Chapter 3

The Knowledge Leader

1
 Introduction

• Knowledge leaders play an important role in

building effective knowledge communities
• They ensure the knowledge vision and
concepts are translated into real activities
and practice
• There are many different knowledge leaders
within a knowledge community

2
 Generic Attributes of the Knowledge
Leader

• Strategic visionary
• Motivator
• Communicator
• Change agent
• Coach, mentor, model
• Learning facilitator
• Knowledge executor

3
Roles of Strategic Knowledge
Leaders
 Roles of Core Leaders

• Manage staff and resources within local

operational units
• Put the strategic vision into practice
• Act as gatekeepers
• Need to see the value of knowledge
management
• May experience conflicting loyalties

5
 Knowledge Teams (1/3)

• Knowledge teams rely on interaction,

communication and the sharing of expertise
to achieve a common goal
• Each knowledge worker operates as both
leader and collaborator / contributor
• Teams require different forms of leadership
at different stages of their development

6
 Knowledge Teams (2/3)

Self-managed knowledge team

• Share the leadership, depending on stage of
development
• Dynamics of group need to be fluid and open
• Scope and timeliness of project need to be
carefully controlled

7
 Knowledge Teams (3/3)

Virtual knowledge teams

• Geographically, temporally or
organizationally separated teams
• Rely on technology to communicate
• Critical success factors include technology,
member training, team and organization
processes, leadership, leader and team
capabilities

8
 Knowledge Network

• Knowledge networks are important forms of

knowledge activity
• Enable access to expertise
• Assist in building more advanced knowledge
across the community
• Voluntary involvement
• Transient leadership roles

9
 Recruiting and Selecting Knowledge
Leaders

• Knowledge leaders need to be recruited

• Organizations need to accommodate the
different ways in which knowledge leaders
work
• Organizations may also need to consider the
core competencies it requires of all
employees as knowledge workers/leaders

10
 Concluding Points

• Knowledge leadership should operate

throughout the organization
• Each knowledge worker will provide
leadership at some point or other
• Different forms of leadership will operate in
different contexts and times
• Organizations will be strongly influenced and
changed by these practices, as new ways of
working and interacting occur
11
 Today’s focus questions:

• What do knowledge leaders do?

• How does leadership affect a knowledge
community?
• How does leadership support knowledge
teams and networks?
• How can good knowledge leaders be
identified and supported?
• Are you a potential knowledge leader?
– Lecture reference: Debowski, Chapter 3
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