by Joe Raelin

Leaderful practice stipulates that everyone can be a party to leadership. This very assertion is in contrast to the familiar traditional model, which tends to paint a single leader with heroic imagery. In contrast to the tenets of the traditional model, leaderful practice offers its own tenets known as the "Four Cs."

The first perspective, that leaders be concurrent, stipulates that there can be more than one leader operating at the same time in an organization, so leaders willingly and naturally share power with others. Indeed, power can be increased by everyone working together.

Leaderful practice is not only concurrent, but is also collective. Since a group can have more than one leader operating at a time, we can conclude that people might be functioning as leaders all together; the entity is not solely dependent on one individual to mobilize action or make decisions on behalf of others.

Leaderful practice is also collaborative. All members of the organization, not just the position leader, may speak for the entire organization. They may advocate a point of view that they believe can contribute to the common good of the organization, but they are equally sensitive to the views and feelings of others. They thus seek to engage in a public dialogue in which they willingly open their beliefs and values to scrutiny. It is through dialogue that collaborative leaders co-create the enterprise.

Finally, leaderful managers are compassionate. By demonstrating compassion, one extends unadulterated commitment to preserving the dignity of others. Each member of the organization is valued, regardless of his or her background or social standing, and all viewpoints are solicited regardless whether they conform to current thought processes. In practicing compassion, leaders take the stance of a learner who sees the adaptability of the organization as dependent upon the contribution of others.

Systems Thinking in Action:
Fueling New Cycles of Success
November 8-10, 2010
Boston Marriott Copley Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts

Click here to download our conference flier!

EVENING EVENTS
Climate Change Exercise with Chris Soderquist and Kris Wile
Monday, November 8, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
It's one thing to see the results of a computer simulation; it's another thing entirely to experience them. The Climate Change Exercise is a simulation-based, role-playing activity in which participants experience what it takes to reach a global accord to mitigate climate change.

20th Anniversary Reception
Tuesday, November 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
Come celebrate 20 years of "systems thinking in action." Say hello to many of the pioneers in the fields of systems thinking and organizational learning as we recognize two decades of learning together, laughing together, and convening the conversations that matter most.

Screening of OVERLOAD, a feature film by Robert Fritz
Tuesday, November 9, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Writer and director Robert Fritz will be on hand to introduce this intriguingly modern murder mystery.

PRICE BREAK DEADLINE EXTENDED
We've extended our final price break deadline until Thursday, September 30. Register by then and save $200 off the full registration rate. Teams save even more. Contact Mark Alpert at 1-781-398-9700 for information about team discounts.

HOTEL ROOMS GOING FAST
We've learned from the Boston Marriott Copley Place, our 2010 conference home, that our room block is quickly filling. Make your reservation as soon as possible to qualify for the $199/night conference rate.

By Michelle Holliday

Here in Quebec, we are fortunate to have thousands of lakes. The tradition is to spend summer vacation splashing in the water at a lakeside cottage. Tragically, this tradition has been threatened in the past several years. Household use of phosphate-based lawn fertilizers and cleaning products has stimulated massive growth of blue-green algae in the lakes, which has choked out all other forms of aquatic life and turned the water toxic. It's poisonous enough to kill a dog.

It struck me one day how closely this situation mirrors the state of our financial system. We've over-stimulated growth to the point that all other forms of life are being choked out, and our biosphere has become toxic to us.

This isn't simply to say that we need to aim for zero-growth, as many in the sustainability movement propose. Physicist and author Fritjof Capra points out that, "Growth, of course, is characteristic of all life." But he goes on to offer an important qualification: "[I]n the living world, it has not only a quantitative but also a qualitative meaning. For a human being, for example, to grow means to develop to maturity, not only by getting bigger, but also qualitatively through inner growth. The same is true for all living systems."

How, then, do we develop an economic model that includes an appropriate level-and type-of growth?