UWC Maastricht Collaborative Leadership

The Tightrope Walker Once there was a tightrope walker who performed unbelievable aerial feats. All over Paris, he had done tightrope acts at great heights. He followed his initial acts with succeeding ones, while pushing a wheelbarrow. A promoter in America (sic) heard about this and wrote to him, inviting the daredevil to perform his act over the waters and dangers of Niagara Falls. He added, “I don’t believe you can do it…. 2

The tightrope walker accepted the challenge. After much promotion and planning, the man appeared before a huge crowd gathered to see the event. He was to start on the Canadian side and walk to the American side. Drums rolled and everyone gasped as they watched the performer walk across the wire blindfolded with a wheelbarrow. When he stepped off on the American side, the crowd went wild. Then the tightrope walker turned to the promoter and said, “Well, now do you believe I can do it?” 3

“Sure I do,” the promoter answered.“I just saw you do it.” “No, no, no,” said the tightrope walker. “Do you really believe I Can do it?” “I just said I did.” “I mean do you really believe?” “Yes, I believe!”

“Good,” said the tightrope walker, “then get in the wheelbarrow and we’ll go back to the other side.” Tim Hansel

Alphabet Team Activity Our definition of Collaboration Collaborative Leadership Theme/Big Idea: What is Collaboration? Theme/Big Idea: What is Collaboration? Self Assessment and action ideas Principles of Collaborative Leadership Given definition (Jack Christ, Ph.D) Principles of Collaborative Leadership Given definition (Jack Christ, Ph.D) Concept: Collaborative Leadership Concept: Collaborative Leadership

Cooperation Concert, joint action, co-acting, commonality, concurrence, joining of hands, common effort, common enterprise or endeavor

Concur, harmonize, go into partnership with, get together and team up and buddy up, pull together, hold together, hang together, keep together, stand shoulder-to- shoulder Collaboration

Collaborative leadership is a reciprocal process of encouraging and supporting relationships within which people can pursue a variety of shared goals over extended periods of time. Jack Christ, Chair Leadership Studies Ripon College, Ripon WI Executive Director, Wisconsin Leadership Institute

Leadership is a reciprocal process of encouraging and supporting… Collaborative leadership is a reciprocal process of encouraging and supporting… … people in the pursuit of goals shared by members of a group, organization, or community. … relationships within which people can pursue a variety of shared goals over extended periods of time.

Utopia lies at the horizon. When I draw nearer by two steps, It retreats two steps. If I proceed ten steps forward, it swiftly slips ten steps ahead. No matter how far I go, I can never reach it. What, then, is the purpose of utopia? It is to cause us to advance. ~ Eduardo Hughes Galeano