Social Ecology in Holistic Leadership: A Guide for Collaborative Organizational Development and Transformation

Many managers and consultants have academic backgrounds in business administration and are trained in contemporary management methods that focus on decision making and economic efficiency. The question is: Are these academic methods the best to further the development of society as well as organizations?

Contemporary managers are looking for alternatives to traditional decision management tools, methods based on dialog which involve employees in the development process, methods which are more creative in their approach to decision making, methods which are more co-creative and collaborative, which in addition provide practical and holistic methods which can even be spiritually based. It is in this context that Social Ecology - the roots of which go back to the mid 1950's, developing further over the next 60 years - can be applied to leadership studies and their application.

Social Ecology can be described as a holistic way of working which strives to create balance in organizations and human beings. The basic intent of social ecological thinking is to develop individuals who take free initiative in securing sustainable/healthy development in their communities, based on socially responsible actions within the inner life of organizations and within their local communities.

This practical guide, with its sample exercises and seminars based on an understanding of social ecology, is a must for business students, managers and consultants.

Erik Lemcke is an Emeritus member of the Association for Social Development (ASD). He has also been a member of International Organization Development Association (IODA), co-founder of "GLOBENET3" as an international civil society organization (CSO) and was co-initiator of the "Transition Town" movement in Denmark 2009.