“Becoming a better leader of people and organizations”
Dr. Darren Hassan
Author I Academic I Management & Sustainability Specialist I Australian Army Veteran
Introduction.
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What can we do to become a better leader of people and organizations?
Firstly, for any aspiring leader, the pursuit of excellence
Additionally, in becoming a better leader one must know oneself, which includes not only strengths and quantifiable attributes, but also limitations and confines that we inevitably have. Self-realization and conquering uncertainties
This article will discuss what can be done in order to become a better leader of both people and organizations from a personal perspective and uses real life examples and situations to discuss this along with a personal action plan. This plan has been presented as an alternate theory of leadership, which I presented to several colleagues around ten years ago post -MBA. So far, it has helped many leaders to reset their strategy because to understand leadership, we also need to understand the science and psychology behind it.
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The Psychology of a Leader
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The exploration of PsyCap (Psychological Capital) as a complement to leadership is worthy of further individual research, as PsyCap focuses on the mental retraining of the behaviours that would help maximize positivity.?? Peterson[i] et al conclude that a leader who displays a) optimism b) hope c) confidence, and d) resiliency would most likely have well learned positive organizational behaviour
In Goleman’s Six Styles[ii], the theory denotes six styles of leadership: a) coercive b) authoritative, c) affiliative d) democratic e) pacesetting and f) coaching.? He states that the more of these styles a leader can adopt the better, with a preference of four or more styles especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliative, and coaching.? My aim is to master at least those four preferred styles and learn when to apply each either singularly or independently, whilst demonstrating the Five Practices.
This again returns us to the PsyCap issue, and the willingness of an individual leader to adapt to change and progress. Traits such as ego, timidity, stubbornness and other negative emotions may inhibit the leader from progress. In Argyris’ article on single and double loop learning, studies concluded that (a) adults may not be able to discover/invent/produce the learning that is necessary to behave more effectively; (b) they may be unaware of this possibility; and (c) if they try to get help from well-intentioned others, it will tend to make things worse.[iii] There are external and internal factors that inhibit learning such as ego and the need to control- attributes of single loop theory but conversely the less defensive and power sharing double loop model has more balanced outcomes. It is reasonable to suggest that the underlying theme throughout all the theories discussed is the need for self-mastery and self- monitoring.
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The responsibility to improve in the areas of personal development sometimes requires painful choices. In knowing your own psyche, you empower yourself by acknowledging flaws and shortcomings, and in recognizing them are able to deal with them accordingly. It is also prudent to explore areas that we would usually tend to avoid in order to emotionally strengthen ourselves against that which we are intimidated by, or which we fear.
Fear has the capacity to disable us physically, emotionally, spiritually and morally. Most often than not fear is unfounded, rarely manifested into reality, and is perhaps learned from childhood. Conquering fear is an important step in self-realization and development and one method of fear reduction that I have used has been to openly discuss my fear and face it head on.
Once paralyzed by a phobia of spiders, several years ago I held a large hairy tarantula on my hand at wildlife display and whilst initially terrified as it crawled over me, it helped me defeat arachnophobia to the point that I now appreciate spiders. To relate this to leadership, many leaders never reach their potential due to fear of either failure or success, yet sound leadership requires strength of character and an ability to control one’s outward emotions.
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In a 2008 interview with Time magazine[iv], Nelson Mandela talked about his eight lessons of leadership and in particular an incident which occurred on a flight during the 1994 presidential election campaign. Writes Richard Stengel- “When the plane was 20 minutes from landing, one of its engines failed. Some on the plane began to panic. The only thing that calmed them was looking at Mandela, who quietly read his newspaper as if he were a commuter on his morning train to the office. The airport prepared for an emergency landing, and the pilot managed to land the plane safely. When Mandela and I got in the backseat of his bulletproof BMW that would take us to the rally, he turned to me and said, "Man, I was terrified up there!"
Mandela was often afraid during his time underground, during the Rivonia trial that led to his imprisonment, during his time on Robben Island. "Of course I was afraid!" he would tell me later. It would have been irrational, he suggested, not to be. "I can't pretend that I'm brave and that I can beat the whole world." But as a leader, you cannot let people know. "You must put up a front."
The point of this article is to illustrate that fear, if not conquered, can at least be controlled as in the case of Mandela’s example, as people look to strong leaders whom they feel safe in the presence of. The mastering of one’s own self is the beginning of becoming a better leader but to learn this, you must know yourself and have the ability to internalize or self-actualize. This step is vital in order to reinforce the individual as a solid all round manager.
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Sound Leadership
Leadership and management, although usually combined hand in hand, are quite different in concept and separate of one another theoretically. In brief, management consists of controlling a situation and/or people along a path of already defined objectives whilst leadership involves being visionary and creating those objectives.
It is possible to have one without the other or a combination of both so for example, a leader who does not manage may create a vision for others to focus on without having a strategy on how to achieve it, or a manager may take control and facilitate the objective or goal without having any creative input. Conversely
a combination of both may create the vision and carry out the task(s).??????????????????????????
In my own leadership journey, I have sometimes focused solely on management and getting a task done but have neglected leading or trying to inspire.
I was first made aware of this whilst a young soldier serving under a junior officer who was both popular and likeable, more so than many of his peers. Lieutenant B as I will call him is still serving as one of the highest-ranking Officers in the Australian Army. One piece of advice he gave me when I was an inexperienced leader was ‘to always treat people as you would want to be treated, and NEVER humiliate people as you may one day be relying on them with your life’.
The military is a unique environment, unlike the civilian or corporate world. It is a tough environment and makes no apology for this, as the loss of people’s lives is considered a systemic failure. For this reason, people tend to become more task focused and often neglect the psychology of leadership, instead aiming for the principles of management. The mantra often is essentially ‘get the job done at all costs’, even if this means not engaging your troops on a personal level. The problem with this view is that in a profession where morale and teamwork are paramount, the risk of alienating co-workers is ever present, something which is hazardous in this environment. It is therefore wise to make an effort to know those who you are interacting with and how to maintain those relationships.
I learned, and not without difficulty, some of the basics in human interaction when commanding people. Whilst still on the path to becoming a more complete leader, the lessons learned in those early days were invaluable and have helped me to be a secure, confident leader. If you are confident and secure within yourself, and have respect for your fellow teammates, then the need for ego-driven leadership diminishes.? There is however, no ‘magic wand’ solution to becoming a better leader. Attending seminars, training, and reading books whilst all positive steps still require internal and psychological changes in order to attain a more absolute style of leadership as much as the courage to implement them.
To ask a question as to ‘what can I do to become a better leader’ requires self- reflection, honesty and integrity in acknowledging my own deficiencies and means adopting humility and being realistic about knowing the true situation, rather than a perceived one. This is addressed in the latter part of this thesis as part of an action plan to become a better leader.
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Firstly, in considering [v]Kouzes & Posner’s 5 practices of exemplary leadership which in principle sound ideal, it is reasonable to suggest that there are inherent flaws in the application of their theories. These flaws can be attributed to numerous factors including intellect, personality, ego, socio-economic status, experience and of course willingness to change.?
Secondly, whilst modeling the way demonstrates both management and leadership, it depends on the depth of modeling that is shown. All leaders/managers model the way in principle- it is their role to do so.? My concern is in relation to leaders being able to ‘model the way’ but still be considered non-exemplary as in the case of despots such as Saddam Hussein, Hitler etc. By definition, these men exhibited elements of all the five practices, certainly in challenging the process at least, but were criminals responsible for the deaths of thousands of human beings.? It is therefore feasible to state that having even the highest application of the practices is not an absolute qualification for exemplary leadership. Kouzes and Posner may have done better to delineate between positive and negative leadership, thus dispelling the irrational dichotomy of their ideas.
?Leadership is a form of power over others and can be used morally or immorally. Quinn[vi] et al states that “moral or immoral use of power is the product of motives, decisions and thinking-not the fault of power itself. Power is necessary in using resources to meet goals and to get things done.” The point is that whilst applying theories and principles to one’s leadership experience it is imperative to acknowledge that an individual, group or organization may do so with malevolence.? In my career, I have met leaders who had superior organizational skills and were by definition successful but were belligerent and sociopathic. Therefore, the definition of an exemplary leader is subjective to each individual as generally speaking, like attracts like.? For the purpose of this discussion, the focus is on what is widely accepted as ‘good positive leadership’. This again raises the necessity to search oneself and to lay moral foundations.
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The heuristics of self-actualization are intricate yet if applied willingly can be beneficial to the aspiring leader. Carl Rogers[vii] states in his humanistic ‘Self-Theory’ that “each person is purposeful in his or her behaviour and is positively striving to reach self-fulfillment. The major cause of maladjustment is an individual’s perception that his or her sense of self is in opposition to personal expectations or goals.”
Whilst reasonable, the problem with this assertion is that it fails to take into account external or environmental factors that may be a cause of tension or a lack of progress. People may have a fear of peers, superiors, commitment, and responsibility inasmuch
as people may be content with the status quo, and not wish to progress. The concern is that whilst the plethora of leadership theories may look practicable, they are entirely dependent on individual commitment and/or compliance.
To amalgamate both the theory and psychology of leadership is necessary in becoming a better leader of people and organizations, as is the need to actively engage in self –monitoring if any of these theories are to be effective.
According to Zaccaro et al, studies conducted on trait-based leadership and the role of individual personality and flexibility suggested that trait-based variance in leadership may be due to social perceptiveness and response flexibility[viii]. Those with higher levels of self-monitoring were more likely to adapt to changing scenarios much easier than those with lower levels of self -monitoring. Better leaders, according to them, were those who could recognize changes in surroundings and adapt themselves and their leadership styles to fit. This is problematic in that it is generalized, suggesting that a certain personality type will always be a more successful leader and that the leader has the ability to change styles at will.
Tools such as the [ix]Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or Five Factor Model[x] and its variations offer a general personality type assessment and are good indicators of a person’s traits and attributes. These tools are subject to variance over time given that we change our perspective and thought patterns over time, so should be taken regularly. In knowing our personality, it may be easier to identify which style(s) of leadership best suits. Personally, my own style has changed over the past five years due to increased experience and personal circumstances such as having a family and general maturity (OK, ageing gracefully!).
HELM Theory of Leadership
The HELM process
1. Clear the Deck
2. Brief the Crew
3. Set The Course
4. Set Sail
5. Checkpoints
5. Persevere
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In terms of applying theories to my own leadership and inspired by this course in Leading People and Organizations, I have formed ‘Hassan’s Exemplary Leadership Model’ (HELM) which encompasses elements of current popular theories including, but not limited to Goleman, Kouzes and Posner, and Quinn et al.
?It is my belief that all of the theories have merit and combining each will assist in maximizing my own potential.
By using a nautical theme/ship as the example for an organization or the individual, the Helm is the control centre where all the decisions are made relevant to direction or course.
In my HELM theory the first point must be that of psychological retraining in terms of defeating negative traits, emotional self-mastery and self-discipline in order to attain optimum mental clarity. Once this has been achieved, I can then focus on applying the underlying principles of leadership to make for an exemplary leader. As in all theories, the need for commitment is paramount in order for it to be effective. As a career Martial Artist, the philosophy of mastery has always held high regard in how I define my own behaviour and discipline, as it too requires self-discipline and commitment. As part of the course, I have set a personal goal to become a better leader of people and organizations and have therefore mapped this plan in the form of the HELM Theory.
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We will examine the HELM Theory in stages. Stage one involves:
1.???? Clearing the Deck.
?During this phase, pause to reflect on known weaknesses and deficiencies, and make positive steps to rectify or address them. The elimination of fear, negative emotions and other personality flaws is the primary purpose of this phase. Humility and integrity are absolutely necessary in order to succeed with this process, so the onus is to accurately report which shortages exist.
There are tools which can be used for self-assessment, many accessible online and at no cost. Drucker’s Five questions[xi], MBTI (as previously discussed), or a Johari Window[xii] are recommended resources available to self-assess. Important to note is that this is not a race, as self-mastery and self-actualization take time. It is recommended however to set a target before proceeding to the next step such as?? weekly, monthly or quarterly.
2.???? Brief the Crew
This stage requires confiding in either colleagues, close family and friends, or team mates to openly discuss the plans, vision and commitment to improving your leadership style. At a professional level this would be a consultation with fellow workers as part of the ‘Enlisting Others’ element.? In sharing openly, an individual is committing to following through with the task and it also demonstrates to the team or crew that you are making changes and within yourself, which may or may not be outwardly evident.
Incidentally, this entire theory is not limited to organizational leadership, but can be used in one’s personal life.
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3.???? Set The Course
Once a satisfactory degree of self-mastery or control is reached, you are now ready to engage in phase two which is setting the course
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4.???? Set Sail
This is where the real journey begins as all the theoretical components are being applied in real time. You have prepared yourself, engaged your people, inspired them, shared the vision, and finally left the shore. Surely there will be bumps and choppy seas along the way, but this is to be expected. Whilst on the journey you will take the time to communicate with the ‘crew’ whether they are colleagues, managers, spouse or subordinates, making them feel involved in the process and encouraging them also. It is imperative to listen to their thoughts, ideas and suggestions as in doing so, it is highly likely that it will increase morale and gain more of a trust in them. As discussed in Kouzes & Posner, the leaders people mostly like were –honest, forward looking, inspiring and competent. The aim is to become all things to all men (and women) for at the end of the day your people are your most important asset in business and can often be the best people to evaluate your progress.
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5.???? Checkpoints
It is important to regularly follow up on the progress of the journey and also wise to adopt contingency plans in case of the unexpected. Richard Templar in his ‘Rules of Management’ book quotes “When things go wrong- and they will-Be ready to improvise, adapt and overcome.”[xiii] Make sure that there is a Plan B or C, and allow some flexibility if these secondary plans need to be implemented and be sure to enjoy the journey- life comes but once around and requires effort.
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6.???? Persevere
It would have been logical that this final step in the process would have been ‘reach the destination’ (or ‘Land Ho!) but the challenge is to keep on persisting with the pursuit of excellence and the quest to be a better, more complete leader. The world is full of people considered leaders ranging from mediocre to inspirational so dare to be different, and have the determination to become a better person in the process. This is essentially the aim I have set as part of this task.
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Conclusion
Not everyone will attain the status of Mahatma Ghandi or Sir Richard Branson, but all leaders given the responsibility of commanding others have the ability and opportunity to enhance their abilities. In reflecting on my own needs and what steps I can take to become a better leader of people and organizations, the answer for me does not lie in academics alone, but in applying the heuristic and holistic side to leadership. As previously discussed, people want a leader who has a) optimism b) hope c) confidence, and d) resiliency - all traits of someone with a degree of self -awareness and discipline. We’re all humans and should be treated with respect, dignity and decency!
To reiterate the HELM theory, it requires the leader to mentally prepare, plan, map, undertake and regularly monitor progress in order to measure the success of the method.
In conclusion, what this article has discussed are principles that when applied correctly can lead to better leadership of both people and organizations.
They are based on personal reflections and are entirely in response to the need for better leadership around the world.
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References
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[i] Suzanne J Peterson.?et al. Are the Brains of Optimistic, Hopeful, Confident, and Resilient Leaders Different?
[ii] Goleman, D (2000). Leadership that Gets Results. USA: Harvard Business Review. 78-80.
[iii] Chris Argyris. (1976). Theories of action that inhibit individual learning. American Psychologist. Volume 31, Issue 9 (1), 638-654.
[v] Kouzes, J & Posner, B (2007). The Leadership Challenge. USA: Jossey-Bass. p14-23
[vi] Quinn, Robert E et al (2007). Becoming a Master Manager-A competing values approach.. 4th ed. USA: Wiley. 302.
[vii] Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client-centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
[viii] Zaccaro, Stephen J.; Foti, Roseanne J.; Kenny, David A. (1991). Self-monitoring and trait-based variance in leadership: An investigation of leader flexibility across multiple group situations. Journal of Applied Psychology. 76 (2), 308-315.
[ix] <https://www.myersbriggs.org/.>
[x] "Five Factor Model" or FFM (Costa & McCrae, 1992)
[xi] Peter F. Drucker. The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization
[xii] Luft, J.; Ingham, H. (1955). "The Johari window, a graphic model of interpersonal awareness". Proceedings of the western training laboratory in group development (Los Angeles: UCLA).
[xiii] Richard Templar (2005). The Rules of Management. Great Britain: Bell & Bain p111.
xiv Chan, Kim W,Mauborgne, R. (2005) Blue Ocean Strategy. Harvard Business School publishing.
Xv McGregor, J. (2005). One Billion Customers.: Lessons from the front lines of doing business in China. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
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