Comments on: Lessons in Distributed Leadership from the Obama Campaign

By: Complexity with a human face « Aid on the Edge of Chaos

Complexity with a human face « Aid on the Edge of Chaos — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:09:43 +0000

[...] as well as collapse, they can also generate cascading change. See for example the lessons from the Obama Presidential Campaign as resounted by veteran civil rights activist Marshall Ganz. But the piece misses out on the [...]

By: The Aid Leadership Paradox « Aid on the Edge of Chaos

The Aid Leadership Paradox « Aid on the Edge of Chaos — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:52:34 +0000

[...] Empirical research in many different organisations – they range from church-based community organisations to Al Qaeda – has highlighted a number of vital ‘complex adaptive leadership’ qualities. Some of these findings resonate with Marshall Ganz’s analysis of the 2008 Obama Presidential Campaign, examined in a previous Aid on the Edge post. [...]

By: From traffic management to development management? « Aid on the Edge of Chaos

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:02:46 +0000

[...] The key may be finding ways of experimenting within existing strategic frameworks, and bringing new ways of thinking and theories of change to the table. In fact, it is arguable that some of the most significant successes in our sector have been because of a combination of top-down planning and emergent, self-organised behaviours – think of the Abstain, Be Faithful, Use Condoms campaign for HIV-AIDS in Uganda in the 1990s, and the successful Brazil eradication campaign of the 1990s. Elsewhere, the success of the Obama campaign has highlighted the power of an approach which combines a overall strategy with ‘distributed leadership’ (see a 2009 Aid on the Edge post on the campaign). [...]

By: Ken Gillgren

Ken Gillgren — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:56:09 +0000

Absolutely critical at any level of community or organizational development, and as noted, especially in the face of uncertainty.

I was just thinking back on a local-driven comprehensive community development project I participated in years ago in rural Oklahoma.

It seemed like I think one thing that enabled more folks to feel confident enough to spontaneously take on leadership roles as needed was constantly working in teams of at least two insofar as possible–so there was always someone in an observing/learning position in the midst of getting the immediate job done.

Thanks for the link!