Context

Colleagues,


Last week I was privileged to work with a group of amazing leaders representing different organization, regions, and generations from Western North Carolina. You can read about our project here.


We are developing a leadership model specific to leaders working on social issues such housing, health care, education, and jobs. These leaders have unique needs, and they lead in a unique place.


My biggest takeaway from the day is that the context of leadership is vastly under-emphasized. Leading here, in our rural mountain communities, is different than leading in New York, San Francisco, or anywhere else. People who lead here, who don’t fully understand the context, are going to be less effective.


Why does context matter so much?

• Needs are different, even when they appear the same. Without understanding context, we can’t understand the need.
• Values are different. Speed might be of high value in one place, while trust is more important in another. Without context, we default to our own values, which may not be shared by the others we are working with.
• Assets are different. Strengths may lie in hidden places or take forms that we haven’t thought about.

I’ve talked about context from a community perspective, but these also apply within our organizations, which are their own communities with their own contexts.


Take 60 seconds after reading and just think about this question: What makes your context unique?


Cheers!


Frederick