Leadership: It Takes 1One
Influential Leadership lessons from a ‘flash mob’
Watch the YouTube video link of a splendid example of the doings of a flash mob: Zorba
Flash mobs have some insightful leadership lessons:
- They appear spontaneous, like magic, like alchemy — but are not. They are highly organised and choreographed, and the participants are (mostly) highly skilled at their artform. Leadership requires learning and the development of fine skill sets too.
- They appear to be triggered by a single person, with others that just happen to be in the right place at the tight time, joining in. Leaders also trigger follow-on behaviours by stepping out first. We set the tone, the example.
- They happen anywhere, but most often in highly public spaces. We lead in our collectives — our homes, teams, schools, workplaces and communities.
- They only have value when shared with the collective, the community, the group. The purpose of leadership is to make things better in some tangible way, for all concerned.
- They have no age or gender or race bias. These characteristics are incidental to our practice of leadership. Leadership is not tied to our inherent traits, or to our economic status or place in society. Leadership is tied to our philosophy, principles, behavioural attributes and the outcomes we achieve.
- They entertain, encourage and solicit participation. Leaders take others with them, which includes people’s emotions, thinking and behaviours.
- They last as long as they need to — like a leadership moment. One of the fundamental differences between influential leadership and old-style leadership notions is that we are influential leaders while we engage with a leadership moment. Our leadership is not a certificate on a wall, but it is the wall-to-wall practice of leadership at every leadership moment!
- They might be disruptive – in a shopping mall, outside a railway station, and in our Zorba – the middle of a public road. If influential leadership is not disruptive, it is merely reinforcing the status quo, and that is not what we do. We change things for the better; we ask tough questions; we oppose all forms of bigotry and disrespect for people and our world; we make resistant people and old ways uncomfortable.
as we discover when we are equipped with influential leadership, there are leadership moments happening in our lives all the time. Each of these is an opportunity for us to be like the instigator of a flash mob — a leadership activist.
This week, keep your senses alert for leadership moments — then subject each one to your influential leadership activism!
You are the 1One!
Regards,
Colin Donian
Shaping lives for the better
