Knowing What, How, and Why: Attending Anew to the Tacit Knowledge/Skills on Which Leadership Competence Rests

• In Event: The Principals' Everyday Practice Examined

Abstract

Polanyi theorizes that ‘competence’ in the performance of a given task or role is a function of how adept one is in synthesizing two types of knowledge: knowledge that can be articulated ('let me tell you what and how I did it’); and ‘tacit’ knowledge that cannot (‘I can’t tell you what or how I did it, but watch as I demonstrate it’). Stated differently, humans ‘know more than they can tell.’ Building on these seminal ideas, this paper explores the ‘tacit knowledge’ on which working theories of leadership rest. It provides an incipient description of the content and character of this tacit knowledge and outlines strategies for surfacing, teaching, and increasing its acquisition by aspiring leaders.

Authors

• Bob L. Johnson, The University of Alabama

• David Brazer, Brazer Education Consulting LLC