The remote control of leadership revisited

In January I proffered that even deciding to change the TV channel was an act of leadership. Recently I adapted and developed the post for an article for Sync Leadership. So, in my usual desperation for blog fodder, here's the renewed article:

Leadership is often mistaken as a quality that only some people possess. When we look for leaders to lead others, we look for particular developed skills and attributes - perhaps extreme competence in a certain area like the arts, sport or technical skill, or superior qualities like confidence or charisma.

But leadership is a quality of which everyone is capable and we all do it at some point in our lives. When was the last time you suggested seeing a movie, having coffee or dinner with friends, or doing something, however small, differently at work? That was you being a leader, without even knowing.

Even deciding to change the TV channel is leadership. If you don't believe me, let's look at an analysis of the five tasks of leaders, originally developed for business by Warren Bennis (1):

• Develop a positive future vision (dream) - "I want to watch a different programme."
• Incorporate the vision into daily life (think) - "I need the remote."
• Sell the vision to others (talk) - "Hey you guys, you'll really enjoy this programme."
• Take calculated risks with the vision (do) - "Let's just watch it for five minutes."
• Click! Involve others with meaning (share) - "Hey, isn't this a great show?"

Next time you're looking for leadership, take a lesson from your own inner couch potato. See what potential lies beyond the remote control, by applying these principles to more lofty ideals – like changing the world. My leadership goal at the moment is to move the world beyond ideas of impairment and disability. Here's how I've used Bennis' framework to guide social change:

• Develop a positive future vision (dream) - "I want the world to understand about experiential diversity as an alternative to impairment and disability."
• Incorporate the vision into daily life (think) - "I need to change the way I think about myself in order to communicate that new identity to others."
• Sell the vision to others (talk) - "Hey you guys, I have unique experience, you have unique experience and this is how things could be if we all valued our experience differently."
• Take calculated risks with the vision (do) - "This is how I use my unique experience to add value to my work and my lifestyle."
• Then I get on and run my business, projects and life in a way that expresses who I am.
• Involve others with meaning (share) - "Hey, isn't this a great way to think – can I offer to show you how this way of thinking can change your world?"

Thinking in this way about leadership has helped me demystify the role and understand three things:

• You don't have to lead 24/7 – in fact, leadership is more like a relay race – you run for a bit and then pass the baton.
• Leadership is about you – it's far more effective to change things for yourself than to set out to change things for others.
• The dream of a better way and convincing others that they will benefit is the most important thing – leadership doesn't point out the error of where we are now. Its value is in showing the beauty and excitement of the next destination.

(1) “Becoming a Leader of Leaders” in Rethinking the Future, Rowan Gibson (ed). Nicholas Brealey Publishing (May 25, 1999)

SELF AWARENESS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY, SAYS COMIC

MEDIA RELEASE

Self-confessed gay, disabled, vegetarian, Kiwi comedian Philip Patston is prone to reinventing himself – and he's on a mission to change the way the world understands human diversity.

He started his career as a social worker, a counsellor, a Winston Churchill Fellow, a human rights activist and a trainer, then became an award-winning comedian, a soap opera actor on Shortland Street, a columnist, and even New Zealand’s inaugural Queer of the Year as voted by TV show Queer Nation.

These days Philip is leveraging his personal and professional diversity as a consultant, mentor, life coach, inspirational speaker and team facilitator. And, just for kicks, he's a New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellow and an ArtVenture Creative Entrepreneur, and leading the development of Momentum’09, an international symposium on disability arts to be held in Auckland in March 2009.

The wheelchair-using comic-turned-entrepreneur just returned from a month in the UK on a speaking tour, one of five international arts practitioners funded by Arts Council England to contribute dialogue, debate and inspiration to the creative sector. He also addressed the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University where, ironically, he was unable to access the opening reception because of steps. Frustrated but unperturbed, he used the faux pas to push his point - that he has turned his disadvantage into a unique social experience that has fueled his social and creative innovation.

"The way we currently view socially marginalised groups like disabled, gay, indigenous or poor people has to change," says the company director of Diversityworks Group. "Our contradictory obsession with highlighting yet ignoring difference is almost pathological. We're either paralysed by fear that we'll get it wrong for other people - or indignant that other people will get things wrong for us.

"What's far more useful to consider is that we may be only a moment away from being disabled ourselves, or being poor, or having a gay son or a daughter-in-law who's from another culture. So we need to think about getting it right for ourselves given all the possibilities of the future. Being fully aware of ourselves, rather than trying to understand others, is the key to valuing human diversity," he says.

Philip thinks that if everyone truly understood and expressed their own uniqueness creatively - and allowed space for each other to do the same - people would live together much more harmoniously. "But that takes a bit of a complex mix of self-responsibility and commitment to others," he cautions. "It's not difficult, but it's hard work keeping the balance. It's about realising that we create everything we experience."

"Creativity is essential when it comes to expressing ourselves uniquely. And in order to be creative, we need to trust our innate ability to adapt to change."

Philip now shares publicly his own engaging story of overcoming fear, cynicism and poverty in order to create an autonomous lifestyle of success and happiness. His journey led him to design WISE SPECIES(tm), a new, creative framework that allows him to work with individuals, groups and organisations to explore all aspects of their identities and potential.

"I've enjoyed finding unique ways of thinking and acting to achieve my goals and realise my dreams. Nothing is more fulfilling than self-discovery and exploring the vital connections between people. Now I'm helping others do it too."

Philip is available as a speaker, consultant, team builder and facilitator for personal and social change.

Online: www.philippatston.com | www.diversityworks.co.nz

ENDS.

For further information contact:

Phiip Patston
09 376 4837
021 76 4837
philip@diversityworks.co.nz

The road to everywhere

It's now 10 hours until I leave for 5 weeks' work in the UK and Hawaii. For the next 35 nights my friend Claire and I will be sleeping on planes, in hotels and on friends' lounge suites on a whirlwind tour of creativity, inspiration and social innovation. Check out my new website, my itinerary below and come back regularly for updates on the trip...



16-24 March | Newcastle, UK
I take up a position as one of five international arts practitioners funded by Arts Council England, North East to visit the region between November 2007 and March 2008. The Inspiring Internationalists programme is “seeking to develop seminars and events that will bring international creative practitioners to our region for dialogue, debate and inspiration”. The Arts Council has chosen “high profile practitioners, thinkers and policy-makers operating internationally to contribute to this programme.” I'll be working with Disability Arts organisation arcadea, who will host me during my one week engagement.

Activities include:

❏ 2 hour meeting with the Board of arcadea
❏ 3 hour meeting with arcadea's Director
❏ 2 x 3hr workshops with Disabled artists
❏ 3 hour seminar with the wider arts community
❏ 20 minute performance to launch the Mimosa Lecture 2008.
❏ TBC 1-2 days one to one mentoring with arcadea's director

24-31 March | Oxford, UK
I'll be attending and presenting in the “Orange Programme” at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship – an international event attracting nearly 700 social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, policy makers, corporate representatives, financiers, philanthropists and students from more than forty countries. For three days, we will attend a series of plenaries, panel discussions, workshops and academic presentations designed for learning, problem solving and community building.

31 March-4 April | Manchester, UK
I'll be the keynote speaker at Fayre Exchange Artist Development and Networking Event 2. Their publicity says, “Fayre Exchange is committed to the individual professional development of disabled artists at any stage of their career. We recognise how ‘effective networking’ can play a key part during events and will provide a platform for individuals to share information around individual experiences, training, funding and professional development opportunities. It will encourage open dialogue, paying particular attention to professional development needs. Solution focused and action orientated, our aim is for everyone to go away with something that will contribute to their own individual professional development.”

5-8 April | Devon, UK
In-conversation with Philip Patston, part of the Entrepreneur ‘in-conversations’ – This is part of a programme of events bringing together inspirational entrepreneurs in dialogue with an invited audience, putting a spotlight on cultural entrepreneurialism and inspiring emerging entrepreneurs. The event is hosted by the Cultural Leadership Programme work-based learning networks.

12 April | Honolulu, Hawai’i
And last but not least I'll be making two presentations at the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities at Hawai’i University, Honolulu. With its beginnings dating back to 1985, the Pacific Rim Conference has evolved into one of the top rated international educational offerings for and from persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers, community leaders, advocates, and nationally recognized professionals in the various disciplines in the diverse field of disabilities.

I like 2008

Mat says:

I like 2008 much better than 2007 already, I just got a new agent, and finished my new play...

And another friend told me yesterday that she got a pay rise the day after she heard of 200GR8!

The tyranny of success?

"The philosopher George Santayana (I think) once said that if you do not learn from the mistakes of the past you are doomed to repeat them. This is true but so also is the following:

If you learn from the successes of the past you are doomed to be trapped by them.

Success always stops us thinking."

Edward de Bono (15 October 2007)

Positive thinking can have negative consequences

"There's a huge difference between positive thinking and constructive thinking. You are standing in a market-place and a car parks on your foot. Positive thinking suggests that you make the best of your enforced immobility. You look around and appreciate the architecture. You watch the stallholders and human nature. You inhale and appreciate the smells. You chat to children who gather around. Constructive thinking suggests you make an effort to get the car shifted."

Edward de Bono, in New Thinking for the New Millennium

This story illustrates that thinking positively can actually keep us in negative situations. In order to move on and achieve our potential, we need to think constructively, not positively.

If you'd like to know more about constructive thinking and potential, contact us at Diversityworks.