Leadership in Verse
By John Baldoni, Contributing Author
Vol. 2026 Issue No. 2-7
The following piece is written by dear friend and longtime colleague John Baldoni. John is a world-renowned leadership educator and keynote speaker, and this piece is written to support his new book, Leadership in Verse: Poems & Stories. Leadership in Verse reveals through poetry and prose how to lead in times of challenge and stress with courage, compassion, and grace.
I remember asking John years ago to be an editor with me of The AMA Handbook of Leadership. I could not have been more excited than when he said yes.
Since that time I have likely read every book that John has written. He is such a prolific writer that one time he asked me if I would edit a book that he had written that he had been keeping in a desk drawer. I was amazed that anyone could write so much that the overflow could be kept in a drawer until such time as deemed appropriate to publish.
Thank you John for our many years of friendship and your thoughtful contributions to the field of leadership literature.
By John Baldoni
Poetry is the art of getting to the heart of
the matter.
It gives structure to ideas that are often overlooked or ignored, but nonetheless must
be explored.
Poetry puts thoughts into verse in ways that make tough subjects approachable and accessible.
Leadership, too, is about reaching the heart.
as well as the mind.
Leaders are called upon to address challenging issues and act with candor and courage to address them.
Poetry can be a siren song for action.
Leadership can be those songs put into action.
+++
What do you want people to get from reading your poems?
This question was posed to me by a colleague, and I will admit that it threw me. I can tell you what I hope people will learn from my nonfiction books and articles because, to quote Marshall McLuhan, “the medium is the message.” I write about leadership themes that are explicated with research, stories and prescriptions. My work provides the how in what it means to lead with purpose, communicate with conviction, and connect for community.
Not so with my poetry. Or so I thought. I know why I like writing poetry – writing concisely, using similes and metaphors, playing with language, and shining a light on everyday life. Poetry allows me to “cut to the quick” of an idea, a story or an image. I am an observational poet. I write about what I see.
Poetry spans that chasm between experience and understanding. And as such it becomes a medium to explore what it means to lead and by extension to live. Toward that end, I have put together a new collection of poems I call Leadership in Verse.
And being one who has spent over three decades writing about leadership—as well as teaching and coaching it—I know I still have some observations to share.
What We See
These are observations of management that we see around us in good times and in bad.
Leadership is about making a positive difference.
The difference becomes obvious when we look around at the world as it is, rather than how we wish it to be.
Too often, we see overlook – or turn the other way – when problems arise.
It is important to take blinders off and examine what is truly happening.
Burnout
Gnawing emptiness pervades.
Fatigue without perceived exertion
Endless hours of sameness.
Hour upon hour.
“It’s like being drunk,” they say.
If so, there’s no comfort. No high.
Just exhaustion.
What took an hour may take a half-day,
Including time spent staring.
Worse. A loss of what and why?
What am I doing,
And why am I doing it?
Motions for the sake of motion.
Burnout.
How We Act
These are a set of leadership thoughts and actions that come in handy in times of stress.
Looking for ways to make a positive difference is the challenge everyone faces.
It is easy to become discouraged when the change we seek meets resistance.
But then, if it did, then perhaps it would not be worth our effort.
Resilience
Yes, I can.
So simple to say when things are going well.
Not so easy when…
Your project has been cancelled.
Your team has been disbanded.
Your boss, whom you like, has been transferred.
Your job has been eliminated.
So hard then when fortune turns to misfortune.
But when you realize what happened to you,
It’s not you,
Then you can decide your next move.
Slowly. Deliberately. Carefully.
Maybe not as strong as before,
But adding muscle with every move you take.
How to Inspire
Poetry can open our minds and hearts to possibility. Here in “May the Blessing” I cite the example of John O’Donohue, an Irish poet.
May the Blessing
Philosopher-poet John O’Donohue wrote reams of poems.
Many were blessings.
As befit his previous priestly calling.
Each line of his blessings begins with “May.”
May you think freely…
May you feel the ground…
May you know you are loved.
And so forth.
May is the intercession between
Mother and child.
Pastor and parish.
Leader and follower.
May is a door opener.
Invoking it says, “Are you listening, Lord?”
Or to whomever you are addressing.
May is a kind word.
An invitation, as the French would say, to “parlez.”
To have a conversation with a Higher Power “up there.”
Or a “higher power” down here.
May is a good word.
One of full of grace.
Smiling as I write this.
As children, we asked for intercessions from
Mary, full of grace.
May we all find more mays.
May the light snuff out the dark.
May despair lose to hope.
May sorrow drown in joy.
May. May. May.
Frances Hesselbein
In this same vein of hope and grace, I include a poem about Frances Hesselbein, the founder of the Leader to Leader journal. Her life story exemplifies what it means to lead with strength, bravery, and heart. When she led the Girl Scouts of America, Peter Drucker, the founding father of modern management, said she was the greatest CEO he had ever met. Frances was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“Life Lesson” is my remembrance of her.
Life Lesson
“To serve is to live,” she taught us.
We listened.
And wondered how.
So,
She showed by example how to
Listen with an open heart.
Stand tall for what’s right.
Understand differences
Seek common cause
Be grateful
Find joy in work and play.
In short,
To love.
Making Poetry Work for You
“Poetry is an echo asking a shadow to dance,” wrote Carl Sandburg. So, pick a poem or a series of poems and consider what they say to you.
· What do these poems/stories say about us?
· What insights into yourself do they reveal?
· How might you change how you think and act when it comes to making the choices that matter most?
The answers you give are yours. You can share your thoughts with others who have read the same poems. It does not matter that you agree. What matters is that you express yourself and, in doing so, connect with others in ways that illuminate what makes us what and who we are.
To sum up, what do I want people to get from reading my poems?
Insights into the human condition that may provoke you to second-guess your preconceptions. Doing so may make you think again, appreciate what you have, or laugh a bit more.
Simple really. But let’s not delve too deeply into the whats, wherefores, and whys of poetry. Best to let it speak for itself.
Copyright © 2026 John Baldoni
John Baldoni is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, senior communications advisor and author of 15 books translated into ten languages.
John’s thought leadership is reflected in his writing and choice of media: columns, videos, and books. He also integrates piano improvisations into his keynotes, which he illustrates with his still-life photos. John also authored three collections of poetry.
John is also a member of 100 Coaches, a select group of business, science, medicine and coaching thought leaders founded by Marshall Goldsmith.
John’s leadership resource website is www.johnbaldoni.com.
Leader to Leader Insights reflects our commitment at the Leader to Leader Institute to create long-term value, to foster growth and innovation, and to strengthen leadership across the sectors through “Working Together”™ leadership, service, partnership, communication, and collaboration.
We publish insights and perspectives from thought-leading contributors about leadership and character, forward-thinking ideas, strategy, and implementation, and actionable practices, research, and applications.
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Watch the trailer for Defining Moments: A Documentary about the Life and Leadership of Frances Hesselbein
