What is a Facilitative Leader?
Facilitative leaders create organizations where engagement is the norm, collaboration is the vehicle, and higher levels of achievement are the result.
Unfortunately, many leaders continue to view their role primarily as one of setting direction, allocating resources, and putting in place rewards, support, and development systems that ensure their people stay focused on achieving that direction.
In the changing workplace, this archaic view of leadership is completely inadequate. More and more, employees are seeking to understand where their organization is going and to influence the paths taken to get there.
This shift in the workplace requires a new set of leadership skills. Leaders must know how to inspire people around a vision, foster trust, manage group interaction, build consensus, resolve conflict, and adapt their approach to the specific needs of each person they lead. They must be able to facilitate rather than dictate. This new direction calls for facilitative leaders.
Praise for 8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders
“If you want a great book that takes a facilitative approach to leadership, here it is! The 8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders offers practical and insightful strategies any leader can apply immediately. Read this book and learn the best ways to create engagement, buy-in, and alignment in your organization.”
—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level
“Michael credits me with teaching him to value thinking and communication preferences. He has written a practical guide to help you understand the behaviors needed to be highly impactful as a facilitative leader.”
—Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, chief thought leader and chair of the board at Herrmann, creators of the HBDI Assessment and Whole Brain Thinking
Michael Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, the largest provider of professional facilitators and facilitator-related training in the U.S. He is one of the widely-recognized leaders in the facilitation industry. Active in both the private and public sectors, Mr. Wilkinson has facilitated over 200 strategy sessions for major corporations, large government agencies, and a variety of non-profit organizations. He is a much sought-after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He has completed international assignments in over 25 international locations including Beijing, Geneva, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Milan, Moscow, Riyadh, Stockholm, Sydney, Vienna, and Warsaw. Past participants have commented that his dynamic presentation style, combined with his unique insights, make for highly engaging and results-producing sessions. Accomplishments - Board member of the International Institute for Facilitation - Founder of the FindaFacilitator database, with over 600 facilitators under contract - Founder and Global Project Leader for the IAF Facilitation Impact Awards, 2013-2016 - Inducted into the International Facilitation Hall of Fame in 2016 Sample of Experience - Facilitated the strategic planning process for the government of Jamaica which included over 120 industry ministers, private sector representatives, NGO officials, and community leads. - Facilitated over 100 players, including architects, designers, landscapers and electricians, who were involved in the $2.5 billion development of a new hospital complex, through a two-day partnering session to gain agreement on a set of goals, success measures, and operating standards. - Led the culture integration and values development for the merger of two of the largest construction companies in Australian and the UK. - Led the strategic planning process for a corporation with nine diverse business unit to identify strategic opportunities for investment and critical internal barriers to success. - Served as the master facilitator for a large urban city developing a 25-year strategic vision involving ten teams of 60-100 people, each focused on a key success area (e.g., housing, transportation, public safety). meeting monthly for 12 months.
