LEAD WITH VISION AND AFFECTION

LEAD WITH VISION AND AFFECTION

Leadership Strategies for Effective School Management

The world is hungry for true leaders, people with a father’s heart, a mentor’s mind and a giver’s hand. People want to be led by leaders who are interested in their wellbeing and all-round development. No one wants to be managed by bosses who are more interested in materials and systems than people and their intrinsic abilities.

Many who have been put in leadership position don’t know a lifetime of benefits they miss when they abuse their privileges and manage people, even mismanage people, rather than lead them. Anyone who provides true leadership will benefit tremendously from what experts call OPR, other people’s resources. Investing in people by leading them to ‘green pastures’ yields a lifetime dividends. People willingly follow and give their best when they have trusted leaders who make themselves examples of love and affection.

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, noted business consultants, gave a powerful message in their book, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge:

“People don’t want to be managed. They want to be led. Whoever heard of a world manager? World leaders, yes. Educational leader. Political leader. Religious leader. Scout leader. Community leader. Labor leader. Business leader. They lead. They don’t manage. …If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself. Do that well and you’ll be ready to stop managing and start leading.”

Zig Ziglar always say, “You can be anything you want to be if only you will help enough people to be all they want to be.”

In this training course, we shall be learning how to lead with vision and affection; how to become leaders whom people are willing to follow and help achieve his vision.  We shall be examining

Ø  The School as a Business Organization

Ø  Differences between Leaders and Managers

Ø  The Leadership Challenge

Ø  The Heart of a Leader

Ø  Vision-driven leadership

Ø  Empowering Leadership

Ø  Directive Versus Empowering Leadership

Ø  Developing a vision

Ø  Making a purpose and mission statement

Ø  Establishing organization’s values

THE SCHOOL AS A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

Business organizations in the 21^st century have moved from being management-driven to become leadership-driven. Naisbit and Aburdene described this shift when they said, “The dominant principle of organization has shifted from management in order to control enterprise to leadership in order to bring out the best in people and respond quickly to change.” The school as a business organization must respond to the change.

The school has always been seen as a social environment only. This perspective is due largely to the fact that provision of education has always been the prerogative of the government, who are expected to make it free and universal. This has become narrow as private concerns have taken over the provision of education and schools are not only social environment but also business organization. It is therefore appropriate to call the school a social-economic environment – like any other business organization – where people, production and profit are of utmost important – and in that order.

LEADERS AND MANAGERS

Who is a leader?

Leaders are simply people who dare to fully express themselves and help others to do the same. (Munroe, 1993). The leader is one who guides by influence through inspiration. The leader brings out the best in others, leading them to become leaders themselves. True leaders are not just heroes; they are hero-makers. They inspire others to be themselves and fully express themselves.

Everyone can be a leader

Everyone has the capacity to lead. We are all capable of leadership by design. There is a leader in everyone – a leader crying for expression. Myles Munroe explains when he says, “You exercise some measure of leadership skills when you run errand for your parents, restore order to the kitchen after a family meal, make a presentation before a class, clean up the toilets in a church, organize an event, or reorganize your bedroom.”

Being a leader is that simple, but becoming a leader is a little more demanding. Munroe explains, “You were born a leader but you must become a leader; just as one is born  a male but must become a man.”

Who is a Manager?

Management is associated with words such as efficiency, planning, procedures, control and consistency. A manager is someone who organizes controls and maintains material and human resources in order to achieve an organization’s profit-oriented goals. A manager wants to make profit for the organization using its human and material assets at lowest possible cost.

Differences Between Leader and Manager

Studies in management and leadership have identified a number of differences between a leader and a manager. Warren Bennis (1996) gives a list of differences:

1.       Manager administers – Leader innovates

2.       Manager imitates – Leader originates

3.       Manager maintains – Leader develops

4.       Manager focuses on systems and structures – Leader focuses on people

5.       Manager relies  on control – Leader inspires trust

6.       Manager has a short range view – Leader has a long range perspective

7.       Manager asks how and when – Leader asks what and why

8.       Manager has his eyes on the bottom line – Leader has his on the horizon

9.       Manager accepts status quo – Leader challenges it

10.   Manager does things right – leader does the right thing

Mark Sanborn (2006) added the following differences:

1.       Mangers have employees, leaders win followers

2.       Managers react to change, leaders create change

3.       Managers have good ideas, leaders implement them

4.       Managers communicate, leaders persuade

5.       Managers direct groups, leaders create teams

6.       Managers try to be heroes, leaders create heroes

7.       Managers take credit, leaders take responsibility

8.       Managers exercise power over people, leaders exercise power with people

Anthony D’Souza (2001), in his excellent book, Empowering Leadership, gives the following differences between leaders and managers:

Leaders                                                                                                                Managers

1.       Leaders gain power through their actions and    Managers have positional power on which to rely.

personal relations.

2.       Leaders are found throughout an organization   Managers are found in the organization’s highest posts.

3.       Leaders have followers who desire to be on the Managers have subordinates who have been assigned to

team.                                                                                    them.

4.       Leaders depend on people for success.                 Managers depend on the system for success.

5.       Leaders provide vision in terms of “The real        Managers use the “This is your job…” approach.

benefit to you…”

6.       Leaders have self-conceived goals to better        Managers attempt to meet the goals provided by the

organization.                                                                      organization.

7.       Leaders strive to change the organization to       Managers work to maintain the organization’s status

best meet needs as they perceive them.                              quo.

8.       Leaders often view rules and procedures as        Managers view rules and procedures as necessary

Bureaucratic red tape.                                                   Controls to provide order.

9.       Leaders work for results.                                              Managers follow directives

10.   Leaders work through people.                                   Managers work with charts and computer

printouts.

Kindly note that both leadership and management skills are needed to build a successful organization. The best advice for anyone is to be both manager and leader at the same time.

THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

EXERCISE 1: The Leadership Challenge

1.       Why do people aspire to be leaders? List your answers in a flash card.

2.       Think about a person who has been an influential leader to you personally. Write on different flash card the things the person did to you and qualities in his or her life that you find so challenging.

3.       Compare the contents of the two flash cards. What do you discover?

From similar responses (D’Souza, 2001), it was discovered that people who aspire to be leaders want:

Ø  To get Power

Ø  To take Control (to be in charge)

Ø  To be Served (to get recognition, respect, prestige, wealth, etc.).

The above reasons are in contrast to the characteristics of leaders who influence our lives and are remembered for good. Such leaders are those who REFRESH us. They:

1.       Relate with us as friends.

2.       Empower us to develop our potentials. They educate us to become all we were created to be.

3.       Free us to express our unique personality, to discover things for ourselves and make our own decisions. They don’t enslave us.

4.       Raise our thinking, telling us we can do it when we think we cannot.

5.       Edify us to grow in skills and conduct.

6.       Serve us to meet our genuine needs, so that we too learn to meet the needs of others.

7.       Help us with all we need to make progress in life and become good influence like them.

THE HEART OF THE LEADER

It is not how big you are that qualifies you for leadership; it is how big your heart is. Only heart qualities – active positive attitudes – can make leaders. We shall endeavor to describe the heart of leaders in order to help you become one. At the heart of a leader are qualities you can develop:

1.       Love. Love is at the root of service. The love of God in our heart is reflected in our service to others. Love is the reason a leader would serve others. Leaders who truly love people will do their utmost to bring out the best in them, and help to develop them to be the best.

2.       Service. The leader has the heart of a servant. She takes every assignment as if they were her personal business and carries them out with heart. The leader not only accepts responsibility, she also does her work dutifully. She is committed to serving genuine needs of the others.

3.       Availability. The leader is approachable and available. His presence instills confidence in the people he leads.

4.       Compassion. Though the leader is required to act courageously, firmly and decisively, yet he is not cruel and inhuman. The leader visits his people.  His relationship with them brings healing and wholeness.

5.       Listening. Listening skills can only be developed by a deep commitment to listening to others. The leader seeks to identify the mood and the unspoken need of people and help to clarify them. He seeks to listen to what is being said (and what is not being said) so as to understand the situation.

He seeks to understand the person, and not just their words. He listens with ears, but also, and more importantly, listens with eyes and heart. He listens for feeling, for behavior, for meaning. He listens to the soul of the other person. This is called empathic listening.

6.       Commitment to the growth of people. True leaders believe that people have potentials beyond their contributions. And so, they commit themselves to the growth of people, doing everything within their power to nurture the abilities and unique gift of each person.

7.       Humility. It takes humility to do just about any task one is given. It takes humility to bend low and attend to the needs of others, even one’s subordinates.

8.       Enthusiasm. Leaders are continually excited about what they do. They are always interested in the performance of their learners. They look for to each new day with great expectation.

9.       Self-sacrificing. Self-sacrifice does not mean a person ceases to exist as an individual. The spirit of self-sacrifice is rather an attitude – that of looking out for the good of others, especially those entrusted to your care. It means putting the needs of others before your own.

10.   Integrity. The most important characteristic of any leader is integrity – that he is honest and trustworthy.

THE SERVANT-LEADER

The heart and attitude of a servant are at the core of effective leadership. An important characteristic f a servant-leader is setting the example. There is no doubt that setting the example is the most effective way of eliciting the desired behavior. The servant-leader clearly shows that the most effective way to teach a behavior is to teach it by example.

Becoming a Servant-Leader - SERVE

The servant-leader sets example for the others, support them to learn effectively and empower them to be all they can be.

1.       Support. Servant-leaders support people to effective in what they do. They champion the values of service, attentiveness to the needs of people, and personal humility.

2.       Example. The most important characteristic of a servant-leader is setting example. The most effective way to teach a behavior is to teach it by example. The servant-teacher models the behavior he expects from others.

3.       Release. Don’t enslave people; release them.

4.       Value. Recognize and affirm them

5.       Empowerment. Servant-leaders are committed to the all-round growth of their people – intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually and in character. They empower people through example, guidance, caring, understanding, sensitivity, trust, appreciation, encouragement, reinforcement and goals.

THE SHEPHERD-LEADER

The image of the shepherd evokes feelings of intimacy and security. The relationship between the shepherd and his sheep is that of mutual trust, close affection and common commitment. For the shepherd, the sheep is his product and profit. The shepherd is the servant of the sheep.

Becoming a Shepherd-Leader – GUARD

The shepherd-teacher relates freely with the learners. His friendly relationship with the learners can be summed up in five words: He

—  Guides

—  Understands

—  Attends

—  Refreshes

—  Delivers

1.       He guides the people. The shepherd-leader is a guide. Besides protecting your people, you must also be ready to exercise some control over them so that you may guide and direct them.You must act firmly and decisively in the best interest of you people. You should be able to wield authority wisely, decisively and assertively.

2.       He understands them. For the shepherd-leader, leadership is personal; he knows his people and his people know him. He understands their fears and frustrations. He is aware of their strengths and weaknesses. He knows when they must be brought along still waters and when they must be prodded forward. To them, he is not a distant boss, but a present help. If you are truly interested in your people, you will make sincere effort to add a personal touch to your relationship.

3.       He attends to them.

4.       He refreshes them.

5.       He delivers them from predators. The shepherd protects his sheep and is even prepared to lay down his life for his sheep. Shepherding was a demanding and, at times, hazardous occupation, particularly in protecting the sheep from danger. During the long dry seasons in the Middle East, flocks had to be moved over considerable distances in search of good pastures. Suitable watering and resting places had to be found. Often danger lurked in the valleys from wild beasts such as lions, bears and wolves that attacked and killed the sheep, and birds of prey like vultures that swooped down on unsuspecting lambs and carried them off as food for their young. There were also bandits and robbers bent on snatching sheep from the fold. To be a shepherd demanded great courage, daring and willingness to take risks.

As a shepherd-leadser, you may need courage similar to that of the shepherd to beat off cruel and unjust attackers. You may be required to defend your people from unfair and damaging accusations. You may be demanded to confront false accusers and to support your people when they are attacked.

You are the point man. The leader leads from the front.

The story is told of an Arab guide. While showing a group of tourists around the Holy Land, he spoke of the tradition of Palestinian shepherds of walking in front of the flock. As he was speaking, one of the tourists spotted a man in the distance driving a small flock of sheep with a rather menacing stick. Just as school-children love to prove their teacher wrong, the tourist pointed out the figure to the guide. The Arab immediately stopped the bus and rushed off across the field. A few minutes later, he returned, his face beaming. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have just spoken to the man,” he said. “He is not the shepherd. He is, in fact, the butcher!”

EXERCISE 4

Let this shepherd image guide and challenge your own leadership by asking yourself the following questions:

The shepherd knows his own sheep and calls them by name:

Ø  How well do I know my people?

Ø  Am I aware of what worries them most or what problems they have?

Ø  How intimate is my conversation with them? Or do I honestly share my own feeling, concerns, joys and fears?

Ø  Do I know what changes they would like to see in the organization?

The sheep recognize his voice:

Ø  Am I open and available to my people?, or do I consider my life my own?

Ø  How much of myself am I willing to share?

Ø  Do I feel the need to protect myself or hide myself from my people? Why is that so? Is it a matter of my personality or are there areas of my life I would not want them to know?

Ø  Am I like Jesus who chose the twelve “to be with Him?”

The shepherd leads the sheep out to feed them:

Ø  Do I want my people to be healthy and fully developed or would I secretly prefer they remain undernourished and stunted so they will continue to be dependent on me and I may remain superior?

Ø  How much trouble do I take to provide their “pasture” – their personal care, opportunities for their personal growth and development?

Ø  How have I defended my organization and my colleagues?

Ø  How can I become a better leader for those in my care? Do I know my purpose as a shepherd-leader? Do I have a good sense of direction and the foresight to perceive the next step?

THE STEWARD-LEADER

Stewards are persons entrusted with taking care of the welfare of the people in an event or occasion. They are also trusted with the welfare of a household and the household properties. Stewards are associated with the qualities of faithfulness, loyalty, fairness, business acumen and ability to provide for those under their care. Stewardship is the wise investment and preservation of the assets of an organization – both the material and human assets. Stewards acknowledge human potentials as the organization’s most important asset. This kind of stewardship puts people first.

True stewards put the welfare of the people entrusted to them ahead of themselves, their profit and their personal interests. They feed the people under their care before feeding themselves. Likewise, steward-leaders; they take responsibility for the welfare of their people.

Becoming a Steward-Leader

Theirs is a position of dependability, accountability, responsibility and excellence.

Stewards DARE to be the best:

—  Be Dependable

—  Be Accountable

—  Be Responsible

·         Be Excellent

1.       Be Dependable

Nobody is put in position of stewardship that is not dependable. The steward has earned the trust and confidence of his employer, and so she is entrusted with material and human assets of the employer. Nobody will entrust position of leadership to you if they have discovered that you are not dependable. Until you prove faithful in little things, you will not be given bigger things. The steward-leader has manifested the quality of faithfulness in little things, and then she is entrusted with bigger responsibility. The steward-leader is loyal to her employer.

2.       Be Accountable

A steward-leader knows that “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” As a steward-leader, you are accountable for the human and material resources under your care.

Accountability should give you a sense of self-worth and self-respect. You are being inspected because your work matters. This should make you proud of yourself and your work. It should make you gladly give account of your stewardship. A faithful steward-leader is glad to be accountable because he wants to meet expectations and bring satisfaction to his employers.

3.       Be Responsible.

Stewardship is a position of responsibility and a true steward takes his responsibility seriously. He accepts his stewardship not as a past-time or a hobby, but as a serious duty.

A steward acts best when his responsibility is clearly defined. Stewardship implies clear instructions on what to do or what results are expected. The steward-leader works according to instruction and strive to deliver according to expectation.

It is your responsibility as a steward-leader to ‘feed’ your people with wholesome diet for their all-round growth. You must, therefore, take the time to think of ways and means to develop and fully utilize the God-given potentialities of the people in order to help them grow and be all they can be. Take stock of all the resources you have at your disposal and plan how to utilize them fully to the benefit of your people and the organization.

4.       Be Excellent

VISION-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP

Leaders dream of a desired future and display the vision with a visual image or a succinct statement. The process of developing a pictorial representation helps to clarify and give feeling to the vision.

                True leadership is developed and sustained by vision. Without vision, you cannot reach your full leadership potential.

                Wise King Solomon says, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” This statement affirms that the wellbeing, growth and progress of a people depend on their vision – personal and collective vision.

                Creating shared vision allows a leader to secure commitment of his people, so that they become innovative and effective at their work, while striving to achieve the common vision.

Share Your Vision

A shared vision:

Ø  Attracts people’s cooperation and commitment

Ø  Keeps people focused, energized and on target

Ø  Gives meaning and purpose to their lives and work

Ø  Provides motivation for achieving excellence

Ø  Creates a challenging, empowering organization

Involving people in your organization in developing and achieving your vision:

·         Helps them understand what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it, and when it should be achieved

·         Stimulates them to give you ideas you might find useful

·         Makes them committed to any change you wish to make

Effective leaders are not afraid to share their ideas with people under them. They rather build a climate of trust where people can freely express their ideas and concerns. They believe that shared vision gives common direction and empowerment.

               

The Power of Vision

The best visions capture in words the desired future and inspire and excite emotions. Your vision must inspire you and move you. If it does not inspire you, it will probably not inspire others. A vision directs us towards the future, but it is experienced in the present. It focuses on the future, but it is rooted in today’s reality. It arouses the emotion as it compares the desired future with the present state of things. It becomes a framework for what we want to create and inspires in us a commitment to get it done.

There are two essential criteria for a powerful vision statement:

1.       The goal should be within sight, but just out of reach

2.       It should be brief, and summarized, if possible, in one line or sentence. Someone said, “People will march for a sentence, but never for a paragraph.”

A vision is a rallying cry. It empowers people and makes them believe they can do it. A true vision is always perceived as achievable.

Communicating the Vision

Leaders are people to whom others are drawn because they have a vision. Clearly, when we are with these individuals, we sense an extraordinary focus of commitment that attracts us to them. It is often said of these leaders that they make us want to join with them. They enroll us in their vision.

                The very essence of leadership is to have a vision and articulate it clearly and attractively that others are willing to join in making it a reality. A vision is a portrait of the future to which people can commit. It is the articulation of values. Vision empowers and inspires people to do a job and to contribute ideas or actions to achieve the goal.

               

EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP

Studies have shown that managers of employees have very different ideas about what employees want. When asked what factors that motivate employees, managers have indicated that employees want money and promotion. When asked the same question, employees rated recognition and appreciation for work well done, personal development and a sense of belonging much higher than money (D’Sousa, 2001). Success of any organization depends on how well the organization motivates and empowers the people they employ.

                Empowering others involves appointing them to function in positions of leadership. Yet, research studies point out that although the concept of empowerment is well understood intellectually and leaders and managers say the right words, they fail to walk the talk. They say one thing and do another.

                Leaders and managers will have to reconsider their roles as controllers, decision-makers and problem-solvers, and hand over more responsibility and authority to their employees. By so doing, leaders will become facilitators, encouragers, and motivators, supporting and empowering their teams.

How to Develop a Team – GEM

Developing a team is a process of building friendship. You can develop your team by following these practical steps: GEM – Gather, Empower and Mentor

1.       Gather a Team - CAL

·         Call people you will ‘make’ part of the team.

·         Accept them as they are. Don’t expect them to be perfect.

·         Lead them into the organization by giving them the fresher’s orientation.

2.       Empower the Team – EMPOWER

·         Edify the team members. Edifying includes inspiring and educating. To inspire is to breathe spirit into people, to make them full of life. Educating the team members involves providing the tools, knowledge, equipment and the capability necessary to do the work. Training and re-training of team members is high on the priority of the leader.

·         Move the Team Forward. Lead the way by providing an example for others to follow. You are the point man. People look for an example to emulate. Go forward; the people are looking up to you. Therefore, you cannot be complacent. Be the change you want to see in the organization.

·         Practice delegation. Delegate responsibility and authority. Delegation empowers team members to use their initiative, to become creative, innovative and committed.  It brings out the best in them as they become accountable for results. Delegation empowers team members to take decisions on their own, and thus enabling them to feel belonging.

Certainly you could do the job better than your subordinates, but the key is that you want to empower them to do it. You have to get involved in the training and development. It takes time, but it pays off in the long run.

·         Open up to the Team. Share with them your vision, values and expectations, including feelings, frustrations and disappointments. Ask for their advice and ideas. Communicate freely.  Confide in them issues concerning their work and the organization.

·         Wash their feet. Be interested in your team members. Show them you care. Serve them. Your personal interest in your people builds mutual trust and challenges them to be loyal to you and the organization. Be compassionate. It has been said that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Treat them as humans who need love. See your team members as colleagues, and not subordinates.

When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He illustrated clearly that humble service does not in any way reduce your dignity, your office or your power.

·         Encourage the Team. Don’t just delegate and abandon the team members. Stay around to spur them on. Don’t forget to appreciate a job well done. Be generous with praise and gratitude.

·         Release the Team. Free people to be all they can be. Set them free to perform. Provide for their personal and professional development. They will never forget you for it.

3.       Mentor the Team – TRUST

·         Trust the team. Trust is the highest form of motivation. It brings out the very best in people. But it takes time, patience and training.

·         Relate with the team as friends. Be available for them. People appreciate availability more than ability.

·         Understand and try to meet their needs. Explain to them when and why you cannot.

·         Set the standard. The Trump Organization is the number-one privately held company in New York. Hear what Donald Trump, the Billionaire owner, says, “I’m proud of that and of the work we have done. Notice I said “we” – because a lot of us work very hard, and I know that. But I make sure we remain winners by setting the standard myself.”

·          Teach control in order to curb over-zealousness, but don’t stifle their creativity.

Eliciting Commitment

The organization benefits in many ways when there is high commitment in the workplace. Highly committed employees:

·         Care about corporate goals and objectives

·         Are eager to offer creative ideas on how to improve quality

·         Are less likely to quit their jobs

·         Are happy in their work

To gain the commitment of your team members, be the kind of leader who earns, rather than demands, respect and trust. People must have confidence in your leadership. To gain commitment in others, you must show that you have it yourself.

                To gain the commitment of your people, keep these guidelines in mind – LEAD

1.       Lead with vision and communicate it effectively. The vision must be communicated in such a way that people accept it and are committed to translating it into reality. Tell people what you want them to do, at what time you expect it done and to what standard. Communicate clearly.

2.       Empower your people. Give people work they find meaningful and a measure of control over their work. Ask their opinions, listen to their ideas and get them involved in projects.

3.       Act with integrity. Character is far more important to a leader than the staff of office. People may submit to your leadership because of the rod in your hand, but it takes integrity to win their followership and loyalty. People may respect your office because of the authority backing the office, but they only respect you for your integrity. A leader that lacks integrity can only lord it over people; he or she cannot lead them.

4.       Delegate. If effectively done, delegation develops your people both professionally and personally. It encourages them to grow in all areas of their lives, to develop their potentials, and be all they can be. As they grow under your leadership they tend to increase their commitment to you and your organization.

Power of Effective Delegation

Effective delegation increases your leverage, your ability to get results through people. It builds every member of the team, while taking unnecessary workload off you. People grow when they learn to use their initiative and abilities to get things done. Both parties will benefit and ultimately much more work will get done in much less time. People feel belong because they are part of the success story, and they share in the results.

                Effective delegation is result-oriented, not method focused. When practicing delegation you allow people to use methods they choose and make them responsible for results. Make people understand and commit themselves to getting result from the beginning. Let there be clear understanding regarding expectations in five areas:

1.       Results. Let people understand what is to be accomplished. Make it clear, concise and complete, focusing on what, not how; results, not methods. Spend time. Be patient. Paint the picture of what you want to achieve. Have the person see it. Describe it. Make a quality statement of what the results will look like, and when they will be accomplished.

2.       Restrictions. Even though you allow delegates choose methods that suite them, there should be restrictions. You wouldn’t want a person to think he could do anything, even abusing people’s rights and violating values, as long as he got results. If you know a path that will lead to failure, show them. Let them learn from other people’s failures. You can also show them a path that leads to success; but don’t compel them. Let them choose their own path and be responsible for the results.

3.       Resources. Make available to them all resources – human, financial, technical, or organizational resources – they can use to accomplish results.

4.       Reports. Specify times when they are to report to you. Also let them know how you are going to evaluate their work.

5.       Rewards. Set up a standard of the results expected and the rewards attached. People will do anything when they know the benefits in it for them. Let them know the benefits, which could be financial rewards, professional developments, or classroom enrichments.

DIRECTIVE VERSUS EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP STYLES

In the traditional pyramid organization, the leader’s style was more directive. His job was to take care of things like a dominant ruler. This often left others feeling dependent and powerless whereas the leader/manager felt burdened. But the empowering leader sees his or her team as collaborators in getting the job done. Review these contrasting styles:

Directive Style                                                                                  Empowering Style

·         Leader alone responsible to make all decisions          Leader shares responsibility and gives authority

personally                                                                                   to people

·         Communication top-down                                                   Communication two-way and multi-way

·         Uses position power                                                              Uses personal power and influence

·         Leader tell-oriented and highly self-                                                Leader listen-oriented and open-minded

Opinionated

·         Leader prescribes what to do and teaches                   Leader facilitates group discovery and

subordinates to expect direction.                                     encourages self-responsibility

·         Leader afraid of losing control                                            Leader knows relaxing control is better

·         Feedback minimal                                                                   Open and frank feedback solicited

·         Mid-course correction difficult                                           Flexibility makes shift in direction easy

·         Focuses on minimizing weakness and                             Focuses on building upon strengths and

fixing problems                                                                         finding resources

·         Used when there is little commitment                           Used when all share a common goal

·         Creates compliance                                                                                Generates enthusiasm and commitment

·         Pu hes organization for results                                           Pulls organization toward vision

Both leadership styles are important and some tasks are best accomplished with one or the other. A leader must develop flexibility of style depending on the people he is dealing with and the demands of the situation. While certain situations demand directive leadership, today’s complex work situations seem to demand more empowering leadership to solve problems and enhance the decision-making process.

Exercise 2: How Empowering are you as a Leader?

Test Yourself: Are you a Directive Leader or an Empowering Leader?

Think of situations you face with your staff. For each of the ten situations below, on a seven-point scale, circle the number that most closely represents your normal response.

1.       When I have a problem ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I try to solve it myself                                             I get help from others

2.       Before making a decision ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I consider it carefully alone                                  I seek input from others

3.       The group work best when I  ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

Tell people what to do                                           Help people work together

4.       When I am around  ___

1              2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I worry about how things will be done                    I feel confident in the team

5.       When there is bad news or a problem  ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I have to discover it myself                                          My team members inform me quickly

6.       When there are assignments and schedules to be done  ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

It’s easiest for me to do them                            I have people do them together

7.       When reporting to top management or to outside groups ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I do the reporting                                                    I share reporting with other members of the team

8.       If somebody is doing something and I think I know a better way ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I tell him to do it my way                                       I suggest other ways

9.       When people make mistakes ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I come down hard on them                                 I help them to learn what went wrong

10.   When I learn new information that affects the work of the group  ___

1                 2                              3                              4              5                              6                              7             

I make the required adjustments                     I share it as soon as possible

How have you scored?

Add up your scores on all 10 situations.

ü  Scores below 31 indicate you are more of a directive leader

ü  Scores above 50 indicate you are more of an empowering leader

ü  Scores between 31 and 50 indicate you are both an directive leader and a empowering leader

DEVELOPING A VISION

Your vision will be uniquely your own. In creating it, take a risk: Be daring and reach for what you truly want for your organization and your own role in it. Your vision should speak to the needs of others in the organization. If the vision touches the people’s welfare and longings, it has the power of a vision.

Visioning exercises usually are creative activities using images, words or metaphors to illustrate the group’s aspirations for their organization. By working together, the group can collectively build a shared organizational vision.

                The following exercises will help you to develop a unique vision for your organization:

Exercise 3: Ask yourself these questions:

Ø  What is the organization like?

Ø  What activities are people involved in and what are their work areas?

Ø  Who are the customers or the receivers of our service?

Ø  What are the customers saying about us?

Ø  In what ways is the envisioned future different from today?

Ø  What improvements or changes do you see?

Write down the key points of your vision on a chart and reduced them to a sentence, or better still a phrase.

Exercise 4: Involving your people in the visioning process.

Involving your colleagues in a shared vision can generate enthusiasm and commitment. The purpose of visioning exercise is to free your organization’s members from monotony and inspire them with the image of the desired future. The more involved they are in the formulation of the vision, the more committed they will be to its achievement.

Schedule a special meeting of your people to focus on the envisioned future. This is a creative process. Ask them to imagine themselves five years in the future. Then ask them these questions:

Ø  What is the one thing about our organization you hope never changes?

Ø  What do you find most meaningful about our organization? What do you find least meaningful?

Ø  If you could successfully change, what is the one change you would like to see or bring about in our organization?

Then briefly share answers to be later discussed, finalized and agreed upon by all the group members. Determine a common list of shared ideas.

                Share with them your own ideas as stipulated in your vision. Compare with the common list of shared ideas, and determine the final list.

                Finally, compressed all the ideas into a statement, not more than a brief a sentence that succinctly portrays your vision.

MAKING A PURPOSE AND MISSION STATEMENT

A statement of purpose and mission requires deliberate, concentrated thinking aimed at answering a single, highly focused, fundamental question: “Why does your organization exist?” or stated in another way, “Why are you doing what you are doing?”

                Your purpose-and-mission statement tells the world why you and your team are making the effort to act and to succeed. It identifies the motivation for your organization’s actions.

                This brief and concise statement defines the business you are in, for whom and why. It tells your reason for existence.

Criteria for an Effective Mission Statement

To serve as a leadership tool and guide to all, a mission statement should meet certain criteria. It must be:

Ø  Brief in order to be memorable and remembered

Ø  Concrete in order to be easy to understand

Ø  Uplifting to reach into the future and reflect the present

Ø  Specific to identify your intent of service or responsibility

The mission statement must clarify the focus and direction of the organization. It should be inspiring, but more concrete, more practical, more in the here-and-now than the vision.

                Mission statement helps each member be very clear on what the organization is all about. It helps each key member make independent decisions when necessary, knowing that the decision will help move the organization in the right direction.

                Here is a plan for developing or reviewing the mission of the organization. Convene a working meeting of your leadership team or key people. After explaining the need for developing or reviewing a mission statement, lead them through a process such as this:

1.       List: What business or service are we in now? Want to be?

2.       Brainstorm: What words or phrases come to mind that might be included in the mission?

3.       Prioritize: Check the list, determine what words or phrases are really important and prioritize by order of importance.

4.       Draft: Pull the best of the list together and work until a satisfactory statement is drafted.

ESTABLISHING ORGANIZATION’S VALUES

Your organization core values are a combination of shared values, a common mindset, characteristic behaviours and symbols of various kinds.

                We all have values we live by. An organization’s values answer the question: “What is important to us?” core organizational values are an understanding about:

Ø  What is most important

Ø  How to treat other people

Ø  How to work together

Exploring and discussing values enhance harmony and teamwork. Values that remain unclear can create tension or conflict and make people feel misunderstood, confused or frustrated. Hence clarifying values – personal and professional – can be a tremendous help in aligning and unifying the organization.

                Values are the bedrock of corporate culture and the essence of an organization’s philosophy. They provide guidelines for working with and relating to one another.

                Values provide an anchor when an organization or individual is buffeted by a storm of change. They are the moral compass that gives direction when things get rough. They are guide to help you reach your destination – your vision and mission.

                Consider the values your organization holds or should hold. Here are some suggestions:

Ø  Stewardship, responsibility, accountability

Ø  Integrity, honesty, fairness, justice, integral human development

Ø  Attitude of service, compassion, patience

Ø  Leadership, excellence, innovation

Ø  Communication, teamwork, a sense of belonging, inter-personal relationships, sharing experiences

Ø  Dedication, hard work, commitment, generosity, faithfulness

Ø  Employee welfare, job security

Ø  Product quality, efficiency, punctuality, customer service

Ø  Mastery, competence, visible achievements, recognition

Ø  Lifestyle, ways that people work and live, personal appearance.

Paul Meyer says in one of his books, Bridging the Leadership Gap, “A values-driven organization is more likely to know what it stands for and thus maintain momentum over time.”

Examples of Organization’s Core Values

1.       IBM’s corporate values, probably the oldest and best known in the world, are:

·         Respect for the individual

·         Customer Service

·         Excellence

2.       UBA’s corporate values are an acronym, HEIR:

·         Humility

·         Empathy

·         Integrity

·         Resilience

3.       Shine values are an acronym, CHILD

·         Commitment to

·         Humanity,

·         Integrity and

·         Leadership

·         Development

The school has a unique philosophy: “No CHILD is a failure.”

Your values help you to distinguish what is important to you and what is not. They dictate your life and behavior. They guide you to live in harmony with your core beliefs, vision and mission.

Here are some areas in which you and your team may wish to develop a standard of values or beliefs:

Ø  How do we treat our customers?

Ø  How do we treat one another?

Ø  How do we provide meaning and dignity to the workplace?

Ø  How do we recognize good work?

Ø  What do we want to be known for in the quality of our work and service?

CONCLUSION:

You can lead with vision and affection. Make it happen!

REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING

Adaralegbe, A. (1986) “Educating Nigerians in the Eighties: Technical and Technological Education in Nigeria” in Ukeje, B.O. et al “Issues an Concerns in educational Administration, Lagos: Macmillan Nigeria Publishers Ltd.

D’Souza, Anthony (2001) “Empowering Leadership: Lead with Vision and Strategy. Singapore: Haggai Institute.

Greenleaf, Robert (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New York: Paulist Press.

Meyer, Paul (1998) “Bridging the Leadership Gap. Arlington Texas: The Summit Publishing Group.

Munroe, Myles (1993) “Becoming A Leader: Everyone Can Do It.” Benin City: Pneuma Life Publishing.

Nanus, Burt and Warren Bennis (1985) “Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge”. New York: Harper & Row.

Trump, Donald and Kiyosaki Robert (2006) “Why We Want You to be Rich” New York: Rich Publishing.