Kristin Woods, co-founder of emergingleader.com, caught up with Dr. Arlene Blum for an interview to share Dr. Blum’s passion for the emerging leaders of tomorrow. The following are key questions posed to Dr. Blum and her personal responses.

EL: In your book, Annapurna - A Womans’ Place, you reference your strong disagreement that women are not physically capable to make the climbs and lack the emotional stability to withstand the psychological stresses of a high altitude climb. Obviously your point was and continues to be confirmed through results. What strengths do you feel close the gender gap in leadership?

AB: First, we must realize that I made the statement in reference to my earlier experiences in 1969 and it was outrageous then. We are in the year 2000 and an informed, knowledgeable, experienced person could not be credible in thinking or expressing these differences. It is clearly outdated to think that women and men can not equal one another in many areas. “I don’t like to make these two issues, physical strength and psychological stresses, big differences. I have seen men become angry in leadership roles and I have seen the same bold reaction in women. I have seen men cry and women cry, both over the same issues and in instances that could be considered roles of a leader. The individual differences are the most important characteristics to follow in leadership.”

EL: Your role as team leader in the Annapurna expedition was an often emotionally draining role, but obviously you could not allow your emotions to override critical decisions. This is a role that leaders are faced with every day - making hard decisions without anger, disappointment or other emotion based reactions.” What technique did you utilize to hold your emotions in reign so that your decisions stayed sound and therefore delivered like a true leader? Do you feel that women have more of an emotional base as leaders than men? Is this a plus or minus for women in their leadership role?”

AB: I am an emotional based person and I had to keep this in focus during the expedition. Displays of emotion take energy away from the goal and that can not be permitted in a leadership role. The expedition was my idea so while there were others involved, in this case, all women; I felt the role of leader had to be mine as the expedition was my passion. I could unite the team because of my passion. I was not focused on getting to the summit myself - I was focused on the team's success in reaching the summit.

“Men and women have emotional centers and they must keep their focus on the goal at hand and not let the emotional center rule. Women are “perceived” to be better leaders because they have a strong sense of empathy mixed with drive. I can’t agree or disagree because there are not any tangible studies to link to; however, as a woman leader, I can substantiate that I knew I had an emotional center that would require my entire focus to keep it in reign - lives were at stake!

There's a new model in today’s environment - “Servant Leadership”. This is a model that allows the leader to provide resources for the team to succeed. This is a much softer style of leadership and has great potential and impact. It is a style of leadership we teach in our leadership series because everyone wins in this environment.

EL: What characteristic do you see in people that qualifies your statement “everyone has leadership skills? And, do you feel that most people believe they “have it in them” and know how to demonstrate leadership in some small or enhanced way during their lives”?

AB: The characteristics that qualifies my statement are simply vision and passion. I believe and teach that if you have a vision and live your vision with a passion, you have the core characteristics to lead others to embrace your ideas, concepts and strategies.

A person must find what they want to do, mobilize people and unify the team”. If this is practiced by anyone with a vision and a passion - leadership will rise to the surface and results will come. It is no more complex than that. There are many great books and studies on leadership and while they can be complex or simple - the foundation will always return to vision and passion.”

EL: Dr. Blum, can a leader be successful leading solo - in other words without the benefit of team spirit or other “people” resources?

AB: Anything is possible, but if a leader attempts to lead solo they will not be as successful, because through others will come combined and unified energy. And, in today’s hectic world, time is of the essence and by working through and with others, the channel of time can be condensed and results pooled quicker. It’s powerful multiplication of resources.

EL: You are involved in current research on leadership - How do you see leadership has changed over the past 10 - 20 years? What is the foundation for the change? Does technology have anything to do with the change? In other words, does having immediate (instant) information available make for a better leader”?

AB: The old leadership model was control - the “from the top of the pyramid down concept. The new model is a participatory model which is funneling over to teams and the spirit of synergetic thinking. The leaders of today are living in a time of constant change and they can not effectively lead companies or countries through these chasms of change alone and through their dominant control. There are second lieutenants and team leaders that take a leaders concepts and strategies and unite to initiate change. It is now we not I.

In closing, we asked Dr. Blum to pretend she is teaching a classroom of elementary students... the future leaders of tomorrow: they are impressionable and open minded and can be impacted through her teaching... How would she teach them? What would she tell them that will set them apart as the leaders of tomorrow?

Dr. Blum indicated she works with high school kids today in activities that confirm how a shared vision and co-operations can make such a difference in desired results. She would tell students to experience, to learn, to share information with those around you, to draw others in to your vision and passion. She tells students that all people have a tendency to not want to share information, but that holds us back, does not set us apart, does not stimulate new thinking.

She shared an activity of where she divides a class of students into two groups and takes one group outside first. She tells them to line up from tallest to shortest. The next group then comes out and attempts to do what the first group does without any instructions. They stumbled and struggled until the communications channels were opened and they fell in easily to completing the task.

This is exactly how leaders learn to unite - through communication! Communicating a vision and a passion.