Leadership lessons from literature and life.

Dr. Paul Elsner is a man who "gets it." During more than 20 years as chancellor of the Maricopa Community College District AZ, he encouraged women in leadership. He was there for Dr. Carolyn Desjardins and others who founded the National Institute for Leadership Development. He spoke at the 2006 NILD conference in November in Scottsdale AZ.

"Most leadership theories are flawed. It's airport literature," he told WIHE. Instead of reading schmaltzy leadership books, he recommends learning from history, literature and the arts.

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Leaders in every generation bring the same tragic flaws and delusions. The mistakes Elizabeth I made in Elizabethan England can ensnare you in a corner office today.

"Most jobs are full of tragedy and danger," he told WIHE. Don't think you're unique because you've been stabbed in the back. Women and men have been stabbing each other in the back forever.

Artistry and intuition are positive aspects of leadership. He's learned from not only images and archetypes but also from the people around him. Growing up in rural Minnesota grounded him in small-town values. His mother was the stalwart of the family. "I had coaches who took care of me when I lost my temper and got me calmed down," he said.

After a semester in college he served two years in the army, then studied on the GI Bill with a major in English. While looking at graduate writing programs, he heard about a Kellogg Fellowship to train people for community college administration. He applied and got in.