Rick Torseth’s 10000 Swamp Leaders podcast with Benjamin P. Taylor
If you did a podcast, with an old friend, reflecting on your career and last 15 years’ work, what stories would inevitably come up?
I was lucky enough to be a guest of Richard J. Torseth — his 10000 Swamp Leaders podcast ‘wades into muddy lowlands in search of people who have built social impact movements’.
https://www.10000swampleaders.com/benjamin-taylor-the-abundance-of-systems/
As so often with these things, it was a comfortable warm ‘swamp’ and an opportunity to reflect — which I do best, I think, talking out loud. (That’s how I understand what I’m thinking).
We talked…
On the rich diversity of public service, the 1,111 public-facing processes of #localgov, from child protection to bin collection, and how it provides such rewarding work, impacting places and people’s lives, and ultimately answerable to the people.
On the theories and thinking I bring to bear — Dennis Vergne says I explained them clearly this time! — from Barry Oshry, Systems #Leadership Theory, and the Viable Systems Model to RedQuadrant’s radical business model and Total Football.
On the #futureofwork and why Microsoft’s managers want people back in the office — but it’s not going to happen anyway.
On my inability to prioritise, because of wanting to explore the connections between all things.
On the challenges of public services in in the UK since 2009, and the chaos since “Brexit” in 2016.
And on how the journey of making change — in public services, as #consultants, in #complex systems — is a bit like the story of the moose hunters and the plan.
And on a bit of a shared definition of ‘leadership’:
“Create the conditions for sets of people, over time, to do meaningful and worthwhile work”
Have a listen, if you like.
Podcast https://www.10000swampleaders.com/benjamin-taylor-the-abundance-of-systems/
Links to further reading https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Psmwf-wi77nF6AQ5fYWCx3mSWt_SY894UejTuzUhSog/edit
