The R&D responsibility of leadership

One aspect of leadership often lost is the responsibility to prepare for the future (R&D). It is certainly easier to "put out fires" every day than to think about how to move the organization into the future. Many believe the highest form of human development is creativity. Then how can we, as leaders, be creative in our responsibilities as well? Ah..... now we are getting to changing our thinking.........

It is not about me.

It is not about me. I imagine that could be a mantra for any leader. It is not about me. How often do leaders think it is about them (me)? I've said before I have a hard time with the concept of "leader and follower." I don't want to follow anyone, I don't know too many folks who do. A leader can be anyone that supports, encourages, motivates others to do things that matter to them. In my mind the real essence of leadership is the capacity to help others make meaning of what they are doing. So, what do you think?

The Leadership Conundrum

Conundrum: a confusing and difficult problem or question. "What is leadership?" A great conversation to be had with that question..... And yet, as we work on becoming great leaders we need to have some sense of what that means and how we can keep growing as leaders toward an essence of great.

I know the real issue we face as leaders is this question, exactly. What am I? How am I? What do I do, how do I do it? You may begin to start to understand why the conversation is about leadership before it is about technology and the future.....

Consistent Technology

I have been looking at the levels of consistency in the ability to connect to the net across all of my life. Last week i was on a trip when I had to go searching for a wireless connection. This last week I have connected from my house with a satellite uplink which is pretty slow (we don't have cable or DSL), from a shop where I can use DSL which is also not all that fast if more than one computer is using the system, and from the university where we have a HUGE amount of bandwidth connection but I can't always connect to the new system due to the new operating system in our new building. Wouldn't it be interesting if electricity was that inconsistent. My point is that we are in very interesting times - connections aren't consistent, systems aren't consistent, for that matter, people aren't consistent.

How can we use this amazing technology to support student learning if there is little consistency? How will this all work out? I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

I found an interesting situation tonight. I use a MacBook Air when I am traveling (smaller, lighter, easier). I arrived at a conference in a large hotel where they don't have an easy wireless connection, just wired, and an Air has no ethernet port. I find this interesting in that I just expected that I would have wireless access and have no other way to connect to the internet than by walking the streets around the hotel with my Air on and trying to locate a wireless connection. So obviously I found a connection but isn't it interesting that I have already gotten to assume I would have access easily. Things they are a changin'. The hotel tells me that they are in the midst of major room renovations and that a wireless system is included. So, maybe next time I'm here it won't matter......

Leadership 2035

We are living in a most fascinating time (all of our ancestors probably said something similar!). The economy, business, and, in fact, our everyday lives are changing not incrementally, but in leaps and bounds. Given the current state of affairs, it seems a good idea to extrapolate into the future 25 years. If today is the foundation for tomorrow, what will that tomorrow look like in 2035? What a great place to start........ Hmmmmm, let's see..........