The responsibility of Leadership can feel overwhelming, not least when all the literature, books and memes depict leaders as heroes. Heroes are expected to be, well, heroic. In safety leadership terms this means having all the answers, making the big calls, motivating people, being inspirational! Leading as a host is a more realistic proposition. Leading isn’t all about being front and centre. As a host leader its more important to know when it’s time to step forward and when it’s time to step back. This webinar aims to re-frame safety leadership utilising the host leadership approach and will provide insights into alternative leadership practices.

1. Safety Leadership,
Thinking as a Host

2. Current Paradigm
The Transformational Leader (Hero)…

3. For the Leader:
• Unrealistic expectations?
• Personality fit?
• Lack of competence?
Limitations of Hero
Leadership

4. For the People:
“If you treat people like followers, they will behave like followers.”
- David Marquet
Or in the words of the father of shared space traffic solution Hans
Monderman;
“If you treat people like idiots, they’ll behave like idiots.”
- Daniel Hummerdal, Safety Differently
Limitations of Hero Leadership

5. The Servant Leader

6. The Servant Leader
‘The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware.
Next comes one whom they love & praise.
Next comes one whom they fear.
Next comes one whom they despise & defy.’
Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 5th century BC

7. Different Perspectives
Leading as a host…

8. Different Perspectives
HOST??

9. Thinking Like a Host (Leader)
Host Leadership: Summary
Metaphor for Leadership
Six Roles
• Initiator
• Inviter
• Space Creator
• Gatekeeper
• Connector
• Co-Participator

10. Thinking Like a Host (Leader)
• Great engagement is the key to truly successful
leadership, and the secret to moving forward is
knowing when to step back… - Mark McKergow
• Like a graceful dance we are alternating between
stepping forward and stepping back
• This requires a change in the way we think about
leaders and their roles

11. Traits of a Learning Organisation
The Leader acts not as a hero but as a host…

12. Work as Imagined
Work as Done
Workers are masters of complex adaptive behaviour
Masters of the blue line
Work as Imagined vs Work as Done
Conklin & Edwards, 2018

13. Thinking Like a Host (Safety Leader)
Host Leadership
Metaphor for Leadership
Six Roles
• Initiator
• Inviter
• Space Creator
• Gatekeeper
• Connector
• Co-Participator

15. Some Inspiration
Some Inspiration
Mark McKergow & Helen Bailey (2014). Host. Six new roles of
engagement.
David Marquet (2013). Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of
Turning Followers into Leaders.

16. https://www.southpacinternational.com/hoplab/
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12132272/
https://www.youtube.com/c/HOPLAB

17. Thank you