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Press Release for 2008 Awards
To collaborate or not to collaborate? A question of
leadership. October 2007 By Diann Rodgers-Healey Leadership and collaboration can be said to be two opposing
and contradictory concepts. Whilst leadership in a traditional sense is about a
leader leading others who are the followers, collaboration is about working
together and moving ahead as a team. So why are these two concepts juxtaposed in
so much of the theory and talk about leadership.
Andrew Carnegie said: "No man will make a great leader who
wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it."
Putting aside, the gender bias of this statement, this statement presumes
that a leader could if they wanted to, do it all by themselves, but in doing it
with others, will be recognized as being a great leader. Given this presumption
that leaders can do things all by themselves, one could ask for the purpose of
our discussion, what would be the quality of the achievement if leaders do
achieve their vision all by themselves as opposed to, if they collaborate with
others?
Moreover, If leadership is universally about improving the
situation for the benefit of others, then would that achievement be
qualitatively better if it was shared by others, enhanced by others or if its
implementation spread beyond the responsibility of the leader and became the
responsibility of all interested parties who owned the vision?
Before answering these questions perhaps we should first
consider, what are the reasons for collaboration? Some of the reasons are:
So, what are some of the reasons leaders have for
not wanting to collaborate?
The above are only some of the reasons to collaborate or not
to collaborate. In my opinion, what lies at the heart of this issue is what one
believes leadership to be about in the first place. Leadership, for me, is about
empowering others to empower oneself.
I don’t believe that we can effect change in anyone else if
we are unable to change ourselves. By reaching out to others, we validate
ourselves, our visions, our hopes and if perchance some one else identifies with
a spark of our vision, then what is set in motion, is the catalyst for
collaboration. As a leader, we can choose to walk the path alone and do what we
set out to achieve, or we can choose to walk the path together and co-build or
co-create. I believe that the collaborative vision must be qualitatively better
and more in tune with the needs of others.
If as leaders we collaborate with others we create around
ourselves the reality of the vision which begins to take shape and form with the
input of our collective intellect, our emotions and the energy to make it
happen. The ripples from this circle
of twosome grow as more individuals enter it and add their special brand of
contribution to its centre force.
CLW’s Leadership Achievement Awards for Women that were
launched in 2005 honours those women who achieve their visions in the community
through collaborating with others. Past recipients of this Award have
demonstrated that effective leaders know how to collaborate when it isn’t easy.
They demonstrated how they valued and listened to alternative views and how
collaborating with others enabled them to develop and achieve a vision for the
betterment of others.
Leadership views of Australian women leading in the
community
There are many definitions of leadership. Leadership
literature abounds with many theories of leadership including the Great Man
Theory, Trait Theory, Behavioral Theories, Situational Leadership, Transactional
and Transformational Leadership. However, what do we know about the
leadership perceptions held by Australian women who practice it and venture out
on their own to achieve for the greater good of others?
Through the Leadership Achievement Award for Women that
the Centre for Leadership for Women (CLW) launched in 2005, an understanding has
been gained as to the views of leadership held by women who develop and lead
grassroots community projects. Working with others and self-leadership are
two themes which resounds in their application of leadership as reflected in the
quotes below.
“Leadership is about guiding
others, listening and making democratic decisions, sharing new ideas but
discussing them with those involved before implementing.”
(Hélène Gonski, winner of the 2006 CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women,
in recognition of her work to promote the role of grandparents.)
“My personal definition of
leadership is that you can only truly lead by example and be a positive role
model and mentor for others. You have to have the courage, determination,
tenacity and humour to strive for your goals and to inspire others to follow
your lead. The capacity to listen and integrate other views and experiences into
my own vision means that I am continually transcending my own goals and
ambitions and therefore striving to be an inclusive and respectful leader. Often
this requires more time, empathy and engagement from leaders, yet the rewards
pay off. Nothing is impossible if you can build the friendship and support
networks needed for the job.” (Louise Bannister,
Finalist of the 2006 CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women in recognition
for developing the Well and Able Fitness Program for women who use mobility
aids.)
“To me, leadership equals
encouragement. Although I founded the Stillbirth Foundation, I could not
have done it without the Stillbirth Foundation Committee whose time, dedication
and commitment have been instrumental in the success of the Stillbirth
Foundation to date. To be able to encourage these women to take hold of a
dream, make it a reality and keep focused on our target through encouragement is
how I have lead this fabulous group of women.”
(Emma Kirkwood, Winner of the 2007 CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women in
recognition of her work to establish and run the Stillbirth Foundation.)
Winners and finalists of the 2006 and 2007 Awards were
recognized by CLW’s Panel of leading Australian women judges as self-appointed
women leaders in the community who use their own initiative to create and
implement projects for the community and in collaboration with the community.
This prestigious Award which is in its third year of
running is currently open for nominations at
www.leadershipforwomen.com.au
and will close on 22 December 2007. Details of the 2008 Award including previous
winners can be found at
www.leadershipforwomen.com.au
ANZ, Australia Post and Avril Henry Pty Ltd are Gold
Sponsors of the Award with Living Now Magazine as its Silver Sponsor.
Bronze Sponsors are Leadership Victoria, Sydney Leadership Centre of the
Benevolent Society, Melbourne Junior Chamber of Commerce and Australian Policy
Online.
National Award for Women
Innovators of Projects for the Community - Recognizing Sustainable Grassroots
Leadership by Women
September 2007
The Australian virtual Centre for Leadership for Women
(CLW) at
www.leadershipforwomen.com.au will be running
its 2008 National Leadership Achievement Award for Women again from 1 September
2007 and closing for applications on 22 December 2007. The
Winner of the 2007
Leadership Achievement Award for Women, Emma Kirkwood, Founder of the
Stillbirth Foundation said upon receiving the Award, “The Centre for Leadership
for Women is a fabulous resource for women working on a voluntary basis in the
community and I wish I had learned of the organisation earlier. I can only
imagine the time that it would have taken each of you in assessing the
applications and discussing the merits of each. Thank you sincerely for
your efforts. As much as I love what I do, my work with the Stillbirth
Foundation is truly thankless, and to receive recognition of my time and dreams
is wonderful and has provided me with inspiration that I am on the right path
and must continue! My win has not only delighted me, but also those women who
work with the Stillbirth Foundation, so your choice has made many people happy.”
ANZ,
Australia Post and
Avril
Henry Pty Ltd are Gold Sponsors and
Living
Now Magazine is the Silver Sponsor of this
prestigious Award which is in its third year of running. Bronze Sponsors are
Leadership Victoria, Sydney Leadership Centre of the Benevolent Society,
Melbourne Junior Chamber of Commerce and Australian Policy Online. The winner,
finalist and 4 short-listed candidates receive prize money and CLW Membership
benefits and promotion of their achievements.
Judges on the Panel for the 2008 Awards will include :
Dr Jocelynne Scutt,
Barrister & Human Rights Lawyer, First Anti-Discrimination Commissioner,
Executive Producer; Dr Shirley Randell AM, Senior Adviser, Senior Adviser
Governance and Gender, SNV, East and Southern Africa Region ‐ Rwanda; Dr
Lynette Dumble, Founder and Director of Global Sisterhood Network;
Carmelita Steinke, Director 2VoxFM, Radio & Media Specialist; Cheryl
O’Connor, CEO, Australian College of Educators;
Moira Rayner, Principal Moira Rayner & Associates, formerly
Commissioner for Equal
Opportunity (Victoria), Director of the Office of the Children’s Rights
Commissioner for London, a Director of the National Federation of Australian
Women and the Law Institute of Victoria, writer and lawyer; Dr Sarah Maddison,
Senior Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New
South Wales, writer, media commentator for Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) and a
former Policy Officer for the NSW Department for Women; Geraldine Robertson,
Founder and Director of Women’s Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions, and
Diann Rodgers-Healey, Founder of CLW, writer, trainer and strategic planner.
Details of this Award including previous winners can be
found at:
CLW
Leadership Achievement Award or you can access
the application from 1 September 2007 at
www.leadershipforwomen.com.au
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