CNST 304 Leadership and Power

DEFINING LEADERSHIP: WRAP-UP NOTES ON THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP

1. Various definitions show scholars= diversity in thought:

Gini: ALeadership is a power and value-laden relationship between leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purpose and goals.@ (transactional leadership). Note that transactional leadership is often "momentary," specific to a situation, and very efficient when time is short.

Roach and Behling: ALeadership is the process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals.@

Keegan: ALeadership is convincing others of his/her vision and living it out with them.@

Burns: ATransformational leadership occurs when leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality." Note that transformational leadership occurs rarely, and is often (though not always) the result of many years of work.

Heifetz: ALeadership mobilizes followers to produce new actions to meet difficult challenges.@ (leadership for adaptive work). Note that this type of leader raises more questions than ever answers, and does not involve him or herself in setting out a vision.

2. What leadership is NOT:

It=s not management: Leaders are concerned with what gets done; managers are concerned with how it gets done. But leadership and management are not mutually exclusive.

It=s not necessarily people in positions of authority or power. There may be leaders, defined by their position, that do not practice leadership.

Leadership cannot occur alone. That is, it needs followers as equal partners in an enterprise.

3. Heifetz=s view of adaptive work as a necessary component in his definition of leadership:

Adaptive work involves assessing reality and clarifying values for all members of the community (assume competing values). Competing values means we need to learn from each other and begin to interpret the problem differently than any individual normally would, i.e. taking a broader view of reality. Thus, leadership is not setting out a vision for others to follow (or convincing others to follow), but taking action to make sure a group clarifies its values and tests them against reality. Leaders mobilize followers to produce new actions to meet difficult challenges, i.e. examine what=s really wrong, and face the tough realities.

4. Essential elements of leadership:

In terms of essential elements of leadership, which of the following do you believe are necessary and which aren=t? Formulating your thoughts and views now will help you in your upcoming assignments and in class discussions.

Personal vision?

Societal or group vision?

Mobilizing others?

Motivating others?

Knowing how to get things done?

Being the right person at the right time in the right place?

Having followers?

Positional authority?

Perceived as powerful by others?

Other?

5. Steps in the Fair Process of Leading Discussions ("Participant and Leader Behavior: Group Decision Simulation Case Series 5-301-120", Harvard Business School, April 24, 2001):

"The leader of the discussion has the responsibility to ensure that all members have sufficient opportunity to state their views, to discuss their views, and (if appropriate) why they disagree with what's been previously said.

It is important that each individual in the group perceives that his/her views were listened to and seriously considered before a decision was reached.

Everyone should feel that they had a realistic opportunity to influence the final decision.

The leader of the discussion should ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the reasons for a final decision."

Think about:

1). What are the responsibilities of group members if the discussion leader is not following a fair process?

2). What are the likely results when a fair process is used? What are the likely results when a fair process is not used? That is, why does a fair process matter?

3) What techniques can a leader use to satisfy the conditions of a fair process? That is, what characteristics or behaviors should the leader exhibit during the discussion?