Replying to LO24592
Dear At,
Thankyou for your insightful comments about the relationship between the
struggle for intellectual recognition and "genuine search for wisdom and
understanding". Thank you also for inviting me to comment further.
I do not think intellectual rigour and wisdom are antithetical by the way.
You write:
>The ability to make this istinction will be acquired by authentic
>learning. >Authentic learning is an art so that it involves theory and
>practice. As I >see it the reply of Dennis is an excellent example of
>the art with overtones >of practice from which we can learn much. But let
>Dennis be the one to make >sure about himself.
Firtsly, in relation to your last sentence, you will note I thanked Dennis
for his wise and insightful message, I did not say HE was thus a wise and
insightul person, although this may well be the case.
Secondly, you have answered the question yourself to my mind when
referring to authentic learning. Kevin Cashman defines leadership as-
"authentic self expression that creates value."
I think leadership is more than this, but to me his definition does
encapsulate a key part of leadership and learning. When we are operating
from our authentic selves, we are creating "value" by this definition.
When we are not operating from our authentic selves, we are probably
engaging in the creation of management/leadership/intellectual hot air!
The trick is to learn day by day to know ourselves better, to understand
our context more deeply, and to constantly clarify what is important to us
- what we believe in.
How do we tell the difference? How do we recognise the authentic learner
and/or the authentic leader? Perhaps by the results gained, by the
sustainability of the efforts, by the congruence between "espoused theory"
and "theory in use", by his/her quaity of character, by the capacity the
person shows for reflection, self critique, and service of others.
I saw aspects of many of the above in Dennis' post, and it shone out so
much I wished to encourage him and, implicitly, hope he will continue to
strive, as many of us do, to simultaneously grow both intellectually and
in our wisdom.
Philip
Philip Pogson
Leadership Development Strategy Consultant
Staff Development Branch
University of Technology Sydney NSW 2007
Australia
ph: +61 2 9514 2934(w)
fax: +61 2 9514 2930(w)
ph/fax: +61 2 9809 5185(h)
mobile: +61 0412 459156
"How can a part know the whole? Man is related to everything that he
knows. And everything is both cause and effect, working and worked upon,
mediate and immediate, all things mutually dependent."
-Blaise Pascal
--Philip Pogson <ppogson@uts.edu.au>
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