The thing I like
about business and change is that it is an art rather than a science. Science can
be exact and repeatable. Art can be messy, different, and in the eye of the beholder
a thing of beauty or otherwise. It is all about context and circumstance. It is
therefore inevitable that people involved in business or change will have
different points of view, just as some will love Picasso, Rembrandt, Damien
Hurst others may prefer Constable, Rubens, Miro. There is no ‘correct’ answer,
just what fits for a person, time, and situation. I therefore was delighted
when someone challenged some of my ideas in a recent blog with their own, and
with their permission I have noted some of the email exchange.
The exchange below relates
to my blog titled “Is true leadership about not leading?”
http://projectspeoplechange.blogspot.com/2013/03/is-true-leadership-about-not-leading.html
I wrote “The problem
with strong leadership is that it can create a command and control culture”
SB listed some advantages to a command and control culture,
which include..
·
Gives permission to the poor Dears who need
authority
·
To do something, anything, ever, confirming the
clear message throughout their lives
·
That successful employees do what the Boss
wants, and the best of the best always seek approval
·
For every and all actions, and that they have
witnessed “cross-functional communications, collaboration and co-operation” to
be
·
A rhetoric that never advantages those destined
for the top positions
·
In the “command and control culture” that has
always, will always and must always
·
Remain in every enterprise, organisation,
government, society and culture.
I suggested “An
insistence on sticking to the up and down chain of management can compromise cross-functional,
collaborating and co-operative”
SB listed some advantages to a sticking to the up and down
chain of management, which include..
·
Advance one’s career development over that of
one’s “cross-functional, collaborating and co-operative” peers
·
Show one’s superiors in the “command and control
culture” that one is truly a part of their enduring system
·
Deserving of power, promotion, inheritance, to
ensure that change happens elsewhere
·
And that we, the few, the special, remain in
charge and that change does not touch us.
Yes, true leadership is about not leading, it about is
remaining eternally in positions of power. We, the few. The chosen.
S.B.
March 2013
I am interested in receiving
notes, comments and feedback and the most interesting are where people have a
different view or perspective. If you would like contribute your ideas please
post a comment or email me directly, as S.B. did.
Tim Rogers
Founder ciChange
timrogers@ciChange.org
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/CI-Change-4301853
ciChange seminar and networking events for 2013 sponsored by
Total Solutions Group http://www.tsgi.co/
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