Mind Dump
 
Jan 26

Leadership: Providing freedom, empowerment, and purpose

by Scott McLeod

GODIN: How do we get people to bring their artist to work?

PINK: Stop treating people like horses and start treating them like human beings. Instead of trying to bribe folks with sweeter carrots or threaten them with sharpen sticks, how about giving them greater freedom at work, allowing them to get better at something they love, and infusing the workplace with a sense of purpose? If we tap that third drive more fully, we can rejuvenate our businesses and remake our world.

via http://www.danpink.com/archives/2010/01/linchpin

The essence of good leadership

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3 comments

Jan 26, 2010
ctscho said...
Hi Scott-- I get why this is an interesting quote, and I know it's a small snippet from a larger context. But focused in isolation like this, the language is a bit troublesome. Pink's statement seems to suggest that a good leader's role is to grant (rather than assume/support) others' freedom. And when the rationale for "allowing" improvement is to "tap" this for business productivity...? I suspect empowered or self-directed learners/workers avoid putting themselves in situations where artistry or learning opportunities are viewed as favors "allowed" or given by someone else, and if leaders (educational or otherwise) are thinking in these (noblesse oblige?) terms, there's going to be a disconnect.
Jan 26, 2010
Scott McLeod said...
Hi Carmen, I can see where you're coming from. I didn't read it that way. I read it more as 'get out of people's way when they're trying to do good things.' In other words, for the most part, it's not about granting employees' autonomy as much as I think it is figuring out how to support / facilitate their artistry (and, unfortunately, leaning on a few who aren't interested in being artists). Does this make sense?
Jan 26, 2010
ctscho said...
Hi Scott,
I figure Pink meant it the same way you read it, and I can also see the "get out of the way" interpretation. Just occasionally feel compelled to call out some underlying implications in phraseology-- can't help but wonder about the degree to which such words reflect tacit assumptions. Assumptive power and its relationship to leadership (and autonomy) are tricky things:)

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