Friday 10 April 2015

Leadership - Federman's definition of Contemporary Leadership

Sometimes you come across an article or post which resonates deeply. Thank you Mark Federman for waking me up from a blogging slumber and addressing the important yet sometimes ephemeral aspects of leadership.
Things have changed. Attitudes towards hierarchy and motivation are very different now and there are many perspectives on what works. Teams carry out the work because we get better results by working together - empowered members who devise their own collective solutions to problems. But what should a leader be concerned with to enable the best results to be obtained?
I have kept the five main points here (for my reference) but please read the complete article (particularly for the explanation of point 5).

  1. Contemporary leadership is not about “leading.” It’s about creating a very particular environment. 
  2. Contemporary leaders don’t drive for goals. They navigate for intended effects. 
  3. Contemporary leaders base their organizational culture on individual autonomy and agency, collective responsibility, and mutual accountability. 
  4. Contemporary leadership employs strengths-based, appreciative practices. 
  5. Contemporary leaders recognize that one’s work integrates with, rather than balancing in opposition against, one’s life. 
"By removing a considerable amount of pressure imposed by Industrial Age command-and-control precepts of “good management,” organizational leaders can direct their attention towards creating and enabling the optimal environment for their members to engage with one another, achieve personal and mutual aspirations, and have one heck of a good time doing it."

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