{"id":10051,"date":"2016-11-03T10:26:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/?p=10051"},"modified":"2016-11-03T10:26:03","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:26:03","slug":"are-you-open-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/are-you-open-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you open to change?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Leadership-banner.jpg-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-10072\" src=\"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Leadership-banner.jpg-copy-300x62.jpg\" alt=\"Leadership banner.jpg copy\" width=\"742\" height=\"153\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Are-you-open-to-change-.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10052 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Are-you-open-to-change--300x194.jpeg\" alt=\"Way, leadership, isolated.\" width=\"316\" height=\"205\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Are you open to change? \u00a0Isn&#8217;t that always the question when there is a decision to become better? \u00a0 To become different? \u00a0 To get more education? \u00a0Or you take a new job. \u00a0Change is something that is difficult for most people but this books is a great guide or a great guard rail to follow through the current change that faces business and organisational leaders.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Changing from a guarded closed leadership style to an open or open source style of leadership is quite a jump. \u00a0What used to just be talked about privately is now discussed openly, even about strategy and\u00a0growth plan. \u00a0 Where issues that come up that would have been handled and settled privately are now part of the conversation to become a better organization and set up is quite intriguing. \u00a0Charlene Li does a masterful job of dissecting the worries and concerns that leaders have to work through. \u00a0This is a review of the book Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, written by Charlene Li (2010)<\/p>\n<p>Summary<\/p>\n<p>The open leader&#8217;s dilemma is one of the balancing letting go with being in command. \u00a0This problem goes all the way back to the very start of the information age,\u00a0when the printing press came into being it allowed people to share information at a scale for the first time (12) This development brought about an organization structure called command and control. With centralised hierarchies that organized even the simplest or complex organization with a precise and measurable system. \u00a0Changing from this is where our society is at the current time. \u00a0 The issue that come up is can this new way of organization work?<\/p>\n<p>So Charlene Li came up with these 5 ground rules for this new way of leading.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Respect that your customers and employees have power<\/li>\n<li>Share constantly to build trust<\/li>\n<li>Nurture curiosity and humility<\/li>\n<li>Hold opens accountable<\/li>\n<li>Forgive failure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These 5 simple guard rails for change are incredibly concise, clear and filled with communication. \u00a0 Open is not a free for all but it does feel like there is great freedom within it but there still have to be a structure to make the whole thing work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Language<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Language once again comes to the table, in this style of leadership there is a fundamental problem: we lack a basic framework and vocabulary on which we can base discussions and decisions around openness because there are so many different ways to be open. (17) \u00a0Most new ideas do not have the proper language established to help direct the change. \u00a0This might mean redefining words so that everyone who is within an organisation understands what is meant and what is expected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Confidence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the major issues within this open structure is confidence. \u00a0 Confidence, as defined by Li, is having the faith that people to whom you pass the power will act responsibly. (18) \u00a0 Her official definition of open leadership is more detailed: \u00a0Having the confidence and humility to give up the need to be in control, while inspiring commitment from people to accomplish goals. \u00a0All of this takes trust, that who\u00a0you\u00a0entrusted things to must be able to do that task on their own. \u00a0 When there is a decision to embrace this new open style of leadership, here is the crux of the matter: you aren&#8217;t giving up control, you are shifting it to some else in whom you have confidence. \u00a0 See how that works. \u00a0Taking words that are common but then reshaping them within the guard rails of the direction that you are leading and going. \u00a0Clarity is what this is called.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The second thing that is discussed is the importance of information, &#8220;information is the lubricant of any organization.&#8221; \u00a0 How to build great organisations takes communication and relationships. \u00a0The only way to trust someone enough to be open with them is to get to the level of relationship that builds and nurtures trust. \u00a0On the back side of that Facebook&#8217;s organization gives these guard rails, &#8220;Guys, we want to be able to share everything with you, but if you are not going to treat it with respect, then you are putting that privilege at risk.&#8221; \u00a0That just gave definition to how openness of information is to be treated.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you prepared to personally do this?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One more thing that stood out was the challenges given on how I would personally handle this thought process and definition change. \u00a0 One of her questions was framed like this: \u00a0&#8220;If the open strategy you developed requires that you and your organization&#8217;s leadership be more open in your sharing or decision making, <em>how prepared are you personally to do this?&#8221; <\/em>\u00a0(185) \u00a0How are you going to manage your pessimism about the outcomes? \u00a0Expand and widen your circle of trust. \u00a0(185)<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Conclusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The issue of changing from &#8220;the way you have always done it\u201d to a &#8220;new way of doing it&#8221; is not easy. \u00a0 It requires choices. \u00a0Sometimes it requires pre choice choices that involves your emotions, your background and your style. \u00a0 Making the decision before you are faced with the decisions or information. \u00a0 What will you do as a leader? \u00a0 Can you make change? \u00a0It goes against some generations DNA to make changes like this while the younger generation this is how they live life. \u00a0Can there be a balance between the two and can there be a language that brings it all together for progress? \u00a0 The author has built a brilliant case and many case studies where this is a reality not just a dream. \u00a0This can happen but the take away is that this takes work, effort, awareness and above all trust\/ faith. \u00a0 If your organization is built on a foundation of mistrust and dishonesty it will not work. \u00a0It will implode.<\/p>\n<p>So can you do this? \u00a0 Are you open to change? \u00a0Being in the same role for a long time, it is easy to get settled into doing things a certain way. \u00a0I believe it is time to scrap things that might even be successful and look to the future of your organization. \u00a0 Am I building something that is going forward or resting comfortably. \u00a0That is the challenge that I see in this book. \u00a0Can I do this? \u00a0 The truth is mistakes will be made and you will feel lonely but that is where being open brings other people into your circle to help you grow. (269) \u00a0 \u00a0 Come one you CAN do this!! Be open to change.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Charlene Li, Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead. San Francisco: Jossey-B 2010<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Are you open to change? \u00a0Isn&#8217;t that always the question when there is a decision to become better? \u00a0 To become different? \u00a0 To get more education? \u00a0Or you take a new job. \u00a0Change is something that is difficult for most people but this books is a great guide or a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[346,708,663],"class_list":["post-10051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-change","tag-charlene-li","tag-lgp6","cohort-lgp6"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10051\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}