ORLANDO, Fla. – Here are the words of a man who, it seems to me, is a real leader.
"I was hoping that it was a good movie, because it did have my name on it and that's one of the things I didn't like.
"I would have rather had a different name … (because) it sort of takes away from the fact that there were 18 other guys, my crew, who were there. … I wanted it to be a good movie and portray my industry, the merchant marines, in a good light. I think it did: It portrayed my crew very well, and portrayed the work truly.
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"We're not the best dressed, we don't talk the nicest, but we're pretty regular people."
Yes, those are the words of Capt. Richard Phillips, the merchant mariner whose ship, the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, was hijacked in 2009 by Somali pirate in the Indian Ocean.
Phillips is scheduled to speak this week at the 2014 HCI Human Capital Summit & Expo in Orlando.
A lot of the summit will focus on how today's social economy is driving innovation, unleashing big changes in the way we work, the way we live and the way we govern. But you don't have to be an organizational psychologist or HR authority of any kind to understand why Phillips was invited to present.
In a social economy, the collective efforts of a cross-functional team are fast becoming more important than the notion of individual leadership.
That's why I'm especially looking forward to Phillips' keynote. Not only because I'll be hearing a first-hand account of the first act of piracy against an American vessel in 200 years – and its dramatic rescue by Navy SEALs – but also because I imagine that Phillips will have some trenchant thoughts about how leadership can do a better job of building trust and teamwork.
What can corporate leaders learn from Phillips? What insights might he share about how to turn bleak, despairing circumstances into something promising? About emerging from extraordinary challenges as hero?
I'll be there, listening to Phillips and will share what he has to say.
Wine To Water founder Don Hendley will speak at another of the sessions I plan to attend.
Hendley teaches a simple but profound principle for improving the world: do what you can with what you have. Wine to Water is focused on providing clean water to people around the world. Hendley will talk about his journey to sub-Saharan Africa, where 42 percent of the population lives without yard taps, household connections or other improvements to sanitize water.
Hendley will talk about the "power of relationships to transcend perceived barriers," which sounds like something most of us in the workplace can use help with.
Take a look at the summit agenda and let me know if you'd like to see coverage of any other sessions. And be sure to check www.benefitspro.com over the course of the week for all of the stories from this year's summit.
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