Social Psychology of

LeadershipMgt 512 – Winter 2013

Barry PosnerAccolti Endowed Professor of

LeadershipFebruary 23, 2013

Agenda

Housekeeping (Questions, etc.)

Identify Challenging the Process in practice

Appreciate and develop skills around Challenging the Process

“Being a leader means going out on a ledge, it means being

scared sometimes.

You shouldn’t be afraid to see things differently; sometimes your perspective can be the necessary one that enables

you to lead.”Kirstyn Cole

“Everyone can make a difference if she or he dares to step out to

seize the opportunity and take the initiative.

” Sam Liu

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner

“Leaders are not probability

thinkers. They are

possibility thinkers!”

“The focus of a leader’s attention should be less on the routine

operations and much more on the untested and untried.

Leaders should always be asking “What’s new? What’s next? What’s better?” That’s where the future is.”

Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner

The Leadership Challenge Workshop Facilitator‘s Guide®, Third Ed., Rev. Copyright © 2006 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com

Feeling & Seeking Challenge

Constituents who

felt challenged

reported

25% - 35% stronger

feelings of engagement

40% more effective

Constituents who saw leaders as

seeking challenges evaluated them as

No Mistakes = No Learning

“Leadership is learning by doing,

adapting to actual situations.

Leaders are constantly learning

from their errors and failures.”

Claude Meyer

“I always encourage my co-workers to argue effectively,

and be open to changing their minds. I talk about my

mistakes in the past and try to show that it is okay and

expected to make mistakes. As long as we learn from them and never repeat them, it is

fine.”Natasha Alexeeva

© James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner. All Rights reserved.

“The best predictor of future success in managerial jobs is learning agility.”

Bob Eichinger, Mike Lombardo, and Dave Ulrich

© James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner. All Rights reserved.

“Those with the fixed mindset did not profit from their mistakes. But those with the

growth mindset kept on learning.”

Carol S. Dweck

Leaders are Great Learners

Better learners … consistently engaged in

leadership practices more frequently than those in

the low learning category.

Lillas Brown & Barry Posner

The Strategy Game

or

Project SNAKE

No great idea ever enters the mind through an open mouth.

Where do new ideas come from?

Innovation Quiz

Below are two columns. In the left-hand column is a list of products or processes. In the right-hand column is a list of possible sources of inspiration for these products or processes. There are 12 products or processes and 17 possible sources – in other words, more sources than products.

Your task is to correctly match, in the shortest time possible, the product on the left to its inspiration source on the right. Please wait for your facilitator to start the quiz so that everyone begins at the same time.

Innovation Quiz

A. Working by yourself, match the innovations with their inspirations.

1. Band-Aid

2. FedEx

3. Frisbee

4. Gyroscope

5. Hacky Sack

6. Martial arts weapons

7. Masking Tape

8. Post-It-Notes

9. Velcro

10. Viagra

a. College game using pie tinsb. Children’s toy topsc. Farm implementsd. Science fiction movies with flying saucerse. A better bookmark for church hymnalf. Medication for treating heart problemsg. Burrs stuck to a pair of pantsh. A way to exercise after knee surgeryi. Tonic stimulant for dealing with headachesj. Australian children’s exercise ringk. Fish hook caught in a netl. Observing auto painters painting two-tone

carsm. How artist’s painted over their mistakesn. A spouse who cut her fingers in the kitcheno. Medication for treating arthritisp. Math class in topologyq. Glue spilled on a note pad

Match the Innovations on the Left with Their Inspiration from the Right-Hand Column

Innovation Quiz

A. Working by yourself, match the innovations with their inspirations.

B. Working with others, match the innovations with their inspirations.

1. Band-Aid

2. FedEx

3. Frisbee

4. Gyroscope

5. Hacky Sack

6. Martial arts weapons

7. Masking Tape

8. Post-It-Notes

9. Velcro

10. Viagra

a. College game using pie tinsb. Children’s toy topsc. Farm implementsd. Science fiction movies with flying saucerse. A better bookmark for church hymnalf. Medication for treating heart problemsg. Burrs stuck to a pair of pantsh. A way to exercise after knee surgeryi. Tonic stimulant for dealing with headachesj. Australian children’s exercise ringk. Fish hook caught in a netl. Observing auto painters painting two-tone

carsm. How artist’s painted over their mistakesn. A spouse who cut her fingers in the kitcheno. Medication for treating arthritisp. Math class in topologyq. Glue spilled on a note pad

Match the Innovations on the Left with Their Inspiration from the Right-Hand Column

Innovation Quiz – Answer Key

1. Band Aid – n

2. FedEx – p

3. Frisbee – a

4. Gyroscope – b

5. Hacky Sack - h

6. Martial Arts – c

7. Masking Tape - l

8. Post-It-Notes – e

9. Velcro – g

10.Viagra – f

What are the lessons from the Innovation Quiz?

Leaders Bring Outsight

1. Be open

2. Stay in touch

3. Step outside boundaries

Tips for Applying Outsight

Arrange field trip to stimulate thinking

Read magazines/journals from fields you know nothing about

Call “customers” and ask what they would like to see you do that you aren’t doing.

Tips for Applying Outsight

Shop (visit) the competition

Ask patient, family, client, vendor, supplier to share ideas at a planning meeting

Observe patient, customer or client using your product or service

Putting Challenging the Process Into Action

What does your group want to share:

a. Examples that best illustrate putting this leadership practice into action

b. Lessons learned about using this leadership practice

“I purposely split the project to multiple smaller milestones so we were also

able to have something new to show in a month or

two. These smaller successes helped

improving our confidence and team morale.”

Peter Zhang

Small Wins!Many major problems go unsolved because they are:• Too big• Too overwhelming• Too stressful

Mobilize for Fast Action

an opportunity that is• Specific• Realizable• Immediate• Controllable

Small Win is

• Easy to comprehend• Produce more “yes” responses• Lower stress• Make existing skills sufficient• Require fewer resources• Build confidence• Reduce costs of failure• Build order out of chaos

Small Wins Work Because:

How does Patricia Maryland

take advantage of theSmall Wins process?

How does she lead?

Break it down

Make a model

Keep it simple

Do the easy stuff first

Accumulate

yeses

Experiment

Give feedback

Celebrate

Key Actions for GeneratingSmall Wins

Challenge the Process Commitments

Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve.

Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experiences.

Social Psychology of Social Psychology of LeadershipLeadership

Barry Z. PosnerBarry Z. Posner

Mgt 512Winter 2013

© 2013. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. All rights reserved. © 2013. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without express written permission.Please do not reproduce without express written permission.