Читать книгу Managing and Leading Nonprofit Organizations - Paul L. Dann - Страница 8

My long‐standing mentor often says that to be effective we must often be “antigravitational.” The notion itself conjures up odd visions of people floating above the ground, but despite the humorous nature of the vision the conceptual frame is a useful one. To be gravitational is to simply go with the flow. To be antigravitational means that there are times when one should move against the flow, to work in a way that moves in the opposite direction of what would come naturally, to give pause to the pull that typically exists—at least long enough to understand what other options might exist.

Simply going with the gravitational pull means that you are acting without critical thought regarding the actions that you are undertaking. Being antigravitational means that you are taking stock in the current situation and that you have made a mindful decision to move against or away from the direction that is formed by the norms found within the cultural context. For example, growing up you may have received messages from your parents and the people around you that you should not create a problem: “Don't make a fuss,” “It's not that big a deal,” or “Mind your own business” could be a tape that plays over and over again in your head. The gravitational pull in this context would be to simply keep quiet and avoid raising any concern. This pull follows you into your work and into your leadership practice. To be antigravitational you would need to move against this gravitational pull and instead work to ensure that you speak up, that you work to address concerns as well as understand that getting involved is your business.

To be gravitational is to risk action without thought. To be antigravitational is to ensure that you have exercised a thoughtful examination of your and others' actions to determine whether a different course of action—one that is against the flow—is the better course of action. The key here in understanding this perspective is to understand the role that awareness and mindfulness plays in determining whether to be gravitational or antigravitational. The notion is not to always be a contrarian, but rather to ensure that your leadership practice includes the mindful consideration of your and your team's actions. Understand that there are times when you must go against the flow, and that in order to know when to do this you have to be aware of exactly what the flow is and where it comes from.