In 2015, we founded the Institute for Relational Leadership to influence others to consider a relational approach to their interactions and to provide a forum for influential leaders to become more conscious, deliberate and discerning in their interactions with others within their organizations and externally. The foundation of our approach to relational leadership is detailed in our book Being Relational, The Seven Ways to Quality Interaction and Lasting Change, published by HCI books.
Relational leadership is leadership guided by a relentless pursuit of quality interaction with others, even bitter enemies, and also leadership that insists on action to create lasting change, not momentary improvement, but lasting change built on an unshakable foundation. It is leadership applied on a micro and macro level – in every small personal interaction in the course of a day and in every major decision affecting the interaction between entities and groups of all types and sizes, from small mom-and-pop businesses to the most powerful nation states.
Relational leadership seeks to address a fundamental problem. The problem is what might be called a transactional approach to interaction – placing little value on the other person and their well-being. A transactional approach views interactions with others as transactions where the goal is to get the maximum value for oneself. A transactional approach, while effective short term, fails to create lasting and sustainable agreements and outcomes.
The challenge for leaders, the ones with power and influence, and the hope for cultural evolution, is to change the paradigm of interaction – how we use our power, how we negotiate, how we relate – shifting from being transactional to being relational– from focusing on self and maximizing gain, to focusing on both self and other and maximizing well-being. There is a special calling for those with wealth and power to be relational with others.
Soon we will share all of our plans for these two new initiatives that we hope will raise awareness of:
Stay tuned. Thanks for your interest. To find out more contact Louise Phipps Senft