Lee Bolman

Wizard, Warrior, and Leading with Soul
July 14-18

Because leadership is hard, we are often disappointed in our leaders, and disappointed in our own ability to lead. We'll devote this week to examining why this is, and what we can do about it. We expect to come away with new ideas, new knowledge of ourselves, and new possibilities for leadership. I'll use ideas, research and examples from several of my books, but my goal is dialogue and exploration, augmented by video, personal reflection, and group activities.

One reason leadership is hard is that social dynamics and institutions are turbulent and complex, which often makes it hard to know what's going on and what we're up against. We'll explore the process of reframing - looking at things from multiple vantage points - to enhance our capacity to make sense of a messy world.

Leadership is also hard because we don't always know enough about ourselves and our impact on those we hope to lead. We'll engage in personal reflection and feedback activities to enhance our understanding of what we value and how we act as leaders.

Leadership is tough because it involves change, which breeds conflict, which we often fear and rarely handle very well. We'll explore the productive and destructive sides of the warrior image, and seek to strengthen the warrior within each of us.

Leadership requires imagination, creativity and magic - capacities that we all have, but don't always trust or know how to access. We'll search for ways to liberate the wizard within.

Finally, leadership requires faith and works only when it builds faith in others. We'll explore our personal spiritual journeys, searching for soul and spirit as vital underpinnings of leadership.

Monday
After using a short inventory to get a first read on our leadership orientations, we'll begin to explore the idea of reframing. Will we lead differently if we think we're leading in a factory? A family? A jungle? A temple?

Tuesday
We'll continue our exploration of reframing, and apply our insights to personal cases.

Wednesday
Do we view combat with fear or disdain? Do we hope to avoid conflict while we lead? Today we'll look at the leader, and ourselves, as warriors.

Thursday
Do we believe in magic in our hearts? When leadership calls for imagination and creativity, how do we respond?

Friday
What does it mean to lead with soul? We'll develop our own spiritual autobiographies as vehicles exploring identity and faith.

Lee Bolman is an author, teacher, consultant and speaker who currently holds the Marion Bloch/Missouri Chair in Leadership at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Lee has written numerous books on leadership and organizations with co-author Terry Deal, including the best-sellers, Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit (2nd ed., 2001) Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (3rd ed., 2003), and their latest book, The Wizard and The Warrior: Leading with Passion and Power (2006). Bolman and Deal's books have been translated into more than ten languages. Bolman holds a B.A. in history and a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Yale University. Prior to assuming his current position, he taught for more than twenty years at Harvard University, where he also served as director of the National Center for Educational Leadership and the Harvard School Leadership Academy, as well as chair of the Institute for Educational Management. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife, Joan Gallos, Bradley, the youngest of his six children, and an irrepressible Cockapoo, Douglas McGregor.