Notes from an alumni

This is Eddie here, and I attended the 09/10 edition of Leadership through the Ages (what we simply call, Leadership Programme (LP))- that has become UHB 2206: Leadership in a Complex World.

The edition of LP that I attended ended sometime in April 2010, and it's been about four months now. I've been rather surprised by how the themes from the course has stuck with me. I went on to use the themes from the LP for interviews for a summer programme, with some success (I made it to the programme eventually).

The course has also provided me with more intangible assets - such as the ability to realise that policy debates are often debates between choices of different value systems. The LP has also given me a 'language' on how to frame complex issues, reformulating them in simple (but not simplistic) terms.

As a friend said, the LP is a chance for you to see the world through a different lens, albeit a powerful one.

Have fun!

- Eddie

Next session's ''assignment''

Hi guys!!
Hope you guys have begun to enjoy the start of recess week!
Anyway... I just realised that since not all of us was presently for this week's session, it'll be good to tell you guys about the assignment we were given this week.

THE question: How would you connect your discipline to leadership? ( Can talk about a metaphor, case studies, experiments.. )

Time given: about 7mins.

Format: There is NO format. Can use handouts, slides, or anything that you fancy. (If you think that your presentation requires pre-readings, you can always upload it on google groups and we will read it before coming in for class. ** Note: pre-reading should not be super long.)

NUMBER of people per presentaion: Individual, Pair or Group of 3

PRE-Presentation: Email Ed and Aaron the following by 3-OCT:1) group or individual?2) slides/ handouts3) time and details..

Okie!That's about it!! Do comment if i have stated anything wrongly, or if i missed out anything or if you're unsure about it.

Enjoy Recess Week!! AND Good Luck for the coming mid-terms!!
-Maple-

More Ethical Leadership Cases?

Just thought I'd add another instance to the 3 cases today. Wondered if this new movie would be an interesting case for the consideration of ethical leadership? Anyways, it was good fun today! Have a good weekend people! VJ =)

tappings

Eddie here, to get the ball rolling.

During the first session, a few things happened. I was quite confused when I thought I received too many taps. But anyhow.

Richard empowered himself, while I was still waiting to be empowered. By then, I had thought I had "figured out" the objective of the game - that the game might really end if everyone could 'do whatever they want'.

I guess there are then, at least two approaches of leadership. Leadership is about being aware that the self is empowered in the circumstance. But Leadership is also about empowering others to be empowered.

Which I think sums up the tapping game nicely.

And now, for my own thoughts.

I think that wherever we are, we are really being tapped three times, and that it is up to the individual to find ways to change the situation to empower others. The premise is that rules are made by people, and if enough people are influenced, the rules can be changed, and for that influence to occur, takes leadership.

I think about Seth Godin's example of Tribes - where people take the initiative to form groups, and those groups form larger groups, through influence, through communication, through whatever means necessary - in short. And gradually, enough people can be effected to change the circumstance.

So yeap. We are all tapped three times. It then becomes about what we do with the agency that we have.

--Eddie

Social Innovation to Change the World

After our amazing session on Saturday with our four guest speakers Melissa Kwee, Alfie Othman, Michael Switow and Bernise Ang, here are a few links to keep everyone thinking and acting on social innovation. The world of social entrepreneurship is vast and rapidly expanding - this is just a small start!

Syinc
ONE Singapore
Ashoka
Change.org

Some of the things our speakers said have stuck in my mind since Saturday:
- "Not taking action was worse than taking action"
- "I was already very busy, but by the end of the conversation I'd signed up to do this"
- "Those were the worst two years of my life"
- "That was one of the most moving moments in my life"
- "I know the industry inside out now"
- "I spent two years of my life getting to know the people I was working with"
- "Pick an issue that resonates within you"
- "It was not that hard getting from 29 to 4,000, but it was much harder getting from 4,000 to 14,000."

Almost all of them talked about:
- how the initiatives they've started were things they could not help but do
- how crazy ideas can go a Very. Long. Way.
- how important it is to research the issue exhaustively, think long and hard about how to effect positive social change and why one strategy might be better than another
- how important it is to build a network of support, of like-minded individuals, and to tap into that network to effect change

Yeling

It is almost too easy sometimes to see situations like the current financial/economic crisis in purely functional terms. This inspiring piece is a great antidote for such instrumentalism.

The website where I found the piece is also worth exploring - http://www.uk.iofc.org/home (Initiatives of Change) - for those of you interested in citizen-led social transformation.

Aaron

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What are our Human Responses to Economic and Financial Crisis?Hugh Williams12 December 2008

http://www.uk.iofc.org/node/39224

Playwright and theatre producer Hugh Williams gave these reflections at a recent gathering at the Initiatives of Change centre in London.
The usual question we ask ourselves in a crisis is, ‘Who is to blame?’In one sense most of us are, in that we got it wrong. Very few of ussaw it coming. So no one can crow and say, ‘I told you so’. No oneknows what will happen next week, next month or next year. We all have to live with uncertainty.

Behind economic laws are moral laws. I do not believe that God ispunitive. But there are consequences when we break God’s laws. Thesemoral laws include the just price and a fair reward—not anextortionate one—for work performed and capital invested. Human naturebeing what it is, people are quick to complain when they are underpaidbut not when they are overpaid. There are also the virtues of trust,integrity and responsibility.

Some of the ways God’s laws have been flouted are: greed—the notion that ‘greed is good’ because it stimulates economic activity;pride—reflected in the mantra ‘the end of boom and bust’;recklessness—taking unacceptable risks with other people’s savings toachieve my maximum bonus; materialism—the idea that moral andspiritual values don’t matter; consumerism—shop till you drop; andhedonism—let the good times roll.

Will there be benefits from the present crisis? I believe so. Firstly,there will be more discipline: the end of easy credit, obscenely highsalaries and bonuses and obscenely high house prices. Housing maybecome more affordable for first time buyers. There will be moreresponsible lending and borrowing.

There will be greater realism. Ultimately debt is not an asset or acommodity to be traded indefinitely. It is a liability which someone,somewhere, some day will have to repay. In the present case, that willbe all of us. We can hope for a reformed and socially responsiblecapitalist system, which accepts the need for more regulation to curbits excesses, and a Green dividend—a chance to pollute less as weconsume less. And the return of service as the motive for being in business or banking.

Free market capitalism and democracy go together. But without a moralfoundation neither can work properly. Wealth creation is an honourablepursuit, but taking unacceptable risks to boost vast personal wealthis not.

So what we can do? Firstly, exercise humility. It would be easy tofeel superior and indulge in moralising. But we need to behonest—about where we ourselves may have been reckless, greedy or gotinto debt. My wife and I got into overdraft this Autumn following ourholiday because we had not reckoned on a large service bill to keepour car on the road! The overdraft would have been a lot higher butfor a generous and unexpected gift from my brother. And as he says,‘We need to unclench our fists.’

Secondly, we can have compassion and empathy for those who have losttheir savings, jobs, homes or businesses. Find out how your neighboursand people in your community are affected.

For example, there was not much we could do when a friend lost hisjob. But because we cared and enquired regularly and prayed, he andhis wife felt a tremendous sense of support which they have never forgotten. When they celebrated their silver wedding anniversary wefound we were the only non-family members invited. His wife said this was because we had stood by them during that difficult 18 months ofunemployment.

Finally faith as an antidote to fear—for ourselves and others we meet.It was Franklin D Roosevelt who at the time of the Great Depressiondeclared that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Faith is also a reminder of where true values lie.

Ethical Leaders of 2008

Ethical Corporation has announced its pick of 2008 leaders who have done the most to advance the cause of responsible leadership over the year. The chosen leaders have worked on issues ranging from climate change and the financial crisis to human rights, creative capitalism, to sustainable agriculture.

Read the article here.