I was at a gig the other evening in which the Kennedys & Edwina Hayes were playing. In introducing one of the songs, Maura Kennedy explained how he had a first degree in history, and Masters in folk music. The learning about ‘folk’ had come from inside – mainly through playing with other great musicians (Nanci Griffiths was the haunting…
In July 2012, Paul Omerod spoke at the RSA on network effects. He described this as positive linking – but not because the effects of networks are all positive. His contention is that – especially in economics – we tend to be subject to (but over look) network effects. Better attention to this trend could lead to a revolution in our…
In his Art of Immersion, Frank Rose speaks of the characteristics of ‘immersive experience’ – in the entertainment industry. His book is about the re-invention of Hollywood. I think the a astonishing parallels – metaphorically speaking – between his account of immersion in multi platform entertainment and the intimate experience of leading, following, and innovating. I am aware that I…
Some time ago I heard Rupert Goold talk about Decade, his collection of 19 playlets about the decade following 9/11. He remarked how striking it was to him that people could remember what they were doing when they heard about 9/11, and how much they wanted to tell that to others. He used the phrase, ‘…the need to narrate themselves…
How do you plan in an emergent context without denying what you know about the context? In relational & leadership terms, you could consider the governing metaphors which frame and limit assumptions about planning and power tackle causes not symptoms avoid concentrating on what happens ‘above the surface’ at the expense of what is happening ‘below the surface’ attend to…
I had an interesting conversation the other day. I was chatting with the Chief Executive and Chairman of a large organisation – 3500 staff, £300m+ turnover, competitive environment etc They are getting to know one another – and, I think, respect one another, and are beginning to recognise that their differences are of value to their board of directors. In…
I was at a trade show a few days ago. It was concerned with health service commissioning. There was the usual clamour of offers being made and conversations being entered into. I develop a trance-like stance, where I am open to browsing, but not sure what is going on in such settings. It reminds me of a souk without the…
We commonly talk about ‘decisive’ leadership; about ‘authentic’ leadership. And use images from military command; and wild life – ‘leading the pack’ etc to describe leadership. We use the language of gender distinctions and roles, also – with some leaders being ‘silver back gorillas’; others being maternal in their pre-occupations and strength. Some are sage-like – some (even) in a zen-like…
There is very little consideration of ‘pleasure’ in leadership – which is curious; perhaps there is a particular type of pleasurable demand, or demanding pleasure, to which the capacity for leadership in all of us can relate. And even less consideration of the pleasure in followership, the act of being led. Paul Bloom, in his recent book How Pleasure Works develops a…
Soft Innovation: Towards a more complete picture of innovative change (NESTA research report July 2009). In this report, economist, Paul Stoneman, uncovers a picture of rapid innovative change which depends on changes in aesthetics, rather than technology. He calls this ‘soft innovation’. Soft innovation mainly concerns product innovation and differentiation. The report covers ground more fully considered in Paul Stoneman’s book,…
Slingshot