You don’t normally think of a conversation needing leadership, right? But without leadership, a conversation usually ends up being unproductive – going off on tangents and losing focus.
An effective conversational leader needs to build a framework and define a clear purpose for the conversation so people understand the intention behind it. The leader needs to be armed with the expertise to engage participants and walk away from the conversation with actionable items.
A good leader will also understand the effect of collective intelligence. We all know there is power in numbers, but that power is amplified when it involves the merging and collaboration of different ideas. This inspires creativity and creates opportunities. Thinking together as an organization can spur incredible possibilities for change. You just need the right person at the helm.
Thomas J. Hurley, Regional Vice Chair, North America, Oxford Leadership Academy and Juanita Brown, Founder of Whole Systems Associates discuss the power of Conversational Leadership and the six things conversational leaders need to do to build an effective architecture for engagement in the July/August Watercooler® newsletter.
How do you create and arm conversational leaders in your organization?
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