Posts Tagged "Leadership"
A leader’s mind: becoming a reflective practitioner
I never imagined that when I agreed to undertake a Doctorate on Leadership & Global Perspectives through George Fox University that I would be asked to critique such a comprehensive range of texts. In my various leadership roles over the years and as I have mentored other leaders and those...
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“The failure of success, the corruption of triumph, and the danger of celebrity”
It can be argued that because a person’s moral beliefs give rise to actions, they also define the substance of a person’s character (or lack thereof) and reveal the underlying motivations for why certain decisions are made: and that they each reflect a means to an end. As Alasdair MacIntyre...
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When the absence of character in one aspect of our life affects so much more
Leadership cannot exist outside of a moral code or ethical framework that is designed to protect and uphold the content of a person’s character and the ideal or pursuit of character in the life of his or her followers. Historically there has been a convergence of ideas surrounding morality, ethics...
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Character-based leadership. Is it really achievable?
It would be difficult to find someone to argue that character in leadership is not important. However, understanding how this is developed or asking the question whether character or virtues can be taught is no small challenge to respond to. For some of our famous Greek philosophers, the ability to...
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Does leadership have to be all ‘Greek’?
No, I’m not talking about the Greek economy or the escalating European debt, nor am I talking about language. In my research and work with leaders I am continuing to explore the degree to which the absence or presence of virtues can define the character of a leader, and how...
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Leadership, desire, and the shifting sands of change
Immigration, economic and technological advances are changing the global landscape in ways we could not have imagined, challenging traditional norms and values that make the decisions leaders have to make much more complex than ever before. In January 2012, the McKinsey Quarterly, confirmed that the economic advances sweeping through China,...
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How do you respond to organizational decline from the inside?
Over the last 12 months it has been interesting to observe and interact with leaders who are trying to effectively respond to some of the challenges they’ve not had to face directly before, or perhaps not to the same degree at least. These challenges have been brought about by unstable...
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Leading organisations & managing talent is an exercise in creativity
Hiring. Developing. Retaining. Baby Boomers. Gen X. Gen Y. Multiculturalism. Diversity. Values. Expectations. The result? Complex workplace cultures that are constantly changing. Add other challenges stemming from a world in political and economic upheaval, with not merely organisations falling by the wayside, but entire national economies, then discerning leaders have much to think about....
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Which leader would you choose? (Part 2)
Analyzing Images of Leadership In my last blog I introduced a photo elicitation project on leadership (http://outward-looking.com/which-leader-would-you-choose-part-1/) that invited sixty leaders to select a photo of a leader they admired or respected and explain why. They were also asked to list particular values or character traits that they saw in...
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Do colonialist attitudes reside in our organisations?
After spending a remarkable 7 days in Nairobi, Kenya, followed by meetings in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2011, it was impossible to return home to Australia without reflecting on many of the personal stories and leadership experiences shared by those in attendance. In the next few blogs, I will share...
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