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Definition; and Personal Progress as a Leader
An Analysis of Leadership Theory; Personal Leadership Definition;
and Personal Progress as a Leader
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Maureen Gaffney
Emmanuel College
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to compare and contrast theories between
Kouzes and Posner, authors of Leadership Challenge, theorist Peter F.
Drucker, author of The Effective Executve, and theorist Stephen R. Covey,
author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Also included in the
paper, are references to Douglas McGregor, author of The Human Side of
Enterprise and his Theories X & Y, and Robert H. Rosen, author of Leading
People. Finally, it is my goal to express my own views on leadership and
how I personally would like to be perceived as a leader.
For years, theorists have attempted to tap the human mind in order to find
out what makes people tick, what motivates and moves them to work hard. Are
ambition and drive innate traits which all humans share? Are most humans
inclined to work as hard for someone elses gain as they are for their own?
Why do some workers excel and some slack?
All of the theorists mentioned in this paper have made it their business to
research the human mind and spirit in order to pinpoint the real connection
that leaders must make with people in order to gain loyalty and the extra
mile.
As with Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, people need to realize certain
human needs sequentially in order to mature. The most important task of any
leader is to tap the minds of all their employees. They need to connect and
relate to the people working for them. The whats in it for me? attitude,
is an unspoken barrier that all leaders must break through. Employees are
compensated with paychecks, benefits, sometimes rewards, etc., but no one
individual is obligated to give any more than they can get away with in any
eight hour period. This is the average worker. In order to motivate workers
to work as if it were for their own personal gain is really the task at hand
for all leaders.
There are many different types of Leadership Theory Contingency Theory
(situational); responding differently to different people; Trait and
Behavioral Leadership, where the former assumes that leadership is innate
and the latter assumes leadership is learned. Peter F. Drucker believed that
effective leadership could be learned. Contemporary Leadership consists of
charisma and people who have the ability to transform others within an
organization. Participative Leadership is where a leader creates vision and
gives others direction while navigating along side them. Systematic
Leadership produces a ripple effect. If a leader wants to shift an
organization in a new direction, presumably, the system falls into place
naturally. For example, at one time people didnt eat lobster. One person
had to be the first to try it. Once it was established the lobster was a
delicacy, then everyone wanted to eat lobster. Attribution Leadership is
based on perceptions of attributes of followers.
Kouzes/Posner and Covey deal mainly in feelings and practices that foster
feelings. Its not that what they advise is not worthwhile, on the contrary,
their advice is very effective. However, their from the heart approach to
leadership is still a foreign concept to many men in business. Men and their
male egos have been an issue since the beginning of time, getting them to
change is quite an undertaking. McGregor and Drucker on the other hand are
from the old school what they tout is more technical and tangible. They
guide the leader on a path of instruction rather than behaviors. Although
Drucker and McGregor do advise on behavioral issues, such as motivation, but
this is so that they can influence an employee to be more productive, not
necessarily to encourage ones inner leader.
Although there was some resistance to loosening the hard-line management
approach, it became evident that losing the pretensious attitude produced
happier employess. When the touchy feely based management theory started to
become popular in the mid 100s, it was frowned upon by many corporate gray
suit types. They feared the practices would be too democratic and that they
would lose control.
Exemplary leaders recognize that such self-serving behavior is the path to
organizational suicide, and that successful leaders and team members
subordinate their own goals to the service of a greater good.
(Kouzes/Posner, (00), p. 51)
Knowledge work knows no gender; men and women do the same jobs. This, too,
is a major change in the human condition. (Drucker, (Spring 000), p.1)
In Druckers article Knowledge Means Managing Oneself he emphasizes the
importance of knowledge in that employees should be knowledgeably
well-rounded within the company. It is not good enough for employees to
segregate their knowledge to one aspect of the business. This means too that
it can only benefit the employee to be able to comprehend the process of the
finance department as well as human resources department.
Many managers would agree that the effectiveness of their organizations
would be at least doubled if they could discover how to tap the unrealized
potential present in their human resources. (McGregor (160), p.4)
McGregor says that although it is wise to tap into past experiences as
reference for management it is not enough. Every managerial act rests on
assumptions, generalizations and hypothesis - theory. p.6
Kouzes/Posner, authors of Leadership Challenge, have comprised the Five
Practices of Exemplary Leadership. The first is Model the Way, encouraging
leaders to find their voice, their passion and what drives them to excel.
By finding a clear and concise voice to lead with conveys a smooth line in
which to guide employees. Competetence, establishing values and setting
examples are also elements of modeling the way. The second, is Inspired
Shared Vision, which ?
Creating trust by building respect within a group. Its important to allow
yourself to trust in others and be open to their influence. If there is not
trust, there is no open line for which knowledge to flow. Kouzes/Posner
emphasizes interdependence by encouraging others to lead. The need to listen
is imperative as is practicing humility by making one self vulnerable. Like
with any relationship, if a wall is built around the heart for protection,
true love may not be able to penetrate and flourish. Being closed off from
anyone is detrimental to a persons growth.
Being open to others ideas is essential to creating the best situations for
a company. One person cannot be omnipotent, nor all knowing. Ego so often
gets in the way of greatness and such behavior has ruined companies as well
as entire nations. Unfortunately, I have seen the ego in overdrive in many
work environments. The upside to this otherwise tainted experience is that
I have observed and learned from the mistakes of those who let power go to
their head. This is not to say that by observing and learning I am now not
inclined to follow suit, but that I am not an egomaniac by nature, so it is
my hope that if given power I would not abuse it nor abuse those around me
due to a good moral fiber.
The Third Practice of Exemplary Leadership is Challenge the Process. This
practice encourages leaders to think outside the box and forge new paths to
success. By searching out opportunities, experimenting and taking risks.
Fourth is Enable Others to Act. Basically, this ties in with expanding the
creative process and letting others add to the mix through fostering
collaboration. Fifth and finally there is Encourage the Heart which is
where relationships and trust are formed and maintained. By recognizing
others talents and efforts with reward systems or celebrations. This is
what makes people feel less than like a number and more like a valued cog in
the corporate wheel.
Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People touts
the 7 Habits that foster success in people. In order to begin the 7 Habits,
Covey feels that one must first achieve the paradigm shift, which means to
change ones perception of the world. A paradigm is when one is conditioned
to see things one way, then comes the paradigm shift. In Coveys book, he
uses the example of a man and his rambunctious children getting on the
subway. The man is obviously exhausted and off in his own world of thought.
The passengers on the train are getting annoyed that the man is not paying
attention to his unruly children. One brave passenger decides to let this
man know that they dont appreciate his ignorance. When the passenger lets
the man know his thoughts, the exhausted man apologizes and informs him that
he and his children has just come from the hospital where his mother had
just passed. The moral of the story is that what this annoyed passenger
perceived as a rude situation was really quite excuseable and in turn took
the passenger from feelings of anger to that of compassion and sympathy. In
In order to achieve this shift, Covey outlines several exercises which aid
the individual.
It is imporant for leaders to shift paradigms frequently so that they do not
fall into a rut of one-way thinking and bias. Not only is this important
practice as it relates to business ideas and practices, but also with people
in general. Once the shift has occurred, then the Habits are introduced.
1. Be proactive. If I wasnt proactive with my education I would only sit
and wish that I could achieve my dreams, instead I make it happen. . Begin
with the End in Mind. A person must have goals and in order to have
direction. Its not that I need to have my entire life planned out in
detail, but it is important to envision outcomes as a way to keep oneself
motivated to stay the course. . Put First Things First. This is a slogan I
have used in my life for many years. To me, it means I need to take things
step by step and not overwhelm myself. If I spent my days projecting
situational outcomes I would be deluged with unfounded fear of the unknown.
4. Think Win/Win encompasses five dimensions. The first dimension is
character, of which is the foundation of his Win/Win theory. Integrity leads
the list followed by maturity. Covey puts into words what I believe all my
convictions are based on. The definition of emotional maturity - ˜The
ability to express ones own feelings and convictions balanced with
emotional consideration for the thoughts and feelings of otherss. This is
how I try to live my life, being kind hearted and thoughtful of others
feelings.5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. This is obvious
in that it is essential in any relationship to listen in order to have that
action reciprocated which results in communication. 6. Synergize. The
essence of synergy is to value differences - to respect them, to build on
strengths, to compensate for weaknesses. (Covey, ( ), p. 6) 7.
Sharpen the Saw. This means to keep all of the other habits sharp and tuned.
If you are disciplined and then begin to slack, it will not be long before
you are no longer disciplined.
Covey also touts the Universal Resolutions in his article, Three
Resolutions. If you want to overcome the pull of the past those powerful
restraining forces of habit, custom and culture to bring about desired
change, count the costs and rally the necessary resources. (Covey, (16,
18), p. 1) The first has to do with appetites and passions. By overcoming
bad habits that lead to poor health one can be open mind, body and spirit to
higher energy and change. To do this one needs self-discipline a principle
which also relies on the principles of temperance and consistency. The
second has to do with overcoming the restraining forces of pride and
pretension. Living in harmony with your core values and principles (p.
) is a guaranteed way to keep from getting too large an ego. I
The essence of these Three Resolutions is so that the individual can be free
to transform and excel without the baggage of excess weighing them down.
Oddly enough, the Third Resolution is to overcome the restraining forces of
aspiration and ambition. Coveys reasoning is that if one person is too
self serving then the company will suffer. If people are looking out for
number one and whats in it for me, they will have no sense of
stewardship no sense of being an agent for worthy principles, purposes and
causes. They become a law unto themselves, a principal. (p. 4) Therefore,
Covey says that humility is the mother of all other virtues because it
promotes stewardship and once that is in place, all good things will come.
When leaders need subordinates to work for the better good of the company,
behavioral and motivational techniques are needed. The average human being
has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can. (McGregor,
(160), p. ) This is what McGregor refers to as Theory X, the traditional
view. It is his belief that this has been a common belief throughout time.
The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid
responsibility, has relatively little ambition, wants security above all.
(p.4)
To summarize, Theory Y states that working should be as natural a process as
recreational activities, but how do you tap into the natural desire to work?
Punishment is not the only way to entice people to produce and that
self-actualization, or satisfaction derived from producing good work, is a
motivating factor unto itself. Therefore, it is wise to stroke the ego with
praise.
The similarities among these theorists lie deep within the human heart. In
stark contrast of management and leadership styles prior to the second half
of the 1st Century, when it was common practice for superiors to lead with
an iron fist and instill fear in their subordinates in order to make them
comply, the new style is that of nurturing and generating compliance through
loyalty, self-esteem and empowerment. These theorists share a common thread
that centers in the heart. They recommend a nurturing approach to management
and leadership. They emphasize the importance of praise, feedback and
listening. These are characteristics most often found in close intimate
relationships, which brings us back to relationship building as being a key
concept in motivating people to work hard and be loyal to you and/or the
company as a whole.
Peter F. Drucker, author of The Effective Executive, felt that habit and
practice must be learned in order to be effective. He is one of the early
0th Century theorist who forged his way into motivational research in a
time when white men in gray suits were the norm of the day. His theories are
more clear and focused as opposed to his more modern counterparts in that he
is not as concerned with the hearts and feelings of workers, or at least he
does not articulate as much in his book, but he does care how about getting
the most out of the worker by examining what it is they want for their extra
effort.
At the time of Druckers research, manual workers were the majority. Factory
line workers had only one goal, to produce allotted production. They were
judged according to quantity not quality. Today, due to the vast growth of
corporate institutions, the worker is relied upon for their knowledge and
expertise. Workers come to the plate educated in theory in concepts of their
respective fields. They are ready to contribute their all to the company.
This shift from manual workers to expertise driven employees is where
Druckers theory is born. He believes that going from doing it right,
following instruction and producing according to daily quotas, to getting
the right things done in order to be more effective. It is one thing to
create impressive and intelligent materials, but not conducive if it falls
short of the desired outcome. If effectiveness is lacking in his work, his
commitment to work and to contribution will soon wither, and he will become
a timer-server going through the motionsto 5. (Drucker, (166, 167),
p. 4)
Drucker emphasizes getting the right things done (p. 1) The first of his
theories is that effectiveness can be learned. In order to be effective, one
must adhere to some basic princples of discipline. It is not enough to be
knowledgable and creative. By implementing time management skills through
via discarding any action that wastes time and which could be better
utilized. Another suggestion toward effectiThird, where and how to mobilize
strengths for best effectiveness is contribution. Drucker believes this is
key. What this means is rather than spending valuable time within the
trenches micro-managing, it is wiser to forward think. Kouzes/Posner also
believed in forward thinking as a way to stay ahead of the competition as
well as to keep the company fresh. Setting up right priorities ties
together all the other elements to produce effective decision making.
Knowledge work is not defined by quantity. Neither is knowledge work
defined by its costs. Knowledge work is defined by its results. (Drucker,
(Spring 000), p. 7)
Covey , Drucker, Depsain, Kouzes and Posner all agree various values;
integrity, honesty, humility, and the list goes on. Not all theorists
prioritize their value systems in the same order. In the Leadership
Challenge, the first there are The reason these three lead the list Cause
and Effect With manual labor, such as line-workers in a factory, the need
for self-actualization may not apply. In this case, however, it is still
important to treat the worker with respect. Unfortunately, not all managers
have taken to the human touch.
Credibility is mentioned in most by most of the theorists as being a key
component to building trust. A leader must walk the talk by participating
in the values and ethics laid out to employess.
When you come to work in the morning, youre expected to behave in this
manner. And we will, too. I promise you that. (Despain, (00), p. 155)
Participation by unleashing peoples potential - It is the leaders job to
strike a match, to light the employees potential. To do that requires the
leader to undo any structures and systems that might snuff it out. If she
can, people will be able to work up to their full potential, and amazing
things can happen. (Rosen, (16), p. 114)
James Despain, although not a theorist by trade, wrote his book And Dignity
for All, Unlocking Greatness with Values-Based Leadership, and in this book
he conveyed his journey from worker to working leader. He and his employees
devised a ten step guideline called Our Common Values in order to
communicate, particpate and integrate his employees to come together as a
community in order to achieve common goals. His focus on diminishing ego
driven leadership and making the employees a valued commodity.
As Despain learned along his personal journey, so to has todays human
resources industry. As the corporate climate has changed in the past fifty
years to include women, so to has corporate culture changed to that of a
more nurturing and mentoring environment. Learning by mastering the
mentoring process and liberating the human spirit. We are reflections of
our experience. That experience includes whom we know and how we make use of
those contacts. Networking is a vital part of survival in business. As we
learn from others along the journey, so too is it only fair that we give
back to those who are beginning their own journeys. Liberating the human
spirit, To sustain such growth, people must be willing to grow and renew
themselves at all times. And the organization must always be seeking better
ideas and better results. ( p.188)
A leader creates an ideal direction for the organization to take in order to
achieve the ultimate success. Successful leaders make the whole greater
than the sum of its parts. They take charge of the organization and feel a
sense of obligation and responsibility for making things happen. This can
only occur if the leader has a mental image of the ideal organization he
wants to create. (p.). Robert H. Rosen believes the key elements of
leadership after trust are trust by sharing yourself.
My goals going forward in this program and in life is to make my voice heard
and more than my voice, my message as well. I want to encompass grace,
humility, integrity, pride, love, empathy, honesty and hope. I want to walk
my talk each day and if I can make an impact on one person, I will have been
a successful leader.
References
Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (00).Leadership Challenge(rd ed)
San FranciscoJossey-Bass
Drucker, P. (166, 167).The Effective Executive
New York, Evanston and LondonHarper & Row
Despain, J. (00).And Dignity for All, Unlocking Greatness with Values-Based Leadership
New JerseyPearson Education, Inc.
Drucker, P. (Spring 000).Managing Knowledge Means Managing Oneself Leader to Leader.
8-10Retrieved from http//www.druckerfoundation.com
Covey, S. (11).Three Resolutions Covey Leadership Center and Franklin Covey.
Retrieved from http//www.peoplesuccess.com/covey1.htm
Rosen, R. (16).Leading People
New YorkPenguin Books
Covey, S. (18). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
New YorkFireside and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
McGregor, D. (160).The Human Side of Enterprise
New YorkMcGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
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