This is part of a webinar series on "Everyday Leadership: Tips for Personal and Professional Success." The audience for the webinar series was professionals in Virginia Cooperative Extension. Objectives of this session include: (1) Define invisible leadership and clarify key components. (2) Highlight practical examples and applications of invisible leadership. (3) Discuss opportunities for fostering and promoting invisible leadership.

1. Engaging in Invisible
Leadership
Presented by
Eric K. Kaufman, Bradley J. Burbaugh,
& D. Adam Cletzer
www.ext.vt.edu

2. Who We Are… Eric K. Kaufman
• Associate Professor &
Extension Specialist
@ VT
• Coordinator of VT’s
Graduate Certificate
in Collaborative
Community
Leadership
• Former H.S.
AgriScience Teacher
www.ext.vt.edu

3. Who We Are… Brad J. Burbaugh
• Doctoral Student @ VT
• VALOR Program
Coordinator
• USDA Fellow for
Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Extension
• Former AgriScience
Teacher & Extension
Agent in Florida
www.ext.vt.edu

4. Who We Are… D. Adam Cletzer
• Doctoral Student @ VT
• Former Extension Agent
in Florida
• Resource Coordinator for
Florida 4-H Foundation
www.ext.vt.edu

5. Objectives for this Session
• Define invisible leadership and clarify key
components.
• Highlight practical examples and
applications of invisible leadership.
• Discuss opportunities for fostering and
promoting invisible leadership.
www.ext.vt.edu

6. Leadership Defined
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing
others to want to struggle for shared
aspirations.”
– James Kouzes & Barry Posner, researchers and
authors of The Leadership Challenge
www.ext.vt.edu

7. Leadership Defined
In a more humble opinion…
“Leadership is the process of inspiring
vision and hope.”
- Eric Kaufman
www.ext.vt.edu

8. www.simonwestern.com
To cite work: Western S. (2008) Leadership a Critical Text, Sage London

9. What is Invisible Leadership?
“Leadership in which the common purpose,
rather than any particular individual, is the
invisible leader that inspires leaders and
followers to take action on its behalf.”
(Hickman & Sorenson, 2014, p. 1)
www.ext.vt.edu

10. Key Components
• Compelling and deeply held common
purpose.
• Readiness to use individual strengths in
either leader or follower roles with or
without recognition.
• Strong shared bond among participants.
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11. More than a Mission Statement
• Deeply held sense of
common destiny.
• A life calling.
• Resonates with
values.
• Substance that binds
people together.
• Aim or reason for
collective leadership.
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12. Theories that
Contribute
Hickman & Sorenson, 2014
Figure 2.1, p. 19
www.ext.vt.edu

13. Recall Strengths Leadership
• Argues that we all have
innate talents to be
developed into strengths
• Views leadership as a
collective process
• Recommends different
strengths for different
leadership situations
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14. PRACTICAL EXAMPLES &
APPLICATIONS
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15. Who's the Boss? There Isn't One
(Rachel Emma Silverman, The Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2012)
www.ext.vt.edu

16. Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
www.ext.vt.edu

17. Colors Restaurant
• 50+ employees of Windows on the World
• Cooperative Restaurant
• Common Purpose: Move forward as a
tribute to 73 coworkers who died on 9/11
• Share their diverse cultures through food
www.ext.vt.edu

18. Relentless focus on the…
“WHY?”
www.ext.vt.edu

19. “The mission is a core driver as to why I am passionate
about the work I do, and why I feel I am leading a bigger
movement and contributing to meaningful work.”
— Hickman & Sorenson, 2013, p. 65
www.ext.vt.edu

20. Simon Sinek
www.ext.vt.edu

21. Focusing on the “Why?”
• Will seem intuitive
• Fundamental shift in approach to engaging
volunteers and clients in Extension work
• Difficult change to make
• Will result in more engaged and satisfied
volunteers and clientele
www.ext.vt.edu

22. Golden Circle
Separates conventional
appeals from remarkable
appeals.
www.ext.vt.edu

23. Lighting the Path: Survey Data

24. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
The main reason I joined my organization is its
Purpose
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
Professional Growth
Work Environment
VCE Webinar
Participants
Team Members/
Coworkers
Job Opening/Available
Position
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%

25. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
The main reason I stay at my organization is its
Purpose
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
Professional Growth
Work Environment
VCE Webinar
Participants
Team Members/
Coworkers
Job Opening/Available
Position
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%

26. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
Description of organization’s purpose:
• “Provide research-based educational programming for
the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
• “To provide research-based education directed at
meeting the needs of residents in my community.”
• “To provide research-based, unbiased information/
solutions from Virginia's land grant universities to all
people in the Commonwealth.”
• “To develop formal and non-formal learning and
development opportunities that advance citizens of the
Commonwealth with a focus on Agriculture.”
www.ext.vt.edu

27. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
Commitment to/Ownership of the Purpose:
Respondents Who Agree or Strongly Agree
I am highly committed to
achieving my organization's
purpose.
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
My coworkers accept the
organization's purpose as
their own.
I accept the organization's
purpose as my own.
VCE Webinar
Participants
The organization's purpose
reflects my personal
passion.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

28. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
Taking Action Visibly or Invisibly:
Respondents Who Agree or Strongly Agree
Willing to work in either a
leader or team member role
to reach the organization's
common goal.
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
Willing to work in a role that
is not visible to people
outside to achieve my
organization's purpose.
VCE Webinar
Participants
Willing to work in a visible
role as a spokesperson or
representative to achieve
my organization's purpose.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

29. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
Rising Above Self-Interest:
Respondents Who Agree or Strongly Agree
I place our common
purpose above my personal
interests or desires, when
necessary.
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
My coworkers place our
common purpose above
their personal interest or
desires, when necessary.
VCE Webinar
Participants
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

30. Lighting the Path: Survey Data
Taking Advantage of or Utilizing Opportunities and
Resources: Respondents Who Agree or Strongly Agree
My coworkers know how or
when to make use of key
opportunities that make
achieving our common
purpose possible.
WordBlu
Democratic
Workplaces
My coworkers know how to
find resources that make
achieving our common
purpose possible.
VCE Webinar
Participants
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

31. Using Common Purpose in our Work
• Resonate with people’s values and sense
of themselves
• Provide inspiration for participants to use
their strengths willingly in leader or
follower roles
• Cultivate strong bonds that connect people
in pursuit of common purpose
www.ext.vt.edu

32. What is my role?
• Communicating why our work is important
• Recruit members that embrace the
purpose
• Facilitate strong relationship bonds
• Involve people in change process
• Foster collective capacity
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33. Possibilities for
Practice
Hickman & Sorenson, 2014
Figure 6.1, p. 79
www.ext.vt.edu

34. Create the Context
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35. Cultivate Purpose as Lived
Experience
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36. Generate and Sustain a Culture
•
•
•
•
•
Facilitate Selection of New Members
Foster Collective Capacity
Engage Members in Meaningful Work
Facilitate a Strong Bond or Relationship
Facilitate change
www.ext.vt.edu

37. Moving Forward
Webinar Evaluation:
http://bit.ly/EKKsurvey
www.ext.vt.edu

38. Thank you!
• Eric Kaufman
– EKaufman@VT.Edu
• Brad Burbaugh
– Burbaugh@VT.Edu
• Adam Cletzer
– Acletzer@VT.Edu
http://bit.ly/EKKsurvey
www.ext.vt.edu