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Community: The Structure of Belonging
One core task of leadership is to build
community. Our traditional strategies for dealing with problems of performance, quality, cost and employee satisfaction are
strong on individualism and weak on community. Community, often confused with culture, is most often treated as an afterthought,
left to specialists to worry about. The dominant belief is that laser-like goals, better controls, clearer consequences, more
inspirational leadership, and better systems will make a difference. They won’t. They are the problem, not the solution.
These strategies are incapable of transformation; they just make things a little better.
This presentation is about the nature of real transformation and what
kind of leadership is required to achieve it. Transformation is a shift in the nature of things. It promises a culture of
chosen accountability, authentic commitment, and stronger social fabric, all elements of a strong community. Peter will define
how communal transformation is about leadership that is independent of style, role modeling and holding people accountable.
Leadership is about changing the conversation. Leadership requires
sophistication in the methodology of convening, valuing listening over speaking, relationship over technology, gifts over
deficiencies and possibility over problem solving. Leadership is about being host, not hero. Small groups are the unit of
transformation, questions are the means, invitation is the strategy. This session will be an example of what Peter talks about,
so that the tools of building community are demonstrated, not just discussed.
Peter Block
Peter Block is an author, consultant and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work
is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community.
His latest book is Community: The Structure of Belonging (Berrett
Koehler 2008). He has also authored. The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters
which won the 2002 Independent Publisher Book Award for Business Breakthrough Book of the Year. Freedom and Accountability at Work:
Applying Philosophic Insight to the Real World, was co-authored with consultant and philosopher Peter Koestenbaum (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer,
2001).
The books are about ways to create workplaces and communities that
work for all. They offer an alternative to the patriarchal beliefs that dominate our culture. His work is to bring change
into the world through consent and connectedness rather than through mandate and force.
He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops designed by Peter to build the
skills outlined in his books
Peter serves on the Boards of Directors of Cincinnati Classical Public Radio, Elementz and InkTank. He is on
the Advisory Board for the Festival in the Workplace Institute, Bahamas.
He is the first Distinguished Consultant-in-Residence at Xavier
University. As a citizen of Cincinnati,
he is currently involved in projects focusing on people on the margin and supports the Urban Opportunities Alliance, a cooperative
group of six efforts to value the possibility of youth and families in Cincinnati.
With other volunteers Peter began A Small Group, whose work is to bring into conversation other groups not in relationship
with each other, through the powerful tools of civic engagement.
He has received national awards for outstanding contributions in the field of training and development, including
the American Society for Training and Development Award for Distinguished Contributions; the Association for Quality and Participation
President’s Award; and Training Magazine HRD Hall of Fame.
Peter’s office is in Mystic, Connecticut.
You can visit his websites at www.peterblock.com, www.designedlearning.com, and www.asmallgroup.net. He welcomes being contacted at pbi@att.net.
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