Week Eight

I was thinking about the Lambert book this week and reflecting on what she calls the internal and external mutual influences.  There has to be a mutual, almost, reciprocal, understanding.  The leader learns from the follower and the follower learns from the leader.

The concept applies to internal and external stakeholders as well.

According to Lambert:

Emerging leaders would (good)

·      Communicate with the internal and external stakeholders

·      Accept more relationships with the external stakeholders

·      React to the external stakeholders in a compliant or protective mode

·      Allow stakeholders to exaggerate the sense of uncertainty, instability, and urgency in the organization

Practicing leaders would (better)

·      Create transactional relationships with stakeholders

·      Work collaboratively with stakeholders to identify needs and concerns without regard to organizational goals or resources

·      Manage the stakeholders rather than consider them part of the team

Integrating leaders would (best)

·     Build reciprocal relationships with stakeholders to support mutual awareness and learning that leads to meeting the needs of all people and the organization

·     Actively engage and influence the stakeholders to generate knowledge, resources, and support for continuous improvement of organizational goals and processes

This means I need to change, and, in turn, the organization will change.  And when the organization changes, it impacts me so I change.  And the continuous improvement cycle continues . . .  Kirk