Leadership Definition-“Leadership is accepting the responsibility to create conditions
that enable others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty” (Ganz, 2008)
History of Leaders:
The article starts off with information about the bible and how Moses struggles to
link a desire for change (fleeing his people) with a capacity to make change (as an
Egyptian prince) (Ganz, 2008). The article goes into more depth about Moses encounter
with God in the presence of burning bush and God challenges him to make a difference.
The article transitions and moves into more current powerful leaders that have impacted
our world.
Many popular powerful leaders have a purpose at heart and they were usually
people who did not have a huge family and were young when they first decided to
implement a change. The article talks about how leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.,
and Caesar Chavez who were 25 when their leadership capabilities were put to the test.
At a young age they were passionate about change and were persistent to make change
happen.
The author Marshall Ganz stated that there are four components to leadership
practices: Relationship, Story, Strategy and Action.
Relationships
Relationships are really important in leadership and leading change. The article
mentions how crucial relationships are between leaders and members in social movement
organizations. “Interpersonal relationships are also critical to forge the shared
understandings, commitment, and collaborative action that constitute a movement”
(Ganz, 2008).
Telling the Story
This section of the article focuses on how powerful it is for leaders to tell their
story. Emotions and values are important to intrigue any audience and leaders have the
power to move individuals, motivating them to want to change. Leaders have to be able
to speak about things in their life that sets them apart from everybody else. They have to
be able to speak comfortably about their emotions. This craft is what the author calls
public narrative.
Your emotions can give you motivation but there are times when you have to
make a decision. Our emotions answers the questions “why does this matter” and “what
we ought to do”, our emotions can get us caught up but it also gives us motivation.
Purposeful action is what you do after your emotions determine what you value in your
life. Values, moral traditions, and a sense of personal dignity can function as critical
sources of the motivation to act.
Devising Strategy
A strategy is important for leaders to be able to lead a change. A strategy which is
a strategic plan of action is how we you turn what you have in your life, into what we
need to get what we want in life. “A strategic action plan is an ongoing creative process
of understanding and adapting new conditions to one’s goals”(Ganz, 2008). Having a
plan of action is what determines the impact of the change.
Action
The last component mentioned in this article is action. Action refers to the work
of mobilizing and deploying resources to achieve outcomes (Ganz, 2008). The key to
social movement action is the craft of getting commitments. Some action generates new
resources, whereas other action drains resources. A great leader should have good
relationships, be able to intrigue their peers by connecting with them on a interpersonal
level and being able to motivate them. Leaders must also have a strategic plan of action
to get the job done.
References
Ganz, M. (2008). Leading Change: Leadership, Organization, and Social
Movements, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. p. 527-564