Dear David and Daved (and others),

For me, this whole idea of embodied action gets at the heart of it.  It's
what I was trying to get at in my suggestion of disciplines.  So, I think
there are disciplines that we learn that we then embody.  Perhaps not very
consciously and perhaps not very well, but I know that there are disciplines
I have learned in my training and practice as a playwright that are embodied
in pretty much everything I do.

And I think that you can bring disciplines from the arts to the act of
managing.  But you do have to learn them and learning embodied disciplines
suggests different modes of education that you see in business schools.  It
suggests studios and practice based learning.  It suggests doing and
reflection on action and reflection in action.

- Steve

Ps - I am really enjoying this discussion, it's good to be doing some
interesting thinking during this frozen February.

On 2/6/07 8:02 AM, "DAVID Cowan" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear Garrick (and others),
> 
> Before responding to the questions that you asked of me last Thursday, I
> decided to sit back and observe the array of other responses that your query
> generated. Perhaps within a rich social context such as this, I am alleviated
> of responsibility to respond myself?
> 
> What I was attempting to convey last August ­ when I wrote the note that you
> responded to ­ was only that indigenous perspectives on art seem qualitatively
> different from those that are Western European. A likely reason is that they
> derive from different metaphysics, which creates different epistemologies and
> aesthetics. For indigenous cultures, such as Lakota, Navajo, and Maori, for
> example, art is integral to humanity ­ not something exercised by only a
> certain few and ideally not something engaged only now and then. They seem to
> understand in general (although there are always exceptions), that truth,
> beauty and goodness are genuine cornerstones to being human. Joseph Marshall
> III, born Lakota and possessing Lakota as his first language, explains the
> pattern of difference in this manner: ³To the Lakota, virtues ... carry a
> different weight and substance than they do in western culture. For us these
> qualities are not so much elusive goals as they are essential parts of
> everyday life. ... I knew growing up that at some point I was supposed to BE
> the things I learned. ... I knew this because the storytellers lived the
> lessons they imparted ... they practiced what they preached² (The Lakota Way,
> Viking, 2001).   
> 
> With respect to art, my experience suggests the same ­ that indigenous people
> pay more attention to BEING rather than just to knowing or doing. Education
> that derives from this foundation emphasizes becoming the SOURCE of one¹s
> values. More accurately, perhaps, there become few if any separations between
> doing, knowing, and being. In this understanding of reality, people are
> genuine ³artists² or ³leaders² only to the extent that they EMBODY and PROJECT
> requisite values consistently, i.e., in all that they do. That is at least the
> objective or the "possibility." Art becomes a WAY OF BEING in the world that
> stands side by side truth and morality. A life well lived is a consistent
> source of each and all.
> 
> This perspective is reasonably comparable to Miyamoto Musashi¹s treatise on
> the ³WAY of a warrior² and to Chogyam Trungpa¹s and Ramana Maharshi¹s
> treatises on the ³WAY of enlightenment.² All lead to embodiment ­ ³ways of
> being in the world² not just doing stuff or knowing stuff. In indigenous
> philosophy, ³what one does derives from who one IS. Thich Nhat Hanh¹s
> describes this as ³interbeing² ­ ³this is like this because that is like
> that.² Thus, both he and the Dalai Lama suggest, for example, that if you want
> a peaceful world your responsibility is to BE a peaceful person. True artists
> (or warriors or enlightened people) have no particularly favorite forms of
> expression -- Musashi advises against having ³favorite weapons² but instead to
> learn the principles of weaponry (thus he frowned upon schools ­ dojos ­ that
> taught particular skill sets. From this perspective, art would manifest
> outwardly through all that one does because it exists inwardly in who one is.
> 
> Regarding associations of ³beauty and goodness² to art, each philosophical
> foundation likely leads to different conclusions. All I can say about (my
> understanding of) an indigenous perspective is that beauty is not the same as
> surface appearance (e.g., prettiness). It doesn¹t depend upon what art ³looks
> like.² Similarly, for art to leave ³goodness² in its wake does not mean that
> it provides immediate gratification or that it provides goodness for all. What
> I might conclude is that beauty and goodness depend upon the impact that they
> have on someone¹s way of being in the world.
> 
> Mindfully, David C.
> 
> David A. Cowan, Professor
> Management Department
> School of Business
> Miami University
> Oxford, OH 45056
> (513) 529-3689...office
> (513) 529-6992...fax
> [log in to unmask]
>>>> Garrick Jones <[log in to unmask]> 02/01/07 4:34 AM >>>
> Dear David,
> 
> I read with interest your response on the "art of leadership" which
> threw up a number of questions for me.  The definition of "Art" is
> used in the broadest of categories and while welcome, leaves me
> pondering the differences between the idea of "creativity" and the
> idea of "art" per se.  Claire Bishop used this distinction very
> usefully in her article in Frieze "The Social Turn: Collaboration and
> its discontents", n0 96, February 2006. While I completely agree that
> the Artist is in the world in a way that is somehow different, and
> adopts a vantage point, or exists in relationship to the world in a
> particular way, I have to query whether its only about beauty and
> goodness.  Adorno and Benjamin have written extensively on the gaze,
> or the eye of the artist, and of the impact of an alternative
> perspective. While I agree that creativity exists at the core of what
> it means to be human - is this "art" and is this "art leadership"?
> If we extend the idea of artists beyond that of sculptors and
> painters (which as a musician and composer I welcome), and into the
> realm of literature and playwriting  how then might you classify the
> "art leadership" of perhaps, say, Jean Genet, who unquestionably
> "led" as an artist in the 1950's and 1960's, but who's metier was not
> about leaving beauty and goodness in the people it touched.
> 
> best wishes
> 
> Garrick Jones
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 28 Aug 2006, at 20:22, DAVID Cowan wrote:
> 
>> Dear Katja, Stefan, Steve, Daved, Claus, and all other artful friends,
>> 
>> My own take on the "art of leadership" is fairly indigenous. From
>> this perspective, artistic leadership is more a "way of being in
>> the world" than it is a particular artistic expression. It
>> manifests physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually in
>> accordance with relevant contexts. This compares to the less
>> indigenous notion of locating art more specifically, for example,
>> within frames, on stages, or in particular kinds of writing.
>> Indigenously, artful leadership is a way of walking upon the earth
>> that leaves beauty and goodness in the people it touches. [If
>> interested, I explain more about this in the article that I
>> mentioned in a previous message, "Artistic Undertones of Humanistic
>> Leadership Education" (Journal of Management Education, out this
>> Fall) -- which will also have many references. In it, I borrow
>> insight from Sandelands and Buckner's "art at work
>> characteristics."] For your pleasure, I share a quote from Henri
>> cited in Sandelands and Buckner: "Art, when really understood, is
>> the province of every human being. . . . When the artist is alive
>> in people, whatever their kind of work may be, they become
>> inventitve, searching, daring, self-expressing creatures. . . .
>> They do not have to be painters or sculptors to be artists. They
>> can work in any medium."
>> 
>> Mindfully, David
>> 
>>>>> stefan meisiek <[log in to unmask]>  >>>
>> Dear Katja and all,
>> 
>> We have been tossing ideas around for a think piece on the ³fine
>> art of
>> leadership² for a while. We asked ourselves what it would mean if a
>> leader was thought to apply fine art thinking, and if there are
>> leaders
>> already whom could be said to do that. The art notion as in ³the art
>> ofŠ² usually has a strong crafts connotation, a list of rules and
>> principles like in Fayol¹s work, or like Sun-Tsu¹s writing on war
>> (actually the Chinese title suggests only principles and no art
>> ofŠ). If
>> we leave the craft aside for a minute, what could the conceptual art
>> part tell us about leadership? What¹s the leadership equivalent of
>> Duchamp¹s toilet? As a fine artist, the leader becomes more thinker
>> and
>> less Œdoer¹ (not to mention dour). With this, it¹s not enough for a
>> leader to bracket a problem‹she has to represent it in a catchy,
>> upending, and reflective w From: Aesthetics, Creativity, and Organisations
>> Research Network
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Claus Springborg
>> Sent: segunda-feira, 28 de Agosto de 2006 13:35
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: leader as artist literature
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Dear Katja
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Mythology, leaders/managers and artists. This is not directly
>> references
>> to literature that uses an artist metaphor to describe leadership,
>> but I
>> personaly find it a very interesting indirect link between artists and
>> leaders. Maybe you can use it?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The mythology of the journey of the hero is sometimes used to describe
>> both the journey of the leader/manager and the journey of the artist.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> In Synchronicity ­ the inner path of leadership by Jaworski (p.
>> 18-119),
>> leadership (and Joseph Jaworskis own journey) is compared to ³the
>> journey of the hero² as it¹s described in Joseph Campbells The hero
>> with
>> a thousand faces.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> In Dialogue ­ the art of thinking together by William Isaacs (p.
>> 286-87), there are also references to Joseph Campbells journey of the
>> hero. He writes about the difficulties of returning with new
>> insight to
>> the ³ordinary² world.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> In Artful Creation by Lotte Darsø there is a chapter on the work of
>> Miha
>> Pogacnik (p.93-98). Here the journey of the hero is mentioned as the
>> journey of a leader. I think the part called the art of listening,
>> describes the essential link between hero, artist and leader.
>> Namely the
>> ability to clear a mental space of ones own thoughts and ideas and
>> through that empty space get the ability to receive ­ to listen. In
>> Dialogue a similar idea is called suspention ­ a term that
>> comativity by David Bohm there is a chapter called On the
>> relationship of art and science. Here art is linked to the ability to
>> perceive, and in that way it becomes essential to science ­ the more
>> subtle the theories of the world, the greater the need for subtle
>> perception to keep the theories in tune with what¹s actually going on.
>> 
>> The chapter is interesting if one think of leadership as the
>> activity of
>> developing theories of how best to manage a business. If the leader
>> can
>> learn to ³listen² like the artist, then his ability to perceive the
>> consequences of his actions is expanded ­ he can get more subtle
>> feedback than before, and thus develop more in tuned theories.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I have also seen the journey of the hero used in books on how to
>> develop
>> creativity in artists. I don¹t remember any titles though. Maybe The
>> artist way by Julia Cameron could have a useful reference or two.
>> Maybe
>> another Aacorner can help us out here?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I also find it interesting to compare the journey of the hero with the
>> process of double loop learning (Argyris (1992): On organizational
>> learing). I haven¹t seen this anywhere ­ but if anyone have, I¹d
>> love to
>> get a hint.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hope this is useful.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Cheers Claus Springborg
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> p.s. I have made a first draft in order to map the literature on Arts
>> and Business into some categories. I will send it to the Aacorn net
>> shortly in order to get feedback. That might be helpful to you as
>> well.
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> 
>> From: Katja Lindqvist <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> 
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> 
>> Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 12:16 PM
>> 
>> Subject: leader as artist literature
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Dear Acorners,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> does anyone have any suggestions for literature on the myth of
>> leaders/managers as artists?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I'm going into this question in writing, and mostly have literature on
>> the aesthetics of organisation and managment, but don't really have
>> the
>> full picture of the frequency of this metaphor in business research
>> and
>> literature.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I'd be great to hear from the ACORN network what you've come across
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Best,
>> 
>> Katja
>> Visiting scholar at Dipartimento di Scienze Aziendali, University of
>> Bologna
>> 
>> [log in to unmask]


Steven S. Taylor, PhD
Assistant Professor
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Department of Management
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA 01609
USA
+1 508-831-5557
[log in to unmask]