Context is another counter-intuitive and not so obvious phenomenon. A context’s impact and power is comprehensive.
Context is the way in which we hold things, which by and large, is transparent to us.
Consider that everything comes with some context, whether or not we are aware of it. It is how we make sense of the world and thus enables us to survive. Some examples to support you so you can discover for yourself the power of a context.
A student or teacher in a university setting is a context that calls for certain behavior like study, teaching, taking turns talking, exams, laboratories, writing, memorization, taking exams, using computers, libraries, etc.
The same people congregating in a pub, make sense of the life an living in a much different way. Everyone mostly talks at once, music is on, and being unconscious is a more acceptable, there is nothing to memorize. The way of being and acting is different (distinct) than being in a university setting. The environment is a context for distinct set of behaviors and practices.
I interviewed people fluent in three or more languages with the idea that if I could get it to occur in the same way it occurs for them, it would be effortless for me as well. Learning languages seemed to me to be time consuming, difficult and generally impossible. I discovered that for the multi-lingual people that it simply occurred for them as fun, easy, entertaining and they were curious about other cultures. So I committed myself to having the same reality (occurring) as they do, whatever that would take. I have since taken up studying Thai, Arabic, continuing studying Russian and Ukrainian. I already have some Latin and Spanish. I may never completely master these languages but I am having fun playing with them and discovering what is there. I am able to connect with some to the native speakers already. They are encouraging, pleased that I am learning their language and are thrilled to teach.
Worlds are opening up that would not have opened up with my default context that learning languages is difficult and time consuming, so don’t even try. That is to say there is an effortlessness and entertaining to the learning.
To empower yourself in some area you want to produce results is to create an empowering context for yourself.
Consider a student learning algebra. If it occurs as hard, difficult, something they will never get. An astute teacher will go to work on the context to shift how algebra is occurring for the student. If a game could be made out of it. A reward system, encouragement, whatever it would take to alter how algebra occurs for the student, then the learning is transformed. For a challenged student, piling on homework to compensate for a sense of inadequacy only reinforces the context “this is hard, arduous labor”. The student is guaranteed to become someone who is “not good at math”.
Riding a bicycle, after getting the distinction ‘balance’ becomes part of who you are. You no longer have to think-about-it. If fact thinking too much gets in the way. Later we will discuss epistemological knowing (concept, theory, strategy, formula etc.) vs. ontological knowing (being a person who balances for instance). This page expands somewhat on how a context uses us.
Every situation comes with some context, whether or not we are aware of it, at the moment, which impacts our performance. Even more fascinating is the context for the present is the future! : click here for the context for the present is the future.
What makes us able to make the promise: ‘You will leave Being a leader and Exercising leadership as your natural self-expression in any circumstance’ is that we create a context that uses you. The Contextual Framework is designed in such a way that, once you discover it for your self it so-to-speak, uses you. That is to say, it becomes part of your natural self-expression.
Erhard, Werner and Jensen, Michael C. and Zaffron, Steve and Echeverria, Jeronima, Course Materials for: ‘Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model’ (October 4, 2022). Harvard Business School NOM Working Paper No. 09-038, Simon School Working Paper No. 08-03, Barbados Group Working Paper No. 08-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1263835 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1263835