The Bramstrup concept
"What we call the ‘Bramstrup concept’ is about bringing together divergent worlds that are often separated: the worlds of the leader, the consultant, the artist and the researcher – or however we may choose randomly to label each other. Achieving this, however, requires that we decline to follow two very common conventions: that of distinguishing theory from practice; and that of distinguishing art from leadership. It demands a realization that truly meaningful theory is actually a down-to-earth practice, and that genuinely useful practice is in essence theoretical. And it demands an acceptance that art – in its orientation towards the matter, it’s discipline, and by virtue of the power of its social vision – is not substantially different from the practical world of leadership, and that leadership, by virtue of its ability to work with a medium – social relations – does not differ in principle from art as regards imagination, goal-orientation, a sense for beauty, and an affinity with ‘mastery’.
Dialogue among these four worlds is essential. They have much more in common than they tend to believe."
Professor Ole Fog Kirkeby,
Centre for Art and Leadership,
Copenhagen Business School