Foundations of Leadership Thought Part 2: Counter-Narratives to Hegel by Dr Richard Claydon.

Leaders shape systems. Then the system shapes the next generation of leaders. 

Whether you are aware of it or not, Hegelian systems building is a core element of today’s leadership discourse. Kegan’s Deliberately Developmental organisations has the same basic framework. So does Torbert’s Transformations of Leadership model. As does all developmental psychology. And new-age consciousness models such as Spiral Dynamics and Teal. 

Hegel’s design and thinking is undoubtedly brilliant. But it has some deep, dark flaws. In today’s Dialogic Drinks, we’ll peer into these dark cracks and see what is lurking there. 

• The Exclusionary Flaw | Hegel’s system lends itself to the exclusion of whole groups of people, forever silencing their voices and keeping them out of the sensemaking and decision-making process. We will look at who has been silenced historically, and who is being silenced today. Be forewarned and forearmed, some of the content in this section is the most racist I’ve ever had the misfortune to read.
• The Smugness Flaw | How do you change a flawed system when everybody in it is smugly certain of its innate superiority? How can you help people see and respond to the flaws when you have no power and they are happy in their ignorance? We’ll look at Kierkegaard’s deep struggle with just that problem.
• The System-Error Flaw | What happens if the flaws you see aren’t minor, but embedded throughout the system, making all actions harmful to human and systems wellbeing, and preventing healthy development? We’ll examine how Nietzsche wrestled with his belief that the whole Judeo-Christian system needed to undergo a revolutionary change, and why many believe Western capitalism was the answer. 

Dr Richard Claydon is the co-founder of EQ Lab, and the designer of the Future of Leadership module at Macquarie Business School’s Global MBA Program (ranked #6 globally by CEO Magazine).

He was awarded the highest achievable marks for a Ph.D in behavioural science. A Harvard Top-200 Management expert and business columnists for the Guardian newspaper have described this research as “a touchstone for the future work in management and organisation”, “outstanding in daring imagination” and “at the forefront of modern discussion and debate.”

Richard is a tier one tennis player, have coached tennis professionally, and also designed the tactics creator for the multi award-winning and world-leading management simulation, Football Manager.