In today’s episode, we’re unpacking Chapter 8 of Exploring Leadership (2nd edition) written by Richard Bolden, Jonathan Gosling, and Beverly Hawkins. This chapter explores societal perspectives on leadership, focusing on how leaders respond to “Grand Challenges” like climate change, pandemics, and social upheaval which are complex problems with no simple solutions. The authors introduce sustainable and regenerative leadership, emphasizing stewardship, system thinking, and valuing “we” over “me.” They also outline leadership responses to grand challenges, including denial, salvation, and adaptation, as well as strategies for building bridges in polarized communities. Ultimately, this chapter challenges us to think critically about resilience, system change, and the role of leaders in guiding societies through uncertainty.
Exploring Leadership:
Bolden, R., Gosling, J., & Hawkins, B. (2023). Exploring leadership: Individual, organizational and societal perspectives (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Sustainable/Regenerative leadership:
Wheatley, M. and Frieze, D. (2010) Leadership in the Age of Complexity: From Hero to Host, URL: https://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/Leadership-in-Age-of-Complexity.pdf.
Satterwhite, R., Sarid, A., Cunningham, C.M., et al. (2020) Contextualising our leadership education approach to complex problem solving: shifting paradigms and evolving knowledge: Priority 5 of the national leadership education research agenda 2020-2025, Journal of Leadership Studies, 14(3), 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21717
Satterwhite, R., Sheridan, K., & McIntyre Miller, W. (2022). Tensions in Sustainability Leadership. In K. Guthrie & K. Priest (Eds.), Navigating complexities in leadership: Moving towards critical hope. Information Age Publishing.
Leadership of Denial:
Eisenstein, C. (2020) The Coronation, URL: https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/
5 Practices:
Ospina, S. and Foldy, E. (2010) Building bridges from the margins: The work of leadership in social change organizations, Leadership Quarterly, 21(2), 292-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.01.008
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