Invisible Leadership?

[Michele Frankel]

Dear Nick,

Thanks for your help with the letter and everything else. Great news that
you are going to meet John Berkow and have been invited onto the steering
committee.

All the best,

Michele


On 12/17/07, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>  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 J) 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 www.openspaceworld.com
>
> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>
> Personal website www.ho-image.com
>
> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
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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
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> 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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