cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

The underpinning theorybehaviours without being in a position to leaddirectly. The list included among others Alfred Sloan,head of General Motors, Pope John XXIII, one of themost influential and popular popes of modern times,Martin Luther King, the advocate of AfricanAmericans, and Margaret Mead, a cultural anthropologistwho deeply influenced our ideas aboutchildhood, family life and society. (There have beenattempts made to discredit her research, but she isstill supported by many as being highly innovativeand influential.)Gardner’s findings indicated that those leaders who had really made adifference to the way others thought, felt and acted all appeared to have acentral story or message. Stories not only provide background, but help thefollowers to picture the future. The story must connect with the audience’sneeds and be embodied in the leader him- or herself. Gardner makes thepoint that phonies are never in short supply, and the individual who doesnot embody or act out his or her messages will eventually be found out.LEADERS’ STORIESMargaret Thatcher‘Britain has lost its way in defeatism and socialism. We must reclaim the leadershipfrom ‘them’ (socialists, union trouble makers and the ‘wets’) and restoreearlier grandeur.’Margaret Mead‘As human beings we can make wise decisions about our own lives by studyingoptions that many other cultures pursue.’Mahatma Gandhi‘We in India are equal in status and worth to all other human beings. Weshould work cooperatively with our antagonists if possible, but be prepared tobe confrontational if necessary.’Leadership stories from Gardner (1996)148