12 March 2008

ITB7350 – New Perspectives on Leadership/Management

Followers

The mark of a great leader is

Leadership the development and growth of
followers
New Perspectives

The mark of a great follower is
the growth of leaders

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Followers
Followers
The term follower “conjures up images of

Effective/Exemplary
docility, conformity, weakness, and failure
to excel. Often, none of this is the least bit
Conformist
true. The sooner we move beyond these
Alienated
images and get comfortable with the idea
Passive
of powerful followers supporting powerful
Pragmatic
leaders, the sooner we can fully develop
and test models for dynamic, self-
responsible, synergistic relationships…”
Ira Chaleff, The Courageous Follower
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Daft, p.398
See also Followership.doc

The Effective/Exemplary
The Conformist Follower
Follower

Independent / Active
Active / Dependent

Works creatively and enthusiastically
Accepts assignments easily

Seeks to minimise conflict

Takes intelligent risks

But:
 A “yes” man

But:
 Frequently hides weaknesses and
 Can suffer disillusionment mistakes
 Can suffer burnout  Lacks own ideas

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The Alienated Follower

Independent / Passive

Maverick who thinks for him/herself

Plays devil’s advocate

But:
 Cynical in attitude
 Not a team player
 Dwells on the negatives

Sometimes people are forced into this role by

The Passive Follower dominating and controlling leaders.

Dependent / Passive

Relies on the leader’s judgement

Seldom resists

But:
 Neither acts nor thinks
 Just timeservers and clockwatchers
 Requires high supervision

Perhaps inclined to self-reflection?

The Pragmatic Survivor

Has elements of all four modes, often

at different times

Is a “Political animal”

Often has a good perspective on

events

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 Support: do not criticise the leader, keep
Roles for Effective Followers communication channels open, keep in mind that how

Support the leader’s decisions a decision is communicated is often as important as

Challenge the leader’s decisions the decision itself.

Encourage the leader

Defend the leader Challenge: usually in private.

Encourage: it’s lonely at the top.
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Defend: Loyalty is important. Leaders have an
obligation to listen to the input of followers. In return,
followers have an obligation to support the resulting
decision.

Serendipitous – It was the role of the teaching staff at

Belbin Henley Management College to put together teams to

Is Leadership really a solo affair? compete in a business simulation exercise, and they

At different times, different team aimed to have a reasonable balance of functional
members may take the lead

Serendipitous discovery
skills in each team.
One time, as an experiment, they put together a team
of individually outstanding people, and had other
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teams of people who were less individually
impressive. To their surprise the supposedly
exceptional team performed more poorly than the
supposedly average team.

• Team-Role Descriptions
Belbin Team Roles
• Dealing with different people

Plants
Teamworkers

Resource
Implementers
Investigators
Completer-

Co-ordinators Finishers

Shapers
Specialists

Monitor Evaluators
www.belbin.com

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 In the 1980s, the American Management Association
Pace of Change Increasing published a study concluding that the most successful

“Anyone who isn’t confused doesn’t managers were distinguished by their high tolerance
really understand what is going on
around here.” (Graffiti)
for ambiguity. Now, however, the pace of change

High tolerance for ambiguity was requires that ambiguity be embraced and enjoyed.
required

Embracing ambiguity now required
(Gelb, p.xxii).
Ambiguity is reinforced by having to play leader and
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manager, two completely different roles (as you will
remember).
Stephen Covey refers to managers as those who are
hacking their way through the jungle. The leader is
the one who climbs a tree and shouts “Wrong
jungle!”. But often the response of the managers is
“Shut up, can’t you see we’re making progress?”

What’s synergy?
Synvergent Thinking Synvergent thinking is the synergetic combination of

Synergy convergent and divergent thinking. It is the primary

Convergence
 Focused/analytical/detailed mode for thriving with change, ambiguity and

Divergence paradox.
 Diffuse/Free-flowing/imaginative
The pace of change will continue to accelerate. Too
many people are waiting and hoping for things to
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settle down. They won’t. (Gelb, p.5)
Converge: to come together at one point – focus
Diverge: to go in different directions from a common
point – eg brainstorm

Leadership Paradoxes

Be entrepreneurial and take risks – but

don’t cost the business anything by failing

Know every detail of your business – but
delegate more responsibility to others

Speak up, be a leader, set the direction –
but be participative, listen well, co-operate
Myer Briggs questionnaire.
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-
win/JTypes2.asp

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 • Lead by example, behaviour wins respect. People
Transformational Leadership follow then person not the plan.

Centres on “Vision, change and
getting Results”
• Leader has exciting vision or dream that acts as a
1. Model the way force for inventing the future, tries to ignite
2.
3.
Inspire a shared vision
Challenge the process
passion in others through communication of what
4. Enable others to act the future could be.
5. Encourage the heart
Kouzes and Posner (2002)
• Challenge the status quo by seeking out new
opportunities to innovate, grow and improve.
• Team effort required so the leaders ability to get
others to at is crucial, provide an environment for
others to do good work – leader enables by giving
power away.
• The leader shows appreciation and creates a
culture of celebration.

Transformational Leadership

Developing the vision

Selling the vision

Finding the way forward

Leading the charge

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Problems: doesn’t admit errors, doesn’t listen to

Keep Confident criticism (if he can even hear it) or anything else,

Appear in control doesn’t ask for advice.

Reassure others

But watch for problems with too much
Interesting synergy: If people perceive you as self-
confidence confident, they are likely to accept you as a leader. As

Eliminate negative self-talk
people accept you as a leader, your self-confidence
increases. This then boosts your image as a leader,
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which further reinforces self-confidence, and so on.
Negative self-talk: “I may be stupid, but…” or “I know
I’m usually wrong, but…” or “I know I haven’t been
here as long as some of you, but…”
 Something that new leaders don’t often realise is that
Act the part they have to act the part. Is that a false way of

Be proactive behaving?

Make things happen

Get others to do things for you
Get others to do things… including your boss. How?

Make decisions – be decisive By being better than they are!

Act confident

Do not be pompous Do not be pompous (self-important) – you are part of

the team and as PM you have certain roles to fulfill
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that others don’t – that is all.

Trust: let them know the budget, give them a monthly

Develop Credibility financial report if appropriate

Tell the team that they are the most
important assets
Read from the list of credibility-enhancing actions

Believe it (photocopied) from Complete Idiot’s Guide p.79

Tell the team that you trust them

Believe it

Make your messages consistent

Keep your promises

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Supportive listener: emotional support is vital

Learn to bounce back

Accept the reality of your situation

Do not take things personally

Don’t panic

Get a supportive listener

From Andrew J DuBrin

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 Get as much information as possible from as many
Get a handle on the issues people.

Read up
 Understand technical issues
Use the triangulation technique to evaluate what you
 Understand the business case are told.
 Understand any contracts

Talk to people
 The team
“Informed people don’t fear change”
 The sponsor
 The users “Knowledge drives out fear”
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Obstacles – anticipate them. Try to solve them before

PM Leadership Duties (i) they arrive. Be particularly aware of training needs

Clear away obstacles which have a long lead time.

Keep everyone usefully occupied

Represent the project to management
Occupied – again, planning ahead is the key.
and sponsor

Know when to call in experts Representing – don’t just report on exceptions,

Handle requirements changes
trumpet your successes as well – become the project
champion.
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Handling – easier said than done – be aware that

they WILL happen.

Quick action – speed of resolution is the issue, not

PM Leadership Duties (ii) perfection. A reasonable plan now is better than a

Make or delegate the small day-to-day perfect plan next week.
technical decisions

Chair meetings

Mentor the team

Track progress closely

Take quick remedial action

Manage your time well

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 Be careful not to get involved in day to day work of
When to do the actual work the project team unless it is absolutely unavoidable

In emergency only because of deadlines.
 You are the exception to Brooks’ Law

You are there for your organisational
and problem-solving skills

Letting others make mistakes is all
part of leadership

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Review – varies with circumstance and experience of

PM Burning Issues (i) the team, but keep them low-key and informal where

When should I review other peoples’ possible so that people are not unduly threatened. Do
work, and how? not avoid reviews. Why would you?

When should I call a meeting, and
how should I chair it?

How do I earn the respect of my
Be careful of reviewing “two below”.
team?
Make sure that your own work is also reviewed.
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Meetings – to get consensus (what is that?); to
discuss something contentious (why? Body language,
for one, also get a swift resolution – email can drag
on.) Get a book on chairing and meeting etiquette.
Respect – What is the thing most people respect in a
leader? Good judgement. This comes from (a)
experience, (b) being flexible (don’t be dogmatic
about the “right” way of doing things), (c) listening
(don’t dismiss people out of hand, but don’t accept
them uncritically, either.
One of the easiest ways to lose respect is to demand
it.
Walking – need to balance the needs of the team with
PM Burning Issues (ii) the needs of the project. That is, from laid-back, light-

Am I letting people walk all over me? handed control to hands-on close control. Styles of

What if one team member is an expert management may change for different teams but
in an area I know little about?

I have a problem team member –
don’t just assume that a style you and the team are
what should I do? comfortable with is the best way. Sometimes you may
have to feel a little uncomfortable, and so will they.
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Expert – delegate to them where possible but
remember that delegation does not mean loss of
control. Some people think that being an expert
excuses them from scrutiny, but they are not correct.
You must understand and approve of what your
expert is doing.
Problem: “Devil’s advocate” experiment p.169.
 Also involve HR. Retraining may be necessary.
Cannot just fire someone.

Good leaders rarely give orders, but if you do want it

PM Burning Issues (iii) done your way, say at the start.

When should I let someone do a
thing their own way and when
If the task is urgent and you know best, get them to
should I make them do it my way? do it your way.

I think someone is planning to
resign. How can I prevent it? If the task is important but not urgent, think again. (It

There is too much chat and web
surfing among the team – how do I may even be appropriate to let them re-invent the
stop it?
wheel.)
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Resignation – is pay an issue? High pay will not

motivate but may help retain. Poor pay does de-
motivate. People have to believe that they are being
paid fairly.
Remember that giving someone a pay rise to stay
may unsettle others on the team.
Chatting: IT people should not be tied down too tightly
on email and web conditions. When does one cross
the line? When the work isn’t getting done. Talk to
them in private and make your concerns clear. If no
improvement, involve HR and proceed formally.
 Stress is not the same as pressure. Stress can be a
PM Burning Issues (iv) combination of personal and work-related things.

How can I prevent stress (my own and
my team’s)?
But what is stress? Many people consider that it is

How do I deal with a useless boss? something that happens to them, like an injury or a
high workload. Others think it is what happens to our
bodies (heart pumping, anxiety, nailbiting). However,
it is our thoughts about things which is the critical
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factor. If the demands of a situation outweigh our
ability to cope with it, we are stressed. If we are
confident of our ability to cope, we are not stressed,
even though it may be the same “stressful” occasion
in both cases.
Lessen stress by prioritising: Urgent things first, then
important things, then other things.
Take breaks. Be prepared to say no or ask how
priorities should change.
Useless boss: what’s the problem?

Leadership Model - Tipu Ake Leadership Model - Tipu Ake

• Undercurrents – L0 Soil • Teamwork – L2 Roots
– Failure at any level drops us back to the – New style of leadership based on shared
undercurrents. Re-germination process vision of wellness, gathers commitment of
that ultimately strengthens, recycler, the team, to grow the roots that support
incubator, innovation and entrepreneurs growth, happens below the surface. Clarify
• Leadership - L1 Seed and build processes
– Pathway upward starts with leadership. • Process – L3 Trunk
The courage that moves the germinated – Team develops structure around the idea
seed forward. Collective, “whatever is that must gain organisational support,
required to take a team of people where management level – procedures, rules,
they want to go” resources, finance, short term performance
 Peak Performing
Leadership Model - Tipu Ake
Organisation
• Sensing – L4 Branches • Purpose
– Intent, meaning and direction
– Common sense, wisdom gathering, • Practice
focused on building a collective view of – Organisational context, environment and practices that are
opportunities and risks the foundations for success
• Potency
• Wisdom – L5 Flowers – Thoughts, emotions, intuition, desire, will and memory – that
– Result of sensing, intellectual capital of a provide energy
• Performance
group of individuals. Embodies culture, – The actions necessary for sustained success
embraces diversity • Each principle embraces three mutually reinforcing concepts
• Wellbeing – Ln Fruit Gilson, C., Pratt, M., Roberts, K., Weymes, E., Peak Performance: Inspirational Lessons from the worlds top sports

– Overall outcomes desired by organisations, New York, Texere, 2000.

organisation, why the cycle is initiated.

Exceeding Organisation Best

Performance Peak Performing
The last Detail
Organisation
Game Breaking Ideas
Flow

Inspirational Players
Potency
 Agents within a PPO who are instrumental
Harmony Passion  Catalysts for creating a sense of
Family community/family
Practice  Central to establishing an organisational
Creating the Future Sharing the Dream purpose
Focus  “live the dream”, “make it happen”,
 Role models that provide a benchmark for
Purpose others
Greatest Challenge Inspirational Dreams  Recruit, mentor and develop – provide for

The four principles develop from each other and flow together toward peak performance. The two
succession
base concepts of each triangle support each apex