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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 1 - Introduction to Leadership Theory |
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Activity: |
Overview |
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Leadership:
In 1806, a lyricist named
Jane Taylor wrote a famous, well-known, and delightful children's song:
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." We
generally associate this tune with the piano variation by Wolfgang Mozart.
Children are not the only ones who look up to the stars. It is a common trait
in the human race to look up at the stars--not only the ones in the skies, but
also individuals at the pinnacle of success in their leadership positions.
For more than 20 years,
Western society has been seeking out individuals who appear to be the brightest
twinkling stars of leadership to be CEOs of major companies and well-known
organizations. This is a drastic change from the former corporate leadership
experience.
In the early and mid 20th
century, leaders of companies were most often those who had risen through the
ranks of a particular business. They knew every hallway and broom closet and
all the inner workings of the company and the type of business they worked in.
In the 1980's, leadership shifted from the predictable climb of the corporate
leader to seeking out the brightest shooting star of corporate glitz.
Many of the leaders who
received the golden ring engraved with the initials "CEO" were selected on the basis of their charismatic
personalities and promising communication style. A distinct change occurred in
the boardrooms in the selection process of company leaders. The change has been
from seeking individuals who had in-depth knowledge of the business to seeking
those who had a particular charisma that boards of directors have thought could
be used to influence the employees, the shareholders, and the general public as
a whole.
There is a significant cost
and danger in seeking exceptional, charismatic individuals to lead businesses
and agencies from outside the business entity. First, exceptional individuals
from within are often overlooked for leadership positions, for two reasons:
they do not "twinkle" in personality, or they have established
loyalties that could hamper the transition of corporate focus. Since the
earliest times, people have been tantalized by the shine of promises, well
grounded. Over the last decade, we have seen a number of examples of stellar
personalities who were selected for major leadership positions, in great part
because of their association with other well-recognized corporate leaders. In
some cases, board members have selected a new corporate leader on merits not
directly related to the person's previous business accomplishments.
Great faith and trust has
been placed in these shining, twinkling leaders. Some of them have not been
suited for their assigned positions. In desperate times, individuals, governing
boards, and societies do desperate things. The more severe the business
environment is, the more likely that the board will seek a
messiah figure in whom to place great trust and expectations. With the
severe decline in corporate profits in recent years, boards of directors, Wall
Street, and stock holders have increased their intense interest in the leader
who is perceived to have superhuman powers to provide an increase to the bottom
line and to motivate the employees to participate in the leader's vision for
the business, at whatever the price.
The intense need for
corporate leaders to be wonder-workers places very
difficult expectations on companies and individual leaders. The leader wants to
succeed, and the corporation wants someone who can quickly perform miracles, despite
realistic assessment of the business situation. Boards of directors, analysts,
and stakeholders may place less consideration on the economic, social, and
interpersonal factors that influence and relate to the leader's efforts.
Experts in psychology and sociology often state that there is a tendency in
Western business culture to overestimate the influence of the leadership on the
results of the business situation or outcome. The success of the business
depends a great deal on a variety of factors, internal and external to the
corporation, that go beyond the control of the senior
executives of the corporation.
The selection of a leader by
a board is often a two-edged sword, since the directors want a fresh new
approach to the business leadership while also desiring to play it safe. New
methods of conducting business and altering the status quo are unsettling, at
the very least. The board of directors wants to be daring in leading a
corporation into a new era, but they are also highly aware that they need to
make sure that their selection is prudent. As a result of this mindset, the
board of directors will often select a person who is recognized as having
achieved the status of president of a highly recognized company.
Leaders and boards of
directors need to have a clear sense of what they expect from the executive
leadership concerning authority and power. In a leadership position,
particularly a new position, the leader needs to know what is expected
regarding the authority to commit to new actions. Additionally, the leader must
consider how this new action will affect the organization, constructively and
negatively, before implementing the directives. In order to do this, the leader
must not only have ideas about what changes need to be addressed, but he or she
also needs to listen to the community of the corporation to have a better sense
of what is necessary to enhance and advance the corporate endeavor. To listen
to the corporate community means that the leader needs to listen to the advice
and counsel of the workers and stakeholders and be
able to take that information and use it to influence and command future
movement and advances in the corporation.
The twinkling stars of
leadership have a great weight on their shoulders. The authority, power, and
legitimacy of the position will have a great impact on the present and future
conditions of the corporation. They must not only comprehend the situation
facing the company and the product environment but also must navigate through
the challenges of psychosocial issues that encapsulate the corporate field of
operation.
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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 2 - Leadership from the Trait and Style Perspective |
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Activity: |
Overview |
The House of Cards
Have you ever built a house
of cards? It is impossible to construct a house of cards with only one or even
a few cards. First off, you need a solid foundation, a good-edged deck of
cards, steady hands, and little or no breeze to blow down the house being
built.
In organizations, it is easy
and quick to look to the top to identify the leader. It might be assumed that
the leader solely carries all the burdens of the campaign the
agency is undertaking, or that the highest-ranking leader is the one
with all the knowledge, etc.
It is true that the leader
has a great deal of information and will be a major player in the
decision-making process. However, it would be erroneous to think that all the
research, contemplation of strategies, and technical considerations, etc., have
flowed from one person at the top.
The bulk of the information
flows to the executive(s), just as all of the cards in the deck contribute to
the effort of building the house. No matter what type or size of company or
agency is being considered, there MUST be a solid foundation of employees,
equipment, facilities that meet the smooth operating needs of the company.
Shaky foundations create shaky, unreliably constructed houses and businesses.
One way to develop solid
foundations is to look at the history of a variety of leadership venues,
including the military. Many of the world's leaders have been successful
because of military experience and the entire military force that made a
martial enterprise a success. This success was due, in large part, to the
supportive assistance of well-trained subordinates, able to make accurate and
decisive decisions at critical times. Such accurate and decisive decisions were
the result of good information and planning at all stages and levels of the
campaign. Good decisions are the result of thoughtful and deliberate insight
into the particular decision.
Good information alone
cannot be helpful to an organization unless it is used in a timely manner.
Great data on a buggy whip in 1830 is certainly not that helpful to a
corporation in 2003! The information must be accurate and timely in its
gathering as well as in its execution. Opportunities can be lost by lack of
good information or hesitancy in using the information received. Worse yet is
when there is poor or bad information or lack of insight in using the information
in a prudent manner.
Risk is an inevitable factor
in any leadership situation. There is risk at all levels, even in waking up in
the morning! Corporations and business leaders must know when and how to
moderate risk factors in such a way that they are used to the best possible
advantage. By understanding the risk factors and the people and issues
surrounding the situation, the prudent leader can, with the help of a highly
skilled team, reduce the consequences of risk and maximize the benefits. There will
always be trade-offs in dealing with risks; the goal is to tolerate acceptable
levels of risk while gathering appropriate information and executing prudent
discussions.
Building a house of cards
means that the builder must not only place the cards together in a fashion that
represents a house. He or she must also recognize, identify, and have the
appropriate skills to place individual cards in a formation such that they
support the other cards and are part of an interdependent collection of cards
that make a house.
In business, the leader who
is establishing or continuing to build a company or organization needs not only
technical information about the company product but also must have sound
information concerning the individuals who make up the company. If the leader
is to erect a product --a "house of cards"--he or she must know each
unit and assess each individual in the social context of their talents, skills,
abilities, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. In every social situation, there
will be social problems that will need to be acknowledged and addressed as
efficiently as possible.
To deal efficiently with
social problems, the effective leader must use his or her influence in order to
attain certain goals for the organization as a whole. Leadership must be
coupled with skill and knowledge of the situation as well as the people
involved. In knowing the situation and the people, the leader is able to
facilitate group maintenance, which will accomplish the identified goals and
tasks.
In every organization, there
are cycles of growth and expansion as well as cycles of change. A well-informed
and astute leader knows that the organization is made up of sub-groups that
collectively work together to achieve certain goals and objectives of the company
in regard to a product. This is achieved by technical skills as well as through
the social interplay of the different sub-groupings. In achieving
organizational goals, the leader must recognize the need for and the ability to
balance several inter-related facets. The leadership must first provide a sense
of balance and stability, while also introducing needed changes. While this is
being accomplished, the sub-groups need to work in a fashion that is conducive
to reaching the stated goal of the product development. This co-operative
functioning of the various sub-groups may be challenging, since different
sub-groups may bring different goals, methods, and agendas to the project. The
bottom line for any project is to produce a product while recognizing the various
situations, needs, and challenges of the individual team members.
This bottom line is
certainly not an easy or quickly accomplished endeavor for any leader. The
leader must be able to wheel around the minefields of often-volatile technical
and social environments within the corporation while staying on the defined and
selected path of goals and objectives. The immediate issues and goals must be
placed in the framework of the overall goals and objectives of the
organization. The leadership must take into consideration the needs of the
employees as well as the stakeholders. A major skill for the leader is to
develop consensus with all factions that affect the corporation, from
customers, shareholders, and government regulators to the workers on every shift.
The effective leader needs
to create a team of insightful and knowledgeable individuals who can explore
existing issues, challenges, and problems in order to design and implement an
initial plan of action. When this phase is completed, the leader's work has
only just begun. It is hazardous for the leader to consider that the issue is
resolved when the work is implemented. Complex issues are not resolved
overnight or with one set of decisions; complex situations call for continued
review and refinements. The more complex the situation and issue, the more need
there will be for re-visiting the issues and problems at regularly scheduled
intervals.
In order to be an effective
leader, the individual needs knowledge, not only about the product(s), but also
in such areas as conflict resolution, creative methods of informational
analysis and application in relationship to organizational schema, and formal
and informal networking of such schema. For effective leadership, the
individual needs to use a resource kit of different modalities, including
traditional understanding of leadership, as well as reason and knowledge, along
with experience and observation skills. Collectively, these different
approaches can support effective leadership.
Even when a leader is highly
equipped with talents, knowledge, skills, charisma, and influence, there is no
promise of the organization succeeding. Attention must also be given to the
ability or the incapability of subordinates to implement the instructions and
disentangle the problems facing the organization. Additionally, the wise adage
is true: "What goes in is what goes out." If the information that the
leader receives from subordinates is incomplete or inadequate, then the
leadership performance will suffer and be wanting.
Everyone starts out as a
private in life. Through years of experience, maturity, education, and the
development of knowledge and wisdom, the leader moves onward and upward in his
or her advancement in leadership ability. This advancement often occurs when
there is appropriate education and experience as a leader with creative
problem-solving challenges that can be reviewed in a mentoring environment.
Just as with a house of
cards, there are particular skills that are needed to construct such an
edifice. However, there needs to be more than just skill in placing one card on
the edge of another card. There also needs to be knowledge of how to construct
a house of cards, and the environment must also be conducive to the
construction.
The same is true in regard
to leadership. Leaders need more than just skill to navigate an organization on
a daily basis. They need knowledge of the organization, the staff, and the
environment, as well as mentors to enlighten and encourage during the periods
of quagmire and challenges that, in one way or another, face every
organization.
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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 3 - Ethical Leadership for the 21st Century |
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Activity: |
Overview |
These days, most successful
businesses have some sort of ethical model they expect employees to follow.
Depending on appropriate ethical rules can not only keep businesses and other
organizations free of lawsuits but can also inspire peace of mind and feelings
of trust within an organization's members.
Robert J. Spitzer says that
organizations are changing so quickly that thoughts about ethics are, at best,
a "gray area." This lack of clarity about ethics invites unhindered
rationalization—the ability to make any decision seem "right."
Spitzer argues that the only
way for an organization to maintain ethics is to return to principle-based
ethics. Without principles, he says, people base decisions on subjective and
ambiguous factors such as emotions, intuition, or a harms/benefits analysis.
But if an organization defines its principles, the principles form a firm base
on which to determine ethical actions.
When it comes to businesses,
capitalism is subject to criticism from an ethical perspective, says Edward
Aronson. To help a business and even capitalism succeed for the long term,
business leaders must earn the confidence and loyalty of their stakeholders and
the esteem of the larger society through ethical behavior. Aronson describes
ethical behavior simply as actions that are good as opposed to bad, or right as
opposed to wrong.
Aronson addresses three
styles of leadership: directive, transactional, and transformational. Directive
leadership runs as a continuum, from autocratic ("I am the boss and here
is what we are going to do") to laissez-faire ("Do whatever you want
to do").
Transactional leadership
involves exchange between leader and follower, so that each receives something
from the other.
The characteristics of
transformational leadership include influencing followers with a vision of a
better future; inspiring, not controlling, followers; and leading by example.
Transformational leadership generally is considered to be the most ethical,
since it focuses on empowering followers. But Aronson argues against the
implication that transformational leadership is ethical and other styles are not.
There are ethical directive and transactional leaders.
Ethical leadership does not
depend on the leader's choice of leadership style, but rather on his or her
moral development or the extent to which he or she is motivated by ethical
values when influencing others.
Christopher Michaelson ponders whether the field of business ethics is
philosophy or sophism. (Merriam-Webster defines sophism: "A specious
argument for displaying ingenuity in reasoning or for deceiving someone.")
A big difference between the philosopher and the sophist, he says, is
identified by the philosopher Socrates himself in the Apology 21d when
he claims to be the wisest man in
Michaelson points out that in most organizations,
ethics programs usually consist of a code of conduct (with key principles and
policies to guide behavior); training and communication to educate employees
about standards of conduct; and auditing methods to set, monitor, and enforce
the code of conduct.
The problem is that ethics
often are not measurable. How do we know we are ethically "right"?
Philosophers would not still be engaged in theoretical, philosophical, ethical
inquiry if they agreed that one theory had been proven to be "right."
There are no easy answers to moral decision-making, and Michaelson
says that people must continue to examine life and its moral dimensions
urgently.
Ethical leadership likely
will fail, says Michaelson, if it does not stand on a
strong philosophical foundation. He is concerned that many examples of business
ethics seem to:
· Suggest knowledge of what is
"right."
· Suggest that simple
· Suggest that ethics is a finite—not
continuous—process.
Michaelson concludes that business ethics is not
sophism, but that it is vulnerable to the charge that it is sophism in that it
seems to make unfounded claims of knowledge of ethical matters. He says that
business leaders would benefit from increasing investment in philosophical
wisdom and seeing the big ethical picture by examining an organization's
methods, motivations, and value to society.
Demand is growing for
businesses and other organizations to conduct their affairs with more regard
for ethical considerations. Thus, it is essential that leaders of organizations
earn the confidence of their followers and the esteem of the greater society by
acting ethically. But having top leaders act ethically is not enough—they most
foster ethical behavior at all levels of their organizations. Values drive
conduct, and an organization's leaders must possess values that do not just
enhance stakeholders' perception of the organization, but also lead to members'
greater effectiveness and efficiency.
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Unit: |
Unit 4 - Human Development, Leadership Development, Training |
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Activity: |
Overview |
In our fast paced world, we
have very little time for training, and there is limited money for staff
education. Individuals go to training and return excited at what they have
learned. In a very short period of time, they then seem to go back to the same
old tried and true behaviors that they learned a long time ago. What happened
to the new learning that they just received and employers have paid for? Was it
any good? Why was it not implemented? Why does the
sacred phrase, "We have always done it this way," still ring through
the hallowed halls of corporate institutions and seem to outlive current
education and training?
In the past, training was
done, for the most part, using the cookie cutter approach of having large
groups of individuals come together for a short period of time to be lectured
to and given a few quick opportunities to try the one-size-fits-all standard
information that had been poured into their heads. No one was considered any
different from anyone else. It was expected that all information thus instilled
would come out the way the trainers and employers intended. The problem with
this approach has been that it has not worked for many, perhaps even the
majority, of the individuals who have been through these training/educational
experiences.
The current understanding
individualized materials should be constructed for each person and their
personality, talents, interests, and abilities. So the corporate world must explore
new training methods by which potential leaders can acquire needed skills in an
effective, cost conscious manner that causes as little disruption as possible
to the corporate team.
To help an employee become a
more effective leader, individual training must be designed to consider his or
her personality, history, and personal values. Employees who have aggressive
personalities need training materials that will help them balance their
aggressive traits with a good dose of moderation. Others will be timid at the
thought of being a leader and will need confidence building and a large measure
of encouragement. Still others will have ambivalent thoughts and feelings
concerning the proposed or potential corporate leadership path, and they will
need to explore their understanding of what leadership is and how their
abilities can positively contribute to the betterment of the corporation and
themselves.
Different approaches to
leadership coaching and methods of individualizing leadership development
training will be implemented depending on the particular environment of the
company. Additionally, the company must train present and future leaders to be
effective in meeting the challenges of today's business environment instead of
running away, like Goldilocks did, when things do not fit just right or
conflicts arise.
After traditional leadership
training, attendees often try to implement aspects of what they have learned,
with negative results. Others who have received traditional training become so
overwhelmed by the prospect of initiating acquired leadership skills that they
become paralyzed; the very thought of such action tires them physically and
emotionally.
This is where the individual
coach is so important and an invaluable training asset in obtaining a positive
individual learning curve. One-on-one coaching opportunities concentrate on the
specific needs of the individual. Additionally, there is immediate remedial
action that can be taken, either for positive reinforcement of learning or to
correct negative behavior. The more the stumbling of trial and error is
avoided, the better the possibility that constructive learning can be
incorporated into the behavior patterns of the individual.
Many people are interested
in developing the necessary leadership skills to serve a particular
corporation. It is also true that there have been many who have been
overwhelmed with traditional cookie-cutter training, and the result is that
these employees run way, never to return either to the training program or to
the company.
In any given company, there
are individuals who are creative and capable of learning. Some of these persons
may be quiet stars who are not easily recognized as the darlings of the next
generation of corporate leadership. By providing opportunities for a diverse
group of potential leaders to explore their skills and abilities with a coach,
some of the "sleeper leaders" can begin to demonstrate their capacity
for the responsibilities of leadership. The principle training issue is to find
ways to maximize their learning by understanding their personalities and
methods of relating to others and to themselves. The company is greatly
enhanced by a diversity of individuals' constructive leadership styles and
approaches. The expansion of different cultural influences and lifestyles in
society is reflected in the employment pools. Not everyone has had the same
sort of life experiences, and this will present challenges to the contemporary
corporation.
It is well acknowledged that
individuals recreate what they have been taught. After positively emphasizing
individually learning in the coach-mentor training approach, the employee will,
through actions and values, model what he or she has learned to subordinates,
influencing further generations of leaders. In time, a department, division, or
company will work towards maximizing the talents, skills, and abilities of the
entire staff, so leadership is not something for the few, but for all, in their
own individual capacities, professionally as well as personally.
Designing educational
programs that take personality and human development seriously will increase
employee corporate retention and maximize the results of the training budget.
The bottom line for a corporation subscribing to this coach-mentor educational
structure is the need for measurable and positive results. For the corporation,
the leadership path would be much more productive and positive extended
retention of employees, well trained and capable leaders in a variety of
settings, and leadership styles that enhance the corporate setting.
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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 5 - Leader-Follower Relationship |
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Activity: |
Overview |
Of course, there are no
leaders without followers. And there are a number of theories exploring the
relationship of leaders to followers. We will explore three models
here—adaptive leadership, the leader-member exchange (LMX) model, and a social
identity theory of leadership.
Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie (2001) introduce the theory of
adaptive change, change that happens when people and organizations must adjust
to a radically changed environment. They argue that leaders who care for their
followers expose the followers to the realities of their condition and demand
that they respond—not by giving the false assurance that "Your best is
good enough," but by insisting that followers surpass themselves.
Heifetz and Laurie say that inducing people to
do adaptive work is the mark of leadership in this competitive world. Instead
of providing solutions to their followers, leaders must bring conflicts to the
surface and ask the tough questions.
Heifetz and Laurie offer six principles for
leading adaptive work:
· Get on the balcony. That is, see the big
picture; view patterns as if you were on a balcony. It does leaders no good to
be swept up in the field of action all the time.
· Identify the adaptive challenge. Get your team to understand the nature
of the threat.
· Regulate distress. Strike a balance between having people
feel the need for change and having them feel overwhelmed.
· Maintain disciplined attention. Diversity
is the nature of an organization. Get employees to confront differences in
values, procedures, operating styles, and power.
· Give the work back to the people. Employees tend to expect senior
management to meet market challenges for which employees are responsible. Get
people to assume greater responsibility.
· Protect voices of leadership from below.
Original voices often get silenced in organizations. Let these voices be heard.
Of the four attributes studied,
attitudinal similarity and introversion/extraversion were significantly
correlated with leader-member exchange level. Attitudinal similarity had the
strongest association with the quality of leader-follower exchanges. The study
also found that extraversion was positively related to leader-follower exchange
level.
Michael A. Hogg wrote an
article on "A Social Identity Theory of Leadership" in which he
describes this theory as one that sees "leadership as a group process
generated by social categorization and prototype-based depersonalization
processes associated with social identity.(2001)"
Over the past 25 years or
more, social psychology has not emphasized the study of leadership. Thus, the
study of leadership has not benefited from some of the recent conceptual
advances made within social psychology. Yet most who study leadership realize
that leadership has to do with relationships (that is, leaders exist because of
followers and followers because of leaders). Recently, this realization has led
to change, and valuable and interesting studies are underway.
Hogg (2001) says that
leadership is about how some individuals of cliques within groups have more
power than others to influence and set agendas, define identity, and encourage
people to achieve collective goals. He says there are three core processes that
operate together to make "prototypicality"
an increasingly influential basis of leadership processes to increase social
identity salience, or prominence: (, social attraction, and attribution and
information processing.
· Prototypicality—Group members conform to, and are influenced by, the
prototype. Within a group, there is a perception of differential influence, and
the most prototypical person seems to influence less prototypical members.
· Social attraction—Leadership does not just entail
passively belonging to a group; it involves actively influencing other people.
The social attraction process is one method that makes this possible. A group
member who is the most prototypical may acquire, in new groups, or possess, in
established groups, the ability to actively influence because he or she is
socially attractive. This attractiveness makes it easier for him or her to
elicit compliance with his or her suggestions and recommendations. Thus the
most prototypical person can exercise leadership by having his or her ideas
accepted more readily than others' ideas.
· Attribution and information processing—Attribution processes work within groups
to make sense of people's behavior. In groups, the behavior of a highly
prototypical member is likely to be attributed to the person's personality—not
the prototypicality of the position that member
occupies. As a result, group members believe the highly prototypical member has
a charismatic leadership personality that separates him or her from the rest of
the group.
Leadership is not the
responsibility of a few or a once-in-a-while occurrence. No matter what model
you look to for leadership, followers look to their leaders every day, and
leadership must take place every day.
Heifitz, R., & Laurie, D. (2001). The work of
leadership. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 131-141.
Hogg, M.
(2001). A social identity theory of leadership. Personality &
Social Psychology Review, 5 (3), 184-201.
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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 6 - Transformational Leadership as a Shifting Paradigm |
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Activity: |
Overview |
Remember the children's song
from years ago that talked about how each part of the body connected to the
rest of the body? (The knee bone's connected to the
thigh bone; the thigh bone's connected to the…..-yes, that is the one). Each
component of the body has a vital and significant contribution that is not only
functional in and of itself but also is a contributing
factor for the efficient working of the entire body.
In transformational
leadership, the followers and transformational leader are interwoven: they
cannot be separated without consequences to all concerned. In that solidified
bond, the leader assesses the followers' needs, motivations, and interests. In
meeting these needs, the transformational leader has influence on the broad
holistic frontier of the corporation but also on the specific attempts to
influence a particular segment of the business. Just as each level of the body
helps the entire body, the same is true for the way in which the
transformational leader raises the motivation and the morality of all
concerned, and they are able to become more than the sum of their parts. In the
process of engaging the staff of an organization, the transformational leader
transforms and expands the ability of not only the staff but also the leader
him- or herself.
In order for a body to go
beyond the functions of the individual parts so that the entire body functions
closer to its potential, the staff and the leader need to work in a
synergistic, goal-oriented manner. A transformational leader must inspire the
individual component parts of the organization in such a way that the staff is
motivated to exceed their general contribution levels. To do this, the
transformational leader needs to help lift the level of the staff's
consciousness so all are clearer about the goals that need to be met as well as
the importance and value of these goals. This is only one facet of the
transformational leader's responsibilities. The transformational leader is
called not only to help expand the goals of the corporation, but to do so in
way that meets the needs of the individual employees as well. The
transformational leader must be more concerned about the staff's needs than
their own.
Throughout the entire tenure
of the transformational leader, he or she needs to be highly focused on the
development and performance of the staff to help them maximize their potential.
To do this, the transformational leader needs to have a charisma that
influences the staff of employees and colleagues beyond their primary area of
prescribed influence. Transformational leaders need to develop within
themselves a strong role model of leadership that is conveyed to the employees
and beyond. Such leadership has strong self-integrity that generates confidence
and respect from the staff. This self-integrity is based on exceptionally high
ethical conduct derived from a solid moral foundation. From this strong moral
and ethical foundation, the transformational leader lives out these convictions
with genuine and mutual trust and respect of his or her coworkers and staff.
Within a milieu of trust and respect, the transformational leader is able to
provide the staff with a clear understanding of mission and vision in which all
can participate and achieve for the good of the organization. The
transformational leader needs to express the shared vision and mission in a
manner that is both informational and inspirational. It is very important that
there be inspirational motivation so that the staff and the leader can aspire
to go beyond where they have ever been before in accomplishing the necessary
tasks before them.
It is not enough for the
leader to inspire. This is only part of the equation. It is not enough for a
person or a department to have adequate information and knowledge to "do
their job." For an individual or an organization to achieve their maximum
potential, there is an intense need for intellectual stimulation.
This intellectual
stimulation needs to enhance the individual employees personally. Such
intellectual stimulation can only be genuinely obtained and customized to the
particular situation and department when employees are uniquely appreciated and
individually considered. The transformational leader needs to know their gifts,
talents, strengths, interests, and limitations, as well as potential growing
edges, in order to effectively distribute and delegate assignments. The
transformational leader does not operate from a hierarchical platform but from
a linear approach that coaches and advises individuals and groups. This is the
essence of the difference between transactional leadership and transformational
leadership. In transformational leadership, the leader operates out of a
personal and professional intention for the betterment of the individual, the
assigned group or department, the organization as a whole, and the community
beyond, which they ultimately serve.
The achieved rewards go
beyond the traditional carrot of bonuses, parties, prizes, etc. The rewards are
much deeper, more long-lasting, and internally and collectively satisfying,
including a profound sense of satisfaction in a task exceptionally well done,
new skills mastered, and self-confidence in personal and professionally
identified areas.
In order for
transformational success to occur for both the leader and the staff, the
relationship must be fluid enough for there to be recognition of the need for
change. This is especially true regarding fast-paced transitions in technology
and world or community situations.
No matter what the industry,
the organizations of today face the rapid increase of knowledge and technology.
Transformational leaders need to be constantly aware of the advances in
technology and new thoughts and approaches to their particular industries'
situations, serving as information antennae and research satellites who receive the plethora of new information and then have
the ability to synthesize it for the betterment of their departments and
organizations. New technology and organizational information are also necessary
"bones" in an agency. So often leadership is so micro-focused on the
presenting challenges and circumstances of their business that they do not
either see or take the time to see the changes \presently confronting the
organization (or the ones on the horizon). Transformational leaders need to
recognize the need for changes in their discipline as well as how they can
address the needs of others in the community they serve.
Change is difficult for many
people. Individuals, and society as a whole, are subjects of habit. The most
famous and sacred words in most organizations are, "but we have always
done it this way," a sort of mantra that keeps the monster of change away.
Transformational leaders need to be catalysts for change. This role of the
transformational leader is not easy or appreciated much at the time. The
transformational leader must be willing to be an agent of change while being
able to deflect the arrows of outrage that often accompany significant (and
even, at times, moderate) changes from the habit-comfortable staff.
Change requires the sincere
ability to hear and respect the opposition and their opinions, even when those
opinions are not shared by the leader. In doing so, the transformational leader
is modeling for the staff the ability to receive and evaluate the opposing
information in such a manner that the nugget of truth that is found in each
person's opinion can be valued. Once the staff cognitively and emotionally
realize that differences of opinion are appreciated and respected then there
will not only be willingness to share opposing viewpoints but that in doing the
process of change no matter how uncomfortable the process and leader will be
trusted. When there is freedom of respectful expression of ideas as well as
trust for the leadership and change process there is greater possibility for
there to be positive and productive solutions to changes being experienced. In
living out the role of change in an effective manner, the transformational
leader is able to live in and through the organization as a transformational
agent of change and enhancement. When a leader lives out their own positive
paradigm of values and worldview they are then able to help shape and interpret
the organization in such a fashion that such leadership benefits all.
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Unit: |
Unit 7 - Leadership in the 21st Century and Beyond |
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Activity: |
Overview |
The command-and-control
leadership style is no longer the most effective (if it ever was), according to
many authors who have written on the subject. So what are effective leadership
styles for this new century?
In the government, people
will need to let go of their need to predict and control outcomes and
employees, say Betty Roberts Stage and Mahnaz A. Dean
in an article for the PA Times. Overall, governmental leadership is
becoming similar to leadership in the private sector—both face ever-changing
environments.
Thanks to the information
era, organizational hierarchy is largely moot in the government and elsewhere.
Information technology, particularly the Internet, makes boundaries disappear;
thus, boundaries for leaders are also disappearing. In this new era, public
organizations are called to have a more open culture.
As things stand, leadership
within governments is thought to be based on linear thinking, which thwarts
creativity, say Stage and Dean (2000). Instead, government leaders should
embrace nonlinear applications to organizational leadership.
Stage and Dean (2000) say
that nonlinear thinking teaches that behavior stems from interactions among and
between constituents over time. This is opposed to linear thinking, in which we
search for a direct cause and effect closely linked by time or space. Stage and
Dean indicate that it may be time for leaders to focus on relationships and
processes, rather than the need to control. In the 21st century, leaders will need
to adapt from commanders to facilitators for organizations to successfully
change.
Janet E. Lapp (1999) offers
two new leadership models: New Wave and Charismatic.
New Wave leaders:
1. Get excited and are
passionate about the future.
2. Create a vision and
translate it daily, so employees can make decisions based on the vision.
3. Determine where to go,
not how to get there.
4. Stay close to employees,
dealing with problems on the front lines.
5. Strengthen leadership at
all levels.
6. Are interesting people.
Lapp defines charisma as
"the ability to get others to endorse your vision and promote it
passionately" (PAGE).
Charismatic leaders:
1. Reduce complex ideas into
easy-to-understand messages.
2. Are optimists and connect
with and inspire others.
3. Are empathetic, seeing
things from others' view points.
4. Push people to achieve.
5. Focus on emotional
issues, communicating values and ideas.
Michael G. Winston,
Motorola's vice president and director for Global Leadership and Organization
Development, says that Motorola's excellence is based in its ability to
innovate and to invent new, related technology applications as fast as older
ones become everyday, "everyone" products. In short, Motorola is
successful because it continuously renews itself.
Motorola emphasizes three
key principles:
1. Leadership of renewal: Motorola's ability to conceptualize and
manage change—to increase its capacity for change—is a competitive advantage.
Motorola juggles two management priorities: making the most of its core
business while continuing to renew the company with new products, technologies,
and people.
2. Renewal of leadership: The company focuses on foresight
measures—performance planning and enhancement—rather than performance
appraisals, which are hindsight. Associates are involved in feedback about
their strengths and development needs not only from managers, but also peers,
subordinates, and customers.
3. Thinking the
unthinkable: Motorola
encourages and rewards people who engage in counter-intuitive thinking. That
is, people who have ideas that stand out from the crowd and challenge
conventional wisdom.
Contrasting with Motorola
are Swedish vicars, according to a study published by Jon Aarum
Andersen.(2000) Andersen asked the question,
"What impact do managers have on successful implementation of
organizational change?" He suggests a model to assess managers' strength
to initiate and implement organizational change and development.
The model is based on four
concepts: leadership style, managerial decision-making style, power motivation,
and operation demands. Four change factors also were considered:
change-centered leadership style, intuition, power motivation, perception of
change, and development operation demand.
Andersen tested the model on
153 vicars, each of whom faced a radical change—the
Andersen used questionnaires
to gather data on the variables of leadership style, decision-making style,
motivation profile, and operation demands. The study supported Andersen's
hypothesis that very few of the vicars (as managers) had the propensity or
strength to begin and implement organizational change.
Andersen says that it may be
possible to use his model to assess managers' capabilities to initiate and
implement changes in other organizations about to undergo major changes. Yet he
admits that there are many theoretical limitations, in that his model does not
include subordinates' behavior and potential, among other factors.
References:
Andersen, J. (2000). The
weight of history: An exploration of resistance to change in vicars/managers. Creativity
& Innovation Management, 9(3), 147-156.
Lapp, J. (1999). New models of leadership. Executive Excellence, 16(6),
20-21.
Stage, B.,
& Dean, M. (2000).
Leadership in the 21st century- Uncharted waters or same
drip. PA Times, 23(7), 4.
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Unit: |
Unit 8 - Internalization of the Leadership Challenge |
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Activity: |
Overview |
When it comes to personal
leadership, many people—like the proverbial ostrich—have their heads in the
sand. Whether in relationship to being change-resistant or viewing an
organization in an outdated way, people as individuals and in organizations
often have room to develop personal leadership skills.
Although we cannot control
the world around us and how it is always changing, we can control how we
respond to change. Are you continuously changing, or do you set yourself up to
be a victim of change? Developing personal leadership skills is a never-ending
process, and one that calls for us to change.
In his book, Growing the Distance: Timeless Principles for
Personal, Career, and Family Success (2000), Jim Clemmer
says that, whether at home or at work, how we respond to change determines our
personal and professional growth as leaders.
It is easy to tell others
that they are resisting change, but can we recognize or admit our own resistance?
If we are looking for stability and predictability, we probably see change as a
threat and, therefore, become change resistant. In this case, we are more
likely to become victims of the changes from which we are hiding. In contrast,
if we continuously seek new challenges, we see most changes as opportunities to
grow.
Sometimes change is a result
of our own action, or inaction, Clemmer asserts. What
we see as sudden changes are actually the next step in a series of activities
that we have helped to create or allowed to progress.
Leadership is not a
position, it is an action. Not every high-level manager within an organization
is a leader, and people at the lowest levels of a company or other group can be
leaders.
How do we lead? By going in advance to show others the way, by guiding or directing
actions, and by influencing others' opinions or behaviors.
When it comes to developing
personal leadership skills, no matter how "evolved" we are, our work
is never done. The core theme of Clemmer's Growing
the Distance is that the most effective leaders are well rounded and
continuously expand their personal leadership in these seven areas:
1. Focus and context—Seeing
possibilities, rather than just "what is."
2. Responsibility for
choices—realizing that choice determines circumstances, not chance.
3. Authenticity—exploring
our inner space.
4. Passion and
commitment—Overcoming apathy and cynicism, developing a commitment to a cause.
5. Spirit and
meaning—leading from the heart.
6. Growing and
developing—enabling continuous growth by cultivating reflection and renewal,
experimenting and practicing active learning, and developing people.
7. Mobilizing and
energizing—creating high-energy environments, improving communications, and
building teams.
Robert Dickson, author of
the article "Culturing Personal Leadership (1995)," also has some
ideas on how to develop personal leadership skills. He believes that in the
organizations of tomorrow, workers will be seen as not just property but as
assets who lend their knowledge to organizations. To attract, retain, and
harness this knowledge, organizations will need to create an environment that
enables personal leadership.
Dickson (1995) has a formula
for creating a corporate culture that is creative, enterprising, and sustainable.
The organization:
1. Must
have a clear vision that engages its workers, then must enable workers to grow
and apply their knowledge.
2. Uncovers and highlights
workers' capabilities and rewards learning and growth.
3. Helps workers to understand
their own capabilities and talents to determine the "economic value"
they bring to the organization.
Organizations, like
individuals, often find change difficult because they have a vested interest in
the patterns that have gotten them where they are. Traditionally, organizations
have relied on the command/control management model—those at the top
accumulated knowledge, and instructions were filtered downward. This model does
not necessarily work for an organization in which 80 percent of employees have
the knowledge and know-how, and decisions must be made quickly and at every
level.
Instead, leading and
coaching is likely to be a more workable model in the know-how organization.
The tools necessary for leading and managing are available in personal leadership.
According to Dickson, (1995,) here is how the process of personal leadership
works:
· Decide to become the driver, not the
victim, of your environment.
· Define the essence of who you are and
what you want to become.
· Develop an abundant mentality. Recognize that you have unlimited
alternatives for development.
· Gain responsible independence. Make choices about the results you want
to create.
· Develop effective interdependence. You achieve the most when you combine
your efforts with those of others.
Although our world
continuously changes, we can depend on sound principles of personal leadership
to get us—and our fellow employees—through the changes. Not only can we survive
change, but also we can use it to make us and others thrive.
References:
Clemmer, J. (1999). Growing
the distance: Timeless principles for personal, career, and family success.
Canadian Manager, 24(2) 10-13
Dickson, R. (1995). Culturing personal
leadership. CMA Magazine, 69 (1), 10-15.
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Unit: |
Unit 9 - Spirituality and Contemporary Leadership |
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Activity: |
Overview |
Many of you will recall the
old song "I've been working on the railroad, all the live-long day…."
Many in corporate
At one time or another, many
in corporate
In the eyes of many
executives, leadership is equated with burn out and stress. There are surveys
that list the 100 worst corporations to work for; many executives may feel that
their company should be ranked #1 on that list.
There is good news for
overworked and overstressed leaders and their staff, in every business and
organization, big and small. There is a way to be highly effective in the
business arena as well as a happy and healthy individual. The stress-and-strain
pressure-cooker of the corporate environment can be replaced with avenues of
health and enjoyment. The individual is no longer thought of as an additional
piece of company equipment that can run without stopping. Even machines need
preventative maintenance to function at peak performance.
For the individual, four
components of preventative maintenance must be considered, starting with the
physical foundation.
The second area to be
considered is the mental and emotional component of life, a critically
important aspect of a leader. In a corporate world of hard facts and concrete
materials, it seems incongruous to think of the mental and emotional side of
life. Grandmothers for centuries have espoused the adage "learn something
new everyday," but ruts often feel comfortable because of the familiarity
of the surroundings. The comfort of ruts produces high levels of
ineffectiveness. Mental and emotional balance needs to be emphasized and made a
priority in life. Time must be carved out of the busy schedules in order to
learn more professionally and personally. It is a fallacy to think that an
effective leader is only one-dimensional. A genuine leader is a whole person
who can balance and incorporate time management, discussion making strategies,
and emotional well-being into a busy life. The rat-race of corporate life is demanding,
and thus it demands the ability to pace oneself. This means that every 90
minutes or so there needs to be a change in physical, mental, and emotional
activities in order for the psychophysical balance to recover adequately for
the next issue at hand. This recovery opportunity does not need to be long; it
needs to be consistent for optimal performance of the human body and brain.
The third area is social;
again, an important area for the humanistic leader. Many look at the social
component of life as a luxury that is enjoyed when all duties and
responsibilities are completed; this is a misconception.
As human beings, we are
social animals. It is morally and ethically wrong to sacrifice social needs for
the professional component of our lives. Often companies express the sentiment
of the "company as family." This places a great deal of pressure to
choose the company as family over or instead of our biological families,
friends, or significant others. When the company is the professional's "be
all and end all," something is terribly wrong. Harry Chapin's famous song,
"Cat's in the Cradle," tells the story of a businessman who values
his professional obligations over spending time with his son. He misses out on
playing ball, sharing talks, and quality time together. In the evening years of
this executive's life, he realizes, much too late, how much he has lost. The
social component of our lives is as important as the professional corporate
component. Being with loved ones in a positive, constructive environment is as
enriching and fortifying as landing the big contract or the employee of the
year award. In fact, the social rewards are life-long, while the other is
temporary.
The fourth aspect of a
well-developed life is the spiritual component. This is probably the least
attended-to component of the leader's life, but one of the most important.
"Spiritual" means different things to different people, and no two
individuals will practice or participate in spiritual development in the same
way. Spirituality is the way of the inner self, the journey to the core of the
person. This can be experienced in formal religious rituals and practices as
well as in non-traditional methods. Touching the sacred within the quiet part
of an individual life is the goal of this component. In the busy and fluxional
enterprises of corporate experiences, we wear many hats (and even different
masks) for clients, co-workers, boards of directors, competitors, etc., to such
an extent that the essence of the genuine person is sometimes lost. So many
expectations and assumptions have been placed on us, by others and ourselves, that we lose sight of who we really are and want
to be. Time apart to reflect, muse, and consider who we are and who and what is
important to us is vital to a healthy and whole self.
Throughout this
presentation, numerous quotes from diverse sources have been shared. This was
intentional to demonstrate and model the need for a diverse frame of reference
on developing and sustaining a healthy and whole life.
Consider for yourself what
have you fortified your life with in the past two years. Have you taken time
from your work and academic reading to delve into a personally enhancing book,
whether it be on landscaping, poetry, meditation, or
how to improve your golf swing? Review your appointment schedule/calendar for
the last two years. Mark in pink all appointments that relate to work; yellow
for all that represent health and exercise; green for family, friends, and
social outings; and blue for spiritual development. Count each
color identification (which has the most, the least, etc.) Now look at
your present calendar for this year and the next twelve months. Do the same
color-coding, and count where the emphasis is planned and what is missing or
needs attention. When all this is completed, ask yourself, "Is this an
example of a healthy, well-balanced life? Is this how I REALLY want to live my life?" If it is, then TERRIFIC! If it
is not – you still have time to make changes. You have the power,
responsibility, and privilege to switch tracks and work on a railroad of a
healthy and balanced life.
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Unit Presentation |
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Unit: |
Unit 10 - New Trends and Virtual Leadership Theory |
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Activity: |
Overview |
Today's fast-paced
environment requires that people and organizations develop the ability to adapt
to pervasive change and upheaval (Conger, Spreitzer,
& Lawler, 1999). "Cutting-edge technology, the triumph of capitalism
over communism, a burgeoning global economy, a billion new entrants to the
global workforce, and a surplus of products all feed into an environment that
is highly competitive and fast-changing" (p. xxxi). The key to successful
organizational change is heroic and learned change management by competent and
visionary leaders. Change can be managed in a top-down style or as a highly
participative exercise from all levels of personnel. Change is
context-specific, meaning that no single change process is appropriate for
every situation or corporate entity.
Leaders are responsible for
setting the context for change within an organization. A culture and vision
must be cultivated that can support the planned changes and deal with unplanned
change. Envisioning, energizing, and enabling are all important strategies for
rallying support for change initiatives. Leaders must be able to counsel,
teach, coach, and reward employees as they adopt and move through the change
process. For lasting change to occur, habits, attitudes, and values at all
levels of an organization must be congruent with the vision and goals inherent
in the process. Transformative leaders share fundamental characteristics that
allow them to enable organizational members in the change process (Conger, Spreitzer, & Lawler, 1999). They are able to generate
the energy needed to undertake the change process, use vision to lead, have a
total system perspective, and create a sustained process of organizational
learning embedded in a systemic change implementation process. "They must
create a transformative process architecture to
orchestrate the passage from current to vision state" (p. 225). As success
in the transitional context of change is experienced, comfort and preparedness
are developed, equipping the organizational members with capabilities to deal
with even greater change. Change has become the name of the game, and the wise
leader embraces it with open arms. The success of the corporate entity and the
people within it depends on it.
The creation and design of
change processes within an organization is most often the responsibility of its
leaders. Change processes that encompass human resources, IT adoption and
upgrades, tools and techniques, and the basic rules and controls within the
organization are the mandate of leaders engaged in the management of change
(Bainbridge, 1996). It is up to the leaders to make these change initiatives
tangible rather than abstract and to awaken enthusiasm and ownership of the
proposed changes within the corporate milieu. Leaders are responsible for
bridging the gap between strategy decisions and the reality of implementing the
changes within the structure and workforce of the organization. A myriad of
details and effects must be acknowledged and addressed for successful
adaptation to change in all sectors of a firm. "Underlying this principle
is the fact that almost everything in an organization's infrastructure has an
influence on some other part of it. Management style affects culture,
technology affects the way staff interact with customers, internal
communication methods affect how people work together" (Bainbridge, 1996,
p. 37). A holistic approach to change management encourages the redesign and
adaptation to change at all organizational levels. In essence, process itself
can become the platform for change to occur, as well as the protector of the
existent daily operations. A clear picture of how the business operates
currently is afforded, as well as a picture of how the business must plan,
schedule, and undergo the change process.
Nadler and Nadler (1998)
emphasized the importance of leaders in organizing and maintaining a climate
for change within organizations. Although participation of all players is
necessary, the role of the leader in the change process is crucial. Dubbed the
"champions of change" it is the leaders, the top management players,
who keep the change process moving while maintaining the operational integrity
of the organization. Adaptive leaders provide direction, protection,
orientation, conflict control, and the shaping of norms while overseeing the
change process within the corporate structure (Conger, Spreitzer,
& Lawler, 1999). Priorities need to be set that encourage disciplined
attention, while keeping a keen eye focused for signs of distress within the
company members. Steps to transform an organization were identified by Conger
et al. (1999). The steps included: a) establishing a sense of urgency; b) forming
a powerful guiding coalition; c) creating a vision; d) communicating the
vision; e) empowering others to act on the vision; f) planning for and creating
short-term wins; g) consolidating improvements and producing still more change;
and h) institutionalizing new approaches.
A new model of
organizational learning is important for survival and adaptation in the new
century. Learning is a key requirement for both leaders and followers for any
effective and lasting change to occur. "Without learning, the attitudes,
skills, and behaviors needed to formulate and implement a new strategic task
will not develop, nor will a new frame by which selection and promotion
decisions are made," (Conger, Spreitzer, &
Lawler, 1999, p. 127). The authors proposed an action learning process, called
Organizational Fitness Profiling, to help leaders learn to skillfully transform
the particular business they are managing. Scheduled dialogues with followers
provide information on how leadership style and behaviors influence values,
organizational design, strategies, and follower perceptions. Organizational
success is a process of mutual adaptation between leader values and behaviors,
existing people, culture, and organizational design, amidst an environment of
continual and prolific change. This profiling process requires that leaders are
courageous enough to learn about their own assumptions and values about change,
leadership, and management roles and tasks. In essence, "...a paradigm
shift in management thinking about leadership and organization development is
needed," (Conger, Spreitzer, & Lawler, 1999,
p. 158).