Saturday, June 16, 2012


For my team leadership course at Saint Louis University, we have been assigned the most remarkable text entitled Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy C. Edmondson of the Harvard Business School.

Among the myriad of research insights she presents, in my opinion, her discussion of cognitive frames is one of the most provocative questions for contemporary leaders that can be reflected upon. According to Edmonson (2012), "frames are interpretations that individuals rely on to sense and understand their environment" and she further adds that "most of the time, framing occurs automatically" (p. 112).

I think all of us have heard about self-awareness being the path to leadership development and the importance of self-regulation and self-control in our interactions with others. Nevertheless, the tacit acceptance of our frame of reference or worldview which we often assume is true, is certainly one of the most alienating cognitive processes that influence human behavior.

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