Self-Awareness

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Personal values, ideals and beliefs shape who we are as individuals and leaders. Moreover, as we progress through life experiences, education and professions, our values, ideals and beliefs are either reinforced or challenged. Thus, as we continue to evolve, so do our concepts of self and self-identity. According to Yukl (2012), “leaders have a high self‐awareness about their values, beliefs, emotions, self‐identities, and abilities. In other words, they know who they are and what they believe. They also have a high degree of self‐acceptance, which is similar to emotional maturity” (p.351).

As a leader, the ability to self-evaluate or incorporate self-awareness is a skill that should be employed regularly. Possessing the skill of self-awareness is essential for a leader to grow, develop and mature. Furthermore, it provides a lens for leaders to see how they influence others and how effective that influence is, which forces a leader to be flexible and adaptive. Zenger (2014) states in an article about a leader’s self-awareness, “For us, the most important element of self-awareness, especially for those who lead organizations, is a clear understanding of the impact they are having on the people around them.” Indeed, how a leader influences and impacts those around them directly and indirectly contributes to the organizations cohesiveness and effectiveness.

Another important aspect to self-awareness for leaders is the ability to identify and leverage the “differences” between themselves and their team members (or anyone for that matter). As previously emphasized, leaders must continuously take stock of their attributes and characteristics in contexts to be effective. One way this is done is the leader actively seeks to draw on theirs and others strengths in differences and bring harmony to a situation. “Effective leaders keep working at this art. They develop a close understanding of their differences. In particular they become aware of what is different about them that makes them attractive to others. They learn to use these differences to their advantage in a leadership role” (Goffee and Jones, 2006, p. 32).

When discussing self-awareness, we would be remiss not to include an assessments worst enemy, a “subjective” mind. More times than not, what a leaders believes is a clear statement or innovative plan, can be misinterpreted or misunderstood by their followers. This is where the leadership surveys or the 360 degree feedback process bridges the gap from a leader’s perspective to how others actually see them. According to Zenger (2014), “Some will suggest that people themselves know their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. We respectfully disagree.  If the total score on a 360 is used as the best, most objective measure we have of leadership behavior, we would note that self-perceptions are only half as accurate at predicting the total score as the rating of any other rater (e.g., managers, peers, direct reports and others).” Zenger (2014) goes on to highly this point by identifying that “Some of the more frequent distortions are as follows:”

1.     The lack of clarity about the organizations plans for the future, when the leader feels it is perfectly clear and that it has been frequently communicated.

2.     The seeming contradiction between what the leader says and what subordinates perceive her to be doing.  “We say we want to be customer centric, but you want to nickel and dime the customer for any little request they make.”

3.     The apparent contrast between stated values and day-to-day policies, such as, “We want to build a trusting climate where people are empowered,” yet a manager needs to get multiple signatures to make something right for a customer.

 

In order for leadership to be effective, it must have involve an “interpersonal relationship between leader and followers, and the ideal relationship is one with high mutual respect, trust, cooperation, loyalty, and openness” (Yukl, 2012, p. 357). A leader accomplishes this by regularly practicing self-awareness. Through constant interaction and leadership surveys, a leader can observe how they impact those around them and see how others view their leadership abilities. For a leader to grow and further develop into an effective leader, they must be flexible and adapt their skills to get the most out of themselves and their followers. By acknowledging their differences and identifying the difference in others, they are able to skillfully leverage their strengths to achieve a common goal.

References
Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (2006). Getting personal on the topic of leadership. Human Resource Management International Digest, 14 (4), 32-34.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition) (Page 357). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Zenger, J. (2014). The Singular Secret For A Leader’s Success: Self-Awareness. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackzenger/2014/04/17/the-singular-secret-for-a-leaders-success-self-awareness/#e53c34277e43

Meaning

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A person who finds meaning in something tends to work diligently with passion towards the experience and outcome of their efforts and sacrifice. Furthermore, one could assume that the fulfilment of purpose was created in favorable conditions and occurred as a monumental event. This unfortunately is not always so. In fact, “meaning” is a decision one has established that is centered on their values, beliefs and attitude. “A human being is not one thing among others; things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining. What he becomes--within the limits of endowment and environment--he has made out of himself” (Frankl, 1984). So what does this mean for leaders?

In order to be successful in today’s dynamic business environment, employees (teams) must be inspired, motivated and operate cohesively towards the organization’s vision. Moreover, as a result of completion, changing markets, and globalization; the need for meaning is more necessary than ever to weather the storm of change. Enter the leader. The leader has the awesome duty and responsibility to set the conditions for their subordinates (team) to remain focused, mitigate their stress and encourage a positive mental attitude towards the new direction. According to Yukl (2012), a leaders does this by “People-oriented actions include creating a sense of urgency, articulating a clear vision of the likely benefits, preparing people for change, helping them cope with change, providing opportunities for early successes, keeping people informed, demonstrating continued commitment to the change program, and empowering people to help plan and implement change” (p. 102).

Leaders that take the initiative to learn more about their employees, what makes them “tick,” or what they are passionate about; will have the ingredients to effectively develop them and set them up for success as well as the organization. “Those who succeed at creating meaning — either on their own or with the help of their boss — tend to work harder, more creatively, and with more tenacity, giving the companies that employ them a leg up in the marketplace” (Ulrich, D & Ulrich, W., 2010). Indeed, leadership is more than charisma and leading by example. It also involves establishing a healthy relationship with followers (team) in order to learn more about them and leverage their given talents. For example, in an article by Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich, they highlight this very point by discussing a popular TV show called Undercover Boss.

When these executives leave the board room to experience the daily lives of their workers, they inevitably discover something simple but profound: Their employees are enormously gifted and committed. Good employees find meaning in the day-to-day routines of their work. A convenience store employee knows the names of the customers who buy coffee from her. She doesn’t sell coffee, she nurtures relationships. A children’s tour guide finds meaning connecting with the children on his ride. He isn’t repeating a script, he is creating an experience. Even a street cleaner finds meaning and pride in keeping an amusement park clean for guests.

Leaders are vital to facilitating change in a manner that allows their subordinates to remain productive and as little distracted as possible. They accomplish this with communication, commitment to their team and to the benefits of change. Learning more about those that work from them is essential to aligning the company’s vision with their follower’s passions and talents in order to give meaning to their work. Doing so will significantly contribute to their followers effectiveness and productivity; as well as proving a work force that is excited and flexible enough to achieve the company’s goals and objectives.

Reference

Frankl, V. E. (2004). Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Ulrich, D. and Ulrich, W. (2010). Getting Beyond Engagement to Creating Meaning at Work. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2010/06/getting-beyond-engagement-to-c

Ulrich, D. and Ulrich, W. (2010). Leaders As Meaning Makers. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/finding-meaning-work-leadership-managing-ulrich.html

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Remote Transformation Leadership

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What was the point of the research?

The point of this research was to test and analyze the effectiveness of transformative leadership utilizing electronically-mediated communications (remote leadership) in the form of emails. As a result of globalization and the evolution of technology, leaders are forces to relay more and more on electronic communications, thus providing leadership at distance. Ultimately, “The purpose of the current research study is to broaden our understanding of remote transformational leadership” (Kelloway, Barling, Kelley, Comtois, and Gatien, 2002, p. 167).

What are the hypotheses and what was the research method used?

The hypothesis of the study was that task motivation and performance would be affected and increased as a result of intellectual stimulating and charismatic emails from a perceived leader. The first study consisted of 132 undergraduate students and utilized the vignette format to see if the students could “perceive and accurately identify leadership “styles” communicated by email” and would a “positive (transformational) leadership message” contribute to and be associated with a positive outcome (Kelloway et al., 2002, p. 164). While the second study consisted of 105 undergraduates and analyzed both an individual and group task that was provided by an email that had either an intellectual stimulating or charismatic message

Were the results supportive of the research goals?

The results of the research supports that the participants (students) were able to perceive and identify leadership styles over email communication from a perceived leader. Furthermore, that being on the receiving end of a positive (transformational) or charismatic message from a perceived leader could in fact affect and be associated with a desired positive outcome.

Of what value was the research?

I believe that the value of the research is twofold. First, that this research contributes to the leadership body of knowledge and challenges the traditional way of thinking that leadership is only effective “up close and personal.” “The current study extends this research by suggesting that the same effects may well be obtained when the leader-follower communication is electronically mediated rather than transmitted directly” (Kelloway et al., 2002, p. 169). Moreover, since research such as this is still being explored as it relates to modern aspects (technology) and globalization that require leaders to influence over a greater distance; more research is needed to study the dynamics of leadership in today’s space and time thus propelling the topic of transformational leadership. Second, in today’s dynamic global environment, leaders should be open-minded when it comes to influencing others by means of electronic communications and leveraging its capabilities to enhance their message. Indeed, in order to effectively influence ones followers and successfully appeal to their moral values and “to mobilize their energy and resources to reform institutions” (Yukl, 2012, p. 321), leaders are nearly forced to use electronically-mediated communications to fulfil their leadership duties over a grown distance that transcend different time zones and to prevent increased travel expenses.
 

References:

Kelloway, E. K., Barling, J., Kelley, E., Comtois, J., & Gatien, B. (2002). Remote Transformational Leadership. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 24(3), 163-171.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Leadership Traits

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This week’s reading and writing assignments has us exploring managerial motivation, traits and effectiveness. Yukl provides valuable insight to some of the traits, skills and effective leadership. In addition, Yukl identifies many of the most common traits and skills that are associated with leadership and effectiveness, yet he makes it clear that although someone may have these skills and traits, possessing them does “not guarantee effectiveness” (2012, p. 137).

There are numerous characteristics and attributes that contribute to a leaders overall effectiveness. Traits play a significant factor in a leader’s make-up and influence. According to Yukl (2012), “trait refers to a variety of individual attributes, including aspects of personality, temperament, needs, motives, and values” (p. 136). Some of the most common traits associated with effective leadership include: energy level, self-confidence, internal locus of control, emotional stability and maturity, integrity, achievement orientation, and affiliation. As noted above, possessing a combination of these traits is essential to effective leadership. However, one would assume that a key factor would be having the proper balance of these leadership traits in order to leverage their skills and improve any identified weaknesses. For example, “High energy level and stress tolerance help managers cope with the hectic pace, long hours, and unrelenting demands of most managerial jobs” (Yuk;, 2012, p. 139). Another example would be, “”Emotionally mature people have a more self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and they are oriented toward self-improvement instead of denying weaknesses and fantasizing success” (Yukl, 2012, p. 141).

A leader’s motivation is also an important factor, as their motivation drives their “needs” and “values.” Whereas a highly motivated leaders would seek positions of power, authority and increased responsibility, a leader who is not equally motivated would be less likely to actively improve their situation and that of their subordinates. “People who are low in need for power usually lack the desire and assertiveness necessary to organize and direct group activities, to negotiate favorable agreements, to lobby for necessary resources, to advocate and promote desirable changes, and to impose necessary discipline” (Yukl, 2012, p. 142). Furthermore, an achievement orientated leader tend to focus on “task objectives” and setting challenging goals. Yukl (2012) also states that these leaders “are more willing to assume responsibility for solving task-related problems; they are more likely to take the initiative in discovering these problems and acting decisively to solve them; and they prefer solutions that involve moderate levels of risk rather than solutions that are either very risky or very conservative” (p. 145).

The text identifies numerous taxonomies that have been created to evaluate effective leadership. By and large, the characteristics that are used are technical skills, interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. “Managers who supervise the work of others need extensive knowledge of the techniques and equipment used by subordinates to perform the work” (Yukl, 2012, p. 149). Having technical skills provide leaders the in-depth subject matter expertise in their field. However, leaders must also demonstrate conceptual ability to address issues and develop action plans. “Conceptual skills are essential for effective planning, organizing, and problem solving” (Yukl, 2012, p. 149). Furthermore, in more fields than not, leaders can expect to work with people (internal and external) on a daily basis. As in previous assignments, we have discussed in length how leadership or leading others is a dynamic endeavor. Having interpersonal skills is essential to efficient leadership because of the human dynamics (feelings, attitudes and motives). “Specific types of interpersonal skills such as empathy, social insight, charm, tact and diplomacy, persuasiveness, and oral communication ability are essential to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with subordinates, superiors, peers, and outsiders” (Yukl, 2012, p. 150).

Having been in a leadership position for many years, I have learned important lessons about others and about myself. I expect this learning and evolution to continue throughout my personal and professional life. I have always seek to evaluate (reflect) my strengths and weaknesses in order to continue developing my effectiveness. Having served in the military as a military police officer and training host nation police, I have experienced situations that required mastery of my technical skills, Interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. Yet, I am aware that as I continue outside of the military and into other fields, additional skills and competencies will be required. I can leverage my skills for my organization by seeking additional training and education, as I am currently doing with the M.S. Leadership program. Also, the contingency theory and situational variables such as the path –goal theory in which, “leaders can motivate subordinates by influencing their perceptions about the likely consequences of different levels of effort. Subordinates will perform better when they have clear and accurate role expectations, they perceive that a high level of effort is necessary to attain task objectives, they are optimistic that it is possible to achieve the task objectives, and they perceive that high performance will result in beneficial outcomes” (Yukl, 2012, p. 164).

References

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Power and Influence

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The concepts of power and influence play a significant role in personal and professional relationships at all levels.  Yukl (2012) states that, “Power involves the capacity of one party (the “agent”) to influence another party (the “target”)” (p. 186) and that “Influence in one direction tends to enhance influence in other directions” (p. 186). The sources of power include: expert power, referent power, legitimate power, reward power, and coercive power and can be classified as positional power and personal power (Yukl, 2012).

Because the nature of power is never constant, “it changes over time due to changing conditions and the actions of individuals and coalitions” (Yukl, 2012, p. 193). Furthermore, the manner in which power is “gained or lost in organizations is described in social exchange theory, strategic contingencies theory, and theories about institutionalization of power” (Yukl, 2012, p. 193). Thus, leaders have to constantly adjust to a dynamic environment and evaluate their approach to a given situation. Stated more plainly, there is not “one size fits all” template of leadership.

The use of power is a leader’s “personal stamp” on their respective leadership style. How a leader employs their skills and tact to influence others (superiors, peers, & subordinates) is essential to becoming an effective and productive leader. For example, when using Legitimate Power, Yukl (2012) recommends that leaders use polite and clear request (p. 198). Another example for the use of Expert Power is to “Explain the reasons for a request or proposal and why it is important” and to “Provide evidence that a proposal will be successful (p. 200).

In any organization, power and influence affects both leader and follower alike. This can be explained in The Leader-Member Exchange Theory that states that “The basic premise of the theory is that leaders develop an exchange relationship with each subordinate as the two parties mutually define the subordinate’s role” (Yukl, 2012, p. 222). Over a period of time, a leader and follower begin to establish either a high or low-exchange relationship. In fact, for those leaders whom are both a leader and follower, their high or low-exchange relationships with their boss can directly affect their own subordinates (chain of command). “A favorable upward relationship enables a manager to obtain more benefits for subordinates and to facilitate their performance by obtaining necessary resources, cutting red tape, and gaining approval of changes desired by subordinates” (Yukl, 2012, p. 224). Thus, the assumption can be made that a leader with a low-exchange relationship with their boss, could potentially face more leadership challenges.

In my previous career in the military, attempting to establish a positive working relationship with your boss (known as a commander), was a very important endeavor. Unlike bosses in the civilian world, commanders are responsible for every aspect of a unit to include the health and warfare of their subordinate’s and their families. Which means that not only do they have positional power while on duty, they have the ability to affect one’s personal time and conduct. Thus, striving for a high-exchange relationship based on trust and performance is key. With this said, I have observed on many occasions my peers “use upward influence tactics to create a favorable impression of themselves” (Otham et al, 2009, p. 341). Sometimes this tactic was successful, but with the savvy leaders, they could sense an underlying motive. These leaders were smart enough to realize that one’s capabilities and effectiveness incorporated more than being personable. These leaders (boss) looked at a subordinates potential holistically based on their conduct, leadership style, performance, communications, and positive influence on their subordinates. Furthermore, these savvy leaders would ask the right questions and gauge the preparedness and responses of the subordinate, evaluating what was beneath the “upward influence tactic.” Observing these savvy leader’s approach towards subordinate evaluation holistically, was a good lesson for me as I interacted with my subordinates.  

References

Othman, R., Ee, F. F., & Shi, N. L. (2010). Understanding dysfunctional leader-member exchange: antecedents and outcomes  . Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31 (4), 337-350.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Supportive Behavior

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According to Yukl (2010), “Supportive leadership includes a wide variety of behaviors that show consideration, acceptance, and concern for the needs and feelings of other people” (p. 63). Prior to reading chapter three of our course text, my research on supportive leadership as it is described by Yukl has been limited. Yet the topic and practice of “active leadership” is something I know all too well during my time in military service. In fact, my experience in service and Yukl’s description of “supportive leadership” share many parallels.  

As a former military officer, I had the honor and privilege of leading young men and women in some of the most trying times in their life. Although much of this included intense realistic training and combat, a large part also included developing and shaping a future or existing leader. As often as time and my duties would allow, I took every opportunity to speak with as many Soldiers as I could. I have found that through casual conversation, as a leader, you can gauge the morale of a team/unit and find out new and interesting things about them and their families and background. Furthermore, you can identify what issues they may have and ensure that their immediate supervisor (normally an NCO) is working with them to address these issues. Indeed, “Supportive leadership helps to build and maintain effective interpersonal relationships” (Yukl, 2010, p. 63). Such relationships are essential to building a cohesive team based on trust and respect.  

In addition, Yukl (2010) provides guidelines for leaders to incorporate into their leadership style, which include:

·       Show acceptance and positive regard.

·       Provide sympathy and support when the person is anxious or upset.

·       Bolster the person’s self-esteem and confidence.

·       Be willing to help with personal problems.

Another important and essential aspect to supportive leadership is developing and recognizing others efforts and achievements. Developing competent and effective leaders while in service was vital for mission accomplishment. Unlike the civilian world, in order to provide the best leaders for organizations, we had to “grow them internally.” This endeavor would require countless hours of training, counseling, and mentorship interaction. Over the course of five to ten years, a leader would have had key development positions that would prepare them for leading large units (over 150 Soldiers). Moreover, recognition at every stage of growth would provide a deeper confidence in their skills and abilities. As leaders, we would take every opportunity to formally recognize extraordinary results and efforts. This was done with certificates, awards, coins and even time off to celebrate with their families. This tangible “pat on the back” served as an example for others to follow and strive for. Furthermore, praising others in front of their peers and subordinates demonstrated appreciation and reinforced standards that an organization required as it pursued excellence.

 

As I have transitioned from active service to the civilian workforce, I have maintained many of the supportive leadership traits that has proven to develop and improve a team/organization. As I continue with the M.S. Leadership program, I have gained a wider appreciation of the leadership concepts, theories and practices we as students have explored. At this early stage of the program, I have critically evaluated my own leadership style and the traits I wish to improve. I am confident that this self-evaluation and evolution will remain constant as the program continues.

References

Yukl, Gary A. (2010). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Leadership vs. Management

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The first person that comes to mind when thinking about an inspirational leader is my high school football coach. At first glance it would be easily understandable to choose such a person because a coach by definition is “a person who teaches and trains an athlete or performer” (Merriam-Webster). Their purpose it would seem on the surface is to train you, make you better at something and develop you for a given sport or team function. At least this was my first inclination at the time. Over time however, through this individual’s actions, expectations and severe discipline, it became clear to me that his “purpose” was to shape young men into hardworking productive adults with an extraordinary work ethic to be successful beyond the playing field. As I participated in other activities with other coaches, another thing became clear, not all coaches share the same purpose. Many of the hard lessons I learned from this coach has served me well into my military profession and still beyond. Two important concepts that I took away from this leader is that the “easy path will produce the easy results” and that when things get though “sometimes you have to close your eyes, grit your teeth and keep your feet moving.”

As I have transitioned from active service to the civilian world, I believe that leadership and management intersect on many levels. This was not always that case. While in service as an officer where the majority of my leadership skills were learned and refined, I hardly concerned myself with the management aspect and held leadership as the main focus since everyone above the rank of sergeant (E-5) is considered and expected to be a leader. Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 (2012) describes a leader as:

An Army leader is anyone who by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility inspires and influences people to accomplish organizational goals. Army leaders motivate people both inside and outside the chain of command to pursue actions, focus thinking and shape decisions for the greater good of the organization.

As a military leader, I wanted to know my subordinates. I wanted to know who they were, where they came from, their family situation, their strengths and weakness in order to best train and develop them and set them up for success in their personal and professional life. I would supervise their execution of training and conduct and manage the systems involved that contributed to their progress. Now in the civilian world, it appears at this stage that the same applies, but more stock is placed in the management of work, people and progress.

Where I believe leadership and management intersect is situationally dependent on the purpose of the work (why) and the quality and style of the manager. For example, if I were a manager in production business where the product or services were mainly automated or occurred systematically and people were place within the system to ensure a continuous flow and had little impact on the product itself, my concern would be on what drives the system (mechanical) or how do I get the most from the system (software)? Obviously managing would be the priority, perhaps followed by supervising the people who ensure the flow and periodically motivating them with leadership to keep morale up.  Whereas if I were in the marking business and people (subordinates) were the “go getters,” leadership would be more applicable because of the human dimension involved (subordinates and customers) and the dynamic business environment. Needless to say, leadership and management exist in either case and anyone responsible for either should be expected to utilize and employ their abilities to achieve the organizations desired outcome.

Simon Sinek’s discussion of the “why” of leadership was enlightening and essential to the concept of leadership. When people (subordinates, team, group) understand and share the same believe as to the “why” they are doing what they are doing, they are more willing to accept more personal sacrifice and “lean into” the hard work required to achieve the organizational goal(s). It becomes a personal investment opposed to just collecting a pay check.

 
References:

Army Doctrine Publication 6-22. (2012). Headquarters, Department of the Army. Retrieved from

http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp6_22.pdf

Coach [Def. 1]. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster Online, Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coach