Introduction: Practicing Conversational Leadership Anyone can practice conversational leadership

We Are Not Enemies but Friends—mostly

Conversational Leadership Mindset

Conversational Leadership is a practice we can all engage in, regardless of our position, whether it is CEO or a new graduate employee. We can also practice it in our personal and social lives. One might even say it is a way of life.

To begin, here are a couple of definitions:

The foundation of Conversational Leadership lies in a specific mindset — our mental attitudes, approaches, or ways of thinking about practicing Conversational Leadership. Our beliefs, values, and experiences shape it, impacting our ability to hold productive conversations and practice effective leadership.

I explore this mindset and how to cultivate it in the first post of this chapter.

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts or patterns of thinking that can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making. I explore some of the cognitive biases that influence conversation in the second post of this chapter.

Additionally, although Conversational Leadership is a practice in its own right, at its core, it draws on ideas and concepts taken from the practice of the Use of Self. I look at this practice in the third post in this chapter.

Then in the following three chapters, I look at some of the skills and habits that further underpin the practice of Conversational Leadership and various practical conversational methods.

Chapter: Practicing Conversational Leadership

1. Introduction: Practicing Conversational Leadership Anyone can practice conversational leadership
2. Conversational Leadership Mindset Developing a Conversational Leadership mindset
3. Three Questions for Meaningful Conversations Clarify focus, approach, and community-building in discussions
4. The Impact of Cognitive Biases in Conversation Cognitive biases can lead to flawed or irrational conclusions in a conversation
5. The Perils of Binary Bias ** Simplifying complex issues into two extreme and opposing categories
6. We Are Not Enemies but Friends—mostly Finding understanding by conversing with those who think differently

Chapter: Conversational Leadership Skills

1. Introduction: Conversational Leadership Skills The technical abilities we use during a conversation
2. Oracy Is a Core Conversational Leadership Skill Communicating effectively in spoken language
3. Conversational Self-awareness Being aware of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during a conversation
4. Conversation Through the Lens of the Johari Window Understanding ourselves and others through conversation
5. Conversational Awareness The skill of being able to pay attention to various elements of a conversation
6. Empathy Understanding and share the feelings of others
7. Cultural Competence ** Appreciating, and effectively interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds
8. Open Mindedness ** Willingness to seek and weigh evidence that challenges our beliefs, plans, or objectives
9. Critical Thinking ** Analyzing information and arguments to make sound judgments and decisions
10. Active Listening ** Listening attentively to understand and retain communicated information
11. The Art of Navigating Conversations Choosing our repsonses carefully
12. Conversational Continuous Self-improvement ** Making ongoing incremental improvements to our conversations
13. Difficult Conversations Navigating emotionally challenging conversations
14. Impossible Conversations Navigating conversations across ideological divides

Chapter: Conversational Leadership Habits

1. Introduction: Conversational Habits The habitual ways in which we practice Conversational Leadership
2. Make Time to Talk The lack of time for conversation is just an excuse
3. Talk More The essence of Conversational Leadership is to talk with people more
4. Talk with Strangers Why and how should you talk with strangers?
5. Make Big Talk Make big talk not small talk
6. Connect More Connect more broadly, more deeply
7. Connect People Purposefully connect people with each other
8. Eat with Others We should make it a priority to eat with others whenever possible
9. Construct Steel Positions Not Straw Ones We need to learn to argue more effectively to get at the truth
10. Ask Questions ** Be curious - ask more questions
11. Converse in Good Faith Be sincere, fair, open, and honest, regardless of the outcome
12. Say So, If We Don’t Have an Opinion It's perfectly OK to say ‘Sorry, I don’t know’
13. Carpe Diem – Seize the Day Seize the day everyone
14. Admit When We Are Wrong ** We find it difficult to admit when we are wrong
15. Speak Up Express our opinions frankly and openly
16. Speak Last Learn to be the last to speak
17. Speak in Plain Language We should use everyday natural language that everyone understands.
18. Turn Monologues Into Dialogues Talk with people rather than talk at them
19. Take Responsibility for the Conversation ** We all need to take responsibility for the quality of our conversations
20. Speak with Less Conviction Speaking with conviction inhibits learning
21. Disagree Constructively How to disagree well
22. Reduce Emailing and Texting ** Start talking
23. Show Respect Failing to respect one another negatively impacts the future for all of us
24. Tell the Truth Lies distort the world
25. Listen to Ignite Thinking Listening is not a passive act - it's a powerful act of creation
26. Listen Empathically ** Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply
27. Listen with the Intent to Understand Don't listen with the intent to reply
28. Don’t Discourage Dissent Fear, uncertainty and doubt are good things
29. Don’t Give Advice Especially when it is sought
30. Banter with Care Banter: the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks
31. Stop Ditting Ditting is the dubious art of trumping the previous person's story
32. Hold Strong Opinions Weakly ** I have no doctrine, I carry on a dialogue
33. Don’t Give Speeches Convene conversations
34. Avoid Anonymity Anonymity kills the conversation

Chapter: Conversational Leadership Methods

1. Introduction: Conversational Methods Ways of structuring conversations
2. Improving Performance with After-action Reviews Building a culture of improvement
3. Anecdote Circles A narrative technique to guide participants in sharing stories
4. Conversation Covenant Creating a psychologically safer space for difficult conversations
5. Brainstorming A group discussion to produce a list of ideas or solutions to a problem.
6. Brown-bag Lunches ** An informal opportunity to learn at work
7. C-group Develop your interpersonal and conversational skills
8. Bridging Divides **
9. Community of Innovation ** A form of community of practice that is dedicated to the support of innovation.
10. Community of Practice ** A group of people who share a passion for something they do
11. Connection Before Content Without relatedness, no work can occur
12. Conversare Events Social gatherings which people engage in one-to-one conversation with a stranger
13. Understanding Debates Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it
14. The Dérive An unplanned journey through a urban landscape
15. Dialogue Dialogue is a disciplined form of conversation
16. Dialogic Organization Development From a dialogic perspective, change results from transformational conversations
17. Flipped Teaching Speech is a bad medium for communicating information - so watch lectures at home
18. The Power of Team Huddles How brief team gatherings can align, motivate, and connect
19. The Oracy Lab An experimental space for exploring the power and possibilities of conversations
20. Ongoing Performance Conversations From annual performance reviews to on-going performance conversations
21. Open Space Technology ** No formal agenda
22. Peer Learning Unlocking collective wisdom
23. Peer Assist Learn from your peers; someone has already done it
24. Pitching by Conversation ** Ditch the pitch
25. Randomised Coffee Trials It is just a coffee, but at the same time it is much more
26. Ritual Dissent ** A structured way for a group of peers to criticize proposals or ideas
27. Speed Consulting Drawing on the experience of others
28. Speed-conversation Without relatedness, no work can occur
29. Street Epistemology Exploring deeply held beliefs
30. Reverse Brainstorming Café Brainstorming the opposite of what you want
31. Theodore Zeldin’s Conversation Dinners Dinner and a stimulating conversation with a stranger
32. Town Hall Meeting ** A meeting in which a report is made and participants have an opportunity to ask questions
33. Unhurried Conversations ** Time to think differently
34. World Café A conversational process intended to facilitate open and intimate discussion

Posts that link to this post

•  The Impact of Cognitive Biases in Conversation Cognitive biases can lead to flawed or irrational conclusions in a conversation

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