Purpose

Uhl-Bien and Arena (2018) presented a persuasive argument for recognizing the concept of enabling leadership as a critical form of leadership for adaptive organizations. This study aims to narratively explore the concept of enabling leadership in the context of social complexity.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore how leaders enable adaptive processes, Uhl-Bien and Arena (2018) called for future research using in-depth case studies of social actors centered on emergence in complex environments. In this in-depth case study, the authors pursue theory elaboration by using a form of analytically structured history process to analyze primary and secondary sources.

Findings

During archival research of Whitney Young, Jr’s largely overlooked and misunderstood leadership in the historic social drama of the 1960s US civil rights movement, the authors discovered compelling evidence to support and extend the theoretical arguments advanced by Uhl-Bien and Arena (2018).

Research limitations/implications

The reflexivity associated with interpretive case approaches confronts the issue of subjectivism. The authors ask readers to judge the credibility of their arguments accordingly.

Originality/value

Using a relational leadership-as-practice lens, the authors interpret the dramaturgical performance Whitney Young, Jr directed to facilitate coherent emancipatory dialogue, affect the social construction of power relations and enable the adaptive space needed for social transformation to emerge.

中文翻译：

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赋能领导力：Whitney Young, Jr 作为美国民权运动的戏剧导演

目的

Uhl-Bien 和 Arena（2018 年）提出了一个有说服力的论据，认为赋能领导力是适应性组织的一种关键领导形式。本研究旨在叙事性地探索在社会复杂性背景下实现领导力的概念。

设计/方法/方法

为了探索领导者如何实现适应性过程，Uhl-Bien 和 Arena（2018 年）呼吁使用以复杂环境中出现为中心的社会行为者的深入案例研究进行未来研究。在这个深入的案例研究中，作者通过使用一种分析结构的历史过程形式来分析主要和次要来源，从而进行理论阐述。

发现

在对 Whitney Young, Jr 在 1960 年代美国民权运动的历史性社会戏剧中的领导作用在很大程度上被忽视和误解的档案研究期间，作者发现了令人信服的证据来支持和扩展 Uhl-Bien 和 Arena (2018) 提出的理论论点。

研究限制/影响

与解释性案例方法相关的反思性面临着主观主义的问题。作者要求读者相应地判断他们论点的可信度。

原创性/价值

作者使用关系型领导实践视角，解读小惠特尼·杨导演的戏剧表演，以促进连贯的解放对话，影响权力关系的社会建设，并使社会转型所需的适应空间得以出现。