A note of theory-decomposing on leadership-as-practice for MBA students

A note of theory-decomposing on leadership-as-practice for MBA students

 

Highlight 6 main ideas of Joseph A. Raelin's theory of "Leadership-as-Practice" and describe 2 claims of his view in terms of Toulmin's model of arguments.

Joseph A. Raelin’s Leadership-as-Practice (L-A-P) treats leadership as something that happens in the ongoing social practice of a group, not as a possession of a single heroic person. Six core ideas are: leadership is collective and relational, it emerges in everyday interaction, it is embedded in practice rather than in traits, it depends on shared meaning-making, it is shaped by social/material context, and it values democratic participation and co-creation.

Six main ideas

1.    Leadership is a practice, not a person.
Raelin argues that leadership is less about individual traits or fixed behaviors and more about what people accomplish together in a coordinated practice.

2.    It is socially produced.
Leadership emerges through interaction among participants, rather than being located inside one leader’s mind or role.

3.    It is embedded in everyday activity.
L-A-P focuses on how leadership unfolds through day-to-day work, routines, coping, and problem-solving.

4.    It is relational and collective.
The theory emphasizes interconnectedness, shared agency, and leadership that can occur beyond formal hierarchy.

5.    It is contextual and material.
Social and material conditions are not outside leadership; they shape how leadership happens within a specific practice setting.

6.    It leans toward democratic participation.
Raelin links L-A-P to leaderful and democratic practice, where multiple people can lead through co-creation, dialogue, and shared responsibility.

Toulmin-style claims

Using Toulmin’s model, an argument is built from a claim supported by data/grounds and justified by a warrant. Two central claims in Raelin’s view can be expressed this way:

Claim	Toulmin-style reconstruction
Claim 1: Leadership should be understood as a practice, not as an individual property.	Data/Grounds: Leadership is observed in recurring social interactions, routines, and joint problem-solving within groups. Warrant: If leadership consistently appears in collective action, then it should be theorized at the level where it actually occurs: the practice. Claim: Leadership is an emergent social practice.
Claim 2: Leadership development should be democratic and shared, not centered only on formal leaders.	Data/Grounds: Raelin’s later work stresses collectiveness, concurrency, collaboration, and compassion, and argues for co-creation by all involved. Warrant: If leadership is distributed across practice, then effective development should cultivate participation by many actors, not only those in authority. Claim: Leadership development should privilege leaderful, democratic participation.

How the argument works

In Toulmin terms, Raelin’s core reasoning is that the observable evidence of leadership lies in group practice, so the theory’s claim shifts leadership away from individualism and toward collective action. His democratic extension adds a second claim: because leadership is shared and enacted in practice, organizations should develop conditions that let many people participate concurrently and collaboratively.

A simple illustration: in a project team, leadership may move from one member to another as expertise, timing, and need change; that pattern supports Raelin’s claim that leadership is something the team does together, not something one person permanently has.

Clarify your ideas a bit more with reference to the MBA dissertation research theme of "evaluating the AI-enabled management innovation competence of the Hong Kong Banking Sector via the leadership-as-practice lens".

Joseph A. Raelin's Leadership-as-Practice (L-A-P) lens can sharpen your MBA dissertation by shifting focus from individual bank leaders' traits to how AI-enabled innovations emerge through collective banking practices in Hong Kong. This aligns with your pragmatism-oriented research interests in AI-driven competitive advantages in Hong Kong's financial sector.

Linking L-A-P to your theme

L-A-P views leadership as distributed across everyday interactions, which fits evaluating "management innovation competence" as a relational, practice-based capability rather than top-down skills. For Hong Kong banks adopting AI (e.g., for fraud detection or personalized services), competence isn't just about CEOs' vision but how teams co-produce innovative practices amid regulatory pressures from HKMA.
Your dissertation could use L-A-P to probe how AI tools reshape shared banking routines, fostering innovation through collective sensemaking and material changes like data platforms.

Applying the six main ideas

·        Practice over persons: Assess AI competence by observing team practices (e.g., cross-functional AI pilots in HSBC or DBS HK), not executive surveys alone.

·        Socially produced: Map how bankers collaboratively interpret AI outputs in meetings, revealing innovation barriers like siloed data practices.

·        Everyday activity: Study routine AI uses (e.g., chatbots for customer onboarding) to gauge if they build adaptive competence.

·        Relational/collective: Examine shared agency in AI ethics decisions, linking to Hong Kong's fintech talent shortages.

·        Contextual/material: Factor in Hong Kong's high-regulation, high-competition context, where AI hardware/software shapes practice.

·        Democratic participation: Evaluate if banks enable "leaderful" AI teams, promoting inclusive innovation vs. hierarchical rollouts.

Toulmin claims in your context

Claim	Toulmin reconstruction for HK banking AI
Claim		Toulmin reconstruction for HK banking AI
Claim 1: AI management innovation competence is a collective practice in HK banks.		Data: Observations of AI implementation teams showing emergent innovation in joint problem-solving. Warrant: Competence appears in coordinated action, so it resides in practice. Claim: HK banks' AI competence is leaderful practice, not leader traits.
Claim 2: L-A-P fosters pragmatic AI innovation for competitive edge.		Data: HK bank cases where shared AI practices yield outcomes like efficiency gains. Warrant: If practice drives results, democratic co-creation builds sustainable advantages. Claim: Apply L-A-P for evaluating and enhancing AI competence.

Research fit and methods

This L-A-P framing suits a pragmatist mixed-methods design: qualitative case studies of 3-5 HK banks (e.g., interviews on AI team dynamics) triangulated with quantitative surveys on innovation outcomes, addressing your prior themes like AI downsizing impacts. It provides actionable insights for HK banking leaders, emphasizing practice-level interventions for AI competence.

 

** also study the note on hybrid leadership.

 

References

Raelin, J.A. (ed.) (2016) Leadership-as-practice: theory and application. New York: Routledge.

Raelin, J.A. (2023) 'Leadership-as-practice: its past history, present emergence, and future potential', EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, 2(2), pp. 19-30.

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.