Co-active Leadership - 9781626564565

Over and over, Karen and Henry Kimsey-House's clients told them that they found traditional, top-down models of leadership to be divisive and isolating, that they would welcome a more inclusive, holistic approach. So this book begins with a new and expanded definition of leadership: “Leaders are those who are responsible for their world.” Co-Active means “being in action…together.” In Co-Active Leadership everyone is a leader in different ways. We each play different leadership roles in different situations, and these roles are continually shifting.

There are five dimensions of co-active leadership. “Co-Active Leader Within” is the foundation—you must live with full self-authority, modeling acceptance and integrity “Co-Active Leader from the Front” means pointing the way and inviting and inspiring, not compelling, others to follow. “Co-Active Leader from Behind” means serving others, supporting them and growing their leadership capacity. “Co-Active leader from Beside” means fully partnering with other members of your team, without egos or agendas, a dance in which both partners lead. And finally, “Co-active Leader from the Field” means slowing down long enough to capture the insights and wisdom available beyond our rational mind. Co-Active Leadership is the only model to celebrate and honor these different expressions of leadership. It allows collaborative solutions to emerge that would never have been possible otherwise.