Introduction to the Leadership Quomodo
Cur quomodoque ducere possumus, quo fine?®
Why and how can we lead, to what end?
What is Quomodo?
Quomodo is about the “how” of leadership which is often the most neglected aspect of both leadership theory and practice.
How do we take the theory and thinking on leadership and translate this into practice and to what extent can leadership have a real impact on socially desirable outcomes at individual, group, organisational and cross organisational levels?
This is what Brookes refers to as the Leadership Quomodo, the latter term originating from classical Latin, that describes the “manner, way or means” of doing something, in this case, leading in the public interest as its overall impact (or, to continue the Latin origins, its quibus auxillis). This has real promise for the further promotion of leading in the public interest. It is an interrogative term that asks (of its subject matter – in this case, leadership) – how, and in what way?
It is supported also by asking why (cur)?
These three Latin terms represent ablatives of the Latin terms quis and quid (who or what), as well as ubi (where) and quando (when). Together, the ablative terms describe the source from which an action proceeds, its cause or ideal source [of a leadership event], the instrument or agent of material sources [of a leadership action] and the manner in which, and sometimes the place and time at which anything is done.
Quomodo thus provides a distinct focus on the modus of leadership and brings back Rudyard Kipling’s six honest serving fellows with its accompanying ablatives
It is thus about the motivation for leading (why?), the intended outcome of the leadership (what end?) and, importantly, how will we lead?
Optional Reading
As background reading (optional), you may wish to read Chapter 16 of the Selfless Leader.
