Blog Post One
After stimulating some new life to once dormant academic muscles, the work in this course was a great way to shake loose some of the residue and re-engage some excellent material with a fresh perspective. Leadership ethics and leading people and organizations through aspects of change are two particular course learnings that have impacted my practice and helped me produce good fruit professionally. These models are highly relevant in my workplace because I am the one responsible for both setting the tone on behalf of our organization, and when facing changing environments, I am charged with promoting the role of said values throughout our decision-making structure, specifically when allocating resources that aid successful transition of people and processes.
What is the right decision? Who defines the word right? If right is good and Jesus Christ is the only one who is good, then we as humans can never truly make the right decision. The work in developing an intuitive sense of right and wrong never ceases; however, the practice only helps to better clarify the moral compass we use to both interact with strategies and decisions, and manage power and control. At the outset of the course, I had observed that my main struggle was how to illuminate or harness specific underlying biases that blind me, versus those that inform me when facing an ethical decision. Through this learning, I have been able to better recognize patterns and who I am serving at the root of my ethic – myself or those I lead.
In situations of change, the right decision may not be so right for other people; therefore, the course learning which surrounded building transformative principles into people and organizations helped me to better assert a lasting investment in others while in the midst of change. Being able to maintain perspective and people development in the midst of change is a critical feature of leadership. I have experienced times when withdrawing from the opportunities that change presents can be overwhelmingly attractive; however, I learned to control any false sense of needed urgency for the sake of those I lead, because as Peter G. Northouse (2016) states, “this sense of urgency may override their sensitivity” resulting in poor decision-making, reduced communication and loss of commitment (p. 320).
My current leadership challenge is one of complexity because I encounter so many organizational issues all within a context that channels endless competing values, demands and perspectives. Throughout this course, I have learned that trying to anchor myself to one specific leadership style in managing the breadth of this complexity simply reduces my overall effectiveness; therefore, developing core leadership principles versus adopting a specific style affords me a good foundation to build upon. The essence of which falls upon consistently demonstrating a successful transfer of knowledge applied towards individual betterment, and that of my team. Ultimately, choosing an academic discipline that can benefit so many with so little effort, means that we are obliged to use it, and use it frequently. In my opinion, a pragmatic and honest approach when working to influence others is a golden combination; therefore, let us not remain aloof, lazy and quietly content, full in the knowledge we have gained. Open our mouths, get out the plough and churn up positive changes in others.
“To know and not to do is not to know”
Wang Yang Ming
Matt
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Light from Many Lamps – Part Five
In times of war, the sense of hope usually becomes the first of many casualties because the paralysis of fear overwhelms the populace, leaving a negative and lasting impression well beyond the physical destruction upon the landscape. After the last shot is fired, the battle for spiritual healing never ends, and those with permanently scarred hearts and minds are left to once again redefine and rediscover what faith and confidence look like. In the book titled Light from Many Lamps, former Chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, David E. Lilienthal (1951), shares his inspiring testimony of how faith-in-action could propel post-war era Americans through “one of the blessed periods of all history” (p. 288). Lilienthal knew that times would be challenging, especially for disillusioned women and young men, sensing now more than ever, that this was his opportunity to lead others through a tumultuous environment with a message of hope. For those of us leading through changing environments, Lilienthal’s message reminds us how re-patterning ourselves as an adaptive response towards building new realities in quickly transforming landscapes is precisely where “all hope, creativity, insight and possibility resides” (Bridges & Bridges, 2009, p. vii).
Lilienthal focused his message towards young men and women in the United States because he understood that the future of the country belonged to them. Moreover, like leaders in organizations and groups, he knew that behind every successful transformation effort lay a necessary foundation built upon developing a compelling message through “visualizing positive outcomes” (Northouse, 2016, p. 174). Armed with his capacity to inspire, Lilienthal fiercely believed that followers could align themselves with this vision allowing their new-found strength through faith to become what Lilienthal called “the most potent weapon ever devised” (p. 291). Apart from using visioning techniques to show others how their dreams could be realized, Lilienthal emphasized his message of “developing a capacity for new thought” specifically towards leaders, because the overwhelming psychological challenge of a supposed atomic threat forced individuals to fear innovation. (Lilienthal, 1951, p. 295).
It never ceases to amaze me just how often the capacity to innovate becomes stifled in the presence of gripping fear. In Lilienthal’s era, individuals feared innovations like atomic energy because they were focused solely on its capacity to destroy. When compared with situational changes in organizations, similar to a post-war populace, fear still prevents individuals from seeing the opportunities that exist while in transition. However, “transition starts with an ending”; therefore, leaders who demonstrate faith and vision, alongside establishing safe places to innovate and brainstorm, strengthen the measure of hope and ultimately, transform reflections of past hurts into positive contributions towards the future (Bridges & Bridges, 2009, p. 7). Like Lilienthal, I spend a great deal of time integrating vision into all planning and executing processes because not only is our vision is fixed as an ethereal objective, it ultimately exerts itself practically as the binding fabric in the tapestry of our everyday discussions and actions.
Matt
Bridges, W., & Bridges, S. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press.
Lilienthal, D. E. (1951). The age in which we live can become one of the blessed periods in all history. In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 287-297). New York: Simon & Schuster.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Blog Post Two
In an increasingly complex world, the less often organizations have to confront sudden and unexpected changes, the better off they are. However, as one of life’s great truths, change will happen; therefore, organizations that invest in the development and integration of foresight as a means to competently adapt and respond to environmental uncertainty, the less they will fear the complex world and the more they will thrive in it. When considering the pace and reliance on modern advancements in communication and transactional business processes, retail powerhouses like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Ikea are not so different from service-based firms such as postal agencies and financial/accounting firms like IBM or Accenture when confronting rapid change and its subsequent consequences. Like anything in nature, patterns avail themselves to those that are looking the hardest to find them; therefore, as part of a healthy strategy for long term planning, organizations need individuals that “understand the intricate relationship among environmental context, current realities and future possibilities” (Malgeri, 2010, p. 40).
Depending on the perspective, fortunately or unfortunately, our complex world continues to develop some very savvy technological advancements that are empowering the consumer, end-user, small businesses and their decision-making prowess to degrees of influence not seen before. Unless organizational leaders develop competencies to anticipate the future via experience of the past, global retailers such as Wal-Mart will continue to be caught flat-footed against the growth surge in online retailing, which consequently, provides a growing number of competing small businesses with an equal stake in the choice’s individuals make. To its credit, Wal-Mart was one of the early pioneers in virtual supply chain management, allowing their vendor-partners access to its inventory levels at retail stores in order to streamline production and procurement. Although these internal efficiencies led to lower prices on toothpaste, the consumer still had to get dressed, leave the house, get in the car, drive to Wal-Mart, find the toothpaste aisle, rinse and repeat. The seamless online buying experience Jeff Bezos of Amazon was dreaming of in his garage was far off Wal-Mart’s radar, at least for the time being. Today, through greater investment within “foresight management”, Wal-Mart has developed a robust e-commerce presence connecting itself more closely to their customers and anticipated needs via buying portals, direct loyalty award accounts and IT phone applications (Smart, 2015). As a more visible consequence of this investment, renovations to existing Wal-Mart brick and mortar stores are outpacing new building development; therefore, it is more obvious now, that the retail buying environment is most certainly trending towards adopting e-commerce as the dominant transactional paradigm (Thomas, 2018).
In his book titled Leadership, Peter G Northouse (2016) looks beyond the pragmatic nuances when contextualizing the past and present as a means to envision the future when he states that “foresight has an ethical dimension” (p. 228). Depending upon your perspective, the consequences when reacting to environmental changes, especially at the whim of technological advancements, can be either positive or negative. As a result of e-commerce expansion, the retail environment is experiencing less waste, faster and more reliable service and lower prices; however, those small businesses competing in this same electronic space have broadened their market share providing an opportunity to have their product delivered to the same door at the same time as the product from big retail. Nevertheless, all businesses that care about long-term sustainability and growth need their leaders to communicate the importance of “viewing each part as a learning organization” (Malgeri, 2010, p. 41). Leaders with the experience to “enable good foresight”, need to address this value as part of their servant leadership skill set, not only as a matter of theoretical instruction to others, but one in which the leader is obligated to act out in practical ways on an ongoing basis (Smart, 2015). When considering Wal-Mart’s delay through the e-commerce development malaise, my only suggestion would have been that executive leaders not only share their own wisdom and foresight, but allow it to be challenged by other hierarchal positions in order to drive innovative thinking, however maniacal it may be, when concerning future planning for the organization.
Matt
Malgeri, J. (2010, Winter). Organizational foresight and stewardship. The Public Manager, 39(4), 39-42.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Smart, J. M. (2015, April 8). John Smart – Leadership of Tech Change – WFS2013. Retrieved November 2018, from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhdWqLNUJns
Thomas, L. (2018, February 20). Walmart has big yer of e-commerce investments planned to bring growth back to 40 percent. Retrieved November 2018, from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/20/walmart-has-big-year-of-e-commerce-investments-planned.html
Response to Sarah – Light from Many Lamps – Part 4
Hello Sarah
I really appreciate the way your prepared your response drawing upon some very strong intuition, insight, pragmatism and specific tools you use within your professional and personal life when facing suffocating demands and expectations. I echo your struggle and short tolerance for the “I am too busy syndrome”; but alas, I fall into the same habit when overwhelmed sometimes. In describing his own burdens, James Gordon Gilkey (1951) provides some water to a dry palate suggesting that he was able to stay calm and poised “by refusing to let everything rush in on him at once” (p. 220). Like you, I use lists to compartmentalize and prioritize tasks to achieve a scope of pace that (1) – keeps me measured in terms of my accessibility and volume of output helping others, and (2) – forces free time to reflect and recharge as a means to reduce anxiety, fear and tension. Ultimately, this passage and your commentary triggered some thoughts when considering the importance of setting realistic expectations for yourself and those that you lead. In my experience, if the leader does not communicate reasonable expectations for time and task management, followers will either take advantage of the opportunity to do less, or overwork themselves trying to meet perceived expectations left by the leadership vacuum.
Matt
Gilkey, J. G. (1951). You want to gain emotional poise? In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 219-222). New York: Simon & Schuster.
Response to Norm – Light from Many Lamps – Part 4
Hello Norm
A good synopsis with some important reflections as it relates to leadership even though the passage does not make it necessarily clear and obvious what the leadership lesson could be. When discussing “constructive controversy” as a leader skillset, I believe you accurately described what I have personally learned in terms of knowing when to introduce or remove a state of tension between two individuals, or in a group. You mentioned the release of energy, generation of good will and depth, which can be accomplished through discussion as part of this tension (like that experienced in marriage), which indeed, keeps the soil of growth churning with fresh nutrients (ideas). The sense of well-being or happiness has such a broad range of expression, that it the context of my own personal leadership, happiness exists within the pursuit of happiness. In other words, if my influence somehow manifests happiness in others, especially in the context of goal achievement or personal growth, it validates my own sense of meaning and satisfaction within this pursuit. Our group meetings typically enjoy this tension, with deliberate checks on each other’s’ biases and respectful challenge of opinions leaving everyone with elevated spirits from enjoying a stake in the decision-making process.
Matt
Corporate Ethics
In my opinion, the manifestation of an ethic is both involuntarily and intentionally reflexive. One that is naturally formed from the dynamic tension that exists between what a person values and the demands that the environment is placing upon those values; and second, one formed out of ego, or a simple conscious belief that a person already knows the difference between right and wrong. For those leading in organizations, the same pattern exists albeit much more complex in terms of aligning one’s existing ethical worldview with the unique norms, attitudes and practices of the organization or corporation. For Dov L. Seidman, business leader and ethics expert, training for ethics should expand beyond a simple seminar or generic HR brief, but should unfold as a habitual practice resulting from daily struggle, discussion and reflection.
In Kenneth R. Thompson’s (2007) interview, Mr. Seidman shares his reasoning behind why a new training paradigm is needed to help organizations and corporations understand, support and engage their people in terms of ethics and compliance. Seidman believes conventional ethics training is flawed because it presumes that people lack a certain instinctual ethic; thereby manifesting a fallacy that, “they need to be trained in something they already know” (Thompson, 2007, p. 79). As an innovator in ethics and compliance management, Seidman promotes his goal to help people reframe the conversation of ethics to engage with it as an approach versus “just making people aware” (Thompson, 2007, p. 80). In other words, Seidman suggests that ethics permeates through, and connects with, every part of our life; therefore, ethical thought should be integrated, discussed openly and applied in practice in every workplace.
Mr. Seidman supports a transition to a more pedagogical approach because the history of ethical thought has been more about “compartmentalization” and less about a way of reasoning through ethical decisions, inspiring and integrating more respectful, appropriate conduct (Thompson, 2007, p. 80). Seidman suggests that education behind ethical thought has dwelled far too long upon generalizing what we should, or should not do; but instead “differentiating the should”, suggesting that ethics transcends rules and laws and needs to be integrated to address many situations and under varied conditions to build better understanding.
In our modern-day “hyperconnected and transparent” world, we certainly share in an excess of varied conditions available to exercise our values, develop our ethic and experience how it aligns with the moral compass of an organization (Thompson, 2007, p. 82). In Thompson’s (2007) interview, Mr. Seidman argues that the global context and its enhanced competitiveness is constraining the urge to make the right decision because it can be very unpopular, dangerous and unprofitable for most organizations (p. 82). While the context is valid as it relates to how the increased market pressures upon organizations to constantly perform inevitably dilutes their moral sense, I personally believe that the global demand for corporate transparency actually provides a greater opportunity for organizations to demonstrate, not shirk, their moral sense, and in turn generate profits on the backs of an extremely loyal culture of clients and customers.
Any decision to move an organization from a strictly compliance-type ethics program towards one that nurtures a process to create a self-governing culture should begin with a corporate culture audit that would “attempt to loosely measure how open the channels are between ethical values stationed at the top, and the actual practices down below” (Brusseau, 2011, p. 439). In our organization, this process of moving towards a “value-based culture” would need to be initiated from the President’s office and executed through leadership within each department (Thompson, 2007, p. 88). Shifting an entire organization’s culture, especially one that is family owned, from a rules-based system to one which intentionally trusts people with the space to honour and build an ethic worthy of themselves, their peers and reports would take time. However, with available opportunities to integrate the organizations core values through print, meetings, social media, awards, synchronizing a new corporate cultural approach to ethical behaviour with individual beliefs would be quite seamless. As Mr. Seidman expressed, “we don’t need to train people on ethics”, we need to train people for ethics; therefore, in the context of our organization, it is my responsibility to inspire an ethic transcending a simple page of the employee handbook to an integrated model spanning every act and thought (Thompson, 2007, p. 79).
Matt
Brusseau, J. (2011). The Business Ethics Workshop. New York: Flat World Knowledge.
Thompson, K. R. (2007). An interview with Dov L. Seidman, CEO of LRN. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 13(3), 79-91.
Light from Many Lamps – Part Four
In an ever-shrinking world filled with increasing demands and distractions, affording yourself the means to enjoy solitude and the art of contemplation is fast becoming a rare luxury. Regardless of the approach, style, technique or strategy, leading others through a culture that abhors living a minimalistic or simplified life is not an enterprise for the faint-hearted, but requires a “mature attitude towards success” and a strong will to stand firm through processes of development that sometimes require patience, time and nourishment (Thoreau, 1951, p. 238). In his passage titled Our life…, Henry David Thoreau (1951) reflects on his decision to experiment with simplicity, prompting the reader to consider how life could be so much more meaningful and deliberate in caring for others when choosing to live, work and think alongside what he terms as “Spartan simplicity” (p. 233). What Thoreau discovers through living a simplistic life, is that by integrating solitude and reflection into the life of a leader, it enhances clarity, improves cognition and strengthens their capacity to be alone, and in response to it, better equipped to lead.
In order to exercise one’s state of mind, allowing it the freedom to become grounded as means to enhance perspective is not what some would call introversion, or worse, self-imposed isolation. Solitude and life simplification are what Thoreau (1951) describes as opportunities to improve the “soul’s estate”, growing closer to understanding life’s basic, but elusive truths that give it meaning (p. 233). Unlike what Dan B. Allender (1996) states in Leading with a Limp, when solitude is sometimes used as a vehicle to hide and “guard against hurt”; leaders need to reserve moments to reflect and recharge so that they can more effectively lead others (p. 116). Through his emphatic expression, Thoreau is saying that we as leaders, need to abstain from succumbing to a reality that suggests we should fill every available moment and space to the point of “enslavement”, and instead, supplant it with more simplicity as a means to be more emotionally and mentally prepared to execute their very best in decision making and influence.
Finding moments of solitude in an overly-connected work environment can be difficult these days; however, the relevance of this lesson speaks to the choices we make and what measure of intentionality we apply towards achieving those goals. Apart from time in prayer and reflection, I try to keep a journal which captures both daily events and the measure and sense of my emotional state. In addition to the cognitive benefits that solitude offers, the practice of journaling helps form perspective, aids decision-making and in being organized, expands the time available as a means to consider future actions and the needs of others on my team. As an accomplished scholar in his time, Thoreau was clearly outside the norm with his decision to experiment with solitude. Nevertheless, his experience teaches us to keep our burdens light, enjoying every moment in itself, and through it, every opportunity to use it to benefit the lives of those we lead.
Matt
Allender, D. B. (2006). Leading with a limp. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press.
Thoreau, H. D. (1951). Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify! In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 231-238). New York: Simon & Schuster.
Blog Post Two
When finding ways to create a culture of inclusion in the workplace, the obvious risk for most organizations occurs in the absence of consistent and mindful stewardship. Reason being because bias and prejudice takes hold, leaving a promising vision consigned to either a toothless policy directive, hiring guideline, or pie chart, categorizing diversity for a run-of-the-mill human resources audit. Most organizations are good at creating a culture of success, but why does the research surrounding gender biases indicate that gender stereotypes continue to be “easily and automatically activated” even with policies in place (Northouse, 2016, p. 404)? I believe that the chief responsibility in promoting a sense of uniqueness and belonging falls upon both the organization and its executive leadership; however, creating a “culture” requires day-to-day practical applications, grassroots initiatives and the means to measure its effectiveness. Unfortunately, women still face more obstacles than men in the workplace; therefore, leaders need to synchronize their desires with the needs of women together in an environment using common terms of inclusivity to foster recognition and belonging through “a shared understanding and language” (Nugent, Pollack, & Travis, 2016, p. 7).
Unfortunately, no workplace is one hundred percent immune from bias, aloofness and apathy, but there are some practical ways to recognize the uniqueness of women and their positive influence within the organization. Most certainly as it relates to my own workplace, we regularly need reminders in terms of how we can adopt better mechanisms to recognize and grow inclusivity. During our meetings, we discuss problems and solutions equally within the group; however, we need to do a better job in reinforcing contributions made by our female members, recognizing their observations and ideas by assigning visible credit directly to each one. Honesty loves to engage with humility; therefore, apart from reflecting upon my own bias and ego, seeking feedback in regards to my own leadership and its effectiveness within the context of our organization communicates my willingness to grow a culture of fairness and equity.
Recognition is another great way for an organization or an individual to connect their desire in support of inclusivity alongside a specific event; however, creating a lasting culture of belonging where women regularly feel “welcomed and valued” as part of the workplace, its groups and collegial activities requires a broader plan of action (Nugent, Pollack, & Travis, 2016, p. 2). In my own workplace, we often experience a more robust debate; however atypical, we generate a faster path towards consensus when we focus on helping each other through the understanding. For both men or women, a sense of belonging inspires loyalty, creativity and a deeper connection to organizational goals and objectives; however, by openly sharing a vision for inclusion of women, it sets the tone for everyone moving forward. Ultimately, those that you lead are watching you very closely; therefore, know yourself and your objectives, leaving no doubt that you abhor exclusivity and reflect your commitment to inclusivity in your actions at all times.
Matt
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Nugent, J. S., Pollack, A., & Travis, D. J. (2016). The day-to-day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved November 2018, from https://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf
Blog Post One
In the book titled Leadership, Peter G. Northouse (2016) presents three case studies at the end of chapter 15 which provide situational aspects to some of the most common challenges female leaders confront in the workplace. Even though “the predicament of female leaders has improved significantly in recent decades”, the old metaphor glass ceiling (used to express an ethereal barrier), still exists, yet considered today to be more of a labyrinth when conveying today’s obstacles and challenges that women still face even after they have earned the right to be considered for elite leadership positions (p. 398). What should be considered an advantage to an organization in terms of employee stability, commitment, and loyalty, some employers, such as the one managing Marina Soslow, still consider pregnancy to be a negative consequence in the workplace.
As senior managing director, Marina brings exceptional capital to her position via ten years of experience, loyalty, a devotion to self-improvement via academia, honesty and most importantly, the maturity and foresight to develop a plan to address any issues and the solutions related to work distribution during her absence. Marina wants to win promotion to an executive position, and is more than qualified; however, she experiences an underlying prejudice from her division head, Roy Bond, when he responds to her pregnancy announcement with “I knew this was going to happen sooner or later; it always does” (Northouse, 2016, p. 415). Rather than demonstrating his degree of immaturity and incompetence, Roy should have congratulated Marina on her news, followed up by re-assurance, support and expression of gratitude for her maturity in preparing a plan for him in advance.
Perhaps a combination of poor training and lack of resources led to Roy’s response. Or even worse, the organization may not have established the proper provisions for development and guidance for women in Marina’s position. There can be a myriad of organizational reasons for negligence, but since Roy is Marina’s leader, he should set aside any bias and become the actionable medium between the organization and Marina regardless if precedent had already been set before. Outside the organization’s policies, leaders can embrace this challenge in two ways – through greater understanding and intentional adoption of a more transformational style of leadership. Research and honest discussion will broaden one’s comprehension and will grow the leader’s empathy, while “being considerate and supportive” builds trust and is foundational to one’s leadership effectiveness (Northouse, 2016, p. 408). Ultimately, unexpected changes can make anyone feel vulnerable; but as a leader, you should never work to subvert your followers by amplifying their sense of vulnerability at the hand of your own insecurity.
Matt
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.