Organizational life in America has grown much flatter and more mobile in recent decades. A lifetime career with one company is now the exception rather than the norm. As such, an individual’s ability to contribute quickly to a team has become more important than their upward mobility. However, much literature about leadership and cultural practices remain fixed on the idea of one all-powerful person at the top commanding legions of followers. To counter this narrative, these five university scholars present their approach towards leading by doing in complex networks. They provide a framework for a paradigm shift in the way leaders conduct themselves.
This book’s subtitle reports its topic as “agile leadership.” This term “agile” is borrowed from the world of software development. A top-down design approach used to direct software development and specified complex code all at once. Then teams would build the software, often over years. By the time the team completed development, the software would often be obsolete, and thus, large investments would be lost. Instead, agile software development sought to flatten software organization so that groups can achieve quick results through many iterations of continual feedback and improvement. It has revolutionized the world of software engineering.
The authors seek a similar agile revolution for leadership. Instead of one small group of leaders defining five- and ten-year plans of strategic thinking on their own from on high, the authors suggest that organizations learn about their direction as they go through doing and iterative feedback. Thus, the creative energies of an entire organization can be unlocked instead of just a select few. This framework then places a premium on teamwork and communication. The authors do not leave this direction as mere inspiration; rather, they provide ten concrete practices for individuals to enact this vision within their local contexts. Leadership thus becomes everyone’s business.
Though this book is geared for the general public, not just academics, the authors have grounded their analysis in evidence-based research. They have implemented its ideas widely through workshops and in classrooms. Therefore, the reader can trust the practical effectiveness of their work rather than just pondering whether ethereal concepts would work in reality.
Clearly, the authors aim to bring the insights of their academic discipline to a wide array of organizations. Anyone working in a team can benefit from understanding how agile principles can be applied to their setting. I’ve worked with agile software development for over ten years, but I appreciate how the authors extended this helpful approach towards organizational life. They have put words on social practices that I have sought to adopt in my work context. I only hope others follow suit so that we all can benefit.
Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership
By Edward Morrison, Scott Hutcheson, Elizabeth Nilsen, Janyce Fadden & Nancy Franklin
Narrated by William Sarris
Copyright (c) 2019
Gildan Media
ASIN B07TXMDMQ9
Length: 5:21
Genre: Business, Leadership
www.amazon.com