Leadership is a practice, not a position of authority | Ronald Heifetz
You will find the transcript of the last minute or so of Ronald Heifetz‘s talk below. The highlighting is mine and draws attention to what I consider to be the key points.
Ronald’s views on leadership as a practice fit perfectly with the concept of Conversational Leadership. We are all capable of practicing conversational leadership.
Transcript
Distinguishing leadership from authority helps us begin to see that if we understand leadership as a practice, as an activity, then it becomes available to anybody, high or low, any place or position, simply because they passionately care about some problem situation, about the people in that problem situation and then mobilize people with faith in their capacity to step up to the plate and meet that challenge.
Posts where this video is embedded- Introduction: Conversational Leadership Conversational Leadership
- Leadership Is a Practice Not a Position of Authority Anyone can practice leadership
- Responsibility We need to take responsibility for the changes we wish to see in the world
- Ronald Heifetz Founding Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University
- We Own Collective Responsibility for Global Conditions Ronald Heifetz
Posts: Ronald Heifetz (1)
Books: Ronald Heifetz (1)
Quotations: Ronald Heifetz (2)
Image Credits: Midjourney
(Public Domain)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 with David Gurteen and John Hovell offers a space to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience.