The quotations on this page are by David Gurteen.
Quotations are extremely effective at capturing and concisely communicating thoughts and ideas. They can be inspirational, provoke our thinking, and, more importantly, they can help us reveal and assess the assumptions, values, and beliefs that underlie how we perceive the world.
While most of the quotes in this blook reflect my views, not all do. Some are intended as provocations, to encourage deeper reflection on the subject.
note
Search this page
There are 35 quotations in the list below.
A Conversation Architect Designs Strategic Conversations David Gurteen - A conversation architect designs powerful, strategic conversations. They determine the questions to trigger the conversations and design the processes to… … Being Truthful Versus Telling the Truth David Gurteen - Being truthful means honestly expressing how we perceive or feel about something, though it may not be true. Telling the… … Chatbot Constraints David Gurteen - Chatbots are impressively capable tools that can seem almost magical, but they still have significant constraints compared to human intelligence.… … Chatbots Lack Nuanced Communication Skills David Gurteen - While immensely capable, chatbots have significant limitations compared to human cognition. They lack nuanced communication skills, grounded world knowledge, critical… … Chatbots Should Supplement Not Replace Human Critical Thinking David Gurteen - The goal is to use chatbots to supplement, not replace, human critical thinking and evaluation. Credit: David Gurteen … Community and Culture Are Not the Same David Gurteen - Community and culture are often confused. They are not the same. Organizational culture is the attitudes, customs, rituals, values, and… … Cultivating a Healthy Organizational Culture That Naturally Evolves David Gurteen - Organizational culture emerges organically in organizations, which function as complex adaptive systems. It can't be dictated by management, but it… … Distinguishing Between Misinformation and Disinformation Is Crucial David Gurteen - Distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Misinformation comes from those who genuinely believe what they say, while disinformation involves… … Ignorance Is Simply a Lack of Understanding David Gurteen - Calling someone ignorant isn’t necessarily an insult. Ignorance is simply a lack of understanding. If we are ignorant of a… … Information Does Not Constitute Knowledge David Gurteen - When we take knowledge that resides within the human mind and record it in written form, it is transformed into… … Knowledge Alone Is Not Power David Gurteen - Knowledge alone is not power. Self-motivation, taking responsibility, and the ability to act on knowledge and to influence and work… … Knowledge Is Not Power David Gurteen - Knowledge is not power. The ability to influence people, especially those in authority, is power. Credit: David Gurteen … Knowledge Only Exists in the Mind David Gurteen - Knowledge only exists in the mind. Credit: David Gurteen … Leadership and Social Influence David Gurteen - Leadership is the ability of an individual, through social influence, to enlist the support and cooperation of others in achieving… … Leveraging Chatbots to Aid Critical Thinking Skills David Gurteen - By interacting with chatbots in innovative ways that encourage examining issues from different perspctives, we can sharpen our critical thinking… … Making Better Sense of the World David Gurteen - To make better sense of the world, improve decision making, strategizing, and innovation we need to convene small groups of… … Nurturing a Community David Gurteen - If you nurture something such as a child or a young plant, you care for it while it grows and… … Our Spoken Language Enables Us to Think Together David Gurteen - Our spoken language allows us to do more than just share information — it enables us to think and reason… … Shared Meaning Is Achieved Through Real Conversation David Gurteen - Shared meaning does not mean that people agree but that they understand each other’s perspectives well enough to accept them.… … Small Talk, Big Talk David Gurteen - Small Talk – polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters. Big talk – deep, meaningful conversation that helps you get… … Teaching Critical Thinking Alone Is Not a Solution to Helping People Question Their Beliefs David Gurteen - Teaching critical thinking alone is not a solution to helping people question their beliefs, it simply helps them to better… … The Global Information Ecosystem David Gurteen - The Global Information Ecosystem likens the enormous, linked digital world of data and information to an ecological system. This metaphor… … The Kind of Conversation I Like David Gurteen - The kind of conversation I like is one where everyone is prepared to speak up and does not feel the… … The Potential of Strategic Conversation David Gurteen - A strategic conversation has the potential to influence the future direction of an individual, an organization, a community, a society,… … The Role of Trust in Sensemaking David Gurteen - To reduce uncertainty and foster effective sense-making and decision-making, it all boils down to trust — we must have unwavering… … There Are No Problems in Complex Systems David Gurteen - The idea of a “problem” in a complex or complex adaptive system is misleading, as it suggests the existence of… … There Are No Solutions Only Responses in Complex Adaptive Systems David Gurteen - In a complex or complex adaptive system, the notion of "problem-solving" is an illusion. Instead of definitive solutions, there is… … There Are No Sources of Information We Can Totally Trust David Gurteen - There are no sources of information we can totally trust. We must conduct due diligence through thorough research and analysis.… … Touching Distance for a Good Conversation David Gurteen - You need to be in touching distance of another person to have a really good conversation. Credit: David Gurteen … What Is a Community? David Gurteen (2022) - A community results from a web of complex and interdependent relationships that form over time among individuals who share common… … What Is a Knowledge Worker? David Gurteen David Gurteen (2006) - Knowledge workers are those people who have taken responsibility for their work lives. They continually strive to understand the world… … What Is a Positive Relationship? David Gurteen - A positive relationship is one in which two people listen, communicate clearly without judgment, respect, and trust each other, as… … What Is a Powerful Question? David Gurteen - A powerful question provokes us to think deeply and to engage intensely in conversation with others which leads to a… … What Is Communityship? David Gurteen - Communityship is a practice where community members take responsibility for that community's growth and development. They nurture positive relationships between… … What Is Conversational Leadership? David Gurteen - Conversational Leadership is about appreciating the transformative power of conversation, practicing leadership, and adopting a conversational approach to working together… … What Is Oracy? David Gurteen - Oracy is the ability to speak persuasively, articulate thoughts and ideas clearly, listen powerfully to others, clarify our own ideas… … What Is Rhetoric? David Gurteen - Rhetoric is about far more than influencing people through speech. It is how we communicate effectively in our daily lives… … Why Is So Little Importance Attached to Oracy? David Gurteen - In education, considerable emphasis is placed on numeracy and literacy – the ability to understand and work with numbers and… …Blook Search
Google Web Search
Photo Credits: Willi Heidelbach (CC0 1.0)
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.
Gurteen Knowledge Café Workshop
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.
Information and Registration
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.
Information and Registration