The four Cs of leaderful practice: concurrent, collective, collaborative, compassion.
7/14/2003
Northeastern University professor Joseph Raelin challenges traditional notions of leadership by calling for a mutual model that includes everyone in "leaderful practice." Raelin argues that leadership in the twenty-first century requires a complete transformation of all facets associated with conventional leadership. Leaderful practice dispels the idea of leadership "being out in front." Instead Raelin contends, organizations achieving leaderful practice act as communities where everyone participates in leading, not serially but concurrently and collectively. An individual focus is replaced by a collective spirit, the controlling approach becomes collaborative, and finally an atmosphere of dispassion turns into one of compassion. Raelin draws upon a wide-ranging store of past and present examples to illustrate his points—from the practices of New Yorker editor Harold Ross, to those of D. J. Depree, founder of Herman Miller.