Book: Leadership from below. By Trond Arne Undheim.

Trond Undheim has written a book that is written not from the perspective of management, but for those who aren’t part of management, yet are leaders or are aspiring to be. And as he convincingly argues, we are now all in that situation, i.e. leaders/followers.

The book, now available via Amazon, is written in a crisp and personal style, as a series of reflections on very practical matters and challenges that may face young people today.

Some short excerpts below.

Author’s introduction:

“Leadership from below originates in Scandinavia with work-life balance, peer leadership, coaching, mentoring, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Project-based approaches like self-governed groups were pioneered in Scandinavian companies like Volvo in the 1980s. Linus Torvalds of Finland, who developed the Linux operating system, has inspired a growing use of Open Source principles across the globe. There are also European influences. The World Wide Web was developed by Englishman Tim Berners-Lee at the Swiss particle physics lab at CERN. Other influences originate in Asia, like the principles of ba, Zen, feng shui, kanso, and ki, the importance of which I will explain in the coming pages. Finally, multicultural diversity and technological dependence are global trends that demand constant attention. The emerging lifestyle of the global knowledge worker can take a toll on human relationships. This book offers practical, intellectual, and spiritual guidance. There are books that talk about how to deal with the impact of Generation Y – those born between 1970 and 1990. This book, in contrast, is written from that generation’s perspective, which is entirely different. Whether you are a manager, a C-level executive, or a public servant, this book will sting like a bee.”

…

“Since Peter F. Drucker popularized the field of management in the 1950s, no criticism to him intended, the field has become mostly about leadership at the top or formal leadership — not about teamwork or accidental leadership. Hundreds of thousands of books have been written on management (i.e., how to lead workers successfully if you are put in charge). The problem is that most people are not in charge. And even when they are in charge, they are vastly outnumbered by those who are not. However, nobody is ever in charge of everything (on this earth, anyway). You do not control your competitors, your spouse, your kids, or your neighbors. A decade ago, there was a large power distance1 between leader and disciple or when leaders divided tasks based on self-evident skills. People spent their whole lives in one organization, with defined hierarchies and set rules for how to move up the ladder. Management was dictated by experience. Respect was given, not earned.

Today’s workplace is different. People move around. They often possess skills more advanced than their managers. Everyone reading this book has been in that position: knowing more than the boss (who usually knows more than his boss). Then the question becomes, “How do you handle that?” Do you try to manage your boss, as some management books preach these days? Being told to take charge is often a curse. Being in charge is not.

Life has many unknowns, professional life, too. What can successful individuals do to build a meaningful career today? How \do you successfully work in a team? How do you build connections? How can you keep up with technology?

I have found that presence is the key to success: be there for other people; be present in your own life. Our sometimes rushed, nomadic lives are filled with technologies that make absence possible, even preferable. In contrast, why not master your surroundings by actually being there?

Technology should enhance communication, not become what we talk about. The time spent talking about new cell phone models — or fiddling with them — is time away from both work and play. We need to stop foreign objects from having an impact our daily life.

When I realized my cell phone was taking charge of my life, I quit. I lived without for two full years, from 2004 to 2006, and I seldom missed it. Now, slowly, it is becoming a part of my life again — first as a “Batphone” within the family, and now for close friends and occasionally for colleagues. But I am keeping close guard. I have rules now: never pick up during meals, never after 8 pm. Only my boss and my wife overrule this approach.

Dependency is never far away. The telephone interrupts meals, conversations, and sleep — even in silent mode. While not disruptive to others, when you can feel your cell phone vibrating in your pocket, you feel compelled to answer. E-mail is easier to momentarily ignore, since its textual narrative is both less imposing and less immediate than the oral. Even email can become addictive; in a work context, you cannot ignore it for long. Instant messaging, of course, comes back and hits you in the head – text you cannot ignore. While instant communications offer multifarious opportunities for increased efficiency and efficacy, they can become a burden. Regardless of media, it would be best to set limits for its use and follow through. Intel co-founder Andy Grove said, “Only the paranoid survive.” However, the opposite may be true, since only the balanced leaders survive (and have families, work-life balance, hobbies, and friends).

In fact, technologies have politics — the politics of its designers.

The product designer’s choices — flat screens, fancy colors, small buttons — are what you and I end up taking for granted. Instead, we should remain in control.

Not that we advocate absolute Luddism – anti-technology manifestos are counterproductive. Leaders must know technology – at least enough to take a strategic perspective. The right question to ask is: What do we need? Then, find the right solution, which may or may not include technology.”