Manifested Leadership Competencies
Systems Thinking - The interconnectedness of us all is especially applicable in organizations seeking to gain understanding about how they work -- also, how change can occur and be sustained. Identifying systems, uncovering changing variables, noticing systemic structures, and broadening understanding to complex structures are all necessary steps to identify and plan for in my final project.
Mental Models - Our minds tell us - and often for good reason - that varied experiences and acquired personal wisdom allow us to form patterns of behavior that help us best facilitate success. A drawback, of course, is that we often times transfer these models to gospel without fully embracing the valid experience and varied wisdom of those around us. This helps us better avoid blind spots and fully understand situations from all angels.
Dialogic Development - As a fan of human-centric change initiatives, my goal is to facilitate generative change that is accomplished by using questions that lead to continuous, on-going conversations. I am using these tools in my final project to include varied voices and perspectives and foster ownership of the organization by attempting to make all who participate stakeholders. Dialogic techniques like Appreciative Inquiry and Liberating Structures will be prominent in my project.
Building Community- I think of building community as a subset of dialogic development. Bridging the gap between the true interconnectedness of community with the cold, embedded conglomeration of organization can be culture changing: modeling behaviors of humility and hospitality, for example.
Reflection - From the ideas of "look. and look again", reflection has been an important part of my personal journey through this program. Practicing Lectio Divina has allowed me to obtain a deeper understanding about myself, others, and how our teachings are applicable to the world as I understand it. Further, as one (or an organization for example) develops and changes, reflection becomes all the more integral to ongoing success and the ability to reconcile and welcome change.