Leadership in Unknown Waters

Book excerpt: Leadership in Unknown Waters invites organizational leaders and their teams to engage powerful questions amidst ambiguity and uncertainty as they move from the-way-things-were to an emerging future. This liminality, a threshold in space and time allowing for transition from something old to something new, is fraught with both difficulty and opportunity. Leaders, teams, and individuals who navigate this space skillfully will land in surprisingly dynamic places, encountering stories, metaphors, and inspiration for traversing the threshold not only competently, but with curiosity and confidence. In this way, futures are created that are not possible with fear-based planning or “quick fixes.” Withrow’s method intersects the human imagination through a visual, living metaphor (water), with attention to space (liminality, or transitional space), and focus on role (leadership development) for powerful engagement with what organizational learning theorists call “the emerging future.” Here, the theoretical meets the practical and research informs the “how to” and “why.” Diving into unknown waters with tools and wisdom can create a better future for all who face change, whether within corporations, not-for-profit organizations, faith communities, family systems, or interpersonal relationships.