In summation, research (and its outcomes) can help the company or organization become leaders in their field, solve complex problems, and develop new/ creative solutions. Reaffirming Gillette and Jayaswethavanagopal’s argument that, “only through continuous research…can human creativity find answers to the complex problems, of people and technologies, the field actually represents” (Gillette & Jayaswethavanagopal, 2008, p. 1).

A definition put forth by Noam Chomsky, American linguist and philosopher. Simply put by Chomsky, “communication refers to an effort to get people to understand what one means” (Chomsky, 1984).

Wikibooks (2008, July 14). Communication theory. Retrieved
September 1, 2008 from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Web site:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Communication_Theory

Chomsky, N. (1984). [Interview with Wiktor Osiatynski, author of Contrasts: Soviet
and American thinkers discuss the future]. Noam Chomsky: On language and
culture. Retrieved September 1, 2008, from the Chomsky Info Website:
http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/1984----.htm

Leadership has been described as a complex phenomenon that is affected by three main elements: the leader, the followers, and the environment or leadership context (Wren, 1995, p.125). In their essay What is Leadership, Hughes, Ginnett and Curphy define leadership as, “the process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals…a social influence process shared among all members of a group” (Wren, 1995, p. 43).

We are living in a time of great achievement and great conflict; with major advances shaping every aspect of society, from education and healthcare to government and warfare (Gillette, 2006, p.3). More than ever, our time cries out for effective leaders. To survive the major issues that lay ahead of us, like global warming, rapid species extinction, and worldwide declination of peace and human rights, we must have many leaders who are proactive, agile and adaptive.

The recognition of these issues, on a global scale, is inspiring mankind to open our minds to new ways of thinking and living. To survive and succeed in these times, we must strive to move away from a profit-driven society to a progress-driven society. By implementing a progress-driven approach, leaders, organizations and businesses will be able to establish a better society and adequately survive change.

This paper will highlight the essential leadership characteristics and progress-driven approaches needed in our time. To pinpoint the essential leadership characteristics, I will look to the values outlined by the Center for Information and Communication Sciences at Ball State University and discuss Michael Gelb’s Seven Da Vincian Principles. To understand how leaders, organizations, and businesses can remain adaptive in our ever-changing times, I will focus on progress-driven approaches: knowledge management, competitive intelligence, and the strategic use of information.

Essential Leadership Characteristics:

To inspire positive change in industry and society, the Center for Information Sciences (CICS) at Ball State University has established core values to help graduates become proactive citizens and effective leaders. If individuals, organizations and businesses would strive to implement these leadership characteristics, we could eventually create a more just and productive society. Essential leadership characteristics needed in our time include:

• Integrity
• Respect: maturity, acceptance, compassion
• Candor: research, data-gathering, empirical analysis
• Commitment: to quality work, projects, and goals; to continuous learning
• Vision: for the present and the future
• Collaboration: willingness to look beyond hierarchical models; willingness to work with others;
team-oriented, establishing affinity groups
• Outcomes-Oriented: “without results, we limit our collective future” (CICS)

Seven Da Vincian Principles:

In the book How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb outlines seven principles that leaders should strive to develop and apply if they want to truly impact their followers, organizations, businesses, and society (Gelb, 1998, p.8-11).

• Curiosita: wonder about life; commit to life-long learning; scan the environment; understand
context of leadership; “desire to know”

• Dimonstrazione: seek truth; question “conventional wisdom” or the status quo

• Sensazione: improve your senses; strive to increase your awareness; observe

• Sfumato: do not fear uncertainty or change; become comfortable with “the unknown”

• Arte/ Scienza: strive for “whole-brain” thinking; find “balance between science and art”

• Corporalita: seek harmony in body and mind; strive to know yourself—your values, vision, and
aspirations; contemplate/ reflect on personal and professional decisions and actions

• Connessione: recognize the interconnectedness in life and the universe; “systems thinking”

By implementing these principles, a leader, organization, or business will have richer personal and professional experiences, harness the ability to find and distribute valuable knowledge, and will be more adept to change due to observant and reflective practices.

Progress-Driven Approaches:

To be effective in our time, leaders must utilize their personal values and talents and implement progress-driven approaches that can help them and followers become proactive, efficient and adaptive. These progress-driven approaches should include, and are not limited to, knowledge management, competitive intelligence, and strategic use of information.

Knowledge Management:

Information technologies help us access massive amounts of diverse information almost instantly. To gain valuable knowledge, leaders must understand how to effectively move and use information. Leaders must be able to access, filter, store, retrieve, and use information. By understanding and utilizing this process, a leader will be able to pinpoint value rich information and build a vibrant knowledge base (Gillette, 2000, p. 13). A leader can develop and sustain successful information networking by implementing a rigorous Knowledge Management (KM) strategy.

A KM strategy can help leaders, organizations, and businesses identify, create, and distribute knowledge effectively throughout their personal or professional network. As Gene Bellinger explains on his web site, www.systems-thinking.org, “Knowledge Management is frequently linked and related to what has become known as the learning organization, lifelong learning and continuous improvement.” If a leader strives to sharpen his/her personal skills of observation and reflection and inspire his/her followers to do the same, then he/she will be better prepared to face uncertainty and competition.

Competitive Intelligence:

Competitive intelligence (CI) is a process that involves gathering critical knowledge, data, facts and information through research, observation and interaction with users, competitors, and organization members. The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) defines competitive intelligence (CI) as, “a systematic and ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and managing external information that can affect your company's plans, decisions, and operations.” By utilizing this process leaders, organizations, and businesses will be better prepared to maintain their vision, attain their goals, and succeed and survive in times of uncertainty (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p.17).

To gain valuable CI, pinpoint user/ follower needs, and maintain competitive advantage Meera Mody suggests breaking CI information into key intelligence topics (KITs). Mody discusses three KIT categories that leaders, organizations, or businesses should focus on to sustain a functional CI process: (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 17-22).
• Strategic decisions and action KITs: identify users, competitors, and future opportunities, trends
and risks
• Early warning KITs: track historical, contemporary and immediate context of leadership; scan the
environment for trends and upcoming changes
• Key player KITs: pinpoint possible partners, competitors, and investments

By categorizing the information received through CI gathering, leaders will be able to access information quickly and have the ability to identify which team members should receive the information, as well as when and how it should be applied.

Strategic Uses of Information:

Identifying valuable information is no easy task. Identifying who should know, when and how strategic information should be applied is a more daunting task for leaders to take on. Given the vast amount of information available to us, leaders must actively organize value-rich knowledge and strategic information to that it can be quickly distributed and applied. To accomplish this, leaders must be willing to become progress-driven and develop the personal and professional values and principles they recognize as essential to success in their time.

References:

1. Wren, T.J. (1995). The leader’s companion: Insights on leadership through the ages.
New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.

2. Gillette, J.E. (2006). Leadership for the information renaissance: Clarity, challenges,
opportunity. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of ICS 655 Leadership
Seminar, Muncie, IN.

3. CICS (2008, Spring Semester). The environment of the center in the
21st century. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of ICS
655 Leadership Seminar, Muncie, IN.

4. Gelb, M.J. (1998). How to think like Leonardo da Vinci. New York, N.Y.: Delacorte
Press.

5. Gillette, J.E. (2000). Information is knowledge in motion: A practical framework for
understanding knowledge management. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of
ICS 655 Leadership Seminar, Muncie, IN.

6. Bellinger, G. (2004). Knowledge management: Emerging
perspectives. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from Systems Thinking,
Systems Thinking Web site:
http://www.systems-thinking.org/kmgmt/kmgmt.htm#tvokm

7. Mody, M. (2005). Key intelligence topics (KITS) in competitive intelligence and
global business. In Blenkhorn, D.L. & Fleisher C.S. (Eds.) Competitive
intelligence and global business. (pp. 17-30). Connecticut: Praeger Publishers.

Today, we have an abundance of information available to us. We can access a wealth of information from the Internet, news, articles, videos, blogs, digital libraries, and so on. As Dr. Jay Gillette explains, “today we have the most advanced information technologies in human history to help us move information” (Gillette, 2000, p.1). While having access to so much information can be extremely beneficial to leaders and businesses, it easy to get lost and it can be difficult to move and use effectively. To help solve this problem, leaders and businesses have begun to seek out information that is rich in value. For our purposes, value in this case refers to the information itself; how the information effects one's thinking, views and approach.

Competitive intelligence (CI) is a process that involves gathering knowledge or information through research, observation and interaction with users, competitors, and organization members. The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) defines competitive intelligence (CI) as, “A systematic and ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and managing external information that can affect your company's plans, decisions, and operations.” By utilizing this process leaders, managers, businesses, and organizations will be better prepared to attain their goals and survive a wide variety of changes or problems (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p.17).

Origins of Competitive Intelligence:

Competitive intelligence (CI) moved into the business world after being developed and implemented by military and government organizations. Fields such as business intelligence and military intelligence have helped form the backbone of CI throughout the world. CI has a long history, one theory of CI dates back to 512 B.C. The historic work on military intelligence, The Art of War, by Sun Tzu has greatly shaped CI and CI professionals. Sun Tzu has been described as the “father of intelligence.” As Sun Tzu explained, “it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.” As Sun Tzu points out, “spying” or studying your environment and opponents/ competitors serves as an effective tool that has been utilized by successful leaders throughout time (Prescott, 2001, p.2).

Leaders and Information:

In today's times it is critical for leaders and CI professionals to seek out or access information. The leader must then decipher or filter through the information to find the “knowledge-value” (Gillette, 2006, p.10). By using information technologies, we are able access a variety of information and form connections or network with people on a local and global level. By connecting to the global community, we become more aware of the diversity in our world. This awareness can help leaders, managers and businesses recognize current perspectives, innovations, initiatives,and competition. CI can help leaders thrive in times of uncertainty and gain strategic advantage over their competitors. By gathering this information, leaders will be able to pinpoint current changes in industry as well as foresee future factors that will push the industry in new directions.

Recognizing Context:

As key factor in having a successful CI program is the ability to view the industry from a variety of contexts and/or perspectives. As Meera Mody explains in Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) in Competitive Intelligence and Global Business,the purpose of CI is to, “evaluate industry forces and competitor dynamics in the marketplace.” To accomplish this, Mody suggests that professionals focus on the micro-environmental forces and macro-environmental trends that impact the competitive landscape (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 17).

Mody's idea directly relates to Thomas J. Wren and Marc J. Swatez's ideas on leadership context. In The Historical and Contemporary Contexts of Leadership: A Conceptual Model, J. Thomas Wren and Marc J. Swatez developed a conceptual tool that helps leaders pinpoint the macro and micro-level forces that act upon the leadership situation. Wren and Swatez's model is broken down into three contextual categories: the historical context of leadership, the contemporary context of leadership, and the immediate context of leadership (Wren, 1995, p.247). Wren and Swatez explain, “by compartmentalizing the situation in this manner, the leader can begin to identify, prioritize, and adapt to the specific demands of his/her particular leadership scenario” (Wren, 1995, p.247). The approach of identifying one's leadership context can be directly applied to a CI program.

The Historical Context of Leadership:

In Wren and Swatez's model of leadership context, the historical context of leadership is represented as the outermost circle of the diagram. The historical context of leadership relates to the macro-level, long-term social, political, economic, and intellectual factors that affect the leadership environment. Why is important to look to history? As Wren and Swatez explain, “any contemporary situation is at least partially a product of what has gone before” (Wren, 1995, p.247). Thus, it is important for leaders to understand history, but also be well versed in a variety of subject areas. (Wren, 1995, p.243-249).

The Contemporary Context of Leadership:

The second circle in Wren and Swatez's model focuses on the contemporary context of leadership. The contemporary context of leadership has leaders focus on society's values, norms, and traditions. Just as the past affects the leadership scenario, it is no surprise that the present greatly affect the leader, the followers, and the leadership context. “The leadership of all groups and entities are affected by societal values” (Wren, 1995, p.250). Meaning, culture shapes us all whether we like it or not. An effective leader realizes the affects of culture on her/his leadership, on her/his followers, and how it can shape the surrounding environment. When working with a group, an effective leader takes into account the various cultures within the group, and inspires followers to look beyond cultural separations. By doing so, the group is no longer broken down as a group of individuals; they are a team working towards a common vision (Wren, 1995, 249-250).

The Immediate Context of Leadership:

The final context Wren and Swatez focus on is the immediate context of leadership. The immediate context of leadership relates to the micro-level, immediate situational factors that leaders and followers face. Immediate factors can be anything from the structure of the group to the group's mission, goals and tasks. An effective leader first provides followers with a clear vision or goal. Then, the group develops a plan on how to achieve the goal. After a plan is created, the group can then delegate tasks to each member. By implementing such a strategy, the group's goals and plan of action is clear; making group success more likely (Wren, 1995, p.250-252).

Competitive Intelligence Tools:

KITs:
The first approach KIT, is discussed in both Competitive Intelligence—Lessons from the Trenches, by John E. Prescott, Ph.D and in Meera Mody's paper, Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) in Competitive Intelligence and Global Business. KITs, or “key intelligence topics,” help leaders identify the information needed to develop plans of action, achieve goals, and remain adaptive and agile. Most importantly, developing KITs help leaders identify their organizations intelligence needs. As Meera Mody describes, KITs help leaders, “identify key strategic issues where intelligence can add value to strategic decision-making” (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 18).

The KIT process was originally developed by National Security, the approach was established for the purposes of gathering intelligence; specifically information related to the business sector. The National Security approach was later modified by Jan P. Herring. Herring focused on three main types of KITs: strategic decisions, early warning, and knowledge of key players (Prescott & Miller, 2001, p.4-5).

In the selection Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) in Competitive Intelligence and Global Business, Meera Mody goes describes the activities associated with each one of the three types of KITs. Each KITs serves a different purposes, each one is interrelated and great success can be achieved with the implementation of all three. As Mody explains that by segmenting the KIT process into three types, professionals will, “better understand the needs of clients and to plan out the CI functions of the organization.” (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 20).

The first type, strategic decisions and action KITs, focuses on identifying competitors, assessing risks and opportunities, forming development strategies, selecting and evaluating team members and partners, and analyzing cultural context (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 20-21).

The second type, early warning KITs, focuses on tracking trends in business, politics, and economics, conducting environmental scans, discussing the current business climate, and planning for various changes in legislation or policy (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 21-22).

The third type, key player KITs, focuses on monitoring marketing issues (sales, investments, partnerships, and competitors), investigating future partners and contributors, and providing up to date reviews and reports to key members of the organization (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 22).

Value Chain:

In Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, author Michael E. Porter outlines an another effective tool that leaders utilize to examine their activities, rank their priorities, locate and analyze sources of competitive intelligence. The tool Porter suggests is known as a value chain. A value chain measures not only monetary value but also looks at the value of the activities themselves (Porter, 1985, p.35-40).

Porter describes a business or organization as, “...a collection of activities that are performed to design, produce, market, deliver, and support its product.” Porter explains that these elements should be represented in the companies value chain, which will then place the activities into the primary or support category. This tool helps leaders identify the priority of each activity and helps them delegate activities to specific team members (Porter, 1985, p.35-40). The following lists pinpoint the type of activities should fall under the primary or support category: (Porter, 1985, p.37)

Primary Activities
1. Inbound Logistics
2. Operations
3. Outbound Logistics
4. Marketing & Sales
5. Service

Support Activities
1. Procurement
2. Technology development
3. Human Resource Management
4. Firm Infrastructure

Conclusions:

Competitive intelligence data can help leaders attain their goals, sustain and exceed their current position, recognize trends and inspire new plans of action. Competitive intelligence is a compilation of valuable information or knowledge that should then be turned into strategic decisions or actions. An effective leader will pull out knowledge value from the data, distribute the knowledge to key members in the organization, and act on what has been learned. If you want to be a successful leader today, you must focus on gathering competitive intelligence. To accomplish this, utilize a variety of tools, approaches and group structures; the more variety, the better. Also, creating KITs and value chains can help leaders implement an effective competitive intelligence program, which should be the goal of any leader, manager, or business.

Resources:

1. Prescott, J.E. & Miller S. H. (2001). Competitive intelligence—lessons from the trenches. In
Prescott, J.E. & Miller S. H. (Eds.), Proven strategies in competitive intelligence: Lessons from the
trenches (pp. 1-20). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2. Mody, M. (2005). Key intelligence topics (KITS) in competitive intelligence and global business. In
Blenkhorn, D.L. & Fleisher C.S. (Eds.) Competitive intelligence and global business. (pp. 17- 30).
Connecticut: Praeger Publishers.

3. Porter, M.E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance.
NewYork:The Free Press.

4. Wren, T.J. (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: The
Free Press.

5. Gillette, J.E. (2000). Information is knowledge in motion: A practical framework for understanding
knowledge management. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of the ICS 655 Leadership Seminar,
Muncie, IN.

6. Gillette, J.E. (2006, December). Leadership for the information renaissance: Clarity, challenges,
opportunity. Paper given to out at the weekly meeting of the ICS 655 Leadership Seminar, Muncie, IN.

SCIP Quote:
8. Imhoff, C. (2003, April). Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Retrieved April 1, 2008
from Data Management Review and SourceMedia, Inc. , Business Technology Group Web site:
http://www.dmreview.com/issues/20030401/6507-1.html

In today's society, we constantly have an abundance of knowledge coming our way. Using tools such as the Internet, mobile phones, and E-books, one can easily access a world of knowledge almost instantaneously. On the Internet, you can access information from the news broadcasts, articles, videos, blogs, and digital libraries. Billions of searches are performed on Google daily and the number of text messages sent everyday exceeds the number of people on the planet. As Dr. Jay Gillette explains, “today we have the most advanced information technologies in human history to help us move information” (Gillette, 2000, p.1)

By using these information technologies, we are able access a variety of information and form connections or network with people on a local and global level. By doing so, we become more aware of the diversity in the world. By recognizing diversity, we can begin to view our lives and systems from a variety of perspectives. In other words, we are able to see things in a variety of contexts. This can lead to critical analysis of ourselves, our communities, and society.

Given access to this wealth of knowledge, society is beginning to shift from an industrial economy to an information economy. As Japanese writer Taichi Sakaiya describes, “people sense that wisdom or information (that is to say, knowledge) is the commodity that exists in greatest abundance now, and are thus driven by enlightened self-interest to make the most of it, for they can safely assume that if they draw on the supply of knowledge, there will still be more where that came from” (Gillette, 2000, p. 1).

To succeed in this ever changing world, where information is constantly received and refined, leaders must first understand what knowledge is. Then, they must know how to cipher through massive amounts of information, utilizing knowledge management and information networking, to find information that has knowledge-value. Finally, leaders must use critical thinking as a tool to help them find themselves, understanding, knowledge and truth.

Moving from 'Man the Maker' to 'Man the Knower':

Given the amazing capabilities we have at our fingertips today, we must begin to move away from the industrial based society to a knowledge-based society. As Dr. Jay Gillette's describes in his paper, “Information is Knowledge in Motion”: A Practical Framework for Understanding Knowledge Management, the industrial based society puts humans to work on making things/ commodities, while humans do need material goods, a strictly materialist approach can lead to dire consequences.

Before we were known as Homo Sapiens or 'humans who knows', our species was classified as Homo Faber or the 'human who makes'. This classification was fitting during the European Renaissance, thanks to inventions such as the printing press, pencil, and inexpensive paper (Gelb, 1998, p.14). Our species remained 'man the maker' until 1758, when Linnaeus re-classified our species as Homo Sapien. In Linnaeus' view, man had moved from maker to knower. As Dr. Jay Gillette explains, “we are the creatures that are adept at knowledge. Human knows, best. Of all the remarkable things humans can do, we do knowledge the best” (Gillette, 2000, p.16). The time has come for humans to do what they do best; to move from making things to knowing things.

While our species has been renamed, the structure of our society would suggest otherwise. We are rapidly beginning to see the negative effects of the industrial based economy; global warming, rapid species extinction, ecosystem failure, water storages, peak oil and declination of human rights worldwide.

These problems require a variety of effective leaders to act both locally and globally. Though our situation does seem dire, human beings have faced similar struggles before. By utilizing both knowledge and technology, survival and success can be attainable . Knowledge management and information networking can serve as effective tools to help us find valuable knowledge in a sea of information. This valuable knowledge can be used to better ourselves, our communities, and the world.

We must then actively apply our knowledge to every aspect of society. By staying “stuck in our ways” or holding onto the American idea “if it isn't broken, don't fix it”, we risk falling behind in equality, invention, and innovation. We must be willing to be agile and adaptive in these changing times, even if it means radically changing ourselves and our society.

What is Knowledge?

Before leaders can effectively apply their knowledge, they must first have an understanding of what knowledge is. What is knowledge? And how do we know what we know? These questions have been asked by many great thinkers throughout history and still continue to perplexes us today (Gillette, 2000, p.2). Luckily, there is a branch of philosophy dedicated to the study of knowledge which is known as epistemology.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, epistemology is defined as, “the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity.” Upon closer analysis of the word, one finds the Greek word episteme which means 'knowledge.' We can then break the word into an even smaller component, epi which means 'over, near' (Gillette, 2000, p.2).

In other words, knowledge is what we hold near and dear to us; it is what we stand upon or 'understand.' Our knowledge base makes us who we are, it guides us and helps us form or back up our ideas and beliefs. As Dr. Jay Gillette clearly explains, “knowledge is the foundation for our view of things, and knowledge is the basis of our actions” (Gillette, 2000, p.3).

The Component Parts of Knowledge:

As mentioned above, knowledge is a complex topic but that does not mean it cannot be clarified. To better understanding knowledge, it important to break it down into parts; or the components that lead to interpretation.

As outlined in Dr. Jay Gillette model, Information in a Scale of Knowledge, knowledge can be broken down into six components: wisdom, understanding, information, data, facts, and phenomena (Gillette, 2000, Table 2).

The first component, wisdom, is our ability to recognize difference and make decisions based on our understanding or recognition of differences. Our wisdom helps us find truth among a variety of views and information. Wisdom helps us make crucial judgements and reinforces our view or position (Gillette, 2000, p.8).

The second component, understanding, is our ability to select and comprehend information. Understanding helps us find the knowledge-value in data or information. Understanding can come from our wisdom and/ or past experience. Understanding can inspire you to find more knowledge that will increase your knowledge base and level of understanding (Gillette, 2000, p.7).

The third component, information, is our ability to form concepts based on our conscious experience. Information is made up of data, which can be understood, selected and used. Information can also be used to help us make and reinforce our decisions. Information serves as a gateway to knowledge and helps us interpret our world (Gillette, 2000, Table 2).

The fourth component, data, can be described as a representation of facts or truths. During an experiment, for example, we utilize a structured process to obtain concrete information or answers. After many trials, we can clearly begin to the answers which we then turn into data or facts (Gillette, 2000, p.6).

The fifth component, facts, are representations of truth. Facts are what we use to identify or describe the truths we find in the world. Facts literally represent phenomena, or our perceptions of what we believe to be true(Gillette, 2000, p.6).

The sixth component, phenomena, can be described as what appears to be fact or truth. Phenomena can be seen without knowing the facts. Phenomena can be readily apparent. It leads us to find the details or facts behind the appearance of truth (Gillette, 2000, p.6).

Knowledge can be attained from any one of these components. Each component serves as a gateway of interpretation or understanding. Each component inspires us to seek out knowledge utilizing variety of approaches.

While each component is valuable, leaders should realize that information can serve as a key to a box of keys. The other components greatly contribute to knowledge, but it is information that provides the specific data needed to find understanding. This understanding can then enable us to make make better decisions. Dr. Jay Gillette explains, “information is how knowledge moves between things and people, and between people and people” (Gillette, 2000, p.4).

Utilizing Knowledge Management and Information Networking:

Having an understanding of what knowledge is, is not enough. To succeed in the Information Renaissance, leaders must be able to utilize the tools such as knowledge management and information networking, to find information that has knowledge-value.

As Bill Gates describes, “knowledge management is nothing more than managing information flow, getting the right information to the people who need it so they can act on it quickly” (Gillette, 2000, p.3). Thus, knowledge management can be loosely described as what we understand. To be successful knowledge managers, leaders and organizations need to effectively utilize technologies that create, disseminate, decipher, and utilize knowledge data.

Leaders must also be able to effectively allocate and utilize information that is gained from knowledge data. The movement and use of information is known as Information Networking (Gillette, 2000, p.3). To be successful at information networking, leaders must be able to access a wide variety of information, filter through information to pull out and store information that has knowledge-value. The process does not end there, leaders must also be able to retrieve and implement information in a wide range of situations. It is crucial that leaders have a wealth of knowledge that will help them add value to any situation (Gillette, 2000, p.13).

Critical Thinking: A Tool for Accessing Knowledge

Critical thinking is a tool that helps us find knowledge and truth. In essay 49, What It Means to Think Critically, Stephen D. Brookfield explains that “the ability to think critically is crucial to understanding our personal relationships, envisioning alternative and more productive ways of organizing the workplace, and becoming politically literate” (Wren, 1995, p.388). To face the problems of the future, leaders must first be able to pinpoint what those problems are. This is where the ability to critically think comes in.

Critically thinking helps us view situations from a variety of aspects and approaches. As Brookfield states, “when we think critically we become aware of the diversity of values, behaviors, social structures, and artistic forms in the world” (Wren, 1995, p.381). To have a truly successful democracy, you must have leaders and followers who are critical thinkers.

How can leaders become effect critical thinkers? In essay 49, Brookfield outlines the main components of critical thinking. First, leaders must be able to identify the contexts of their specific leadership; immediate, contemporary and historical contexts. Then, the leader must utilize this information to challenge old assumptions. Challenging assumptions is no easy task. The leader must be courageous enough to challenge those assumptions (Wren, 1995, p.383).

Critical thinking also inspires us to imagine and explore alternatives. When you analyze a situation from a variety of perspectives, you begin to pinpoint approaches that will work and approaches that are ineffective. Utilizing this knowledge, one begins to create alternatives which seek to better the world versus upholding the status quo (Wren, 1995, p.384).

Imagining and exploring alternatives also leads to reflective skepticism. As Brookfield explains, “just because an idea is accepted by everyone does not mean that it is the most appropriate for all time, or even for this moment” (Wren, 1995, p.384). Critical thinkers understand that no one has all the answers, which means we are all capable of shaping the world.

As Cheryl Mabey describes in essay 42, The Making of a Citizen Leader, “many problems do not need experts to solve them. Neighborhoods or communities throughout the U.S. possess the resources to solve their own problems. Yet, the persistent belief that “professionals” or “experts” know more and should tell others what to do paralyze many community initiatives” Cheryl Mabey (Wren, 1995, p.314-315).

Critical thinkers are curious and constantly question the relationships, situations, values, behaviors and assumptions that surround them. By doing so, critical thinkers are constantly the creators and supporters of social movements, invention, innovation, and revolutionary change. The time has come for all leaders and citizens to become critical thinkers. Critically thinking gives us the strategic advantage needed to thrive on chaos.

Knowledge that Leaders Should Seek Out

Yes, we are living in the Information Age. More specifically, we are in the era known that will be known as the “Information Renaissance” (Gillette, 2006, p.3). Why the “Information Renaissance”? We are living during a time of great human progress and great human conflict; with major advances shaping everything from art and literature to weapons and warfare, similar to the historic period known as the European Renaissance.

What kind of knowledge should leaders seek out? Living in the Information Renaissance, with endless amounts of information available to us, it can be difficult to pinpoint what information is worthy to focus on. What kind of knowledge should leaders seek out? In his book How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Gelb describes his ideal of an effective modern Renaissance man or woman, or uomo universale. Gelb's ideal serves as an outline of what knowledge modern leaders should possess.

To begin Gelb, believes that being computer literate is key to success in modern times. As Gelb describes, “the modern Renaissance man or woman is attuned to developments in information technology and is increasingly at home on the World Wide Web” (Gelb, 1998, p.19). To be truly successful during the Information Renaissance, leaders must be able to effectively access information utilizing skills attributed to knowledge management and information networking. Applying and spreading knowledge is key to success.

Next, Gelb explains that modern leaders must be mentally literate. Leaders should understand and appreciate the inner workings of the human mind. By understanding the brain's potential, and it's ability to posses multiple intelligences and improve with age, Renaissance men and women will be encouraged to continually develop their intelligence throughout life (Gelb, 1998, p.4).

Lastly, Gelb focuses on the need for Renaissance men and women to become globally aware. Thanks to tools such as the Internet and mobile phones, we can easily see ourselves as a part the global community. These technologies also help us see the “big picture” or global links in communication, economies, and ecosystems (Gelb, 1998, p.19). Global networking helps us recognize the vast amount of diversity in the world, which helps us open our minds to new ways of thinking and living. The modern Renaissance man or woman is comfortable with difference and remains adaptive. “Racism, sexism, religious persecution, homophobia, and nationalism are viewed as vestiges of a primitive stage of evolution” (Gelb, 1998, p.19). These old paradigm mentalities will only lead to more pain, sorrow, and destruction. If we hold onto these mentalities, we will never be able to reach our full human potential; we will be unable to truly become Homo Sapiens.

Adding value to Gelb's theory on The Modern Renaissance Man or Woman, I'm going to suggest that leaders also become locally aware. To understand the world, you must first understand and connect with your own neighborhood. While the local community can be viewed as a part of the global community, one can see how a local community can appear to have global-sized problems. More focus needs to be put on everyone from leaders to followers need to participate in local direct action. Modern Renaissance men and women must be able to “act locally and think globally.”

How to Expand your Knowledge Base:

In his book How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb outlines seven Da Vincian principles, named after the original Renaissance man—Leonardo da Vinci, that leaders should remember, develop and apply if they want to succeed in our time (Gelb, 1998, p.8).

The first principle, curiosita, inspires leaders to remain on a quest for knowledge throughout their life. Curiosity will not kill your cat; in fact, curiosity will lead you to a wealth of knowledge and it will inspire you to seek wisdom and truth.

The second principle, dimonstrazione, inspires leaders to learn through practical experience; to learn by demonstrating. First hand experience greatly contributes to your knowledge base. This principle also assures leaders that it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.

The third principle, sensazione, inspires leaders to utilize and refine their senses. Specifically, refining your power of sight or observation. Why should we refine our senses? As Gelb explains, “Leonardo believed that refining sensory awareness was the key to enriching experience” (Gelb, 1998, p.9). Also, we feel more alive and ready to take on challenges when our senses are active and vibrant.

The fourth principle, sfumato, which literally means “going up in smoke,” inspires leaders to leave some things to chance. Also, appreciate the chaotic nature of the universe. As Gelb states, “be more at home with the unknown...make friends with paradox” (Gelb, 1998, p.11). This principle directly relates to Tom Peter's views on modern leaders being comfortable with change and ability to thrive on chaos.

The fifth principle, arte/ scienza, compels leaders to find a balance between art and science; between imagination and logic. This principle inspires leaders to utilize a “whole-brain” thinking approach (Gelb, 1998, p.11).

The sixth principle, corporalita, inspires leaders to find a balance between the body and the mind. To recognize and appreciate the agility, grace, and power of the mind and the body (Gelb, 1998, p.9).

The seventh and final principle, connessione, inspires leaders to tie everything together. To see the interconnections that are apparent in the world and universe (Gelb, 1998, p.9). This principle directly relates to Dr. Jay Gillette's views on phenomena; phenomena is “that which appears to be” (Gillette, 2000, p.6).

References:

1.epistemology. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Retrieved March 03, 2008, from Dictionary.com website:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epistemology

2.Gillette, J.E. (2000). Information is knowledge in motion: A practical framework for understanding
knowledge management. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of the ICS 655 Leadership Seminar,
Muncie, IN.

3.Gillette, J.E. (2006, December). Leadership for the information renaissance: Clarity, challenges,
opportunity. Paper given out at the weekly meeting of the ICS 655 Leadership Seminar, Muncie, IN.

4.Wren, T.J. (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: The Free
Press.

5.Gelb, M.J. (1998). How to think like Leonardo da Vinci. New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press.

The Need for Information Networking:
To succeed in this time of great progress and great conflict, leaders must understand the importance of information. Information is seen as, “the door that swings both ways, between the world of phenomenon represented by data, and the realm of understanding guided by wisdom” (Gillette, 2006, p. 11). In the model Primary Category of Information Networking, Dr. Jay Gillette outlines how information moves and how it is eventually used. Gillette explains that, “...we first access, then filter, then store, then retrieve, and finally use information, almost always in that order. Sometimes this happens rapidly. Sometimes we pull out and use information we've had in storage for years” (Gillette, 2006, p.12).
An effective leader would use this model as a conceptual map; a map which can lead to a wealth of knowledge. To begin, the leader must first seek out or access information. Then, the leader must decipher or filter through the information to find the “knowledge-value” (Gillette, 2006, p.10). An effective leader then stores this value, which will later be retrieved and used in various leadership situations. In our time especially, it is important for leaders to know how to move and use information. To succeed in the Information Renaissance, it is crucial that leaders have a wealth of knowledge that will help them add value to any situation (Gillette, 2006, p.11-13).

Leadership Study: Background
Though leadership has been around for centuries, it is still viewed as a complex phenomenon. Originally, leadership studies focused on the specifically on the leader; their personality, character traits, and actions. Over time, leadership study became a broader topic; including not only a focus on the leader, but on the followers as well. With time, the study of leadership has become more sophisticated and even more complex. In the twentieth century, leadership studies began to focus on three essential elements: the leader, the follower, and the leadership context (Wren, 1995, p.246).
Leadership Contexts: In The Historical and Contemporary Contexts of Leadership: A Conceptual Model, . Thomas Wren and Marc J. Swatez discuss how leaders can use a variety of information to recognize the demands of their unique leadership situation. J. Thomas Wren and Marc J. Swatez developed a conceptual tool that helps leaders pinpoint the macro and micro-level forces that act upon the leadership situation. Wren and Swatez's model is broken down into three contextual categories: the historical context of leadership, the contemporary context of leadership, and the immediate context of leadership (Wren, 1995, p.247). Wren and Swatez explain, “by compartmentalizing the situation in this manner, the leader can begin to identify, prioritize, and adapt to the specific demands of his/her particular leadership scenario” (Wren, 1995, p.247).

A Look at the Contextual Categories:
The historical context of leadership:
In Wren and Swatez's model of leadership context, the historical context of leadership is represented as the outermost circle of the diagram. The historical context of leadership relates to the macro-level, long-term social, political, economic, and intellectual factors that affect the leadership environment. Why is important to look to history? As Wren and Swatez explain, “any contemporary situation is at least partially a product of what has gone before” (Wren, 1995, p.247). Thus, it is important for leaders to understand history, but also be well versed in a variety of subject areas (Wren, 1995, p.243-249).

The contemporary context of leadership:
The second circle in Wren and Swatez's model focuses on the contemporary context of leadership. The contemporary context of leadership has leaders focus on society's values, norms, and traditions. Just as the past affects the leadership scenario, it is no surprise that the present greatly affect the leader, the followers, and the leadership context. “The leadership of all groups and entities are affected by societal values” (Wren, 1995, p.250). Meaning, culture shapes us all whether we like it or not. An effective leader realizes the affects of culture on her/his leadership, on her/his followers, and how it can shape the surrounding environment. When working with a group, an effective leader takes into account the various cultures within the group, and inspires followers to look beyond cultural separations. By doing so, the group is no longer broken down as a group of individuals; they are a team working towards a common vision (Wren, 1995, 249-250).

The immediate context of leadership:
The final context Wren and Swatez focus on is the immediate context of leadership. The immediate context of leadership relates to the micro-level, immediate situational factors that leaders and followers face. Immediate factors can be anything from the structure of the group to the group's mission, goals and tasks. An effective leader first provides followers with a clear vision or goal. Then, the group develops a plan on how to achieve the goal. After a plan is created, the group can then delegate tasks to each member. By implementing such a strategy, the group's goals and plan of action is clear; making group success more likely (Wren, 1995, p.250-252).

The goal of both models, Gillette's Primary Category of Information Networking and Wren and Swatez's Model of Leadership Contexts, is to help develop well-prepared, informed leaders. Both models serve as maps to effective leadership. Gillette's model helps leaders find the knowledge-value in information. Wren and Swatez's model helps leaders identify the forces that act on their leadership scenario. Leaders can utilize the process of information networking to research and understand the historical and contemporary contexts of that shape the leadership environment.

Leadership in Our Time:
“For those of us who would make democracy work, these times cry out for better ways to keep the peace, eradicate discrimination, and revitalize our economy” (Wren, 1995, p.303). In the United States, it is not hard to see that we have over used management and not implemented enough leadership. We are rapidly falling behind many countries in terms of,education, health care, sustainability initiatives, standard of living, etc. Where is the vision for the future?

The Citizen-Leaders:
A better world is possible. The catch is, the burden falls on all of us to create a it. As Thomas E. Cronin explains in selection 41, Leadership and Democracy, we need to inspire citizens to become leaders in the local community and the global community. They need to have breadth and utility; the ability to thrive on chaos and add knowledge-value (Gillette, 2006, p.9).

We are living in exponential times. To succeed in our time, leaders must be observant, reflective, and imaginative (Wren, 1995, p.308). They must be renaissance women and renaissance men. Citizen-leaders who are committed to learning, have extensive knowledge of variety of subjects, develop interactive social and information networks, and clearly communicate their vision and goals for the future (Gillette, 2006, p.8-9).

“Just as the European renaissance opened a new world of understanding and opportunity, the information renaissance unfolds before us as a world of opportunity and knowledge that extends and deepens human experience” (Gillette, 2006, p.13). The global community is facing times of great achievement and technological advancement. At the same time, we face great social conflict and clashing paradigms (Gillette, 2006, p.5). Old paradigms will be challenged and things will change; those who can analyze a variety of contexts, adapt to rapid change, and consistently add knowledge-value will succeed in our time.

References:

1. Wren, T.J. (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership
through the ages . New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.

2. Gillette, J.E. (2006, December). Leadership for the information
renaissance: Clarity, challenges, opportunity. Paper given to out
at the weekly meeting of the ICS 655 Leadership Seminar , Muncie,
IN.

Bernard M. Bass’ essay provides a brief look at the origins of leadership and its transformation from the Egyptians in 2300 B.C. to Niccolo Machiavelli in 1513 (Wren, 1995). Thanks to Bass’ research, we can see the principles of leadership modified and updated to meet a variety of different times and cultures. To begin, the Egyptians provided a basic philosophical principle of leadership: there must be leadership (seshemet), a leader (seshemu), and followers (shemsu). The Egyptians also suggested that three qualities be attributed to the Pharaoh: authoritative speech, perception in one’s heart, and a shrine of justice in one’s tongue (Wren, 1995).

In the sixth century B.C., the Chinese focused on a leader’s responsibilities to their followers. Confucius suggested that leaders set a moral example and utilize rewards and punishments to teach the people what was considered ‘right.’ Taoism, on the other hand, suggested that the leader make people believe that success was based on their efforts (Wren, 1995).

The Greeks concepts of leadership were symbolized in their literature; especially in Homer’s the Iliad. The Greeks compelled leaders to be inspirational and heroic leaders, with a focus on: “justice and judgment, wisdom and counsel, shrewdness and cunning, and valor and activism.” Later, Plato argued that the leader was crucial to a good government system and should rule with order and reason (Wren, 1995).

Moving ahead to 1513, trained humanist Niccolo Machiavelli described a more pragmatic use of leadership in his work, The Prince. In The Prince, Machiavelli suggested that leaders focus on maintaining order, authority and power. Unlike some of the other theories we have discussed, Machiavelli believed that leaders should maintain power by, “gaining the esteem of the populace, but if they could not, then craft, deceit, threat, treachery, and violence were required” (Wren, 1995).

Leadership According to Lao-Tzu:
In contrast to Niccolo Machiavelli’s pragmatic approach to leadership; Chinese sage, ‘Old Master,’ Lao-Tzu presented a different perspective on the topic of leadership. In his book Tao Te Ching or ‘How Things Work’, Lao-Tzu outlined an approach to leadership which focused on the principles of selflessness, flexibility, and open-mindedness. “Learn to lead in a nourishing manner. Learn to lead without being possessive. Learn to be helpful without taking the credit. Learn to lead without coercion. You can do this if you remain unbiased, clear, and down-to-earth” (Wren, 1995). Lao-Tzu formulated this approach after a lifetime of observation and reflection. To help leaders achieve these principles, Lao-Tzu provided meaningful metaphors and valuable lessons.

According to Lao-Tzu, a leader practices selflessness by, “placing the well-being of all above the well-being of self alone” (Wren, 1995). Similar to what we have strived for in a democracy, Lao-Tzu suggested that leaders should serve the people without selfish motives. Observing elements in nature, Lao-Tzu explained that, “Like water, the leader is yielding. Because the leader does not push, the group does not resent or resist” (Wren, 1995). Leaders must move like water; flowing with the people, the laws, and the times.

Management vs. Leadership:
Would you consider all managers leaders? Is there a difference between management and leadership? As our historic overview of leadership has shown, there are many different perspectives on leadership; however, I believe the difference between management and leadership is quite clear. Leaders are the heart of a business or organization because they are passionate, have vision for the future, and inspire those around them. Good leaders motivate individuals in the best of times and the worst of times. Followers are an integral part of leadership. This idea is expressed in essay number 8; Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy explain that, “Leadership is a social influence process shared among all members of a group. Leadership is not restricted to the influence exerted by someone in a particular position or role; followers are part of the leadership process, too” (Wren, 1995). In essence, leaders inspire followers to work cooperatively, which can create a more autonomous organizational structure.

In business, managers help leaders by delegating responsibility, establishing procedures and using problem solving skills to find solutions. Managers strive to maintain a stable and consistent work environment. As mentioned in our Leadership Seminar, “managers execute what leaders envision” (Steve Lunsford, 01-16-2008). Most managers are practice oriented and direct subordinates. Subordinates work to carry out the plans or goals outlined by the manager. Group organization can be decided by the manager because they select the staff and delegate work to the subordinates. Despite the differences between management and leadership, both roles are equally important in the real world and the business world. A good leader or manager analyzes the situation or problem at hand and then finds the appropriate balance between leading and managing.

Personal View on Leadership:
To be a good leader, one does not need a direct definition of the actual term. To find an accurate definition of leadership that fits you, it’s important to look at a variety of views on leadership from both past and present. Then, decide what you can apply to your current role or situation. A common thread in most perspectives on leadership is the need for vision for the future, passion, understanding and social influence over members of a group. It is important for leaders thrive on change and utilize their vision to create a better future.

References:

1. Wren, T.J. (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership
through the ages. New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.

2. Majka, C. (n.d.). Lao-tzu: Father of taoism. Retrieved January
20, 2008 from, Empty Mirrors Press Web site:
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism.html

3. Chew, R. (2007, August 25). Lao tzu (old master): Chinese taoist
philosopher. Retrieved January 20, 2008 from, Lucidcafé Web
site: http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jun/laotzu.html