Ways of Thinking About - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Ways of Thinking About Leadership

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Machiavelli

Andrew Graham

School of Policy Studies

Queen’s University

MPA 823 2017Slide2

What this is about….Different ways of looking at leadershipGiving a framework for your understanding of leadershipSorting out ideas about leadership so you can decide what your leadership aspirations and qualities areAssessing the strengths you want to leverage and gaps you want to work on

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”-Rosalynn CarterSlide3

Outline of the PresentationSlide4

Part 1: Defining leadershipSlide5

Is there one definition of leadership?Perspectives varyStrong tendency towards notions of hierarchical leadership – boss at the topCommand confused with leading Major gender and cultural biasesProfound failure to really understand what leaders actually do

Blindness to where leadership actually takes placeSlide6

What characteristics, stripped of their hierarchical, sexist and some cultural trappings help us define leadership?Creating a vision, direction or path forward – sense makingClarifying what is importantGetting others on board and committed

Getting others enabledGuiding and correcting individual and group behaviourEnabling others to fulfill their roles in the process, whether that be subordinates, superiors or significant affectors Slide7

This is about leadership not leaders.Slide8

Pubic Sector Leadership has some unique characteristicsThere is political and bureaucratic leadershipOften involves leading process that permit others to make decisions – set policyTime cycles in tension: election cycle versus institutional sustainabilityComplexity, rules-ridden environment, issues of equity and universality of programs

Powerful array of stakeholders, impacts and dependency relationshipsSlide9

David Siegel’s Model of Public Sector Leadership: Leaders in the ShadowsLead Up

Lead DownLead Out

The traditional role of leading or managing subordinates

Managing relationships with political and

organizational superiors

to enable them to decide or direct.

Relationships with stakeholders, partners, suppliers, influencers.Slide10

InfluenceLeadership is the ability to influence others, with or without authority.The ability

to influence others is a derivation ofBeing trusted or relied upon as best of a bad lotRepresenting and Practicing Values consistent with the situation at handAwareness of ContextResponsiveness to FollowersInterpersonal CommunicationsConflict ManagementProblem solvingBeing capable of mobilizing people, resources and ideasSlide11

Interpersonal EffectivenessLeadership is a direct function of various elements

of interpersonal effectiveness:Awareness/MindfulnessAbility to:Synthesize and define direction, compelling arguments for action and support, Convince, negotiate, cajole and inspireCommitment to cause and methodRemain flexible as circumstances change, things are learned and adaptation is requiredKnowing when to hold them and when to fold themSlide12

Awareness in LeadersIt

is the ability to recognize yourself, others, events and situations in real time.It is the ability to recognize changes in the defined reality and accept them as outside the present paradigm. It is the ability to assess the impact of actions on situations and others, and be critically self-reflective.It is a development process that is a function of experience, communication, self discovery and feedback.Slide13

Abilities of LeadersAbility to learn and understand technical issues is the basis of our careers.Ability to lead is a function of influence:Ability to communicate

Ability to resolve conflictsAbility to solve problems and make decisionsAs a member of a team, we influence others in a collaborative effort to find better ideas or solve problems. Slide14

CommitmentFor leaders, the “one thing” that leads to maturity is the fully aware recognition that one

’s decisions make a difference, both positively and negatively, in the lives of others, and that any attempt to solve a problem might have a decided negative impact on some, while helping others.In no-win scenarios, one must still make a hard decision.Slide15

Attributes of a LeaderBuilding, nurturing and adapting a guiding vision: Effective

leaders know what they want to do or have a good idea about how to build consensus or direction, and have the strength of character to pursue their objectives in the face of opposition and in spite of failures. Slide16

Attributes of a LeaderPassion: Effective leaders believe passionately in their goals, or communicate it as if they do. They have a positive outlook, often in the face of adversity, on who they

are, retaining as they do their basic narcissism, and they love what they do especially the attention they get. Slide17

Attributes of a LeaderIntegrity: Because they know who they are, effective leaders are also aware of their weaknesses. They only make promises they can follow through on.Honesty: Leaders convey an aura of honesty in both their professional and their personal lives.

Trust: Effective leaders earn the trust of their followers and act on behalf of their followers.Slide18

Attributes of a LeaderCuriosity: Leaders are learners. They wonder about every aspect of their charge. They find out what they need to know in order to pursue their goals.Risk: Effective leaders take calculated risks when necessary to achieve their objectives. If a mistake is made, the effective leader will learn from the mistake and use it as an opportunity to explore other avenues.Slide19

Attributes of a LeaderDedication: The effective leader is dedicated to his or her charge, and will work assiduously on behalf of those following. The leader gives himself or herself entirely to the task when it is necessary.Slide20

Attributes of a LeaderCharisma: This may be the one attribute that is the most difficult to cultivate. It conveys maturity, respect for your followers, compassion, a fine sense of humor, and a love of humanity. The result is that leaders have the capability to motivate people to excel.

Listening: Leaders Listen! This is the most important attribute of all, listen to your followers.Slide21

Reality Check HereIn principle, a leader should beAuthenticHonest CollaborativeModest Visionary

TrustingCapable of inspiring confidence and securityGuiding and correctingYet, there are times when being a leader really means....Acting. Disguising your own feelings to let other express their or you have great doubts and fears.Prevaricating with skill and without remorse: "We are going to get through this.”Fighting fiercely for you unit over scarce resources.Being a Productive NarcissistBringing a realpolitic perspective to flights of fancy and organizational self-deception.

Mistrusting alleged allies and having a clear notion of their weaknesses, and then there are the enemies

.

Inspiring fear and

urgency

Punishing.Slide22

Moving from Attributes to Competencies Canada StyleSlide23

Competency Model of the Government of Queensland, AustraliaSlide24

Describe the best leader you have ever met.

What made that person a leader?

Stop and Reflect: A Leader You AdmireSlide25

Part 2: leadership and managementSlide26

“Smart

organizations value leadership and management.” Kotter 1990 – What Leaders Really Do

, Harvard Business ReviewSlide27

Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader (1989)

ManagersAdminister and copy MaintainFocus on systems & structureRely on control

Short-range view - bottom line

Ask how and when

Accept the status quo

Classic good soldier

Do things right

Leaders

Innovation and originality

Develop

Focus on people

Inspire trust

Long-range view - the horizon

Ask what and why

Challenge the status quo

Own person

Do the right things

“Followers

need from their leaders three basic qualities: they are direction; they want trust; and they want hope...

.” -

BennisSlide28

MANAGEMENT

Organize ProcessesCOERCION

PHYSICAL

CALCULATIVE

RATIONAL

NORMATIVE/

EMOTIONAL

Critical

Tame

Wicked

COMMAND

Provide Answers

LEADERSHIP

Ask Questions

Increasing Collaboration

Increasing Uncertainty

Not either or, but a gradient of behaviors from command to leadership

.Slide29

Leadership & Management SkillsLeadership CommunicationsMotivation

Stress ManagementTeam BuildingChange ManagementRoad mapping ImplementationManagement SchedulingStaffing

Activity AnalysisProject ControlsEffecting

implementationSlide30

Managers have the following attributes , theyConsider alternatives to designEstimate costs involved

Establish risks to the organizationDevelop a schedule for the projectInclude decision stepsManage change in an orderly fashionKeep the team motivated and informedReview responsibilities and goals with each team playerState clearly the basis for evaluation and where each person fits into the organizationSlide31

Managers have the following attributes , theyMonitor progressSet directions; set expected achievements for each individual within the next work period. Show the team members where they fit in achieving unit goals.

Perform administrative tasksReport to senior managementMoney and job security play a major role in management effectiveness. They act as deficiency motivators.Slide32

Stop and Reflect: Is this Management or is this LeadershipAssess whether the following activity is best described as leadership or management:

Developing an implementation plan for a new policy (M)Setting strategic direction (L)Reviewing financial performance for the quarter (M)Developing a plan to overhaul a major system (L)Assembling and guiding a project team (L)Coaching employees (L)Explaining your unit’s goals to stakeholders (L)Organizing a task force that has already been mandated and created (M)Slide33

Part 3: Theories of leadershipSlide34

Theories are just ways of looking at things not answers……Leadership theory is often short on evidence, rife with guru babble and untestedBe wary of the one right answerThese theoretical notions are not mutually exclusiveThink of them as lenses Slide35

The evolutionary process of leadership theoriesGreat man theories were the first attempt in studying leadership.

Based on the idea that leaders are born (and all men).Additional approaches have been developed— trait theories, behavioral theories, and modern-day contingency theories. Emphasis today is that leadership styles should match the situation at hand, which is a contingency approach.Competencies are important triggers, but only when used appropriately in context and with the right values. Slide36

Theories of LeadershipSlide37

Trait Theory of LeadershipStogdill

/Mann identified important traits found more in leaders than followers. Ambition and energyThe desire to leadHonest and integritySelf-confidence

Intelligence

High self-monitoring

Job-relevant knowledge

Theories

that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders from

non-leaders.

First major study searched for traits that differentiated leaders from followers.

Researched focused heavily on personality characteristics.

Suggested that it was possible to measure leadership potential from these traits.Slide38

Trait Approach

LimitationsIt assumes that all effective leaders have the same personal characteristics that are important in all situations.

Reality: Leadership is too complex to have a universal list of traits that apply to every condition

Alternative

combinations of competencies

may be equally

successful. This is where contingency and situational leadership come in.

This

perspective views leadership as something

within a person

, whereas critics point out that leadership is

relational.

The trait perspective implies

that leaders are born, not developed. On the contrary, competencies only indicate

leadership potential

,

not leadership

performance.

Trait theory has gender and culture biases as well as not accounting for non-hierarchical and upward leadership.

(

McShane

& Van

Glinow

2009)Slide39

Trait Theories

Limitations:No universal traits found that predict leadership in all situations.Unclear evidence of the cause and effect of relationship of leadership and traits.Creates the notion of the “white knight”

Tends towards sexual stereotyping, favoring men

Blind to role of followers and notions of quiet leadershipSlide40

A Skills Approach to LeadershipProvided a focus on the skills needed to lead.Stronger emphasis on notion that leadership can be learned. Built towards a competency based concept of leadership. Important because it freed up thinking about leadership from the great man theory – anyone can lead.Slide41

Skills Mix Reflecting the JobRobert Katz’s research identified a set of skills needed for leadership success.

Skill 1-Technical skills involving hands-on activity. Skill 2 -Human skills which is the ability to work with people.. Skill 3 -Conceptual skills having ability to work with ideas and concepts.

Katz argued that, as one looked at leadership in a hierarchy, the mix of skills needed changed. Do you agree?Slide42

Behavioral Theory of LeadershipFocused on what leaders did and what style they used to get things doneResearchers suggested that understanding leadership behaviour is a way to be successfulAssumes that anyone can be made to be a leader if they behave in certain ways.Slide43

Behavioral Theory of LeadershipThe 1940s saw that leadership effectiveness was dependent upon leader behavior. Rensis

Likert’s Michigan Studies surfaced two forms of leader behavior—job-centered (production) and employee-centered. Attempt made to balance task and relationship emphasis. University of Michigan StudiesIdentified 2 Leadership Behaviors

Employee-Centered

Production-Centered

Leaders interested in their subordinates as people, encourage worker participation in the organizational goal-setting process.

Leaders emphasized technical aspects of job, set job standards, close supervision of subordinates.Slide44

Behavioral TheoryOhio State Studies also revealed two leadership forms.Used questionnaire to assess employee perceptions of leaders. Consideration

behavior (concern for feelings).Initiating structure (defining roles). Slide45

Behavioral TheoryManagerial/Leadership Grid developed by Blake & Mouton. Two dimensions similar to Michigan/Ohio State Studies.Concern

for subordinates and concern for production/results. 9.9 is the ideal team approach on grid-balance of task and relationship. This research influenced modern contingency approaches of today.Slide46

Leadership Styles

This chart is quite a famous representation of what are called leadership styles. As you can see, they are based on the analysis on the last slide. Slide47

Stop and ReflectWhich leadership style is the best fit for these types of behaviour? The leader is described as someone who: Manages by the book encourages staff to be a part of the decision making

Is known for a hands-off approachAvoids making decisions and uses delay to let problems solve themselvesLet’s discussions roll on without bringing them to resolutionExercises detailed control over budgets Avoids drama, but gets the job doneSlide48

Contingency Theory of LeadershipBehaviour of leader depends on situation leader is inCalls for adaptabilityNo one right answerHave to have keen awareness of the environment, risks and emotions at play

Emotional intelligence comes heavily into playSlide49

Contingency TheorySituational leadership is built upon the contingency theory, and refined by Ken Blanchard in the 1980s. Leadership is composed of both a directive and supportive

behaviours.Coaching and delegating were added to provide four styles.Slide50

Contingency Theory

Path-Goal Theory developed by Evans & House.Adapting leadership to the situation.Leader can impact performance of others by offering paths to desired goals. Rewards contingent on increased performance. The leader’s job is to use structure, support and rewards to create a work environment that helps employees reach the organization’s goals. Slide51

Path–Goal Theory

Effective leaders strengthen the performance to outcome expectancy by providing the information, support and other resources to help employees

complete their tasks.Slide52

Contingency Theory: Who is Who?Four leader behaviors:Directive: gives specific guidance and direction.Supportive

: provides assistance. Participative: hand-in-hand with subordinates.Achievement Oriented: sets challenging goals and has high expectations. Slide53
Slide54

Transactional and Transformational Leadership: Not Either/Or but BothTransactional Focuses on sustaining the organizationAdapts to changing environments within the existing business model

Concern with supporting positive cultureDefends boundariesMost effective in times of stability or low riskTransformationalFocuses on changing the organizationCreates new or adaptive business modelConcern with changing the culturePushes boundariesNecessary part of responding to changes – external and internalSlide55

Transformational Leadership Transformational leaders are change agents who energize and direct employees to a new set of

organizational values and behaviours Slide56

Have you ever been in a group situation where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group’s goals, a marked passion for the work and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? Then you have seen the beginnings of transformational leadership. Slide57

What Transformational Leaders DoSlide58

Transformational Leadership as a ProcessSlide59

Personality has a role……Slide60

The Transformation ToolkitCreating the climate, argument and consensus for transformationInspiring, aspiring and setting a new future stateVision and passionGreat followersSlide61

Stop and ReflectA staff survey indicates that certain units do not see how they contribute to the organization.(T)A unit is over budget.(M)Recent legislation means that you will have to completely revise your service processes.(T)You have been asked to co-ordinate the budget process for your branch. (M)You have started a new job with a mandate to greatly improve effectiveness. (M/T)

Your unit has been merged with another and you are the new boss.(T)What behaviours on the list are ones that need transactional leadership and what ones need transformational leadership? Or is it both?Slide62

Part 5: Leadership tensionsSlide63

A Balancing ActLeading involves making choices about people, resources, time and focusNo one formula worksAll balances are adaptive to the circumstancesTrade-offs have to be madeWhat follows are some the classis trade-offsSlide64

Control versus AutonomyLeaders guide the actions of a group; like it or not--they control.

Leaders delegate responsibility and authority to others; they nurture autonomy.Challenge: What is the appropriate balance between guiding actions and nurturing autonomy?Slide65

Consistency versus AmbiguityLeaders seek consistency and coherence to eliminate contradictions and conflicts that impede effectiveness.Leaders welcome some ambiguity because it promotes innovation and adaptation and reflects the world of public service.

Challenge: What is the appropriate balance between coherence and ambiguity? That is, how can you promote innovation and maintain stability and coherence?Slide66

Unity versus DiversityLeaders seek harmony and purpose as they seek to minimize problems and limit destructive conflict.Leaders cultivate diversity because it is a source of ideas, understanding, and innovation.

Challenge: How do you seek harmony and cultivate diversity simultaneously? Slide67

Planning versus SpontaneityLeaders seek organization and planning to deal efficiently with routine problems.Leaders encourage spontaneity to deal with unique problems.

Challenge: What is the right balance between planning and spontaneity? That is, how can you structure for innovation and creativity?Slide68

Coordination versus CommunicationLeaders need coordination for efficient goal accomplishment.Leaders need open communication both to create innovation as well to monitor efficiency.

Challenge: How do you limit the complications of open communication while simultaneously maintaining efficient coordination?Slide69

Specialization versus IntegrationLeaders seek specialization to develop the expertise to solve organizational problems, reflect local conditions or foster innovation.Leaders promote integration for efficient functioning of the organization as a whole to keep on target, measures apples against apples, deliver equitably.

Challenge: Find the appropriate balance between specialization of tasks and the integration of the whole.Slide70

Stability versus ChangeLeaders seek stability to move the organization toward the achievement of instrumental goals.Leaders seek change to improve organizational functioning and to innovate.

Challenge: How much stability and how much change? That is a leadership question.Slide71

Organizational Barriers

Quality of Leader BarriersPersonal BarriersCharacter of Followers BarriersSlide72

Part 6 : the you in leading: my polonious momentSlide73

Six Leadership Styles

Goleman

,

Boyatzis

, McKee,

Primal Leadership

, 2004)Slide74
Slide75

Recipe for being a LeaderTake control of your life – mental, spiritual, physicalAssume responsibility for who you are

Convey a positive attitude in everything you do, even the crapAccept blame: learn from your own mistakes as well as those of others. Give credit wherever it is dueBe compassionate when you review your team members' progress or lack thereof – compassionate, not soft.Slide76

Recipe for Being a LeaderThink great thoughts but then focus them towards actually doing something. Small thinking is why organizations lose traction, fail to implement or adapt to change

Move disasters from response to adaptation. Don’t waste them.When you want to tell someone something important, do it personally. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty doing what you ask others to do. Make coffee.Slide77

Recipe for Being a LeaderListen effectivelyEncourage teamwork and participation

Empower team membersCommunicate effectivelyEmphasize long-term productivityMake sound and timely decisionsTreat each person as an individualKnow yourself and your team Take care of yourself – body and mindProtect your teamHave a vision

, courage when needed and commitment, lots of thatSlide78

Signs You Might be a Bad LeaderIf your people zip their lips when you show up.If you squelch bad feedbackIf people are leaving your unit in droves. If you have no visibility with your subordinates.

If you hide to avoid meeting people.If you bark at your people or yell, “You just don’t get it.”Slide79

Signs You Might be a Bad LeaderIf you take all the credit for good performance.If you pass the buck on failure.If you expect your people to say yes all the time.If you micro manage your people excessively.Slide80

Let’s Remember The Rules of the Sandbox

Sand is for filling buckets not throwing.Share your toys.It’s messy in here. That’s OK.Don’t trash some else’s castle.Being mean means you will end up playing – or sulking – alone.

We’ll be back here so let’s get along.Help each other make better castles.Slide81

Leadership is more like improvised jazz than conducting an orchestraTeam – everyone adds something – think ensemble, each serving the other.Vision – Jazz sees a major theme and then builds it as it goes. Classical music is pre-set, open to some interpretation, but no improvisation.Errors – Miles Davis: “Don’t fear mistakes. There are none.”

Trust – each member has to trust the rest and be prepared to go with their improvisations, as long as they know where they are going.