The Power and Limitation of Leadership and Organisational Metaphors

Olaojo Aiyegbayo

Man as a storytelling animal

“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”

Jonathan Gottschall

Steve Denning

Metaphors

What is a metaphor??

“A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.”

Oxford Dictionary

Book’s Main Premise

Metaphors are powerful because …….

Perception

ActionM

etap

hors

Morgan’s Organisational Metaphors

• Organisations as Machines• Organisations as Organisms• Organisations as Brains• Organisations as Cultures• Organisations as Political Systems• Organisations as Psychic Prisons

Metaphorical Stem Activity 1

“My organisation is (like) ………………… because …………”

Complete with a metaphor that best describes your current organisation.

Organisational Metaphors: Sources

• Military Metaphors• Sports Metaphors• Religious Metaphors• Musical Metaphors• Family Metaphors• Biological metaphors • Ecological Metaphors• Cooking Metaphors• Medical Metaphors

Metaphorical Stem Activity 2

“ Leadership is (like) ………………… because …………”

Common Leadership Metaphors

• Leaders as Conductors• Leaders as Coaches• Leaders as Doctors• Leaders as Servants• Leaders as Warriors

The Limitation of Metaphors

Partiality of Insight

“The blind men and the elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe

Six Blind Men of Indostan

• Elephant is very like a wall• Elephant is very like a spear• Elephant is very like a snake• Elephant is very like a tree• Elephant is very like a fan• Elephant is very like a rope

“And so these men of IndostanDisputed loud and long,Each in his own opinionExceeding stiff and strong,Though each was partly in the right,And all were in the wrong!”

John Godfrey Saxe

“Any given metaphor can be incredibly persuasive, but it can also be blinding and block our ability to gain overall view.”

Gareth Morgan

Image Attribution

• Storytelling: http://goo.gl/b4os37 • Storytelling animal cover: http://goo.gl/4ZReTF • Steve Denning: http://goo.gl/tWlQYf • Magnifying glass: http://goo.gl/6s58QN • Moses: http://goo.gl/u0Ulu0 • Milk and Honey: http://goo.gl/MUiGmw • Metaphors we live by: http://goo.gl/vKTRwx • Images of Organization: http://goo.gl/As5rWm • Elephant: http://goo.gl/HLrV7m