Tag: Learning Activity 2

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

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

Hello Dawn

Indeed, I had a feeling that someone would challenge the reasoning behind that statement, so thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

Through some direct experience and years of observations, I have found that taking an interest in the positive development of an individual or group almost always manifests some form of negativity in others. Whether it takes the shape as resentment, envy or even malice, a leader needs to publicly vocalize their position and be prepared to name the negativity for what it is. I included “working against people” as one of the means to achieve important objectives because in the process of changing or transforming people, there is always a need to make an example of, guard against, or repel the forces working to prevent leaders from meeting the needs of their followers. Part of being a transformational leader includes protecting the ground you have gained, which includes those under your wing, ‘against’ individuals seeking to de-rail your influence. Oftentimes, a very public demonstration challenging those individuals communicates and reinforces the leader’s measure of authenticity and their commitment to the goal, visions and growth in others.

Your last question asked about better approaches while facing challenge. Fortunately, transformative leaders have a myriad of approaches at their disposal to best suit the need; therefore, I would continue to empower and guide those individuals that support you, in order that they echo your desires for the group or individuals. Second, accountability discussions held in ‘safe’ environments invite a constructive forum for query and listening, even with those ‘rife with discontent’. Third, honesty is paramount. Those that stand against you, your followers, or the organization goals, need to know that you have the same commitment to their performance achievements and growth as with those that are already on board. Ultimately, change surrounds us on a constant basis; therefore, the key for the transformative leader is to always be the one to stand firm in their convictions and principles no matter what takes place around them, not only for their own protection, but in hopes of communicating stability and the sense of freedom for others to explore their potential.

Matt

In the article titled Transformational Leadership…., Wang et al. (2011) synthesize their findings from 25 years of research revealing the clear contrasts of leader/follower relationships between the often more direct and traditional style of transactional leadership with the charismatic and affective elements of transformational leadership, and its tendency to be a “robust predictor of desirable performance outcomes across situations” (p. 253). In other words, the more frequently a leader or manager connects with followers via their emotions, values or standards, the better the development in follower attitude and motivation, subsequently enhancing greater personal empowerment and organizational performance.

In my experience, managing is often a delicate balance between choosing whether to work through, with, or sometimes even against people, as a means to achieve important objectives for the organization.  For managers that wish to model leadership after their own values and philosophies, the main implication of this article indicates that a transformational leadership model can be trained for, and greatly enhanced within environments that “involve teamwork and collaboration” (p. 253). Additionally, by taking responsibility for promoting and enhancing a transfomational leadership style, organizations will benefit with followers with “higher standards of moral responsivity” (Northouse, 2016, p. 177).

With most sales-driven organizations still placing a heavy emphasis upon incentive and reward-based transactional styles of managing to achieve task performance, the study reveals that there is better predictability in performance for both teams and individuals when led from a transformational style of leadership. When applied in practice, this information reinforces one’s confidence that this style is accessible and can be learned. Second, it underscores the importance in creating a supportive environment as a means to incubate the same transformational characteristics in followers.

When comparing a home’s walls, floors and doorways with the public ethical practice of a leader, the degree to how “plumb” both are, depends almost entirely on the fortitude and strength of the foundation. Principles such as respect and service to others, along with a sense of justice, honesty and a commitment towards building up community are several of the key principles that forge this foundation. In his book titled Leadership, Peter G. Northouse (2016) defines these very principles below (p. 341).

1. Respect Others – treat others as ends in themselves and never a means to ends.
2. Serve Others – placing the interests of others ahead of your own to contribute to the common good, or goal.
3. Shows Justice – treat all followers equally, individually and collectively as a community.
4. Manifest Honesty – representing reality as fully and completely as possible.
5. Build Community – intentionally searching for ways to align individual and societal goals.

All 5 principles exist to “set the moral tone” for the group, or organization (BuildingCapacity [Poster], 2013); however, I believe that respect for others, and building community, stand out apart from the other principles in terms of a leaders’ desire to communicate their authenticity. A heart that is centered on serving others with justice and honesty captures all the key components of respect as basic rights. Second, the very basis of transformational leadership involves working to “move the group toward a common good that is beneficial for both leaders and followers”; therefore, in terms of the common goal, building community with intentionality evolved into a manifestation of all other principles combined.

Matt

BuildingCapacity [Poster]. (2013, March 29). What is ethical leadership? Retrieved November 2018, from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Wang, G., Oh, I.-S., Courtright, S. H., & Colbert, A. E. (2011). Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of research. Group & Organization Management, 36(2), 223-270.

Characteristically similar when conceptualization servant leadership, having a conversation with another about their goals, interests and professional development must begin with an honest willingness to proportional engage the other via a 2:1 ratio – with two ears and one mouth. In the context of a coaching conversation, listening is key; however, I really like the structure of query that Dan Rockwell (2017) uses in breaking down specific questions, assigning them numbers in rank of what can be achieved based upon “specific observable actionable behaviours”. Unfortunately, followers are not always receptive to an intentional and strategic approach when supporting personal development; however, for James, a man who just like a blacksmith with his anvil and a hammer, really understands good timing in knowing when to intentionally strike the hearts and minds of those he leads.

Similar to the blacksmith’s technique, curing enhanced performance while the iron is hot is central to James’ approach. At his best, James performs well when he engages those he leads from a position that helps them articulate the ‘why’ in the big picture first. The keen awareness, empathy and stewardship that James clearly demonstrates pales in comparison to the premium he places on “treating each follower as unique person with intrinsic value” (Northouse, 2016, p. 228). Throughout his career and service to his faith community, James is not afraid to tackle worthy causes especially those surrounding personal development. Through his prowess as a mentor and coach, James has been instrumental in adopting an injured ALPHA program coming alongside leadership and participant teams, restoring what was possible via his top competency of vision-casting. Through his gift of storytelling, maturity and depth of emotional intelligence, it easy to see how James uses his visioning to inspire those around him. He is an accomplished public speaker and knows how to read the terrain when distraction moves him off task. When stressed, James has developed the wisdom in understanding how to navigate away from his familiar coping techniques, towards a behavioural style that is productive and useful to himself and those he leads.

At the core of his value proposition, James is a servant leader rooted from his humility, creative talents, loyalty and devotion to the development of others. His goals and objectives are clear. Through continuing studies, building like-minded networks and exploration through greater aspects of transitional servant leadership, this particular master blacksmith expects to forge many more leaders over the years to come.

Matt

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Rockwell, D. (2017, March 5). The anatomy of performance enhancing coaching conversations. Retrieved November 2018, from Leadership Freak: https://leadershipfreak.blog/2017/03/05/the-anatomy-of-performance-enhancing-coaching-conversations/

Even though the fruits born out of a servant leadership approach can vary depending upon one’s perspective, the root of servant leadership remains the same – “the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first” (Northouse, 2016, p. 226). Having said that, the style and implementation methods in which a servant leader selects can also vary depending upon the construct and context of the situation. For instance, although a servant leader keeps a familiar host of universal characteristics in reserve for one-on-one interactions, the sequence, delivery method, timing, and make-up of groups requires a set of slightly different characteristics to coordinate activities. Based upon my experience leading groups, by integrating a stakeholder register as a means to persuade others, communicating foresight through meetings and finally, simply listening during group development can greatly boost efficiency and effectiveness in when coordinating group projects.

In my experience, one of the most important actions a leader can take prior to assembling a group, consists of setting some time aside to reflect upon, strategize, or even interview for possible needs, relational conflicts, biases and desires of potential group members and stakeholders. Regardless of project scope or size, this data can be easily developed and documented in the form of a data table, or what is commonly referred to as a stakeholder register. This tool is very effective when applied throughout several project management processes, offering leaders, and if shared with the group, a means to efficiently understand each other, background, expectations, strengths, and sometimes weaknesses to accelerate group integration and the forming process so that the group can move efficiently onto tasks. As a servant leader works “to convince others” to join the group or persuade them to become willing participants in the visioning process, this tool not only maps skills, traits and experience, but gives the leader a sense of the overall group construct, showcasing helpful statistics to consider when choosing effective decision-making techniques, and the predictability in how the group would interact with each other and approach combined tasks (Spears, 2010, p. 28).

Once the project group forms, meeting(s) should take place to formalize and legitimatize actions needed to charter the project and discuss the specific goals and objectives required to align with the vision. Even before specific roles and responsibilities are assigned, the most important action a servant leader can take during this initial process, involves setting the tone; which consequently, communicates openness and their ability to foresee the process to its successful end. In my experience, I have found storyboards to be a useful tool in sharing past mistakes and decisions as a means to pivot off those experiences, which subsequently communicates an “ethical dimension” in terms of how accountable the servant leader is to both the result and the process (Northouse, 2016, p. 228). In his article, Larry C. Spears (2010) states that “understanding lessons from the past, the realities of the present and likely consequences of a decision for the future” will help the servant leader demonstrate a measure of authenticity which as a byproduct, strengthens consensus and increases the members’ shared confidence in terms of quickly transitioning and synchronizing as a group as they move towards the assignment of roles and responsibilities (p. 28).

Finally, when establishing roles and responsibilities for the group, a servant leader should simple be prepared to listen to other members. Unless the discussion requires an intervention to re-establish respectful discourse, or a necessary re-alignment to bring the conversation back on point, I prefer to wait until all members are heard so I can acknowledge their viewpoints and validate their perspectives in how they specifically relate, and apply to the goals and objectives. By allowing the will of the group to freely move, it helps the servant leader “clarify that will” which also reveals any observations or suspicions as it relates to bias in what is being said and what is unsaid (Spears, 2010, p. 27).

Matt

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Spears, L. C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25-30.

Unlike the Roman-era power/leader-member exchange style of leadership as expressed through the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees of His time, Jesus Christ flawlessly demonstrated how to capture and appeal to, hearts and minds when one looks for “what is right with people rather than emphasizing what is wrong with them” (Searle & Barbuto Jr., 2011, p. 107). By no means did this type of leadership begin with Jesus, but in the context of the most typical leadership approaches of His day, He might as well have started it. In his book Leadership, Peter G. Northouse (2016) states that servant leadership is a paradoxical approach that runs counter to common sense (p. 225); however, when Jesus creates clarity from the complex through parables, heals emotionally, behaves ethically, empowers, puts followers first and creates value for the community (and the world) at large, servant leadership is less paradoxical than one would think.

As One who clearly exemplifies this component of servant leadership, Jesus had an advantage in terms of being fully aware; however, other leaders He was training may not have had a reservoir of experience to draw upon with understanding human behaviour. Similar to emotional intelligence’s (EI) component of self-awareness as “having a deep understanding on one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives” (Goleman, 1998, p. 84), a servant-leaders awareness is a characteristic which develops from knowing oneself and how they impact the world around them. In slight contrast to this very ethereal-like emotional connection to oneself as a means to serve others, a psychodynamic approach aligns with clinical mechanisms to understand behaviour of both leader and follower striving to “create reflective practitioners” (Northouse, 2016, p. 307). Although the psychodynamic approach digs deep into “underlying irrational processes and dynamics governing human behaviour” (Northouse, 2016, p. 324), in my opinion, the awareness of a servant leader is generally less rigid, more holistic, and like Jesus, extends a consistency in model to all followers, not just a select group.

Matt

Goleman, D. (1998, November). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 76(6), 82-90.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Searle, T. P., & Barbuto Jr., J. E. (2011). Servant leadership, hope, and organizational virtuousness: A framework exploring positive micro and macro behaviors and performance impact. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 18(1), 107-117.

Hello Monica

As we age, it seems that these “processes” of development throughout our lives often manifest in usual and familiar patterns. Your well-articulated post revealed a few important things relating to these patterns, especially as it relates to this “practical wisdom” you had mentioned. These stages of development seem to comfortably align with Psychologist Bruce Tuckman’s stages of group development – forming, storming, norming and performing. Like Cahalan’s (2017) “practical wisdom” for individuals, groups of people walk through a similar process:

In the Beginning – Forming

Advancing in Practice – Storming

Competence in Practice – Norming

Expertise or Unknowing – Performing

Your query at the end of your post asks what natural skills or environmental influences impact or impede the development of those beyond Stage 1 or 2? I suppose it could be a broad range integrating a mixture of all those elements; however, in the context of leadership, critical thinking and individual development, I would consider approaching those stuck with a wide array of communication techniques, placing focus on behavior, not personality and lastly, let them be themselves. Ultimately, as you mentioned, any development in life or with others may just be about one’s choice.

Matt

Hello Norm.

Not only was your post relevant to my own walk in terms of creating an environment of safety for those who wish to test theory and self-discovery, but you prompted some thoughts as it relates to process delivered and the autonomy in process created.

That transfer of knowledge is key for any leader/follower relationship, especially when characteristically revealed with the obvious humility and selflessness; however, I like how you framed the contrast between having the employee adapt to an employer changing the process with redesigning the job as a means for the employee to develop the conditioning to anticipate and response to their own desired outcomes. The fear, as demonstrated in my life sometimes, is whether your team, employees or followers are equipped with the right tools, techniques and experience to think critically for themselves. Trust must be visible and present in order for an employee to feel safe to approach the leader/manager in times of doubt and challenge in order to dive deeper into greater analytical and critical thinking approaches.

Matt

Being fully-equipped to meet the needs and demands of today’s leadership environment can often require a methodical approach in the decision-making process. As an effective means of building consensus within the groups in which I lead, we collectively make every attempt to channel our discussions through an inquiry type process. This enables equality of voice and affords everyone the opportunity to engage alternate solutions through a structured format. In their book titled, The Thinker’s Guide to Analytic Thinking, Linda Elder and Richard Paul (2012) discuss the inherent value when “reasonable people judge reasoning by intellectual standards” (p. 8). In the context of my own workplace, when we underpin the value of reasoning within our decision-making via a standardized process, we give ourselves a clear and consistent model to evaluate anything we encounter. As a team, we make every effort to be concise and thorough in this process especially when evaluating risks, but alas, time is not always on our side; therefore, as a means to efficiently evaluate our thinking, we often deploy a small selection of typical standard/key points (Elder & Paul, 2012) listed below in rank of importance.

1. SIGNIFICANCE – this standard focuses our attention on what is important, not the trivial. A question can be framed asking if the facts are important, or if this is the central problem or idea to focus on?
2. CLARITY – the meaning can be grasped and is understandable. A question asks for an example or illustration to help define the meaning or issue at hand.
3. ACCURACY – free from errors or distortions. Is it true? Discussion asks for verification from other sources in order to test the results.
4. DEPTH – the complexities and multiple interrelationships that is prompting the query – what factors are making this a difficult problem?
5. BREADTH – encompassing multiple viewpoints asking – do we need to look at this from another perspective?
6. FAIRNESS – as a leader, monitoring any personal bias influencing others. Do I have any vested interest in this issue? Am I being sympathetic to other viewpoints?

As exhausted by Elder and Paul (2012), there are other intellectual standards in which one can deploy when evaluating ideas, thoughts or actions; however, rest assured, critical thinking usually invites some form of conflict. Ultimately, the benefit of following a process of analytical or critical thinking is that although the process invariably invites tension, it helps us develop greater impartiality, rationality and perspective.

Matt

Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2012). The thinker’s guide to analytic thinking: How to take thinking apart and what to look for when you do. Tomales, California: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.