Weick's view of leadership

I've always liked Karl Weick's work. His writing is engaging. He using intriguing metaphors, such as linking organizing with jazz. His 1969 book, The Social Psychology of Organizing, had a tremendous impact on organizational studies. In a recent article with Kathleen M. Sutcliffe and David Obstfeld, Weick elaborates on the notion of sensemaking in organizations. The authors argue, "Sensemaking involves the ongoing retrospective development of plausible images that rationalize what people are doing" (p. 409). They go on to discuss sensemaking as organizing flux, starting with noticing and bracketing, about labeling, retrospective, about presumption, social and systemic, about action, and organizing through communication. Interesting that a social psychologist in a school of business argues organizing is about communicating. If you'd like to read the article, here's the citation:
Weick, K. E., Sutcliffe, K. M., & Obstfeld, D. (2005). Organizing and the process of sensemaking. Organization Science, 16, 409-421.

So it's not surprising that Weick argues against traditional approaches to leadership. In Chapter 7 of the text the authors note that Weick reverses the "walk the talk" buzz phrase. Because Weick takes the stance that organization members engage in retrospective sensemaking--acting and then thinking--talking the walk may be more productive. In this way, leaders match their words to their actions, which may give them greater flexibility. Weick's concern is that if leaders have to match actions to words, then the words will be more cautious, less innovative, and less compelling.

~ Professor Cyborg