Women Empowerment – Workshop 5 (Elevating Leadership)
The Appleton Greene Corporate Training Program (CTP) for Women Empowerment is provided by Ms. Tull Certified Learning Provider (CLP). Program Specifications: Monthly cost USD$2,500.00; Monthly Workshops 6 hours; Monthly Support 4 hours; Program Duration 12 months; Program orders subject to ongoing availability.
If you would like to view the Client Information Hub (CIH) for this program, please Click Here
Learning Provider Profile
Ms. Tull is a Certified Learning Provider (CLP) with Appleton Greene. She has over 25 years of experience in coaching, consulting and training CEO’s and executives. She specializes in the areas of personal and professional development and leadership. She is passionate about empowering women in the workplace equipping them with leadership skills and helping them to reveal their unique value, so they can reach their true potential and make a bigger impact. She has industry experience in the following sectors: Technology, Financial Services, Biomedical, Consultancy and Healthcare. She has commercial experience in the following countries: United States, Canada, England, Mexico and Sweden. More specifically within the following cities: Austin, TX; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York City NY; St. Louis, MS; Virginia Beach, VA; Chicago IL. Her personal achievements include 17 yrs. as Founder/CEO of Silverlining Concepts, LLC where she empowers business owners and leaders to own their value and earn their worth, Certified Money Breakthrough Method Coach, Best-selling Author of a book about owning your value, so you can earn your worth in the workplace, Executive Contributor to Huffington Post, Biz Journals and Brainz Magazine, featured on the Brainz 500 Global list 2021. She also is a co-host on a national TV show- that focuses on bringing more light and positivity to the world. Her service skills include; leadership development, executive coaching, business strategy, sales and marketing strategies, mindset shifting and advanced communications and presentation skills.
MOST Analysis
Mission Statement
Re-Imagine & Elevate Your Leadership Skills with Solution-Focused Leadership – For all of those out there who were not born leaders, it is very possible to learn to be an effective or even a great leader. Everyone can benefit from developing leadership skills. Skills, such as: how to work well with others, how to communicate effectively, how to be innovative and how and when to take risks; will enable you to reach both your personal and professional goals. The best leaders are those who lead by example and inspire their team. They’re willing and “actually do” what they expect of others. They focus on the positive. When coming up against a challenge or problem, they focus their time and energy on coming- up with an effective solution to resolve the issue or problem. During this workshop, you will learn the 7 Pillars to Excellence, and we will uncover the exact steps to develop and elevate your leadership skills.
Objectives
1. What’s Leadership – Leadership is the ability to motivate a group of people to work together to achieve a common goal. Leadership is typically discussed in the context of business, but it also refers to how you, as an individual, choose to live your life. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence, inspire, and assist others in becoming their best selves by developing skills and achieving goals along the way. You don’t have to be a CEO, manager or even a team lead to be a leader. Leadership is a set of skills – and a mindset – that anyone can learn.
2. 12 Traits – Personal characteristics that define effective leaders are referred to as leadership traits. Leadership is defined as an individual’s or an organization’s ability to guide individuals, teams, or organizations toward the achievement of goals and objectives. It serves an important role in management by maximizing efficiency and achieving strategic and organizational goals. Leaders inspire others, provide guidance, boost morale, improve the workplace environment, and take action. In this lesson we will reveal the 12 traits of leadership.
3. Leadership Styles – A leadership style is a leader’s method of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. As you gain leadership experience, you will most likely use a variety of processes and methods to achieve your employer’s goals and meet the needs of the employees who report to you. To be an effective manager, you may employ a variety of leadership styles at any given time. In this lesson we will cover the 10 most common leadership styles. By spending the time to become acquainted with each of these types of leadership, you may be able to identify areas in which you can improve or broaden your own leadership style.
4. Leadership Principles – Leadership principles are a set of actions or guiding beliefs that leaders can use to help them succeed. The effectiveness with which a leader motivates and guides their employees determines how well an organization, company, or business performs. Leadership principles are a framework that a leader can take to inspire others to work together toward a common goal—they are the foundation for success.
5. Roles and Responsibilities – A leadership position requires you to manage a situation, a team, or an entire organization in an ethical and effective manner. Leaders have the ability to influence and guide their team in the pursuit of a common goal. They are also in charge of boosting and sustaining employee morale, assisting employees in reaching their full potential, and inspiring employee loyalty. In this course annual we dive deep into the 5 primary roles of a leader, and we share examples of these roles.
6. Leadership Development – Leadership development is any initiative that helps people become better leaders in their businesses, nonprofit organizations, communities, or personal lives. Leadership development is critical to an organization’s long-term success. But what factors contribute to a better leader? How can businesses make more informed decisions about who they hire and promote? We’ll look at why it’s important to develop great leaders as well as some of the modern-day challenges that organizations face and how to navigate those challenges.
7. Servant Leadership – Servant leadership is a style that can assist you in developing strong teams comprised of members who are personally and professionally satisfied and who contribute high-quality work that helps your company succeed. A servant leader shares power, puts the needs of the employees first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. In this lesson, we learn what drives servant leadership, the benefits of this style of leading and some examples.
8. Solution – Focused – The solution-focused leadership approach simply and easily integrates into your existing management structure. The process supports leaders in increasing employees’ decision-making and judgment. The process creates a culture of motivation, focusing on what is working and how to do more of it. Solution-focused leadership develops organizations, teams, and leaders into experts in what works. The value of this method is that by focusing on what you want the solution to be rather than emphasizing the problem, you can devote your time and energy to developing action steps toward the solution. In this course we uncover what solution-focused thinking looks like and we’ll learn some powerful solution-focused strategies.
9. Ask Questions – Today’s leaders must rediscover an underutilized skill: questioning. Leaders frequently assume that people look to them for answers — audacious assertions that boost people’s trust in their abilities. Learning to ask good questions can help you connect with others and establish trust. Thinking collaboratively can help you solve difficult problems and spark creative thinking and increasing cohesion for your team. In this lesson we will cover impactful questions you can ask to help us become the most effective leader we can be.
10. Leadership in Management – The best managers are more than just bosses; they are leaders. Leaders inspire, bosses delegate. Employers are pushed by bosses who make demands; leaders lead by example and draw employees into their own powerful orbit. If you want to be a leader, not just a manager – let’s get ready to dive into this powerful course!
11. Great Leaders – Great leaders come from a variety of backgrounds. They rarely take a predetermined path to leadership. Almost all successful leaders have had to overcome setbacks and failures along the way. For many, this is what defines and motivates their leadership style. In this lesson, we will be sharing a list of some of the greatest leaders of all time. And, while many people now regard them as extraordinary, they were once thought to be ordinary by those around them. This course will inspire you to step into your greatness as a leader.
12. Transformational Leadership – Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that inspires positive change in those who follow. Transformational leaders are typically enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process, but they are also committed to ensuring that every member of the group succeeds. Transformational leadership is when leader behaviors influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond their perceived capabilities. This style of leadership inspires people to achieve unexpected or remarkable results. In this course, we will share the 4 components of transformational leadership and how to effectively implement this leadership style into your life.
Strategies
1. Identify leadership values and why they’re important.
2. How to uncover your inner leader.
3. 12 essential leadership qualities of a growth mindset.
4. Define importance of developing your own leadership style.
5. Discover the 11 leadership principles most critical to your success.
6. Learn steps to becoming and active listener.
7. Review a leader’s primary roles in an organization.
8. Experience 7 effective steps to leadership development.
9. Principles to adopt to become a servant leader.
10. Incorporating solution-focused strategies into your leadership style.
11. The difference between problem- solving and solution- focused approaches.
12. Learn how to ask compelling and inspiring questions.
Tasks
1. Go through the Study Guide and Distance Learning lessons first and make notes.
2. Identify the key relationships that need to be managed to ensure project success.
3. Schedule a meeting for the participants to meet and discuss the workshop within 30 days.
4. Define purpose and culture of your team.
5. Identify your leadership philosophy and values.
6. Participate inactive listening and peer consulting activity.
7. Get leadership advice from your role models.
8. Participants will convert abstract leadership principles into practical on the job behaviors.
9. Participants will learn how to give constructive feedback to their team members.
10. Participants will learn how to implement leadership skills into their management roles.
11. Participate in a team building activity focusing on group communication, collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving strategies.
12. Apply the 7 Pillars of Excellence to your leadership practice and your life.
Introduction
A lot of work gets done within your organization. We are surrounded by chaos if it is not coordinated in a reasonable manner.
Leaders play this important role because they have the authority to decide what work is important and what can wait.
Leaders establish strategy and direction so that the organization’s efforts can be focused.
Leaders have traditionally been responsible for establishing and communicating the organization’s vision and mission to their respective groups. Today, however, the job must include leadership development. Once the essentials are in place, leaders must ensure that all members of their team are trained to lead. The best vision in the world will be useless if the team members are unable to execute and move the organization forward.
With today’s fast-paced business environment, digitization, and globalization, it is more important than ever to provide leadership training to all employees to ensure shared leadership. To meet the challenges of retiring executives, overburdened employees and more dispersed organizations, a company’s responsiveness, and decision-making must adapt. Employees are more engaged and motivated when they have a greater say in decision-making. Organizations can also retain high performers and high potentials by providing leadership training to all employees including women.
Training leaders at all levels is an important way to meet these challenges. Leadership can and should be seen at all levels of the organization. Even inexperienced leaders can be taught how to lead. The best managers invest in the development of new leaders so that everyone’s leadership potential grows.
As John Maxwell says “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
Leading a team to success can be difficult for anyone, whether or not they have previous leadership experience. You must address the team as a whole as well as each individual member of the team. Furthermore, you must instill confidence in the team by setting a good example.
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
This is why we created the Elevating Leadership Workshop.
During this powerful workshop we will address the following topics: What is Leadership, the 12 Traits of Leadership, Leadership Styles, Leadership Principles as well as the Roles and Responsibilities of a Leader. We will also discuss what Servant Leadership is and how to incorporate it into your leadership style and how to lead with a solution-focused approach (as opposed to a problem -focused approach. We also will cover how to Ask impactful Questions, How to Lead in a Management Role, Examples of Great Leaders and finally how to be a Transformational Leader.
Women Leaders
While women have been an important part of the workforce since the beginning of time, women in leadership have only recently become a holy grail for major organizations that want to be seen as open and welcoming places to work. The data clearly shows that organizations with a significant representation of women (and other diverse leadership) on their boards and in their executive suites consistently outperform those with more homogeneous leadership. Despite overwhelming evidence that women are good for business, organizations attempting to support women in leadership roles, as well as the women themselves, continue to be frustrated by systemic and cultural barriers to success.
The Elevating Leadership Workshop will provide a proven process to develop your women team members into confident, effective, and influential leaders.
Executive Summary
Leadership may come naturally, but it is not always innate. Leadership can be learned through leadership development programs, which create, develop, and improve leadership skills through rigorous education and practice. These abilities can assist in demonstrating why leadership is important.
Leadership is frequently associated with top management, but leadership can occur anywhere, citing good teachers and good students as examples of leaders. It is taking the initiative, showing interest, and pursuing a mission to serve a higher purpose or greater good.
Keep in mind that leadership is not a specific “position” as you develop your leadership training strategies. Everyone has the ability to learn to lead. Organizations cannot afford to ignore the benefits of developing the leadership potential of all employees in today’s business world.
The Elevating Leadership Workshop allows you and your team to re-imagine and elevate your leadership skills. Even those who were not born leaders, they too can learn to be an effective or even a great leader. Everyone can benefit from developing leadership skills. Skills, such as: how to work well with others, how to communicate effectively, how to ask the right questions, how to be innovative and how and when to take risks; will enable you to reach both your personal and professional goals. The best leaders are those who lead by example and inspire their team. They’re willing and “actually do” what they expect of others. They focus on the positive. When coming up against a challenge or problem, they focus their time and energy on coming- up with an effective solution to resolve the issue or problem. During this workshop we will uncover the exact steps to develop and elevate your leadership skills.
There are 12 courses (or focus areas) in the Elevating Leadership Workshop.
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
1. What’s Leadership – Leadership is the ability to motivate a group of people to work together to achieve a common goal. Leadership is typically discussed in the context of business, but it also refers to how you, as an individual, choose to live your life. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence, inspire, and assist others in becoming their best selves by developing skills and achieving goals along the way. You don’t have to be a CEO, manager or even a team lead to be a leader. Leadership is a set of skills – and a mindset – that anyone can learn.
2. 12 Traits – Personal characteristics that define effective leaders are referred to as leadership traits. Leadership is defined as an individual’s or an organization’s ability to guide individuals, teams, or organizations toward the achievement of goals and objectives. It serves an important role in management by maximizing efficiency and achieving strategic and organizational goals. Leaders inspire others, provide guidance, boost morale, improve the workplace environment, and take action. In this lesson we will reveal the 12 traits of leadership.
3. Leadership Styles – A leadership style is a leader’s method of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. As you gain leadership experience, you will most likely use a variety of processes and methods to achieve your employer’s goals and meet the needs of the employees who report to you. To be an effective manager, you may employ a variety of leadership styles at any given time. In this lesson we will cover the 10 most common leadership styles. By spending the time to become acquainted with each of these types of leadership, you may be able to identify areas in which you can improve or broaden your own leadership style.
4. Leadership Principles – Leadership principles are a set of actions or guiding beliefs that leaders can use to help them succeed. The effectiveness with which a leader motivates and guides their employees determines how well an organization, company, or business performs. Leadership principles are a framework that a leader can take to inspire others to work together toward a common goal—they are the foundation for success.
5. Roles and Responsibilities – A leadership position requires you to manage a situation, a team, or an entire organization in an ethical and effective manner. Leaders have the ability to influence and guide their team in the pursuit of a common goal. They are also in charge of boosting and sustaining employee morale, assisting employees in reaching their full potential, and inspiring employee loyalty. In this course annual we dive deep into the 5 primary roles of a leader, and we share examples of these roles.
6. Leadership Development – Leadership development is any initiative that helps people become better leaders in their businesses, nonprofit organizations, communities, or personal lives. Leadership Development is critical to an organization’s long-term success. But what factors contribute to a better leader? How can businesses make more informed decisions about who they hire and promote? We’ll look at why it’s important to develop great leaders as well as some of the modern-day challenges that organizations face and how to navigate those challenges.
7. Servant Leadership – Servant leadership is a style that can assist you in developing strong teams comprised of members who are personally and professionally satisfied and who contribute high-quality work that helps your company succeed. A servant leader shares power, puts the needs of the employees first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. In this lesson, we learn what drives servant leadership, the benefits of this style of leading and some examples.
8. Solution – Focused – The solution-focused leadership approach simply and easily integrates into your existing management structure. The process supports leaders in increasing employees’ decision-making and judgment. The process creates a culture of motivation, focusing on what is working and how to do more of it. Solution-focused leadership develops organizations, teams, and leaders into experts in what works. The value of this method is that by focusing on what you want the solution to be rather than emphasizing the problem, you can devote your time and energy to developing action steps toward the solution. In this course we uncover what solution-focused thinking looks like and we’ll learn some powerful solution-focused strategies.
9. Ask Questions – Today’s leaders must rediscover an underutilized skill: questioning. Leaders frequently assume that people look to them for answers — audacious assertions that boost people’s trust in their abilities. Learning to ask good questions can help you connect with others and establish trust. Thinking collaboratively can help you solve difficult problems and spark creative thinking and increasing cohesion for your team. In this lesson we will cover impactful questions you can ask to help us become the most effective leader we can be.
10. Leadership in Management – The best managers are more than just bosses; they are leaders. Leaders inspire, bosses delegate. Employers are pushed by bosses who make demands; leaders lead by example and draw employees into their own powerful orbit. If you want to be a leader, not just a manager – let’s get ready to dive into this powerful course!
11. Great Leaders – Great leaders come from a variety of backgrounds. They rarely take a predetermined path to leadership. Almost all successful leaders have had to overcome setbacks and failures along the way. For many, this is what defines and motivates their leadership style. In this lesson, we will be sharing a list of some of the greatest leaders of all time. And, while many people now regard them as extraordinary, they were once thought to be ordinary by those around them. This course will inspire you to step into your greatness as a leader.
12. Transformational Leadership – Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that inspires positive change in those who follow. Transformational leaders are typically enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process, but they are also committed to ensuring that every member of the group succeeds. Transformational leadership is when leader behaviors influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond their perceived capabilities. This style of leadership inspires people to achieve unexpected or remarkable results. In this course, we will share the 4 components of transformational leadership and how to effectively implement this leadership style into your life.
Curriculum
Women Empowerment – Workshop 5 – Elevating Leadership
- What’s Leadership
- 12 Traits
- Leadership Styles
- Leadership Principles
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Leadership Development
- Servant Leadership
- Solution-Focused
- Ask Questions
- Leadership in Management
- Great Leaders
- Transformational Leadership
Distance Learning
Introduction
Welcome to Appleton Greene and thank you for enrolling on the Women Empowerment corporate training program. You will be learning through our unique facilitation via distance-learning method, which will enable you to practically implement everything that you learn academically. The methods and materials used in your program have been designed and developed to ensure that you derive the maximum benefits and enjoyment possible. We hope that you find the program challenging and fun to do. However, if you have never been a distance-learner before, you may be experiencing some trepidation at the task before you. So we will get you started by giving you some basic information and guidance on how you can make the best use of the modules, how you should manage the materials and what you should be doing as you work through them. This guide is designed to point you in the right direction and help you to become an effective distance-learner. Take a few hours or so to study this guide and your guide to tutorial support for students, while making notes, before you start to study in earnest.
Study environment
You will need to locate a quiet and private place to study, preferably a room where you can easily be isolated from external disturbances or distractions. Make sure the room is well-lit and incorporates a relaxed, pleasant feel. If you can spoil yourself within your study environment, you will have much more of a chance to ensure that you are always in the right frame of mind when you do devote time to study. For example, a nice fire, the ability to play soft soothing background music, soft but effective lighting, perhaps a nice view if possible and a good size desk with a comfortable chair. Make sure that your family know when you are studying and understand your study rules. Your study environment is very important. The ideal situation, if at all possible, is to have a separate study, which can be devoted to you. If this is not possible then you will need to pay a lot more attention to developing and managing your study schedule, because it will affect other people as well as yourself. The better your study environment, the more productive you will be.
Study tools & rules
Try and make sure that your study tools are sufficient and in good working order. You will need to have access to a computer, scanner and printer, with access to the internet. You will need a very comfortable chair, which supports your lower back, and you will need a good filing system. It can be very frustrating if you are spending valuable study time trying to fix study tools that are unreliable, or unsuitable for the task. Make sure that your study tools are up to date. You will also need to consider some study rules. Some of these rules will apply to you and will be intended to help you to be more disciplined about when and how you study. This distance-learning guide will help you and after you have read it you can put some thought into what your study rules should be. You will also need to negotiate some study rules for your family, friends or anyone who lives with you. They too will need to be disciplined in order to ensure that they can support you while you study. It is important to ensure that your family and friends are an integral part of your study team. Having their support and encouragement can prove to be a crucial contribution to your successful completion of the program. Involve them in as much as you can.
Successful distance-learning
Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes or workshops, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. But unlike traditional internal training courses, it is the student’s responsibility, with a distance-learning program, to ensure that they manage their own study contribution. This requires strong self-discipline and self-motivation skills and there must be a clear will to succeed. Those students who are used to managing themselves, are good at managing others and who enjoy working in isolation, are more likely to be good distance-learners. It is also important to be aware of the main reasons why you are studying and of the main objectives that you are hoping to achieve as a result. You will need to remind yourself of these objectives at times when you need to motivate yourself. Never lose sight of your long-term goals and your short-term objectives. There is nobody available here to pamper you, or to look after you, or to spoon-feed you with information, so you will need to find ways to encourage and appreciate yourself while you are studying. Make sure that you chart your study progress, so that you can be sure of your achievements and re-evaluate your goals and objectives regularly.
Self-assessment
Appleton Greene training programs are in all cases post-graduate programs. Consequently, you should already have obtained a business-related degree and be an experienced learner. You should therefore already be aware of your study strengths and weaknesses. For example, which time of the day are you at your most productive? Are you a lark or an owl? What study methods do you respond to the most? Are you a consistent learner? How do you discipline yourself? How do you ensure that you enjoy yourself while studying? It is important to understand yourself as a learner and so some self-assessment early on will be necessary if you are to apply yourself correctly. Perform a SWOT analysis on yourself as a student. List your internal strengths and weaknesses as a student and your external opportunities and threats. This will help you later on when you are creating a study plan. You can then incorporate features within your study plan that can ensure that you are playing to your strengths, while compensating for your weaknesses. You can also ensure that you make the most of your opportunities, while avoiding the potential threats to your success.
Accepting responsibility as a student
Training programs invariably require a significant investment, both in terms of what they cost and in the time that you need to contribute to study and the responsibility for successful completion of training programs rests entirely with the student. This is never more apparent than when a student is learning via distance-learning. Accepting responsibility as a student is an important step towards ensuring that you can successfully complete your training program. It is easy to instantly blame other people or factors when things go wrong. But the fact of the matter is that if a failure is your failure, then you have the power to do something about it, it is entirely in your own hands. If it is always someone else’s failure, then you are powerless to do anything about it. All students study in entirely different ways, this is because we are all individuals and what is right for one student, is not necessarily right for another. In order to succeed, you will have to accept personal responsibility for finding a way to plan, implement and manage a personal study plan that works for you. If you do not succeed, you only have yourself to blame.
Planning
By far the most critical contribution to stress, is the feeling of not being in control. In the absence of planning we tend to be reactive and can stumble from pillar to post in the hope that things will turn out fine in the end. Invariably they don’t! In order to be in control, we need to have firm ideas about how and when we want to do things. We also need to consider as many possible eventualities as we can, so that we are prepared for them when they happen. Prescriptive Change, is far easier to manage and control, than Emergent Change. The same is true with distance-learning. It is much easier and much more enjoyable, if you feel that you are in control and that things are going to plan. Even when things do go wrong, you are prepared for them and can act accordingly without any unnecessary stress. It is important therefore that you do take time to plan your studies properly.
Management
Once you have developed a clear study plan, it is of equal importance to ensure that you manage the implementation of it. Most of us usually enjoy planning, but it is usually during implementation when things go wrong. Targets are not met and we do not understand why. Sometimes we do not even know if targets are being met. It is not enough for us to conclude that the study plan just failed. If it is failing, you will need to understand what you can do about it. Similarly if your study plan is succeeding, it is still important to understand why, so that you can improve upon your success. You therefore need to have guidelines for self-assessment so that you can be consistent with performance improvement throughout the program. If you manage things correctly, then your performance should constantly improve throughout the program.
Study objectives & tasks
The first place to start is developing your program objectives. These should feature your reasons for undertaking the training program in order of priority. Keep them succinct and to the point in order to avoid confusion. Do not just write the first things that come into your head because they are likely to be too similar to each other. Make a list of possible departmental headings, such as: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing and Production. Then brainstorm for ideas by listing as many things that you want to achieve under each heading and later re-arrange these things in order of priority. Finally, select the top item from each department heading and choose these as your program objectives. Try and restrict yourself to five because it will enable you to focus clearly. It is likely that the other things that you listed will be achieved if each of the top objectives are achieved. If this does not prove to be the case, then simply work through the process again.
Study forecast
As a guide, the Appleton Greene Women Empowerment corporate training program should take 12-18 months to complete, depending upon your availability and current commitments. The reason why there is such a variance in time estimates is because every student is an individual, with differing productivity levels and different commitments. These differentiations are then exaggerated by the fact that this is a distance-learning program, which incorporates the practical integration of academic theory as an as a part of the training program. Consequently all of the project studies are real, which means that important decisions and compromises need to be made. You will want to get things right and will need to be patient with your expectations in order to ensure that they are. We would always recommend that you are prudent with your own task and time forecasts, but you still need to develop them and have a clear indication of what are realistic expectations in your case. With reference to your time planning: consider the time that you can realistically dedicate towards study with the program every week; calculate how long it should take you to complete the program, using the guidelines featured here; then break the program down into logical modules and allocate a suitable proportion of time to each of them, these will be your milestones; you can create a time plan by using a spreadsheet on your computer, or a personal organizer such as MS Outlook, you could also use a financial forecasting software; break your time forecasts down into manageable chunks of time, the more specific you can be, the more productive and accurate your time management will be; finally, use formulas where possible to do your time calculations for you, because this will help later on when your forecasts need to change in line with actual performance. With reference to your task planning: refer to your list of tasks that need to be undertaken in order to achieve your program objectives; with reference to your time plan, calculate when each task should be implemented; remember that you are not estimating when your objectives will be achieved, but when you will need to focus upon implementing the corresponding tasks; you also need to ensure that each task is implemented in conjunction with the associated training modules which are relevant; then break each single task down into a list of specific to do’s, say approximately ten to do’s for each task and enter these into your study plan; once again you could use MS Outlook to incorporate both your time and task planning and this could constitute your study plan; you could also use a project management software like MS Project. You should now have a clear and realistic forecast detailing when you can expect to be able to do something about undertaking the tasks to achieve your program objectives.
Performance management
It is one thing to develop your study forecast, it is quite another to monitor your progress. Ultimately it is less important whether you achieve your original study forecast and more important that you update it so that it constantly remains realistic in line with your performance. As you begin to work through the program, you will begin to have more of an idea about your own personal performance and productivity levels as a distance-learner. Once you have completed your first study module, you should re-evaluate your study forecast for both time and tasks, so that they reflect your actual performance level achieved. In order to achieve this you must first time yourself while training by using an alarm clock. Set the alarm for hourly intervals and make a note of how far you have come within that time. You can then make a note of your actual performance on your study plan and then compare your performance against your forecast. Then consider the reasons that have contributed towards your performance level, whether they are positive or negative and make a considered adjustment to your future forecasts as a result. Given time, you should start achieving your forecasts regularly.
With reference to time management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual time taken in your study plan; consider your successes with time-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; consider your failures with time-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to time planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your time expectations. You need to be consistent with your time management, otherwise you will never complete your studies. This will either be because you are not contributing enough time to your studies, or you will become less efficient with the time that you do allocate to your studies. Remember, if you are not in control of your studies, they can just become yet another cause of stress for you.
With reference to your task management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual tasks that you have undertaken in your study plan; consider your successes with task-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case; take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; consider your failures with task-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to task planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your task expectations. You need to be consistent with your task management, otherwise you will never know whether you are achieving your program objectives or not.
Keeping in touch
You will have access to qualified and experienced professors and tutors who are responsible for providing tutorial support for your particular training program. So don’t be shy about letting them know how you are getting on. We keep electronic records of all tutorial support emails so that professors and tutors can review previous correspondence before considering an individual response. It also means that there is a record of all communications between you and your professors and tutors and this helps to avoid any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation. If you have a problem relating to the program, share it with them via email. It is likely that they have come across the same problem before and are usually able to make helpful suggestions and steer you in the right direction. To learn more about when and how to use tutorial support, please refer to the Tutorial Support section of this student information guide. This will help you to ensure that you are making the most of tutorial support that is available to you and will ultimately contribute towards your success and enjoyment with your training program.
Work colleagues and family
You should certainly discuss your program study progress with your colleagues, friends and your family. Appleton Greene training programs are very practical. They require you to seek information from other people, to plan, develop and implement processes with other people and to achieve feedback from other people in relation to viability and productivity. You will therefore have plenty of opportunities to test your ideas and enlist the views of others. People tend to be sympathetic towards distance-learners, so don’t bottle it all up in yourself. Get out there and share it! It is also likely that your family and colleagues are going to benefit from your labors with the program, so they are likely to be much more interested in being involved than you might think. Be bold about delegating work to those who might benefit themselves. This is a great way to achieve understanding and commitment from people who you may later rely upon for process implementation. Share your experiences with your friends and family.
Making it relevant
The key to successful learning is to make it relevant to your own individual circumstances. At all times you should be trying to make bridges between the content of the program and your own situation. Whether you achieve this through quiet reflection or through interactive discussion with your colleagues, client partners or your family, remember that it is the most important and rewarding aspect of translating your studies into real self-improvement. You should be clear about how you want the program to benefit you. This involves setting clear study objectives in relation to the content of the course in terms of understanding, concepts, completing research or reviewing activities and relating the content of the modules to your own situation. Your objectives may understandably change as you work through the program, in which case you should enter the revised objectives on your study plan so that you have a permanent reminder of what you are trying to achieve, when and why.
Distance-learning check-list
Prepare your study environment, your study tools and rules.
Undertake detailed self-assessment in terms of your ability as a learner.
Create a format for your study plan.
Consider your study objectives and tasks.
Create a study forecast.
Assess your study performance.
Re-evaluate your study forecast.
Be consistent when managing your study plan.
Use your Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) for tutorial support.
Make sure you keep in touch with those around you.
Tutorial Support
Programs
Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. They are implemented over a sustainable period of time and professional support is consistently provided by qualified learning providers and specialist consultants.
Support available
You will have a designated Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and an Accredited Consultant and we encourage you to communicate with them as much as possible. In all cases tutorial support is provided online because we can then keep a record of all communications to ensure that tutorial support remains consistent. You would also be forwarding your work to the tutorial support unit for evaluation and assessment. You will receive individual feedback on all of the work that you undertake on a one-to-one basis, together with specific recommendations for anything that may need to be changed in order to achieve a pass with merit or a pass with distinction and you then have as many opportunities as you may need to re-submit project studies until they meet with the required standard. Consequently the only reason that you should really fail (CLP) is if you do not do the work. It makes no difference to us whether a student takes 12 months or 18 months to complete the program, what matters is that in all cases the same quality standard will have been achieved.
Support Process
Please forward all of your future emails to the designated (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit email address that has been provided and please do not duplicate or copy your emails to other AGC email accounts as this will just cause unnecessary administration. Please note that emails are always answered as quickly as possible but you will need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general tutorial support emails during busy periods, because emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. You will also need to allow a period of up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Please therefore kindly allow for this within your time planning. All communications are managed online via email because it enables tutorial service support managers to review other communications which have been received before responding and it ensures that there is a copy of all communications retained on file for future reference. All communications will be stored within your personal (CLP) study file here at Appleton Greene throughout your designated study period. If you need any assistance or clarification at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us by forwarding an email and remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions, please list and number your questions succinctly and you can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each and every query.
Time Management
It takes approximately 1 Year to complete the Women Empowerment corporate training program, incorporating 12 x 6-hour monthly workshops. Each student will also need to contribute approximately 4 hours per week over 1 Year of their personal time. Students can study from home or work at their own pace and are responsible for managing their own study plan. There are no formal examinations and students are evaluated and assessed based upon their project study submissions, together with the quality of their internal analysis and supporting documents. They can contribute more time towards study when they have the time to do so and can contribute less time when they are busy. All students tend to be in full time employment while studying and the Women Empowerment program is purposely designed to accommodate this, so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of time management. It makes no difference to us at Appleton Greene, whether individuals take 12-18 months to complete this program. What matters is that in all cases the same standard of quality will have been achieved with the standard and bespoke programs that have been developed.
Distance Learning Guide
The distance learning guide should be your first port of call when starting your training program. It will help you when you are planning how and when to study, how to create the right environment and how to establish the right frame of mind. If you can lay the foundations properly during the planning stage, then it will contribute to your enjoyment and productivity while training later. The guide helps to change your lifestyle in order to accommodate time for study and to cultivate good study habits. It helps you to chart your progress so that you can measure your performance and achieve your goals. It explains the tools that you will need for study and how to make them work. It also explains how to translate academic theory into practical reality. Spend some time now working through your distance learning guide and make sure that you have firm foundations in place so that you can make the most of your distance learning program. There is no requirement for you to attend training workshops or classes at Appleton Greene offices. The entire program is undertaken online, program course manuals and project studies are administered via the Appleton Greene web site and via email, so you are able to study at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office as long as you have a computer and access to the internet.
How To Study
The how to study guide provides students with a clear understanding of the Appleton Greene facilitation via distance learning training methods and enables students to obtain a clear overview of the training program content. It enables students to understand the step-by-step training methods used by Appleton Greene and how course manuals are integrated with project studies. It explains the research and development that is required and the need to provide evidence and references to support your statements. It also enables students to understand precisely what will be required of them in order to achieve a pass with merit and a pass with distinction for individual project studies and provides useful guidance on how to be innovative and creative when developing your Unique Program Proposition (UPP).
Tutorial Support
Tutorial support for the Appleton Greene Women Empowerment corporate training program is provided online either through the Appleton Greene Client Support Portal (CSP), or via email. All tutorial support requests are facilitated by a designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). They are responsible for deciding which professor or tutor is the most appropriate option relating to the support required and then the tutorial support request is forwarded onto them. Once the professor or tutor has completed the tutorial support request and answered any questions that have been asked, this communication is then returned to the student via email by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). This enables all tutorial support, between students, professors and tutors, to be facilitated by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM) efficiently and securely through the email account. You will therefore need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general support queries and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because all tutorial support requests are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Consequently you need to put some thought into the management of your tutorial support procedure in order to ensure that your study plan is feasible and to obtain the maximum possible benefit from tutorial support during your period of study. Please retain copies of your tutorial support emails for future reference. Please ensure that ALL of your tutorial support emails are set out using the format as suggested within your guide to tutorial support. Your tutorial support emails need to be referenced clearly to the specific part of the course manual or project study which you are working on at any given time. You also need to list and number any questions that you would like to ask, up to a maximum of five questions within each tutorial support email. Remember the more specific you can be with your questions the more specific your answers will be too and this will help you to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or duplication. The guide to tutorial support is intended to help you to understand how and when to use support in order to ensure that you get the most out of your training program. Appleton Greene training programs are designed to enable you to do things for yourself. They provide you with a structure or a framework and we use tutorial support to facilitate students while they practically implement what they learn. In other words, we are enabling students to do things for themselves. The benefits of distance learning via facilitation are considerable and are much more sustainable in the long-term than traditional short-term knowledge sharing programs. Consequently you should learn how and when to use tutorial support so that you can maximize the benefits from your learning experience with Appleton Greene. This guide describes the purpose of each training function and how to use them and how to use tutorial support in relation to each aspect of the training program. It also provides useful tips and guidance with regard to best practice.
Tutorial Support Tips
Students are often unsure about how and when to use tutorial support with Appleton Greene. This Tip List will help you to understand more about how to achieve the most from using tutorial support. Refer to it regularly to ensure that you are continuing to use the service properly. Tutorial support is critical to the success of your training experience, but it is important to understand when and how to use it in order to maximize the benefit that you receive. It is no coincidence that those students who succeed are those that learn how to be positive, proactive and productive when using tutorial support.
Be positive and friendly with your tutorial support emails
Remember that if you forward an email to the tutorial support unit, you are dealing with real people. “Do unto others as you would expect others to do unto you”. If you are positive, complimentary and generally friendly in your emails, you will generate a similar response in return. This will be more enjoyable, productive and rewarding for you in the long-term.
Think about the impression that you want to create
Every time that you communicate, you create an impression, which can be either positive or negative, so put some thought into the impression that you want to create. Remember that copies of all tutorial support emails are stored electronically and tutors will always refer to prior correspondence before responding to any current emails. Over a period of time, a general opinion will be arrived at in relation to your character, attitude and ability. Try to manage your own frustrations, mood swings and temperament professionally, without involving the tutorial support team. Demonstrating frustration or a lack of patience is a weakness and will be interpreted as such. The good thing about communicating in writing, is that you will have the time to consider your content carefully, you can review it and proof-read it before sending your email to Appleton Greene and this should help you to communicate more professionally, consistently and to avoid any unnecessary knee-jerk reactions to individual situations as and when they may arise. Please also remember that the CLP Tutorial Support Unit will not just be responsible for evaluating and assessing the quality of your work, they will also be responsible for providing recommendations to other learning providers and to client contacts within the Appleton Greene global client network, so do be in control of your own emotions and try to create a good impression.
Remember that quality is preferred to quantity
Please remember that when you send an email to the tutorial support team, you are not using Twitter or Text Messaging. Try not to forward an email every time that you have a thought. This will not prove to be productive either for you or for the tutorial support team. Take time to prepare your communications properly, as if you were writing a professional letter to a business colleague and make a list of queries that you are likely to have and then incorporate them within one email, say once every month, so that the tutorial support team can understand more about context, application and your methodology for study. Get yourself into a consistent routine with your tutorial support requests and use the tutorial support template provided with ALL of your emails. The (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit will not spoon-feed you with information. They need to be able to evaluate and assess your tutorial support requests carefully and professionally.
Be specific about your questions in order to receive specific answers
Try not to write essays by thinking as you are writing tutorial support emails. The tutorial support unit can be unclear about what in fact you are asking, or what you are looking to achieve. Be specific about asking questions that you want answers to. Number your questions. You will then receive specific answers to each and every question. This is the main purpose of tutorial support via email.
Keep a record of your tutorial support emails
It is important that you keep a record of all tutorial support emails that are forwarded to you. You can then refer to them when necessary and it avoids any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.
Individual training workshops or telephone support
Please be advised that Appleton Greene does not provide separate or individual tutorial support meetings, workshops, or provide telephone support for individual students. Appleton Greene is an equal opportunities learning and service provider and we are therefore understandably bound to treat all students equally. We cannot therefore broker special financial or study arrangements with individual students regardless of the circumstances. All tutorial support is provided online and this enables Appleton Greene to keep a record of all communications between students, professors and tutors on file for future reference, in accordance with our quality management procedure and your terms and conditions of enrolment. All tutorial support is provided online via email because it enables us to have time to consider support content carefully, it ensures that you receive a considered and detailed response to your queries. You can number questions that you would like to ask, which relate to things that you do not understand or where clarification may be required. You can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each individual query. You will also then have a record of these communications and of all tutorial support, which has been provided to you. This makes tutorial support administration more productive by avoiding any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.
Tutorial Support Email Format
You should use this tutorial support format if you need to request clarification or assistance while studying with your training program. Please note that ALL of your tutorial support request emails should use the same format. You should therefore set up a standard email template, which you can then use as and when you need to. Emails that are forwarded to Appleton Greene, which do not use the following format, may be rejected and returned to you by the (CLP) Program Administration Manager. A detailed response will then be forwarded to you via email usually within 20 business days of receipt for general support queries and 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Your tutorial support request, together with the corresponding TSU reply, will then be saved and stored within your electronic TSU file at Appleton Greene for future reference.
Subject line of your email
Please insert: Appleton Greene (CLP) Tutorial Support Request: (Your Full Name) (Date), within the subject line of your email.
Main body of your email
Please insert:
1. Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) Tutorial Support Request
2. Your Full Name
3. Date of TS request
4. Preferred email address
5. Backup email address
6. Course manual page name or number (reference)
7. Project study page name or number (reference)
Subject of enquiry
Please insert a maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Briefly outline the subject matter of your inquiry, or what your questions relate to.
Question 1
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 3
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 4
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 5
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Please note that a maximum of 5 questions is permitted with each individual tutorial support request email.
Procedure
* List the questions that you want to ask first, then re-arrange them in order of priority. Make sure that you reference them, where necessary, to the course manuals or project studies.
* Make sure that you are specific about your questions and number them. Try to plan the content within your emails to make sure that it is relevant.
* Make sure that your tutorial support emails are set out correctly, using the Tutorial Support Email Format provided here.
* Save a copy of your email and incorporate the date sent after the subject title. Keep your tutorial support emails within the same file and in date order for easy reference.
* Allow up to 20 business days for a response to general tutorial support emails and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because detailed individual responses will be made in all cases and tutorial support emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received.
* Emails can and do get lost. So if you have not received a reply within the appropriate time, forward another copy or a reminder to the tutorial support unit to be sure that it has been received but do not forward reminders unless the appropriate time has elapsed.
* When you receive a reply, save it immediately featuring the date of receipt after the subject heading for easy reference. In most cases the tutorial support unit replies to your questions individually, so you will have a record of the questions that you asked as well as the answers offered. With project studies however, separate emails are usually forwarded by the tutorial support unit, so do keep a record of your own original emails as well.
* Remember to be positive and friendly in your emails. You are dealing with real people who will respond to the same things that you respond to.
* Try not to repeat questions that have already been asked in previous emails. If this happens the tutorial support unit will probably just refer you to the appropriate answers that have already been provided within previous emails.
* If you lose your tutorial support email records you can write to Appleton Greene to receive a copy of your tutorial support file, but a separate administration charge may be levied for this service.
How To Study
Your Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and Accredited Consultant can help you to plan a task list for getting started so that you can be clear about your direction and your priorities in relation to your training program. It is also a good way to introduce yourself to the tutorial support team.
Planning your study environment
Your study conditions are of great importance and will have a direct effect on how much you enjoy your training program. Consider how much space you will have, whether it is comfortable and private and whether you are likely to be disturbed. The study tools and facilities at your disposal are also important to the success of your distance-learning experience. Your tutorial support unit can help with useful tips and guidance, regardless of your starting position. It is important to get this right before you start working on your training program.
Planning your program objectives
It is important that you have a clear list of study objectives, in order of priority, before you start working on your training program. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance here to ensure that your study objectives have been afforded due consideration and priority.
Planning how and when to study
Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. This approach is designed to let you study efficiently away from the traditional classroom environment. It is important however, that you plan how and when to study, so that you are making the most of your natural attributes, strengths and opportunities. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance and useful tips to ensure that you are playing to your strengths.
Planning your study tasks
You should have a clear understanding of the study tasks that you should be undertaking and the priority associated with each task. These tasks should also be integrated with your program objectives. The distance learning guide and the guide to tutorial support for students should help you here, but if you need any clarification or assistance, please contact your tutorial support unit.
Planning your time
You will need to allocate specific times during your calendar when you intend to study if you are to have a realistic chance of completing your program on time. You are responsible for planning and managing your own study time, so it is important that you are successful with this. Your tutorial support unit can help you with this if your time plan is not working.
Keeping in touch
Consistency is the key here. If you communicate too frequently in short bursts, or too infrequently with no pattern, then your management ability with your studies will be questioned, both by you and by your tutorial support unit. It is obvious when a student is in control and when one is not and this will depend how able you are at sticking with your study plan. Inconsistency invariably leads to in-completion.
Charting your progress
Your tutorial support team can help you to chart your own study progress. Refer to your distance learning guide for further details.
Making it work
To succeed, all that you will need to do is apply yourself to undertaking your training program and interpreting it correctly. Success or failure lies in your hands and your hands alone, so be sure that you have a strategy for making it work. Your Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and Accredited Consultant can guide you through the process of program planning, development and implementation.
Reading methods
Interpretation is often unique to the individual but it can be improved and even quantified by implementing consistent interpretation methods. Interpretation can be affected by outside interference such as family members, TV, or the Internet, or simply by other thoughts which are demanding priority in our minds. One thing that can improve our productivity is using recognized reading methods. This helps us to focus and to be more structured when reading information for reasons of importance, rather than relaxation.
Speed reading
When reading through course manuals for the first time, subconsciously set your reading speed to be just fast enough that you cannot dwell on individual words or tables. With practice, you should be able to read an A4 sheet of paper in one minute. You will not achieve much in the way of a detailed understanding, but your brain will retain a useful overview. This overview will be important later on and will enable you to keep individual issues in perspective with a more generic picture because speed reading appeals to the memory part of the brain. Do not worry about what you do or do not remember at this stage.
Content reading
Once you have speed read everything, you can then start work in earnest. You now need to read a particular section of your course manual thoroughly, by making detailed notes while you read. This process is called Content Reading and it will help to consolidate your understanding and interpretation of the information that has been provided.
Making structured notes on the course manuals
When you are content reading, you should be making detailed notes, which are both structured and informative. Make these notes in a MS Word document on your computer, because you can then amend and update these as and when you deem it to be necessary. List your notes under three headings: 1. Interpretation – 2. Questions – 3. Tasks. The purpose of the 1st section is to clarify your interpretation by writing it down. The purpose of the 2nd section is to list any questions that the issue raises for you. The purpose of the 3rd section is to list any tasks that you should undertake as a result. Anyone who has graduated with a business-related degree should already be familiar with this process.
Organizing structured notes separately
You should then transfer your notes to a separate study notebook, preferably one that enables easy referencing, such as a MS Word Document, a MS Excel Spreadsheet, a MS Access Database, or a personal organizer on your cell phone. Transferring your notes allows you to have the opportunity of cross-checking and verifying them, which assists considerably with understanding and interpretation. You will also find that the better you are at doing this, the more chance you will have of ensuring that you achieve your study objectives.
Question your understanding
Do challenge your understanding. Explain things to yourself in your own words by writing things down.
Clarifying your understanding
If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your understanding.
Question your interpretation
Do challenge your interpretation. Qualify your interpretation by writing it down.
Clarifying your interpretation
If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your interpretation.
Qualification Requirements
The student will need to successfully complete the project study and all of the exercises relating to the Women Empowerment corporate training program, achieving a pass with merit or distinction in each case, in order to qualify as an Accredited Women Empowerment Specialist (AWES). All monthly workshops need to be tried and tested within your company. These project studies can be completed in your own time and at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office. There are no formal examinations, assessment is based upon the successful completion of the project studies. They are called project studies because, unlike case studies, these projects are not theoretical, they incorporate real program processes that need to be properly researched and developed. The project studies assist us in measuring your understanding and interpretation of the training program and enable us to assess qualification merits. All of the project studies are based entirely upon the content within the training program and they enable you to integrate what you have learnt into your corporate training practice.
Women Empowerment – Grading Contribution
Project Study – Grading Contribution
Customer Service – 10%
E-business – 05%
Finance – 10%
Globalization – 10%
Human Resources – 10%
Information Technology – 10%
Legal – 05%
Management – 10%
Marketing – 10%
Production – 10%
Education – 05%
Logistics – 05%
TOTAL GRADING – 100%
Qualification grades
A mark of 90% = Pass with Distinction.
A mark of 75% = Pass with Merit.
A mark of less than 75% = Fail.
If you fail to achieve a mark of 75% with a project study, you will receive detailed feedback from the Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and/or Accredited Consultant, together with a list of tasks which you will need to complete, in order to ensure that your project study meets with the minimum quality standard that is required by Appleton Greene. You can then re-submit your project study for further evaluation and assessment. Indeed you can re-submit as many drafts of your project studies as you need to, until such a time as they eventually meet with the required standard by Appleton Greene, so you need not worry about this, it is all part of the learning process.
When marking project studies, Appleton Greene is looking for sufficient evidence of the following:
Pass with merit
A satisfactory level of program understanding
A satisfactory level of program interpretation
A satisfactory level of project study content presentation
A satisfactory level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
A satisfactory level of the practical integration of academic theory
Pass with distinction
An exceptional level of program understanding
An exceptional level of program interpretation
An exceptional level of project study content presentation
An exceptional level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
An exceptional level of the practical integration of academic theory
Preliminary Analysis
Providing opportunities and a specific process to develop leadership skills amongst your female employees is essential for organizational development and growth. Organizations can also retain high performers and high potentials by providing leadership training to all employees. This will result in significant changes in the company’s culture, productivity, and retention. The Elevating Leadership Workshop will provide a proven process to develop your women team members into confident, effective, and influential leaders.
Opportunity for Change
As women continue to advance their careers and take on more leadership roles, they must have confidence in their ability to lead.
The Women Empowerment Leadership Program is a method of accelerating women’s professional development at work. Women have made significant strides in the workplace, but there is no doubt that they continue to face challenges in climbing the corporate ladder. This program provides the necessary support and tools to ensure that these women have everything they need to succeed. This will in turn benefit the overall growth and profitability of the company.
Workshop 5 – Elevating Leadership focuses leadership development which the second step in the Women Empowerment Transformation Process.
Preparing for the Workshop
Participants are encouraged to continue to show up with an open mind and be ready for a transformation from the inside out. Once again, there will be a lot of mindset work that involves being open to change. You will also need to be ready to learn new skills and start adopting them into your current role in the company.
Be sure to assess your organizations current stance on leadership development this will be helpful before you start making significant changes to its structure.
Take a look at your current processes and infrastructure.
Participants should also ensure that they are familiar with the major people-related processes of the company. All participants should be familiar with the processes of performance management, recruitment, talent assessment, and talent development. The workshop’s goal is not to change these processes, but rather to supplement them with the 5 Step Women’s Empowerment Business Transformation Process (Mindset Shift, Leadership Development, Personal Presence, Advanced Communications Skills and Creating and Implementing an Action Plan) to improve their effectiveness. Participants compile a list of their most recent successes and failures in each of these processes. The list will be useful later on when discussing how to integrate the process into the existing model.
It may be advantageous to the participants if these processes are also examined from the perspective of the employees. One or two of the participants should meet with a few key employees to discuss the success of the processes. The effectiveness of these processes, rather than the method itself, should be the focal point of these discussions. When discussing the efficacy of the process, it is critical to consider the outcomes from the perspective of the people it is supposed to help. Ineffective processes, regardless of their efficiency, fail to meet the expectations of the customer. The Women’s Empowerment Business Transformation Process will be able to fill in the gaps discovered by identifying flaws in these procedures.
The fifth workshop in our Women Empowerment Program – Elevating Leadership – uncovers the exact steps to develop and elevate your leadership skills.
How this will be achieved, is by implementation of the following strategies:
1. Identify leadership values and why they’re important.
2. How to uncover your inner leader.
3. 12 essential leadership qualities of a growth mindset.
4. Define importance of developing your own leadership style.
5. Discover the 11 leadership principles most critical to your success.
6. Learn steps to becoming and active listener.
7. Review a leader’s primary roles in an organization.
8. Experience 7 effective steps to leadership development.
9. Principles to adopt to become a servant leader.
10. Incorporating solution-focused strategies into your leadership style.
11. The difference between problem- solving and solution- focused approaches.
12. Learn how to ask compelling and inspiring questions.
Sources/Resources –
Course 5:1 – What’s Leadership
Peter Weaver Case Study: https://trainingmag.com/leadership-case-studies/
Exercise:
https://www.sessionlab.com/blog/leadership-activities/#team-purpose-culture
https://www.slideshare.net/reed2001/culture-1798664
Course 5:2 – 12 Traits Case Study
Reference: Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. 5th ed. London: Sage Publications.
Course 5:3 – Coat of Arms Exercise
https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/your-leadership-coat-of-arms
Course 5:4: Leadership Principles
Active Listening Exercise – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/active-listening-yrtil3
Course 5:5 Roles and Responsibilities
Leadership Advice from Your Role model Exercise – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/leadership-advice-from-your-role-model
Course 5:6 Leadership Development
Source: A Survey Polled Employees on best reward for a job well done. https://www.oracle.com/us/media1/steps-effective-leadership-dev-1657106.pdf
Leadership Envelopes Exercise – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/leadership-envelopes
Course 5:7 – Servant Leadership Case Study Martin Luther King –
Works Cited:
Ansbro, John J. Martin Luther King, Jr: Nonviolent Strategies and Tactics for Social Change. Lanham, Md: Madison Books, 2000. Print.
Blanchard, Kenneth H, and Phil Hodges. The Servant Leader: Transforming Your Heart, Head, Hands, & Habits. Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, 2003. Internet resource.
Greenleaf, Robert K, and Larry C. Spears. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New York: Paulist Press, 2002. Print.
Heard, Seen and Respected Exercise – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/heard-seen-respected-hsr
Course 5:8 – Solution – Focused
Exercise – Feedback – start, stop and continue – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/feedback-start-stop-continue
Course 5:10 – Leadership in Management
Exercise Marshmallow Challenge – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/marshmallow-challenge-with-debriefing
Course 5:12 – Transformational Leadership
Exercise – Chinese Puzzle – https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/chinese-puzzle
Preliminary Plan
It’s important to have a plan to start implementing the processes learned throughout the workshop. Here are the steps to get this “project” started.
• Define the scope and objectives. Why is this project being initiated? …
• Define the roles and responsibilities.
• Next, you need to identify the project stakeholders – the ones who are responsible for its success.
• Set milestones and create a timeline.
• Then, it’s time to break down the work that needs to be done into manageable blocks. …
• Hold regular meetings to check in on the progress.
Course Manuals 1-12
Course Manual 1: What’s Leadership?
“A leader is someone who can think strategically, simplify the strategy so everyone in the organization can understand it and communicate that strategy simply, enthusiastically, and in a caring way.” — Ajay Banga, CEO, MasterCard “The most basic definition of leadership is you set the destination.
Here’s something many people don’t understand or refuse to believe about leadership: anyone can be a leader. There is no single answer to the question “What is leadership?” because it is a powerful skill that can be developed over time rather than something you are born with or without. Great leaders do not take a single path or have a single personality type. In fact, you’ve most likely assumed leadership roles in your life that you weren’t aware of at the time. So, what exactly makes a good leader? And how can you hone those skills and put them to use in your career and in your life?
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders (https://www.forbes.com/leadership/?sh=704ee3f1d66d) are made rather than born.” —Warren Bennis
Leadership is the ability to motivate a group of people to work together to achieve a common goal. Leadership is typically discussed in the context of business, but it also refers to how you, as an individual, choose to live your life. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence, inspire, and assist others in becoming their best selves by developing skills and achieving goals along the way. You don’t have to be a CEO, manager or even a team lead to be a leader. Leadership is a set of skills – and a mindset – that anyone can learn.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead
Leadership isn’t a zero-sum scenario. When one person uses their powers to lead, it strengthens rather than diminishes the opportunities for others to lead. Because the ultimate definition of leadership is enabling others to become effective leaders as well. That is why many iconic leaders credit their success to incredible mentors. As one person begins to embrace their role as a leader, they are inevitably drawn to others who have already mastered the art of leadership.
The Value of Leadership
Leadership is an important management function that helps to maximize efficiency and achieve organizational goals. The following points demonstrate the significance of leadership in a business.
1. Initiates action- A leader is someone who initiates action by communicating policies and plans to subordinates, which is where the work actually begins.
2. Motivation- A leader demonstrates an incentive role in the operation of the company. He motivates employees through economic and non-economic rewards and thus obtains work from subordinates.
3. Provides direction- A leader must not only supervise but also guide his or her subordinates. Guidance in this context refers to instructing subordinates on how to perform their tasks effectively and efficiently.
4. Creates confidence- Creating confidence is an important factor that can be achieved by expressing the work efforts to the subordinates, explaining their role clearly, and providing them with guidelines to effectively achieve the goals. It is also critical to listen to the employees’ complaints and problems.
5. Builds morale- Morale refers to an employee’s willingness to cooperate with their work, as well as gaining their confidence and trust. A leader can boost morale by achieving full cooperation so that employees can perform to the best of their abilities while working to achieve goals.
6. Creates a work environment- Management is responsible for getting things done from people. A productive work environment promotes steady and sound growth. As a result, a leader should keep human relations in mind. He should maintain personal contact with employees and listen to and solve their problems. He should treat his employees in a humane manner.
7. Co-coordination – Coordination can be achieved by reconciling personal interests with organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and effective coordination, which should be a leader’s primary goal.
In short, the ability to get things done is the most important aspect of leadership. Leadership enables you to communicate a clear vision to your team and then rally them around that vision. Great leaders lead companies that are creative, innovative, and agile. They also have positive corporate cultures that are driven by a sense of purpose and passion. Finally, effective leadership improves your company’s bottom line by reducing turnover and instilling a culture of continuous improvement.
However, the value of leadership can be seen in other aspects of life. It’s a set of skills you can use in relationships and on your personal development journey. And you can begin learning them right now.
Leadership Can Be Learned
A common misconception about leadership is that it is something you are born with – that the world’s greatest leaders possessed some innate magical quality that enabled them to lead better than others. That, however, is not the case.
So, what exactly is leadership? Leadership is not a position you are appointed to; it is a skill and a tool that you can continually cultivate and use to effect long-term change.
Leadership is also not something you are born with or without; rather, it is a creative muscle that can be strengthened and developed over time. Leadership is about creating and sustaining positive, lasting change in your life and the lives of those around you, whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a college student attempting to manage a pile of homework.
Developing exceptional leadership abilities necessitates dedication. Goal setting is essential, and practice makes perfect. Work on your leadership skills every day, and your influence will grow. An idea is just that: an idea that will die unless you can become a person of influence – a person who can influence and lead your team toward the realization of that idea.
What Makes a Good Leader?
In order to grasp the true meaning of leadership, you must first ask yourself not only what leadership is, but also what is great leadership. Servant leadership is great leadership – quality leadership. Someone who seeks to influence others to serve the greater good is referred to as a servant leader. They aren’t just looking to get from point A to point B, and they aren’t looking for a result that only benefits them; a great leader is always thinking about the big picture. They’re looking for ways to help others and the community as a whole, rather than just themselves. They’re figuring out how to influence their community and culture in a way that benefits everyone involved. Their driving force, also known as their purpose, is to serve the greater good.
Before taking action, the world’s best leaders all have a clear goal in mind. We become resilient and strong as a result of our sense of purpose. Without it, you’re much more prone to failure, prolonged ruts, and depression. That’s because purpose is what keeps us going when things get tough – and they always do.
Turn your attention to the purpose that motivates you if you want to develop effective leadership skills. Your purpose is the fuel that will keep you going when you face the inevitable obstacles and challenges of any worthwhile journey. It is what will lift you up and uplift those around you when adversity strikes. It’s your power. It’s the antidote to defeat and discouragement, and it’s what will keep you focused and on track in the midst of chaos. To put it another way, your purpose is the North Star of leadership.
Discover Your Inner Leader
There are many different types of leaders in the world, each with their own set of goals, but the best leaders share a common set of learned qualities and styles. They are committed to achieving their objectives through the use of time, dedication, consistency, and a clear purpose. You, too, can hone these abilities and become one of the greats. By honing your own set of leadership skills, you can not only propel yourself closer to your goal, but also inspire those around you to do the same.
Peter Weaver Case Study:
Peter Weaver doesn’t like to follow the crowd. He thinks groupthink is a common problem in many organizations. This former director of marketing for a consumer products company believes differences of opinion should be heard and appreciated. As Weaver states, “I have always believed I should speak for what I believe to be true.”
He demonstrated his belief in being direct and candid throughout his career. On one occasion, he was assigned to market Paul’s spaghetti-sauce products. During the brand review, the company president said, “Our spaghetti sauce is losing out to price-cutting competitors. We need to cut our prices!”
Peter found the courage to say he disagreed with the president. He then explained the product line needed more variety and a larger advertising budget. Prices should not be cut. The president accepted Weaver’s reasoning. Later, his supervisor approached him and said, “I wanted to say that, but I just didn’t have the courage to challenge the president.”
On another occasion, the president sent Weaver and 16 other executives to a weeklong seminar on strategic planning. Weaver soon concluded the consultants were off base and going down the wrong path. Between sessions, most of the other executives indicated they didn’t think the consultants were on the right path. The consultants heard about the dissent and dramatically asked participants whether they were in or out. Those who said “Out” had to leave immediately.
As the consultants went around the room, every executive who privately grumbled about the session said “In.” Weaver was fourth from last. When it was his turn, he said “Out” and left the room.
All leaders spend time in reflection and self-examination to identify what they truly believe and value. Their beliefs are tested and fine-tuned over time. True leaders can tell you, without hesitation, what they believe and why. They don’t need a teleprompter to remind them of their core beliefs. And they find the courage to speak up even when they know others will disagree.
1. What leadership traits did Weaver exhibit?
2. If you were in Weaver’s shoes, what would you have done?
3. Where does courage come from?
4. List your three most important values.
(https://trainingmag.com/leadership-case-studies/)
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” —Warren Bennis
Exercise 5:1: Team Purpose and Culture
One of a leader’s responsibilities is to ensure that all members of a team are on the same page in terms of purpose and cultural values. Teams and organizations that have a shared and cohesive vision are often happier and more productive, and a good leader can help empower everyone to succeed by assisting a group in reaching these conclusions.
This is a critical process for assisting teams in defining their purpose (why they exist) and culture (how they work together to achieve that purpose). Defining these two concepts will assist any team in becoming more focused and aligned. The team members work as individuals and as a group to codify the way they work together, with the help of tangible examples from other companies. The goal is a visual representation of the team’s purpose and culture that can be displayed in the team’s workspace.
Goal:
Help teams define their purpose (why they exist) and their culture (how they work together to achieve that purpose)
Materials:
• Screen
• Projector
• Post-it
• Markers
• Whiteboard
• White A/4
Instructions:
This tool is split into two distinct parts, purpose and culture. Both are essential to define for any team. This can be used to generate these from scratch or re-energize an existing purpose and/or culture. Use this workshop to generate a common purpose and stated cultural norms in a team.
Purpose is the reason why your team exists. Why it was formed. Why it’s needed in the organization.
Culture is how your team works together. How you get the job done. And the values, norms and behaviors that are expected.
Step 1:
Kick off the workshop by asking your team members to reflect on these questions:
1. What is our job as a team?
2. What’s our goal? How do we know when we’ve done our job?
3. What benefit are we bringing to the company and the world?
4. Ask them to share general thoughts in a check-in.
Step 2:
This step uses the wisdom of the crowd to develop a broad idea of how your team purpose might be defined.
Patagonia – Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
Amazon – The Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
Greenpeace – To ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity.
Facebook – To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Google – To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Now ask each person to write their version of this team’s purpose.
Step 3:
In this step you’ll combine these individually written purposes to make one for the whole team.
It’s always a challenge to go from multiple opinions to a collective opinion, and this step may take some patience. The best thing you can do here is to provide constraints.
We’ll use the 20×20 rule for group decision making. Give them no more than 20 minutes to craft a collective team purpose with no more than 20 words.
Don’t shy away from wordsmithing and finessing the language, words are important: words shape worlds.
Make sure you give them 10-, 5-, and 2-minute warnings before their time is up. Often a group will arrive at a collective purpose before the end of the time. You’ll feel the vibe change in the room when that happens. If so, stop them and move onto Step 4.
Step 4:
Now you have a collective team purpose. In the next few steps, you’ll run a similar process for culture.
Culture is how your team works together. It’s often hard to pin down and define in words, but it’s easy to feel and experience. Culture is expressed in the way that people talk to each other, the way that work is assigned and completed, the way that the CEO treats the cleaners.
First, share one or more examples of company culture. We recommend flicking through the Netflix Culture deck as a famous and outstanding example of a clearly defined working culture. Explore and find other examples that inspire you.
Now give the team post-its and markers and ask them to write down words that represent the best of your team culture – these can be aspirational or actual – as many as they like. One per post-it.
After 5-10 minutes doing that, get them to lay them out in front of them on the table, wall, or floor. Give them 1 minute to remove half of their post-its. Leaving them with just the good half.
Do the same again but ask them to keep only 3. The 3 most important elements of your team culture.
Once the purpose has been generated. Take a moment to celebrate.
Step 5:
Ask the team to post up their notes on the wall.
As a group, cluster the words that have a similar meaning or feeling behind them. This step can be quite discursive. As a facilitator it’s your job to recognize when the group is off track and bring them round to making a decision.
When the clustering is finished, ask if there’s anything missing for the team. Did they get rid of any culture elements that they think should be up? If so, get them up there.
Step 6:
Now you have a draft of your culture. These words or statements only work if they are brought to life.
You need to explain each one – define what the behavior looks like when it is being met, and what it looks like when it isn’t. For example:
TRANSPARENCY
We do work in the open, using collaborative documents that anyone can access and having conversations in open channels that anyone can join.
We are not secretive, we don’t talk behind each other’s back, and we don’t work in isolation.
Either do this collaboratively as a group or assign culture statements to each person to write.
Step 7:
Congratulations, you have articulated your purpose and culture!
Now make huge versions of them and ensure they are visible in your teamwork space.
Revisit this work in 1 month. It should be a living document that shifts and changes as your team changes.
Background:
Source: Hyper Island toolbox
Hyper Island designs learning experiences that challenge companies and individuals to grow and stay competitive in an increasingly digitized world. With clients such as Google, adidas and IKEA, Hyper Island has been listed by CNN as one of the most innovative schools in the world
Course Manual 2: 12 Traits
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” — Jack Welch?
Employees are fed up with being told what to do and simply checking the box. Their leaders are, too – even if they won’t admit it. They’re sick and tired of just doing what they’re told. They have little room to grow and evolve as individuals because they are all following the same corporate playbook. They want to do more and be more self-sufficient. They want their professional goals to be in sync with those of their organization. As a result, most leaders are conflicted, struggling to bridge the gap between assimilation to the corporate playbook and being the authentic and vulnerable leaders, their people want and need.
Businesses should not define how leaders act, influence, and create momentum in search of future growth if today’s leaders are responsible for guiding business transformation. To lead business transformation, leaders must first learn how to transform themselves in order to define their companies’ future growth.
If organizations truly want their leaders to have growth mindsets, corporate playbooks must provide leaders with opportunities to grow as individuals as well as opportunities to influence the futures of their organizations.
12 Essential Leadership Traits of a Growth Mindset
What are Leadership Traits?
Personal characteristics that define effective leaders are referred to as leadership traits. Leadership is defined as an individual’s or an organization’s ability to guide individuals, teams, or organizations toward the achievement of goals and objectives. It serves an important role in management by maximizing efficiency and achieving strategic and organizational goals. Leaders inspire others, provide guidance, boost morale, improve the workplace environment, and take action.
What happens when the business defines individual leaders?
Leaders are evaluated based on how well they execute based on how the organization wants them to think, limiting their ability to best serve the business’s unique needs. In this environment, the individual is told what to do within the confines of the box that has been assigned to them. This constrains their ability to see, grow, and share. They don’t want to lose. There is a finite amount of time for transformation and a growth mindset. Complacency sets in.
What Happens When the Business Is Defined by Individual Leaders and Employees?
Leaders have the ability to be more inclusive. They are rewarded for sharing their knowledge for the benefit of the company. They value diversity of thought, value differences, and recognize and seize previously unseen opportunities. They see, sow, grow, and share opportunities with bravery rather than complacency. They play to win because they want to make a difference in the lives of others. The potential for transformation through a growth mindset is limitless.
So, how are we going to get there?
Here are the 12 essential leadership characteristics for cultivating a growth mindset:
12 Essential Leadership Traits
1. Maintain an open mind.
A growth mindset necessitates leaders being more open to the diverse needs and perspectives of others. Growth necessitates more than just sales and revenue; it necessitates a thorough understanding of human capital assets. It entails learning how to serve the distinct needs of individual clients and/or consumers, as well as the distinct needs of employees.
2. Accustom yourself to ambiguity and uncertainty.
Make risk your new best friend. Companies operate in environments that are fraught with ambiguity and uncertainty. Leaders must embrace uncertainty and see-through ambiguity to uncover previously unseen opportunities by taking a step back and understanding why ambiguity and uncertainty exist. As they do so, leaders must ensure that their people do not fear uncertainty and ambiguity, but rather embrace it in order to create and sustain momentum.
3. Demonstrate a high level of situational awareness.
Situational awareness is the ability to see around, beneath, and beyond what you are looking for. This is the distinction between circular and linear vision. Most leaders lack a growth mindset because they are disconnected from the situations they face — their linear vision gets in the way. They act as if they need to be in charge rather than enlisting the help of others to exert more influence. Circular vision effectively utilizes the organization’s resources and assets in ways that guide and drive growth opportunities.
4. Develop a stronger sense of preparedness.
The majority of organizations are not ready for transformation. They spend millions of dollars planning for it but fail to implement it in the workplace and marketplace. This is due to their inability to anticipate the unexpected. They are ill-prepared to deal with the strategic implications of their investments and the uncertainty that comes with implementing transformation.
5. Understand what others expect from your leadership.
A growth mindset is ultimately about thinking differently and assuming new, elevated levels of leadership responsibility. As a result, everyone is watching your every move. They are paying close attention to the decisions you make and why you make them. They may even be skeptical of them and your ability to identify and capitalize on appropriate growth opportunities. As a result, leaders must ensure that others understand what to expect from their leadership. Don’t assume they’re aware. Be clear about the path to growth and the role that others will play in assisting the organization to get there.
6. Assume responsibility.
The ability to reclaim relevance is referred to as transformation. Taking ownership means the difference between remaining relevant and letting the market pass you by. A growth mindset necessitates tenacity and over delivery of value. Don’t put up with laziness. Leaders who tolerate it remove the need for them and others to be held accountable, giving the impression that they are unconcerned.
7. Grow alongside others.
People no longer believe that their leaders have all the answers. People believe that their leaders are out of touch with today’s workplace realities, and that as a result of their leaders’ hidden agendas, silos are perpetuated. Today’s leaders must evolve alongside their followers. They must eliminate hierarchy and rank in order to foster environments of greater intimacy in which all people can get to know one another and grow and evolve together. Leaders must then not only value the relationships that have been formed, but also invest in them in order to maintain the trust of others.
8. Pursue the abolition of mediocrity and complacency.
Growth is hampered by mediocrity and complacency. What organizations fail to recognize is that, while they encourage their leaders to have a growth mindset, corporate values and workplace cultures have become so outdated that they make it difficult for growth outcomes to take root. These are the kinds of environments where mediocrity and complacency are not only tolerated but thrive! Leaders must ensure that they avoid the traps of mediocrity and complacency, beginning with themselves and knowing what they solve for, and then spreading that knowledge throughout their teams and the organization.
9. Break down Silos.
Disconnected thinking in the workplace is an indication that silos are impeding the development of a growth mindset. Silos are viewed as barriers to growth by those with a growth mindset. Leaders who are hungry for growth break down silos and seek alignment in order to connect the dots of opportunity that do not currently exist. Breaking down silos necessitates leaders being more inclusive – allowing others to get in their and others’ lanes. They aren’t concerned with titles or credit sharing. They are delighted. In fact, they demand that an organization lead more inclusively and that everyone adopt an entrepreneurial mindset in order for the organization to grow and evolve together.
10. Demonstrate a strong executive presence.
The purpose of executive presence is not to sell a business transaction or to demonstrate knowledge, capabilities, and skill sets. Executive presence is defined as a leader’s ability to create a moment – an experience that piques the interest of others in learning more about them and their businesses. Executive presence necessitates self-assurance, confidence, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate people’s needs. It is about gradually earning the right from others to pursue more meaningful and purposeful business relationships. Simply put, executive presence is about others, not “you.”
11. Be an advocate for inclusion while also promoting individuality.
Inclusion is a system for ensuring that organizations are welcoming to all individuals at all levels. Inclusion is about finding common ground in our differences and valuing each individual’s unique ideas and ideals. Leaders with a growth mindset have a strong desire to do so, and their primary growth strategy is to lead inclusion and embrace individuality. They understand that if you aren’t inclusive enough, reputation management will stymie your progress. Find out if you have an enterprise-wide growth mindset by clicking here.
12. Seek significance rather than just success.
Leaders who do not want to be significant are primarily concerned with recognition. Leaders who want to be significant are primarily concerned with gaining respect. Recognized leaders appeal to the head, where information is easily forgotten. Respected leaders capture the heart – and the heart never forgets. Leaders with a growth mindset want to be significant because they want the growth, they create to take the organization to new heights. They want to see their organizations grow in order to help them evolve.
Leaders with growth mindsets exhibit all twelve of these characteristics. Organizations that allow them to do it on their own terms for the benefit of the business are the ones who see the growth transformation through.
Trait Approach to Leadership Case Study
Leadership is the ability to relate to others socially and positively influence them in order to complete a specific task. Traits are innate qualities and inborn characteristics that help to define a person. As a result, the trait approach to leadership assumes that good leaders share common characteristics and innate qualities that set them apart in terms of leading and influencing others. This qualifies them as political, military, and social leaders, as well as business executives.
Leadership, according to this theory, cannot be taught; rather, it must be discovered within the individual. The author will examine Northouse Case Study 2.1 in this paper. The case study will be examined through the lens of the trait leadership model. The author will select the theoretical model to be used in the case study, provide a description of the model chosen, and finally develop their own analysis or insights on the case in the paper.
Several researchers have come to disagree with the universality of the leadership trait that distinguishes leaders from non-leaders (Northouse, 2010). Other scholars contend that personality traits have a significant impact on leadership and thus distinguish leaders from non-leaders.
Charismatic and visionary leaders exhibit a set of characteristics that cause them to actively participate in management. They are driven by a desire for self-actualization and social power. They are capable of self-monitoring. These characteristics distinguish them as effective leaders when compared to average individuals in positions of leadership.
Stogdill (a scholar) conducted two surveys in order to better understand the relationship between leadership and personal characteristics. The results of these surveys are published in Northouse (2010). The first survey, conducted between 1904 and 1947, identified eight major characteristics of a great leader. According to the survey, a leader is a non-passive person who uses his characteristics to help him lead others and solve problems.
Stogdill demonstrates in his second survey, conducted in 1974, that there is a balance between trait and leadership, implying that a leader emerges as a result of both personal characteristics and situational factors. These characteristics include taking responsibility for his decisions and actions, task completion, the desire to pursue goals, and the ability to stay on track. Others are self-assurance, tolerance, the ability to influence others’ behavior, and sociability.
Mann (as cited in Northouse, 2010) conducted a similar study and came to the tentative conclusion that traits can be used to differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Lord and his colleagues discovered that intelligence, dominance, and masculinity are very important to a leader and can be used as a basis for differentiating leaders from non-leaders after reassessing Mann’s findings using a sophisticated procedure (meta-analysis).
Recognizing this, scholars like Kirkpatrick and Locke (as cited in Northouse, 2010) stated, “……it is unequivocally clear that leaders are not like other people” (Northouse, 2010: p. 23). According to a qualitative synthesis of their work, the six traits that make up the “right stuff” for leaders are confidence, task knowledge, integrity, cognitive ability, and motivation. According to the work of other researchers such as Marlow and Zaccaro, an aspect of social intelligence is associated with leadership traits.
The ability of a leader to positively relate to others is referred to as intelligence. These are verbal, perpetual, and reasoning abilities, problem-solving abilities, and social-judgment skills. This means that for leadership to be effective, leaders’ intelligence quotients must differ significantly from those of their subordinates. Self-assurance is another characteristic shared by leaders. Such leaders have a strong sense of self-worth, self-assurance, and the conviction that they can make a difference.
The majority of the leaders are determined. It is easier to complete a task when you demonstrate characteristics such as initiative, optimism, persistence, and drive. According to the trait approach to leadership, another common trait in leaders is integrity. Leaders are dependable and truthful. In contrast to their non-leader counterparts, such leaders are also principled while also appearing responsible. As a result, those who are led have faith in their leader’s abilities.
At the end of the day, those who are led develop loyalty and trust in the leader. Finally, the ability to associate with people from various social backgrounds and form pleasant relationships is a key characteristic of a leader. This trait is distinguished by interpersonal skills such as tact, friendliness, courteousness, and the use of diplomacy to resolve conflicts.
To summarize, the trait approach to leadership focuses on the critical traits that a leader should possess in order to achieve effective leadership. As a result, the model revolves around the leader and his personality. If the model’s assumptions are correct, the profile of leaders in an organization will be known, ensuring that they are qualified for managerial positions.
There are several advantages to taking a trait-based approach to leadership. One of the benefits of using this model is that because traits of an individual emerge naturally, those who are bold enough take on managerial positions. Despite their differences, leaders share characteristics that are regarded as gifts that enable them to perform extraordinary actions. This can be used by the organization to achieve its goals.
This model benefits from the various studies that it has undergone over the last century. As a result, when compared to other models, it can be said to be credible. This model also establishes standards against which leaders are evaluated. It also provides invaluable information to managers, supervisors, and subordinates, allowing them to understand their leaders in a deeper and more intricate way and to look for future leaders.
The lack of a definitive list of traits that can be used to assess leaders, on the other hand, is a significant challenge. This has occasionally resulted in ambiguity and uncertainty. Some leaders (as previously mentioned) emerged as a result of circumstances. These situations change rapidly, and the effects of such changes have not been accounted for in this model. Some critics argue that this approach cannot be used to train and develop leaders because training cannot raise their IQ.
The approach emphasizes the significance of physical and physiological characteristics, which limits its applicability in teaching and training leaders. Finally, the major characteristics of a leader have been determined subjectively using this approach. As a result, it has given these characteristics meaning, causing them to lose their original meaning.
The author recognizes these flaws, but when weighed against the usefulness of other approaches, the trait approach to leadership appears more credible. This is due to the fact that these characteristics cannot be forged, and history has shown that most leaders are bold and outspoken.
They exhibit integrity, self-confidence, determination, and sociability. Interaction with management on a regular basis in an organization is extremely beneficial because it demonstrates that the leader understands and respects the formal hierarchy. To fully utilize this approach, a personality test should be administered to all candidates in order to select the best overall leader.
We are transitioning from a knowledge-based to a wisdom-based economy; what you know is no longer as important as what you do with what you know. Allow your leaders to do what they know they are capable of doing. Allow them to think out of the box.
https://ivypanda.com/essays/trait-approach-to-leadership-case-study/
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu
Exercise 5:2: Leadership Pizza
This leadership development activity provides a self-assessment framework for people to identify the skills, attributes, and attitudes that they believe are important for effective leadership and then assess their own development in these areas. In a coaching process, this framework is also a great tool for setting individual leadership development goals.
Leadership Pizza Example: https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/leadership-pizza
Instructions:
Don’t we all like pizza? Besides the good taste, this time the slices offer a leadership self-assessment opportunity.
This exercise can help people to reflect on the different dimensions of what skills and attitudes they need in order to be a good leader.
Flow:
1. You start the exercise by presenting the model of the Leadership Pizza: It is a reflection and self-assessment tool where you think about the most important skills and attitudes that you need to master in order to be a great leader.
2. You may present your own version of the leadership pizza to demonstrate an example. Emphasize that your version is just an example, and they should think about what is important for leadership in their own perspective.
3. Assign time for participants to prepare their own set of important leadership skills and attributes and ask them to draw a pizza shape and label the slices with the items they listed.
4. At this point, you may ask people to share their drawings with the group and explain which labels they have chosen. You may discuss certain decisions and identify common patterns in the group’s perception of a good leader.
5. Ask participants to assess themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 for each slice. (10 is the edge if the slice, 1 is the core of the pizza). This self-assessment should serve as a baseline for setting up their own personal goals for leadership development. The areas where they find them weaker should receive more focus in their future development.
You may use this tool in coaching and mentoring sessions, too.
Encourage people to set a follow-up action within a few months of time to revisit their Leadership Pizza. They should re-assess themselves, celebrate their development and refine their next goals.
Variations:
Instead of asking participants to create their own Leadership Pizza, you present a ready-made framework that shows the leadership dimensions you want people to reflect on and conduct their self-assessment. This option offers an easy way of comparing self-assessment results between people. (While the original version has the benefit for every individual to express their own priorities in leadership.)
Examples:
Example dimensions for a Leadership Pizza
• Integrity
• Vision & Inspire
• Empathy
• Value & Acknowledge People
• Passion & Purpose
• Self-awareness
• Self-efficiency
• Prioritization
Course Manual 3: Leadership Styles
“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” ― Roy T. Bennett
Wikipedia’s Definition of Leadership Style:
A leadership style is a leader’s method of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Various authors have proposed identifying many different leadership styles as exhibited by leaders in the political, business, or other fields. Studies on leadership style are conducted in the military field, expressing an approach that stresses a holistic view of leadership, including how a leader’s physical presence determines how others perceive that leader. The factors of physical presence in this context include military bearing, physical fitness, confidence, and resilience. The leader’s intellectual capacity helps to conceptualize solutions and to acquire knowledge to do the job. A leader’s conceptual abilities apply agility, judgment, innovation, interpersonal tact, and domain knowledge. Domain knowledge encompasses tactical and technical knowledge as well as cultural and geopolitical awareness.
The importance of cultivating a leadership style
According to an Indeed survey, 55 percent of employers believe that asking about leadership skills during an interview is the most accurate way of determining a candidate’s ability to succeed in a role.
As you gain leadership experience, you will most likely use a variety of processes and methods to achieve your employer’s goals and meet the needs of the employees who report to you. To be an effective manager, you may employ a variety of leadership styles at any given time.
By spending the time to become acquainted with each of these types of leadership, you may be able to identify areas in which you can improve or broaden your own leadership style. You can also identify alternative leadership styles that may better serve your current goals, as well as learn how to work with managers who have a different leadership style than yours.
(Image by Indeed Career Guide)
Common leadership styles:
1. Coach (motivational)
2. Visionary (progress-focused and inspirational)
3. Servant (humble and protective)
4. Autocratic (authoritarian and result-focused)
5. Laissez-faire or hands-off (autocratic and delegatory)
6. Democratic (supportive and innovative)
7. Pacesetter (helpful and motivational)
8. Transformational (challenging and communicative)
9. Transactional (performance-focused)
10. Bureaucratic (hierarchical and duty-focused)
Different types of leadership styles
Here are ten of the most common leadership styles, along with their advantages, disadvantages, and examples.
1. Coaching Leadership Style
A coaching leader is someone who can quickly identify the strengths, weaknesses, and motivations of their team members in order to help each individual improve. This type of leader frequently assists team members in setting smart goals and then provides regular feedback on difficult projects to promote growth. They are adept at establishing clear expectations and fostering a positive, motivating environment.
The coach leadership style is one of the most beneficial to both employers and the employees they manage. Unfortunately, it is frequently one of the most underutilized styles of leadership, owing to the fact that it can be more time-consuming than other types of leadership.
If you meet the following criteria, you may be:
• Are encouraging
• Instead of issuing commands, provide guidance.
• Consider learning to be a means of growth. Pose guided questions.
• Maintain a balance between passing on knowledge and assisting others in discovering it for themselves.
• Are self-aware
Benefits: Coaching leadership is a positive experience that promotes the development of new skills, free-thinking, empowerment, revisiting company objectives, and cultivating a confident company culture. Leaders who coach are frequently regarded as valuable mentors.
Challenges: While this style has many benefits, it can be time consuming because it requires one-on-one time with employees, which can be difficult to obtain in a deadline-driven environment.
Example: A sales manager gathers their team of account executives for a meeting to discuss the previous quarter’s learnings. They begin the meeting by completing an assessment of the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
The manager then recognizes specific team members for exceptional performance and reviews the team’s accomplishments. Finally, the manager concludes the meeting by announcing a contest to kick off the next quarter, encouraging salespeople to exceed their targets.
2. Visionary Leadership Style
Visionary leaders have a powerful ability to propel progress and usher in periods of change by inspiring employees and earning their trust in new ideas. A visionary leader can also forge a strong organizational bond. They work hard to instill trust in both direct reports and colleagues.
A visionary leadership style is especially beneficial for small, fast-growing organizations, as well as larger organizations undergoing transformations or corporate restructuring.
You are a visionary leader if you are:
• Persistent and daring
• Strategic
• Risk-taking
• Inspirational
• Optimistic
• Innovative
• Magnetic
Benefits: Visionary leadership can assist businesses in growing, uniting teams and the overall company, and improving outdated technologies or practices.
Challenges: Because they are so focused on the big picture, visionary leaders may overlook important details or other opportunities. They may also forego resolving current issues in order to focus on the future, which may leave their team feeling unheard.
Example: A teacher may initiate a group at work for colleagues who want to assist students in resolving anxieties and issues that they are experiencing outside of school. The goal is to assist students in focusing better and succeeding in school. He has created testing methods that allow them to find meaningful ways to assist students in a timely and efficient manner.
3. Servant Leadership Style
Servant leaders believe that when team members feel personally and professionally fulfilled, they are more effective and more likely to consistently produce great work. They tend to achieve higher levels of respect as a result of their emphasis on employee satisfaction and collaboration.
Servant leadership is an excellent leadership style for organizations of any size or industry, but it is especially prevalent in nonprofits. These types of leaders are exceptional at boosting employee morale and re-engaging employees in their work.
You may be considered a servant leader if you:
• Motivate your group or team
• Have exceptional communication abilities
• You genuinely care about your team
• Encourage collaboration and participation
• Commit to professionalizing your team
Benefits: Servant leaders can increase employee loyalty and productivity, improve employee development and decision-making, foster trust, and develop future leaders.
Challenges: Servant leaders can burn out because they frequently prioritize the needs of their team over their own. They may struggle to be authoritative when necessary.
Example: A product manager may hold monthly one-on-one coffee meetings with anyone who has concerns, questions, or ideas about how to improve or use the product. This time is set aside for her to address the needs of and assist those who use the product in any capacity.
4. Autocratic Leadership Style
This type of leader, also known as the “authoritarian style of leadership,” is primarily concerned with results and efficiency. They frequently make decisions alone or with a small, trusted group, and they expect employees to do exactly what is asked of them. It can be useful to think of these leaders in terms of military commanders.
Autocratic leadership can be beneficial in organizations with strict guidelines or in industries that rely heavily on compliance. It can also be useful with employees who require a lot of supervision, such as those with little to no experience. This leadership style, however, can stifle creativity and make employees feel confined.
You may be an autocratic leader if you do the following:
• Have self-confidence
• Are self-motivated
• Consistently and clearly communicate
• Stick to the rules
• Are trustworthy
• Highly structured environments are highly valued
• Believe in the value of supervised work environments
Benefits: Autocratic leaders can increase productivity through delegation, provide clear and direct communication, and reduce employee stress by making quick decisions on their own.
Challenges: Autocratic leaders are prone to high levels of stress because they believe they are responsible for everything. These leaders are frequently resented by the team because they lack flexibility and frequently do not want to hear other people’s ideas.
Example: Prior to an operation, the surgeon carefully goes over the rules and procedures of the operating room with each team member who will be assisting during the procedure. She wants to make sure everyone is on the same page and that each procedure is carried out as precisely as possible so that the surgery goes as smoothly as possible.
5. Hands-off or Laissez-faire Leadership Style
The laissez-faire leadership style is the polar opposite of autocratic leadership, focusing on delegating many tasks to team members and providing little to no supervision. Because a laissez-faire leader does not spend as much time on employee management, they often have more time to devote to other projects. Managers may use this style of leadership when all team members are highly experienced, well-trained, and require little supervision. However, if employees are unclear about their leader’s expectations, or if some team members require consistent motivation and boundaries to work well, productivity may suffer.
You may be a laissez-faire leader if you do the following:
• Delegate effectively
• Believe in the right to choose
• Provide adequate resources and tools
• If necessary, will assume command
• Provide constructive feedback
• Develop leadership skills in your team
• Encourage a self-directed work environment
Benefits: This management style promotes accountability, creativity, and a relaxed work environment, which often leads to higher employee retention rates.
Challenges: A laissez-faire leadership style does not work well for new employees, who require guidance and hands-on support at first. This approach can also result in a lack of structure, leadership confusion, and employees who do not feel adequately supported.
Example: When welcoming new employees, Keisha explains that her engineers can set and maintain their own work schedules as long as they are tracking and meeting team goals. They are also free to learn about and participate in projects that are not part of their team.
6. Participatory or Democratic Leadership Style
The democratic style (also known as the “participative style”) is a hybrid of autocratic and laissez-faire leadership. A democratic leader solicits and considers feedback from their team before making a decision. A democratic leadership style is often credited with fostering higher levels of employee engagement and workplace satisfaction because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions matter.
Because this style of leadership encourages discussion and participation, it is ideal for organizations that value creativity and innovation, such as those in the technology industry.
You may be considered a democratic/participative leader if you:
• Believe group discussions are important
• When making decisions, provide the team with all available information.
• Encourage a work environment in which everyone shares their ideas.
• Are rational
• Are adaptable
• Are skilled at mediation
Benefits: Employees can feel empowered, valued, and unified under this leadership style. It has the potential to increase retention and morale. It also necessitates less managerial oversight because employees are typically involved in decision-making processes and are aware of what needs to be done.
Challenges: Because it takes a long time to organize large group discussions, gather ideas and feedback, discuss possible outcomes, and communicate decisions, this leadership style has the potential to be inefficient and costly. It can also put social pressure on team members who don’t like sharing ideas in groups.
Example: As a store manager, Jack has hired a number of brilliant and focused team members in whom he has faith. When it comes to storefronts and floor plans, Jack only serves as the final moderator, allowing his team to move forward with their ideas. He is on hand to answer questions and present potential improvements to his team.
7. Pacesetter Leadership Style
One of the most effective methods for achieving quick results is the pacesetting style. Pacesetter leaders are primarily concerned with performance, and they frequently set high standards and hold their team members accountable for meeting those standards.
While pacesetting leadership is motivating and useful in fast-paced environments where team members need to be energized, it is not always the best option for team members who require mentorship and feedback.
You may be a pacesetter leader if you:
• Set a high standard
• Concentrate on your objectives
• Are slow to applaud
• If necessary, I will step in to help achieve goals
• Are extremely knowledgeable
• Performance is more important than soft skills
Benefits: Pacesetting leadership motivates employees to meet goals and achieve business objectives. It encourages high-energy, dynamic work environments.
Challenges: Pacesetting leadership can lead to stressed-out employees because they are constantly pushed to meet a goal or deadline. Miscommunications or a lack of clear instructions can also occur in a fast-paced work environment.
Example: The leader of a weekly meeting recognized that taking an hour out of everyone’s schedule once a week did not justify the meeting’s purpose. She changed the meeting to a 15-minute standup with only those who had status updates to increase efficiency.
8. Transformational Leadership Style
The transformational style, like the coach style, emphasizes clear communication, goal setting, and employee motivation. The transformational leader, on the other hand, is motivated by a commitment to organizational objectives rather than putting the majority of one’s energy into each employee’s individual goals.
Because transformational leaders spend so much time on overarching goals, this style of leadership is best suited to teams that can handle a large number of delegated tasks without constant supervision.
If you meet the following criteria, you may be a transformational leader:
• Respect each other on your team
• Encourage others
• Motivate others to achieve their objectives
• Consider the big picture
• Values intellectually challenging your team
• Are imaginative
• Have a thorough understanding of the organization’s requirements
Benefits: Transformational leaders place a high value on personal connections with their teams, which can boost company morale and retention. Instead of being entirely goal-oriented, it also values the company’s and team’s ethics.
Challenges: Because transformational leaders focus on individuals, team or company successes may go unnoticed. These leaders are also prone to overlooking minor details.
Example: Reyna, for example, is hired to lead a marketing department. The CEO requests that she set new goals and organize teams to achieve those goals. She spends her first few months in her new position getting to know the company and its marketing employees. She gains a thorough understanding of current trends as well as organizational strengths. She has set clear targets for each of the teams that report to her after three months and has asked individuals to set goals that align with those.
9. Transactional Leadership Style
A transactional leader, similar to a pacesetter, is laser-focused on performance. The manager establishes predetermined incentives, usually in the form of monetary rewards for success and disciplinary action for failure, under this leadership style. Unlike the pacesetter leadership style, transactional leaders are also concerned with mentorship, instruction, and training in order to achieve goals and reap rewards.
While this type of leader is ideal for organizations or teams tasked with achieving specific goals, such as sales and revenue, it is not the best style of leadership for inspiring creativity.
If you have the following characteristics, you may be a transactional leader:
• Corporate structure is important
• Micromanage
• Never question authority
• Are pragmatic and practical
• Know the importance of reaching goals
• Are reactionary
Benefits: Transactional leaders facilitate goal achievement through short-term objectives and a well-defined structure.
Challenges: A company that is overly focused on short-term goals and does not have long-term goals may struggle with adversity. This style stifles creativity and is unmotivating to employees who are not rewarded financially.
Example: A bank branch manager meets with each team member biweekly to discuss how they can meet and exceed monthly company goals in order to receive bonuses. Each of the district’s top ten performers receives a monetary award.
10. Bureaucratic Leadership Style
Bureaucratic leaders, like autocratic leaders, expect their team members to follow the rules and procedures exactly as written.
The bureaucratic style emphasizes fixed duties within a hierarchy, with each employee having a set list of responsibilities and little need for collaboration and creativity. This style of leadership works best in highly regulated industries or departments, such as finance, health care, or government.
If you have the following characteristics, you may be a bureaucratic leader:
• Are detail-oriented and task-oriented
• Structure and value rules
• Have a strong work ethic
• Are self-confident
• Are dedicated to your organization
• Are self-disciplined
Benefits: The bureaucratic leadership style can be effective in organizations that must adhere to strict rules and regulations. Each member of the team/company has a distinct role, which leads to efficiency. To avoid clouding the team’s ability to achieve goals, these leaders separate work from relationships.
Challenges: Because this style does not encourage creativity, it may feel restrictive to some employees. This leadership style is also slow to change and does not thrive in a dynamic environment.
Example: Managers in a Department of Motor Vehicles office, for example, direct their employees to work within a specific, defined framework. They must follow a series of steps in order to complete a task with strict order and rules.
“You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” — Ken Kesey
How to Select and Develop a Leadership Style
It can be beneficial to choose a leadership style that feels authentic to you if you are interested in the leadership path or looking for more structure in your leadership approach. Some questions you might ask yourself when deciding which style is best for you are:
• What is more important to me, goals, or relationships?
• Do I believe in structure or in the freedom to choose?
• Would I rather make a decision on my own or as a group?
• Do I prioritize short-term or long-term objectives?
• Is motivation derived from empowerment or from direction?
• How does a healthy team dynamic appear to me?
These are just a few examples of questions to ask yourself while reading about leadership styles to help you decide which one best fits you. Consider the following strategies to help you develop your leadership style:
Experiment. Experiment with different approaches in different situations and pay attention to the results. Be willing to change your approach.
Look for a mentor. Speaking with a more experienced leader can provide valuable insight into how they developed their style and what worked for them.
Request feedback. Although it can be difficult to hear, constructive feedback can help you grow into a successful leader. Seek feedback from people you can trust to give you an honest answer.
Be authentically you. If you try to perfect a leadership style that contradicts your personality or morals, it will come across as inauthentic. Choose a leadership style that complements your strengths and work to improve it.
While one leadership style may be effective in a particular job—for example, autocratic leaders perform well in military settings—the best leadership is a combination of these styles. Knowing what style to use in the workplace takes time, practice, and emotional intelligence. Remember that most leaders use a variety of styles to achieve different goals at different points in their careers.
While you may have excelled in one role by using one type of leadership, another position may necessitate a different set of habits to ensure your team is operating as efficiently as possible. You can choose the best leadership style for your current situation if you understand each of these leadership styles and the outcomes they are designed to achieve.
Exercise 5:3: Your Leadership Coat of Arms
Participants in this leadership development activity are asked to create their own coat of arms that represents the most important aspects of their leadership philosophy. The coat of arms drawings are then debriefed and discussed with the group as a whole.
Following the exercise, you may create a coat of arms gallery displaying the group members’ leadership approach and philosophy.
Goal:
To assist participants in reflecting on their leadership philosophy and identifying their key leadership values.
Instructions:
In ancient and medieval times, a coat of arms was an emblem – unique design often painted on a shield – to represent an individual person, family, or state.
Each symbol on the coat of arms represents something that has an important meaning to that person or country.
Every leader has certain things and values that they value and find important. Values that guide the leader’s behavior and embodies the leadership philosophy of the person.
In this exercise, participants are asked to create their own Leadership Coat of Arms.
Steps:
1. Brief participants about drawing their own Leadership Coat of Arms. Explain briefly the importance of consistent values in leadership and ask them to reflect what beliefs and values they find important as a leader
2. Give a sheet of A4 paper or flipchart and a sharpie for each participant and assign 10-15 minutes of time for them to draw their coat of arms, representing the 4 most important items they value in leadership. Encourage participants to not be concerned about how nice their drawing is, the main thing is expressing what they think is important for a leader.
3. After everyone finished their drawing, ask participants to share and explain their drawings (you may do it in groups of 4-6 participants, if you have many participants). Questions to consider:
4. What items did you add to your Leadership Coat of Arms?
5. Why are they important for you?
6. After the discussion and debriefing round, you may ask participants to stick their coat of arms drawings to the wall, so you have a visual gallery of Leadership Coat of Arms
https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/your-leadership-coat-of-arms
Course Manual 4: Leadership Principles
There are many different styles of leadership, and what works for one leader may not work for another. As a result, each leader must have a set of principles that apply to them and their organization. Certain principles, however, can be found in all styles of leadership, such as showing people how to do a good job rather than simply telling them what to do. This is one distinction that distinguishes a great leader from a manager or supervisor. A leader should be involved in their work at all times and have a genuine desire to see the organization succeed.
What are the principles of leadership?
Leadership principles are a set of actions or guiding beliefs that leaders can use to help them succeed. The effectiveness with which a leader motivates and guides their employees determines how well an organization, company, or business performs.
Leadership principles are a framework that a leader can take to inspire others to work together toward a common goal—they are the foundation for success.
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The most important leadership principles
There are numerous leadership styles and theories about what factors contribute to the best leaders. The following leadership principles are widely regarded as critical to success:
• Lead by example.
• People are at the heart of leadership.
• Concentrate on change.
• Be human and admit your errors.
• Recognize the importance of listening.
• Develop your leadership skills.
• Encourage diversity.
• Collaborate to achieve more.
• Have strong values.
• Make use of technology and innovation.
• Assist in the development of future leaders.
1. Lead by example.
Many successful leaders demonstrate how to act, complete tasks, and carry out their responsibilities. A good leader must be able to motivate and encourage others, as well as model excellent behavior. The most successful businesses and organizations have leaders who help their employees understand the importance of their vision and demonstrate how everyone can collaborate to achieve that goal in their role.
People find it difficult to believe in an idea or point of view if their leader is not also committed to the vision and empowering their employees or followers to take appropriate action. When you lead by example, your followers will notice that you are confident and dedicated, and they will want to emulate your behavior.
2. People are at the heart of leadership.
Leadership requires you to communicate and engage with your team. Any leader must be able to interact with others and communicate effectively. Leadership will be difficult if you are unable to communicate your vision to others. As a leader, you should strive to have the best relationship possible with each member of your team. This includes not only relating to those in top-level management, but also to those in lower-level positions and everyone in between.
Leaders should strive to constantly improve their relationships, interpersonal skills, and influence over those around them.
3. Concentrate on change.
Transformation should be at the heart of every leadership strategy. People must understand your goals and objectives, as well as their role in transforming the organization. They may be more willing to work toward the goals if they understand the direction and changes that must be made. As a leader, you will do the same if you encourage others to change and grow. Change for the better, not just for financial gain, should be your priority. Concentrate on the big picture and have the drive to make things happen.
4. Be human and admit your errors.
Everyone makes mistakes, but it can be beneficial for others to see a leader admit their mistakes because it makes them more relatable. Mistakes can reveal where you went wrong and how to improve in the future. A wise leader learns from each experience and applies what they have learned to teach their employees and themselves about the areas in which they need to focus in order to grow as an organization.
When people are unwilling to accept responsibility, they can lose faith in others. When a leader admits to making a mistake, they are often regarded more favorably.
5. Recognize the importance of active listening.
Learn to listen more often than you speak. When you listen, you might learn something new that will help you lead more effectively. Leaders are excellent listeners, this does not imply that they must agree with everything they hear, but rather that they must attempt to understand and make sense of it.
Human understanding is divided into two levels: intellectual and emotional. This is the intellectual level when you understand what someone is saying. You have an emotional level of understanding if you understand how they are feeling. A good leader should be aware of both. When a leader takes the time to listen and process what they are saying, people feel valued and respected. (We’ll take a deeper dove on this topic below)
6. Develop your leadership skills.
A leader’s behavior and actions define them, and a good leader possesses specific skills and characteristics that enable them to lead effectively.
To be a great leader, you must first identify the skills you require and then work to develop them. Determine your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your leadership strategy. You must be aware of your own behaviors and attitudes, as well as how they affect your ability to lead. You must constantly work on and strive to improve your skills because they determine how successful your leadership style will be.
7. Encourage diversity.
A leader should embrace diversity and capitalize on the benefits it can bring to a company. When everyone has the same background and experience, there is a limited field of expertise; however, when there is a diverse range, you may be able to approach things differently and discover new perspectives.
A diverse workforce fosters innovation and new ideas, increasing the likelihood of success. Many schools of thought now believe that diversity is essential for achieving business goals such as profit and growth. A leader must recognize the value of diversity and strive to build teams that value it.
8. Collaborate to achieve more.
Collaboration is the act of working with others to share information, strategies, and successes, and every great leader recognizes the value of it. Organizations can cooperate and collaborate without jeopardizing healthy competition. A leader should recognize the advantages of working collaboratively.
9. Have strong values.
An effective leader must have a clear vision and strong values in order to inspire and motivate their followers. Values are important because they demonstrate that you are a credible leader. Profit is important in any business, but it should not be the only value that a leader strives for. Employees value working as part of a great team, having flexible working hours, job security, training and development, a pleasant working environment, and a job that allows them to feel as though they are making a difference.
People prefer to work with a leader who understands their values and needs and has authentic values that they follow.
10. Make use of technology and innovation.
Because technology is widely used in the workplace, as a leader you should take advantage of the benefits that technology can bring to your organization. Technology can aid in the operation of a business by increasing productivity, facilitating entry into new markets, and assisting in the achievement of the company’s vision. New technologies make global communication easier, which aids in collaboration. Teams can now collaborate even if they are in different countries.
Understanding and educating yourself on the technologies used in your organization is critical to strong leadership. You can then improve how they are used to get the most out of them. It is also critical to understand what obstacles may exist and how to overcome them. The available technology or future innovations may have an impact on your future vision.
11. Assist in the development of future leaders.
There is always a need for good leadership, and part of being a great leader is ensuring that someone else can take over your role if you are unable to. Thinking about the future in this way is a powerful leadership characteristic. The organization will benefit from having a plan in place that ensures there is no time gap when there is no leader to look to. Employees are motivated to take ownership of their work when they are educated on how to become leaders.
Leaders must understand the importance of education and skill development, as well as be able to identify and mentor individuals who have the potential to become future leaders.
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” ― Ronald Reagan
Communication Skills and Active Listening
Communication skills are beneficial in and out of the workplace. Having the ability to clearly communicate instructions, ideas and concepts can help you find success in any career. With practice, anyone can develop their communication skills.
Active listening is one of the most important skills in effective communication. Developing this soft skill will assist you in developing and maintaining relationships, solving problems, improving processes, and remembering information such as instructions, procedures, and expectations.
Consider the following background and examples to help you understand active listening skills and learn how to improve your own.
What exactly is active listening?
The ability to focus completely on a speaker, understand their message, comprehend the information, and respond thoughtfully is referred to as active listening. Unlike passive listening, which is the act of hearing a speaker but not remembering what they said, this highly valued interpersonal communication skill ensures you can engage and recall specific details without needing information repeated.
Active listeners use both verbal and nonverbal cues to demonstrate and maintain their focus on the speaker. This not only helps you focus, but it also ensures that the speaker sees you are focused and engaged. An active listener carefully considers the speaker’s words and commits the information to memory rather than thinking about and mentally rehearsing what you might say when the speaker is finished.
What are the benefits of active listening in the workplace?
Whether you’re looking for a new job, aiming for a promotion, or looking to advance in your current position, improving your active listening skills will help you succeed. This soft skill, like critical thinking and conflict resolution, will help you increase your value as an employee.
Here are a few benefits to being an active listener:
1. It helps you build relationships.
Active listening makes it easier for others to share information with you. People will be more interested in communicating with you on a regular basis if you demonstrate your ability to sincerely listen to what others have to say. This can help you collaborate with others, get work done quickly, or start new projects. All of these factors can contribute to your professional success.
2. It aids in the development of trust.
People are more likely to confide in you if they know they can speak freely to you without interruptions, judgment, or unwelcome interjections. This is especially useful when meeting a new customer or business contact with whom you hope to establish a long-term working relationship.
3. It aids in the identification and resolution of problems.
Actively listening to others will assist you in detecting challenges and difficulties that others are experiencing, as well as problems within projects. The sooner you identify these issues, the sooner you can find a solution or develop a plan to address them.
4. It aids in the expansion of your knowledge and understanding of various topics.
Great employees are always looking for new ways to learn and expand their knowledge. Because active listening aids in information retention, it will also assist you in better understanding new topics and remembering what you’ve learned so that you can apply it in the future.
5. It assists you in avoiding the omission of critical information.
Active listeners can recall specific details because they are deeply engaged with the speaker. This is especially important when the speaker is giving you instructions, training you on a new process, or delivering a message that you are responsible for relaying to others.
By incorporating the aforementioned verbal and nonverbal techniques into future conversations, you can work toward developing stronger relationships and remembering more information from your workplace interactions. It takes practice to improve and maintain active listening skills. The more you use these techniques, the more natural they’ll feel.
How to Become an Active Listener
Here are some active listening exercises to help you improve your interpersonal communication skills:
Active verbal listening skills:
Paraphrase
Summarize the main point(s) of the message the speaker shared to show you fully understand their meaning. This will also give the speaker an opportunity to clarify vague information or expand their message.
Example: “So what you’re saying is, your current content management system no longer meets your teams’ technical needs because it doesn’t support large video files.”
Ask Open Ended Questions
Summarize the main point(s) of the speaker’s message to demonstrate that you fully understand its meaning. This also allows the speaker to clarify any ambiguous information or expand on their message.
Example: “You’re correct—the onboarding procedure could use some updating.” What changes would you like to see implemented in the process over the next six months?”
Inquire about specific details
Ask direct questions to elicit more information from the reader or to narrow down a broad subject or topic.
Example: “Tell me more about your current workload. Which of these projects will take the most time?”
Make use of brief verbal affirmations.
Short, positive statements will make the speaker feel more at ease and demonstrate that you’re engaged and capable of processing the information they’re providing. Small verbal affirmations allow you to continue the conversation without interrupting or disrupting the speaker’s flow.
Example: “I understand.” “I see.” “Yes, that makes sense.” “I agree.”
Exhibit empathy
Make sure the speaker understands that you can recognize and share their emotions. By demonstrating compassion rather than simply feeling it, you can connect with the speaker and begin to build mutual trust.
Example: “I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this problem.” Let’s talk about how I can help.”
Discuss similar experiences.
Discussing similar situations will not only demonstrate to the speaker that you have correctly interpreted their message, but it will also help you build relationships. If the speaker has shared a problem, providing feedback on how you overcame similar challenges is beneficial to others.
Example: “I, too, had a difficult time getting started with this program.” But it gets a lot easier after that. After only a few weeks, I felt completely at ease with all of the features.”
Recall previously shared details.
Try to recall key concepts, ideas, or other critical points that the speaker has previously shared with you. This demonstrates you’re not only listening to what they’re saying currently, but you’re able to retain information and recall specific details.
Example: “Last week you mentioned adding a more senior coordinator to help with this account, and I think that’s a fantastic idea.”
Active nonverbal listening abilities
Nod
A few simple nods to the speaker show that you understand what they’re saying. A nod is a helpful, supportive cue that does not necessarily communicate that you agree with the speaker, but rather that you understand the meaning of their message.
Smile
A small smile, like a nod, encourages a speaker to continue speaking. However, unlike a nod, it conveys that you agree with their message or are pleased with what they have to say. A smile can be used in place of a short verbal affirmation to help diffuse tension and ensure the speaker feels at ease.
Avoid movements that are distracting.
Being still can convey concentration. To accomplish this, avoid actions such as glancing at your watch or phone, audibly sighing, doodling, or tapping a pen. You should also refrain from exchanging verbal or nonverbal communications with anyone else who is listening to the speaker. This can make the speaker feel irritated and uneasy.
Continue to make eye contact.
Maintain your gaze on the speaker at all times and avoid looking at other people or objects in the room. Just make sure to maintain a natural gaze and use nods and smiles to ensure you’re encouraging them rather than making them feel intimidated or uneasy.
Exercise 5:4: Active Listening
This activity supports participants in reflecting on a question and generating their own solutions using simple principles of active listening and peer coaching. It’s an excellent introduction to active listening but can also be used with groups that are already familiar with this activity. Participants work in groups of three and take turns being “the subject” who will explore a question, “the listener” who is supposed to be totally focused on the subject, and “the observer” who will watch the dynamic between the other two.
Goal:
Helps participants to reflect on a question and generate their own solutions using simple principles of active listening and peer coaching.
Materials:
• Flipchart
• Markers
Instructions:
Step 1:
Do a brief introduction to active listening. Explain that often, when we reflect and discuss, we tend to focus on multiple individuals and questions at once, moving around our attention and focus. Meanwhile, when we listen to others, we tend to do so in a discussion-oriented way, thinking about “what will I say next”, rather than listening to the other with full presence and attention. One powerful way to explore a question or a problem is to use active listening with focus on one person at a time. For this exercise, this is what we will do.
Optionally, make a list together with the group of “What makes good active listening?” Invite people to spontaneously offer answers and write them on a flipchart.
Step 2:
Using a flipchart, Introduce the three roles that individuals will take on during the exercise.
The subject:
The subject’s role is to explore the question or problem from his/her personal perspective. The person in this role should keep in mind: allow the focus to be on you, and let your reflection flow naturally, being guided by the active listener.
The active listener:
The active listener’s role is to listen will full presence and focus. To listen with the whole body, to be curious, observe, paraphrase what he/she hears and guide the subject with open questions. This person should keep in mind: ask open questions to support the subject’s reflection; do not offer advice; listen with the whole body.
The observer:
The observer’s role is to observe the process without speaking. To make observations from an outside perspective, to see and hear things that the listener and subject may not. This person should keep in mind: stay silent throughout the process; observe and make notes about what you see and hear; after the subject finishes, share the observations with the others.
Step 3:
Set up the question or problem. The question or problem is what each subject will explore and reflect upon. It could be a common question for the whole group (e.g., “What are the biggest barriers to change in my work and how can I work to overcome them?”) or each subject can set his or her own question or problem (e.g., Choose a challenge in the workplace that you are struggling with currently.) Ensure that all participants understand what they should explore and reflect upon.
Step 4:
Have participants organize into groups of three. Make it clear that each participant should have each role for a set amount of time. Give groups one hour or more so that each round can last 20 minutes. Explain that groups should pay attention to the time and make sure that there are three equal rounds.
Step 5:
Once participants have finished, debrief the exercise, using questions like:
• What happened for me during the exercise?
• How did it feel to be the observer?
• How did it feel to be the subject?
• How did it feel to be the active listener?
• What did I learn about myself?
• How can I apply insights from this exercise?
https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/active-listening-yrtil3
Course Manual 5: Roles and Responsibilities
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
A leadership position requires you to manage a situation, a team, or an entire organization in an ethical and effective manner. Leaders have the ability to influence and guide their team in the pursuit of a common goal. They are also in charge of boosting and sustaining employee morale, assisting employees in reaching their full potential, and inspiring employee loyalty.
A leader’s primary roles in an organization are as follows:
1. Leadership is a function that is required at all levels of management. It is critical at the highest levels to obtain cooperation in the formulation of plans and policies. It is required at the middle and lower levels for the interpretation and execution of plans and programs framed by top management. Leadership can be demonstrated by guiding and counseling subordinates during plan execution.
2. Representative of the organization – A leader, i.e., a manager, is referred to as the enterprise’s representative. She must represent the company at seminars, conferences, and general meetings, among other things. Her role is to communicate the enterprise’s rationale to others.
3. Integrates and reconciles personal goals with organizational goals – A leader’s leadership traits aid in reconciling/integrating employees’ personal goals with organizational goals. She is attempting to coordinate people’s efforts toward a common goal and, as a result, achieves objectives. This is only possible if she can persuade others to work with her and if he has a strong desire to achieve her goals.
4. Solicits support – A leader is a manager, but she is also someone who entertains and invites subordinates’ support and cooperation. This she can do because of her personality, intelligence, maturity, and experience, all of which can lead to positive outcomes. In this regard, a leader must solicit suggestions and, if possible, incorporate them into enterprise plans and programs.
5. A leader must be three dimensional in order to be a friend, philosopher, and guide. She can be a friend to the employees by sharing their feelings, opinions, and desires. She can be a philosopher by utilizing his intelligence and experience and guiding the employees as needed. She can serve as a guide by supervising and communicating top management’s plans and policies to employees in order to secure their cooperation in achieving the company’s goals. By counseling and using a problem-solving approach, she can also play the role of a counselor at times. She can listen to employees’ problems and try to solve them.
Examples of Leadership Roles
1. Coach
As a workplace leader, you must also be a coach. In a coaching role, you can provide the assistance your employees may require to succeed in their positions. A coach-leader provides opportunities for their employees to showcase their work and have others in the workplace recognize their abilities. A coach meets with each team member individually to provide feedback and constructive criticism. They help employees overcome challenges and celebrate their successes.
2. Business networker
A leader must be able to communicate with people both inside and outside of the organization. It will help to strengthen the organization’s relationships with its colleagues, different teams, suppliers, and customers, allowing the business to grow. Attending seminars, corporate events, and conferences can help you become a successful networker by giving you access to a variety of people, resources, and information.
3. Communicator
It is critical that you are an effective communicator as a leader. As a leader, you may need to communicate with a variety of people, including team members, subordinates, clients, and suppliers. You must also share meeting details, sales strategies, policies, and team goals with your team members in a motivating and inspiring manner. You may also be required to make presentations to a larger group of people and write reports for upper management. As a result, as a leader, you should be proficient in both verbal and written communication.
4. Delegate
A delegator is someone who assigns tasks or asks others to take on additional responsibilities, often in response to business needs. To be an effective leader, you must be able to identify each member of your team’s unique strengths and delegate responsibilities accordingly for increased productivity. Leaders also delegate additional responsibilities to employees in order to provide them with opportunities to learn new skills and demonstrate their worth.
5. Strategist
As a leader, you should also be able to strategize ways to tackle a project or help the company succeed. As a strategist, you determine the team’s overarching goals and develop the best processes to achieve those goals. A strategist also communicates their vision to their team. When a leader is an effective strategist, their team will look to them for direction, and the entire organization will benefit.
6. Role model
A role model is someone who inspires others by demonstrating their values, personality, or actions. Others aspire to be like their role models. As a result, a team or organization’s leader should act in the same way that they expect their employees to act in the workplace, from adhering to corporate policy to interacting with customers, colleagues, and clients.
7. Motivator
Being a source of motivation for the team comes naturally to many leaders because they want to see their team succeed. As a leader, you should understand how to motivate your team, inspire them to action, and assist them in realizing their full potential. When a leader can serve as a mentor to their team, it motivates employees to work harder, produce better work, and strive for greater responsibility at work.
8. Adapter
You must be adaptable as a leader. Even if you have a planned schedule, the unexpected can happen at any time, and you must be able to adapt as needed. A leader, for example, may need to be adaptable if an employee calls in sick, if a client changes their mind about a project, or if the company faces budget cuts. When a leader is adaptable, it sets the tone for the rest of the team to be adaptable and change course as needed.
9. Trainer
Training new and existing employees is critical for the organization. As a trainer-leader, you may need to make employees understand the importance of learning new skills, assist them in understanding new department procedures, or provide team members with productivity tips. Employees will feel at ease and eager to learn new things if you are a good trainer as a leader.
10. Innovator
A good leader is always looking for ways to improve the existing work process and add value to the company. They also encourage other company employees to bring new ideas and collaborate with them to develop the best one. Leaders recognize that pleasant change is beneficial to the organization’s growth, as it encourages employees to step outside of their comfort zones and helps them grow as well.
5 Top Responsibilities of a Leader
1. Motivation and Inspiration – As a leader, you must persuade others to do the work required to run your business. You must abandon the notion of doing everything yourself and instead motivate others to complete tasks and achieve goals. Delegating some of your responsibilities is just as important as inspiring your employees to give their all and work tirelessly toward common goals. This will give your employees a sense of purpose, and you will be able to check off some of the goals and priorities that you set for your company.
2. Setting a Good Example as a Leader – You don’t always have a podium and a microphone at your disposal. You can sometimes set an example by your hard work, dedication, and optimism. Employees recognize you as an example to follow when they see you meeting with professionals, leading meetings, ensuring invoices are paid, following through on objectives, effectively prioritizing, and demonstrating unwavering reliability. They will be concerned if you appear concerned. They will be unsure if you appear unsure. They will make better decisions if you act decisively. Your employees are constantly watching you, so set a good example.
3. Vision Communication -All of your employees’ efforts are organized by your vision. You must communicate to your workforce your long-term goals, as well as how their daily activities relate to that long-term vision. Don’t delegate your company’s direction to employees; they look to you for guidance.
4. Setting Priorities for the Company -Divide your vision into objectives so you know what needs to be completed before moving on to the next. Employees may work hard, but if they are working on the wrong tasks, you will waste time and money trying to get them back on track. Setting priorities organizes your employees’ work and provides them with a sense of order.
5. Seeking Solutions – Unexpected problems will arise regardless of how strong your vision and how clear your priorities are. You must be convinced that every problem has a solution. Solve the problems yourself or delegate problem solving to responsible individuals. This will keep people motivated when problems arise. Give your newly discovered problems a fresh perspective. Present them as obstacles that must be successfully overcome. Demonstrate that you anticipate these challenges occurring at any time and that you are confident that you and your employees will find a solution.
Authority vs Leadership
The authority exercised is a type of legitimate power, and people follow figures wielding it because their positions require it, regardless of who holds the position. Leaders in organizations and elsewhere may have formal authority, but they rely on their informal authority over others to influence them.
Leaders are followed because they are trusted for their judgment and respected for their expertise, integrity, and so on, not because they hold a certain position. For example, M.K. Gandhi did not hold any official position to lead the Indian freedom struggle for the most part of his life.
It is also important to recognize that a formal authority and the power that emanates from it may not always be able to influence people in the desired manner because, during times of crisis and difficulty, people perceive it as coercion. Leadership, on the other hand, tends to create followers out of free will and choice, rather than forcing them to accept whatever is thrown their way.
Authority rarely allows for feedback, constructive criticism, or the opinions of those over whom it is exercised; however, leaders provide ample opportunity for their followers to express their thoughts and feedback.
When dealing with adults, the sole use of authority to direct and discipline them rarely works; instead, leadership provides a better approach of sharing and involving, thereby building rapports with followers and establishing long-term relationships. Authority can rarely persuade people to change their attitudes and behaviors in ways that have long-term effects and results; however, a leader inspires followers in self-modeled ways, and thus leadership demonstrates greater effectiveness in addressing people’s attitudes and behaviors.
Exercising authority can limit people’s approaches to finding solutions to issues and problems, whereas leadership encourages people to look beyond the obvious, think creatively, and sometimes come up with radical solutions.
Apart from that, according to Stephen R Covey, the most significant difference between the two is the moral authority that leaders have over their followers, which is lacking in the case of power from authority.
When leaders have moral authority over their subordinates by establishing synchrony in their words and actions, the rest of the organization’s structure and processes become aligned to it, resulting in a robust and transparent culture.
Authoritarian working styles also encourage individuals to work in silos, whereas in today’s organizations, leaders must have a complete picture and coordinate with other functions and departments as needed. It is difficult for managers and leaders to step outside their circle of authority and coordinate and interact with others. The need of the hour, and the more effective approach to leadership and management, is for leaders to step outside of their comfort zone and transition from exercising authority over a small group to leading the entire organization.
Individuals who do not rely on authority but instead lead others are the ones who have the privilege of seeing their ideologies and thoughts carried out by subsequent generations long after they have passed away. Even among those who held positions of responsibility, those who actually led their people are remembered and followed.
“Your role as a leader is even more important than you might imagine. You have the power to help people become winners.” – Kenneth H. Blanchard
Exercise 5:5: Leadership Advice from Your Role Model
This structured sharing activity provides a faster, cheaper, and better alternative to buying and reading a lot of books: You tap into the wisdom of the group—and of their role models.
Everyone is asked to think of a role model they admire and to consider whether a young person would approach these role models for leadership advice and what kind of advice they would give.
Facilitate a group discussion in which these pieces of advice are shared and opposing points are discussed and resolved. If the responses are diverse enough, this structured sharing activity could be a good introduction to the concept of situational leadership.
Goal:
To investigate various pieces of advice on leadership styles, traits, attitudes, behaviors, and skills. To identify and compare the similarities and differences between these pieces of leadership advice.
Materials:
• Index Cards
• Whistle
Instructions:
Flow of the Activity
Choose a role model. Everyone has at least one ideal leader whom they have met or read about. Ask each participant to choose a role model who has inspired them. A family member, a schoolteacher, a boss at work, a captain of the industry, a political leader, a sports coach, a military genius, a spiritual mentor, an inspiring writer, a fictional hero, or a prophetic guide could all serve as role models. Assure that each participant has a clear mental image of this leader.
Role Play the role model. Instruct participants to act out the role of the role model they chose. Assume that a young person is approaching this role model for leadership advice. Ask participants to write one important piece of advice they would give to this young person (in their assumed role) on an index card. Leadership styles, characteristics, attitudes, behaviors, or skills may be addressed in the advice. Encourage participants to stick to one or two short sentences. Participants should take a break while this task is completed.
Swap the advice cards. Assign each participant the task of turning the card with the written side down and exchanging it with someone else. Repeat this procedure until all cards have been exchanged quickly and repeatedly. Blow a whistle to get the attention of the participants and ask them to stop the process.
Read the advice. Request that each participant read the piece of advice on the card they received. Invite them to consider this piece of advice and how it might help them become a better leader. Encourage them to consider how they can apply this piece of advice in their personal and professional lives. Participants should take a break while they do this.
Read it aloud. At random, choose a participant. Request that this person stand up and read the advice from the card without revealing the role model. Request that everyone else pay close attention. Request that the participant read this piece of advice again if necessary.
Identify the role model. Allow everyone a minute to consider the piece of advice. Then, ask them to guess who the role model (leader) could be who gave this piece of advice. Allow participants to call out their best guesses. Mention how most leaders share similar characteristics, perceptions, behaviors, and ideas. As the participant who read this piece of advice, ask him or her to identify the role model listed on the card.
Read similar pieces of advice. Invite other participants to read aloud their cards containing similar pieces of advice. Identify minor differences between these concepts. Discuss the implications of these differences.
Read opposing viewpoints. Request that participants go over the advice on their cards and see if it contradicts the advice read earlier. Invite any participant who has such a diametrically opposed piece of advice to read it aloud from her card.
Resolve the differences. It should be noted that, while these pieces of advice contradict each other, it is not as if one is correct, and the other is incorrect. This is due to the fact that effective leadership necessitates a variety of adaptable styles based on the nature of the situation, the type of followers, and the leader’s personality. Discuss the circumstances in which each of the opposing pieces of advice would be useful.
Keep going with the process. Choose another random participant (who has not yet read the advice from her card) and read the advice from her card aloud. After that, guess the role model and read and discuss cards with similar and opposing viewpoints.
Choose a piece of advice. After the discussions, ask participants to reflect on the various pieces of advice they received from different role models and choose one to implement in their personal and professional lives. Remind participants not to count the number of pieces of advice they have received, but rather to make the one piece of advice they have chosen count. Encourage them to start using this piece of advice right away.
Adjustments:
Have you run out of time? You are not required to read and discuss all of the cards. Move to the final step whenever you want to end the activity (of personal selection and implementation). Collect all of the cards after the session, type up the advice, and send it to the participants.
Continuous Design:
The discussion of situational leadership is one of the key outcomes of this activity. This necessitates a sufficient number of contradictory pieces of advice (example: Do it now vs. Plan carefully; Tell people exactly what to do vs. Ask your followers for advice; Exude self-confidence vs. Maintain humility). Collect all of the advice cards after you’ve finished the game. Examine each item carefully and save the good ones, especially those with opposing advice. In subsequent games, have participants exchange their written cards for a card from your stock.
Course Manual 6: Leadership Development
“Great leaders encourage leadership development by openly developing themselves.” – Marshall Goldsmith
Leadership development is any initiative that helps people become better leaders in their businesses, nonprofit organizations, communities, or personal lives.
Leadership development is critical to an organization’s long-term success. But what factors contribute to a better leader? How can businesses make more informed decisions about who they hire and promote?
We’ll look at why it’s important to develop great leaders as well as some of the modern-day challenges that organizations face.
Challenges in Modern Leadership Development
Many organizations are experiencing a leadership gap, in which the demand for effective leadership is increasing while the supply of effective leadership is diminishing. Matt Beeton, former director within the Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace business, stated at a TEDx Oxbridge event in 2016 that 80 percent of leaders fail to impress in their first two years, 70 percent admit to being stressed, and more than 70 percent admit to not enjoying their job.
Poor leadership and dissatisfied employees aren’t the only issues. According to a Career Minds article, “organizations are experiencing an influx of baby boomer exits,” making it difficult to maintain a consistent pipeline of leaders in today’s society.
Another costly leadership breakdown is the miscommunication between employees and their leaders. According to studies, one out of every three employees does not trust their employer. While this may appear alarming, it is more surprising to learn that nearly 90% of people value professional recognition as much as financial recognition.
Employees want stronger leaders, greater leadership alignment, and leadership teams that can maintain effective communication and cultivate positive emotional relationships, according to these statistics.
Why is Leadership Development Important?
Every organization seeks “Superbosses,” leaders who can carry out a strategic vision, maintain clear communication, engage employees, promote a positive culture, and command respect while exhibiting high emotional intelligence. Doesn’t that seem like a tall order?
These are just a few of the leadership qualities that companies want to see in their employees. The question then becomes, are great leaders born that way, or can they be developed in the same way?
Organizational Leadership
One of the primary goals of leadership development is to ensure an organization’s long-term success, which necessitates deliberate practice and ongoing, company-wide commitment.
According to the Harvard Business Review, organizations fall short due to a lack of intuitive, collaborative, and dynamic leadership development programs designed to meet the unique challenges that today’s society presents.
Organizations must develop leaders who are emotionally intelligent and capable of fostering a positive culture now more than ever. With demand at an all-time high, organizational leadership development remains critical today.
Importance of Good Leadership
This observation well articulates the importance of business leadership: A good leader can make a weak business plan succeed, but a poor leader can ruin even the best plan.
As a result, developing effective leadership through a consistent talent management program is essential.
Significant business value can be realized at all levels of the organization.
Companies require leadership development programs that focus on hiring strategies, employee development, and career and succession planning in order to identify, attract, fill, and retain corporate leadership talent.
Climate of Leadership Today
Companies face two major challenges when it comes to identifying and developing leaders. They must identify qualified candidates to fill current and future leadership roles, as well as create a comprehensive leadership program to cultivate and develop tomorrow’s leaders.
Previously, leadership development was limited to a few individuals within an organization.
First-generation leadership development systems were siloed and/or difficult to use, and they were not widely adopted.
Companies required a system-enabled method for unifying methods of assessing and selecting leaders, executing skill-development programs, and measuring the success of these programs.
7 Effective Steps to Leadership Development
1. Determine Your Organization’s Best Leadership Style
There are numerous theories and techniques for determining the best leadership styles for a company. According to the situational leadership theory, the best type of leadership is determined by situational variables, and that no single leadership style applies to all workplace situations.
A head of corporate security, for example, would undoubtedly require a different leadership style -vastly different from an art museum director’s leadership style: authoritative vs. creative.
Poor organizational fit is one of the main reasons for the high failure rate of new CEOs—more than half never make it past the four-year mark. Leaders’ abilities can only take them so far if they are incompatible with the company culture. Here are two methods for determining a leader’s fit.
• Get to know them a little better. Psychological and behavioral assessments are commonly provided through Assessment center exercises have been linked to current and future success in leadership roles in a statistically significant way.
• Gain a better understanding of the culture. Inquire with your board of directors, employees, vendors, consultants, and others with connections to the organization about what makes an effective leader in the company.
To find alignments or disparities, use both sets of data. If there is a clear cultural conflict, be aware of it.
2. Identify Current and Potential Leaders Within the Company
Models of Competence
During performance reviews and career counseling sessions, competency models can be used to identify leadership potential. SHL, a leading assessment testing consultancy, developed one model that incorporates SHL’s Great Eight leadership competencies.
• Conceptualizing and creating
• Interpreting and analyzing
• Taking charge and making decisions
• Interacting with others and presenting
• Coping and adapting
• Assisting and cooperating
• Enterprising and talented
• Organizing and executing
Whether companies create their own competence model or use one like SHL’s, they must define success metrics and incorporate them into their performance management system.
This will aid in the development of evaluation criteria and competency standards from a must-know and must-demonstrate standpoint.
Internally and externally, leaders can be found. Companies must weigh the cost and timing of developing internal leadership against the cost and availability of external hiring.
Case Study: Whirlpool — Creating Demand for Positions Through Innovation12
With the use of technology and innovation, Whirlpool Corporation is able to attract the top talent it needs in order to meet the challenge of staying ahead of the demand curve. The company’s success can be measured by how fast it attracts and engages talent, an increased presence on college campuses to get that demographic excited about an appliance company, and increased interest in its leadership development program. What were the results? Applications to the career Website for leadership development programs tripled in 2008 and 2009
In addition, through innovation on the career Website, this century-old company is perceived by millennials as innovative, transparent, and fun. Whirlpool gives millennials what they want, by stressing creative solutions and thinking outside the box. Additionally, through project postings, Whirlpool is able to provide flexibility in its career development. This is one reason Whirlpool continues to win industry awards and recognition. BusinessWeek listed Whirlpool in 2008 as one of the best places to start a career, and Fortune placed the company on its “Top 20 Global Companies for Leaders” list.
3. Determine Leadership Gaps
Identifying leadership gaps requires an assessment of both individuals and the organization’s readiness. Companies should implement measures to help them fully recognize leadership gaps.
• Assess current and future leadership needs
• Contrast those needs with the current leadership team.
• Identify current leaders who may be on the verge of resigning.
• Develop succession plans for those who are about to leave or are planning to leave.
• Examine the pipeline for leadership development.
• Determine skill gaps and the time required to fill the position.
4. Create succession plans for key roles.
What is the significance of succession? According to former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and former Harvard Business Review editor Suzy Welch, a good succession plan boosts productivity. Succession planning prevents disruption and employee trauma when the CEO departs, whether the departure is expected or not. Succession planning should be company policy, and corporate boards should address it openly and deliberately.
Developing a succession plan for key roles should not be limited to executive positions. Companies should evaluate critical leadership roles throughout the organization as part of their leadership program.
Despite this, an i4cp pulse survey discovered that, while more than 70% of large companies have succession plans at the director level, only 41% have them at the executive level.
Case Study
A Bersin & Associates study found that a majority of companies implement succession management practices at only the most senior executive levels. Fewer than 40 percent of the respondents said their companies included midlevel managers and skilled professionals in succession planning initiatives, and just 11 percent included first-line supervisors.
Bersin’s research findings concluded that “enduring organizations”—those that survive and prosper over long periods of time—execute succession management practices across all levels of the organization.
This disparity highlights “key vulnerabilities in most organizations—a lack of bench strength at the supervisory and mid-level management levels and the neglect of high-potential talent in mission-critical roles.”
An analysis by company size shows that companies with more than 10,000 employees have a broader view of developing leadership talent across the organization.
Mentoring and Coaching
For grooming leadership, the apprentice model has seen a resurgence. Coaching and mentoring are becoming more popular as components of succession planning programs.
According to a 2008 American Medical Association (AMA) study, “Coaching: A Global Study of Successful Practices,” which surveyed more than 1,000 business leaders worldwide, nearly 60 percent of North American companies use coaching for high-potential employees frequently or a great deal, and 42 percent use coaching for executives to the same extent. These percentages were even higher in the same AMA study’s international sample.
Using social media in mentoring programs is becoming increasingly popular as a means of supporting external mentoring program.
Using Technology to Aid Succession Planning
For maximum effectiveness, succession planning should be supported by technology systems that allow you to:
• Develop backfill strategies based on data collected during the recruiting and performance review processes, as well as individual career plans.
• Add multiple candidates to a succession short list to see all of the best options without necessarily adding them to the plan.
• Compare multiple talent profiles, ranging from C-level executives to individual contributors, to quickly identify the best fit.
• Keep track of candidate readiness based on skills, competencies, and performance; promote top candidates based on relative ranking and composite feedback scores.
5. Create Career Planning Objectives for Potential Leaders
Career planning was once thought to be an individual’s responsibility. However, research shows that companies that support their employees’ career development benefit in terms of retention, engagement, and the protection of the leadership pipeline. In a 2008 Taleo Research study, employed college graduates were asked why they had left their first job; 61% left because the employer did not provide career advancement or organizational opportunities.
According to a Taleo Research paper titled “Engaging Times” published in 2009, workers require more than just a job. Even in a downturn, they require a higher level of engagement that employers are currently failing to provide.
• 45 percent have access to internal job opportunities
• 42 percent can see their next step up the career ladder
• 57 percent communicate with their employer about career opportunities
• 40 percent have access to online career resources.
Even if employees are not actively looking for work, one survey found that one in every three respondents had recently been approached by another organization hoping to entice them away, and that 77 percent of workers aged 36 to 40—right in the pipeline for leadership—last in new jobs for less than five years.
Companies that do not provide employees with career planning and advancement opportunities will be outperformed by their competitors. By allowing employees to view a career plan and generate their own, self-service career planning.
When employee development and career planning are combined, employees can not only explore potential career paths, but also track and progress through the development activities required to achieve them. Competencies can then be linked to relevant development activities, incorporating development planning directly into the performance review process, assisting with career development and succession planning.
6. Create a Roadmap for Future Leaders’ Skills
Once the high-potential employees have been identified, a skills roadmap for future leaders should be developed. People learn and develop new skills both inside and outside of the classroom, so a development program must support both traditional and nontraditional learning.
Coaching, rotational assignments, job shadowing, mentor relationships, and project leadership should all be included in an employee’s development plan to support less formal learning. At its core, the definition of learning should reflect nontraditional learning today and incorporate social networking tools into the development process.
Case Study
Coca-Cola—Leadership Development Delivers the Goods Stevens J. Sainte-Rose, group HR director at Coca-Cola, says, “The uniqueness of Coca-Cola is in engaging consumers with the brand, so marketing talent is key. Without the right people, we can’t deliver the winning formula.”
Coca-Cola therefore embarked on a pioneering bespoke program to not only identify its rising marketing stars but also to plan their development, ensuring that the company had a strong pipeline of highly creative and innovative thinkers who could be the marketing leaders of tomorrow filling senior vacancies around the world.
In developing a bespoke program, Coca-Cola chose to partner with international assessment consultancy SHL, which worked with Coca-Cola’s talent professionals and senior marketing leaders to create a two-day development program for high-potential marketers aspiring to become senior marketing leaders.
Looking to its strongest-performing marketers, Coca-Cola developed a set of competencies to define the “ideal” skills and behaviors of a senior marketing leader. This was undertaken with the global backdrop in mind, to ensure that competencies were calibrated internationally, allowing for a level playing field that did not disadvantage any participants.
Eight handpicked marketers were then chosen to undertake a two-day pilot in Europe. Although the pilot ran in Paris, Coca-Cola participants came from all over the world. The aim was for existing marketing leaders of the business to see and develop potential from as many geographies as possible, making selection of the best as equitable and as representative as possible.
The program was also designed to give participants an opportunity to bond and establish a global alumni network of supportive colleagues that would continue beyond the event. Extremely senior Coca-Cola marketers made up an observer panel alongside highly experienced occupational psychologists from SHL, proving Coca-Cola’s commitment and dedication to the program.
So successful has the development program been that Coca-Cola and SHL now run it every three to six months in locations around the world in an effort to ensure that Coca-Cola will never have to look outside its own talent pool to fill key strategic marketing positions vital to maintaining the iconic Coca-Cola brand image.
The company’s mission is “to refresh the world … in body, mind and spirit,” and Coca-Cola accepts that to do this, its vision needs to include “being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can.”
7. Create Programs to Retain Current and Future Leaders
Employee retention can be improved through monetary and nonmonetary incentives, but special consideration should be given to high performers and future leaders. A Taleo Research survey of working adults over the age of 18 was conducted to compare monetary and nonmonetary reward systems.
Salary and bonuses were clearly the top rewards for doing a good job, as shown in the Figure below, but promotions and work/life balance were also important.
Paying employees based on performance can be motivating, but goal alignment helps potential leaders stay focused on what is important to the company. Recognize exceptional performance and base bonus potential on the success of both the employee and the company.
A well-designed leadership development program is the key to identifying, attracting, filling, and retaining corporate leadership. The elements of the program should include a strategy and execution of the seven-step process outlined in the leadership development checklist. Leadership development is a critical aspect of attaining optimum output from organizational talent management and requires the effective execution of many talent management practices. Technology applications can provide the enabling platform, including recruitment, assessments, performance management, succession and career planning, and development programs.
A Survey Polled Employees on best reward for a job well done. (Provided by Oracle.com)
Exercise 5:6 Leadership Envelopes
This activity assists groups in converting abstract leadership principles into practical on-the-job behaviors. Participants collaborate in groups to develop real-life applications of leadership principles. The groups go through several rounds of building on each other’s ideas before evaluating the best ideas to identify the most useful behaviors.
Goal:
To explore everyday applications of leadership principles.
Materials:
• Five leadership-principle envelopes. Write a leadership principle on the front of each envelope
• Response cards. Four index cards for each team
• Timer
• Whistle
Instructions:
ROOM SETUP
Tables arranged in a roughly circular format with chairs around each table.
FLOW
Organize the participants. Divide the participants into four teams of three to seven members. Teams should be approximately the same size.
Brief the participants. Review the five leadership principles. Explain to participants that the activity requires them to translate these principles into everyday on-the-job behaviors.
Distribute the supplies. Give one leadership-principle envelope and four index cards to each team.
Conduct the first round. Ask team members to discuss the leadership principle on the envelope they received, and to identify how this principle can be applied to on-the-job decisions and behaviors. Tell team members to write short sentences describing these application examples on an index card. Announce a time limit of 3 minutes and encourage the teams to work rapidly. Explain that the teams’ response cards will eventually be evaluated in terms of both the number and the quality of the examples.
Conclude the first round. After 3 minutes, blow the whistle to announce the end of the first round. Ask each team to place its response card (the index card with its application examples) inside the envelope and pass the envelope, unsealed, to the next team. Instruct the teams not to open the envelope they receive.
Conduct the second round. Ask teams to review the leadership principle on the envelope they received, but not to look at the application examples on the response card inside. Tell the teams to repeat the earlier procedure and list the application examples of this principle on a new response card. After 3 minutes, blow the whistle and ask teams to place the response card inside the envelope and pass it to the next team.
Conduct more rounds. Conduct two more rounds of the game using the same procedure.
Conduct the evaluation round. Start the fifth round just as you did the previous rounds. However, tell teams that they do not have to write any more application examples. Instead, teams must evaluate the four response cards inside the envelope. They do this by reviewing the individual examples on each response card and then comparing the overall merits of the cards with each other. Teams have 100 points to distribute among the four response cards to indicate each card’s relative merit. Announce a suitable time limit for this evaluation activity.
Present the results. At the end of the time limit, check on the teams to ensure they have completed their task and have recorded on each response card the number of points awarded. Select a team at random to present its evaluation results. Ask the team to announce the leadership principle on the envelope and read the application examples on each card, beginning with the card that received the least number of points. The team should progress from one card to the next in an ascending order of the number of points. After reading all four cards, the team should announce how it distributed the 100 points and briefly explain the criteria used for distributing the points.
Determining the Winner. Instruct teams to place all the response cards on a table at the front of the room; then call for each team to collect its cards. Ask teams to add up the points on their cards to determine their total score. Invite the members of each team to announce their total scores. Identify and congratulate the team with the highest score.
DEBRIEFING:
Conduct a debriefing discussion to add value to the activity. Here are some suggested questions:
• What are the interesting patterns among the application examples?
• Can you find similarities among application examples related to different leadership principles?
• What leadership principle was the most difficult one for you to come up with suitable application examples? The easiest one? Why?
• Reflect on your workplace situation. Which leadership principle application idea could you implement immediately?
VARIATIONS:
More teams than envelopes? Prepare a duplicate set of the leadership-principle envelopes in the same sequence as the original set. Distribute the envelopes from the original set first and as many of the duplicates as there are teams.
More envelopes than teams? Select a smaller set of envelopes with the more important principles. Introduce the other leadership principles during the debriefing session and discuss application examples.
Not enough time? Stop the activity after the second round. Ask teams to pass the envelopes one more time and proceed immediately to the evaluation round. Skip the presentation of results and have teams pick up their response cards and add up their score points.
Ample time? Give more time for writing the response cards and for evaluating them.
Don’t like the competition? Instead of asking teams to evaluate the response cards, have them prepare a consolidated list of leadership application ideas from different cards. Ask each team to write its consolidated list on a flip chart and present it to the rest of the teams.
Sample for the leadership-principle envelopes:
During a recent session, we used the following five principles taken from James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s The Leadership Challenge (Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995):
• Challenge the process
• Inspire a shared vision
• Enable others to act
• Model the way
• Encourage the heart
Course Manual 7: Servant Leadership
“The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one’s capacity to lead is severely limited.” — Robert Greenleaf
There are several different management styles that can be used in the workplace when it comes to leadership. Servant leadership is a style that can assist you in developing strong teams comprised of members who are personally and professionally satisfied and who contribute high-quality work that helps your company succeed.
What is Servant Leadership?
According to Wikipedia – Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve. This is different from traditional leadership where the leader’s main focus is the thriving of their company or organization. A servant leader shares power, puts the needs of the employees first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. As stated by its founder, Robert K. Greenleaf, a Servant Leader should be focused on, “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
Servant leadership is important in business because it fosters a culture in which employees at all levels of your organization feel respected, appreciated, and valued. Businesses that practice servant leadership have stronger work cultures with high employee morale and engagement.
What Is the Difference Between Servant Leadership and Traditional Leadership?
Rebecca Herman, Graduate Professor of Leadership at Purdue University Global and an organizational culture expert, observes that traditional leadership focuses on things like strategy, goals, financial performance, and customer satisfaction. “Of course, those things aren’t bad,” she says. “Those are the kinds of things we expect leaders to do.” We want our CEO to concentrate on things that will make us money.
“However, servant leaders go above and beyond. They place a premium on providing opportunities for advancement to their employees. Employees today want to believe they are working in a position where they can succeed. They want the chance to be coached and mentored by someone. And because servant leaders prioritize people, they get to know them on a deeper level. They assist them in developing, and they provide them with opportunities because they empower them rather than micromanage them.”
What’s driving servant leadership?
“We live in a very fast-paced technological world,” says Herman. “We are being inundated with information at such an increasing rate that it is nearly impossible to keep up.” We are people first and foremost, and our basic human needs must be met.
“Servant leaders understand how to create a workplace culture that values teams and the community.” And people want a genuine sense of community in the workplace because they don’t have it elsewhere.”
According to Herman, our current culture can be isolating.
“We’re very virtual today,” she says. “We have virtual jobs, work on virtual teams, and meet people virtually through social media.” We text more than we talk on the phone or in person. Even dating is done through an app, with the option of swiping left or right to see if you want to meet someone. People yearn for genuine relationships and connections. Furthermore, this goes back to the idea that we all want to feel like we’ve made a difference in the world, that we want work that has true meaning.”
The benefits of servant leadership
This leadership style results in increased employee loyalty and a well-liked company culture. Servant leadership improves productivity and problem-solving.
“Servant-led employees don’t fear that if they take a risk and try to do the right thing, they could get punished,” Herman says. “I think that makes them perform at more of a risk-taking level, as long as they’re doing it based on the goals, the mission, and the core values of the organization.
“And that ultimately leads to how that business performs,” she says. “If every person is performing at their best, imagine what the organization is going to be like. People who receive coaching and personal development are equipped to be empowered to make decisions to serve their customers. Empowered employees are more engaged, and this increases job satisfaction, which increases retention. You want great people to stay a part of your organization.”
Examples of Companies that are using servant leadership
This leadership style is used by some of the best-performing companies. The following businesses have servant leaders at the helm:
• Starbucks
• Marriott
• Nordstrom
• Southwest Airlines
• Zappos
• Whole Foods Market
• TD Industries
• Aflac
• The Men’s Wearhouse
When we think of these organizations, we frequently think of how excellent their customer service is. It’s not by chance, because they’re servant-led businesses, and their servant-led employees want to make sure the customer is always taken care of.
These are not only the best places to work, but they are also some of the most profitable and successful businesses in the world.
And there’s a reason these are well-known companies with well-known stories to tell. Servant leaders are very values-based and mission-driven, so they frequently share stories. That is an added benefit for a servant-led business looking to build or sustain a brand.
Case Study: Martin Luther King
The recognizable example that comes to mind whenever I talk about servant leadership is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King lived most of his life and died as a servant leader. His was a dedication of himself towards the benefit of the people he led (King and Clayborne 64). He knew he was not choosing an easy course when he opted to join the revolutionist’s movement at a tender age. He decided to champion for human rights and equality to all the less fortunate.
During his time as a human rights activist, Dr. King managed to convince people on the goal they were fighting to achieve. He inspired the people to fight relentlessly despite the hard challenges that they faced. They were molested, arrested, and detained but they fought on. It was because they believed in their course (King and Clayborne 65). All this while, Dr. King fought from the front, leading his people in protests as they marched across the streets.
Martin Luther decided to use a non-violent approach in advocating for justice and equality. This was because he cared for the well-being of those in his camp and that of everyone else, they came across in the streets (Ansbro 23). In his speeches, King encouraged the people not to give up. He encouraged them to remain committed and motivated to strive forward for the benefits of the future generations. Despite the difficult times, Dr. King still dreamed of positivity. His much-publicized speech where he told his people of his dreams of equality shows his confidence and belief in his actions. It showed his vision for his constituents.
Dr. King was a servant leader until his death. At the time of his death, Dr. King requested his people not to remember him for accolades he was awarded with during his life. He wanted to be remembered for leading the fight towards freedom, justice, and equality (Nelson 94). He was and shall remain a true servant leader to his constituents.
Do You Wish to Become a Servant Leader?
Making the decision to become a servant leader is a decision to succeed and lead your organization to success.
You must understand that what you do will shape who you are more than what you do. This is fantastic because it affects your personal relationships as well as who you are in your community.
Being a servant leader is fantastic, but it requires a significant commitment because you will need to take very intentional actions to be a servant leader. It’s all about truly walking the walk and modeling that behavior every day.
The greatest leaders are driven by a desire to serve the greater good—despite the fact that they may face opposition.
“There will be people who think you’re insane,” she predicts. “They’ll tell you that if you want to call yourself a servant leader, it doesn’t work.” But you must be willing to defend and advocate for it. Be prepared to face a great deal of opposition.
Herman contrasts servant leadership in the workplace with the ultimate form of servant leadership in the home.
“I don’t want to say that leadership is like parenting, but parents are really servant leaders in many ways,” she says. “And I don’t know many parents that would be considered soft or weak. They want to have the best for their kids. That’s why they discipline. That’s why they try to help them be the best they can be.
Being a servant leader will transform you and those around you. It can be a little scary, but the results are well worth it.
“The best leaders are servant leaders – they serve those they lead.” — Tony Hsieh
10 servant leadership principles
Here are ten effective servant leadership principles to help you become a better leader:
1. Listening
Effective servant leaders not only speak but also listen to what their team members have to say. They provide ample opportunity for all members to be heard, and then they carefully listen to what is said and, potentially, what is not said. They pay close attention to others, observe coworkers’ body language, avoid interrupting, and provide constructive feedback. They understand growth opportunities by collecting observations and insights from all team members.
2. Compassion
On a personal level, effective servant leaders care about their team. They recognize that when their team members are happy and fulfilled in their personal lives, it contributes to their professional success. They value other people’s points of view and approach situations with an open mind. As a result, servant leaders make it a priority to show their team members that they care about them and to assist them with personal issues whenever possible.
3. Healing
Effective servant leaders recognize the significance of resolving issues before moving on to new goals and projects. For example, your team may have experienced a setback last quarter as a result of a team disagreement. To face the new challenges of this quarter, the team must first be able to heal and reach an agreement. Servant leaders ensure that their teams have the knowledge, support, and resources they need to do their jobs well.
4. Self-awareness
Effective servant leaders are self-aware and aware of their teams. Self-awareness is the ability to look in the mirror, think deeply about your emotions and behavior, and consider how they affect those around you. Being self-aware allows servant leaders to accept and grow from their own flaws. Equally important, leaders are aware of their team’s individual strengths and weaknesses in order to help them grow and learn.
5. Power of persuasion
Team members are guided and persuaded by effective servant leaders. Whereas an authoritarian leader may tell team members what to do, a servant leader explains why that method or process is the best. They try to persuade the entire team and reach an agreement.
6. Conceptualization
Effective servant leaders can think beyond small tasks and communicate larger goals and why they matter to their teams. They assist their team in understanding their roles and remaining motivated while keeping the company’s long-term objectives and goals in mind.
7. Foreseeability
Effective servant leaders recognize the value of learning from past mistakes and successes and applying what they’ve learned to make better decisions in the future. They identify what is currently happening and understand the consequences of their decisions, and then assist their team in doing the same. They use tools such as SWOT analysis and SMART goals to assess their current situation and environment.
8. Stewardship
Effective servant leaders recognize and understand the significance of their roles. They safeguard and maintain the trust and confidence placed in them in their role, and they communicate this to their team. They work hard, arrive on time, and are dependable as stewards of their company’s assets and goals. They set a good example by modeling the values and behaviors they want to see in others.
9. Commitment to growth
Effective servant leaders inspire their teams to succeed. They are dedicated to assisting their teams’ professional development. Servant leaders assist their team members in becoming leaders by setting a good example and providing opportunities for growth and development. They also learn about their employees’ personal goals and assign them projects or additional responsibilities to help them achieve those goals.
10. Creating a sense of community
Servant leaders who are effective encourage collaboration and engagement within their organizations. They value everyone on their team’s opinions and encourage them to share those opinions and actively contribute to the team on a regular basis. They encourage interaction through social events, workspace design, and even by beginning meetings with non-work-related conversations.
“Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don’t work for you; you work for them.” ― Ken Blanchard
Exercise 5:7 – Heard, Seen and Respected
Standing in the shoes of others, practicing empathy, and ensuring that everyone on a team is able to be heard is a necessity for great leaders and your team in general. In this activity, participants shift between telling stories where they were not heard, seen or respected and then being listeners who do not pass judgment.
Remember that leadership training activities should start with the fundamentals of good leadership. Keeping things simple with an activity like Heard Seen Respected can be an especially effective option whether you’re working online or offline.
Goal:
Practice Deeper Listening and Empathy with Colleagues
Instructions:
Five Structural Elements – Min Specs
1. Structuring Invitation
• Invite participants to tell a story to a partner about a time when they felt that they were not heard, seen, or respected.
• Ask the listeners to avoid any interruptions other than asking questions like “What else?” or “What happened next?”
2. How Space Is Arranged and Materials Needed
• Chairs facing each other, a few inches between knees
• No tables
3. How Participation Is Distributed
• Everyone has an equal amount of time, in turn, to participate in each role, as a storyteller and a listener
4. How Groups Are Configured
• In pairs for the storytelling
• Then foursomes for reflecting on what happened
5. Sequence of Steps and Time Allocation
• Introduce the purpose of HSR: to practice listening without trying to fix anything or make any judgments. – 3 min.
• One at a time, each person has 7 minutes to share a story about NOT being heard, seen, or respected. – 15 min.
• Partners share with one another the experiences of listening and storytelling: “What did it feel like to tell my story; what did it feel like to listen to your story?” – 5 min.
• In a foursome, participants share reflections using 1-2-4, asking, “What patterns are revealed in the stories? What importance do you assign to the pattern?” – 5 min.
• As a whole group, participants reflect on the questions, “How could HSR be used to address challenges revealed by the patterns? What other Liberating Structures could be used?” – 5 min.
WHY? Purposes
• Reveal how common it is for people to experience not being heard, seen, or respected
• Reveal how common it is for people to behave in a way that makes other people feel they are not being heard, seen, or respected
• Improve listening, tuning, and empathy among group members
• Notice how much can be accomplished simply by listening
• Rely on each other more when facing confusing or new situations
• Offer catharsis and healing after strains in relationships
• Help managers discern when listening is more effective than trying to solve a problem
Tips and Traps (for introducing HSR)
• Say, “Your partner may be ready before you. The first story that pops into mind is often the best.”
• Make it safe by saying, “You may not want to pick the most painful story that comes to mind.”
• Make it safe by saying, “Carefully Protect the privacy of the storyteller. Ask what parts, if any, you can share with others.”
• Suggest, “When you are the listener, notice when you form a judgment (about what is right or wrong) or when you get an idea about how you can help, then let it go.”
Examples:
• For regular meetings to improve the quality of listening and tuning in to each other
• For transition periods when questions about the future are unanswerable (e.g., post-merger integration, market disruptions, social upheaval) and empathetic listening is what is needed
• When individuals or groups have suffered a loss and need a forum to share their grief or despair
• To improve one-on-one reporting relationships up and down in an organization
Course Manual 8: Solution Focused
The solution-focused leadership approach simply and easily integrates into your existing management structure. The process supports leaders in increasing employees’ decision-making and judgment. The process creates a culture of motivation, focusing on what is working and how to do more of it. Solution-focused leadership develops organizations, teams, and leaders into experts in what works.
The value of this method is that by focusing on what you want the solution to be rather than emphasizing the problem, you can devote your time and energy to developing action steps toward the solution. The issue is well-known and acknowledged. The solution is to examine what you know by evaluating your resources—the need to solve problems in your context and learn how to improve continuously.
Some of the most important characteristics of solution-oriented leaders are:
1. They understand when to act and when to take a step back.
When a problem arises, solution-oriented leaders do not wait for a solution to present itself; instead, they get out there and take action to find the solution themselves.
“Solution-oriented leaders are very focused on action conversations,” says Heather Marasse, Executive Coach and Managing Partner of Trilogy Effect. “They want to keep things moving, and they’re very curious when things stop; they want to know what’s causing the action to stop.” Because action yields results, and solution-oriented leaders are results-oriented.”
Surprisingly, the opposite is also true. While solution-oriented leaders don’t hesitate to take action, when necessary, they also recognize when taking a step back, sitting with the problem, and approaching the issue from the right headspace will increase their chances of finding a solution.
“We frequently believe that a solution-oriented leader is quick to act. “However, I believe it is critical that you have the ability to pause before responding,” says Victoria Roos Olsson, a Senior Leadership Consultant at Franklin Covey with over 20 years of experience in leadership development and coaching. “It’s very easy to jump into action…but solution-oriented isn’t always synonymous with action-oriented.”
2. They Keep Their Focus Forward
Instead of spinning their wheels worrying about past problems or what’s gone wrong, solution-oriented leaders keep their eye on the prize—and their focus on what needs to happen for themselves and their teams to keep moving forward.
We get so caught up in what’s going on right now and what’s happened in the past that we lose sight of the future horizon and the bigger picture. The most solution-oriented leaders have a laser-like focus on the future. They keep the big picture in front of themselves and their teams.
3. They Motivate Their Team to Concentrate on Solutions
As a leader, you must cultivate a solution-focused mindset within yourself. But that’s only part of the equation; the most effective solution-oriented leaders instill in their teams the same “let’s roll up our sleeves and figure this out” attitude.
Just because you’re a solution-oriented person doesn’t mean you’re a solution-oriented leader. The whole point of being a leader is to instill that [solution-oriented mindset] in others.
“Problem talk creates problems; Solution talk creates solutions” -Steve De Shazer
Solution Focused Thinking
A solution focused approach or solution focused thinking holds that as problems do not happen all of the time, a positive way of working is to discover what is working well and then to do more of it. Rather than focusing on deficiencies or the history of the problem, a solution-focused approach considers the strengths and resources that a person, team, or organization possesses and how these can be applied and used to build potential solutions. From this vantage point, the emphasis naturally shifts away from problems and toward useful solutions. As an adaptable approach, solution-focused principles are now used in a variety of contexts, including health, education, community, and social care, as well as business and corporate.
Solution-Focused Strategies
A solution-focused approach involves asking effective questions rather than leading questions like “Why don’t you…?” or “Have you considered…?”
The following are some examples of problem-solving questions and strategies:
– Building on success – strategies to help people focus on what they’re doing well rather than what they’re not doing well.
Exception finding entails asking when a problem or difficulty occurs less frequently or more frequently. This provides information about what skills and strengths the person can use at least some of the time, for example. Is there a time when the behavior does not occur, or when it occurs less frequently?
– Future-oriented – is a way of visualizing life without the problem, which can lead to the setting of relevant and meaningful goals, such as What will you do differently in your next math class if you are at your best? How will others find out? What will they see and hear that is different? Imagine it’s time for you to leave and you feel satisfied with your day- what did you accomplish during the day?
– Scaling – is a method of determining a person’s perception of himself or herself and the current problem. This assists in identifying what is going well and focusing on where the person wishes to go by moving one point on the scale, e.g. Where do you stand now on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 representing your peak performance? What have you done to get there so far? What else is there? What would get you one point higher on the scale?
Responses to Negative Thinking – Moving Negative Thinking to Possibilities
(based on Richard Methany’s program)
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” – Albert Einstein
Coaching Principles when working with your employees
1. Concentrate on the relationship rather than the technique.
2. Establish a safe but challenging environment. Employees must understand that it is acceptable to take risks and reveal vulnerabilities. As a result, a leader/coach must be as nonjudgmental as possible.
Employees must feel supported, even when their knowledge and skills are put to the test.
3. Make an effort to work within the employee’s schedule. Recognize that you are both a manager and a coach. As a manager, you may be required to make a point or set expectations. As a coach, you must set aside your personal priorities and concentrate on coaching in a way that helps your employees.
4. Serve as a facilitator and collaborator. Your job is to ask questions rather than give direct answers or act as the expert. Although you can help employees come up with solutions, they must ultimately make the decision.
5. Demonstrate and advocate for self-awareness. You must recognize the impact of your own behavior and assist your team in recognizing the impact of their own behavior on others.
6. Encourage learning. Believe that if your employees have the right set of experiences, they can learn. Assist them in being resourceful. Assist them in recalling past experiences that serve as lessons for current or future situations.
7. Focus on solutions rather than problems.
Comparing Problem Focused and Solution Focused Approaches
Discuss: What are the differences between approaches?
“Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.”- Brian Tracy
Exercise 5:8 – Feedback: Start, Stop and Continue
Regular and constructive feedback is one of the most important ingredients for effective teams. Openness creates trust, and trust creates more openness. This is an activity for teams that have worked together for some time and are familiar with giving and receiving feedback. The objective of Start, Stop, Continue is to examine aspects of a situation or develop next steps by polling people on what to start, what to stop and what to continue doing.
Goal:
To support groups to build trust and openness and for individuals to gain self-awareness and insight
Materials:
– Post it
– Markers/Pens
Instructions:
Step 1:
Work in a small team or organize a larger group into groups of around 4 to 6. Groups should have spent significant time working together and have a range of shared experiences to draw from when giving feedback.
Facilitator notes:
With newer or less mature groups, use feedback exercises like Current Strongest Impression or I Appreciate… before using this one.
Step 2:
Give the instructions: “Write down the name of the person you are addressing. Complete the two sentences for that person. Use the principles for effective feedback. Sign it with your name.” Tell participants that they should reflect on each of the three prompts (Start, Stop, Continue), but they do not have to use all three if they cannot think of relevant feedback.
“To _____: Something I would like you to START doing is… Something I would like you to STOP doing is… Something I would like you to CONTINUE doing is… Signed _____.”
Step 3:
In each smaller group, each participant completes the above sentences using one post-it for each participant in the group. Once all participants in a group are done writing, they deliver the feedback, one-by-one, verbally, handing the post-it note to its addressee afterward.
Course Manual 9: Ask Questions
Great leaders ask questions.
Today’s leaders must rediscover an underutilized skill: questioning. Leaders frequently assume that people look to them for answers — audacious assertions that boost people’s trust in their abilities. In reality, however, such an approach erodes trust, especially at a time when so much is clearly uncertain. Do you believe you know the answers to all of life’s important questions? That implies that you are either clueless — that you are unaware of how quickly the world is changing — or that you are lying. In either case, you will not find the trust that you seek.
Instead, leaders should pose compelling and inspiring questions, admit that they don’t have the answers, and enlist the assistance of others to find them. Some leaders are concerned about this approach: will it make them appear inexperienced? However, studies have shown that expressing vulnerability and asking for help sends a strong signal to others that you are trusting, and you are more likely to be trusted in return. In fact, learning to ask good questions can help you connect with others. Thinking collaboratively can help you solve difficult problems and spark creative thinking.
How many rowers would you want on your team if you were in a rowboat? Is it possible that your answer is all of them? How happy would you be if you were the only one rowing? Most likely, not so much.
Why, then, would you want to address your company’s challenges, opportunities, problems, and changes by telling your employees what they should do? Why would you want to put all their eggs in one basket by asking them, “What do you think?” This one easy step has the potential to significantly improve your leadership effectiveness!
How do you react when your boss, colleague, or friend asks, “How do you feel about this challenge or opportunity?”
Valued? Appreciated? Esteemed? Respected?
What do you think your subordinates, colleagues, or friends will think if you ask them, “What do you think about this challenge, opportunity, or issue?”
Learn to lead with questions as a great new skill that will help you succeed as a leader!
All you have to do is memorize these 4 questions…
“What do you think?”
“What else?”
“What else?”
“What else?”
You will find that quite often the greatest thoughts come from the third time you ask, “What else?”
When others feel your appreciation and that you truly care what they think they begin to feel safe to share their very best thoughts. And you will be the one to benefit!
“Telling creates resistance. Asking creates relationships.” – Andrew Sobel – Author of Power Questions
A successful consultant shares the 4 simple questions he used to make a 6-figure income.
“What’s going well?”
“What’s not?”
“Where are you stuck?”
“What needs to change?”
He shares that the order above is crucial and starting with “What’s going well?” is absolutely critical. In fact, he will spend half the time on question one, because the time he spends celebrating their successes is what creates a safe environment for asking questions 2-4.
Case Study: How do you add value?
Mark Miller, VP of Training and Development for Chick-fil-A shares this fascinating story:
Years ago, the president of our company stopped me in the hallway and asked a rather jarring question:
“How do you add value around here?”
I had no answer prepared. In the moment, I said the first thing that came to mind: “I ask challenging questions.” He responded, “Keep it up,” and walked off. Ever since that moment, I’ve considered it part of my job description as a leader- not just to ask challenging questions, but to also ask the right questions.
How to get ideas flowing
Has your team ever become stuck brainstorming what the best possible next steps might be? Do you have a back-up question that will get them unstuck right away?
Here it is:
“How can we do this (whatever your team needs to do) in a way that ensures its failure?”
Your team will almost certainly not only begin to respond but will also enjoy this almost comical exercise.
After they’ve compiled a list of sure-fire ways to ensure failure, ask them item by item:
“What, then, do we require to ensure success?”
For example: Let’s say your staff lists – “Do not make any follow up calls” as one of their ways of ensuring failure. So, you ask, “If not making follow up calls will guarantee failure, what will we need to do to guarantee success?”
Big Questions to Ask
To be clear, this does not entail asking pointed questions that put others on the spot, such as “How can you deliver 10% more productivity?” or “Is there anything I’m missing here?” Leaders should ask questions that invite people to come together to explore major new opportunities that your organization hasn’t yet identified.
Here are some examples:
• What is a game-changing opportunity that has the potential to deliver far more value than we have in the past?
• What are our customers’ emerging unmet needs that could serve as the foundation for a completely new business?
• How could we use the resources of third parties to meet a broader range of our customers’ needs?
• How can we transition from standardized, mass-market products and services to products and services that are tailored to the specific needs of each customer?
• How can we create supply networks that are more adaptable to unanticipated disruptions in production or logistics?
Focusing your questions on these types of new and big opportunities rather than the organization’s existing activities can also help you overcome your fear that questioning will be perceived as a sign of weakness, because there’s no way you could be expected to know the answers.
These broader questions also convey a sense of ambition, as if you want to take the organization far beyond where it is now. You can also increase your credibility by providing evidence of the long-term trends that underpin your question, such as emerging technologies that are likely to open up new opportunities or demographic shifts that will result in significant unmet needs among your customers.
How could we use sensor technology to gain a better understanding of how our customers use our products and use this information to provide more value and build trust with them?
Involve Others
These questions also encourage participation. Don’t ask them in closed leadership meetings if you want to get the most out of them. Instead, disseminate them throughout your organization and beyond. It’s not just you asking a question to your audience; it’s your brand reaching out to learn from them. Reaching out beyond the institution to connect with expertise and perspectives from a broader set of more diverse sources will allow your company to learn more quickly.
For Example:
Take, for example, Domino’s Pizza. About ten years ago, Domino’s received complaints from customers who did not like the company’s pizza. Many organizations may have attempted to conceal this information or work behind the scenes to resolve the issue. Domino’s Pizza did something novel. They made the feedback they were receiving public and asked for suggestions on how to improve the quality of their pies. This open question elicited a flood of suggestions that proved extremely useful in improving the pizzas.
But, beyond the success of open innovation, the impact was even more fundamental: I believe that by expressing vulnerability, the company-built trust with customers. Here was a company that was willing to admit they had a problem and ask for assistance in resolving it. When faced with a problem, more organizations would be more willing to seek assistance from their customers and other stakeholders, resulting in much greater success in re-establishing trust.
Change Your Culture
In volatile times, anxiety can run high, and by asking these types of questions, you can help people overcome some of their fears. Group therapy is based on the idea that getting together with others can reduce anxiety, which is well established in the psychology field. Having a real impact can also help you overcome feelings of overwhelm. Thus, by directing people’s attention to short-term actions they can take together, your questions can help to focus and calm them during a crisis.
As a leader, you communicate the importance of questioning by asking questions. You will motivate people to seek out new opportunities and to seek assistance when necessary. These behaviors foster a learning culture, which is critical because the institutions that will thrive in the future are those that encourage everyone to learn faster and expand the value that they provide to their stakeholders.
This is especially true if you encourage exploration that can lead to new insights into potential answers to your questions, rather than expecting complete answers and nothing less. This will encourage people to make small steps at first, which will quickly help to increase excitement about the question because participants will be able to see progress. When preliminary answers to your question emerge (for example, as a result of experiments or research), share them, even if they are not groundbreaking. They will contribute to your learning culture and demonstrate to your stakeholders that your questioning is yielding new insights, increasing their trust in your methods.
Leaders who ask powerful questions are more successful at seizing new opportunities and addressing unexpected challenges — and they build cultures that will carry these benefits into the future.
Exercise 5:9 – Icebreaker
Asking general questions about your teammates helps everyone to better understand each other, and it also relieves tension.
Goal:
Get used to asking questions, get to know each other better and ease any tension in the room.
Instructions:
In this activity, each participant must come up with a list of 5 “icebreaker” questions.
The kinds of questions you can ask your teammates include:
“Who has more than 2 siblings?”, “Who has brown hair?”, and “Who prefers to drink tea in the morning vs coffee?”
Once everyone finishes making their lists, go around the group and have each participant ask their questions.
Count how many people raise their hand.
The person with the highest number of points at the end of the round wins.
For example, if 4 people raise their hand after a question is asked, you count 4 points for the person who asked the question.
Level Things Up:
If you want to take this exercise up a few levels, you can ask the “big questions” Stated earlier in the lesson and get a powerful and productive discussion going!
Course Manual 10: Leadership in Management
Management and leadership aren’t the same thing, but they do share common goals: inspiring others to do more and be better. In this lesson you will discover how to incorporate great leadership into your management.
What comes to mind when you consider how to be a better manager? Are you thinking about performance appraisals and raises, project management, calendars, and meetings? Or do you consider developing talent, creating a satisfied workforce, and motivating your employees to achieve greatness?
If you prefer the second set of activities, you might have what it takes to be a better manager.
The best managers are more than just bosses; they are leaders. Leaders inspire, bosses delegate. Employers are pushed by bosses who make demands; leaders lead by example and draw employees into their own powerful orbit. If you want to be a leader, not just a manager – let’s get ready to dive in!
9 Ways to Be a Better Manager
1. DETERMINE YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE
No manager is flawless. Everyone has flaws and makes errors. But if you’re wondering, “How can I become a better manager?” you’re already on the right track: The first steps are emotional intelligence and self-awareness. You can’t learn to be a better manager if you don’t know your own strengths and weaknesses. Use the DISC assessment to determine your own personality and management style, and then build on it to become a better manager.
2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE
The foundation of your company is its core values. They are the reason you do what you do and how you can attract raving fan customers. You must also develop raving fan employees, and you cannot expect your team to uphold values that you do not share. Fairness, honesty, and hard work are all characteristics of great leaders, and they create a “pull” force that draws employees in and inspires them to be better.
3. BE A GREAT COMMUNICATOR
Communication skills are at the top of the list of how to be a better manager. Communication does not simply imply that you write fantastic emails or are skilled at public speaking. It is all about understanding different communication styles in order to get your message across. It entails tailoring your leadership style to your employees’ personalities and information processing styles. Ask questions! (refer to previous lesson) In order to build trust in the workplace, it is always necessary to be clear, concise, and honest.
4. ESTABLISH A CONNECTION
Once you’ve identified your own and your team’s styles, you’ll be well on your way to making connections and building rapport, which are two of the most important skills for anyone looking to become a better manager. There’s no need to be cold and distant to your team – in today’s workplace, practicing deep listening to learn about your team and what motivates them will yield far better results. What motivates them to come to work every day? What are their interests? These are the insights you can use to motivate them to do outstanding work.
5. DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
Deep listening, connecting, and inspiring are all soft skills that are essential for learning how to be a better manager. Hard skills such as time management, prioritization, and delegation will also be required. This is where the RPM system comes into play. It’s more than just a calendar; it’s a way to shift your entire mindset in order to focus on what’s most important and get more out of each day. When your actions and goals are in sync, it will be easier to be a better manager – both of your employees and of your own life.
6. INVEST IN EMPLOYEES
Company culture has become a buzzword, a code for trendy open layouts, ping pong tables, and craft beer fridges. What happens behind the scenes is your true company culture. It entails not only providing traditional benefits such as health care and PTO to your employees, but also investing in them by providing proper training, opportunities for professional development, and the tools they require to succeed. That is what provides a solid foundation on which to build as you learn how to be a better manager.
7. NURTURE & DEVELOP TALENT
All of your employees will have different skill sets and talents, just as everyone has different communication and management styles. Not all of your employees will excel at sales, PowerPoint presentations, or numbers, graphs, and charts. The key to becoming a better manager is to stop lumping all of your employees into one category. Recognize their unique talents and provide them with the resources they require to develop them. You’ll get a stronger, more well-rounded team, as well as happier employees.
8. FIND A MENTOR
Every successful businessperson has asked themselves, “How can I be a better manager?” Executive coaching is used by top entrepreneurs and executives to give them the extra push they need. “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do,” Tony Robbins says. Mentors and coaches have been where you are and can provide you with an outside perspective to help you make business decisions and become a better manager.
9. CREATE A CLEAR VISION
It is critical to have a vision in any business. Without one, you’ll have nothing to aim for, and your employees may become disillusioned with the company’s direction. The vision must be realistic, convincing, and appealing in order for you to sell it to your team and be well-positioned to lead the team.
The Power of having a clearly defined Vision
Vision will help you provide direction, set priorities and give you a marker against which you and your teams performance can be measured.
To develop a vision, you must first identify the company’s strengths and thoroughly analyze the current situation. It’s critical to consider how your industry will evolve and how your competitors will respond to changes.
Consider how you can innovate and shape your strategies to ensure success in any potential future markets. It’s also important to remember that visions must be thoroughly tested through risk assessments and market research to ensure they’re solid and can withstand future challenges.
Leadership entails more than just making and sticking to a plan based on your current situation; you must also demonstrate proactive problem solving and the ability to look ahead. It is about never being satisfied with the status quo and constantly looking for ways to improve, evolve, and deliver.
Once the vision has been developed, it must be both compelling and convincing. Everyone, from employees to buyers, must see, feel, and embrace the vision. An effective manager will be able to provide listeners with a rich and vivid picture of what the future will look like once the vision is realized.
Why is leadership important for managers?
So, the vision has been created, and your team has agreed to it, but there may be a long road ahead to bring it to fruition. This is where true leadership comes into play, and it explains why management relies on it.
Leadership is perhaps the most important function of management; it helps to maximize efficiency, which can aid in the achievement of the company’s overall vision and goals. Here are some arguments for why leadership is so important in management.
1. Initiates Action
A leader is someone who starts new projects. It starts with them communicating their plans and policies to their employees in a clear and concise manner. No goals can be achieved unless the work is started.
2. Inspiration
Motivation, which comes from leadership, is required for the work to be completed on time and to a high standard. By effectively motivating employees with both economic and non-economic rewards, the work will be completed by satisfied and motivated employees.
“Management is nothing more than motivating other people.” – Lee Iacocca
3. Guidance
Employees will occasionally require assistance. This is where a manager can demonstrate their abilities by providing helpful guidance that demonstrates to employees how to perform the work efficiently and effectively.
4. Confidence
Confidence is frequently overlooked, but it can be critical to a company’s success. Good leaders can explain their employees’ roles to them, providing them with clear parameters and guidelines within which they can work to achieve their objectives.
An employee who understands their position and role will be able to build confidence and work efficiently to complete all of their tasks.
5. Boosting morale
Good morale, which comes from leadership, will result in employees willing to cooperate with their tasks. It will also assist you in gaining their trust. A manager who can boost morale will be in a good position to gain full cooperation from his or her employees.
6. Workplace environment
The goal of management is to get things done. A pleasant and efficient work environment will encourage growth. A good working environment is the result of a leader who treats their employees as humans.
Reconciling employees’ personal interests with the organization’s goals is an effective way to deliver long-term results while allowing your employees to grow within their role.
Leadership Skills for Managers
Now that we’ve established what leadership is and why it’s so important in management, let’s look at some of the leadership skills for managers that are required to get the most out of your employees and set your business on the path to achieving its goals and vision.
(The data for this graph comes from 332,860 bosses, peers, and subordinates through research conducted by HBR.)
Honesty and integrity
When it comes to leadership, honesty entails being open and transparent. You must be willing to express your thoughts and feelings, even if they are unpopular or uncomfortable. It also entails keeping your word and carrying out any promises you make.
Work ethic, on the other hand, goes hand in hand with integrity, and having a good work ethic sets a good example. Employees will regard you as a leader with integrity if you consistently strive to make the best decisions in the best interests of both your company and your employees.
Problem Solving
Many people believe that problem solving entails fixing an error regardless of the cost. In fact, many leaders will tell you that a problem can turn into an opportunity, and effective problem solving is all about accepting that fact.
It’s also important to avoid pointing fingers at all costs; if a problem arises, it’s critical that you don’t get caught up in blaming someone. It is inefficient, wastes time, and does not solve the problem.
Instead, it’s important to examine things analytically. When it comes to solving problems, gathering data is always an effective method. It eliminates the need for guesswork and will assist you in ensuring that the problem does not reoccur. Above all, it is critical for a manager to maintain a positive attitude during a problem. Reactions that are negative will have a negative impact on morale and cause panic.
Delegate tasks based on team members’ strengths.
Recognizing the strengths of your team members will help to create a positive workplace environment and ensure that tasks are completed on time. If possible, conduct a formal or informal assessment of your strengths.
You can assess a team member’s strengths through observation or even an interview. You can also use a more formal method, such as a strength-based questionnaire.
Communicate effectively and prolifically.
Communication is perhaps the most important aspect of being a leader. You can be extremely innovative and technically gifted, but if you lack the skills to effectively communicate your ideas and methods, they will fail to take off.
You can hone your leadership communication skills by engaging in realistic virtual reality experiences such as:
Essentially, effective communication will enable you to both influence and inspire your team. To accomplish this, you will need to master three tools:
• Active Listening
• Creative Questioning
• Responding Influentially
Active listening and creative questioning will help you gain a better understanding and awareness of any given situation. Responding persuasively will enable you to convey effective words and messages that will inspire your team.
It may take some time, and linking listening, questioning, and messaging requires deft and careful skills. However, once you get it right, your conversations will be infinitely more productive and lead to more successful meetings.
“The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success.” – James Cash Penney
Collaborate and encourage teamwork.
Promoting teamwork in any way you can, will help your team work more cohesively toward the company’s vision. Meetings and task assignments that require your team to communicate with each other as well as form trust and be able to support each other are effective ways to achieve teamwork.
After the task is completed, team members will have a greater respect for one another and a greater appreciation for the roles of other members. It may also work if you offer incentives or rewards for completing the tasks, as this may help to motivate them even more.
Strive for results
A leader is always looking for ways to increase results, but this should never come at the expense of employee engagement. Giving their employees accountability is one method that effective managers use to drive results. Making your employees accountable for their own work, results, and decisions improves an organization’s overall effectiveness.
It is also critical that all decisions are well thought out in order to drive results. Simply aligning your decisions with your values and involving your team in the decision-making process can transform results into a shared set of goals.
“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” – Stephen Covey
Exercise 5:10 – Marshmallow Challenge
The Marshmallow Challenge is a team-building activity in which teams compete to build the tallest free-standing structure out of spaghetti sticks, tape, string, and the marshmallow that needs to be on the top. This activity emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, collaboration, and innovation and problem-solving strategies.
In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top.
The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world. Visit the Marshmallow Challenge website for more information. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team.
Goal:
Create a teamwork experience that can be debriefed along various angles, such as roles in a team, or what it takes to innovate
Materials:
• 20 sticks of spaghetti per team
• one yard of masking tape per team
• one yard of string per team (include string that can be easily broken by hand. If the string is thick, include scissors in your kit.)
• Marshmallow: around 1.5 inch in size across. Avoid mini or jumbo marshmallows. Also avoid stale marshmallows. You’ll want squishy marshmallows that give the impression of lightness.
• Measuring tape for yourself so you can measure the height of the structures.
• Countdown App or Stopwatch (best if you can display the countdown time)
Instructions:
Before starting the challenge, make sure that there is a table set up with materials for each team.
Create teams of four participants, explain the task below and run the challenge.
The task is simple: in eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top.
Emphasize the following details of the instructions:
• Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the tabletop surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
• The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.
• Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.
• Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
• The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.
• Ensure Everyone Understands the Rules: Don’t worry about repeating the rules too many times. Repeat them at least three times. Ask if anyone has any questions before starting.
After the clock runs out, ask everyone in the room to sit down so everyone can see the structures. Measure the structures and announce the winning team.
Debriefing:
After the challenge is finished, move on with the debriefing.
Show debriefing questions and instruct to:
1) Reflect alone (5 mins)
2) Sharing within team (10 mins)
3) Triad discussions with extra questions about roles (3*3 mins)
Debriefing questions:
For personal reflection:
What was the strategy of the team?
What was my role in the team?
What worked well in my team?
What would I improve next time in my team’s work?
For sharing within the team:
What worked well in my team?
What would I improve next time in my team’s work?
For triad discussion:
What are the advantageous aspects of your role? (that you usually take)
What are the disadvantageous aspects of your role? (that you usually take)
What learning would you take away from this exercise?
Course Manual 11: Great Leaders
Great leaders come from a variety of backgrounds. They rarely take a predetermined path to leadership. While some were “born leaders,” most great leaders were not even chosen as “Most Likely to Succeed” in their high school yearbooks. Almost all successful leaders have had to overcome setbacks and failures along the way. For many, this is what defines and motivates their leadership style.
In this lesson, we will not be sharing a list of the greatest leaders of all time, though a few of these may appear on one. However, each is a successful leader in his or her own right. And, while many people now regard them as extraordinary, they were once thought to be ordinary by those around them.
Furthermore, this is NOT a ranking. In fact, ranking great leaders is a horrible idea. It not only diminishes the accomplishments of so many, but it also leads to an endless debate. In this case, we only use numbers to help you navigate the list and to demonstrate that we did indeed list 11.
#1 Bill Gates
Bill Gates is on everyone’s list of the Top 10 most admired business leaders in the United States – ever. That’s some impressive company.
Gates left a legacy as a demanding and, at times, abrasive boss when he retired from Microsoft in 2008.
Nonetheless, he encouraged and nurtured people’s enormous creativity and innovation, and he made a point of recognizing accomplishments.
The programmers, engineers, designers, MBAs, and others who attended Gates’ development meetings on a regular basis said he frequently interrupted to question and challenge assumptions.
Given those facts, it’s difficult to deny that Gates used an authoritarian leadership style extensively.
He took command and made it clear to everyone that he was in charge.
But, like so many successful people, he used a combination of other styles as well.
He was well aware that his authoritarian style did not foster innovation. Control freaks stifle innovation. (It’s said that in his early years, Gates demanded so much control that he even signed off on the expenses of his second-in-command, Steve Ballmer.)
The authoritarian style works well in situations where decisions must be made quickly. Much of Microsoft’s success can be attributed to Gates’ willingness to make quick decisions.
“As we look upon the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” – Bill Gates
#2 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King used a variety of styles to establish and lead a movement that was critical to the success of the United States’ efforts to end legal segregation.
He was a leader who served others. He was transformative, but he could also be authoritarian.
He served as a coach and mentor.
However, in winning the hearts and minds of the American people, as well as establishing a worldwide following, King was first and foremost a practitioner of the art of Charisma leadership.
His “I Have a Dream” speech raised awareness and humanity about civil rights in the United States.
This speech was not intended to win the hearts and minds of his followers, which is an important lesson for leaders. They had already agreed.
What his speech accomplished – with a force that is still felt today – was to win the hearts and minds of the public.
It is not widely known that King was born into a comfortable middle-class family and was raised in the Southern black ministry tradition. He was not thrust into his position of leadership; rather, he chose it.
During his fight for equality, he was arrested over 25 times and assaulted at least four times, not including his assassination.
“I have a dream.” – Martin Luther King, Jr
#3 Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was the lion who roared when an empire needed him the most, and it was through his bold leadership that he was able to secure a permanent seat of honor at the table of modern history. Churchill employed a variety of styles. When it came to working with other world leaders who were his allies, he was largely collaborative. However, his public leadership image was more transformational. Building morale, motivation, and a distinct sense of identity were critical to his success.
When he was in public, Churchill exuded zeal, determination, and optimism. He visited bombed-out towns and bustling war factories on a regular basis, standing side by side with English citizens as if to say, “I am one of you.” He didn’t have a choice. Germany had already defeated much of Western Europe, so Churchill needed to rally his people and hold firm.
He wielded words as weapons, and it has been said that his many memorable utterances were more powerful than a thousand cannons.
Churchill’s political and military planning and decision-making is said to have been simple and efficient. His engaging and forceful personality contributed to the formation of the ‘Big Three’ Alliance of Britain, Russia, and the United States, which went on to win the world’s largest war.
It should also be noted that Churchill was an artist, a historian, and a writer, and that his works earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature.
“Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it” – Winston Churchill
#4 Dolly Parton
She’s been dubbed the “Oprah of Appalachia,” a backwoods Barbie who built a music and entertainment empire on grit, family values, and a smile that turned rain into rainbows.
She also has some leadership experience.
Dolly Parton captivated her audience from the start, as a young singer fresh from growing up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. She hoped that the future would be better than the present, and then she used her emotional strength to make it so.
One of her favorite sayings is: “if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!”
Three leadership traits that help make her the icon she is, were best described by the Harvard Business Review
Giving. Leaders give of themselves so others can succeed. That means you spend time coaching and developing your people. Pull them aside when they are high-falutin’ and give them a shoulder to cry on when times are tough.
Forgiving. People make mistakes. If they acknowledge them and seek to make amends, move forward. Get over it. A leader cannot afford grudges; it rubs off negatively on others and drains energy from the team.
Loving. Apply this to your work. Have a passion for what you do; it will rub off on the entire team. A leader who enjoys his work and the people with whom he works is one that encourages people to follow his lead.
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” – Dolly Parton
#5 Walt Disney
Over the years, the founder of the world’s most prolific and profitable entertainment company used a variety of leadership styles.
However, during his formative years, in the run-up to World War II, Disney built the foundations of his empire primarily through participative leadership.
It is a leadership style that values the input of team members and peers, but the ultimate decision-making authority rests with the leader.
In the late 1930s, for example, following the enormous success of Snow White, Disney was constructing a massive studio complex in Burbank, California. He needed to find and hire over 700 skilled artists, and he frequently traveled across the country to do so. As an added incentive, he offered to pay for their schooling to help them improve their skills.
Because of the nature of full-length animated story productions, teams of people were required to focus with extraordinary attention to detail and continuity. This type of entertainment had never been attempted before. The model had to be created by Disney.
Many vintage photographs from that era show Disney sitting around a drawing table or story board with a dozen or more other artists — sometimes as many as 40 — meticulously plotting and crafting scenes and characters.
Disney understood that having too many cooks could sour the soup, so he made certain that everyone understood his vision for stories and how he wanted them told.
Tens of thousands of hours of artistic input were required to create a single story, which meant mastering the job of Participative leadership.
“Whatever we accomplish belongs to our entire group, a tribute to our combined effort.” – Walt Disney
#6 Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington, an Athens-born and Cambridge-educated powerbroker and media savant, was once dubbed “the most upwardly mobile Greek since Icarus.”
But time has a way of rounding off the edges, and Huffington’s leadership style now looks nothing like it did when she first rose to prominence a generation ago.
She was the Pacesetter-style of leader when she was fighting for a foothold in an industry dominated by mega-corporations, obsessed with getting everything done as efficiently as possible.
She worked 18-hour days, seven days a week, as she carefully crafted the Huffington Post, a national online political news and blogging site, and it all felt so natural to a woman who’d spent most of her adult life in the political spotlight.
Then, one day in 2007, she literally collapsed from exhaustion, and her perspective on the world shifted.
She continued to build the Huffington Post into the success it is today (it was purchased by AOL in 2011 for $315 million), but she also became a national advocate for work-LIFE balance, with a heavy emphasis on life.
With it came a shift toward Servant leadership, in which a positive corporate culture is built on integrity, generosity, and group morale.
“Both my own leadership style, and that of the other leaders at HuffPost, is very much like being in the middle of the circle, rather than at the top of the mountain shouting down,” she told Director magazine. “I’m also looking for people who aren’t too reactive and easily affected by the challenges the business faces every day.”
“Treat people like family and they will be loyal and give their all.” – Arianna Huffington
#7 Colin Powell
Even the best battle plans, it is said, are thrown out the window the moment the shooting begins.
That is how unpredictable and disruptive war is in reality.
It also explains, in large part, why Colin Powell developed into an excellent example of Situational leadership.
He is still regarded as one of America’s most admired figures, a man whose fame transcended party lines and political ideologies.
The situational leader holds to no single style, but adapts as needed, as the situation requires.
This was particularly crucial to Powell’s extraordinary career. As he rose through the ranks, this Harlem-born general-to-be needed to adapt to military bureaucracy and political reality.
Before long he found himself working side-by-side with presidents, dating back to Richard Nixon’s second term. That required a whole different set of leadership skills and principles.
Powell walks the reader through a series of work-life realities in his book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. For example, he claims that not everyone is promoted because there aren’t enough top-level positions. Those who choose to work nonstop long hours, whom he affectionately refers to as “busy bastards,” must prioritize better and get some rest.
He likes to say that “With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.” In other words, if you flock with eagles, you’ll learn to fly high.
“It ain’t as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning.” – Colin Powell
#8 Martha Stewart
She is the ultimate perfectionist in her business as well as in her personal life, whether she is cooking, gardening, entertaining, writing books — or creating multi-channel media operations that are the envy of marketers.
That’s the way she is.
Martha Stewart, the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is an entrepreneur who has always been obsessed with the smallest of details. It was profitable. She went on to become one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Martha Stewart, the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is an entrepreneur who has always been obsessed with the smallest of details. It was profitable. She went on to become one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
She is meticulous, demanding, and successful, whether you admire her or not. Her autocratic management style is a major reason for her tenacity.
Those close to her say her demanding personality came naturally to her.
Others believe she could have had even more success if she hadn’t relied so heavily on such a potentially damaging style.
It is frequently stated that the Autocratic style works until it fails.
That may be true, but Martha Stewart has probably had more influence on how Americans eat, entertain, and decorate their homes than anyone else.
“I try to seek out and surround myself with people who just percolate fresh original and creative ideas.” – Martha Stewart
#9 Marc Benioff
Salesforce, Inc. founder, chairman, and CEO Marc Russell Benioff has turned the software industry on its head.
His company, salesforce.com, is a global cloud computing operation based in San Francisco. Salesforce, Inc. has been named the most innovative company in America by Forbes magazine every year since 2011. It offers a wide range of customer-relationship and customer-management services via the internet.
Despite being labeled as frumpy and sporting a perpetual 5 o’clock shadow, Benioff exudes genuine enthusiasm for his work. His goal is so clear that he has trademarked it: “The End of Software.”
Companies that use salesforce no longer need to buy their own software or, in many cases, even have an IT infrastructure. You simply plug into the cloud of salesforce.com for a fee and it does everything customized and done for you.
Benioff has been named one of the Smartest 50 People in Technology as well as one of the Top 50 People in Business, in part because salesforce achieved its greatest growth strides during one of the world’s most difficult downturns.
Benioff also pioneered the 1/1/1 integrated philanthropic model, in which companies donate 1% of profits, 1% of equity, and 1% of employee hours to the communities they serve.
“To be truly successful, companies have to have a corporate mission that is bigger than making a profit.” – Marc Benioff
#10 Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt lived a larger-than-life life, and in doing so, he left his imprint on history.
He was a doer, the founder of the famed “Rough Riders” volunteer cavalry unit, and the first sitting president to travel outside the United States while still in office.
He was first and foremost a master of capturing a fleeting moment.
For example, while Congress was dragging its feet on building the Panama Canal and the public’s interest was waning, Roosevelt had his picture taken at the controls of a 95-ton steam shovel digging a trench through the Panamanian jungle, and the project captured the public’s imagination.
To bolster America’s position as a world military power, he directed that 16 large vessels be painted white before leaving Hampton Roads, giving birth to the Great White Fleet. Another iconic moment occurred when Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub that had already been captured by hunters. He referred to the practice as unsportsmanlike. The American public referred to him as a Teddy bear, and thus the term for a stuffed animal became popular.
Roosevelt prepared the country for the rapid change that was to come as the Industrial Revolution accelerated. He beat up on corporate welfare goons, earning him the moniker Trust Buster, and he turned the president’s relatively weak position into a “bully pulpit.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Teddy Roosevelt
#11 Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, set out to create an entirely new generation of saleswomen in order to level the playing field.
She honed her sales skills by selling books door-to-door. She left a home products company in 1963 after being passed over for a promotion in favor of a man she had trained.
She, on the other hand, was just getting started.
Ash went on to found a company for working women to ensure that they are treated fairly and promoted on merit. Her sales force was encouraged to focus on products that were not necessarily the most profitable, but that they felt they could sell well.
One guiding principle was to encourage both corporate and independent salespeople to act as if each person they met was wearing a sign around his or her neck that read “Make me feel important.”
She demonstrated a strong leadership mindset as a coach. She had faith in herself and others.
She prioritized the individual success of each member of her sales team, and the success of her company quickly followed.
Ash believed that rewarding hard workers was important, so she gave away vacations, jewelry, and pink Cadillacs to her top performers.
Throughout it all, her company’s success was due to well-trained and self-assured team members.
“Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.” – Mary Kay Ash
Exercise 5:11 – Who’s Your Favorite Leader?
Let’s have a round table discussion!
Share who our favorite leaders are and why. (It does not have to be one from our list in this lesson)
Also, share what type of leader they are (were).
Course Manual 12: Transformational Leadership
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
Have you ever been in a group where someone took command of the situation by communicating a clear vision of the group’s goals, a strong passion for the work, and the ability to recharge and energize the rest of the group? This individual may be what is known as a transformational leader.
Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that inspires positive change in those who follow. Transformational leaders are typically enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process, but they are also committed to ensuring that every member of the group succeeds.
According to Wikipedia, Transformational leadership is a theory of leadership where a leader works with teams or followers beyond their immediate self-interests to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through influence, inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of a group; This change in self-interests elevates the follower’s levels of maturity and ideals, as well as their concerns for the achievement. it is an integral part of the Full Range Leadership Model.
Transformational leadership is when leader behaviors influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond their perceived capabilities. Transformational leadership inspires people to achieve unexpected or remarkable results. It gives workers autonomy over specific jobs, as well as the authority to make decisions once they have been trained. This induces a positive change in the followers’ attitudes and the organization as a whole. Transformational leaders typically perform four distinct behaviors, also known as the four I’s. These behaviors are inspirational motivation, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration.
Background of Transformational Leadership
James MacGregor Burns, a leadership expert and presidential biographer, was the first to introduce the concept of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership can be seen when “leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level and motivation,” according to Burns.
Transformational leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations in order to work toward common goals because of the strength of their vision and personality.
Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass built on Burns’ original ideas to create what is now known as Bass’ Transformational Leadership Theory. Transformational leadership, according to Bass, can be defined by the impact it has on followers. Transformational leaders, according to Bass, inspire followers’ trust, respect, and admiration.
4 Components of Transformational Leadership
Bass also proposed four distinct components of transformational leadership.
Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo, but also encourage followers’ creativity. The leader encourages followers to try new things and take advantage of new learning opportunities.
Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also entails providing support and encouragement to individual followers. To foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers can freely share ideas and leaders can offer direct recognition of each follower’s unique contributions.
Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to their followers. These leaders can also help their followers feel the same passion and motivation to achieve their goals.
Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serves as a role model for those who follow. Because followers respect and trust the leader, they emulate and internalize his or her ideals.
So, what are some of the characteristics of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of leader are more likely to be successful and loyal. They contribute significantly to the team and are deeply invested in the group’s ability to achieve its objectives. Turnover is typically low because transformational leaders are able to inspire a high level of commitment in their followers.
Effects of Transformational Leadership
In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:
“Transformational leaders…are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers’ needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization.”
Researchers discovered that this leadership style can have a positive impact on the group.
“Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders,” wrote Ronald E. Riggio, a psychologist and leadership expert, in a Psychology Today article.
The reason for this, he believes, is that transformational leaders believe in their followers, causing members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.
What can you do to develop yourself as a more transformational leader? According to leadership experts, having a strong, positive vision of the future is critical. It is not only necessary for you to believe in this vision; you must also inspire others to do so.
Being genuine, passionate, supportive, and trustworthy are all important qualities that will motivate followers to support your group’s goals.
Case Study: Transformational Leaderships Impact on Well-Being
According to the findings of one study, this leadership style can also have a positive impact on employee well-being.
The survey of workers at several different German information and communication technology companies was conducted for the study, which was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Participants were asked to answer questions about their employer’s leadership style by the researchers.
A transformational leadership score was then assigned based on characteristics such as providing intellectual stimulation, providing positive feedback for good performance, leading by example, and making employees feel like they were contributing to the groups’ goals.
Employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also reported higher levels of well-being, according to the researchers. The effect remained significant even after researchers controlled for well-being-related factors such as job stress, education, and age.
“The findings of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness while also individually challenging and developing employees, has a positive effect on employee well-being,” the authors concluded.
Real-Life Applications
So, what impact might such findings have on managers and employees?
According to the study’s authors, the findings are significant and can assist companies in developing leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills. Acquiring communication skills, such as resolving workplace conflicts and recognizing employee needs, is an important part of transformational leadership.
When used correctly, the transformational leadership style can be extremely effective, but it may not be the best choice in every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves greater control and direction, especially when group members are unskilled and require a lot of oversight.
Assessing your current leadership style and considering how your strengths can benefit the group you are leading is one way to improve your own leadership skills. By assessing your own abilities, you will be able to play to your strengths while also working on improving your areas of weakness.
5 Examples of Transformational Leaders
1. Oprah Winfrey: Media Billionaire
From 1986 to 2011, Oprah Winfrey hosted The Oprah Winfrey Show, dubbed the “Queen of All Media.” It was the most watched talk show in history, and Winfrey became the wealthiest African American of the twentieth century. She was also the first black multi-billionaire in North America. In 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, Time Magazine named her one of the most influential people. Winfrey’s communication skills, humble beginnings, and charismatic leadership enabled her to connect with people from all walks of life, inspiring them to dream big. According to a Forbes article from October 2010, Winfrey is a leader to look up to because she is able to inspire her staff to carry out her vision while maintaining mass appeal. The article went on to break down her leadership into three parts: her team, vision, and values. In terms of her values, she has distributed her wealth through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and other philanthropic endeavors.
2. Condoleezza Rice: Former 20th United States National Security Advisor and 66th United States Secretary of State
Rice’s parents taught her that she had to be twice as good growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, when it was still racially segregated. She grew up working twice as hard to be twice as good, and as a result, she has a natural confidence in her abilities. For Rice, leadership is about confidence and perseverance rather than gender or title. Her philosophy has benefited her greatly. Rice was appointed as the first female National Security Adviser by President George W. Bush in 2001. He nominated her to be Secretary of State in 2004. Rice played a key role in trying to stop the nuclear threat from North Korea and Iran while serving as Secretary of State. Time Magazine named Rice as one of the world’s most influential people in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Rice currently serves as director of the Hoover Institution.
3. Richard Branson: Virgin
Richard Branson’s Virgin empire is based on his management philosophy, which holds that leaders must appropriately motivate employees for the business to be successful overall. He believes that if leaders can motivate their teams, the employees will use their creative abilities to overcome adversity and strengthen their bonds. His transformational leadership style ensures that happy employees perform better together and as a company. He has learned to take risks in his leadership and, most importantly, to respect all employees.
4. Nelson Mandela: Former South African President and Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary Nelson
Mandela would go on to become one of the world’s most famous transformational leaders. During his tenure as South Africa’s president, Mandela successfully used the country’s love of sports in the 1995 Rugby World Cup to promote reconciliation efforts, instilling a sense of nationalistic pride in all of South Africa’s peoples. Through this event, he promoted the rights of all citizens, which played a significant role in raising public awareness of equality.
5. Nike
Nike was beginning to appear sluggish and outdated a few years ago, and it was agreed that a mindset shift was required during a period of self-reflection. The plan was to reinvent itself by digitally transforming its brand and supply chain. Nike engaged customers by expanding membership opportunities, strengthening digital marketing, and researching its now powerful data analytics. Nike began selling directly to customers as part of an updated eCommerce strategy by partnering with companies such as Amazon. As a result, Nike’s product development cycle was shortened, allowing it to respond to trends and feedback more quickly. Nike’s stock price has risen from $52 in 2017 to $88 today.
“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” – Sam Walton
7 Pillars of Excellence for Transformational Leadership
This model can be used personally or for your company.
Vision
Vision gives us a sense of purpose and passion
“Are you clear WHY you do what you do?”
“Why is it important to you?”
Identity
Identity is who we think of ourselves or company as
“As the (your identity statement), how do you handle this situation or choice?”
“As someone (a company) that is_________________, I ________________?”
Values
Values/support our sense of identity and our decisions
“What are the things that are most important?”
List your top 3 core values.
Decision
Decisions must be in alignment with our vision and our values
“What filter or information are you using to make a decision?”
“What are you prioritizing?”
Clear Outcome
Clear outcomes determine the results we create
“What is the outcome/breakthrough you want to create?”
Action
Actions are chosen based on the outcome we want to create
“Do you know exactly what needs to be done first, second, etc., even if you don’t know how to do it yourself?”
“What’s the first step?”
Support Systems/Environment
Systems and environment determine success
“Does your team, environment and schedule support your success?”
“What do you need to ask for, change or let go of to make this successful?”
Exercise 5:12 – Chinese Puzzle (Human Knot)
This is a simple game to help team members learn how to work together (better). It can also focus on the group’s understanding of communication, leadership, problem-solving, trust or persistence. Participants stand in a circle, close their eyes and put their hands into the circle to find two other hands to hold. Then they open their eyes, and the group has to try to get back into a circle without letting go, though they can change their grip, of course.
Have your group stand up in a close circle (10 to 16 people is best). They close their eyes put their hands into the circle and find two hands and hold on. Then they open their eyes, and the group has to try to get back into a circle without letting go, though they can change their grip, of course.
Goal:
This “silly game” always causes much laughter, which releases energy and can also encourage people to take a few more risks later.
Instructions:
“Chinese Puzzle” is great.
Have your group stand up in a close circle (10 to 16 people is best). They close their eyes put their hands into the circle and find two hands and hold on. Then they open their eyes and sort out glitches where some people are in a “three” or have an unconnected hand.
Then the group has to try to get back into a circle without letting go, though they can change their grip, of course.
Sometimes they end up in a circle, or interlocking circles, separate circles or intractable knots. This “silly game” always causes much laughter, which releases energy and can also encourage people to take a few more risks later.
It is lighthearted but the learning can be about closeness, risk taking, touch, status, the value of play and whether “dignity” is worth standing on.
I would only use this when you judge the group is ready.
“Silly” exercises can be powerful. I once ran with a friend a short session with a group of trainers at a conference. We all had a few minutes to design and test an activity that was too “silly” to be able to run at work. The results were terrific, we learned a lot as trainees and trainers. The session stretched us all out of our comfort zone into our creative zone.
Project Studies
Process Review
As a whole, the Women Empowerment Program aims to create a better culture and a level playing field for women in your organization. Each workshop is designed to delve deeply into a specific topic so that we have a clear understanding of how to apply the information in our daily personal and professional lives. This Workshop – Elevating Leadership – focuses on the Leadership Development element of the Business Transformation Process.
After completion of the Elevating Leadership workshop, and after going through the implementation exercises in this Project Study it will be clear to see how to best incorporate these new processes into your organization. You and your team will walk away with new leadership skills and will have identified your own personal leadership style.
This Workshop and Project Study focuses specifically on the following areas and strategies:
• Identify leadership values and why they’re important.
• How to uncover your inner leader.
• 12 essential leadership qualities of a growth mindset.
• Define importance of developing your own leadership style.
• Discover the 11 leadership principles most critical to your success.
• Learn steps to becoming and active listener.
• Review a leader’s primary roles in an organization.
• Experience 7 effective steps to leadership development.
• Principles to adopt to become a servant leader.
• Incorporating solution-focused strategies into your leadership style.
• The difference between problem-solving and solution-focused approaches.
• Learn how to ask compelling and inspiring questions.
Personal Implementation Exercises:
**Complete the exercises below after you complete the following courses in this workshop.
Course Manual 5:2: 12 Traits
Discover Your Inner Leader – What is the #1 Trait you possess as a leader?
Course Manual 5:3: Leadership Styles
What’s Your Leadership Style?
Course Manual 5:5 – Roles and Responsibilities
What is your primary role as a leader in your company?
Course Manual 5:7: Servant Leadership
What are 3 ways you can adapt a servant leadership approach to your leadership role?
Course Manual 5:8: Solution-Focused
What 3 Solution-Focused Strategies will you start applying to your role as a leader?
Course Manual 5:12: Transformational Leadership
Print the 7 Pillars of Excellence Document (provide Pillar of Excellence Doc Here) and fill it out (for you personally as a leader).
**Share your answers to these questions with your fellow Workshop participants.
Measuring Success
We must use quality metrics to successfully measure the success of this program. Measures should be established and used on a regular basis at this point in the program to determine whether the program is meeting its objectives. What KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) have you implemented to track your progress?
How is your company incorporating them into your daily operations?
Once you understand where you are, you can make the necessary changes to move forward.
Program Benefits
Marketing
- Customer experience
- Sales support
- Effective communication
- Positioning power
- Market growth
- Increased ROI
- Increased productivity
- Competitive advantage
- Improved image
- Accelerated growth
- Cutting edge
Management
- Increased collaboration
- Leadership excellence
- Improved communication
- Happier team
- Empowered employees
- Positive environment
- Innovation
- Augmented skills
- Valued skills
- Increased productivity
- Increased engagement
Human resources
- Improved culture
- Happier workplace
- Greater retention
- High-impact teams
- Growth mindset
- Increased engagement
- Improved management
- Leadership excellence
- Improved skills
- Strong Communication
- Empowered employees
Client Telephone Conference (CTC)
If you have any questions or if you would like to arrange a Client Telephone Conference (CTC) to discuss this particular Unique Consulting Service Proposition (UCSP) in more detail, please CLICK HERE.