Invisible Leadership?

[Harrison Owen]

Craig

 

I am a little curious about what you mean by "invisible leadership."  I
suppose if you understand leadership to be the equivalent of a position on
the organization chart - then by definition anybody who doesn't show up on
the Org Chart is "invisible." But from where I sit, leadership and a
position on the chart are only happenstantially correlated. Leadership for
me is always a function or role that any of us can play, and most of us do
play at one point or another. More to the point, it is always visible,
although perhaps rather surprising when somebody we might never expect shows
up (becomes visible).

 

For me leadership manifests anytime passion and responsibility come together
creating what I call a "Nexus of Caring." Somebody really cares about
something and is prepared to take responsibility for what they care about.
That tends to get other people's attention, particularly if they care about
the same thing. Of course, it can turn out that the whole thing is just a
"flash in the pan" - lots of light and smoke, but no real substance, and not
much will happen. On the other hand, if there is something authentic going
on - The Nexus of Caring will expand. Functionally, a Nexus of Caring is
analogous to (same as?) a Strange Attractor - and the effect in the self
organizing world of human systems is to create the seed bed for new
organization. 

 

We see this operating every time we Open Space. Somebody stands up and says
"This is my issue for which I take personal responsibility." If others care
to join we then have a nascent organization which may last only for the time
of the discussion period - or it could be a whole new business and last for
years. And of course, the operative power is not the magic of Open Space
(That was two martinis :-)) but the fundamental force of self-organization
at work. In short what happens in Open Space is what happens the world over.
Nothing new, nothing strange - business as usual.  I think that all
organizations, even very old and big ones, had their start with a Nexus of
Caring. Someone, somewhere, sometime stood up and said, I care and I care to
take responsibility for what I care about. That's Leadership, I think.

 

Harrison

 

 

 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com


Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Craig
Gilliam
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:38 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Craig

 

 

Several questions about leadership (invisible) on issues of social change.
I always gain insight as I hear from you.

I am still thinking through the concept of self-organizing systems and
invisible leadership.  I am amazed at its implications and continue to
expand my understanding or more precisely, its understanding and impact on
me.  A discussion we had sometime back was very helpful to me.  Now, I bring
it back to the table--

Last night, I watched the movie, Amazing Grace-the story of a system
reflecting upon itself, on social change.    What is the role of leadership
in social change or justice issues?  How does invisible leadership apply in
such context?  Was, and if so, how was William Wilberforce an invisible
leader?  I am asking this in an open manner trying to get a handle on it
through this experience. 

My first thoughts are that the leader is the surfer of the current or wave,
but before surfing, he/she (or the system)  must acknowledge its there and
decide when to get on the surf board and ride, and when to simply watch and
wait. But what about speaking?  Does it help create the wave, simply
acknowledge it, or what?

This also carries over into the issue of environment, etc. . . or any issue.


 

Thanks,

Craig

 

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Don't get caught with egg on your face. Play Chicktionary! Check it out!
<http://club.live.com/chicktionary.aspx?icid=chick_wlhmtextlink1_dec> 

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