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Tag: stratified systems theory

5 stages of leadership – from leading me to leading a massive crowd

As I searched for well written articles on social system stratification – or to you and me, coordinating our organization with layers, I fell over this cool distinction of leadership tasks from Christo Nel.

#1 Lead our selves – can we sing and sing with others?

  • Do we join in?
  • Do we practice?
  • Do we grow with feedback (or throw a strop)?
  • Do we help others and let them know of our needs to help the choir sing (feedback)?

#2 Influence our friends – can we speak up and take responsibility for group success?

  • Do we practice raising “the issues”?
  • Do we listen to others and value how they make the group richer?
  • Can we get things done without elaborate management structures?
  • Do we celebrate whenever we can?
  • Do our friends value us as a “metronome” that allows helps them sing together?

#3 Organize network of groups – can we set up agreements for sustained activity and induction of noobes?

  • Can we suggest and set up “light weight” schedules and systems that people can stick to?
  • Can we delegate to people who get things done and get things done better?
  • Can we encourage others to learn from the best?
  • Can we monitor what needs changing and flag that up to the network?
  • Do we build future leaders so that the incoming smoothly replace the outgoing?
  • Do we understand the whole choir and what it takes for all of us to succeed together?

#4 Inspire performance that surprises even ourselves  – be a mirror for the organization

  • Do we help us make sense of triumph and disappointment?
  • Do put our long term plans into words and keep us all informed of how we are doing?
  • Do we highlight people who are implementing our values in humdrum and challenging circumstances?
  • Do we encourage smaller assignments to distribute leadership and build our acumen for leadership?
  • Do we know where we have come from and where we are going and when other people listen to us, are they able to tell our story too?

#5 Balance the work of today with our investment in the future – be loyal, to everyone

  • Do we broker sound inter-generational agreements?
  • Do we set out a few key factors for  looking after all of us for now and for ever?
  • Do we keep the organization simple but relevant to today and tomorrow?
  • Do we keep good relationships with our neighbours and nurture sound relationships where we can solve problems together?
  • Are we big enough to absorb frustrations into the group story and to show by our words and deeds that the group is big enough to live life to the full?

These five levels of leadership are as relevant as they have ever been

  • Be happy, skillful and obliging
  • Be a positive influence among our friends and work mates
  • Design simple systems that help large numbers of people coordinate with each other
  • Reflect who we are back to the organization so we are alive to what is ‘good and true and better’ and what we should do more of
  • Be mindful of the world and model for us the joy in the richness and diversity of the world

Stratified social systems uses ‘techie’ language and so does the new age ‘complexity theory’.  Lyrical language is more fun.  Depends whether you are like to be impressed by techie or whether you like to have fun with words!  Your choice!

Hmmm . . . I like big enough to live life to the full.

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