..My connection to this blog.

This past summer I (third from left), along with several hundred relatives, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Miller family homestead in northwestern North Dakota. The festivities included recognition of 100 years of family farming as 4th and 5th generation pioneers still derive their livelihoods from reaping harvests of amber waves of grain. Nevertheless, time has not stood still. Fewer family members than ever can make a decent living at this vocation—not many have survived. Well-run corporate farms added competitive pressures, and although science and technology have increased long-term productivity, these advances required significant capital investment thereby shrinking short-term profitability. I see in my farmer relatives the attributes that keep this legacy going: a readiness to embrace new technology, a willingness to save today to invest in tomorrow’s successes or prepare for future failures, a deep pride and joy in the work itself, and a love for the family for whom the fruits of their labor provide.

I, on the other hand, discovered my calling in the corporate workplace but my journey has been built on the foundation of lessons learned from farming. It takes the system to produce good results--tools, technology, know-how, weather, soil, seed, fertilizer and pest control. You control the things you can, and do what you can to mitigate the ones you can’t. You don’t lose sight of the impact each has upon the other. Some days you have to work longer than others, but that’s okay because you really believe that work is good and that you are doing something that will make a difference beyond your contribution.

It is a pleasure to connect my story with those of my Drucker classmates, David, Lawrence, and Lucia, on this blog. Together we are learning to both practice and influence authentic, purposeful leadership in the 21st Century. As noted in the introduction, our research is inspired by Jean Lipman-Bluman’s book, “Connective Leadership: Managing in a Changing World”. She uses the term “The Connective Era” to define the emergence of a new context in which today’s leaders must lead.

In summary, Lipman-Blumen says that science and technology, increasing internationalism, diversity, lost faith in ideology, institutions and leaders, changes in organizational structures, and new plagues are factors that contribute to the need for new strategies to help us face the realities of our increasingly “connected” world. Complexity and rate of change demand a fresh approach to developing innovative solutions, and no one person can possibly have all of the answers. As we wrestle with the competing forces of diversity and interdependence, Lipman-Blumen hypothesizes that leaders must abandon their simple charismatic or command and control styles and draw from a richer basket of direct, relational, and instrumental styles of behavior in order to effectively lead in the 21st Century. They need to be accountable not only by taking responsibility for their actions but also by explaining them. They must cultivate authenticity so that when different situations demand a different leadership behavior, constituents will not see these actions as “mixed messages” but rather the action that was required in the situation at hand in order to achieve the group’s shared goals.

Lipman-Blumen’s seminal book was published in 1996, and yet today, ten years later, we still wonder where all the good leaders are. We read stories such as that of Max DePree, and while we are appropriately inspired by the apparent work-as-utopia he built at Herman Miller, it just doesn’t seem real. We ask ourselves why these behaviors have not gained traction and why so few of us seem to be a part of organizations that recognize and reward these cutting-edge styles that are required for success in the Connective Era. We shake our heads in disgust and mutter something about it having to start at the top—and it just isn’t.

So that is what causes us to ask our questions. My contribution focuses on the first one. I’m curious to learn how individuals can influence the advancement of Connective Era strategies. I suspect that the key to individual strategies lies in the words accountability and authenticity, and I intend to keep that focal point in mind in subsequent postings. I will share my image of leadership, then explore why this change is so hard, suggest ways of leading up, advise on building trust, and finally show how you can practice leading in all domains of life.

Personally I am nearing the end of a journey of learning at the Drucker School, and the words of my father at the beginning of the program are echoing in my middle-aged ears. Upon hearing the news of my enrollment, he asked, “Well, what are you going to do with that when you’re done?” I hope to help answer that question with what follows in this blog. At the same time I expect to provide the reader with ideas on how they, too, can make a difference in the Connective Era.

Lipman-Blumen, Jean. (1996). Connective Leadership: Managing in a Changing World New York: Oxford University Press

Depree, Max. (1989). Leadership is an Art New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group