Beyond the Rockstar Paradigm:
Practical Tools for Visionary,
Collaborative Leadership
Webinar
October 30, 2013
EPIP Hosts: Michael Barham & Emily Kessler
EPIP
•  Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) is a

national network of foundation professionals and social
entrepreneurs who strive for excellence in the practice of
philanthropy
•  Our mission is to develop emerging leaders committed to

building a just, equitable, and sustainable society.
Announcements
•  Doing Good in the 21st Century
•  epip.org/doinggood
•  #DoGood
•  Measuring a Leader
•  People of Color gathering, Nov. 5th, Boston
Housekeeping
•  You’ll all be on mute
•  Calling in on the phone? Mute your computer, please.
•  Time for questions and conversation
•  Raise your hand
•  Use the chat box if you have a question or problems arise
•  We’ll be recording this webinar
Today’s Speaker

Pia Infante
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Rockwood Leadership Institute
Trustee, The Whitman Institute
@PiaVision
@rockwoodleaders
@TWI_2022
Beyond'the'Rockstar'Paradigm !!
Prac&cal!Tools!for!Visionary,!
Collabora&ve!Leadership!
Pia'Infante'
Director'of'Strategic'Partnerships!
Rockwood!Leadership!Ins&tute!
!
Trustee!
The!Whitman!Ins&tute!

!
!
Purpose/Outcomes/Process'
Purpose:!!To!offer!ideas!&!tools!for!moving!beyond!the!
Rockstar!paradigm!of!singular!charisma&c!leadership,!and!its!
shadow!sides!–!overEreliance!on!self!and!underErecognized!
talents!of!the!whole.!
'
Outcomes:!!!
1.!Concepts,!tools,!and!connec&ons!that!can!be!immediately!
applied!in!the!contexts!in!which!you!lead.!!!
2.!!We!have!a!good!&me!!
'
Process:!!30E40!min!presenta&on!&!interac&ve!discussion;!
Invita&on!to!share!resources!and!experiences!as!well!ask!
ques&ons.!
Two!Defini?ons'of'
Leadership!to!Consider:!
!

Leadership!is!the!ability!to!
inspire!&!align!others!towards!
common!purpose.!
!
Leadership!is!taking!
responsibility!for!enabling!
others!to!achieve!common!
purpose!together,!in!&mes!of!
uncertainty.!
!
POLL'QUESTION'#1:!Does!
your!organiza&on!rely!on!a!
charisma&c!leader,!a!teamE
based!approach,!or!some!
hybrid!of!both?!
!
!
ANSWERS:'
a)  Charisma&c!leader!
b)  TeamEbased!approach!
c)  Hybrid!of!both!
d)  None!of!the!Above!

!
How!do!we!prac&ce!leadership!that!
moves!beyond!the!Rockstar!Paradigm?!
A'Defini?on'of'Personal'Ecology'
!
Maintaining'the'balance,'pacing'and'efficiency'to'
sustain'our'energy'over'a'life8me'of'service.!
Interac?ve'Quiz'based!on!The!Urgency!Index!

by!S.!Covey.!!!
!
You!will!see!(and!I!will!read)!a!series!of!7!
statements.!!
!
Rate!yourself!for!each!statement!on!a!1E4!scale!
!0!=!Never!…!4!=!Always.!
!
1.!!I!start!thinking!about!what!I!have!to!do!
for!!work!within!a!few!minutes!of!waking!
up.!
!

0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
2.!!I!seem!to!be!in!a!hurry!to!get!things!done!
or!rushing!between!places!and!events.!!
!

0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
3.!I!o_en!give!up!quality!&me!with!important!
people!in!my!life!to!handle!situa&ons!at!work.!!

0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
4.!I!find!myself!doing!two!things!at!once,!like!

ea&ng!while!working!at!my!desk,!or!checking!my!
eEmail!while!I’m!talking!on!the!phone.!!

!0! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
5.!I!o_en!blame!the!rush!and!push!of!external!

things!for!my!failure!to!spend!deep,!introspec&ve!
&me!with!myself.!!!

0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
6.!I!feel!anxious!when!I’m!out!of!touch!with!the!
office!(or!my!smartphone).!!
!

0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
7.!!There!is!something!!aerac&ve!about!the!
intensity!of!crisis!situa&ons.!

!
0 ! !1 ! !2 ! !3 ! !4!

never!!!!!!!!!!!!!some&mes!!!!!!!!!!always!
Calcula?ng'Results'of'Interac?ve'Quiz''
based!on!The!Urgency!Index!by!S.!Covey.!!!
!

Add!up!your!answers!to!come!to!a!total,!and!divide!
by!7.!
!

Poll'Ques?on'#2:''What!was!the!average!of!your!
answers?!

!

a)!!0E1.9!=!Low!urgency!mindset!!
b)!!2E3.9!=!High!urgency!mindset!
c)!!4!=!Urgency!addic&on.!!'

!
Reflec?on''

!!
!  What!are!the!
external!things!and!
forces!in!your!life!
that!help!drive!you!
out!of!balance?!
!
!  In!what!ways!do!you!
par&cipate!in!your!
life!being!out!of!
balance?!
!
Par?cipant'Share:'''
In!what!ways!do!you!par&cipate!in!your!
life!being!out!of!balance?!

!
Four'Dimensions'of'a''
Sustainable'Personal'Ecology!
!

! Load'Management''
!

!

!Managing!the!actual!amount!of!work!and!responsibility!we!
take!on.!

! Personal'Effec?veness'
!

!Managing!the!efficient!use!of!our!&me!and!energy!to!
accomplish!what!we!most!value.!

! Energy'Management'
!

!Managing!the!energy!system!of!our!body/mind:!sleep,!diet,!
exercise,!rela&onships,!spiritual!connec&on,!etc.!

! State'Management'
!Managing!moment!to!moment!our!state!of!being.!
!
! ''Load'Management:''Managing!the!actual!amount!
of!work!and!responsibility!we!take!on.!
! ''Personal'Effec?veness'
Managing!the!efficient!use!of!our!&me!and!energy!to!
accomplish!what!we!most!value.!
priori?za?on:'''clarifying!and!ordering!
tasks!according!to!importance!and!
urgency!with!regard!to!fulfilling!our!
purpose,!mission,!and!goals.!!
!!
organiza?on:'the!effec&ve!!sor&ng,!
arranging!and!of!all!informa&on:!
inputs,!materials,!tasks,!etc.!for!
efficient!retrieval!and!u&liza&on.!
!!
execu?on:'the!effec&ve!focusing!of!
energy!to!efficiently!and!skillfully!
accomplish!priority!tasks.!
! Energy'Management'
!Managing!the!energy!system!of!our!body/mind:!!
sleep,!diet,!exercise,!rela&onships,!spiritual!prac&ce,!
connec&on!to!nature,!etc.!
! 'State'Management'
!!Managing!moment!to!moment!our!state!of!being.!
How$do$we$prac+ce$leadership$that$moves$beyond$the$
Rockstar$Paradigm?$

!
! Prac&ce,!model!and!shi_!organiza&onal!culture!towards!
Sustainable!Personal!Ecology.!

! Prac&ce,!model!and!shi_!culture!towards!CoELeadership!and!
Shared!Leadership.!

Photo:!!Network!Leadership!Innova&on!Lab!of!The!Management!Assistance!Group!
Unlikely!Bedfellows!&!Other!Tips!for!
CoELeadership!
4'Partnership'Prac?ces'
!

1.  Demonstrate!Appropriate'
Vulnerability!
!
2.!!Include!Unlikely!Partners!
in!Advisory!and!Design!
Teams!
!
3.!!Be!a!Trustworthy!Follower!
!
4.!!Facilitate!Crea&ve!Tension!
!
!
!
1.!!Demonstra&ng!
Appropriate!
Vulnerability!
comes!in!many!
forms…!
Poll'Ques?on'#4:'
I!demonstrate!vulnerability!in!different!leadership!
moments,!like!when!sharing!my!aspira&ons!with!others!
or!when!I’m!uncertain!and!need!help.!!!!
! !!
! !0!=!never!!
! !1!=!rarely!
! !2!=!some&mes!
! !3!=!o_en!
! !4!=!always!
!
!
!!
!
2.!Include!Unlikely!Partners!in!Advisory!and!Design!
Teams!(even!if!it’s!uncomfortable).!
Poll'Ques?on'#5:'
!I!regularly!befriend!and!sustain!friendships!with!
people!from!a!different!poli&cal!party!or!affilia&on!
than!myself.!
!!
! !0!=!never!!
! !1!=!rarely!
! !2!=!some&mes!
! !3!=!o_en!
! !4!=!always!!
!!
!!
!
!!
!
3.!!Be!a!trustworthy!follower!…!
IDEX:''Interna?onal'Development'Exchange'

Among'IDEX'partners…'
'

! !!82%!find!IDEX’s!partnership!model!to!be!very!or!mostly!effec&ve.!
!

! !!88%!report!they!have!been!able!to!develop!local,!communityEbased!solu&ons,!
either!totally!or!to!a!great!extent!since!receiving!a!grant!from!IDEX.!
!

! !!75%!iden&fy!a!significant!and!substan&ve!posi&ve!change!in!community!
members’!leadership.!
4.!!Crea+ve$Tension$is!the!KEY!to!unlocking!
the!poten&al!of!collabora&ve!and!facilita&ve!
leadership.!
'
CoEleadership!Success!Factors!!
!
!  The!leader!of!the!team!is!coWcrea?ve'vs.'direc?ve.!
!
!  Most!team!members!agree!that!the!team!needs!to!move!to!
a!new!level!of!performance!to!meet!new!challenges.!They!
experience!the!need'for'breakthroughs,!rather!than!only!
incremental!improvement.!
!
!  A!crical!mass!of!team!members!E!including!the!leader!E!are!
willing!to!take!the!risk!of!voicing!undiscussable!issues,!as!
well!as!allowing!themselves!to!be'vulnerable'by!
acknowledging!personal!ignorance,!weaknesses,!or!
mistakes.!In!the!spirit!of!tough!love!E!everyone!agrees!
that!their!behavior!can!be!quesoned!in!front!of!the!group.!
CoEleadership!Success!Factors!!
!
!  Team!members!commit!to!be!individually!accountable!for!a!
specific!priority!in!their!own!funconal!domain!E!and!
mutually!responsible!for!the!overall!results!and!working!
climate.!!“Be'Your'Word”''“Be'The'Change”'
!  Team!members!are!willing'to'experiment'with'new'ways'
of'speaking'and'listening,!which!will!enable!them!E!over!
me!E!to!shi_!from!polite!conversaon!or!debate!to!
reflecve!and!generave!dialogue.!
!  They!recognize'the'richness'that'diversity'brings!to!the!
team!E!as!revealed!by!one!of!the!horizontal!tools”!(MBTI,!
Human!Dynamics,!Enneagram,!Hermann!Internaonal,!etc.)!
E!and!are!willing!to!adjust!their!communicaon!and!
collaboraon!paeerns!to!include!the!needs!of!each!type.!
Poll'Ques?on'#6:'
!We!ulize!tools!(like!Meyers!Briggs!or!Enneagram)!
to!bring!awareness!to!our!differences,!and!leverage!
that!awareness!in!to!more!effecve!collaboraon.!!
!!
! !0!=!never!!
! !1!=!rarely!
! !2!=!somemes!
! !3!=!o_en!
! !4!=!always!!
!!
!!
!
!!
!
Discussion'Ques?on'
! Do!you!believe!that!U.S.!philanthropic!and!social!
impact!investment!infrastructures!are!geared!
towards!Rockstar,!single!charismac!leadership!
models?!!How?!!Why?!

!
!!!Discussion'Ques?on'
! When!does!it!make!sense!to!priorize!self/spiritual!
development!before!collecve!mission/impact?!!
When!does!it!not!make!sense?!!How!do!we!discern?!
Pracce.!!Pracce.!!Pracce.!
If!you!want!to!go!fast,!go!alone.!If!you!want!to!
go!far,!go!together.!
!
For!more!informaon!on!Rockwood!Leadership!
Instute:!
!
www.rockwoodleadership.org!
hep://blog.rockwoodleadership.org/!
hep://www.facebook.com/rockwoodleaders!
@rockwoodleaders!
!
For!more!informaon!on!The!Whitman!
Instute:!
www.thewhitmaninstute.org!
@TWI_2022!
!
Follow!Pia!Infante!@PiaVision!
!
!

Beyond the Rockstar Paradigm