In his blog Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds points to a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk by conductor Itay Talgam. He makes a great analogy between a conductor who must control without controlling and leadership. Excerpts below. See the whole talk at http://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors.html
I want to know: What leaders inspire you?
“As a leader — in business, education, or design — how much control do you need? How much can you give up? Is control even the right word? Is it possible to lead without leading?
* Can you lead with less control or a different kind of control?
* Must “control” be a zero-sum game?
* Is there joy in leading by helping other people tell their own stories?
* Is leadership only about technique or is it more about meaning?
* Are we using team members, employees, or students as instruments for our own ends or are they viewed as partners, where their development is a central consideration for us?
* Is not leadership also about creating the processes, structure, and conditions that allow team members to perform autonomously? Can you still be “in control” and let people be/feel free? Can the structure create the conditions for that freedom?”
Posted by Kathy Sandler on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 12:01 AM