Leading People from the Middle: The Universal Mission of Heart and Mind

Contents

Advance Praise for

Leading People from the Middle

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Section I

Twenty-First Century Leadership

Chapter One

Twenty-First Century Organizational Trends

Chapter Two

Paradoxical Leadership

Chapter Three

Secure Leadership

Chapter Four

Inspiring Leadership

Chapter Five

Communicative Leadership

Chapter Six

Virtuous Leadership

Chapter Seven

Driven and Rhythmic Leadership

Section II

Twentieth Century Approaches to Leadership

Chapter Eight

Trait-Based leadership

Chapter Nine

Style-Based Leadership

Chapter Ten

Situational Influence on Leadership Style

Chapter Eleven

Transformational Leadership

Section III

Changing Our Behavior

Chapter Twelve

The Theory of Change

Chapter Thirteen

Six Steps to Successful Change

Epilogue

References

Recommended Resources not Cited in the Text

Advance Praise for

Leading People from the Middle

"Bill Robinson, an extraordinarily gifted leader of a flourishing university, offers vision and practical strategies for effective leadership. Moreover, he writes with wit and wisdom borne of his social-science expertise and street-smartened experience, making this a quick and captivating read. For leaders facing twenty-first century challenges, Leading People from the Middle offers hope and direction."

—David Myers, Social Psychologist, Hope College, author of seventeen books, including Intuition: Its Powers and Perils

Simply writing about leadership is like finding guards for a basketball team; they are a dime a dozen. But when you find a guard that leads by word and action in all that he does, then you have found the diamond in the rough. Bill Robinson not only presents a great read, but he lives out the words in this book. I've witnessed first hand Bill's ability to lead within a community. As a former employee under Bill, I learned a great deal about leadership through watching and listening. The pages that follow are from a man that is talking the talk and walking the walk.

—Steve Alford, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball, University of New Mexico

Bill Robinson alerts us to the serious changes taking place in the leader’s job and raises the crucial question of the relationship between organizations and society. Good stuff!

—Max O. DePree, Former President/CEO of Herman Miller, Zeeland, Michigan

"Leading People from the Middle is a must read for today’s managers who want to be tomorrow’s business leaders. Dr. Robinson, a skillful author and educator, combines academic integrity with a warm personal style of writing to explain how the present-day style of management evolved and what it takes to become more effective in the current business environment."

—Charles L. Boppell, Former President and CEO, Worldwide Restaurant Concepts

"Leading People from the Middle accurately describes what happens on the Whitworth University campus under the leadership of Bill Robinson. It is very clear that Bill is called to be a leader. His is truly a leader from the middle—a consensus builder who is not afraid to make decisions. As you read his reflections, you have a very clear sense of him. He is genuine, generous, engaging, self-aware, and focused on the important issues and speaking the truth. When you’re on Whitworth University campus, you see the wonderful camaraderie between Bill and the students. It is a very casual but mutually respectful relationship. Bill is genuinely interested in them and their experience. Yet, there is also no doubt about who the leader is. He is one of the best teachers and leaders through example these students could have—‘leading from the middle.’"

—Violet A. Boyer, President/CEO, Independent Colleges of Washington

Bill Robinson’s vision of leadership comes from the right places—from his good heart, his deep belief in God, and his abiding faith in human nature. Those who share his vision will be free to be graceful and grateful leaders, prepared for the unexpected and excited for the opportunities that life and leadership present.

—George R. Nethercutt, Jr., Former Representative in Congress, Fifth District, Washington

"A ‘must read’ for executives in creative, fast-paced organizations. Leading People from the Middle does not imply weakness—just the opposite. In this extraordinarily thoughtful volume, Dr. William Robinson pieces together the best leadership lessons of the twentieth century with his sage views of the needs of the twenty-first century. He shows how vision, goals, direction, analysis, and ‘opportunity seizing’ can be combined with consensus building, decentralization, ‘influencing from among,’ and ‘living in the center of mission.’ In so doing, he crafts a unique style of paradoxical leadership, which enables leaders to be ‘laid back and aggressive, strong and vulnerable, caring and cold blooded,’ depending upon the exigencies of situations and structures. Robinson has found a novel and implementable approach to leadership, which allows leaders to be at once optimally adaptable, open to opportunities, and above all, connected to organizational stakeholders."

—Robert J. Spitzer, Chancellor, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington

In this book, one can see and watch Bill Robinson. For those who know him personally, we see lived each day the observations and lessons that Bill Robinson, the educator, has captured on these pages. What a joy it is to pick up a well-researched and written book and know that it is derived from a lived experience. A tireless individual, Bill draws energy from personal contact; so, in every way, the content of this book and any sequel that may follow is being written each and every day.

—Richard J. Umbdenstock, President/CEO, American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois

For Bonnie

Preface

In the summer of 2000, I wrote Leading People from the Middle. It turned out pretty well. I tried to wrap good thinking from twentieth century leadership experts around my own findings and experiences. I still receive gratifying reports from folks who find the book quite helpful. That makes me feel great. I just reread the book myself. I think it remains worthwhile.

I’m not sure exactly what literary professionals mean by voice, but they all say it’s the main thing in writing. When I ask them for a definition, I can’t get a straight answer. Yet, they tell me they are deeply aware when this phantom is having its way with their pens. And they love it. Several folks have told me they could hear my voice in this book. I hope they consider that a compliment. My main goal for the book was to help folks become better leaders. I hope I accomplished that. And if the writing fairy was giving me voice tips while I was grinding out sentences, then props to her for helping me out.

So why am I rewriting this book? My original publisher wasn’t very good at publishing. I got so frustrated that I bought the rights and inventory. I’m glad I did. Through Amazon.com and referrals, I’ve sold enough books from our garage to get our car back in there. In fact, I’m down to just a couple of boxes. So there are those two reasons. But even more, the world has changed and I’ve learned a lot since writing the book. I’ve spoken literally hundreds of times on leadership, and I’ve traded e-mails with many people who wrote me after reading the book. I’ve been enlightened from discussions with readers and people to whom I have spoken. My teachers have ranged from business executives to scholars to teachers.

I don’t think I’d call this book a second edition. Probably a second try at the first edition better describes it. This one is a little shorter, and of course that makes it a little better. I’ve carved off ideas that were met with shoulder shrugs, while expanding the ones that made the most sense to readers and listeners. For example, I heard from a pastor in western Washington who said the chapter on organizational structure caused him to completely reverse the way he thought of his ministry and his role. Others also found those ideas helpful. So, I fattened up that chapter.

Mainly, I rewrote this book because I felt I could make it better. And in a few years, I’m sure I’ll feel the same way about the one in your hands.

Acknowledgments

For allowing me to work in their midst—the students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni of Whitworth University.

For their great help in this project—Sylvia Hedrick, Greg Orwig, Terry Mitchell, Jack Burns, Scott McQuilkin, Ken West, Em Griffin.

For leading me—John Thatcher, Chuck Boppell, Jim Singleton, John Young, Ed Butterbaugh, A. Blair Helman, Phil Clement, Glenn Heck, Orley Herron, John Huffman, Woody Strodel, Terry Pickett, Gordon Loux, Jack and Theo Robinson, Jim and Annette Carmean, Ed and Nancy Robinson, and most of all, Paul and Lillian Robinson.

For special support during this project—Lar, Pat, Dave, Ron, Ken, Steve, Boyd, Shakey (and their great families), the president’s cabinet, my Whitworth basketball friends (just the ones who pass me the ball), Rich, Don, Chris, Terry, and most of all, Tom Robinson.

For Brenna, Ben and Bailley—the amazing grace of God.

Introduction

I don’t have a grand metaphor for what I mean by leading from the middle. I don’t picture a leader like that glorious goose in the front of the V, leading its gaggle in formation to their destiny, interrupting century-old migratory patterns only to loiter on golf courses or make deposits on clean cars. The soccer match of four year olds doesn’t work either. Picture the lifeless ball as the leader, always in the middle of the pack, always getting kicked around by little people. I admit that sometimes it feels that way, except the kickers aren’t little.

Over the course of this book, it will become clear that my understanding of leading from the middle refers to influencing your group from among. I do not find leadership exercised from above, below, in front of, or from a cell phone to work as well as shoulder to shoulder. Leading from the middle refers to positioning ourselves alongside those whom we’ve empowered. It refers to the non-aloof ways in which leaders should see themselves. It refers to living in the center of a mission, rather than simply lifting it up. Using a term from Christian theology, leading from the middle refers to leadership that incarnates the mission. The Christian story is that God chose to lead a fallen human race to redemption by taking on human form and dwelling among us (John 1:14 NIV). I’ve written a book entitled Incarnate Leadership (Robinson 2009) that looks at the way Jesus led his disciples after pitching his tent in the middle of their camp.

I have found from studying the history of leadership, as well as from my own experiences, that leading from the middle is a very effective way for leaders to think about their styles and strategies. Proximity to your people and trust from your people go hand in hand.

PERSPECTIVE

I consider myself a student-practitioner of leadership, with the emphasis on practitioner. I did doctoral work in the area of organizational leadership and communication, but I am not what you would call a leadership scholar. I am also not a Fortune 500 leader. But I do have a sound theoretical foundation, and I have seen profound organizational changes take place in almost twenty-five years as a college president. I think my ideas might be for those to whom Joseph Rost (a first team, all-conference scholar in leadership studies) laments: In other words, though practitioners read the leadership definitions of these scholars and study their models of leadership, they find it almost impossible to integrate and synthesize a clear, consistent picture of what leadership is and how leaders and followers actually engage in leadership (1991, 180).

Probably the most compelling qualification for me to talk about leadership is that I’ve become a more effective leader over the years. I’ve used my background in the behavioral sciences to understand my experiences as a college president. Both theoretically and practically I’ve learned how to engineer leadership change.

CAN’T, CAN, MUST

First, you can’t lead the way I lead. You wouldn’t want to, and the people you lead wouldn’t want you to either. The best leaders lead from their strengths. You want to lead in the way that works best for you. Only I can lead my way, and sometimes it’s pretty bizarre. According to a fund-raising consultant, I’m not very presidential. I consider this high praise.

We have to work within our basic dispositions to be effective. Unfortunately, a lot of parents, coaches, and inspirational speakers try to get us to believe otherwise. Commencements are breeding grounds for these aggrandizing lies, and it’s the speakers who are doing the lying. All across America eager graduates hear, You can do anything you want to do if you really put your mind to it. No, you can’t. In fact, there are a lot of things you can’t do. But what graduation speaker wants to stand up and say, Congratulations, you’ve run the course, you’ve finished the race, you’ve borrowed enough money to buy Wyoming, and now, just remember, no matter what anyone tells you, you’re not going to be very good at a lot of things.

You can only use the tools in your kit. You can perfect them and even use them differently. But you have to be you. Leaders who force themselves to use an alien style or technique will not be effective. The best leaders know what they can do well and what they can’t do well. They know the strengths and weakness of their personalities. They blend the effective leadership behaviors they learn from others into their own repertoire; they don’t try to be someone they’re not.

Second, you can change. That we have to work within our basic dispositions does not mean we can’t change. If we’re too timid we can become more aggressive; if we talk too much we can become better listeners; if we’re too quick, we can become more deliberate. Personality theorist George Kelly observed that we are neither prisoners of our history nor our heredity (1963, 13). Where I work, my job is to lead the process of transforming young people. I don’t mean this in the James MacGregor Burns’s sense of transformation that you will read about in this book. I’m talking about what happens in the lives of college students during their years of living and studying with us at Whitworth. Building on the personality and gifts they bring to campus, these students blend information, values, and practices into their lives, producing staggering change. Change happens.

In several of Tom Peters’ leadership books, he makes reference to Weaver Popcorn of Van Buren, Indiana. When I was president of Manchester College, I knew the Weaver family well. Their company is extraordinarily successful, thanks to the leadership that was provided by the late Welcome Weaver, former president and board chair, and by his son, Mike Weaver, who became CEO. I met Mike in 1986. At the time, he was a devoted fan of the in-your-face Indiana University basketball coach, Bob Knight, and a couple of his employees mentioned to me that it showed. Because of some deep personal and professional reflection, Mike decided to change the way he and the company would view the Weaver Popcorn employees. The change was authentic and penetrating. Both Mike and the company were transformed. Mike is still Mike, but he sees his world through a different lens. Employees shook their heads in disbelief at Mike’s change. It is my intention to provide the theory and application that can lead to a Mike Weaver-type change.

Third, leaders must be people of integrity. The gist of this book is taking what we have learned about leadership over the past hundred years and building the most useful concepts into a working skill set. You could infer from this book that the acid test of a concept’s usefulness is whether it works. You could assume that I lay my sacrifices on the altar of pragmatism. Such is not the case. On issues with moral dimensions, I have conditioned myself to look above the bottom line. My parents were models of this virtue, and on all things ethical, I still look up to my three older siblings who took the lead of our wonderful parents and have each followed the call to ministry. My moral foundation finds its origin in the Christian faith. I believe the Bible to be reliable and true. And I am not judgmental of those who believe differently. But I won’t compromise on my conviction of what direction is true north.

In the pages that follow, I have attempted to highlight and apply important findings in this relatively new field of leadership. I have not, however, tried to suppress my own opinions. It is through the eyes of my experience that I interpret theoretical concepts. To feign total objectivity is neither honest nor enjoyable in this kind of writing exercise. And I hope readers will find both honesty and joy on every page.

LEADERSHIP DEFINED

To say the least, the definition of leadership is a moving target. A hundred years ago, we just had leaders. Leadership hadn’t even found its way into the dictionary until the late 1800s. When it did, leadership simply referred to the qualities and actions of a leader. Now, by some definitions, it doesn’t matter whether you serve as the mayor or the village idiot, you can still provide leadership. This book will trace the twentieth century progression of how we think about leadership. But I’ll warn you, we still haven’t got it figured out very precisely.

I have a friend named Jack Burns. He’s a professor and a scholar in the field of leadership. (Jack is refreshing because he knows the difference between being a scholar and being an expert. Many scholars consider themselves experts. And I considered myself an expert on teenagers until I had three of my own ransacking our house. Most of the studies in Section II were conducted by experts.) According to Jack, his field has not come up with a commonly accepted definition of leadership. It is amazing that an entire field of study can’t even agree on what it is they’re studying. Joseph Rost feels leadership scholars are in definitional disarray. In Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, he reports that in examining 587 studies on leadership he found 221 definitions (Rost 1991, 44). Apparently, the other 366 thought the definition to be self-evident. It’s hard not to get the feeling that, similar to the beholders of beauty, leadership is in the eye of the led.

Jack published a long article, Defining Leadership: Can We See the Forest for the Trees? in The Journal of Leadership Studies (Burns 1996). In the article, he wove together the definitions of several leadership titans—notably James MacGregor Burns, Ronald Heifetz, and Joseph Rost—in an attempt to find some kind of big picture of leadership. In general, Jack likes James MacGregor Burns’s idea of leadership as the process of transforming the attitudes and behaviors of the group. This transformation requires both the leader and the followers to adapt themselves in order to accomplish the goal.

This evolved concept of leadership is not exactly the way Teddy Roosevelt thought about it when he was leading the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill at the end of the nineteenth century. During the last hundred years, the trend of leadership in America has moved steadily away from the person in charge. So, can the person in charge still lead? Absolutely. But leadership no longer finds itself exclusively in the front; rather, leadership is now exercised from a full 360-degree angle. That’s why leading from the middle is where the leader wants to be.

My working definition of leadership is pretty simple. I define leadership as an extraordinary influence that finds its source in a person or group. First, we all exercise influence of some kind. If our influence is ordinary, that’s life, not leadership. Second, extraordinary things happen that alter the flow of events. Leadership occurs when a person or group, rather than some external force, causes the extraordinary to happen. Does that mean Hitler meets my definition of a leader? Yes, but his brand of leadership screams for an adjective—heinous gets close. Any leadership theorist who builds virtue into his or her definition of leadership makes bad leadership an oxymoron; unless by bad one means no leadership. Furthermore, defining leadership as necessarily good defies our normal vernacular, which I will say more about in Section II. I can’t argue that my definition of leadership is the best one, but it’s the one I assume in this book.

GOAL

I have made no attempt to write The Five Steps to Leading, or Leadership Made Simple. I agree with H.L. Mencken, who said, For every complex problem there’s a simple answer, and it’s wrong. Leading is not simple, but it can be done effectively by everyday people. I’ve written for those people, the ones who are responsible for helping groups in their efforts to accomplish important and challenging tasks.

I suppose this book will be most helpful to people who find themselves holding rather significant supervisory responsibilities, largely because that’s my vantage point when I look at the leadership enterprise. I make the assumption that the reader occupies a position from which leadership is needed and