Do Men and Women See Leadership Differently? Generalization is risky. But we humans cannot resist searching for patterns. And there are interesting patterns around women and leadership and gender and leadership. Gender Some of you have already noticed that I said “men and women” in one paragraph and gender in the next. Gendered perspectives and […]
Is focus always a good thing? Middle managers focus on success in their slices of the organization chart. Researchers focus on patterns and themes in their data. In quantitative research, we look for statistically significant patterns and themes. In our society, we are pushed to narrow and clearly define our boundaries. In research, this is […]
When I hear the word “diversity” in organizations, it is usually about gender, ethnicity and disability. Are there enough women in senior leadership positions? Do we hire visible minorities? Are there wheelchair ramps? (This is an answer to that question of: “people with disabilities.”) There are two variations on the theme. Have we met targets? […]
From a Tweet to a the Writing of this Post What prompted me to write this post? I had one of those emotional kicks-in-the-butt that pushed me to write this blog post. The kick came from two sources. Each source of inspiration was about writing. But they were different enough to create adaptive tension in […]
Have you ever observed people watching old, working machinery at a fall fair or antique museum? It doesn’t seem to matter what it is: an antique tractor or steam engine or oil derrick or stone-ground flour mill: people are intrigued. Why? My guess is that in our modern world, we almost never see how things work; it […]
Should leadership for pro football, preschool, and open source software development look the same? Of course not. And leadership for knowledge-intensive work shouldn’t look like leadership for assembly lines. The Ark Group has just-published a new report: Successful Knowledge Leadership: Principles and Practice in which I authored the chapter: Knowledge Leadership on the Edge. The executive […]
On June 14, we will have the 4th BC Campus-hosted Online Community Enthusiasts’ Gathering. This is primarily a f2f event, but we will do more than tweet with the hashtag (this year it is #OCE2012) to hear from, and share with online community enthusiasts around the world. This year’s theme is facilitating scheduled activities. Here […]
Yes, it is a weighty title, but I have searched for a term for years, and this is the best I’ve come up with. Most of us design learning opportunities. They might span an hour in a boardroom, months in a university environment, or years with children. Almost all workplace training I have seen for […]
Are you a systems thinker? Do you regularly encounter pressure to fragment? Do you get questions like “But what is your area of specialization?” Or comments like “But that project was never intended to include THAT.” I do. So–even though I rarely write blog posts–I started a new blog: www.IslandHealth.Info It’s explicitly about things like […]
In organizations, we strive for specificity and certainty. Set a goal, carve into objectives, document metrics, and watch for progress. We know what we find, but what do we miss? Since moving to the country, I have adopted a different approach in my personal life (or perhaps I’m simply more aware of it now). For […]
I help people in organizations and communities gain new insights, adapt to changing environments, lead and learn.
