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Reader’s voice: Is anyone out there worthy of wearing Mr. Rogers’ sweater?
by
Dorothy Marcic
 A hero died last month. It was a man I admired and worked
for back in the 1970s as a production assistant on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Fred Rogers didn’t have any of the characteristics of an action
hero: tall, muscular, forceful or dominating. In fact, he was rather
small-boned, quiet and thoughtful. Yet his style of leadership influenced
a significant part of today’s young adults who are now in the
work force. I only wish he had impacted even more kids.
Think of the effect he must have had on generations of employees. Consider
that who we see as our “heroes” has a lot to do with the kind of
leaders we become or what we look for in our own leaders. Over the years, when
I told people I had worked for Fred Rogers, the reactions were polarized into
admiration for him or aversion. I came to see Rogers as a Rorschach test for
how we see the world. People who believed that strong leadership was always
necessary or that average people were not capable of individually or collectively
deciding their own destinies tended to intensely dislike Rogers. Others who
believe in the ability of groups to determine their own futures or of individuals
to make their own decisions without a strong authority figure directing them
- those people admired Fred Rogers.
Some viewed Rogers as not manly enough. His television persona was parodied
on late night television. But whose definition of masculinity is that? I saw
him as someone in the vein of Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi - gentle but
strong leaders.
So what are the qualities of workplace behavior that Fred Rogers helped shape?
He showed children how important it is to listen thoughtfully to someone else,
when he would look directly at the camera and ask pointed questions. He gave
models of conflict resolution when King Friday would get angry at Lady Aberlin.
He showed how important it was for members of the organization - whether in
The Neighborhood or the Make Believe kingdom - to care about one another and
to collaborate on problems.
He was perhaps the first children’s television star who emphasized feelings,
understanding them and learning to deal with them. Many people will remember
the show about the fear of being sucked down the bathtub drain or about going
to the dentist. Fred Rogers acknowledged those fears and helped children gain
courage. And finally, he showed what reality is, clearly distinguishing between
fantasy and the real world.
Dorothy Marcic and Mr. McFeely on the set of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
in the early 1970s
Aren’t
these qualities lacking in some of our leaders and CEOs these days? I think
too many who rose to the rank of CEO were weaned on Superman and Batman,
seeing themselves as indestructible. How else can you explain the
behaviors of Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco or Bernie Ebbers of WorldCom?
Men who lived in a fantasy world where the normal rules of transparency
and accounting practices did not apply to them.
The really effective leaders we have today are more strong but
selfless and tend therefore not to be in the news. What are the
great corporate success stories these days? They include Darwin
Smith of Kimberly-Clark or Kurt Walgreen of Walgreen’s, both of whom oversaw dramatic transformations of their
companies from mediocre to star quality. Not by manufacturing deals that could
never be actualized but instead by facing reality, Dorothy Marcic and Mister
McFeely collaborating with employees to create a compelling vision are pictured
on the set of Mister and then having the courage to execute it. All while Rogers
Neighborhood in this photograph listening: to the public, the market and workers.
Aren’t from the early 1970’s. those the very qualities Fred Rogers
taught us? He will be sorely missed.
Dorothy Marcic is a faculty member at Vanderbilt University. She is the
author of 10 books and has consulted with companies and universities.
--The Tennessean
March 9, 2003 |
