Andrew Hoffman on models of leadership

September 30, 2016


“While you learn about the work that needs to be done to bring about a sustainable world, you also have to learn about how people change the way they think.”

In the article “What is Your Model of Leadership?” Andrew Hoffman describes the impact of leadership models in creating change. He explains how different leadership models are effective in different situations, and in light of that fact, he advises awareness and reexamination of one’s leadership model. In exploring the effects of different models of leadership, he openly ruminates, asking, “Are we trying to change ‘hearts and minds,’ or are we trying to make a point? Do we want to allow people a face-saving way to come to their own conclusions, or do we want to win, forcing them to acquiesce?”

Andrew J. Hoffman is a Faculty Associate of the Center for Positive Organizations and the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise and Education Director at the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan. The essay featured in the Huffington Post is drawn from Finding Purpose: Environmental Stewardship as a Personal Calling (2016) by Andrew J. Hoffman.