What IsLeadership?

Daniel F. Jennings PhD, PEAndrew Rader Professor of Industrial Distribution

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

IDIS - 444

Spring 2011

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What is Leadership?

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A Leadership Story:A group of workers and their leaders have the task of clearing a road

through a dense jungle on a remote island to get to the coast where an estuary provides a perfect site for a port.

The leaders organize the work force into efficient units and monitor the progress which is excellent. The leaders continue to monitor and evaluate the project, making adjustments along the way to ensure the progress is maintained and efficiency is increased wherever possible.

Then, one day during all the hustle and bustle and activity, one person climbs up a nearby tree. That person surveys the scene from the top of the tree.

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A Leadership Story:

•And shouts down to the assembled group below…..

•“Wrong Way!”…….

• (Story adapted from Stephen Covey (2004) “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Simon & Schuster).

•“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things”

(Warren Bennis and Peter Drucker)

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PlanningSelect goals and

ways to obtain them

ControllingMonitor activities and

Make corrections

OrganizingAssign authority and

responsibilityfor task accomplishment

DirectingMotivate and coordinate

employees

StaffingRecruit and obtain

employees

THE TRADITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT

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Category Role ActivityInformational Monitor Seek and receive information, scan periodicals and reports, maintain

personal contacts.

Disseminator Forward information to other organization members; send memos and reports; make phone calls.

Spokesperson Transmit information to outsiders through speeches, reports, memos.

Interpersonal Figurehead Perform ceremonial and symbolic duties such as greeting visitors, signing legal documents.

Leader Direct and motivate subordinates; train, counsel, and communicate with subordinates

Liaison Maintain information links both inside and outside organization; use mail, phone calls, meetings.

Decisional Entrepreneur Initiate improvement projects; identify new ideas; delegate idea responsibility to others

DisturbanceHandler

Take corrective action during disputes or crises; resolve conflicts among subordinates; adapt to environmental crises.

Resource allocator

Decide who gets resources; schedule, budget, set priorities

Negotiator Represent department during negotiation of union contracts, sales purchases, budgets; represent departmental interests.

Manager Roles

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TraitTransformationalTransactionalBehavioral

Contingency

Leadership

Leadership Perspectives

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Trait Perspectives

Is there a set of characteristics that determines a good leader?

Earlier Concepts - Height - Confidence - Physical Stamina

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Transformational Leadership Starts with a vision, passion and energy

People will follow a person who inspires them

Leading by example – walk the walk

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Transactional Leadership An exchange between the leader and follower based

on effort- Rewards- Sanctions

Focus on current issues and problems

Popular with many managers

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Behavior Leadership Perspective

Identify successes and failures of leaders

Adopt the successes

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Contingency Leadership Perspective

Leadership is not a fixed set of characteristics that can be transposed into different contexts

Ability to lead is contingent upon:

- Situational factors - Leader’s style - Capabilities and behaviors of followers

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Leadership Styles Autocratic

Participative

Laissez Faire (Hands off)

Paternalistic

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AutocraticLeader makes decisions without reference to anyone else

High degree of dependency on the leader

Can create de-motivation and alienation of staff

May be valuable in some types of business where decisions need to be made quickly and decisively

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ParticipativeEncourages decision making from different

perspectives - leadership may be emphasized throughout the organization

- Consultative : process of consultation before decisions are taken

- Persuasive : Leader makes decision and seeks to persuade others

that the decision is correct

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ParticipativeMay help motivation and involvement

Employees feel ownership of the business and its ideas

Improves the sharing of ideas and experiences within the business

Can delay decision making

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Laissez – Faire (Hands off)

‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities are shared by all;Can be very useful for a business where creative ideas are

important;Can be highly motivational, as people have control over

their working life;Coordination and decision making can be time-consuming

and may lack an overall direction; Relies on good team workRelies on good interpersonal relations

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PaternalisticLeader acts as a ‘father figure’

Paternalistic leader makes decision but may consult with followers

Believes in the need to support followers

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Leadership In The Real World

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The Balance of Leadership

Employees

Other Stakeholders

Profitability

Leadership

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Some Basic “Truths” About the Nature of Leadership

You Manage things; you lead people

Having a “Position of leadership” does not mean you are the leader.

You are not really the leader until the group you are leading says so ( until they accept you as the leader).

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LeadershipThe Art of Influencing Others To Work

Enthusiastically, Effectively, And Ethically Toward Goals Identified As Being For The

Common Good.

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“Work Enthusiastically”People can do everything they are required to by the

rules, and your organization will, at best, be mediocre.

People must work with enthusiasm. They must have their heart in it.

You cannot buy enthusiasm, you cannot buy loyalty, you cannot buy devotion of hearts, minds and souls. These must be earned.

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“Goals Identified As Being For The Common Good”

This means the leader has: - Thought through the organization’s goals - Talked with others about these goals - Achieved buy-in

This requires a lot more effort than just telling others what to do

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How does a leader build influence?

By meeting people’s legitimate needs

Through service and sacrifice

By developing trust

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Leaders identify and meet their followers legitimate needs

A want is simply a wish or desire without any regard for the physical or psychological consequences.

A need is a legitimate physical or psychological requirement for the well-being of a human being.

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Service And SacrificeLeadership requires a great deal of effort.

Leaders must decide whether they are willing to extend themselves for those they lead.

Leaders will be called upon to “sacrifice”- Their time

- Physical & mental energy - Ego - Bad mood days

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What People Expect From Their Leaders

HonestyTo feel appreciated and respectedCompetenceForward-lookingInspiringTo feel they are accomplishing something worthwhileTo understand the contribution they are makingTo feel they are “in” on thingsPatience

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What People Expect From Their Leaders (cont.)

Encouragement

Hope

To believe their leader understands their personal situation and challenges

To be forgiven when they make mistakes

Standards and boundaries

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Trust….Trust… - Is the glue that holds relationships together - Is not the result of an organizational imperative or program - Comes…. From being trustworthy

Acting inconsistent with our words creates mistrust

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They are all volunteers!

“You can buy a person’s time. You can even buy their physical place, but you cannot buy enthusiasm, you cannot buy loyalty, you cannot buy devotion of hearts, minds or souls. You must earn these.”

- Charles Francis

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A Key Role Of LeadershipLeaders create and sustain the environment

in which followers spend most of their waking hours

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The Keys To Establishing A Solid Environment

Values

Purpose

Vision

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About Organizational Values

The question is not whether an organization is value-based…..

Every organization is value-based.

The question is: What are the real values and are these values the ones that will ensure the organization prospers in the long run?

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An Organization’s Values

Define what we believe to be important

Shape the environment we live and work in

Guide our work and our relationships with one another

Become “the real boss.”

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Aligning Values and Behavior

From slogans and wall charts…….to the heart

Providing example – The leader must become the living symbol of their organization’s values.

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The Importance Of Organizational Values

“Without a set of operating values that are clearly defined and enforced(people are expected to behave according to them) you’re at the mercy of people’s good intentions.”

(Blanchard)

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Effective Leaders Focus On Purpose

Key Question: - why does our organization exist? - what business are we in? - Is everything we are doing contributing

to mission accomplishing our purpose?

Staying Focused

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Effective Leaders Provide Vision

“… a picture of the future that the leader paints for those who follow.”

“… a picture of how things would be if everything were running as planned.”(Blanchard)

“Providing people an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves and to make a contribution.”

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Effective Leaders Build Teams

A team is:

- A group of people bound together by a commitment to reach a shared goal

- “…. A small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves and each other accountable.” (Harvard Business School)

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Effective Leaders Build Teams

The purpose of a team is to make the strengths of each person effective, and his/her weakness irrelevant.

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Effective Leaders Build TeamsLeaders build teams by:

- Doing and saying things every day that convince their followers to that they are part of the team

- Convincing team members that their well-being is tied to the team’s well-being

- Respecting teams and keeping them together.

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Effective Leaders Focus On Contribution….

What can I do that, if done really well, will make a difference in the organization?

What good shall I do this day?”

What good have I done this day?”

Ben Franklin

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Reflect On Each Experience

What’s Happening?

What’s not happening?

What do I want to be happening?

How can I make this happen?

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Questions?.....

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ThanksDaniel F.Jennings PhD., PE

Andrew Rader Professor of Industrial Distribution

E-Mail : djennings@tamu.edu Phone: 979-845-4972