At 01:09 PM 17/07/99 -0400, you wrote:
>[Host's Note: And... Let's make sure to keep this on a learningful tone.
>Jason, I assume you're thinking the contrary. Please say more. And, Steve,
>please expand your's. Let's start from the assumption that all of us have
>experience with leadership whether in doing it or on the receiving end.
>...Rick]
Okay, Rick, thanks for the guidance. My apologies for unpleasant mental
feelings created. Sometimes dry Canadian humour doesn't translate well
into text.
[Host's Note: No problem, Jason. Glad to have you with us. ...Rick]
I like to use a thinking construct for unpacking complex terms like
"leadership." Rather than getting into a definition, I like to think
about what some IS, IS NOT and COULD BE IF. Here are some of my plugs
into that construct.
Leadership IS
- inspiring others
- encouragement
- the ability to make difficult decisions
- the ability to act on levers in the interest of a whole organization
- based on trust
- requires congruity with espoused values for authenticity
- often results in people following
- often creates great things as a result of its exercise
Leadership IS NOT
- dominance and force applied to get people to do what is desired
- unnecessary use of power
- a synomym for management
- just the domain of the most senior people in an organization
Leadership COULD BE IF
- the domain of the whole organization if a number of things were addressed
>>>fear
>>>punishment for failure
>>>skill in the identification of leverage
>>>the creation of authentic empowerment
>>>ending a culture of blame and needless debate
I welcome other contributions in this construct.
--------
Jason Smith
Agility Architect
pax@interlog.com
http://www.organizationalagility.com
"growing your profits. faster. sustainably."
--Jason Smith <pax@interlog.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>