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9/10/2012 1:36 pm  #1


The role of Enlightened Leadership

Enlightened Leadership is critical to facilitation success.  Leadership that looks to truly help their people use their talents and skills will welcome trained, experienced facilitators.  Leadership that looks to defend the status quo will look on facilitators with suspicion...in the worst case, as promoting "false teachings" by allowing people to speak their minds and dream about doing even better than the group is doing to-date. 

So on the one hand, Leadership helps facilitation---and on the other hand, Leadership kills overt facilitation.

Respectfully volunteering one's services where the Leadership determines it will fit best works with Enlightened Leadership.  With Un-enlightened Leadership, the only approach possible is quite covert facilitation.

How can you change the Un-enlightened Leadership to Enlightened?  Very difficult.  Perhaps appealing to one's core Mission or AIM and asking politely if we're making the progress we'd like.  But to suggest that things could be better is to acknowledge we might not be perfect---which are fighting words where "Perfection" is assumed and celebrated, regardless of the facts of the matter.

Does this make sense to you?

I especially invite your experience/ideas on this topic.

Dan

 

12/03/2012 1:45 pm  #2


Re: The role of Enlightened Leadership

Just a clarification.  My experience is that most leaders in most organizations are truly trying their best to further the goals of their organization.  However, when the goals themselves are out-of-congruence with the reality of their situations, it leads to paranoid defensiveness: especially in some religious organizations---where  "Why are we not succeeding?" is answered by: 1) we're great and evil out there is destroying our effectivness; 2) we're great and the people out there don't want our message, since they are evil; or 3) you (in the organization) aren't really committed, don't really love God, and are bad!

Little or not thought to: 1) are our goals realistic and if not, can they be adjusted to be more reasonable? 2) are our means the best to try to meet the goals? and 3) what changes can be done in our required framework to make us even better than we are now?

Of course, once again, that's an admision that we are not perfect.

For many religious groups, that's heresy.

To be an enlightened leader in that environment invites being fired, rejected, excommunicated, and labeled as a trouble-maker if not worse (an agent of Satan!)

The power of religion is tradition, doctrines, and rituals.

Taken too far, though, those strengths become deadening drawbacks.

Dan

     Thread Starter
 

2/18/2013 3:59 pm  #3


Re: The role of Enlightened Leadership

So how can one proceed to promote helpful facilitation in the face of unenlightened leaders?  Very carefully and respectfully, chosing one's words to not hint of "heresy", asking leading questions.

Such as?  "About situation 'X', what would you think about...?"  In other words, pointing out an opportunity/problem then couching a possible solution as a question for the leader to evaluate.  Often, the leader might go "Ah!  That's a good idea!"  It gives the ball over to them to throw back. 

In other words [again] the person in the unofficial "Facilitator" role is facilitating THE LEADERSHIP in moving forwards.  This is how the been-there-a-long-time wise worker "manages" his/her management.

Dan

     Thread Starter
 

3/21/2013 3:14 pm  #4


Re: The role of Enlightened Leadership

Why so few enlightened leaders?  Religious leaders often view their job as: "Defenders of the Truth" rather than "Advancers of Understanding."  Religious members often seek religion out of defensive motivation, looking for a secure and safe retreat---rather than a means to continually move closer to God.  Tradition soothes fear while promoting backwards and forwards "tunnel" vision.  Leaders are often those that value being respectfully listened-to rather than true servants of those they lead.  Questioners are viewed as troublemakers at best and heritics at worst.  So, what do you get?---Unenlightened leaders that take pride in their ignorance.  Sad, but true.

Dan

     Thread Starter
 

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