I'm Supposed to Dance with the One That Brought Me

Since attending a Juran seminar in 1990 on total quality management, I've been overwhelmed with opportunities to purchase books, attend seminars, rent videotapes, and subscribe to newsletters on Total Quality Management, Continuous Improvement, empowerment, work teams, quality circles, diversity, organizational development, preparing mission statements, and coaching. In addition, such traditional terms as leadership, management skills, performance appraisal, planning, and delegation now have modifiers connecting them to an additional list of books, seminars, videotapes, and newsletters.

Because leadership and organizational development is a field in which I have some interest, I'm able to sort the many topics into some semblance of order. I can only imagine the feelings of Extension administrators and others not as closely associated with this topic. Perhaps, their feelings are similar to that of Darryl Royal, the very successful former football coach of the University of Texas Longhorns. When asked what new strategies he'd use for an upcoming football game for the national championship, Royal responded, "We intend to dance with who brought us."

I believe Apps has done a commendable job of summarizing some of the problems facing current leadership and in describing leadership characteristics required in the "next age." This article, however, raises three concerns for me.

My first concern is that the mode of operation that brought many of our leaders into their current leadership positions included growth of the organization, flexible goals, employees looking to administration for key decisions, and working behind the scenes to gain support for budgets. To ask our leadership to change strategies in a time of budget battles is like asking a run-oriented football coach to pass on first down. The coach knows full well the team isn't skilled at passing. And, what about an Extension culture that has long valued the traditional view of leaders as special people who set the direction, make the key decisions, and motivate the faculty?1 Until recently, Extension had the reputation for providing a lifetime job. Employees, in turn, were loyal "running the football." It's time to clearly demonstrate to both groups whether next-age leadership is "nice or necessary."

A second concern relates to new ways of thinking. Rather than talk about new ways of thinking, let's talk about the value of its antithesis. Some old ways of thinking have been the basis for our existence.

Reading the 1926 Extension Service Handbook reminds one of the long-time emphasis by Extension on the importance of problem solving. The agent is told to clearly document the present practices being followed and the circumstances dictating those practices. The agent then should provide practical solutions for problems, including sources of supplies. In building a local program, the agent is instructed to work with community leaders to consider local problems and to arouse community interest in approving the program and to discuss ways and means of carrying it out.2 In today's jargon, develop a vision, clearly document present reality, and work with local people in adapting the vision to their situation. In sum, Extension has been conducting next-age leadership with clientele since it inception. I believe Extension must now apply the process to itself.

My third concern is "the vision thing." Lee reminds us that most organizations have a mission and vision statement.3 Most also have printed a list of organizational values. But how many are making real structural changes based on the organization's vision? The process involved in building a shared vision is a very powerful tool. Handled improperly, it can cause serious, if not fatal, injury to all who come in contact with it.

In conclusion, I believe that next-age leadership has taken the first step. It has provided a vision. The next step is to clearly describe the difference between that vision and reality. Then, perhaps we'll be prepared to answer: "What do I tell the one who brought me to the dance?"

1. Peter M. Senge, "The Leader's New Work: Building Learning Organizations," Sloan Management Review, XXXII (Fall 1990), 7-23.

2. U.S., Department of Agriculture, 1926 Extension Service Handbook (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1926).

3. Chris Lee, "The Vision Thing," Training, XXX (February 1993), 25-34.