IASC member Randal Joy Thompson published a new book on emerging trends at the intersection of the commons and leadership. The book “Proleptic Leadership on the Commons: Ushering in a New Global Order”, published by Emerald Publishing, discusses what viewing the commons as a vehicle for new world order could mean for leadership.
Description of the book by the author
Capitalism is in crisis and, according to some, on the verge of collapse. Will this dying system give way to a commons-centric society as many scholars and activists predict? Will leadership become an antedated function, no longer needed in the self-organized, collaborative commons?
These questions inspired the author to explore the history of the commons movement, the recent systems frameworks that carve out a transformational commons path forward, and the leadership theories that honour the chaos and complexity of our times and encourage emergent change toward a more egalitarian society based on care, obligation, and collaboration. Viewing the commons as a vehicle for a new world order, the author proposes ‘proleptic leadership’, which envisions how leaders will continue to be essential in a commons-centric world as the custodians of responsible agency and conscious choice.
Mapping out how leaders can achieve higher levels of consciousness and traverse liminal space in order to be ethical and caring agents of change, this book challenges us to reflect on our commitment to creating a more nurturing future, and evaluate how our own qualities might help manifest, or perhaps hinder, that future.
About the author
Randal Joy Thompson is a scholar-practitioner who, for many decades, has lived and worked globally in international development. She is principal and founder of the companies Dream Connect Global and Excellence, Equity and Empowerment. She is currently a Fielding Graduate University Institute of Social Innovation Fellow. She is co-editing the forthcoming 2021 ILA volume Redefining Leadership on the Commons and has published many book chapters on leadership and peer-reviewed articles on women, evaluation, foreign aid, and education.
Thompson, R. J. (2020). Proleptic Leadership on the Commons – Ushering in a New Global Order. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. ISBN: 978-1-83867-800-5 (print), 978-1-83867-799-2 (online). Available here.
