Leadership for Learning - Users' Guide

documento 7 de 10

This folder focuses on the role of leadership in fostering and supporting effective sharing of knowledge. Authors have identified a variety of leaders and leadership styles that are necessary for creating a culture that values knowledge and the practiceof sharing it.

Not all leaders are found at the top of the organization. Rather, knowledge leaders are found throughout organizations and networks. Some provide incentives for sharing, others serve as champions or mentors. Still others lead by example, setting the standards for and helping others who are not yet as comfortable with knowledge sharing. The Knowledge Leadership article by Stacie Capshaw and Thomas M. Koulopoulos gives an overview of different types of knowledge leaders such as the knowledge analyst, the knowledge manager, the chief knowledge officer and the knowledge steward. This article is base on a report by the Delphi Group, which is summarized in the document titled Knowledge Leadership Study.

One topic where there is some disagreement is on the value of Chief Knowledge Officers(CKOs),who manage knowledge sharing from the top down. On one side of the argument, the Knowledge Leadership Study suggests that CKOs might inhibit the natural flow of knowledge through an organization by imposing a centralized, top-down hierarchy over it while stifling the lower-level leaders or knowledge stewards. On the other hand, Peter Senge suggests in Leading Learning Organizations that while an "Executive Leader" must be careful not to dominate the learning organization, he or she can play the role of champion, mentor and connector, as well as helping to foster a supportive culture. The article Knowledge Champions supports even more strongly the important role that a CKO holds.

Visual learners will appreciate two graphic representations of knowledge leadership, one of The Role of the CKO and the other of CKO Competencies and Skills.

Autor(es): Christopher Bennett