Leadership

"What you are thunders so loudly in my ears that I cannot hear what you say." Emerson


~ Someone needs to be responsible for facilitating, moderating, and managing the meeting and discussion.

~ Value-based dedicated leadership is essential for anything lasting, significant, and positive, to be accomplished.

~ Be supportive, consistent, and dependable.

~ Set high standards of excellence.

~ True collaboration requires shared leadership. Cultivate leadership in others.

~ Leadership must value an inclusive, collaborative, process.

~ Be willing to accommodate others, when possible and appropriate.
~ Concentrate on the areas that you have in common with others who are involved. A lifetime of good may be accomplished in the areas that you agree. Sometimes working together towards positive goals can be more important than your specific agenda. As you work together and develop relationships you will likely come to a greater unity of purpose.


~ Encourage and help your organization to grow and change as the need arises.

~ When others feel ownership and empowerment in the organization, they become more committed, creative, and loyal.

~ For many people the process is as important, and sometimes even more important, than the results. Everyone needs to be heard.

~ Manage/Lead the process, don't control it. (The process does not belong to any one individual, and usually does not belong to any one organization, or agency).

~ Allow for conflict and disagreement. Create a healthy atmosphere for disagreement and discussion. As much as possible, resolve conflict and support the solution.

~ Members/Participants need to clearly understand and respect each other's values, knowledge, and skills.

~ Knowledge needs to be shared in order to increase the capacity of all the members, which in turn extends the capacity of the organization/collaboration. Knowledge shared is more powerful than knowledge kept.

~ Enthusiastically support other people's successive or intermittent approximations of the goal. (As much as possible, let it be someone else's idea.) If their bandwagon is headed in the general direction of where you want to go, jump in and cheer it on.

~ Use genuine compliments and recognition. At times it is wise to put it in writing and make it public. At times it is wise to make it private. Be specific about the behavior that you are complimenting.
~ When appropriate encourage volunteers.


~ Provide everyone who wants it, something meaningful to do. Remember that what is meaningful to you may not be meaningful to another. When ever possible, encourage and support others in their interests.

~ Share and rotate leadership responsibilities. Support and encourage leadership in others whenever possible.
~ Learn and practice critical thinking skills...without being critical.