Mountain State University LeaderTalk

Brainstorming for leaders

by Dr. Shauna Fitzjerrall

It is no secret that most workplaces today are affected by the current economic situation. A few sayings come to mind: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Desperate times call for desperate measures. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. While these quotes may be inspirational, they cannot alone help leaders motivate themselves or their followers to action. What is needed in addition to an inspirational or motivational quote is creativity.

Through creative thinking, leaders can promote innovation in organizations and in their employees by utilizing various techniques. One such technique is brainstorming. This can be an excellent tool for leaders looking for creative solutions to problems. However, brainstorming is not just forming a group and asking for suggestions. To encourage creative thinking and the free flow of ideas, leaders must create a nonjudgmental environment where all feel they have a voice.

Isaksen, Dorval and Treffinger (2000) suggest four guidelines for generating options while brainstorming:

• Defer judgment. Do not critique ideas until all have been presented.
• Strive for quantity. Generate as many options as possible.
• Freewheel. Look for unique, imaginative, and original ideas.
• Seek combinations. Build on the ideas presented.

When used effectively, brainstorming can be a helpful tool for leaders looking for creative solutions to problems in uncertain economic times. It might just help you make lemonade from those lemons.

Isaksen, S. G., Dorval, K. B., and Treffinger, D. J. (2000). Creative approaches to problem solving: A framework for change. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.    

Shauna Fitzjarrell, Ph.D., has been an online facilitator for the Organizational Leadership program at Mountain State University since 2004. A former police officer, she holds a Ph.D. in postsecondary and adult education. She advocates practical application of adult learning theories while helping learners develop critical thinking and leadership skills.  

The time is now to develop a strategy for retaining employees

by Rosa Cassell

So, you feel you are a good leader. You are self-confident, flexible, sensitive to others; you score high in emotional intelligence; you are a person of integrity; your followers respect you as a leader, a human being. You would never think of asking your followers to perform tasks you would not do; therefore, you practice participative leadership, motivating your followers as you lead your organization to become a recognized competitor in the industry. Your followers are loyal to you and the organization. Don't become too comfortable – that is not the end of your responsibilities as a leader. Leadership success is three-fold: managing tasks, leading people, and leading yourself are interrelated, interconnected, and absolute must-haves to remain successful.

You are confident your followers appreciate working in the healthy environment you helped create. Everyone embraces teamwork and there is little disruption to your daily routine. But what if some of your followers aspire to progress beyond their current status? What if they need more challenging tasks? Are you prepared to meet the needs of your most talented workers to ensure they remain with the company? Keeping talented employees is a challenge that all organizations must face, but many wait too late to give it serious thought.

Experts agree that solving the mystery of how to retain valued employees could determine the lifespan of your organization, department, or project. In their book Clever, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones (2009) introduce clevers as exceptional employees with higher-order needs than your average employee. They are the followers who stand out in the crowd. They seem to need more opportunities to think critically, to uncover new truths. The challenge for the leader then becomes finding suitable ways to harness the energies of these clevers to encourage them to remain with your company. Fact is, once boredom sets in, they will make a quiet but certain exit from your organization in search of more exciting challenges.

Goffee and Jones (2009) offer valuable information that may help you remain the super leader you know you are. Remember, clevers need the organization as much as the organization needs them. What does that mean? Clevers need sociability, infrastructure, credibility, and resources as fuel to reach their full potential. Goffee and Jones believe the leader's role is to identify clever people with potential to reach the summit, connect them with others, and help them get there.

The complexity of today's work environment demands interdependence. In growing other leaders, everyone wins. Everyone will be motivated to return to work for the next challenge. Still think you have what it takes to be a good leader? The fate of your organization may well depend on your answer.

Rosa Cassell has been an Organizational Leadership facilitator for Mountain State since 2003. Currently, she is a second-year student in MSU's Doctor of Executive Leadership program. Rosa has two daughters, two sons-in-law, and is the grandmother of three future clevers.

Leadership Island

 
by Anthony Giaimo
Within the study of leadership, we have examined aspects of rising leaders and fallen leaders, but there is little reflection on the process of declining leaders. From a historical perspective, why did some tremendously effective leaders wane in their passion for effective communication and fall into the realm of mediocrity? Why did they become alienated from their people, management teams and – most importantly – themselves? As one pragmatic military leader and an old friend, Sergeant Albert Paul Ferguson (USMC), once revealed, "You are not the leader if no one is following you…".

In the realm of policing but surely not limited to this sector, I have generally observed a disconnection between leaders and followers. In many cases, leaders virtually place themselves on their own "island" where they become disconnected from their people. A significant factor leading to this disconnection is the inability of leaders and followers to engage in effective communication. As we know from our leadership studies, effective communication is a key component of effective leadership. Effective communication is the adhesive that binds the organization together. Having the ability to exchange thoughts and ideas through effectual communication channels leads to the continuity of daily operations as well as the constructive progression of the organization.

To highlight this concept of communication, we can focus on the example of military tactics. Military strategists throughout our history have commonly recognized this important concept of communication. Missions often involve disabling the communication capabilities of the opponent, which effectively disrupts their operations. If communication channels fail, leaders can no longer provide necessary orders to their troops or obtain feedback. The organization ceases to function as a directed unit and the mission fails. This example, though taken from a military context, has a common thread with virtually any organization. These experiences emphasize the continual need for effective communications to maintain organizational stability and achievement. 

Let us talk about one of the more noticeable challenges or impediments to effective communication. One significant impediment to successful communications involves the overreliance on rigid communication styles. Focusing on paramilitary organizations, in which I have some background, I have some observations regarding communication standards. As a disclaimer, I realize that certain formal levels of communication are required and appropriate in some instances. However, solely relying on this rigid linear communication network creates some inherent breakdowns in effective communication. Looking at the standard, rigid, paramilitary communication style, I find some areas need improvement. In an aggregate view of the paramilitary system, there are a number of archaic procedures. Case in point, the days of the classic typed memo are gone. Email, SMS text messages, electronic media, mobile data terminals, PDAs, Blackberries, iPhones and social networking have become the dominant "communication" standards and media throughout the world. However, in policing (which is a paramilitary field), all communication must travel through formal channels – commonly referred to as "the chain of command." This rigid style of communication inhibits the free flow and/or exchange of ideas. Within this outdated model, there are also issues with the timeliness of feedback in response to inquiries, often due to the complexities of the communication chain. Thus, such an antiquated communication style creates a larger divide in effective communication between leaders and followers.

It is my contention that with the decline of efficient, effective communication we see an exponential decline in leadership effectiveness. As leadership effectiveness declines, leaders fade to their "leadership island."

Lieutenant Anthony Giaimo works for Tredyffrin Township Police Department in Pennsylvania and facilitates courses for MSU in Organizational Leadership. He holds multiple honors for his police work and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and MSU's Strategic Leadership program.

Enchantment as a Leadership Tool

Post by Dr. Elisebeth VanderWeil. VanderWeil works as the Director of Organizational Leadership at Mountain State University and holds a PhD in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. Her seemingly disconnected yet thematic work experience has provided her with the skills and experience to remain curious, flexible, decisive, and knowledgeable in many realms.

Guy Kawasaki's book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, is a great manual for the budding evangelist. Kawasaki shares techniques he has used to bring success to both Apple and himself in an engaging, well-written book that outlines specific behavior and intentions for getting people to agree with you – and act on your recommendation.

Enchantment is ultimately the art of social engineering, a practice quite popular – and successful – in the world of technology. Social engineering is about influencing people based on social relationships that are strategically constructed and deployed. As outlined by Kawasaki, "enchantment" includes how to achieve likeability, achieve trustworthiness, prepare and launch, overcome resistance, sustain enchantment, and use technology to accomplish getting people to share your view. All of this is in service of persuading others to perceive your product, service, organization, or idea as meaningful and wonderful and that they need to take action on it.

Enchantment is a powerful tool for leaders, but it is not leadership. An enchanter is not a leader, any more than a popular celebrity or successful salesperson is a leader. Similar to the difference between management and leadership, "enchantment" and leadership share some overt behaviors and goals, but leaders are oriented quite differently. Here are some examples of how "enchantment" and leadership mirror each other and are qualitatively different:

Enchantment and leadership are about long-term relationships, not short-term exchange. 

• Enchantment is hyper-focused on forming relationships that benefit one product, service, organization, or idea.
• Leadership is focused on forming relationships that connect diverse products, services, organizations, and ideas.

Leadership and enchantment emphasize self awareness.

• Leaders are self aware in order to show up as authentic, to gain clarity about their strengths, weaknesses, and goals, so as to align themselves with work and colleagues that complement them.
• Enchanters are self aware in order to be liked and trusted by their target audience and to align themselves with work and colleagues that compliment them.

Enchantment and leadership focus on getting groups of people to do something.

• Enchantment gets people to act through modeling and communicating complete commitment to and confidence in their product, service, organization, or idea. (This behavior is darkly referred to as "drinking the Kool-Aid.")
• Leadership gets people to act through nurturing awareness and alignment so that people can make clear and accurate decisions about whether they want to follow.

Leaders and enchanters want to change the world.

• Leaders work for change through passionately holding a vision for what is possible for people. 
• Enchanters work for change through passionately offering a vision for how great the world would be if everyone bought in to their products, services, organizations, or ideas.

Enchantment is a book I cautiously recommend for leaders. It is a good toolbox and Kawasaki holds the banner of enchantment and evangelism high in cautioning people to work for others' benefit and to act ethically. Like leadership, "enchantment" is basically a neutral power that can be used and abused. Pick this book up to enhance your leadership, but don't mistake it for the ultimate answer to your leadership challenges.

Show support, lessen uncertainty - part 2 manager or leader

The last post has inspired the question – what is the difference between a manager and a leader?  Some have mentioned that the post did not demonstrate the qualities of a leader, but rather qualities of a manager.

Managers get things done by following determined procedures and processes. This can include good "people management" skills as well as good "materials management" skills. Good managers do what is necessary, within determined boundaries, to accomplish the work at hand. Good managers are invaluable to an organization, but they are not necessarily leaders.

Leaders look to systems, patterns, and tendencies beyond procedure and process in the moment. They activate resources and communicate to build relationships over the long-term. Leaders should be good managers, but leadership happens beyond immediate concerns and includes reflection and deep understanding of situations and overall goals.

Stephen R. Covey described the difference saying, "Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." Leaders are concerned about the direction they and their organizations are headed.

Let's put on our leadership glasses and look at the situation again. To understand the leadership of my manager we will need to understand her action in a larger context and over a longer period of time.

• As a manager, she took actions that addressed the policy and procedure – addressing problems which escalated and not providing free meals just because the customer demanded it.  Leaders develop capacity of the organization to deal with uncertainty by developing staff's ability to take appropriate actions when faced with an unexpected event. 

• As a manager, she supported me in trusting my knowledge and capacity to learn policies and procedures. Viewing her as a leader, I could say she respected my judgment and past experience and allowed me to test my strength in a difficult situation as she evaluated my value as an employee for the restaurant. She honored my limitations as someone new and learning when she stepped in and modeled the values of the organization.

• As a manager, she recognized that her actions influenced others and remained calm in addressing the situation and took the time to explain to me what was going on. When the situation became difficult and I turned to her for support she chose to step in to handle the situation and addressed the customers with firm civility. A leader in this situation would be doing these things over time and be part of modeling the capacity and skills for emotional intelligence as it contributes to an organization and staff that learns.

• As a manager, she realized that it can be difficult adapting to a new work environment and saw the value of supporting a capable employee in addressing the situation at hand. Assigning leadership motives for this behavior, I could see that she kept in mind the reputation and long-term needs of the restaurant while addressing the immediate situation of unhappy cusomters.

My manager could have easily given the table a free meal that night; instead, she reiterated my offer of providing another pizza and not charging them for the one deemed unsatisfactory.  While managing the situation and course of action that demonstrated support for me and faith in my judgment, her leadership actually appeared as I gained more experience and perspective during my time working for her.  Leadership is all about relationships and the relationships my manager created amongst everyone who had an interest or stake in the restaurant contributed to both my success and that of the business.