I’m developing course content for a teen leadership program at the Royal Ontario Museum. I’m drawn back to my notes from Margaret Wheatley, who defines a leader as “anyone who is willing to help”.

In Leadership and the New Science, she writes:

Many writers have offered new images of effective leaders. Each of them is trying to create imagery for the new relationships that are required, the new sensitivities needed to honor and elicit worker contributions. Here is a very partial list of new metaphors to describe leaders: gardeners, midwives, stewards, servants, missionaries, facilitators, conveners. Although each takes a slightly different approach, they all name a new posture for leaders, a stance that relies on new relationships with their networks of employees, stakeholders and communities. No one can hope to lead any organization by standing outside or ignoring the web of relationships through which all work is accomplished. Leaders are being called to step forward as helpmates, supported by our willingness to have them lead us. (p.165)