Using Metaphor to Refine Leadership

Organization Metaphors Organizational Metaphors Read the article by Van Engen and discuss why he concludes that metaphors "give dimension to language." As with any literary device, metaphor is used to illustrate a complex idea and to increase the clarity of communication (Van Engen, 2008). Through the use of metaphor, the relative value of different factors is revealed; this function can be used to support decision-making and leadership (Van Engen, 2008).

Through metaphor, leaders can convey their ideas with ore lucidity and creativity -- which, from the perspective of those receiving the ideas (followers, say, or other leaders), lends greater validity to the ideas (Van Engen, 2008). Leaders who use metaphor may be better equipped to connect people to an organization's stories, memories, and vision (Van Engen, 2008). Metaphor imagery can color and advance the elements of an organization's culture (Van Engen, 2008). Discuss one the metaphors from Morgan's writings that applies to your own organizational context.

I selected Gareth Morgan's political systems metaphor because my experience with corporate organizations leads me to believe this is the dominant internal and external force shaping organizations today. A retrospective look provides ample evidence of times when religion or culture were the primary influences on organizations. Today, these influences have receded into the background, while interest-based corporate governance has taken on a decidedly political flavor.

Organizations do still give attention to elements associated with the other metaphors; for example, the culture metaphor plays an important part in shaping the face that organizations share with the community (Morgan, 2006). Frequent discussions and displays in organizations center on the values, beliefs, and mission that are held or professed (Morgan, 2006). Though my view may be somewhat cynical, it often seems that the elements of cultural metaphor function more as artifice than as guiding principles.

Even if these cultural elements are truly expected to be guiding principles, interest-based, political forces often eclipse culture. From the perspective of a leader/manager, discuss the benefit of identifying the functionality of your organization through the lens of the selected metaphor. What do you learn about your organization using that metaphor? When reviewing Morgan's metaphors, I found myself frequently coming back to the elements of the metaphor: Interests and rights, power, hidden agendas and back room deals, authority, alliances, party-line, censorship, gatekeepers, leaders, and conflict management (Morgan, 2008).

These elements were strikingly familiar, particularly as forces that drive decision-making in the organization. The interests of the various stakeholders of the organization are all over the map, but only a few select interests rise to the top -- to become part of the official agenda of the organization. As the funnel narrows and many stakeholder interests are weeded out, it seems that more hidden agendas take shape (Morgan, 2006). It is like squeezing on a balloon -- push in on the surface here and it pops out there.

The metaphor keeps this top-of-mind for an organization: There are only so many slots on the agenda, and ideology -- elements of cultural metaphor -- can easily be jettisoned for the more pragmatic elements of the political systems metaphor, as a way to ensure that what gets done is what is important to the most influential (politically powerful) actors.

What do you learn about your role in the organization through recognizing the metaphor at work? Weick (1988) proposes enactment theory as a way to represent how leaders bring structure to an organization and establish the existence of initiatives and objectives by setting them into action. Enactment theory seems to be a form of political systems metaphor, in that; actors can create limitations on a system that enables them to avoid certain issues or problems (Weick, 1988).

As a leader, the way in which I employ the political systems metaphor is a form of social construction that is highly.