I’d like to submit that being in the arena of leadership development today requires a healthy respect and open mind about the role that media and communications plays is leading effectively. In facilitating the process we tend to focus on the individual, in helping them identify their values and their unique voice. But if we don’t also discuss the vessels through which these will be expressed, we are severely limiting leaders opportunities to be effective. In a wonderful article in the American Psychologist, January 2007 special issue on Leadership, Warren Bennis explores the importance of developing knowledge and understanding of communications and media tools, both their power and biases. He makes the point that leaders today rarely if ever rely solely on face-to-face interactions with their followers. I believe this is clearly demonstrated in our own presidential election. Trying to wrap your head around all the ways a leader can have a presence with followers, real or potential, is tough. Bennis does it beautifully.
“Is a leader whose message is accessed on a Blackberry different in kind from one whose message in read in the pages of the New York Times? Is a politician’s vision described in the news pages perceived differently from the same vision presentedin the op-ed page? Do viewers of the Daily Show have a different relationship to the political candidates they favor than listeners to public radio or talk radio? Does the stature of an interviewer change the perception of the candidate? If Matthew Brady helped to create our heroic notion of Lincoln, what role do today’s news photographers play in our choice of leaders?” *
Think of all the layers of opportunity to communicate. So how is a someone supposed to master all these? How do we who are already in the arena of leadership development help them? I think it happens by learning to recognize the opportunities and jump in ourselves. Practice, practice practice.
So I challenge those of you in the arena. If leadership development matters to you, lets hear about it. Jump into the game with comments and thoughts and explore for yourself the power and bias of this communications device. Let’s talk about it.
Posted by Beth High
*January 2007, American Psychologist, Vol.62, No. 1
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