Poetical and Political Leadership Gatot Prihandoko 69080070

Background Setting shift Harmonious  cacophonous Supportive  contentious Leader’s Perception & Practices change  survive & thrive Leaders = masterful politician & imaginative and inspirational poets

The Myth of Modern Management Tools & techniques  to achieve the goals: Manager’s role: planning, organizing, staffing, controlling Regular meeting PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) chart

The Myth of Modern Management Not enough But also How organizations function? How managers do & do not cope with that functioning? How we think?

Organizations Logics Factories – structural frame: built on rationality and results Families – HR frame: satisfying individual needs as a key to top performance Jungles – political frame: in favor of the laws of the jungle (scarce resource, competing interests and the role of power and conflict) Temples – symbolic frame: seeing it as a temple where meaning, faith, belief and hope dominate

Organizations Logics The frames are abstract theoretical constructs and person specific Two dominant frames: structural and HR In some respects this is not an issue; all frames are important

Leaders as Politicians Politics: distasteful, manipulative, dishonest, destructive Machiavelli: power & conflict are natural by-products of co-operative activities Effective leader: engagement on pushing and tugging. Brawn and battle are unceasing features of life in every organization

Leaders as Politicians – Some Key Principles Map the political terrain Consolidate your power base Lay out a clear agenda Move when the time is ripe Use of information as ammunition Use structure as a political asset Befriend opponents Create arenas to air and resolve conflict What is right is often relative Politics always operate in a context of values  leader as poet

Poetic Leadership Poetry  language of the heart and soul Its rhythm, rhyme and expressive verse to apprehend and appreciate the deeper aspects of being human The importance of introducing symbols in giving life meaning All human groups and organizations assemble over time a culture built around key symbolic elements: history, values & beliefs, heroes & heroines, ritual, ceremony and stories

Poetic Leadership When the symbols no longer work, the individual cracks away, becomes dissociated and disoriented  a pathology of the symbol That is where too many organizations are today Restoring the symbolic buoyancy is the job of the poetic leader

Poetic Leadership – Some Guiding Principles Revisit and renew historical roots Convey cultural values and beliefs Recognize heroes and heroines Convene and encourage rituals Celebrate key events Speak in picture words Tell stories

Encouraging The Existing Leadership Continuous learning from experience Adopt a framework A formal leadership development program Not only on rational-technical approach But also on emotional, expressive aspects of the leader as politician or poet