often, I couldn’t understand a word. But there we were—complete strangers, dancing in the aisles together. Why? Because we were collectively experiencing something bigger than ourselves.
Now tell me, isn’t that what we as leaders are trying to achieve?
Connection doesn’t catalyze in isolation. It requires curiosity and the willingness to engage… with others.
Or as Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, Act V, Scene 1: “O, brave new world that has such people in it.”
