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Developing transformational leaders
EASUN launches a new strategic focus through soul, legend and ritual characterising ethical leadership
Something is moving between the daily tools, activities, structures and architecture of your organisation. You don't see it, but it drives you toward linking the visible aspects of your organisation with its higher goal. As a leader, you feel compelled to be and act in ways that express society's values. It will be visible in the path and footprints of your leadership - the choices you make, the way you step, how you carry, how you make or shape organisational space. It defines the ritual and ceremony that sets you on the way to being an ethical leader. If you fail to connect with it, your very being as a leader is in question...
The ETHOS workshop organised by EASUN in May 2009 heralds its new strategic direction to strengthen transformational leadership in East Africa. The term ETHOS was picked by EASUN as an acronym to simplify reference to the real theme of the workshop: "Ethical Holding of Organisational Space". This is a theme which EASUN has strategically chosen to work with in its drive to strengthen transformational leadership in East Africa.
Ethical leadership acts with the awareness that organisations are thinking spaces, spiritual spaces and emotional spaces, much as they are also physical "doing" spaces. An organisation is about people working together towards achieving a stated purpose. Planned activities, carried out through the mediation of systems, structures and other visible processes of management are simply things that happen inside organisational space.
Holding space (with care and interest)
The ETHOS workshop experiential processes focused on exploration of the concept of space through the language of movement and other art forms, such as poetry, color-work and music. Different kinds of movements were exercised, reflecting the theme and spirit of the workshop: We make the road by walking. Even the concepts of turning and jumping seemed to have implications on organizing and holding space. Strolling in a crowded room, for instance, challenged individuals to make different kinds of movement decisions: 1) quick, jerky, busy; 2) flowing, graceful.
What evolved from the exercises is that space can be physical, mental, spiritual or emotional. Organizing and utilizing space involves making choices that are likely to impact oneself and others in different ways. The challenge is how to create and sustain self-awareness in supporting the development of others through the way we take, make, shape, or otherwise "hold" space. This has implications on what you do with space, i.e., acknowledging, constructing, shaping or using space for a particular purpose.
The place of ethics in leadership
On further reflection, participants noted that ethics, in the context of transformational leadership is more than holding moral assumptions alone. Rather, it is an active sense of justice that works day-to-day to improve places where men and women take action and grow. Transforming is presumably a process with positive outcomes. This calls for holding space in ways that promote creativity, innovativeness, and openness to thinking, seeing and doing things differently, or, simply, holding space in ways that bring joy and benefits to others. Transformational leader hold space in ethical ways that empower others to positively develop their potentials.
The language of movement particularly enabled participants to recognize significant metaphors for different aspects of leadership and performance in organisations, as well as peoples' different approaches to learning. In one of the exercises in the workshop, two conditions that seat side by side in creative tension became apparent, i.e., if uncertainty means confusion-then curiosity within that situation will lead to innovation and creativity.
The importance of patience in learning situations was underlined. One participant noted: "I was not alone in the movement activities. I was always accompanied-many of my questions will be answered at some point." Another participant who seemed to appreciate the metaphor of "the touch" observed: "As a leader, or team member, how should I turn when a colleague gently taps me on the shoulder? Sharp jerk? Gentle turn of the head?
Openness of leaders and other team members enhances the learning and contributions of the rest of the team. When we avail creative space, we allow room and opportunity for people to both do different things and do things differently, to improve or do things better. The possibility for creating space intended for democratic participation is an action guarded by our beliefs. Values determine what you do in the spaces that you make or spaces that you shape.
Reflection in groups and in plenary pointed to the ethic of participation as being central in what we do as civil society organisations. It was observed that people value space when they feel they belong to it. The rules within the space determine what action can be taken.
Ethical leaders listen at three levels
A critical space that requires extra conscious management in order to sustain creativity is emotional space. Constructing a safe space in which the emotional dimension can express itself positively requires leaders to develop emotional intelligence, in order to allow people to express their leadership, talents and gifts and questions with a sense of ownership and empowerment.
An ethical leader has self-awareness and is self-managed to maintain an appreciation of the impact he or she has on the thoughts and feelings of others. What do you regularly say to, or about, colleagues in the workplace? How often do you praise them? Are you a leader who spends time thinking about how you interact with others? As emotionally intelligent leaders we need to be sensitive, empathetic, gentle, listening people.
The ‘ethic-of-appreciation' is fundamental to practicing ethical action. Listening to your own voice and to the voices of others, with open ears and heart is central to this ethic. This means listening with a will that is malleable and open to the subtle and powerful voices of those who often speak, work and lead quietly. Through action and language of positive regard we commit to bringing our humanity, warmth and tenderness into conversations with others.
Making it Personal
Holding space through ethical leadership asks for release of creative energies within you. It asks you as a leader to have the moral courage to do regular self-evaluation by reflecting on how you can "be the best you can". This is a higher goal that challenges an individual into self-discovery-asking yourself: "what significant things stop me from being the best that I can be?" It calls for a process of constructing your own picture that will mirror how you shape space in your journey of being a transformational leader. To do this we need to develop the capacity for reflection, providing the necessary space and time and planning to get needed support for it.
Something about Facilitation
The way the workshop was facilitated revealed the great potential in the use of Alternative Language Channels (ALC) in facilitating learning. The creative use of stillness, movement, voice (poetry & music) and other simple ordinary materials made learning a powerful process that was both fun and challenging, particularly with regard to facilitating learning and transformation processes of others.
LEARN MORE: Read the full ETHOS Workshop Report (PDF 908kb) >>
The ETHOS workshop was managed and facilitated in collaboration with Reflective Learning, UK (RL–UK) www.reflectivepractices.co.uk
Contact to share more in the benefits from EASUN’s new strategic focus on transformational leadership development for civil society in East Africa.
