What is Leadership? Susan M. Adams, PhD Bentley College © Copyright Susan Adams, Ph.D

What is Leadership?What is Leadership?

Susan M. Adams, PhDSusan M. Adams, PhD

Bentley CollegeBentley College

© Copyright Susan Adams, Ph.D.

Indications of the Indications of the Importance of LeadershipImportance of Leadership

206,293 books on leadership 206,293 books on leadership (Amazon)(Amazon)

About 1,800,000 scholarly articles About 1,800,000 scholarly articles (Google Scholar)(Google Scholar)

Ancient philosophers (Sun Tzu, Plato, Ancient philosophers (Sun Tzu, Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Machiavelli)Aristotle, Shakespeare, Machiavelli)

Level of compensation for leaders is Level of compensation for leaders is highhigh

What would you do?What would you do?

A. A. B.B. C.C.

Manager versus LeaderManager versus Leader

ManagerManager Plans, budgets Plans, budgets Organizing, staffingOrganizing, staffing Controlling, problem Controlling, problem

solving to executesolving to execute Produces consistencyProduces consistency

From Kotter’s From Kotter’s A Force for ChangeA Force for Change

LeaderLeader Establishes Establishes

directiondirection Aligns peopleAligns people Motivates, Inspires Motivates, Inspires

to executeto execute Produces changeProduces change

Learning to LeadLearning to Lead

•Knowledge

•Behavioral Skills

•Attitude

•Artistry

Effective Leadership

Elements of Effective Elements of Effective LeadershipLeadership

From Multidimensional Leadership: A Multidimensional Approach to Establishing Effective Leadership by Susan Adams

Situation Person

ResultsProcess

Situation ConsiderationsSituation Considerations

REALISTIC

VISION

=

•HISTORY (sins & successes of the past)

•PEOPLE INVOLVED (likes, dislikes, dreams, capabilities)

•ENVIRONMENT (competitors, regulations, economy, organizational structures and systems)

FollowersFollowers

Homogenous or heterogeneous?Homogenous or heterogeneous? Level of expertise?Level of expertise? Level of interest?Level of interest? Level of power? (influencing up and Level of power? (influencing up and

across the hierarchy)across the hierarchy) Preferred ways of learning?Preferred ways of learning? Size of following?Size of following?

Personal Characteristics Personal Characteristics for Leadershipfor Leadership

Capabilities

Trustworthy

Credible Leader

All Successful Leaders All Successful Leaders Need:Need:

Intelligences: Intelligences: linguistic intelligence linguistic intelligence interpersonal intelligence (EQ) interpersonal intelligence (EQ) existential intelligence existential intelligence others by situation: logical/mathematical, others by situation: logical/mathematical,

musical, spatial, body/kinesthetic, naturalist, musical, spatial, body/kinesthetic, naturalist, intrapersonalintrapersonal

Instinct – “feeling/sensing” patternsInstinct – “feeling/sensing” patterns

Integrity – demonstrated by honestyIntegrity – demonstrated by honesty

Sources of PowerSources of Power

PositionPosition Legitimate authorityLegitimate authority RewardReward PunishmentPunishment InformationInformation CentralityCentrality Non-substitutableNon-substitutable

Expertise (ability to control and generate Expertise (ability to control and generate desired resources)desired resources)

Referent (liked)Referent (liked) Social Capital (who you know)Social Capital (who you know)

Resource Resource DependencyDependencyScarcityScarcityImportantImportantNon-Non-substitutablesubstitutable

Types of FollowersTypes of Followers

Survivors

Effective Followers

Yes People

AlienatedFollowers

Sheep

ActivePassive

Dependent, Uncritical Thinking

Independent, Critical Thinking

From Robert E. Kelley, “In Praise of Followers”, Harvard Business Review, 1988 & 2001

Obstacles to ResultsObstacles to Results

InexperienceInexperience Not knowing where to spend time, Not knowing where to spend time,

energy, attention (What is important? energy, attention (What is important? Urgent?)Urgent?)

Daring versus RecklessDaring versus Reckless Over-inflated sense of capabilitiesOver-inflated sense of capabilities

Ineffective communication to provide Ineffective communication to provide focus and learningfocus and learning

Leadership StylesLeadership Styles

TASK TASK FOCUSFOCUS

PEOPLE PEOPLE FOCUSFOCUS

LEARNING FOCUSLEARNING FOCUS

CoerciveCoercive AffiliativeAffiliative

PacesetterPacesetter

DemocraticDemocratic

CoachingCoaching

DirectiveDirective

Adult LearningAdult Learning

Theorists

(Think-Think)

Planners

(Think-Do)

Abstract Life Experiencing

Concrete Life Experiencing

Activists

(Do-Do)

Reflectors

(Do-Think)

CognitiveAffective

LearningLearning

PlannersPlanners CharacteristicsCharacteristics: : Prefer preparation Prefer preparation

time; extensive training before time; extensive training before undertaking new experiencesundertaking new experiences

Management ConsiderationsManagement Considerations: : Interventions most effective in Interventions most effective in preliminary planning stage. Use preliminary planning stage. Use explanations and clarifications of explanations and clarifications of expectations as much as possible before expectations as much as possible before a change occurs.a change occurs.

StrengthStrength: : Prevent problems through Prevent problems through anticipation. Great models for those who anticipation. Great models for those who follow.follow.

ActivistsActivists

CharacteristicsCharacteristics: : Prefer to stay busy; low Prefer to stay busy; low tolerance for extended talk; would rather jump tolerance for extended talk; would rather jump into a new experienceinto a new experience

Management ConsiderationsManagement Considerations: : Interventions Interventions should include positive and negative should include positive and negative consequences for behavior and structural consequences for behavior and structural constraints to keep the individual on track. Lots of constraints to keep the individual on track. Lots of public praise is helpful.public praise is helpful.

StrengthStrength: : Provide trailblazing for change efforts. Provide trailblazing for change efforts. Terrific data for planners.Terrific data for planners.

ReflectorsReflectors

CharacteristicsCharacteristics: : Prefer to jump into new Prefer to jump into new situations and understand latersituations and understand later

Management ConsiderationsManagement Considerations: : Interventions should include critical Interventions should include critical incidents review, regular periodic reviews, incidents review, regular periodic reviews, and open door policy for informal sense-and open door policy for informal sense-making chats.making chats.

StrengthStrength: : Promote individual and Promote individual and organizational learning.organizational learning.

TheoristsTheorists CharacteristicsCharacteristics: : Prefer to stay out of Prefer to stay out of

implementation situations; like to watch, implementation situations; like to watch, analyze, and adviseanalyze, and advise

Management ConsiderationsManagement Considerations: : Interventions should include information and Interventions should include information and explanations for reality checks. Provide details explanations for reality checks. Provide details about history and nuances of the situation. about history and nuances of the situation.

StrengthStrength: : Can pinpoint problems before and Can pinpoint problems before and after they happen. Can help planners and after they happen. Can help planners and reflectors.reflectors.

Feedback PreferencesFeedback Preferences

External Feedback Preference

Internal Feedback Preference *

* Need internal ability to generate accurate feedback to rely on internal feedback

Frameworks for Leading Frameworks for Leading OrganizationsOrganizations

Human Resource Frame

Political Frame

Structural Frame

Symbolic Frame

From Bolman and Deal, Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

Human Resource ViewHuman Resource View

Metaphor: organization as extended Metaphor: organization as extended familyfamily

Image of leader: servant, catalystImage of leader: servant, catalyst Change strategy: build relationships, Change strategy: build relationships,

listen, communicate openly, educate, listen, communicate openly, educate, involve and empower othersinvolve and empower others

Focus of change: skills, attitudes, Focus of change: skills, attitudes, teamwork, communicationsteamwork, communications

Political ViewPolitical View Metaphor: organization as jungleMetaphor: organization as jungle Image of leader: advocate, negotiatorImage of leader: advocate, negotiator Change strategy: map the terrain, Change strategy: map the terrain,

create an agenda for change, network, create an agenda for change, network, attract allies, defuse opposition, attract allies, defuse opposition, negotiatenegotiate

Focus of change: building a power base, Focus of change: building a power base, gaining access to and influencing key gaining access to and influencing key playersplayers

Structural ViewStructural View

Metaphor: organization as complex Metaphor: organization as complex machinemachine

Image of leader: analyst, architectImage of leader: analyst, architect Change strategy: do your homework, Change strategy: do your homework,

analyze what’s working and what isn’t, analyze what’s working and what isn’t, design new approach, implementdesign new approach, implement

Focus of change: structure, plans, Focus of change: structure, plans, policies, procedures, data, logicpolicies, procedures, data, logic

Symbolic ViewSymbolic View

Metaphor: organization as theaterMetaphor: organization as theater Image of leader: prophet, poetImage of leader: prophet, poet Change strategy: reframe and Change strategy: reframe and

reinterpret, develop rituals and reinterpret, develop rituals and ceremonies, tell stories, create ceremonies, tell stories, create dramadrama

Change focus: meaning, belief, faithChange focus: meaning, belief, faith

Effective Leadership

The Art & Science of The Art & Science of LeadershipLeadership

From Multidimensional Leadership: A Multidimensional Approach to Establishing Effective Leadership by Susan Adams

Situation Person

ResultsProcessAnalysis & Intuition