Re-Siever

In April I had the pleasure of seeing Margaret Wheatley in Vancouver. Much of what you find in her remarkable books is available on her site as well as several excellent podcasts. She has changed the way I look at leadership, organization, and relationship, and so has influenced my teaching and learning, too.

Meg talked about how change happens through networks of relationships. Hierarchy is never the way to organize-it is antithetical to natural systems. It looks good on paper, and gives the illusion of order or connectedness, but it is not the way people truly operate. It happens the way Margaret Mead described it, through conversations among people who share the same passion: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

So, this is order:

And this is connection:

I am attracted to Wheatley’s humane view of the world. At first blush the classic org chart model seems to be the logical way to organize for resilience, efficiency, and success. But here’s what she says about that:

…I see the need to create organizations where people can bring their whole selves. Unless we create organizations where all of us feel we can contribute in multiple and unexpected ways, the organization cannot survive into the future. There is no way to be adaptive and resilient without having everyone engaged in the work. No one person is smart enough. No one group can respond fast enough. If we are not making it up as we go along, tinkering and experimenting with solutions, we will not survive.

Quoted in School Administrator, Jan, 1995, interview and article by Elizabeth Donohoe Steinberger

The message I take from this is that we are all invited to lead in our schools, and lead from our own passions. Meg’s elegant definition of a leader, someone who wants to help, opens the door for everyone to contribute. If we wait for or expect those in positional authority to do the changing, it ain’t gonna happen.

This idea also speaks to the simplicity and power of Web 2.0. It allows anyone and everyone to contribute in multiple and unexpected ways. Random links create real connection, and suddenly a pattern emerges. Yes,

it appears complex, but zoom in or zoom out and you can see uncomplicated, elegant relationships that form a whole community.

David Truss gets me thinking:

…our digital world has made it much easier to have an incredible impact on a global scale. The world isn’t so much ‘flat’ as it is woven.

We are all weaving this web of relationship, one connection at a time.

Images: IBM/Tabulating Machine Co. organization chart by Marcin Wichary Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Schiller Labs by Empty Streets Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Woven Ball by exfody Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Tags: community, connection, David Truss, Margaret Wheatley, relationship, school, Web 2.0

At our first master’s class, Jim, our counselling instructor, asked us to describe the tatoo we would hypothetically choose. I imagined having a tattoo on each palm, one saying “give”, the other “receive”. Actually, when I imagine having my hands tattooed, I automatically fist up and pull my hands in close. Makes my cringe. But still, the idea of permanently carrying a message in my skin sticks with me.

I chose that tattoo to be the constant reminder of my indebtedness. I have been blessed by so many rich relationships and experiences in my life, and by support from a myriad of places. People have encouraged me, acknowledged my efforts, and given me critical feedback that has helped me take risks and refine my understanding.

And then there is the trail of breadcrumbs left by others…little morsels to nourish me, that fertilize the dendrites courtesy of (among others) the blogging community. I keep finding the most interesting stuff here–after someone else has found it first. I feel grateful for this culture of sharing, and now I am going to try my hand at giving back.

Here’s to the crumbs.

Image: we need more of it by wei never sleeps (Creative Commons Attribution license)

Tags: blogging, community