A brief look at the ideas of Margaret Wheatley and a systems approach to leadership. Why traditional hierarchies don't tend to work very well, and what can happen when you allow people to take their own initiative...

1. organising without organisations Liam Barrington-Bush, Concrete Solutions. Birkbeck College, 18.02.10

2. “Everywhere, life self-organizes as networks ofinterdependent relationships. When individuals discover a common interest or passion, they organize themselves and figure out how to make things happen.” - Margaret Wheatley

3. PowerPoint’s ‘Organisation Chart’

4. What happens if you cut-off the head?

5. ...but what if our organisations looked like this?

6. What brings out our best?

7. What if community groups came together around an idea, rather than a structure? Could this model be sustainable? Are there limits to the scope/ size of this model? What advantages would it pose? What disadvantages would it pose? What would this look like, in practical terms, in your community work?

8. “[The] combination of shared meaning with freedom to determine one’s actions is how systems grow to be more effective and well-ordered… People who are deeply connected to a cause don’t need directives, rewards, or leaders to tell them what to do.” - Margaret Wheatley

9. ...So what does this have to do with new media? ...Well, think about how ‘old media’ works... Look familiar?

10. ...but now...

11. The story of , +

12. “Networks begin with the circulation of information. This is how members find each other, learn from each other and develop strategies and actions… But once the network has momentum, it is passion and individual creativity that propel it forward.” - Margaret Wheatley

13. Thinking points... What does this mean for your community? What roles can individuals play within this model? What roles can traditional organisations play within this model? How would this approach change your work?

14. Follow-up www.margaretwheatley.com www.tweetshock.com www.herecomeseverybody.org Liam Barrington-Bush e: concretesolutions@ymail.com ph: 07775732383 Tw: @hackofalltrades