a drop of water

Another category for understanding the nature of leadership that cuts against the grain of traditional definitions is “sensemaking.”  Wilfred Drath and Charles Palus, at the Center for Creative Leadership, explain that “most existing theories, models, and definitions of leadership proceed from the assumption that somehow leadership is about getting people to do something.” Instead, Drath and Palus re-imagine leadership as “the process for making sense of what people are doing together so that people will understand and be committed.”  Leadership, in this view, is a matter of interpretation. Leaders  give people a lens and language for understanding their work and experiences in light of larger purposes.  They help shape the mental frameworks of others so that those people see themselves as making contributions to the mission and direction of their organization, working in community for a common purpose.

p125. Adam S. McHugh, Introverts in the Church