A colleague of mine in Canada, John Dudek of Boreal Coaching, sent me this article and has given me permission to reprint it here for you. Please have a read as it is very interesting, thought provoking and can support our framework for developing today's and tomorrow's leaders.
A Story of Leadership.
The Obama inauguration can be seen as a defining statement of what
America
was, is, and is striving to be.
In reflecting on what took place and in thinking about what one might learn from the inauguration, I saw a story of emerging leadership, leadership defined through new belief, word, and action, not only by Obama but by the response of people to leadership they could relate to and believe in [this is what was crux to me]. Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline, calls it "shared vision", a uniting of a leader and a citizenry being dependant on a bond of trust and faith. Obama’s “Yes we can” statement was not heard as a hollow statement but as a firm belief from a person who turned belief into reality through his own accomplishment. He personally reignited the American constitutional promise [creed] into a shared belief that many people yearned for but never thought of or experienced.
Consistent throughout his speech was the importance of a new found spirit defined through belief and hope, a spirit embellished through the nation’s history, tradition, pageantry, and music. More tears probably fell in
America
and around the world than at any other time [Kennedy and King not excluded]. The difference is that these were tears to build on, a rekindling of the faith in our humanity.
Perhaps central to this message was the emergence of hope over fear. The tragedy of 9/11 could be measured not only in lives lost, the loss of property, or a sense of our vulnerability but in the presence of fear in a culture that had not faced this threat before. Some leaders believe in the motivating factor of fear when their intent is to control. We see it practiced in many ways from families to government. W. Edwards Deming cites the elimination of fear in our organizations as one of the key elements in his “14 Points” for change. A study of the effects of fear to a nation or of fear in the hearts of people could lead to an understanding of the effects fear has on our abilities to learn, to gain greater understandings, to see our reality more clearly, and to witness the emergence of a positive future. A case can be made that the absence of fear leads to openness, new possibilities, creativity, and innovation. If fear defeats our spirit, its removal energizes and creates. Do our enemies win when fear holds us captive? Do we lose when we enforce practices rooted in fear?
Another central theme was the awareness of our collective responsibility; not only as leaders but in a more systemic view, the responsibility of all. This calls for a shift from the mindset that responsibility can be delegated, be it to leaders or government, while other stakeholders sit in judgement of their efforts. All are being called to see a new role, a new responsibility, of participation and collaboration. In a society that sees an interdependent whole it is not acceptable to sit in silence and point fingers.
For me there was a connection between Peter Senge's thinking {Peter wrote a personal letter to Obama on Jan. 12} and the revered work of Dr. Edwards Deming [Theory of Profound Knowledge] both of which I am hoping to see emerge in some way. Interesting is the relevance of a common purpose: Senge says, save the world, Obama says; unite the people through a oneness void of discrimination. The challenge will be to identify what needs to be "unlearned" and what unconsciously lies as barriers within our fundamental beliefs and practices. Albert Einstein sums this idea up best: “Our present thinking has created problems that cannot be solved by that same thinking.”
The message from Senge towards creating new thinking articulates the importance of "seeing systems; collaboration, moving from problem solving to creating" within learning organization context.
In an effort to capture all these ideas into a more concise statement of what needs to change, I would suggest the following as being representative of my present thinking:
- the future we desire will be dependant upon new thinking leading to new beliefs and practices, new learning processes to facilitate change, and leadership as an inclusive practice creating oneness within community.
So how might this message be presented that will create an image of difference that will be heard? As a Leadership Coach striving to help others achieve the change they desire I would say: that we, as leaders of change, can bring to light the relevance of key elements that define us both as individuals and as organizations; some of which may be seen as new and others as current standards that have fallen below the surface of our consciousness. What is relevant is not that any one will make change possible but that each working in balance and in support of the other as a collective whole will redefine a supportive and sustainable culture change to both heart and mind that unites all..
Written Jan 21/09 a day after the Obama inauguration as a statement to build on by John Dudek CEC
Boreal Coaching
www.borealcoaching.com
Additional thoughts from my notes:
-Obama’s leadership message may be defined as “Relationship Thinking”; seeing the whole as a family and that it is the responsibility of all within it to support and nurture the “family” concept as an entity that must be respected and preserved. Without this connection, do we lose a capability to serve our basic needs of belonging and love?
-Expanding on leadership and spirit; Is it the role of leaders to be responsible for, or at least aware of, the role of one’s personal spirit [faith, hopes, and beliefs] and the part that spirit plays in each and all through the bonding of family, organization, community, and culture? And if so, how might this be managed in self and others?
Coaching Exercises
1. What are your thoughts about this article?
2. What do you believe is crucial for today and tomorrow's leaders to be focusing on? What does that also mean that you need to be focusing on?
3. Self leadership is required before we can effectively lead others. How would you evaluate yourself on self leadership and also on leadership of others? What are your strengths? Where can you improve? Who would benefit if you did?
4. As a result of these questions and your personal exploration and answers, what are you committing to?
As always, if you need any further personal support in response to any of these coaching exercises, please consider using the askacoach.com service.
All the best,
Noel
Noel Posus - Master Coach
2008 Coach of the Year - Australian New Zealand Institute of Coaching
www.askacoach.com
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Noel Posus (MECI) is a former member of the Board of Directors and former Head of Marketing - Asia Pacific for The-ECI - www.europeancoachinginstitute.org http://www.internationalcoachinginstitute.org
