Leadership Theories

Week 1: The Meaning of Leadership Overview

Background

Andrew Rockfish, part owner and head of Global Delivery Direct (GDD), North American Division, was watching “Undercover Boss” on TV last night and was considering the idea for himself.  He thought it was a great way to get honest feedback from the frontline workers.  While the lack of honest feedback was important to him, what bothered him the most was the lack of personal mentoring!  He could see weaknesses in his leadership staff that concerned him more than ever.  GDD was losing market share in North America, and he knew that leading innovation and change was critical for GDD to stay in the game. This change would only come from leadership and committed workers. As he was mulling this idea over in his mind the next morning at work, he overheard a conversation between a few human resource employees discussing the paperwork for the new management hires.  It occurred to him that were he to get the seasoned managers (including himself) to lead the training sessions, the experienced managers might benefit from a review of some of the major leadership concepts as well as from being exposed to some of the contemporary leadership ideas.  These training sessions could facilitate reflection on the strengths and weaknesses each may have in a constructive and much less threatening manner.  The new recruits would gain the most because they would get the benefit of mentoring from the seasoned managers while becoming familiar with the GDD way of doing things.  Personally, Rockfish thought, “I will get to see the new hires and how they work.”  As these ideas began to grow on Rockfish, he went to see the Director of Human Resource to discuss the ideas further.

Fortunate for you, GDD has given you a new managerial spot.  A recent e-mail sent to you revealed that you would be receiving eight weeks of training before entering your assigned job. The focus of the training is leadership led by the Division Head, Andrew Rockfish.  The existing managers (your instructors), will lead you in discussions and assignments that will focus on a variety of leadership topics.  Each week you will be provided with an agenda (schedule) along with Rockfish’s personal comments on the topics and material to read that will hopefully allow you to comprehend the importance of good leadership to GDD and how it is best accomplished.  

Rockfish has put the following agenda out for his management mentees.  Staff managers have prepared the weekly topics for discussion.  In putting the schedule together, Rockfish has provided key take-away points. 

 

Rockfish - Welcome Remarks:

 

Welcome to GDD!

 

It is exciting to have you here at GDD. This is the start of a new program for “Managers to Leaders”  and one I hope will prove a great success.  GDD is at a critical time in its history.  Although still a sound viable business, we face a market position that will reverse our growth trends unless we find new and sustainable ways of supporting our customer base.  This challenge is one facing many businesses today.  It is our obligation as the leaders of the company to accept the challenge.  Leadership, hand in hand with management, will accomplish this goal. However, the leadership must drive the change and new ideas needed to meet the challenge. That is why today we will begin a journey towards understanding leadership in the 21st Century and how it will apply to making leadership great at GDD.  The destination for this journey is to arm each of you, as a future leader of GDD, with the knowledge useful to meet the challenge we are facing. We want you to be learning leaders, which starts with knowing what you need to learn about leadership.  Our focus in this class will be on developing an understanding of the skills useful to being a good leader in today’s business environment. So, let us begin the journey.

 

Week 2: Sustainability and Leadership

Rockfish Opening Remarks

 Doing well in leading the energy of others is critical in today’s business environment because of its volatile and dynamic nature.  The 24/7 world of business that has been brought about by technological disruption and globalization has made change in the workplace as necessary as the computer itself.  Only people can make change happen quickly in a business and only people can keep the 24/7 work demand a viable business advantage.  

 This week we examine the relationship between a strong leadership point of view and creating competitive edge.  It is important that our new GDD leaders take this message home.  GDD is losing money right now because we are in a highly competitive marketplace and do not have the resources to compete.  Change and innovation are the only way out of this dilemma.  Our leaders must look for opportunities and people who can meet this challenge.

Week 3: Leadership Styles

Andrew Rockfish’s Background Thoughts

Doing well in leading the energy of others is critical in today’s business environment because of its volatile and dynamic nature.  The 24/7 world of business that has been brought about by technological disruption and globalization has made change in the workplace as necessary as the computer itself.  Only people can make change happen quickly in a business and only people can keep the 24/7 work demand a viable business advantage.  

This week we examine the relationship between leadership style and creating sustainability in the organization.  The style or way a leader directs others in accomplishing tasks is directly related to a leader’s  personal definition of leadership and how the organization perceives successful leadership. 

A leader does not necessarily have one leadership style.  However, leadership styles can be defined by the situation, job, the organization, or the make-up of the employees who are being led.  A successful leader is one that recognizes what style fits best. Developing this skill will enable the leader to create followers in the workplace.  The more followers a leader has, the more influence they can exert in accomplishing the goals of the organization.  Interestingly, the committed employees are to the leader, the more likely the leader can create change within the organization.  

Workplace change often fails because leaders who seek change do not have a strong commitment from the employees.  Leadership style is crucial to this process.  Sound use of leadership styles can increase the influence needed to build a culture that favors change.  

At GDD, the need for change is crucial to maintain fiscal sustainability.  GDD’s competitive edge is dwindling and innovation is the only way out of the dilemma.  GDD’s leaders must look for opportunities and people who can meet this challenge.

Rockfish Opening Remarks

One of the jobs of the leader, no matter at what level in the organization, is to create and sustain competitive edge. It does not matter whether you are the owner, CEO or team leader.  The purpose of a leader remains the same - accomplishing the sustainable organization.  Clawson (2009) explained that there are three ways a leader accomplishes this end goal; by being a strategic thinkers, relationship builder, and a change agent.  To complete these tasks and lead the organization or group, an individual must understand the nature of the tasks as well as possess the skills necessary to complete them. 

In the weeks to come, we will examine the job tasks and skills necessary to lead a successful vision.  The way a leader sets the direction, implements plans and motivates people to accomplish a task is known as a leadership style.

In week one, we learned that a leader must define leadership both personally and within the context of the organization.  A successful leader should adopt a leadership style that fits their definition and the organization’s definition of leader.  The choice of leadership style should enhance the point of view of the leader, the culture of the organization as well as the job and situation at hand.

The following notable leadership styles will be examined this week:

Leadership Styles
Charismatic	Laissez-Faire	Situational
Visionary/Innovative	Steward	Transactional
Pace Setter	Democratic	Transformational
Command/Coercive	Servant	Participative

Many of the leadership styles have emerged from the theories that we discussed in week one.  Others have combined elements from different theories to create the characteristics, behaviors, attitude and values of the successful leader.  In reviewing the reading and preparing for our discussion this week, evaluate your leadership style as you know it now and see if it can be improved or developed to fit the GDD ideal of a “enhanced situational or transformational” leadership style.  A GDD leader is not just looking at situations, but they are looking at the people and organization as well.

 

Week 4: Leadership Approach and the Diamond Model

Rockfish Background Thoughts

 

I was pleased when I thought about how well last week went with the new mentoring program. The others leaders seem to be happy as well.  Josie Jasper, head of shipping, expressed as much. Josie commented that she had not known about the idea behind Flatarchies. She struggled with transition problems in her department.  She thought she might review the idea some more.   

 

So far so good Rockfish mused.  Implied in last week’s work was the important idea of a leader’s approach.  Leadership definitions and styles can help a leader begin to frame a way of thinking about leading others but leadership is far more complex.  The leader must develop a leadership point of view or perspective if they are going to be successful.  Separate from leadership style he thought, a leader needs to define leading for one’s self.  Exposure to Clawson’s Diamond Model of Leadership is the focus of this week’s take away.  Rockfish remembered that Clawson’s  book “The Three Levels of Leadership”, makes the ascertain that leadership is a point of view, a way of looking at the world that holds value in both the position a person holds and in his or her attitude.  Further, a leader will never be successful if they do not manage their own energy as well as those around them.