The Purpose of This Blook Conversational Leadership

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The purpose of this blook is to introduce you to the concept of Conversational Leadership, the Knowledge Café and more generally to the power of face-to-face conversation.

It is aimed at helping you to become a better conversational leader.

Conversational Leadership is about appreciating the transformative power of conversation, practicing leadership, and adopting a conversational approach to working together in a complex world.

Credit: David Gurteen

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This page is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. Parts of this book have restricted access. You can learn more about the book and how to obtain full access on the home page.

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Thursday 27th February 2025, 15:00 to 19:00 London time (GMT)
Learn how to design & run a Gurteen Knowledge Café, both face-to-face and online.
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9 thoughts on “The Purpose of This Blook Conversational Leadership”

  2. Well, here are some ideas then. I’d really like to hear/read about experience with these:
    – how to use music to create a constructive atmosphere
    – non-violent communication in meetings
    – improving e-learning tools to create real interactivity
    – how to employ advertising psychology in knowledge sharing
    – ways to find out what topics are most needed in a larger group of colleagues (also when most won’t ever bother to fill in a poll)

    1. Hi Leonie,

      I have added these to my to do list though it is a rather long list so don’t expect to see anything in the short term :-)

      A few comments for now

      – how to use music to create a constructive atmosphere
      — personally I don’t like music, I find it distracting but at some point I will write about this
      – non-violent communication in meetings
      — good topic
      – improving e-learning tools to create real interactivity
      — falls out of the scope of the book
      – how to employ advertising psychology in knowledge sharing
      — not too sure about this but will think on it :-)
      – ways to find out what topics are most needed in a larger group of colleagues (also when most won’t ever bother to fill in a poll)
      — another good one

      a big thanks David

      1. An aside: Very interesting, David, that you are the first person I have heard of who doesn’t like music. Some years ago I started a wiki page about Zoltan Kodaly (not a word left of the original on todays page) as he was attributed as the person who first linked music and learning (and not just learning music) and got it into the learning curriculum in Hungary.

        1. Hi Patricia, it’s not that I don’t like music its that I think it gets in the way of having a conversation. A year or two ago, I allowed someone else to run a Cafe for my London Cafers and he used music :-) I was at a table close to the music speakers, the music was quite loud but not that loud – it needed to be to fill the large room. I found I had a great difficulty following the conversation as the music was drowning out the conversation and at times distracting. Later I sat at the back of the room for a conversation and with the background noise of the room I could not hear the music at all – just a cacophony of sound as it mixed with the other conversations :-)

          Having music, when people are arriving or during the breaks may be different but even then people are networking and having conversations.

          As I say, I need to reflect on it more, maybe experiment a little and get more feedback from other people.

  4. That’s an extremely good point Adrian. My description of Conversational Leadership changes by the day but every definition I have written so far tends to be rather bland and not that powerful.

    Let me work on it :-)

    Thank you.

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