T E R E S A B I D L A K E

C O N C E P T S C A P T U R E D

A P R E S E N T A T I O N T O :

C E N T R A L O R E G O N C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

D E P A R T M E N T O F C O M M U N I T Y L E A R N I N G

& B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T

F E B R U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 0

Elements of Leadership

Elements of Leadership

© 2009 – Teresa Bidlake

AGENDA

What are the qualities of exemplary team leaders and managers?

Why are these qualities essential?

How does good leadership contribute to a high-functioning team?

Q & A

Defining Leadership

―A majority of human resource directors surveyed recently confessed they would be hard pressed to agree on what leadership is -- although they agree that leadership training and recruiting is one of their top priorities. The task of assessing leadership -- and defining it -- is difficult for many reasons, but HR is uniquely positioned to minister to its definition and development. ―

Irving H. Buchen, PhD. - Human Resource Executive Online, Feb 1, 2010 © 2010 LRP Publications

Leader as Storyteller

―A rough definition of a group is a set of individuals who share the same stories and see the same

meaning in them.‖ ~ Stephen Denning, Suirrel Inc.: A Fabel

of Leadership and Storytelling

―The future is already here, but is unevenly distributed.‖ ~ William Gibson

Leader as Poet-Gardener

These leaders are discerning of the culture and ideas that emerge from others, not just themselves. They synthesize and extrapolate thoughts; then they come up with the best one, even if it’s not their own.

These leaders are attractive to a new workforce that longs to be part of creating the ideas and determining the direction. This leader gardens/develops their people. They are equippers. They empower. This leader values growth—not just organizationally but for each individual in it. They lead out of shared ownership.

~ Dr. Tim Elmore

Essential Qualities of Leadership

Competence

Commitment

Communication

Follow through

Active enrollment, active support

Self awareness

Responsible risk taking

“Leading is about taking people somewhere they didn’t realize they could go.”

~ Jeffrey D. Ford, PhD., The Ohio State University

It’s also about how you execute

Know your people and your business

Insist on realism

Set clear goals & priorities

Reward the doers

Expand people’s capabilities

Execution – The Discipline of Getting Things Done~ Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan

Essential Qualities of Managers

Analytical thinking & problem solving

Stewardship of organizational systems

Driving repeatable performance

Creating a climate for continuous improvement

Pragmatic, energetic

Task- & results-driven

“Managers focus on infrastructure [systems] to efficiently and effectively organize people so that goals can be met with minimal risk and predictable

results.” ~ John Kotter, Harvard Business Review

Manager, “What are you doing?” Programmer, “I’m thinking about a problem.” Manager, “We don’t pay you to think. Please go back to work.” ~ An actual conversation at EDS, ca. 1988

What do leading & managing look like together?

ConsciousnessInternal

FocusExternal Focus

Change Focus

Standardization Focus

Creative

Performer

Energetic

Analytical

Visionary

Empowering

CommunityBuilder

Administrative

Transformational Leadership: Creating Organizations of Meaning ~ Stephen Hacker & Tammy Roberts

Self Mastery

Problem Solvers & Problem Formulators

PROBLEM SOLVERS

Scientific Orientation

Recommend Solutions

PATHFINDERS

Systemic Orientation

Purposeful behavior defines

the context

DOERS

Practical Orientation

Solution Implementers

PROBLEM FORMULATORS

Artistic Orientation

Formulates the problem

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Tendency to find differencesSystems Thinking: Managing Chaos & Complexity – A Platform for Designing Business Architecture ~Jamshi Gharajedagh

The 3 C’s of Leadership

Competence Foundational knowledge People skills Process understanding Technology

Commitment Authenticity Understand the mission, vision, goals, & practical tactics The Trust Imperative Build trust through action

Communication People just can’t get enough of it Conversation is highly underrated

“The team with the best players wins.” ~ Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

The Trust Imperative

Transformational Systems International – Tammy Roberts

Commitment

Capability

TRUST

Consistency

Four [equally important] Qualities

Follow through People trust – and prefer to work with – people who:

Return phone calls, respond to emails, meet deadlines, honor their commitments

Active enrollment, active support Soliciting knowledge, opinions & help garners trust & engagement Champion the team and the team will champion the mission Remove barriers – and then get out of the way of the work!

Self awareness Willingness: to risk, to invest, to examine assumptions Know your skills, learn what you need to, acknowledge your shortcomings

Responsible risk taking Never cutover a system without good parallel testing Low tolerance for analysis paralysis Perfection is NOT the goal – not even NASA or Toyota have zero defects

“The leader has to be sure each person has the right information and accountability for their part of the agreement.” Execution – the Discipline of Getting Things

Done ~ Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan

In the absence of leadership . . .

Communication, process & performance break down

Sense of “team” withers, collaboration is closeted

Thorny issues fester

Individual commitment wanes

Mission, vision & values become blurred

Energy & purpose decline

Goals are undervalued

Managers take over

“Managers seek order and control and are … addicted to disposing of problems.” ~ Abraham Zaleznik, “Managers & Leaders, Are They Different?”

Lay out a clear vision for the future Communicate a shared sense of purpose Help establish a clear connection between individuals’ daily tasks &

organizational goals Help individuals set goals that are clear, well defined & measurable Establish a supportive, accountable structure: cross-utilization

promotes job satisfaction & greater effectivness MBWA: asking questions is the quickest way to expose problems &

remove barriers Collaborative problem-solving should be mandatory Remove barriers and get out of the way

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” ~ Max de Pree, former CEO Herman Miller, Leadership is

an Art

How good leaders enable high-functioning teams

Q & A

Thank you.

teresa@conceptscaptured.com

541.815.3292