Source: Volunteer not conscriptIf you ask someone, or a body for specific knowledge in the context of a real need it will never be refused.
If you ask them to give you your knowledge on the basis that you may need it in the future, then you will never receive it.
Credit: Dave Snowden
Posts where this quotation is embedded
- Why Incentives Undermine Knowledge Sharing A critique of traditional knowledge management thinking
Posts: Dave Snowden (7)
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- Changing People ** The challenge of trying to change people
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- The Cynefin Framework A conceptual framework to help make decisions
- The Vector Theory of Change Navigating change in a complex world
- We Humans Are Complex Human socio-technical systems are complex
Books: Dave Snowden (1)
Quotations: Dave Snowden (14)
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- The Intent Is Pelagian. the Architecture Is Augustinian. Dave Snowden
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Videos: Dave Snowden (2)
Papers: Dave Snowden (1)
Blog Posts: Dave Snowden (3)
Tags: Dave Snowden (41) | knowledge sharing (21)
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Conversational Leadership Workshop
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. This week-long workshop offers a space to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience.
This quotation is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. It is one of many quotations that have influenced my thinking on the subject. Parts of this blook have restricted access. You may browse the pages open to you, but you will need to register and be approved before you can login and access the full site. When you register, you may also sign-up to receive a quotation of the day by email.