Leadership Enactment
In his writing “The Leadership Mystique” Manfred Kets de Vries explains, “My main objective in studying leadership is to bring the person back into the organization.”… He continues and states that too many organizations leave the human element out and focus more on structures and systems. Instead, he suggests that focusing on the individual brings success. He stresses several ways in which this can be done. For this writing I would like to focus on his concept of “energizing.” Kets de Vries says that a successful leader must be energizing. He expounds on this by stating, “In every organization there is an enormous amount of free-floating aggressive and affectionate energy. Leaders know how to channel this energy in the right direction. Well channeled energy will positively influence the enactment process. One should never forget that a vision without action is a form of hallucination.”
A leader must learn how to not only cast a vision but also energize those she is leading so that the enactment process begins. The idea that a vision can become reality or can remain in the form of a hallucination is determinate on the physical process of enactment is a fascinating idea. Sometimes, the person we most need to lead is ourselves. It seems when we get that figured out it can become easier to lead others. Within each of us is aggressive and affectionate energy. When these two energies come together the possibilities of creation are boundless. When we release this channel and inspire others with it the impact is powerful.
Recently, I have been intrigued with the process of artists licensing their art. I have been researching several different artists and how they enacted their visions of their art. The artist that came to mind after reading de Vries was Kelly Rae Roberts. Her leadership is not within a corporate structure but in the use of inspiration to lead and impact others. Her website explains how she channeled her energy and began the enactment process. It states, “So. How do you teach yourself to paint, build a global audience, launch a successful online shop, write a bestselling book, get featured in glossy magazines & have your art licensed to national retailers — in just a few short years? While learning to manage your time, energy, priorities & fears — and telling the truth, every step of the way? It’s not easy. It takes bravery. And it all begins by awakening your inner Possibilitarian: the little whisper of your spirit that says, “oh yes … you can.” Kelly is a self-trained artist who after several years as a social worker started painting at 30 years old. In four years she enacted a process whereby she created and licensed artwork to the tune of 14 million dollars. Today she has gone from energizing herself to energizing thousands of others through her colorful art that is full of inspirational thoughts. Her art combines the affectionate creative energy with an aggressive energy that moves her art into far reaches of the world.
That first step begins the enactment process.
How do you energize yourself and others?
What vision do you have that needs channeled energy in order to begin the enactment process?
How will you enact this process in order to take your vision from hallucination to reality?
Kets de Vries, Manfred F. R. The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise. 2nd ed. Harlow, England ; New York: Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 2006.
2 responses to “Leadership Enactment”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Buitiful artist
Kelly is a very skifull artist
http://kellyraeroberts.com