Communication J

14 Chapter 2

that what you don't know is so much more than what you dot

Being aware of the many factors that influence how she communicates with others and how others communi- cate with her has allowed Nooyi to be more open to new ideas allowing her to learn and grow as a person. Through this self-awareness, she has become a more effective leader. Nooyi's keen self-awareness of others and the organiza- tional culture at PepsiCo has allowed her to attract and retain her best employees. She invests time in developing the people who work for her. "We .look at a 10- to 15-year development plan for our..high-potential people," says Nooyi. "This looks at their children, their schools,. their spouse's job, aging parents—anything that affects where they will be comfortable working.,That way we can build opportunities to develop their careers in tandem with their, personal lives.i2

Another example of Nooyi's awareness of others is when she wrote to the parents of 29 of her senior execu- tives' parents to inform them of what a great job they did in raising their child. She informed the parents of how much . their now=grown child had contributed to the success of PepsiCo. In these personal letters, she considered each sen- ior executive a gift. According to Nooyi, this letter-writing activity. "unleashed emotions that were unbelievable, cre ating an emotional bond among executives, their parents, and me."3

Leading Questions

1. Nooyi attributes much of her success to being ground- ed and knowing who she is as a person and as a leader. How coo you see self-awareness being related to leader- ship effectiveness?

2. Within the past five years, have you become a more self-aware person? If so, how has this influenced how you communicate with others?

3. What do you think motivated Nooyi to send thank you letters to her senior executives' parents? Why not send the letter to the senior executives?

The first principle that guides the communication and leadership skills in the workplace is to become aware of your communication with yourself and others. There are a number of factors that influence how you communi- cate at work including your approach to leading others, the assumptions you have about what motivates people to do a good job, the culture of the organization where you work, and your understanding of how power works in your organization. Having an understanding of how these factors influence workplace communica- tion is the first step in your becoming aware of how.you communicate with others and how others communicate with you. Figure 2.1 illustrates where Principle One fits into our model of Communication Principles and. Skills for Leadership.

Figure 2.1: Communication Principles and Skills for Leadership

bL -A

2.1: Be Aware of Leadership Approaches 2.1 Analyze how being aware of one's own social

skills and those of others helps to adapt effectively to the communication sldlls of others.

Some people have a gift for leadership, meaning that it comes naturally to them. Others have to work at develop- ing their leadership abilities. What do you think? Are peo- ple born with the ability to lead, or is leadership something that people learn and acquire? Your becoming aware of these approaches will enable you. not only to develop a more complex answer to this oversimplified question but also will give you invaluable insight into your own leader- ship abilities and potential.

2.1.1: The Trait Approach The question of whether leaders are born to lead is the focus of the trait approach to leadership. The trait approach to leadership suggests that there are certain psychological and communication traits as well as physical attributes that make leaders effective. Over the course of several years of study, leadership researchers have identified intel- ligence, confidence, extroversion, social skills (including communication skills), administrative skills, enthusiasm, and even physical height as some of the traits effective leaders typically possess.4 One research study found that across several cultures, the most admired qualities of a leader are honesty, being forward-looking, competence, and being inspirational.5

2.1.2: The Functional Approach The functional approach to leadership suggests that lead- ers exist to perform essential functions or behaviors that

Being Aware of How You Communicate at Work 15

help an organization to achieve its goals. Rather than identifying personality characteristics or other traits, the functional approach to leadership divides the essen- tial leadership behaviors into two categories: (1) task functions and (2) process functions. The two types of functions are similar to the content and relational dimensions of comrirnunication. Task functions are those leadership behaviors that help the team get the work done, such as delegating duties, facilitating meetings, and making sure all employees are trained. Process functions are those behaviors that leaders engage in to maintain a harmonious climate by appropriately man- aging conflict and rewarding work teams when goals are reached.

201.3: The Styles Approach A leadership style is a preferred way . of behaving to influence others. The styles approach to leadership sug- gests that leaders choose one of three primary styles when attempting to get work done: (1) authoritarian, (2) democratic, or (3) laissez faire. What differentiates the three styles are the strategies that leaders use to influence others.6

• Authoritarian leaders influence by giving orders and seeking to control others. Perhaps you've been in a group and wondered, "Who put her in charge?" Or, maybe you were appreciative of the person who stepped up and started leading by telling other people what to do in order to get the work done.

• Democratic leaders consult with others before issuing orders. This type of leader seeks to join in the process of influencing. without bulldozing the group into action. Sometimes formal votes are taken, but the leader or leaders will gauge the reaction of the group through dialogue and by reading nonverbal cues. Research suggests that a democratic leadership style usually results in increased trust and greater cohesive- ness and consensus than a dictatorial leadership approach does.7

• Laissez-faire leaders take a hands-off, laid-back approach to influencing others. Laissez-faire is a French phrase that implies noninterference. This leadership style is based on the assumption that the less direction provided by the leader, the better. In many ways this type of leader shies away from actively influencing the group. He or she influences only when pushed to lead.

2.1.4: The Situational Approach Although most groups prefer a democratic leadership style, leaders sometimes need to be more assertive.

During a crisis, people need a quick-thinking, decisive leader who can orchestrate what needs to be done. Dur- ing more routine situations, the leader may just need to back off and let others do their thing. At other times a leader may need to play a more active role in gathering ideas and information from people. Because leadership style is not a one-size-fits-all concept, a skilled leader adapts to the situation. The situational leadership approach views leadership as an interactive process that links a particular style of leadership with such factors as cul- ture, time limitations, group member personalities, and the work the group needs to do.

The situational leadership approach was exemplified by Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who adapted quickly to respond to the dire situation in New York City following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

2.1.50 The Transformational Leadership approach To transform something is to change it from what it is now to something new and different. Transformational leadership is the process of influencing people to see the future in new ways.$ The transformational leader influ- ences members of the organization by .giving them a glimpse of the future, energizing or realigning the cul- ture, or giving the organization a new structure.' The leader influences by helping teani members see all of the possibilities within the team, including those that may not yet be visible.10 A transformational leadership approach has been linked to enhanced creativity, espe- cially among a diverse workforce," Entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, transformed the way people make social connections using the Internet. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, forever changed the way peo- ple buy not only books but just about everything. else. Both leaders helped to transform the people they lead by building a shared vision,, challenging existing ways of t~inking, and thinking holistically, from a systems perspective.