"From a relational perspective, leadership is understood as a phenomenon produced through interactions between
leaders, followers and other social actors. Leadership is not seen as solely located within individuals in the form of traits and styles, but also in the myriad ways people interact, engage and negotiate with each other" (Liu 2017, p. 345)
In understanding the self as a principle of leadership, Black (n.d.) demonstrated the importance of emotional intelligence as a cornerstone of resonant leadership. In developing a practice of greater self-awareness and social awareness, I was able to identify my need to begin to also cultivate a greater practice of vulnerability, and investment in informal relationships, in order to develop myself as a growing leader. As vulnerability and relationship are so intimately tied, I began to explore some of my own challenges within engaging vulnerability, and therefore relationship, and the need to develop shame resilience, individually and communally (Brown, 2012). Insofar as to be vulnerable is at the heart of meaningful human experiences, and insofar as leading requires vulnerability and connection, I have slowly started to understand that to lead is also to be human, uniquely and beautifully flawed.
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(As cited in Black, n.d.)
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Servant: in understanding the importance of the reflective use of self and the need for relationship in leading, a leader must then be fundamentally concerned with its effects on others (Liu, 2017). Van Dierendonck (2011) describes how servant-leaders are governed by creating within the organization opportunities to help followers grow, and they works to increase the autonomy and responsibility of those they are working with, to encourage them to act and lead for themselves. They ask themselves, in relation to the to the least privileged in society, if they will benefit from their leadership or if they will be harmed. They see themselves as stewards of other people and resources, committed to the growth and well-being of other people, and will put other people first. When the final goal or purpose is achieved, the followers will be able to claim it as their own.
This approach is congruent with my leadership strengths, which are building close one-on-one relationships with others, listening and supporting, identifying and leveraging another's strengths, and being motivated by the social work goals of empowerment and self-determination. This approach is especially congruent in working with Indigenous communities, who are themselves developing their own communities and leadership, whereby formal leadership on my part would only recreate existing social relations and imbalances. |
Lastly, although I reflect on the problems with me adopting the term Indigenous leadership for my evolving approach, I still recognize a strong congruence with these frameworks and practices that I would like to further explore and cultivate. What resonated most, as outlined by Kenny and Fraser (2012), is that their conceptions of leadership arise from experiences on the land - both in relation to physical space, and then in relation to the lived experiences and realities of people, as they are.
"We respond to the guidance of the processes expressed in our home place. Everything begins here. We mirror the patterns, textures, colors, sounds, and processes of the earth as embodied being (...) This is an idea, a feeling, and a concept to embed in our leadership theories and practices" (Kenny & Fraser 2012, p. 3) For me, this means that Indigenous leadership practices begins as a grounding within our environments, ourselves, our homes, or our communities. Grounding leadership in relation to the land, and in relation to time and place, situates leadership as a practice in connecting to one's immediate environment and relationships, honoring the realities of different places, acknowledging the connection between all parts of life, between the individual and their environment, and our inner and outer worlds. For me, deeply understanding the nature of this interconnectedness also becomes a framework to facilitate multi-level change and transformation that we so often seek to be a part of in social work, and that becomes more easily realized when it begins and is rooted in our shared physical space or environment. Moving forward, this framework and holistic approach to leadership helps me understand where to begin in a journey towards personal transformation fostering greater interdependence, vulnerability, and connectedness, in moving towards more socially just and healthy communities.
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