Preparing for Christmas back home

With last year having been such an adventure, it has been a little difficult getting in the spirit of Christmas. A year ago tonight we were in Florence and would be on our way to Rome and then to Venice for Christmas eve. It's a little hard to beat the glamour of that kind of Christmas. On the other hand, we really missed not seeing Devin, Steve, and Gram at Christmas and this year we'll all be together for a full week. Darbi is already here, Devin and Steve come tomorrow, and then we'll all go shopping and playing together on Saturday. We very much look forward to a wonderful celebration together.

I also have something to celebrate today that will make the holidays even more fun. The editor for Deeper Learning in Leadership made some recommendations for changes in November and I promised to turn them around with a new draft ready by January 15, 2007. To my utter shock, I finished the revisions today - almost a month ahead of time. I probably won't turn it in until January but it feels so great being able to look forward to time with the family with nothing hanging over my head. I also intend to return to practicing piano during the holiday and I can hardly wait. Darib has been taking piano lessons at Carnegie Mellon and I need to brush up so I can stay ahead of her.

I feel a deep sense of satisfaction tonight. I'm home, with loved-ones, preparing my mind and heart for the coming of Christmas - an absolutely wonderful time of year. I pray for the happiness and peace of all our family and friends. We have many treasures to be thankful for!

December 13 - one year later

A year ago I was finalizing grades for my MUDEC class, doing laundry, packing, and temporarily closing down my blog. Tomorrow, December 14, Diane and Darbi would start their trek to Frankfurt, and December 15, we reunited and began our European extravaganza. It hardly seems possible!

So much has happened over the last year that has cemented my MUDEC and European experience in my memory. First of all, I'm so pleased that I started this "Pursuing Leadership" blog so that I could get back to all the ideas I've had and so that I could chart the journey of my discovery of Europe and leadership.

This experience brought to fruition a decade-long dream just last week. I keynoted the Leadership Educators' Institute in Arizona with the title of my remarks being Deeper Learning in Leadership. It was an incredible honor and opportunity to roll out the core ideas that will eventually be in print with the book. The participants' responses were very good and the ideas seemed to stimulate considerable dialogue through the rest of the conference. Preparation for the conference also helped me refine how some ideas were presented, which will help in completing the final revisions of the text by January 15, 2007.

I'm finishing up grading for the semester and then will dig into writing. I also hope to kick back a bit for the holidays. Last year was so incredible that only the deep warmth of being with my family could even begin to compare!

Vienna - one year later

I've been reliving my weekend in Vienna throughout the current weekend. Clearly, Vienna was one of my favorite European cities and it's hard to forget what an amazing visit I had. With adjustments for time zones, by now I was back in Differdange, moving into the final days of teaching, writing, and solitude.

Vienna was amazing because of the overwhelming history that took place there and the art which stands as a testament to Vienna's importance throughout Europe for 700 years - up to the dawn of the 21st century. I keep thinking back about when Diane and I can return. I loved Vienna in the winter, with its very short days, snow floating through the air, streets filled with fur-clad shoppers, and musicians in concerts halls and the streets. I want to go back in the summer as well to see its lush gardens, the Danube, and the outdoor environs made for all to enjoy.

Shifting to another of my favorite cities, I noticed a piece in the paper this morning about JFK's 1963 visit to Berlin. The piece informed of the opening of a new exhibit just at the threshold of the Brandenburg gates that is dedicated to JFK's visit. His visit was intended as a statement of support to Berlin after the USSR erected the Berlin Wall in 1961. Free Germans were fearful of being overtaken by Soviet power but JFK had the courage to go there and to proclaim, "Ich ben eine Berliner." His statement reflected that free citizens everywhere are connected to each other. This event still ranks as the top historical event of the past one hundred years for most Germans.

JFK and RFK's times were different - the cold war, civil rights, economic disparity... Or were they? Having seen "Bobby" this last week with my first-year leadership seminar students, I was deeply reminded of the turmoil of the 1960s. My belief is that we have reached another pinnacle time of turmoil in human history. The cold war, where outright military confrontation was avoided but unknown enemies lurked behind every headline, is strangely reminiscent of the war on terrorism. Gains acheived in the Civil Rights Act of 1954 are being challenged in a Supreme Court case moving to the national center stage tomorrow, 12-4-06. Economic disparity is at an all-time high in the U.S.A. Corporate CEO conpensation has risen at outrageous rates while downsizing requires layoffs and flat compensation for the working class.

There is a strange symetry among the random thoughts in this post this morning. The dynasty of the Habsburg family in Austria, the legacy of the Kennedy family as advocates for change while they occupied places of privilege, and the present struggle before us in finding politicians who are capable of the leadership we need to advance the human condition. These times may stir fear in our souls but they also enliven the quest for more adequate and, indeed, effective ways of understanding leadership. What kind of "leadership" do we need to engage citiznes in the complex negotiations of the modern day?

Espoused versus enacted theory

I just read the following post to the ILA listerv this morning (dated 11-8-06). It explores belief/theory as we espouse it versus what we act on.
_____________________________________

Before Rumsfeld was fired I published this on my website blog. Seems related to this discussion.

I was listening to an interview with NY Times journalist, Bob Woodward in which he spoke about how the self-confidence of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld caused him to disregard the advice of his most senior Pentagon advisors about post-invasion Iraq. Woodward's impression is that Rumsfeld is very knowledgeable and charming, and that his intellect gives him a lot of self-confidence. The current violence in the middle east and Iraq is a testimony to the wisdom of his advisors.

Hearing this story set me off searching for what the leadership researchers and pundits have to say about self-confidence. Notably, they don't have much to say. What I did find, however, was quite a bit about self-esteem. I got to thinking that perhaps the reason many people like to defer to persons in leadership roles might stem from a confusion between self-esteem and self-confidence.

Self-confidence is an important attribute for leaders, and ironically real self-confidence relies on self-esteem. Too much self-confidence without self-esteem can easily turn into arrogance, dominance, power and control. When I think about the most able and competent leaders I've known, they all share a willingness to let go of control. It makes sense. When you really have confidence in something and you know in your heart and your gut it's right for you, your constituents and the context, its easier to give attention to what others have to say and to collaborate.

Chris Argyris, a former Yale University professor and the James Bryant Conant Professor of Education and Organizational Behavior at Harvard University studied formal organizational structures, control systems, and management on individuals and how they responded and adapted to them. He encouraged leaders and managers to have confidence in their actions by being willing to test what he called their espoused theory-of-action against their theory-in-use.

The relationship between 'espoused theory and theory-in-use is similar to the relationship beween grammar-in-use and speech. These relationships contain assumptions about self, others and context which constitute a microcosm of science in everyday life' The words we use to convey what we do or what we would like others to think we do, can then be called espoused theory. (Argyris & Schön 1974: 30) "When someone is asked how he would behave under certain circumstances, the answer he usually gives is his espoused theory of action for that situation. This is the theory of action to which he gives allegiance, and which, upon request, he communicates to others. However, the theory that actually governs his actions is this theory-in-use. "(Argyris and Schön 1974: 6-7).

Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, I'm sure I don't espouse one theory and do something else. You may be right. The best way to find out is to test your theory-of-action by asking others for feedback about the impact of your actions and behavior and comparing it to your true intentions. Don't be surprised if you find there's a difference. It's a well documented phenomenon of human nature that we do not see ourselves as others see us which helps explain alot of the confusion and discord in organizations and the world.

The lesson: when leading others, knowledge and pure intellect is both an asset and a liability. It gives us the confidence to take a stand so that others can have confidence in us. And it can also prohibit us from being open to sharing control and having confidence in others. When you are commited to your espoused intentions, honest feedback can be very helpful news about the effectiveness of your actions.

Lucy

Lucy E Garrick, M.A. WSD
NorthShore Group
Organization and Leadership Development
www.northshoregroup.net
Seattle, WA
_______________________________________

The last paragraph gets to the core of the question - When is intelligence and self-confidence an asset versus liability? Note to self - self-esteem informed by humility and respect for others is probably key to living with confidence that allows us to tap the intelligence and contribution of others.

Symmetric surprises

A year ago today I was on the train through Germany and down to Luzern, Switzerland. There were so many surprises on that trip - the first of my longer trips while I was traveling alone in Europe. The train ride was unexpectedly long, resulting in my arriving late in the evening. As I stumbled through the unfamiliar streets to find the place I planned to stay, I found another small hotel that ultimately ended up being an incredible find. When I opened my doors to the breath-taking view of Mount Pilatus on the horizon the next morning, I knew I had found heaven on earth.

Today is not only the 1st anniversary of my discovery of the Alps and the wonderful heritage of this region of the world, it is the 96th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's 1910 debut as the conductor of the New York Philharmonic. As I listened to the historical retrospective on WGUC this morning, I was not surprised to hear that Mahler chose to break the boundaries of conventionality of the NY Philharmonic by conducting a Bach piece from the piano (evidently something never done before in this setting). Mahler later wrote to a colleague back in Austria about how stunned the audience was and how this style added so much in new perspective to the performance.

The additional symmetry of these days is that Diane and I will attend the Cincinnati Symphony's performance of the Mahler Symphony #9 tomorrow night. This symphony is considered his fairwell to life and, in fact, he never heard it performed before his death in 1911. The 9th was composed, as most of Mahler's works, in his Austrian mountain retreat - a place where he could find solitude and reflection to give him the creative energy to engage with a public that for the most part did not understand him during his lifetime. Pavo Jarvi, who will conduct the 9th, said of this masterpiece that it explores the depths of human yearning for meaning, a kind of going to the edge of human experience. This Cincinnati Symphony concert is open and free of charge to Iraq War veterans and their families.

Mahler's life reflects both the blessing and burden of genius. He was beloved by some but dismissed by others. His days teetered back and forth between intense solitude and social engagement. His role in closing the Romantic era of music and ushering in true 20th century forms unquestionably qualify him as one of history's greatest leaders in music. Mahler's legacy also raises the question of how creativity and leadership balance in life's experience.

I heard a speaker at the International Leadership Association just last week (Dean Keith Simonton, author of Creativity in Science, Change, Logic, Genius, and Zeitgeist) who proposed that there are common constructs between creativity and leadership (i.e. both are based on achieving great impact), but that they are rarely both found in the same individuals. Simonton's conclusion still rests uncomfortably in my mind. Are creativity and leadership focused on achieving similar purposes yet unlikely companions in our lives?

Note (or question) to self - In an age where creativity and innovation are so important to discovering conditions necessary for the earth and its inhabitants to thrive, how can artistic, leadership, and other genius be fostered for the good of all?

First real day in Luxembourg - revisited 1 year later

Some events in our lives are so powerful that their anniversaries take us back to those moments in amazingly vivid detail. Such was my experience in going to Luxembourg one year ago. I just looked back when I started this blog and the October 25, 2005, post was "First real day in Luxembourg." I remember the disorientation, the excitement, the wonder of it all. It was a bright and beautiful day as it is in Oxford today. I went to the Universite du Luxembourg campus with several of the MUDEC faculty and we met with their faculty to see if there wasn't something we could explore together. A year later, it looks as if Universite du Luxembourg and MUDEC will combine efforts in the next couple of years and that MUDEC students will have the opportunity to engage more deeply with students from the Universite. I had nothing to do with the merger of purpose and place but it is kind of cool to know that I was there in some of the early stages of seeing this possibility.

I miss Luxembourg very deeply. It was a very difficult time for me in the early days (particularly the first 7-10 days) because I missed my routine, family, other relationships and I missed the familiarity of culture. As I grew more comfortable over time, I began to relish difference and newness. The result was that I took greater and greater risks over time - and I gained more with every bigger step I took.

Probably the most profound lesson I learned from Luxembourg was that taking risks is hard and sometimes terrifying but, if we face it with curiosity and trust in humanity, amazing things are possible. The metaphor of the Chesapeake Bay bluecrab may be instructive here. Bluecrab are wonderful and they primarily are found in the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore out to the mouth of the Atlantic. One of the delicacies that is possible is the softshell crab, which results when a crab sheds its hardened shell because to retain it would be too restrictive for new growth. The urgency of growth becomes so great that the crab sheds its protective shell and becomes a softshell crab, ready to experience the world in new and grander ways. The only hooker on the proposition is that in this vulnerable state, there could be predators (like humans) who capture the crab during this tender, transitional state. To be caught in between the former hardened and secure hardshell and the growing, developing softshell state can mean ruin. However, if the crab wishes to develop, the risk to grow a new and more adequate shell must be tolerated.

Isn't that what many of our life experiences are about - risking to shed the hardened and inadequate in order to become something better? The vulnerable state in between is terrifying. Note to self - how can I become more comfortable in between and how can I be a protector for others as they embark on something dramatically different so that they feel enough shelter to take the risk?

The world as we know it is coming to an end - revisited

"The world as we know it is coming to an end" may seem like a grim statement but it has great hope as well. This post is about death of apathy, ignorance, and complacency. It was stimulated by the October 1, 2006, sermon of Dr. Craig Barnes at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh.

There have always been those who predicted the end of time, the crumbling of humanity, and the hopelessness of our struggle against it. Faith allows those who seek it to see that the end of time means only that there is a new day seeking to come forth that will be better than all those that came before. Quoting Dr. Barnes, "It is the easiest thing in the world to say that things are getting bad, or the political and military options are not working, or those devoted to violence just keep coming. Yes, all of that is true." To pronounce doom and gloom may seem prophetic but it reflects only cynicism and an unwillingness to take responsibility to shape the world as we would like to see it. "If you want to be a leader in your part of the world, then say something unique and useful. Be a man or woman of hope who lives as if the story is not over yet. Not by a long shot."

I combined these inspirational words with pictures taken by distant friend, Jake Brewer. Jake has traveled the world over and has an incredible store of pictures that demonstrate a world becoming - in every corner and especially through the hope in our children. (BTW - this post is noted as "revisited" because I looked back in my blog and found that I posted under the same topic almost a year ago. Sound like a theme?)

Social capital and healthy communities

I just looked back in my blog to see if I'd every posted anything on social capital and health in communities. I couldn't find one explicitly but the idea is certainly threaded in a number of the posts. The reason I thought I might have posted before is that this is such a constant theme as I seek to understand the connection between leadership and community.

Essentially the point is that one of the most important contributions of leadership is to enhance social capital within the community. Social capital is the degree to which all participants/members invest in the community. Investment can be the amount of time spent in community meetings, in service to the community, in talking positively about the members of the community, in making space for others to be part of the community. It's just like investing in a for-profit or not-for-profit entity; the investment doesn't appreciate unless there is ongoing attention, analysis, and enhanced commitment among those who hope to reap benefits from the organization.

A very challenging part of community life is that we are quick to seek the benefits of community but aren't willing to invest in order to reap the benefit. Thus, everyone wants to go to a great event, happening, or other privilege of a community, but far fewer members are willing to do the work to make it happen. The Scholar Leader community at Miami is a very interesting example. It is a great community of bright and interesting residents. Members want to benefit from having Scholar Leader on their resumes. They also want to benefit from the privileges of the scholarships, the programs, and the associations established through the community. However, it is a challenge when it comes to those who are willing to work to make all the good stuff happen.

One of the keys to effective community is providing flexibility for members to contribute on the topics and at the times they are able. There will never be a one-for-one exchange of investment to benefit. If everyone were to identify a contribution they can make, the equation would have a chance to balance out over time. So, for example, one member may come to all the community meetings and may get involved in planning the January Plunge trip. Another member may not come to community meetings but may be an individual who is frequently involved in late-night "bull" sessions or who is the "go to" person for a particular academic subject area. Are these two students contributing to and benefitting in the same ways? No. They do benefit in likely proportion to what they invest and this is fine. The problem is that sometimes those who are the higher investors get perturbed with the low investors and then resentment unfolds. When some members resent others for not participating, the stage for deteriorating community is set.

The "note to self" point here is that healthy communities result when the degree of social capital investment is increased. Equal contribution and benefit as well as comparable investment across members of the community is unrealistic in most settings. Learning to accept this and remaing open to the ebb and flow of member participation will go a long way to increasing the overall social capital investment and, hopefully, benefit to all.

"Best"

I'm teaching two courses this fall - one a graduate seminar that complements students' supervised practice experience and the other a first-year seminar in leadership. The first round of papers and journals were due last week and I'm beginning to grade and return these to students. This exercise has stimulated some dialogue with my students, mainly around their disappointment that they did not receive higher grades. As I responded to a couple of students' e-mails this morning, I realized that the question of grades relates rather directly to something I include (without explanation) in much of my e-mail correspondence.

A couple of months ago, I started signing off "Best" on some/many of these messages. I have no idea if anyone notices this or not. It is not a casual statement; it means two things - 1) that I promise my best effort in helping others learn about leadership and 2) that I expect only the best of you and me as we seek to understand leadership. This blog is labeled "Pursuing Leadership by Denny," which is also a bit different than many blog titles. Pursuing leadership is a life-long passion for me. I seek to learn and I grow deeper in my understanding everyday. I also know that I am likely never to really understand. However, "Best" means a lot to me. I seek to understand and I hope that I have colleagues who will grant me the opportunity to continue to learn by being curious, by proposing ideas, by stumbling, and by learning to be as reflective as I can be. I appreciate all those who understand this quirky aspect of my personality and I hope I offer you always my "Best" effort on the journey.

Best to you today and always!

Lipman-Blumen on illusions of leadership

Another of my favorites posted a provocative statement to the ILA listserv. Jean Lipman-Blumen (http://www.cgu.edu/pages/1832.asp) said on 9-14-06:
Unfortunately, leaders tend to create the illusions that they sense the followers want to hear. Mostly, these are illusions about keeping us safe from harm/death, making us feel important, even heroic, inviting us into the center of action, and giving our lives meaning, etc. The tragedy of the human condition is not that we all die, but rather that we choose to live by illusions. And there are so many toxic leaders eagerly waiting to feed us grand illusions disguised as noble visions. That was part of the message in "The Allure of Toxic Leaders."

Cheers,
Jean Lipman-Blumen

Jean seems always to be able to hit the nail on the head. This is a challenge of both leadership and followership. Those of us who seek to provide leadership must search our souls deeply enough to determine why we seek to influence others - is it to make ourselves appear important and heroic or is it to help others feel powerful in shaping their own lives? When we are engaged in the all-important followership that may be even more important in some ways, are we careful in discerning the motivations and purposes of those we follow?

Barbara Mossberg on cultural perspectives of leadership

The following text is from a listserv post on 9-10-06 by Barabara Mossberg, President Emerita of Goddard College and currently a Senior Scholar at the James McGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland:

I noticed a different take on leadership qualities twenty years ago as a new dean of graduate studies at the University of Oregon. I had TA's from Asia and Europe who wanted to quit their jobs in the first two weeks (and mine), because the students were "not respectful." When, alarmed and dismayed, I asked how this was manifested, they replied, "they raise their hands to talk when I am speaking, they interrupt with questions, they come to my office to question the assignments, their grades. . . " I was relieved--"oh, they are acting as they have been trained since pre-school!" and inspired to create some programs for the whole University, graduate students and faculty, in which we all and each examined the cultural assumptions that go into teaching (for example) and the values we generate and invoke in our students that express cultural ideals that culminate in how we identify and nurture leaders. In the U.S., what are the historical forces that explain why we would encourage students to come up with "different" answers, raise our hands and otherwise "intervene" and "interrupt," establish themselves as unique, creative, even challenging presences in the learning environment, differentiate themselves proactively from other students, ourselves as faculty, and even the "authorities" whom we ask them to consider with critical thinking skills? We ask such questions in the context of learning how another culture might define academic excellence in terms of consensus and agreement fostering and perpetuating the teachings of the faculty and authorities, for example. What is to be gained by the approach in whatever country, and what cultural forces and history shape such educational approaches that nurture specific citizen values that ultimately apply to the kind of leadership we want? Each faculty member was asked to consider what traits make up a "good student" and what assignments and pedagogies reward those traits--and why. How does this reflect and continue to shape the culture? In increasingly diverse and multicultural and global classrooms, how can we understand and promote different kinds of understandings of "academic success?" How can we educate for the global arena in which different values are operant and collide? Thus I see particular opportunity in the graduate programs in which students from many countries participate, to consider these questions for a more internationally-conscious pedagogy.

On this note, in further work for American studies, I considered what forces led Americans to vote for what presidents they did, and what informed the national debates (Carter, Reagan, elder Bush, Clinton, etc.). I will share something from my own work on chaos theory and global leadership. I saw that Clinton was charged with being indecisive when in fact he seemed to be modeling complexity and other dynamic whole systems theories from emergent sciences in his decision-making processes. I gave lectures on his "round world" thinking in which issues were understood not in polarities, but in global terms of not either/or but an inclusive model of truths and realities that co-exist even as they conflict, compete, overlap, merge, collide, and contradict--just as earth appears at any moment from space, at once, simultaneously, wet and dry, dark and light, low and high, freezing and humid, etc. This sense of complexity, of "and . . and . . .and" I think was threatening, considered "indecisive" in a context of insecurity over multiplicity of an increasingly global and diverse world, increasingly interdependent, so that "this or that" approaches seemed more "decisive", even if this interpretation does not express the reality of a situation and in fact distorts it. We are reminded that it is only a relatively short time in which we have lived with knowledge of a "round world" and even more recent that we have images of ourselves from space that change the way we can see ourselves. Decisions one way or another are made, but how the public understands the forces shaping the decisions is tremendously important to understanding what "decisive" means. Where and when do we see issues looked at in terms of long-term results, for global stability and prosperity, based on what we learn from history!

This is a wonderfully rich example of why it is important to continue to examine our notions of learning and leadership. We come from different experiences and places and those differences profoundly impact our own choices and our views of the choices of others. Note to self - What unexamined notions are standing in my way of connecting with others in both learning and leadership?

Kudos to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg

With all the flurry of controversy around Facebook over the last several days, I have to comment on my blog in its relation to leadership. I was totally impressed with the apology and explanation Mark Zuckerberg offered in his posting to Facebook account holders. What I was amazed by was that he approached it as a textbook example of what to do when you screw up. Accepting responsibility, apologizing, and correcting our actions is one of the most difficult things to do in leadership. The tendency among some leaders is to justify, rationalize, excuse our behavior by suggesting that it is others' perception that created the offense. Another headline right now is Arnold's debacle with cultural stereotypes in his private meetings. In Arnold's case, he apologized but said in his quasi-apology "I am sorry that others took offense" rather than saying "I screwed up and apologize."

Mark Zuckerberg provided a wonderful example of accepting responsibility by apologizing in his very first paragraph. Then he went on to describe that he and his colleagues were too hasty in launching the new information feature on Facebook. He described how he and others are scrambling to rewrite the code to correct the mistake. Finally, he thanked Facebook account holders for their patience and reinforced the importance of open communication on Facebook and expressed appreciation to those who communicated their displeasure to him. These are precisely the kinds of behaviors that are needed in leadership. It reinforces confidence rather than undermines it. As a rather strange participant on Facebook (older, administrator, etc.), my support of Facebook is greater today than it was yesterday. Yes, Facebook has had some bad moments but those have mostly been the result of our use rather than Facebook's actions. Facebook provides a way to connect and to have some fun - it is our responsibility to use it appropriately.

Kudos to Mark and his team - I hope many Facebook account holders catch the leadership implication that we've just witnessed. Note to self - lessons about leadership can be found in the most interesting places...

Additional note on 9-22-06: I have been disappointed that Mark Zuckerberg and his team have not substantially modified the functionality that raised so much concern in the last two weeks. When I offered the comment above, Mr. Zuckerberg appeared to be demonstrating the best of leadership. At this point, the jury is still out.

The value of cultural proficiency

I had both a professional and personal revelation about the importance of cultural proficiency when I talked to my oldest daughter by telephone earlier this week. Devin is a Miami graduate in Marketing. After she completed her degree at Miami, she went on to pursue a culinary arts certificate from the Mid-West Culinary Institute, seeking to prepare herself for a career in catering and event management. During her Miami years, Devin worked at a local Oxford restaurant, first as a server and then as a manager. Her main involvements in college were her sorority and her work.

I provide Devin's background because at first blush you might think that Devin would not have had classes and experiences that prepared her for a multi-cultural world. The wonderful part of the story is that, indeed, she did. The proof of the acquired cultural proficiency she now has is that she now lives in Chicago and works for the Levy Corporation, a restaurant and catering/event organization. Her work is with an extremely diverse kitchen and catering staff, dealing with clients from every cultural and experiential background you can imagine. In the several months she has worked for Levy, Devin has planned and managed bar mitzvahs, weddings, funerals, and corporate dinners/receptions. She has become the person in the office to whom many of the more difficult cases are referred - culturally-based events, same-sex union ceremonies and receptions, or straight-laced business affairs. In all of these events, she exhibits leadership by helping others make decisions, by motivating others to do their best work, and by serving as a role model herself. My point is that Devin could not be successful unless she was responsive, respectful, and could relate to people from as broad a sweep of cultural backgrounds as you can imagine. To our delight and great pride, it is this very mix of people, the interesting nuance of relationships, and the fulfillment of service that has her calling us daily with stories we will never forget.

In all honesty, there wasn't much in Miami's classrooms that helped Devin gain cultural proficiency. Actually, it was living in Peabody Hall on the Western Campus as a first-year, working with a very diverse and connected staff in food and entertainment work, volunteering to take food left after her culinary classes to Over the Rhine in Cincinnati, and a curiosity and appreciation for people of all backgrounds. Cultural proficiency results from a breadth of experiences and can even be gained in the bubble of Miami and other places, regardless of our stereotypes about what these environments may or may not provide. I am only thankful that she was interested enough to welcome learning and that she is now putting what she learned to work in powerful and enjoyable ways!

Beginning the academic year with Retreats

I had the pleasure of exploring a number of leadership and community issues with student organizations this last weekend. Because both groups wanted to get a good start, the Associated Student Government (ASG) Cabinet and Scholar Leaders had back-to-back events with one retreating Friday/Saturday and the other Saturday/Sunday. I was a little tired upon my return to Oxford on Sunday afternoon. However, the net progress and momentum achieved by both groups was wonderful.

The ASG Cabinet retreat was designed to get the new team acquainted, introduce them to the unique strengths each brings to their work, and to begin the process of planning for the new year. Megan Fletcher designed the retreat and did a terrific job. One of the parts that I contributed was an interpretation of the StrengthsQuest instrument. This is an assessment designed by the Gallup organization and available in Miami's Career Exploration & Testing as one of our Leadership Assessments. The beauty of the StrengthsQuest is that it identifies 34 different strengths, five major strengths for each person who takes it. My experience with the instrument is that it is usually very on-target from students' perspective. It is also extremely helpful when looking at a team that needs to work together. Individuals and groups can look for the strengths they have and then focus their energy on utilizing the strengths and finding others who complement them. In addition to the StrengthsQuest, the Cabinet discussed what they can do to become a more effective organization. The challenge ASG always faces is how to be more responsive to student needs, to represent all students, and make the difference that students, faculty, and administration all desire.

The Scholar Leader retreat was the largest of the two retreats - involving 64 participants. This is a very diverse group that is learning to live and learn together. Scholar Leaders are given much greater latitude in designing who they will be and what they will do during the year. The staff role is focused to support students taking responsibility for their own learning and group development. I used the ideas of community advocated by Sharon Daloz-Parks - hearth, table, and commons to stimulate their thinking of how they would work together. The hearth, table, commons ideas can really help a group think of how they establish a welcoming place for all community members to explore the deeper questions of leadership. I intend to continue to revisit this question as we move through the year. One of the areas in which there may be interest is the idea of creating a convenant or honor statement among the Scholar Leaders. This could also lead to serving as a catalyst for the rest of the campus community, which would fulfill the aspiration of the Scholar Leaders impacting the broader Miami community.

Theory and practice of leadership

I am a listservant for the International Leadership Association. ILA is a pretty organization - one that is dedicated to understanding the dynamics of leadership in for profit, not for profit, political, educational and other organizations worldwide. A post to the listserv follows that I thought captured nicely the dilemma we face in relation to building the connection between theory and practice in leadership:
On many occasions the companies I worked with would seek out the latest fad or trend in business, presented by someone who had spent the last six years studying a tiny facet of business. They would tour the speaking circuit and visit our company, giving rise to the heroic business consultant, the savior of the latest knowledge. I can’t tell you how common it was to visit these conferences and hear the latest speaker tell us what changes needed to be made. For most of my friends who had attended, the problem was not in the content but in the constant chase for the new. We constantly felt like something new had to be learned when we hadn’t even finished what we just got. It made everyone’s eyes roll.

But on a rare occasion I felt like I had connected to those who had really discovered something. I felt this way with Jim Collins, and Peter Senge, and Clayton Christensen. These were academia that seemed to touch something much deeper in the organizational gene pool. I remember attending a conference with Collins. You could hear a pin drop...for an hour. They had discovered the fundamentals and presented them in a way that was accessible.

For business the real challenge is finding real and practical wisdom that is not so esoteric. The business manager has to pass these on. If the information is really good but it is too narrow, the audience becomes too small, and it becomes too hard to get people on board.

Contributed by Jonathan Brink August 23, 2006


So what do we make of the fact that so many of us are searching to understand and foster leadership? In our rush to to find something that can help others, we package things that perhaps are not applicable to anyone else, let alone mass translation to broad segments of our working and community worlds. I know that I am perceived (and this blog probably documents) that I am an idea person - always seeking to find some new idea that can help us understand leadership more fully. I also hope that I am a contributor to the difficult translation of theory to practice. If our theories can't help us be more effective, what use are they? I commit to redoubling my effort in translating theory in practical, meaningful, and transforming ways. Hold me accountable, fellow bloggers!

Ahmad's War - Ahmad's Peace by Michael Goldfarb

Miami's first-year students are all in Oxford and the rest of the upperclass students are completing the process today and tomorrow. That means classes are on the horizon and the seriousness of academic pursuit is just around the corner.


Miami chooses a book each year for new students to read. The author then addresses the class and discussion groups follow under the guidance of faculty/staff and students. This year's book is Ahmad's War - Ahmad's Peace by Michael Goldfarb. I generally enjoy all these books so it's not unusual for me to resonate with the themes they include. However, this year, my imagination was stirred more than usual by this amazing story of an Iraqi citizen who lived through the dictatorship of Hussein, hoped for so much during the invasion of U.S.A. and British forces, worked so hard to help his fellow citizens learn how to engage in democracy, and then lost his life by assassination. This story is the epitome of leadership through acting on conviction. Not only is Ahmad's story one of conviction but the author as well. They both represent wonderful examples of what can happen both positively and tragically when we act on our convictions.

I don't mean to be morbid or melodramatic in this post. Most often, acting on our convictions does not lead to death. But, the fact is, in the more courageous circumstances, we don't know if our leadership might lead to assassination - by loss of life, loss of reputation, loss of stability, loss of privilege. There are so many kinds of losses that are possible. When we step up to leadership, the world has the potential of becoming a better place and we have the potential of immortalization because we stand for something. But even with these positive possibilities, there are devastating outcomes that can come to us at the hands of those who oppose our convictions. Most of us work toward compromises that keep others with us and work toward mutual goals and benefits. However, there are times when this is not possible and we don't really know when we might face one of these.

If leadership has the potential to take us places we don't want to go, then why would we want to go down that path? For starters, most of the paths will take us to positive places. In other cases, we won't know what lies beyond the twists and turns of the path. We are likely to start with an innocent perspective that is uninformed about the potential negative consequences. We cannot worry about the pessimistic outcomes or we would never act.

This afternoon, Nick Longo and I will speak to the Morris Hall "Leadership, Excellence, and Community" residents about how to begin the journey of leadership. I intend to use the Goldfarb book to position the topic and hope that students understand what I'm talking about. It's hard for 18 year olds to grasp the importance of leadership and the power they have within themselves. However, I think it's our responsibility to help them to begin taking themselves seriously and that, after all, is what being an educator is all about!

A needed break - #3

Chicago is all about hustle and action. We went shopping on the Miracle Mile, ate great sushi, saw the Robie House (first of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie-style" designs). The Robie house was so amazing because it was astounding how far ahead of its time it was. It was designed in 1908 and built in 1910. The house was only inhabited for 16 years by three owners and then was given to the University of Chicago. Not really appreciating the historical significance of the house, the University used the Robie House for a variety of purposes (including as a residence for students) until a preservation group asked for permission to restore it to its original design. The exterior of the house has been extensively repaired and they are just beginning the interior. The interior is characterized by wide open living spaces and hallway approaches which make these open areas very dramatic. The colors are earthy and natural and the out of doors is invited in through majestic stainglass windows. It is a truly amazing structure.

One of our other favorite things to do was go to hear the symphony at Grant Park (night view to left). The Grant Park concerts are the only free outdoor concerts left in the U.S.A. There were probably 3,000 people picnicing and having a good time during the concert. Afterwards, we enjoyed "the Bean" and walked around the streets, feeling completely safe and secure in one of our nation's largest cities. Chicago's a great town with so much to offer and so many things to do.

A needed break - #2

When we got to Toronto, we struggled a bit in finding lodging because there was a Caribean Fest underway. However, we found a reasonable hotel that put us in an area close to museums, shopping, and some of the ethnic/cultural neighborhoods. The lesson of Toronto is that it is such an amazing collection of cultures. Everywhere you look there are people of different races, languages, religions, etc. It is a culture that seems to embrace all perspectives, if not easily at least comfortably.

Makinac Island was very interesting in terms of historical significance. It has been preserved as a 19th century village with no cars - just horses and bicycles. It is very quaint and beautiful. It has a great deal of significance as a pivotal location between the U.S.A. and Canada.

A needed break - #1

Diane (wife), Darbi (youngest daughter), and I have been on vacation for the last ten days. We're wrapping it up with a visit with our oldest daughter (Devin) and her husband (Steve) in Chicago - to return August 13, 2006, to Oxford. We've had a great time and it has been quite renewing. The itinerary included Niagara Falls, Canada, Toronto, Makinac Island, and Chicago. We were basically trying to do something that would be drivable but would take us into areas that had a bit of an international flair. Yeah, I know... These places aren't terribly different than most of the U.S.A. but at least we could drive.

I'm not sure what we learned about leadership during our travels...

Niagara Falls was pretty amazing in terms of the vision of harnessing the power of water to create a resource that provides electricity to so much of the northeast. The Canadian side is also very interesting as an economic center. Canada has really taken advantage of its proximity to the U.S.A. for tourism. The further you get away from Niagara Falls, there are more interesting things such as an area for wine production, water sports, commerce, and recreation/culture.

Pics and commentary continue on the next post...

Coming and going...

This is a very interesting time for me. There are a number of people who have been very important to me who are moving on to other things and there are others who are coming into my life. These comings and goings bring hope that we'll maintain the relationships that we've had and anticipation about what the new relationships will bring.

We went to a going away party for Ron Slepitza and his family last night (Saturday, 8-29-06). Ron and I have been colleagues for 32 years. Ron was actually the first grad student who I ever had the chance to work with. He was so totally into his masters work that he bugged me until I joined him in doctoral study at the University of Maryland. Ron and I have stayed in contact throughout the years. We've enjoyed being near each other for the last ten years but now he's moving on to the presidency of Avila College in Kansas City. Ron is very excited about his new work and will do a great job. But, we'll miss not having them close.

In addition to losing the immediate friendship of Ron and Suzanne, all the grad students with whom I worked over the last two years are now off on their own. Julie is married and working at UNC-Chapel Hill, Matt is working at the Kettering Foundation (it's easier for us to stay in contact), and Dave is off to Doha, Qatar, working for Carnegie Mellon University.

While these treasured friends are on their way, others are reentering or entering my life. Darbi (youngest daughter) just returned from an incredible 6 week wilderness and spiritual adventure in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. It was difficult having no contact with her for 6 weeks and what a relief to have her back. Liz Housholder is joining me in the next two weeks as a new grad student. Monica Ways and Nick Longo have just joined Miami as Directors of Community Engagement & Service and the Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute, respectively. Both are unbelievable new colleagues who will make a huge difference at Miami.

This next Wednesday, Diane, Darbi, and I are off for a 10-day vacation up north. We're looking forward to being free of the press of regular life in Oxford (sounds impossible in the summer, doesn't it?). We'll be back just in time to begin the fall ramp-up week on August 14. If I have a chance to blog, I'll put some travel pictures up while we're gone. Otherwise, come back after the 14th for a look at what we did.

Comings and goings - part of the rhythm of life. The only thing that I've learned over time and that makes it easier to accept this ebb and flow is that the good ones are never really that far away!