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| Marilyn Carlson |
Marilyn Carlson Nelson is intelligent, articulate, and
a passionate advocate for the capabilities of women
in the workplace. An authentic global business
leader, Carlson, who has a net worth of 1.4 billion,
keeps a busy schedule, traveling about one third of the year throughout
the U.S. and overseas. She co-chaired the World Economic Forum
(WEF) in 2004 and has held a number of other high-level leadership
positions at the WEF and other industry councils.
She took over as chief executive of the family’s leisure and
business services empire in 1998 and served in that capacity for
ten years. Today, she oversees one of the largest privately held
companies in the country, whose brands include Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Regent Seven Seas
Cruises and T.G.I. Friday’s Restaurants.
The recipient of prestigious awards from the governments
of France, Sweden and Finland, she served as Chair of the National
Women’s Business Council, a bipartisan advisory council
to the President and Congress (2002-2005), and is currently
Chair of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. She is
also active in several nonprofits, including the World Childhood
Foundation, and also sits on the boards of ExxonMobil
and the Mayo Clinic Foundation.
Selected by Forbes in 2004 and 2005 as
one of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,
Carlson is also a regular on Fortune magazine’s
list of Most Powerful Women in Business,
and has been selected by Business Week
as one of the top-25 executives in business.
In addition, she has been ranked by Travel
Agent magazine as The Most Powerful Woman
in Travel annually since 1997.
Her book entitled “How We Lead Matters:
Reflections on a Life of Leadership (number
six on the Wall Street Journal best seller
list), is an inspiring testament and legacy
to her positive example of leadership. The
executive made her first trip to Puerto Rico
recently to deliver a thought provoking
keynote speech at the first Ana G. Méndez
Leadership Conference for Women.
Leadership that matters
When looking at the leaders of the past
few years, Carlson believes it is important
that we differentiate the really successful,
mission-driven leaders from those who
were designated as leaders but who really
demonstrated that they are preoccupied
only with their own interests.
Looking forward, true global leaders,
she points out, will be those able to work in
a cross sector capacity. “It is no longer going
to be someone who is just a politician, just
a business leader, just an executive director,
or just an officer of a non-profit.”
The next generation of leaders will be
judged by their capacity to work with others,
by their understanding of social and
environmental implications, as well as
their capacity for job creation and economics.
“Business is the engine to actually
fund everything,” says Carlson, “from
taxes to philanthropy.” Carlson says being
clear about individual roles and sector objectives,
as well as seeking ways to come
together to make a difference, is the way
to achieve the common good.
Historically, business has not made the
common good a priority. Carlson explained
that over the last century, a change has occurred.
Now, business leaders need to run
their businesses not only profitably, but responsibly.
There will be more regulations
that demand transparency with the public,
regarding issues like the environment,
taking care of employees, and what is been
done in the communities. “This is a new era
where all the stakeholders are being given
more consideration; the shareholders, customers,
employees, communities.”
There are two concepts that Carlson challenges
all business leaders to focus on. The
first is stewardship, which is not the same
as optimizing financial performance. “It’s really
balancing today, tomorrow, and the future,
taking them into consideration in decision
making and capital allocation.” The
other concept is sustainability. Only paying
attention to quarterly earnings, measuring
and rewarding profit, and then sometimes
rewarding losses in a way that unbuckle
shareholders from owners and CEO’s - none
of that is sustainable. “My message really
comes back to what can each one of us do to
help make more ethically guided decisions;
to take into consideration the economic engine
because we need the jobs, so anybody
who is too critical of business should think
twice. We are suddenly realizing that without
business growing, a lot of the other things
we care about are put at risk.”
Women and leadership
In the corporate setting, experience
tells Carlson that women are more likely
to push to identify the down side, or to really
try to quantify or analyze the risk, and
accept it, once it is clearly understood. “I
would say that it has been more the women’s
voice that has pushed for total transparency
or more rigorous analysis of risk.”
The executive clarifies that there’s value
in both women and men. “I don’t want to
leave the impression that it is either or, I
think that it is a partnership. In leading my
company, I need both at the table.”
Leaders: nature or nurture
Whether leadership is an intellectual
capability that allows people to “connect
the dots” or the communication skills that
allow them to draw other people’s respect
and trust, it is not clearly defined. However,
Carlson believes leadership can be taught.
“I have invested a lot of my personal time
at the University of Minnesota, Carlson
School of Business, and now at a Center
for Integrative Leadership. You can take
people who have the instinct and desire
to lead and you can give those tools and
skills that will increase their probability
of success. Much of leadership begins with
some kind of competence, real talent and
skill in a specific area.” When somebody
is extremely skilled in one area, they have
a platform to lead, she argues.
After studying the science and the art
of leadership, Carlson has arrived at the
conclusion that leadership results from a
combination of both genes and environment.
“Is it in the genes and chromosomes
or is it in the inspiration that comes from
a nurturer or role model? We know that
mentoring actually increases the probability
of leadership success.” ■
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