The price of greatness is responsibility.

Winston ChurchilL

The Science of Stories

By reflecting on your own and others’ stories, you will start to build on the “knowledge of process”—that is, how one thing influences another to produce change. This will enhance your ability to respond well in different circumstances.

By saying yes to knowing and telling your own stories, you are acknowledging the extraordinary, flexible

 nature of the human mind to comprehend and alter its own functioning. 

By reflecting on what has been, you will be able to remove the relationship blinders and overcome negative

 habits.  

There is a developing literature on the science of understanding stories.

So far, its focus has been primarily in the area of predicting parenting styles—but is that such a leap from predicting leadership styles?

Could it be that good parenting might correlate well with good to great leaders?

I can see where this could be the case, especially in fields where intellectual freedom and/or mentoring is

 essential for future leaders to functions well.

The leaders I interviewed fall into the category of those capable of a sustained willingness to assume responsibility.

 

This requires knowing who is responsible for what, as well as how to delegate responsibility realistically.

 

It is not just leading, but also preparing others to assume responsibility.

In this way, an organization is like a family, and a leader is like a good parent.  

The survival of the family or the group is dependent on adjusting to the current realities and anticipating and preparing others for an unknown future.

A great leader seeks to assure the future success of others, not to maintain his or her place at the top of the

pecking order.

It’s important to note that these interviews were not structured.

They were two-way encounters, and certainly did not follow any “patient-therapist” mode.

The questions were designed to enable the interviewees to consider their broader systems without causing them to over-focus on any one area.

Some people over focus on my questions, some on my style of conversation after the questions, while others over focus on the person who is interviewed.

If you dear reader, can take something away that connects with your life, then the overfocus on part of the social jungle will not matter.