70 degrees this morning, 44:33 minutes walking
150 years ago today, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. In the overall scheme of things 150 years isn’t that much.
Leadership is a matter of opinion to some degree.
I read a column about “Leadership” in the Toastmaster International magazine written by the International President.
As usual, sometimes I suddenly see a thought or concept in a different light.
The latest “Toastmasters International” magazine (for members) has a column from the international President.
He commends about how Leaders sometimes go “to the Dark Side” (such as Darth Vader in Star Wars) for whatever reason. Of course, as my experience indicates sometimes leaders come from the “Dark Side” and just are good at hiding it until they get elected.
He mentions that Leaders challenge is to prevent themselves from losing the vision or values and going over to the “Dark Side’.
Even more important is to lead in a way that members of the organization do not go over to the “Dark Side”, or if they do, they are able to come back from the Dark Side.
He further mentions that being able to “understand the Dark Side” so as to keep yourself out of the “Dark Side” keep the “Dark Side” out of our journey or force it out.
I need to think about this concept some more, how to recognize (and perhaps understand) the “Dark Side”, and be sure it doesn’t pervade your organization, and if it does, how to expel it.
As he mentions, “remaining on course” can be the greatest success of leadership.
Like all great concepts, this is like an acorn that will grow as time goes on. Now that this concept is in my conscious mind, i will note other thoughts that support (or do not support) the concept.
Strange how something I have always known, a few words in a short column (probably 250 words) written by someone from another country and culture made such an impact.
I remember one of the theories (in my own words) of Kuhn in “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” was that frequently big breakthroughs are made by someone who comes in from the outside and therefore sees events in a different light.
Perhaps coming from outside the organization, it helps recognize the “dark side” also of the organization as well as being opportunities others haven’t seen.
I need to do some more reading and thought on this. Of course, the worst result is the Leader losing balance and going over to the Dark Side and taking the organization over to the Dark Side and no one knows it.
Kind of like the Emperor with no clothes.
It is creepy that I used the title “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” in my blog and an ad fro it pops up on my screen and will probably pop up for months. Creepy. Maybe that is where the Dark Side is coming into our culture the pervasive feeling that you always have to sell something. Don’t worry what they need or want, sell them what you have.
More later.
That’s it for now, Thursday, April 9, 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment