New Horizons

Our second presentation on 24 April was from Lisa (can't remember her surname).

Limerick's textbook "Changing Agendas" - leadership in the post corporate era.

• Collaboration - shared/distributed leadership because one person doesn't have all the skills. I thought about the portfolio approach I take with the Library Managers - now I understand why it works so well!!! Also relevant to "partnering" mentioned in the White Paper.

• Individualism - Levinson refers to the "new age of self reliance" that hasn't been in the workplace for 40+ YEARS. Proactive autonomous workers who gain personal satisfaction but collaborate as individuals.

• Innovation - Andy Hargraves says "Innovation is learning to do things differently in order to do them better." Innovation needs to be purposeful with follow through. One doesn't have to be a pioneer - one can borrow ideas from elsewhere. Innovation doesn't need to be global.

• Human Centred Leadership - "Without people organisations don't exist." Trust is vital. It can't be contrived collegiality. Ethical principles - centrality of relationships. I thought about the "Seven Heavenly Virtues of Leaders" book and think it could be useful to bring home.

Implications for Leaders

1. Need for new mindsets (learn to learn).
2. Manage meaning (create and convey compelling images)
3. New competencies (networking, strategic alliances, sharing leadership - have to be BIG enough to say "I don't have all the answers".
4. Encourage and celebrate achievement.
5. Ethical practices
6. Self evaluation and reflection
7. Be open to possibilities
8. Welcome change

During discussions after the presentation, Lisa mentioned the Chief Scientist from CSIRO. We need to encourage more organisations to come up and reward those who try and subsequently fail.

Peter talked about three spaces for innovation:

1. Mainstream (standard)
2. Middle (experimental) - procedures are feral but community can come in & try and then migrate them into the mainstream. All resources are here - "we'll watch what you're doing and if it works try and implement in mainstream".
3. Feral (avoid)

Peter also feels discontinuous change (i.e. change of leadership) is a HUGE ISSUE e.g. Chris Robinson and the White Paper - what happens re continuity of the work being done if Chris leaves the role. If someone is acting in his position they won't make decisions!!!!