Book: Leadership on the line by. Linksy & Heifitz
What do Linksy & Heifitz mean by “being on the balcony” versus “being on the dance floor”? How does one move back and forth between the balcony and the dance floor? Why is this an important part of leadership? Can you think of a time when you were evaluating a situation “on the balcony” or “on the dance floor”?
2. Linksy & Heifitz talk about finding out where people are at (starting on page 62), which includes being a good listener. What connections can you make between what they say about listening, and what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks teaches us about listening in his chapter “To lead is to listen” (p.251-255)
Requirements: 350- 500 words
Answer preview
Heifetz & Linsky (2017) coined the term “being on the balcony” and “being on the dance floor” to refer to adaptive leadership. The authors outlined that leaders must have a clear view of their organization and understand where they are now and where they want to go. “Being on the balcony” means that a leader needs to take a step back to gain a clearer picture of the entire organization or team they are leading and the reality ahead. On the other hand, being on the dance floor” means the act of the leaders involved in the daily activities like supervising, delegating, and interacting with followers or employees, among other activities.
A leader moves back and forth between the balcony and the dance floor by stepping back from being involved in the organization’s daily activities to have a better, clearer, and broader picture of the entire process or initiative. It allows the leaders to understand where the entire team or organization is heading to. This aspect is important for a leader because it allows them to have a wider perspective of their organization and the direction its heading. I can recall the time,
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