Joe Trippi, Howard Dean and the overthrow of everything

Some of you may be wondering why I am posting about Joe Trippi in a blog about open-source leadership development. Some of you may simply be wondering – who is Joe Trippi?!

Simply put, Trippi is one of the people who changed the face of political campaigning forever. He was Howard Dean’s campaign manager when Dean made a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in the US back in 2003. Dean, a former governor of the small state of Vermont, was by all measures very much an outside shot for the nomination – but ended up as the front-runner until he was finally eaten up by a wave of mainstream media and fellow-candidate attacks.

Joe Trippi

The fact of the matter is that the Dean campaign revolutionised the way politics is done in the US. No longer could a big-money candidate fighting a traditional, top-down campaign guarantee victory. Dean ran a grassroots campaign fuelled by his legion of activists. His candidacy inspired them, but the activists soon took over the campaign. They financed it via small donations. They breathed fire into it with vibrant policy discussions. They worked for it by self-organising hugely impressive local activism. It was not Howard Dean’s campaign to own – it was collectively owned!

This is not a story widely celebrated or shared. Perhaps it doesn’t fit in with the dominant story of leadership we usually find in the mass media. It’s not about a heroic individual – it’s about collective, collaborative effort winning through. All the more reason that we should pay attention to the lessons.

Now, the Internet has clearly enabled this kind of grassroots activity. Without the technology we could never be talking in such revolutionary terms. But what makes the technology work is the passion and hard work of the people who use it for their ends.

It was the genius of Joe Trippi to spot that the technology and desire for grassroots organising were about to converge. In essence what Trippi did was kick-start a vibrant online community, which soon spilled over into a mix of online and real-world community. Blogs from supporters popped up – influential blogs which served as open discussion forums. Next came the meetups, opportunities for supporters to organise and share ideas face to face. Soon thousands, millions of people were engaged in this growing community – becoming more politically engaged, aware and active.

I have been fascinated by the Dean campaign for a decade now, sure that what it had to offer was more profound than perhaps most people realised at the time. Of course then we had the Obama campaign, which adopted, modified and ran with many of the same ideas. In terms of politics, I think many European countries have fallen behind this online movement of collaborative political leadership – but it is only a matter of time before all of that changes.

It was fairly recently, when working with the University of Auckland’s student leadership cohort, that it dawned on me that many of these ideas pioneered by Trippi on the Dean campaign could be transferred to the realms of leadership development. You see, our students are not held back by years of organisational and institutional indoctrination about how things are done. The old rules and models are there to be questioned. I’ll talk more about this wonderful group of student leaders in the weeks to come. But let’s just say that the work they do challenges orthodox boundaries and absolutely sees the Internet as a natural, everyday means of organising and generating action. Such work may seem extraordinary to people of my generation – but to them it is how stuff gets achieved.

As a result of the hours of conversation with our students leaders, my mind drifted back to Trippi and Dean. Leadership development and establishment politics seemed to share striking similarities. Both seemed to serve an elite – those with the status and money, by and large. Both had rather dated ways of communicating with people – transmission rather than conversation. The question I asked myself was … could leadership development be something that is devolved and owned by participants, participants anywhere in the world? Participants whose only condition of entry is that they have a passion for developing leadership? Of course it could!

So as this idea progresses, I still don’t have a 100 per cent clear picture of how it will end up. I know that I would like this blog to be a safe place where people can discuss and tell stories of leadership and leadership development. I know that early next year I would like to start to organise meetups – to test whether there are groups and individuals out there who would like to participate in leadership development (for free) and would like to in turn pay back to the leadership development community.

But in the meantime, if you are interested in finding out more about Joe Trippi and his ideas, you can buy his book by following the link. It is a readable, page-turner which both provides an account of the Dean campaign and acts as an accessible introduction to some of the ideas inherent in open-source activism: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revolution-Will-Not-Televised-ebook/dp/B002FQOI3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379635974&sr=8-1&keywords=joe+trippi

If you would like a neat, 20-minute overview of Joe Trippi’s thinking, you can view a 2011 Ted lecture of his below.

As always, comments and discussion welcomed. Maybe you think there are better models of organising open-source leadership development. Perhaps you have stories of your own where these types of engagements have worked outside of elected politics. Let’s start the conversation!

-          Owain

 

Wicked problems and difficult times: Jean Hartley Guardian article

Here is a link to a recent article by Prof Jean Hartley in the Guardian discussing the relevance of a ‘wicked’ approach to leadership in these times of austerity. Jean not only skillfully links the wicked approach to our tough economic times, but also highlights the political dimension of this work: the need for leaders to be politically astute as they build their leadership networks. As Jean states: “these are not so much individual heroes, but people operating with political astuteness as they grapple with complex problems, engage a wide range of stakeholders and provide a sense of direction and hope.”

 

Follow the link to access the article:

http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2013/may/07/public-leadership-tough-times

Keith Grint being wicked

Here is a video of Keith Grint discussing ‘wicked problems’at the Management and Leadership Network conference earlier this year.

For those of you not familiar with this way of thinking about leadership, here is a quick summary. Most leadership theories are geared towards the characteristics of leaders (personality, behaviour etc). Adopting a problems lens on leadership moves our focus away from the characteristics of those doing the leading and instead focuses on the problem in hand. The argument is that we collectively hold most problems as overly simplistic, or in highly mechanistic ways. Such an approach is unhelpful when it comes to tackling more complex, intractable problems – i.e. ‘wicked’ problems.

Keith has progressed this thinking on ‘wicked’ to a point where he emphasises the mobilisation processes of importance to leadership. First, leadership cannot be held by a single individual because if a problem is ‘wicked’then it is likely to stretch across the boundaries of a number of organisations, communities and groups. Second, leadership becomes about how people in collectives hold each other to account and push each other onwards – through tough stretch questioning, reframing problems and challenging dominant power relations. We can contrast such an approach to leadership with management, which is largely about making problems predictable and controllable. Leadership is about the opposite – coming to terms with a problem in its complexity.

The sting in the tail of this kind of leadership is that the dominant way of viewing problems in our organisations and societies is either through a managerial or individualistic lens. An important part of leadership is therefore to convince others that problems should be taken seriously as leadership problems, which require an alternative, more collaborative approach. This is where the idea becomes linked closely with power – people need to confront and challenge the status quo in order to engender more of a leadership approach.

We would be interested to hear your views. ‘Wicked’ is a tricky concept to work with in a development context precisely because it seems counter-cultural to most people. Maybe you have a story of working with ‘wicked’in development that you would like to share. Or, if you are a practitioner who thinks they have a problem which calls out for a wicked approach, we would like to hear about it. Maybe you have even adopted such a leadership strategy and have lived to tell the tale – tell us the tale!

Who influences our thinking

The purpose of this post is to introduce you to some of the thinkers who have influenced us in beginning this project. The blurbs and links may provide you with some further resources for thinking about both leadership and grassroots development. Please feel free to post your own suggestions in the comments box. The more we share, the more we will learn.

So here is the list (in alphabetical order):

ANN CUNLIFFE is Professor of Organisation Studies at the University of Leeds and is editor in chief of the Management Learning journal. Amongst many other things, Ann has been important in introducing ideas of critical reflexivity into leadership development research. She has also guided Management Learning to a position of influential, critical and authoritative source of research. You can access her academic page here: http://business.leeds.ac.uk/about-us/faculty-staff/member/profile/ann-cunliffe/

BRAD JACKSON is co-director of the New Zealand Leadership Institute and is the Fletcher Building Education Trust Chair in Leadership at the University of Auckland Business School. Brad is co-editor of the Leadership journal and the author of several important books and articles on leadership. His Very Short, Fairly Interesting … book on leadership (written with Ken Parry) is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Interesting-Reasonably-Studying-Leadership-ebook/dp/B009KZXBKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379301860&sr=8-1&keywords=brad+jackson and you can catch up on all things Brad on his academic page here: http://staff.business.auckland.ac.nz/5087.aspx

BRIGID CARROLL is the director of research at the New Zealand Leadership Institute and author of many groundbreaking critical studies of leadership development. She is currently co-editing a textbook on critical approaches to leadership. You can check out her academic page here: http://staff.business.auckland.ac.nz/5082.aspx

CHANTAL MOUFFE and ERNESTO LACLAU introduced the world to the idea of radical democracy. Both remain essential reading for anyone interested in a critical view of how we relate to politics in our societies. Just type their names into Amazon and get ready!

DAVID COLLINSON is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading critical scholars in the area of leadership. David is Professor of Management Learning and Leadership at Lancaster University and former editor of the Leadership journal. David has a long and illustrious record of publication and research in organisation studies. Look him up on Amazon, and check out his academic page here: http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/profiles/david-collinson/ David is particularly known for bringing critical identity and discourse analysis perspectives to the area of leadership.

DENNIS TOURISH is professor of leadership and organisation studies Royal Holloway University of London and co-editor of the Leadership journal. Dennis’ research was absolutely key in demystifying and challenging dominant perceptions of leadership as the possession of individuals. His new book on the dark side of transformational leadership is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Side-Transformational-Leadership-ebook/dp/B00EVWK1BQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379302274&sr=8-1&keywords=dennis+tourish and you can stay up to date with Dennis’ work via his academic page, here: http://pure.rhul.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/dennis-tourish(90abca1f-14e2-446c-a414-a3c689392d90).html

 DONNA LADKIN is Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Cranfield University. Donna made an impact in leadership development through her writing on aesthetics and arts-based approaches to leadership development. Her book, Rethinking Leadership, expanded thinking on leadership through applying a number of philosophical perspectives on the areas of leadership studies and practice. You can get the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rethinking-Leadership-Questions-Horizons-Studies/dp/0857931318/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379375097&sr=8-1&keywords=donna+ladkinShe has co-edited a collection on critical perspectives on authentic leadership with the University of Auckland’s Chellie Spiller. You can pre-order the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Authentic-Leadership-Convergences-Coalescences-Horizons/dp/1781006377/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379375117&sr=8-1&keywords=donna+ladkin+chellie+spillerTo catch up on all things Donna Ladkin, visit her academic page here: http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/p2597/People/Faculty/Academic-Faculty-Listing-A-Z/Last-Name-L/Donna-Ladkin

JEAN HARTLEY is a Professor at the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise at the Open University. Jean is the world’s leading scholar in the area of political leadership and is almost single handedly responsible for creating and crafting this important area of study. She is currently embarked on a major global research project on the political astuteness of public servants. You can view her OU academic page here: http://www.open.ac.uk/business-school/people/professor-jean-hartley

JOHN BENINGTON is a Professor at the University of Warwick and is one of the world’s leading public management and leadership writers and scholars. John has pioneered the current resurgence in public value research.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/csgr/people/associates/warwick/benington/

KEITH GRINT is often considered the world’s leading critical scholar in the area of leadership. His Arts of Leadership and Leadership: Limits and Possibilities books were groundbreaking – and remain vital reading. Keith’s recent book on leadership and the Normandy landings connect critical leadership theory and historical analysis in an accessible and challenging format. Not to mention Keith’s articles on ‘wicked problems’, ‘phronesis’ in leadership learning and the ‘sacred’ in leadership. Keith is Professor of Public Leadership and Management at the University of Warwick and is a former editor of the Leadership journal. You can access his academic page here: http://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/keith-grint/

SIV VANGEN and CHRIS HUXHAM have literally written the book on public collaboration http://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Collaborate-Collaborative-Advantage-ebook/dp/B000OT8428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379303476&sr=8-1&keywords=vangen+huxham They have also co-authored a body of studies on public collaboration as long as they are influential. Siv is head of department at the Open University’s Department for Public Leadership and Social Enterprise, and you can access her academic page here: http://www.open.ac.uk/business-school/people/dr-siv-vangen Chris Huxham is a Professor at the University of Strathclyde and you can view her academic page here: http://www.intranet.sbs.strath.ac.uk/profile/?2494:christinehuxham

SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK is one of the world’s foremost and (let’s face it) controversial philosophers. His work infuriates and illuminates, mixing Hegel, Marx and Lacan to create something original and intoxicating. His writing on contemporary global affairs, politics and protest are essential reading for anyone seeking both understanding and hope for change. If you are intimidated by Žižek – and there is a lot to be intimidated by – try starting with his Guardian columns: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/slavojzizek

Yannis Stavrakakis is a psychoanalytic and political scholar. His work has sought, amongst other things, to apply an ethics of psychoanalysis to public life and has helped us comprehend the value of public struggle, relationships with authority and grassroots democracy. His books on Lacan and the Political and the Lacanian Left are important contributions to critical scholarship in the area of public life.

Why We Exist: Open-Source Leadership Development

What is leadership? What could leadership be?

When the word ‘leadership’ is mentioned what are the images evoked for you? If you are like most people, leadership is something equated with people in power –mystical, inspirational individuals who make the extraordinary happen. But let’s reflect on that image …

Think of all of those texts on leadership you see in airport bookstores, mainstream movies or through the media. What do you see? Leaders are often portrayed as almost impossibly charismatic, or ethical, or inspirational. This is often the case when a sports team has just won a big tournament, or when a business has posted enormous profits. Or, leaders are portrayed as deeply flawed, even dishonest. Unfortunately such images are often linked with political leaders, and, increasingly, leaders within the public sphere and the executives of large business enterprises embroiled in some scandal or other.

What is the effect of attributing leadership to the domain of these individuals? It suggests that leadership is something ‘out there’ and not really much related to our work. In the words of Prof Keith Grint, leadership becomes something ‘separated’ and ‘distanced’ from us. Celebrate a leader when the organisation she/he leads achieves some accolade. Sacrifice (often the very same) leader when things start to go a little wrong.

Keith Grint has highlighted our over-dependence on individual leaders

But how often can any change of significance in fact be attributed to a single individual, even an individual who enjoys a great deal of power? Indeed, how helpful is it that this word ‘leadership’ has become synonymous with single individuals? This is surely an elitist and unhelpful way for us to think of leadership. These images of individual heroism seem more appropriate for the domain of Hollywood movies than they do the hard graft of everyday work and change. Let’s keep our fantasies of leadership in the cinema and outside of the public domain.

What we want to introduce here is the idea that leadership can be the job of anyone – at least anyone with an interest in change. But more than that, leadership can be something shared within a group of people passionate about making an impact on the world. If we are unhappy with the world, we can lead the change.

Leadership for us is about asking difficult questions of the world around us, of questioning the taken-for-granted and challenging the status quo. Leadership is about asking how we could be approaching problems differently – and then working together in creative ways towards meeting these challenges. Leadership is then inherently linked to purpose: working tirelessly towards a cause that we feel is being approached in terms that are currently too narrow. And collaboration: that tough process of asking more of each other and ourselves in the belief that together we can achieve more.

Leadership is not management, then. Management is about controlling our environment, making problems manageable and predictable. There is a place for good management, for certain. In fact we would be lost without it – our lives chaotic. But let’s acknowledge that management has a place, and keep it in that place.

Leadership is about tackling those problems which refuse to go away, which keep popping up in various guises to irritate us, provoke us, often sadden us. Leadership problems are messy, complex and often ideologically divisive. Can we truly tackle the big problems facing our communities today with only management? Think wealth inequality. Think poverty in all its grinding, horrific guises. Think discrimination. Global warming. Crime. The environment. Education. Public health. Sustainable, innovative, ethical and profitable business. All of these issues call out for a way of thinking about leadership capable of challenging dominant paradigms, of questioning how things currently are.

What is leadership development? What leadership development could be

So where does this leave leadership development? Leadership development currently seems to be the domain of those in positions of power – the chief executive, senior executives, sometimes middle managers. They are sent on leadership programmes, where they are often told that leadership is about learning more about themselves – their personalities, characteristics, behaviours. It’s as if they are the sum total of leadership! What about the people around them, under them, outside of their organisations?

Of course people in senior positions need development and are important actors in leadership. But surely if we aspire to challenge dominant leadership problems, then leadership needs to be something far more people can feel and be involved in. More than that, leadership development ought to be one way in which groups of people outside of the conventional structures of power can learn together, find a voice together and innovate together.

Leadership development ought to be something which enables people to learn about leadership but also to experiment and collaborate in leadership. In other words, to actually learn, practice and change as they go.

Unfortunately leadership development in its current form does not seem to meet these challenges

How we came to this point and where to go from here: Open-source leadership development

The call for collaborative leadership is often heard, especially in academic and policy circles. Yet how often do we see innovative collaborative leadership projects in action? In the area of leadership development, we believe that the status quo has become stuck. Stuck in familiar technologies. Stuck in terms of the audience it is delivered to. Stuck in classrooms. Stuck in the realm of executive leadership.

And, let’s face it … stuck in financial dependence. Formal leadership development programmes deliver much-needed revenue for institutions and consultancies. Many even deliver considerable value for participants, let’s not forget. Formal leadership development programmes have their place. But let’s keep them in their place.

The world has moved on. People are less prepared to accept a view of anything as meaningful as leadership as the property of just a few. You only have to pay a little attention to the way the world of elected politics is moving. Not to mention the way we relate to issues of major public importance. The Internet has changed the way people relate to the world. They are less prepared to accept what they are spoon fed, more inclined to stand up and have a go at change themselves.

Evidence for change is all around us, if we care to look. Howard Dean, Obama, the Arab Spring, Occupy, the Tea Party, the UK student protests … The list grows daily. On a smaller scale, just take a look at the exponential growth of social networking as a means of connecting people in online and offline conversations – conversations which lead to new action and new alliances.

The role of Our Leadership is firstly to provide a forum where people can access contemporary leadership and leadership development thinking – and debate, discuss, challenge this thinking. Secondly, we want to make quality leadership development accessible to anyone who has an interest in developing leadership. We are not talking here about formal leadership training programmes, but of providing an infrastructure where we can talk and progress real-world leadership. From scratch, from the bottom up, side up. As long as we’re learning and developing, we’re happy.

This blog will be a home for theory and practice relating to collaborative leadership. If we think there is a valuable theoretical contribution out there that would enhance and stretch our thinking on leadership, we will post it up. We believe that theory provides a rigorous basis for our thinking and action – it also stretches and challenges the way we view the world. We make no apologies for our love of theory! Equally, if there is an interesting development story out there, especially one which relates to grassroots leadership, we would like to hear it. We will of course post stories from our own experiences in development and everyday life.

Drop your stories, photos, video clips and contributions to ourpublicleadership@gmail.com We’ll take a look at the submission and either put it straight up on the blog or suggest some changes and then put it up.

Outside of the blog, we want to embark on the much more radical idea of open-source leadership development practice. If we gauge that there is an interest for this thinking, we will start to post up links to events, an opportunity for people to meet in the face-to-face world, or virtually, to discuss ideas and collaborative possibilities. The idea is that we can provide a basic infrastructure – ideas from leadership and leadership development – but that we all learn and run the development together. This could be a great opportunity for community groups, student groups, public sector employees, or people from business, to get together and start something special in leadership. No cost, all open source. All we require from each other is passion for leadership and an open mind.

For now, let’s start the discussion …