Leadership & Learning Programme

 

email: llpathways@btinternet.com

Programme One

Understanding Leadership in the Modern World

 

 

Programme one is about the nature of leadership and it's relevance and usefulness in the context of individual, social and organisational life.

Why leadership? 

 

The answer is simple. Unless we incorporate the exercise of leadership into how we operate both within our social and organisational lives then our options for long-term survival is increasingly limited.

 

Mention ‘leadership’, and the word invariably evokes images of contempary as well a historical leaders, heads of industry and the public service sector, as well as leading political figures i.e. ‘the leadership of the party’ etc.

 

However, the aim of Programme 0ne  is to challenge this somewhat misleading, thus ineffective picture of leadership, and to replace it with a much more coherent and factual understanding that will greatly benefit people at both the social and organisational level of human enterprise.

 To continue to Programme One:  Click here

 

Unit 1

              Understanding Leadership in Today's World 

 

Exercise 1:

We are all very familiar with the word ‘leadership’, however, in general what do you think ‘leadership’ means?

 

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 Unit 1: Handout 1

Leadership: Attempts at definition

Over the years there have been many attempts to arrive at some form of definition of leadership that would gain universal support and approval. Such a task has not been easy. Over fifty years ago R.M. Stogdill (1950)¹: wrote that: "Leadership may be considered as the process of influencing the activities of an organised group in its efforts towards goal setting and goal achievement”.

Some years later J.K. Hemphill and A.E. Coons (1957)² “Leadership is the behaviour of an individual when directing the activities of a group towards a shared goal”. Again, A.K. Korman (1971)³ said: "The statement, ‘…a leader tries to influence other people in a given direction’, is relatively simple, but it seems to capture the essence of what we mean by leadership".

Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard (1982)⁴ talk about leadership in terms of task behaviour and kinship behaviour. Task behaviour is the extent to which the leader tells people what to do, defining their goals, defining also their roles and how to perform them. Whereas kinship behaviour is the extent to which the elected, or appointed, leaders support, encourage and spend time listening to others.

What does this tell us about leadership? Well, it tells us that 'leadership' is in many ways concerned with influencing others in a particular direction, or towards a particular goal. That it directs the behaviour of people, including those with responsibility for directing the activities of others, in positive ways again towards a particular goal and doing so without coercion. Or again, it manifests itself when one provides others with support or encouragement.

Finally, the Oxford Dictionary attempts to define leadership as ‘the action or influence necessary for the direction, or organisation, of effort in a group undertaking’. All this is indeed very useful in our understanding of 'leadership'. Nevertheless, the present programme argues that 'leadership' goes beyond simple definition and indeed must do so, if we are to accept it as the keystone of development or improvement within any overall community or organisational development programme.

  

 

 

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Unit 1: Handout 2

Leadership

It is becoming increasingly evident that our present understanding of the term leadership itself needs some form of clarification. Indeed, without such clarification it will be very difficult to gain the positive contribution that the adoption of leadership can make in establishing the sustainable organization

There exists throughout the media generally, and the management and historical literature in particular, a misleading and therefore valueless notion of what leadership is all about. Much of the literature tends to confuse ‘leaders’ with ‘leadership’ just as management gurus and journals mistakenly jumble ‘management’ with ‘leadership’. Thus our task here, that is if we want to enhance the possibility of sustainable development, is to disconnect the concept of leadership from leaders, and the idea of learning as simple associated with schools, colleges and universities.

If our understanding of what we call leadership is unclear then it can have no role in development be it social, organizational, environmental, etc. Again, the notion that somehow leadership belongs naturally to some people but not to others is yet another unfounded assumption.

Today politicians, the media, ‘experts’ in community and social, as well as organizational development are increasingly trumpeting ‘the need for leadership’. However, all the present emphasis on leadership, particularly those referring to ‘effective’ leadership, ‘strong’, ‘good’, inspirational’, ‘invitational’, ‘situational’,’ transformational’ ‘leadership etc., raises the dilemma of trying to explain what then is ‘ineffective’ leadership, ‘weak’ ‘bad’, ‘non-situational’, ‘non-inspirational’, ‘non-invitational’, ‘non-transformational leadership? If leadership itself is by its very nature something positive, and it is argued throughout the programme that it is, then any reference to effective leadership, or to strong leadership, etc., actually weakens our attempts to understand and adopt the beneficial and constructive role that leadership can play in the real world of human enterprise.

Meanwhile in relation to the word ‘leader’ we do find effective leaders, strong leaders and good leaders but we also have ineffective leaders, weak leaders and bad leaders. The appointment, election or imposition of a leader, even a ‘strong’ or ‘powerful’ leader, is no guarantee that success automatically follows. Indeed it is often the case that it does not. The more powerful and authoritative the leader the less authority exercised by the general population wherein exists real knowledge and power.

Despite the recent focus on leadership, age-old questions about leadership itself remain unanswered. Thus the question is: What is leadership? And, is it something we should aspire to within the organisational or social, context?

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Exercise 2:

Ask yourself what words, or characteristics would you associate with the exercise of leadership?

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Unit 1: Handout 2

Characteristics of Leadership

 

• Integrity:
• Empathy:
• Compassion:
• Courage:
• Learning:
• Shared learning:
• Humility:
• Confidence:
• Compatibility:
• Reflective:
• Adaptability:
• Courtesy:
• Steadiness:
• Enthusiasm:

Session 3: Unit 1: Handout 3

Characteristics of Leadership

In any study into leadership the question: "What are the characteristics or attributes associated with the exercise of leadership?" must be asked, the reason being that the exercise of leadership is indispensable to the life of the successful organization. Of the 'characteristics’ variously associated with leadership one of the most important is ‘integrity’.

Integrity: The attribute which allows people to trust you. Without integrity it will be difficult to command trust at least in the long run. People behaving consistently and honestly can create trust and personal integrity. Trust must be intrinsic to the enterprise in order to ensure its’ ongoing development and well-being. Generally, trust in others is repaid by trust from them. It also implies being dependable and doing what you said you would do. The exercise of leadership and the virtue of integrity are interwoven.

Empathy: The exercise of leadership calls for an appreciation for, and an understanding of the values of others, as well as being sensitive to other cultures, beliefs and traditions. In short, one must have an awareness of other worlds and also possess the ability to see oneself and one’s situation as others might see it. In order to do this we need to be able to understand the reasoning of others. We also need to be able to see the world from their point of view, and we need to discuss any given question from their perspective, their experience and their background. Leadership is about listening across all levels of social and organisational life. However, empathy must not be confused with unquestioning acceptance of other approaches. The good of the enterprise must always be pursued with diplomacy.

Compassion: Compassion is an indispensable element of leadership. Compassion: never considers others as weak or inferior. It is about understanding the genuine needs of others and were possible addressing those needs.

Courage: The attribute without which leadership cannot exist. People must have both the courage and fortitude to continually strive towards improvement as well as achieving the goals of the organization. The test of leadership is not to balk at the first sight of obstacles, nor must one become bewildered when in the presence of adversity.

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Session 3: Unit 1: Handout 3 (continued)

Learning: Learning is interwoven with the exercise of leadership. It is simply the natural order of things, it is a survival mechanism in a complex, challenging and changing environment. It is in many ways instinctive. Above all, it is an essential quality of leadership. Nevertheless, all too many organizations because of their very nature discourage learning. And yet, without learning progress is not possible.

Shared learning: Were people adopt and implement the ethos of shared learning and integrate such learning into the fabric of their daily lives they then begin to set achievable goals and deliver results. To enhance the possibility of sustainable success we must ensure that our organization is a learning enterprise.

Humility: The attribute that acknowledges that there are always new things to learn. It is also the willingness to accept the guidance of others. Constantly learning, and always alert to the possibility of an improvement requires the element of humility. We must also recognise that our success was often the result of the help of others.

Confidence: A sense of assurance with which the organization is able to meet the various challenges it confronts from time to time. Those organizations that portray a lack of confidence in their abilities to initiate needed actions give signs to others be they local authorities, local or national support bodies or agencies etc., that such actions are beyond their capabilities and even more crucially a lack of confidence may prevent the organization from working together with other partnerships in order to improve things.

Compatibility: Are the organization’s goals in accord with the people who make up the organization, and are those goals in accordance with the social and economic environment in which the organization exists, if not the future of the enterprise in very much in doubt.

Reflective: People throughout the organization need time to reflect on what is been successful and what has not been successful, they also need time to think what needs to be achieved. It acknowledges the need for retreats, stability zones and quite times least people loose themselves in activity and become blinkered by their busyness.

Adaptability: The characteristic of leadership that allows the organization to deal with uncertainties and unplanned events. It allows for compromise and for change in the light of greater understanding of others’ views and of their ways of doing things.

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Session 3: Unit 1: Handout 3 (continued)

Courtesy: That quality that can be seen in those who treat each person within the circle of their influence with dignity and respect without regard to the other’s status, age, fortune or whatever. There is no place in the exercise of leadership for any form of arrogance because arrogance offends the other person's status as a human being and thus weakens their commitment to the organization.

Steadiness: Panic reaction to challenges and problems is certainly a manifestation of the absence of leadership in relation to organizational operation rather than its presence. The general presence of mind manifest across the organisation indicates that sustainability is a strong possibility.

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Enthusiasm: A general characteristic of leadership. It is that quality that radiates out, creating a buzz and allowing others to see that goals are achievable and worthwhile. The exercise of leadership exudes enthusiasm, leading to questions such as; Is there a positive approach to, and the encouragement for, creative ideas to improve things?

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