Leadership A Dialog on Understanding and Application Kelvin K. Droegemeier CHEM 5213 8 December 2011

LeadershipA Dialog on Understanding

and Application

Kelvin K. Droegemeier

CHEM 52138 December 2011

We’re Bombarded with Material on Leadership but do we Really

Understand It?

What Does the Word “Leadership” Mean to You?

Do You See Yourself as a Leader? If so, in What Ways?

What Individuals Have Been Important Leaders in Your Life?

Why?

Leadership: Searching for a Definition

Leadership: Searching for a Definition

Leadership: Searching for a Definition

¨ Powerful/influential¨ Intelligent¨ Mobilize people and resources to work toward

a common goal¨ Effectuate positive change¨ People of high values/standards/ethics – role

models¨ Well known/famous – leave a legacy¨ Operate with a mixture of formal and informal

authority

But What Makes Them Leaders?

¨ Money?¨ Pedigree/education?¨ Beliefs?¨ Actions?¨ Personalities?¨ Looks?¨ Connections?¨ Work ethic?¨ Chance?

¨ "Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy."

- Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

Leadership: Searching for a Definition

¨ Powerful/influential¨ Intelligent¨ Mobilize people and resources to work toward

a common goal¨ Effectuate positive change¨ Role models¨ People of high values/standards/ethics¨ Well known/famous¨ Operate exclusively with formal authority,

usually by coercion

Leadership: Searching for a Definition

What Other Adjectives Work?¨ Demagogue¨ Dictator¨ Madman¨ Control Freak¨ Other….?

According to Webster…¨ Leadership is the position, office, or term

of a leader¨ A leader is one who

– Directs– Guides– Is in command– Has influence

That’s Sort of a Useless Working Definition!

¨ It ignores values/ethics¨ It does not describe the work of

leadership¨ It does not distinguish between a shift

worker at a restaurant and 4-star general!

¨ Leadership is inexorably tied to values, morality, and ethics

Key Facts About Leadership

¨ We shape our values early in life, and thereafter our values shape us

¨ Respect cannot be demanded, it must be earned – by giving it away.

Key Facts About Leadership

¨ Look at how long these people have been in power or the influence they have!

¨ Do you think they ultimately will succeed?

Do You Buy This??

What Does History Tell Us?

¨ Leadership seeks positive outcomes to benefit others – a servant viewpoint

Key Facts About Leadership

The Servant Leader - Humility

¨ Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less

¨ “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."

- Winston Churchill

Key Facts About Leadership¨ Leadership is called forth by crisis and

challenge and helps shape it, but is not produced by it

LIFE: Is Difficult!!LEADERSHIP: Is Difficult!!¨ “This is a great truth, one of the greatest

truths. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

- Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled)

What is our Response?

¨ “…[we] moan…about the enormity of [our] problems…as if life should be easy. [We] voice [our] belief…that [our] difficulties represent a unique kind of affliction...visited upon [our] families, tribe, class, nation, race, or species…and not on others.”

- Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled)

A Dose of Reality

¨ More than 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day

¨ 6 million children under the age of five die each year from malnutrition

¨ More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day; 300 million are children

¨ More than 40% of the world’s population does not have basic sanitation or access to clean water

The Good News

¨ …It is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and wisdom.”

- Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled)

Leadership¨ In a nutshell, that’s what leaders do –

they solve problems¨ But they do so in a way fundamentally

different than what you might imagine

Two Words that Often are Confused: Leadership and Management¨ Leadership and Management are very

different, though some confuse them as being nearly synonymous

¨ Few people are effective leaders and managers

Leadership and Management

¨ Management– is about coping

with complexity–brings order and

consistency out of potential chaos

–applies knownsolutions andstrategies

“Leader” of a Baseball Team??

Leadership and Management¨ Leadership

– is about coping with or planningchange, especially if it’s sudden

The Generals Managed Our Troops into Battle???

¨ "Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall."

- Stephen R. Covey

¨ "Management is doing things right…

Leadership is doing the right things."

- Peter Drucker

Leadership and Management: Parallel but Not Equal¨ Management

– Creating a plan– Defining steps– Establishing a

structure– Allocating

resources– Executing the plan– Controlling situations

and solving problems

Leadership and Management: Parallel but Not Equal¨ Leadership

–Developing a visionand setting direction

–Defining strategies –Aligning, motivating,

and inspiring people–Testing reality–Delegating work

The Reality of Vision

¨ The crucial feature of visions is that they must serve the interests of the constituency

Important Facts¨ Management controls people by pushing

them in the right direction¨ Leadership motivates people by drawing

them in a way that satisfies the basic human needs for– achievement– recognition– self-esteem– a sense of belonging

Are You a Leader??¨ The role of the leader is to take people on

journeys where they’ve not been before– By definition, you don’t know how to get there!!!

¨ “Never walk the traveled path because it only leads you where the others have been” (Alexander Graham Bell)

¨ Leaders hate, and instinctively challenge, the status quo!

Are You a Leader??¨ You know you’re a leader if you…

– feel you can do things better, and know how to do them better, without offending those in authority

– are comfortable being challenged– are comfortable with being under authority– are comfortable with crediting other people for things

you helped accomplish¨ How many of these fit you?

Major Tenants of Leadership¨ Leadership involves coping with or

producing useful change in response to challenges, problems or opportunities

¨ Leadership can be exercised with or without formal authority

Major Tenants of Leadership¨ Leadership involves coping with or

producing useful change in response to challenges, problems or opportunities

¨ Leadership can be exercised with or without formal authority

Producing Useful Change

¨ Problems -- when circumstances do not conform to the way we think things ought to be

¨ Two solutions– Apply a known technical fix (management)– Develop solutions that previously were

unknown (leadership) – known as adaptive change

Examples

¨ Someone doesn’t show up for work

Examples

¨ Terrorism threat in the United States

Major Tenants of Leadership¨ Leadership involves coping with or

producing useful change in response to challenges, problems or opportunities

¨ Leadership can be exercised with or without formal authority

Leading With Formal Authority¨ Conferred in exchange for protection,

direction, conflict control¨ Based on a set of expectations or a job

description¨ Essentially a formal contract – it can be

revoked or walked away from¨ Pros and cons

– Breadth and completeness of information– Must operate within specific bounds– Must operate at a distance from the front lines

Leading With Formal Authority

Leading With Informal Authority

¨ Based upon trust, reputation, civility, admiration, creativity and availability

¨ It can never be revoked, though the trust relationship can be broken and the reputation damaged

¨ This is the most powerful type of authority– Can deviate from norms of decision making– Can focus on hard issues– Can get closer to the experiences of the stakeholders

down in the trenches, where relationships are developed

Leading With Informal Authority

Authority is ALWAYS Present¨ If you don’t learn to lead “under,” you’ll

have few opportunities to lead “over.”¨ You cannot have authority unless you are

under authority (formal or informal)– President (Constitution, Courts)– Policemen/policewomen (Laws)– Professors (Chairs, Deans)– Students (Professors)– Children (Parents)

Is Leadership “A Part of Who You Are,” or Can it be

Learned?

The Key is Intelligence!¨ Part I: Intellect

– Intellectual capacity (IQ)– Technical expertise– Knowledge and experience

The Key is Intelligence!¨ Part I: Intellect

– Intellectual capacity (IQ)– Technical expertise– Knowledge and experience

¨ Part II: Emotions– 90% of the difference between outstanding

and average leaders is due to emotional intelligence (EI)

– It’s twice as important as IQ and technical expertise combined

– It is THE differentiating factor in leadership

You’ve Experienced This!¨ Have you been around people that don’t

have a clue when they offend others?¨ What instructors did you enjoy or value

the most?– The really brilliant one who cared nothing

about you individually? or …– The one who was really smart (can’t be a

professor otherwise) but made an effort to learn about your plans and dreams?

¨ People are persuaded by reason, but moved by emotion; [the leader] must both persuade them and move them."

- Richard M. Nixon

Emotional Intelligence (EI)¨ The capacity for recognizing our feelings

and those of others; for motivating ourselves and others; for managing emotions in ourselves and in our relationships– #1a: Understanding yourself (self-awareness)– #1b: Managing yourself (self-regulation)– #2a: Understanding others (empathy)– #2b: Managing others (motivation, social skills)

Self-Awareness/Self-Perception¨ This is a key aspect of being a leader¨ The ability to recognize and understand

your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effect on others– Self-confidence (but not arrogance)– Self-assessment– Self-deprecating sense of humor (rolling with

the punches)¨ What are my strengths and weaknesses?

Knowing Yourself¨ “Good timber does not grow with ease;

the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees” - J. Willard Marriott

Knowing Yourself¨ Taking criticism – tough medicine to

swallow, but usually always valuable

Knowing Yourself¨ Giving criticism -- kindly?¨ Leaders have to bring correction, but

HOW it’s brought can make or literally break someone

Knowing Yourself

¨ Being aware of how people respond to you

Self-Regulation

¨ This is another key aspect of being a leader¨ Self-regulation is the ability to manage your

emotions and reactions– Creates an environment of trust, safety, and fairness– Discourages those around you from losing control or

reacting impulsively¨ Bad scenes stick in people’s minds¨ Others can and should be understanding, but

SELF-regulation -- is up to YOU!

Social Awareness/Skills¨ Empathy – do you understand others and

take an interest in their concerns?¨ Are you concerned with serving the needs

of others – do you put others ahead of yourself?

¨ Do you encourage others, inspire, and communicate well?

¨ Do you foster relationships?

¨ This requires that you see the difference between you and your role . . .

¨ . . . and that you put yourself in another person’s shoes – empathy

The Other Side of Leadership¨ Leaders are under pressure to

restore equilibrium and produce solutions

¨ Emotions usually suggest squashing those who raise disturbing questions

¨ Annoyance is often a signal of opportunity

¨ Deviants are a leader’s best friend!

¨ Power abusers over-value themselves and under-value or de-value others–The “I owe this to myself” syndrome

¨ Power abusers use people, often without realizing it

¨ Power abusers often don’t take the time to deal with the root cause of problems

¨ Power abusers often are blind to counsel because of their “positional ego”

Beware of Power!

Key Characteristics of Leaders¨ A true leader is likely to be one who has no

desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the press of the external situation.

¨ I believe it might be accepted as a fairly reliable rule of thumb that the man who is ambitious to lead is disqualified as a leader. (A.W. Tozer)

¨ The true leader will be as ready to follow as to lead, and when a wiser and more gifted man than himself appears, he will step aside.

As a Leader, You’re Going to Make Mistakes!! How to Deal With Them?

¨ "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot . . . and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

 - Michael Jordan

It’s a Fact of Life

¨ Cover it up, quickly!– Totally a protection of our ego– We put the focus on ourselves rather than

others

What is Our Usual Response to Having Made a Mistake?

¨ “Never let them see you sweat”¨ This is the worst advice in the world¨ Remember about acknowledging our

strengths and weaknesses?¨ Think how others will respond to

your mistakes if you come across as perfect and full of infinite wisdom!

Being Human

Being Human

¨ "It is necessary for us to learn from others' mistakes. You will not live long enough to make them all yourself."

  --  Adm. Hyman G. Rickover

Ethics in Leadership/Science¨ From the Greek “ethos,” ethics is the

critical inquiry about the adequacy of any morality

¨ Morality is group norms for acceptable behavior that give the possibility for continued membership

¨ You must know where you stand because this determines your actions

Values

Values

Beliefs

Values

Beliefs

Attitudes

Values

Beliefs

Attitudes

Behaviors

Values

Beliefs

Attitudes

Behaviors

Credibility is lost when behavior is inconsistent with values

¨ Character and virtue are inseparable from leadership and ethics

¨ The true judge of character is what one would do if no one could find out!

¨ Where does character arise in science?– Collaborative research and sharing– Factual reporting – negative and positive– Reproducibility of results– Balanced reporting of negative and post– Stance on “moral” issues, even if not meteorological

(cloning, etc)

Ethics in Leadership/Science

Some of Today’s Leadership Challenges…

¨ Global climate change¨ The economy¨ Health care¨ Terrorism¨ Proliferation of nuclear weapons (e.g.,

North Korea and Iran)¨ Same-sex marriage¨ Abortion

Climate Change: A Classic Leadership Challenge?¨ Two pathways:

– Technical/technological solutions – Adaptive Change

¨ Technological solutions– Develop and implement technical fixes, e.g., scrubbers for coal

fired plants, alternative energy vehicles, non-fossil fuel energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear)

¨ Adaptation involves modifying behavior to changing circumstances and norms (research, technology, human behavior, proper role of government)– Adaptive work is needed when

• Deeply held beliefs are challenged• Legitimate yet competing views emerge

A Classic Leadership Challenge¨ Adaptive work consists of

– The learning required to address conflicts in the values people hold, or to diminish the gap between the values they stand for and the reality they face

¨ Adaptive work requires a change in values, beliefs, or behavior

¨ It does not mean passively “giving in” to the circumstances or compromising moral stands

¨ It does require that one clarify what matters most in balance with trade-offs– People want clean air but also the economic benefits

of heavy industry

Applying Leadership¨ Step 1: Get on the balcony and see the big picture,

from all sides¨ Step 2: Identify the challenge: technical fix or

adaptive¨ Step 3: Sequence and pace the work, regulating

distress and providing direction/orientation¨ Step 4: Ask tough questions and challenge traditional

thinking – expose contradictions¨ Step 5: Give the work back to the people involved; get

advice from those on the front lines. This is part of the buy-in

¨ Step 6: Protect the voices of everyone and provide cover to all sides

As a True Leader

¨ You WILL…– Disappoint– Receive unjust criticism– Be misunderstood, misquoted, mistreated– Be viewed as other than you really are– Be unappreciated

As a True Leader

¨ You WILL…– Receive incredible satisfaction– Make an impact on people– Not be forgotten

¨ Life is difficult, leadership is difficult, and nothing will change that fact!

¨ One of the most important factors that define great leaders is perseverance

But You Have to PERSEVERE

¨ His brother died when he was 7¨ His mother died when he was 9¨ His fiancée died¨ His eventual wife had 4 sons, only 1 of whom

made it to adulthood¨ He suffered deep depression and was

hospitalized for a nervous breakdown¨ He started two businesses and both failed¨ He was defeated multiple times in runs for the

state legislature, US Congress, and US Senate

A Man I Personally Admire

But He Persevered….

¨ Had Lincoln lived an easier life, would he have become a great man?

¨ He accepted the difficulty of life and refused to let obstacles dissuade him

¨ He used them to build his character and impacted the world in profound ways

¨ That’s a hope for all of us as leaders

The Takeaway Message?

The Payoff of Leadership¨ This is not about getting people to buy into

your own ideas!¨ It’s about teaching people to

– Recognize and embrace their unique abilities and limitations

– Relate effectively to people having different views– Deal with situations they’ve never faced and that

have no known solutions– Work for a broader purpose while fulfilling their

own specific goals and needs– Draw the best out of others by motivating and

inspiring

¨ There are NO UNIMPORTANT people or positions

¨ Everyone is a leader to some extent because everyone has a set of followers

¨ Leadership isn’t a task but rather a way of life!¨ Find out what you’re good at both technically

and emotionally¨ Walk in those things and try to shore up other

weaknesses¨ History may not recognize you as a “leader,”

but you’ll be a history-maker if you mobilize people to do something that’s socially useful

Summary

¨ Don’t waste your time looking around to see what the world needs. Rather, look inside to see what makes you come alive, and do those things…for the world needs people who are alive, walking in their passions.

One Piece of Advice…