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It is a special kind of leadership
that will carry the CYD movement into the next millennium. Allow me first to make
a distinction between formal and informal leaders. Formal leaders are charged with
the responsibility to oversee an organization and are held accountable to a board
of directors (BODs) or, in the case of politicians, an electorate. Such leaders --CEOs,
superintendents of schools, mayors and the like--are appointed, elected, or hired
to do a job. Within any given organization there may also be a number of other positions
with supervisory responsibilities. Together these form the organization's formal
leadership structure. Change in such formal structure is neither likely nor necessary.
What does need to happen, however, is that decision-making and informal leadership
opportunities be open and accessible to all members of the organization or community.
Formal leadership must come to envision the whole organization or community as a
complex source of creative energy, including multiple leaders and leadership roles.
Beyond perception, leadership has to act as the catalyst to awaken and focus the
creative energies of its membership and to nurture the multiplicity of leadership
roles needed to sustain a vibrant learning community. Debureaucratizing formal hierarchy
creates a more horizontal organizational structure and leads to the breakdown between
expert and client, adult and youth. It allows for the server and the served to be
considered equal share holders in the whole. In this way it provides the opportunity
for youth to take responsible leadership roles along with adults in organizational
and community life.
How can we create opportunities for multiple leadership roles?
If you currently hold a formal leadership position as agency head, executive director
of a community-based organization, superintendent of schools, principal, or elected
official, be a catalyst. Awaken the creative energy of your organization or constituency
by trying the following:
- Reading and sharing with your
executive teams and BODs some of the literature on learning organizations.
- Attending, along with other members
of your organization (including BODs), workshops on learning organizations and new
leadership techniques.
- Engaging your organization in
a dialogue on its guiding vision, values, and beliefs.
- Setting up study groups and practice
fields within you organization at all levels to assess, plan, and evaluate progress
toward achieving your guiding vision.
- Including youth in all of the
above.
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