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Leadership

  • 1.  Leadership

    Posted 11-12-1999 08:52
    Why not concentrate on purpose. The reason for all effort is to achieve
    goals. All else we know may be constructive and helpful, but let us not
    sink in the sea of our perceptual minutae.

    Paul Moschella


  • 2.  leadership

    Posted 07-26-2002 14:22
    From: DidacticRa@aol.com [mailto:DidacticRa@aol.com]

    On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 Gary Lundquist wrote

    ....'When I started this thread, it was and is to understand how to
    recognize
    leadership "tools" and be able to (or help others to) put them into a
    kit of
    other tools needed to accomplish tasks and reach goals.' ...

    When I responded to Gary's initial post, I suggested that decision
    considerations based on a leader's/manager's responsibilities can
    provide
    such 'tools'

    Maybe my post was too long or maybe no one is really interested in
    following
    up on the thought - in any case, no one disagreed or agreed, or
    otherwise
    picked it up.

    So, I thought I would try again to see whether it might provide a focus
    for a
    discussion that would bring Gary at least partial answers.

    Erwin Rausch (didacticra@aol.com)


  • 3.  leadership

    Posted 07-27-2002 10:53
    The reason I did not answer is that way too much is
    presented in the category of "leadership." I am not
    even sure leadership exists as we seem to talk about
    it! Of course people "lead" and influence others, but
    in terms of "tools" I see only one: self-knowledge,
    self-awareness, self-analysis. Along with this, a
    lack of arrogance, a lack of certainty that where the
    so-called leader is going is the right place to go.

    People follow only when they see something worthwhile
    for THEM ahead, and when they see new opportunities in
    that future. They don't follow because the leader has
    special tools or characteristics. Maybe they would
    have gone there anyway, without a "leader"?

    Just my two cents.

    Edryce

    --- Charles Wankel <wankelc@optonline.net> wrote:
    > From: DidacticRa@aol.com [mailto:DidacticRa@aol.com]
    >
    > On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 Gary Lundquist wrote
    >
    > ....'When I started this thread, it was and is to
    > understand how to
    > recognize
    > leadership "tools" and be able to (or help others
    > to) put them into a
    > kit of
    > other tools needed to accomplish tasks and reach
    > goals.' ...
    >
    > When I responded to Gary's initial post, I suggested
    > that decision
    > considerations based on a leader's/manager's
    > responsibilities can
    > provide
    > such 'tools'
    >
    > Maybe my post was too long or maybe no one is really
    > interested in
    > following
    > up on the thought - in any case, no one disagreed or
    > agreed, or
    > otherwise
    > picked it up.
    >
    > So, I thought I would try again to see whether it
    > might provide a focus
    > for a
    > discussion that would bring Gary at least partial
    > answers.
    >
    > Erwin Rausch (didacticra@aol.com)


    __________________________________________________
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  • 4.  leadership

    Posted 07-27-2002 11:33
    Based upon what Edryce has said
    about leadership, I'll offer the
    leadership tools are effective
    only when used upon one's self.
    I see them as thinking tools,
    processes of investigating what
    one knows and hopes and how to
    close the gap between the two.
    Teaching tools to be used "on"
    others to make them do what we
    want them to do are power tools.

    Just a thought.

    David





    -----Original Message-----
    From: Edryce Reynolds [mailto:edryce@yahoo.com]
    Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 10:53 AM
    To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
    Subject: Re: [MG-ED-DV] leadership


    The reason I did not answer is that way too much is
    presented in the category of "leadership." I am not
    even sure leadership exists as we seem to talk about
    it! Of course people "lead" and influence others, but
    in terms of "tools" I see only one: self-knowledge,
    self-awareness, self-analysis. Along with this, a
    lack of arrogance, a lack of certainty that where the
    so-called leader is going is the right place to go.

    People follow only when they see something worthwhile
    for THEM ahead, and when they see new opportunities in
    that future. They don't follow because the leader has
    special tools or characteristics. Maybe they would
    have gone there anyway, without a "leader"?

    Just my two cents.

    Edryce

    --- Charles Wankel <wankelc@optonline.net> wrote:
    > From: DidacticRa@aol.com [mailto:DidacticRa@aol.com]
    >
    > On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 Gary Lundquist wrote
    >
    > ....'When I started this thread, it was and is to
    > understand how to
    > recognize
    > leadership "tools" and be able to (or help others
    > to) put them into a
    > kit of
    > other tools needed to accomplish tasks and reach
    > goals.' ...
    >
    > When I responded to Gary's initial post, I suggested
    > that decision
    > considerations based on a leader's/manager's
    > responsibilities can
    > provide
    > such 'tools'
    >
    > Maybe my post was too long or maybe no one is really
    > interested in
    > following
    > up on the thought - in any case, no one disagreed or
    > agreed, or
    > otherwise
    > picked it up.
    >
    > So, I thought I would try again to see whether it
    > might provide a focus
    > for a
    > discussion that would bring Gary at least partial
    > answers.
    >
    > Erwin Rausch (didacticra@aol.com)


    __________________________________________________
    Do You Yahoo!?
    Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
    http://health.yahoo.com


  • 5.  leadership

    Posted 07-28-2002 23:51
    Oh, yes! I agree.

    Edryce

    --- "Fearon, David (Management)"
    <Fearon@mail.ccsu.edu> wrote:
    > Based upon what Edryce has said
    > about leadership, I'll offer the
    > leadership tools are effective
    > only when used upon one's self.
    > I see them as thinking tools,
    > processes of investigating what
    > one knows and hopes and how to
    > close the gap between the two.
    > Teaching tools to be used "on"
    > others to make them do what we
    > want them to do are power tools.
    >
    > Just a thought.
    >
    > David
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Edryce Reynolds [mailto:edryce@yahoo.com]
    > Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 10:53 AM
    > To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
    > Subject: Re: [MG-ED-DV] leadership
    >
    >
    > The reason I did not answer is that way too much is
    > presented in the category of "leadership." I am not
    > even sure leadership exists as we seem to talk about
    > it! Of course people "lead" and influence others,
    > but
    > in terms of "tools" I see only one: self-knowledge,
    > self-awareness, self-analysis. Along with this, a
    > lack of arrogance, a lack of certainty that where
    > the
    > so-called leader is going is the right place to go.
    >
    > People follow only when they see something
    > worthwhile
    > for THEM ahead, and when they see new opportunities
    > in
    > that future. They don't follow because the leader
    > has
    > special tools or characteristics. Maybe they would
    > have gone there anyway, without a "leader"?
    >
    > Just my two cents.
    >
    > Edryce
    >
    > --- Charles Wankel <wankelc@optonline.net> wrote:
    > > From: DidacticRa@aol.com
    > [mailto:DidacticRa@aol.com]
    > >
    > > On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 Gary Lundquist wrote
    > >
    > > ....'When I started this thread, it was and is to
    > > understand how to
    > > recognize
    > > leadership "tools" and be able to (or help others
    > > to) put them into a
    > > kit of
    > > other tools needed to accomplish tasks and reach
    > > goals.' ...
    > >
    > > When I responded to Gary's initial post, I
    > suggested
    > > that decision
    > > considerations based on a leader's/manager's
    > > responsibilities can
    > > provide
    > > such 'tools'
    > >
    > > Maybe my post was too long or maybe no one is
    > really
    > > interested in
    > > following
    > > up on the thought - in any case, no one disagreed
    > or
    > > agreed, or
    > > otherwise
    > > picked it up.
    > >
    > > So, I thought I would try again to see whether it
    > > might provide a focus
    > > for a
    > > discussion that would bring Gary at least partial
    > > answers.
    > >
    > > Erwin Rausch (didacticra@aol.com)
    >
    >
    > __________________________________________________
    > Do You Yahoo!?
    > Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
    > http://health.yahoo.com


    __________________________________________________
    Do You Yahoo!?
    Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
    http://health.yahoo.com


  • 6.  leadership

    Posted 07-27-2002 11:45
    Edryce,

    I am always enriched by your viewpoints.

    I believe you have touched an elemental truth about leadership.

    Leadership is NOT the sole and natural out flow of the practices of a leader.

    Rather, leadership is a a complex interaction of influencing factors, beliefs, skills, resources, circumstance, power, privilege, organizational structure (or lack thereof), and....the list is quite extensive. The key point is that so much discussion of leadership is focused upon only one of the factors, the leader.

    The leader is, of course, a key element. He or she normally holds the power of approval and denial so steers the ship and controls the flow of resources.

    But, as others have stated or alluded to, the key to understanding leadership is that leadership comes from the locus of control. In a leadership situation the locus of control rests with the follower who is free to express equifinality. In the absence of leadership, however, we have multifinality or mob/group action. In other words, one of the key factors that differentiate leadership from pure empowerment, in my opinion, is that a common interest has been established that shapes behavior to be equifinal vs. multifinal. (I would further differentiate leadership from management in that management reduces or minimizes equifinal behavior so behavior is controlled to a most efficient path or range.)

    What this points to me is that the key to leadership is NOT the leader but is the holder of power: the follower or, in some instances, even the situation. I would argue that if you say to me that the follower is NOT the most powerful player in a situation, then you do not have a situation of leadership, you have a situation of management.

    I often laugh at how many "leadership" models make the leader the centerpiece of the model. Most are leader behavior models, NOT leadership models. Most such do not consider follower or stakeholders. That is one of the reasons (among many) that I respect the Situational Leadership model so much. Although I have come to see it more as depicting management than leadership, I still admire the fact that it includes the follower; that it understands leadership is the result of interplay between leader and follower.

    But to get back to the point - as I understand it - of your last paragraph, consider the study of leadership. How many of us that teach leadership teach the ideas of people we have never met and will never meet, i.e. they are dead. Yet, we are dedicated to maintaining fidelity in teaching those ideas. I offer that the people who originated the ideas, the leaders, are no longer relevant. What is relevant is the power of their ideas which causes equifinal behavior and the beliefs that we employ. I have never meet Dr. Hersey but I have met his ideas. He does not influence me, his ideas do. (I have met Dr. Blanchard and he influences me with more than just his ideas.)

    Regarding "tools" of leadership. I have long held that the question of whether leaders are born or made is a silly one. The question of whether you can teach someone how to develop leadership is even more silly, to me. The most vivid example for me is Stephen Hawking who probably exemplifies the antithesis of what you would expect a leader to be. Yet, he has generated tremendous leadership. Just do a search of the internet under his name and you will see so many equifinal activities that he has generated. Leadership is stems from behaviors of people and systems. We can teach people how to develop, affect, or effect behaviors.

    Further, I think the true tools of leadership lie in complexity thinking; among the ideas expressed most clearly and eloquently by Margaret Wheatley. They lie in the ideas of field operation, the quantum nature of people, the operation of strange attractors, etc.

    Some may disagree with me. That is OK. I understand that I am multifinal in my views. That is, I don't think leadership has been defined sufficiently to deserve across the board equifinal behavior (albeit that some models do deserve adherent support). So, I elect to search multifinally until I find sufficient reason to once again become equifinal to an idea.

    Kind wishes.

    Ed
    Drive On!



    >>> edryce@yahoo.com 07/27/02 10:53AM >>>
    The reason I did not answer is that way too much is
    presented in the category of "leadership." I am not
    even sure leadership exists as we seem to talk about
    it! Of course people "lead" and influence others, but
    in terms of "tools" I see only one: self-knowledge,
    self-awareness, self-analysis. Along with this, a
    lack of arrogance, a lack of certainty that where the
    so-called leader is going is the right place to go.

    People follow only when they see something worthwhile
    for THEM ahead, and when they see new opportunities in
    that future. They don't follow because the leader has
    special tools or characteristics. Maybe they would
    have gone there anyway, without a "leader"?

    Just my two cents.

    Edryce


  • 7.  leadership

    Posted 07-28-2002 03:33
    Colleagues,

    Edryce wrote, "People follow only when they see something worthwhile
    for THEM ahead, and when they see new opportunities in
    that future. They don't follow because the leader has
    special tools or characteristics."

    Found a tool years ago for needs/benefits analysis. I've used it as the
    core of value definition for any target market/audience. I have another
    tool for being sure my communications actually present value instead of
    product features or company org charts.

    That is, I have tools for defining and communicating the "something
    worthwhile for them ahead." And I see the process of defining and
    communicating value as essential to anyone's ability to lead. These
    particular tools are important for building followership.

    A leadership "tool" is often as simple as a mnemonic that helps you remember
    a few steps between the urge to do something and the action.

    Best,

    Gary


    ----------------------------
    Strategy accelerates planning accelerates performance.
    Strategic Pre-planning (Rich Visioning)
    Adaptive Planning (Businesses, products)
    Precise Performance (Strategies, tactics)
    Leadership accelerates management accelerates operations.

    Gary Lundquist - The Accelerator
    303-840-9929 www.market-engineering.com
    garyl@market-engineering.com


  • 8.  leadership

    Posted 07-28-2002 03:45
    Colleagues,

    Ed Hampton wrote, "... one of the key factors that differentiate leadership
    from pure empowerment, in my opinion, is that a common interest has been
    established that shapes behavior to be equifinal vs. multifinal."

    In my last e-mail, I mentioned needs/benefits analysis. This is a tool for
    understanding the importance of a "change initiative" from the stakeholder
    view. If we want buy-in to a change or purchase of a product, we need to
    see our change (product) from the stakeholder (customer) view.

    I wish I had a clear definition of equifinality. On the basis of what I
    know, it seems that being driven by value (as defined by
    stakholders/customers) pushes us toward that state of equifinality. We
    understand what they needa and value, and we adjust our
    vision/strategy/product to deliver achieve our goals by delivering value to
    them.

    It's simple win-win. If the win-win cycle ever breaks down, then followers
    will stop following, and customers will stop buying.

    Best,

    Gary

    ----------------------------
    Strategy accelerates planning accelerates performance.

    Gary Lundquist - The Accelerator
    303-840-9929 www.market-engineering.com
    garyl@market-engineering.com


  • 9.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 09:58
    So what do we call the tools to be used 'on' others to make them do what is
    in their best interest?

    Maybe a better distinction could be made, for me leader and charlatans both
    influence what others do, the charlatans could care less of who they
    exploit, while the leader has a genuine concern for dignifying whomever
    they collaborate with...

    Cordially,

    Estebanb





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  • 10.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 09:59
    Thank you for your note. I am away from the office from 29/07/02 until
    26/08/02. I will not be picking my email or voice mail during this period.
    I will respond to your note on my return.
    If this is urgent, please speak to my Secretary, Ms Jenny Crossley
    (jcrossley@man.mbs.ac.uk, tel: +44 161 275 6391)
    Have a great Summer.
    Best wishes
    Elena"


  • 11.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 10:22
    Ed,

    The power may reside in the follower / pupil, yet leadership harness and
    put to use that latent power of the holder enabling remarkable outcomes. I
    would say that a leaders acts as a catalyst to enable and transform what
    takes place so that the total outcome becomes more than the sum of the
    parts... Managers, in theory could at best, deliver the sum of the parts...


    Cordially,

    Esteban





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  • 12.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 10:36
    "a mnemonic that helps you remember a few steps between the urge to do
    something and the action"...

    I wonder what leaders needs to do to shift individuals from a WIFM into a
    BIDFAIR menatlity?

    Cordially,

    Esteban

    WIFM- what in it for me, a mentality of maximizing my profits now at the
    expense of others
    BIDFAIR  - best individual decision for all involved results, a
    collaborative sustenance with an individual commitment to the shared well
    being...




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  • 13.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 11:08
    Colleagues,

    Esteban wrote, "So what do we call the tools to be used 'on' others to make
    them do what is in their best interest?

    Maybe a better distinction could be made, for me leader and charlatans both
    influence what others do, the charlatans could care less of who they
    exploit, while the leader has a genuine concern for dignifying whomever
    they collaborate with..."

    This strand of thread pushes me back to my core business philosophy - being
    value driven. (details below) That distinguishes leader from charlatan and
    manipulator. We all discussed the truth that Hitler achieved dedicated
    followership of true believers.

    We can't distinguish on the basis of patriotism, religion, business
    allegiance, or for that matter, allegiance of any kind. All of those can be
    either dignifying or manipulating.

    Let me propose that "being value driven" is the differentiator we want,
    because it puts the locus of control at the relationship. Win-win, as I
    mentioned in my last e-mail.

    I've defined the value-driven style for business entities as:
    Consciously structured, led, and managed
    to consistently increase the win-win value
    of relationships with customers, allies,
    and other stakeholders.

    Value is the sum of benefits received from the relationship. Benefits are
    results of meeting needs. Value can be defined for each category of
    stakeholders, and managed for variations within categories.
    Relationships are durable connections between individuals and/or
    organizations, built on two-way communication, that delivers ongoing value
    to both sides. If the value flow ever stops, the relationship eventually
    breaks down.

    We create followership by clarifying the value to leader and follower, and
    sustaining a relationship that delivers that value.
    The autocratic leader (drill-sear type) might declare value to be the
    absence of punishment, and lead by threat. That type of leader hasn't
    received any support from this group.
    The charlatan convinces us for a time with smooth talk that seems so
    leader-like. If we focus on value, searching for the mutual wins, we can
    diagnose this type. (Trust what they do, not what they say.)
    The manipulator can seem value driven, yet takes far more from the
    relationship than the followers. (CEOs paid tens of millions while staff
    lose their retirement.) Follow the sign of the $. They are driven by
    personal profit, not mutual gain.
    The selfless leader sacrifices everything for a cause. The principle of
    value suggests a better way.
    The balanced leader puts the relationship first, giving and drawing from
    the strengths of the team to accomplish goals of recognized, mutual value.

    If being value driven sounds to you all like a worthy distinction, then I've
    come full circle to tools and methods I already know.

    Best,

    Gary

    PS: If anyone would like a book excerpt on value-driven principles, please
    contact me off line. For the moment, my website links to book excerpts are
    broken.

    ----------------------------

    Gary Lundquist - The Accelerator
    303-840-9929 www.market-engineering.com
    garyl@market-engineering.com


  • 14.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 11:50
    Gary,

    If by value-driven you mean driven by "a principle, standard, or quality
    considered worthwhile or desirable" to sustain then we agree. Value driven
    on the basis of "utility, merit, and monetary or material worth" would just
    be undesirable manipulations and distortions of what is worthwhile to
    pursue.

    The differentiator to seek, for me is "desired sustainability" ... Win-Win
    for example could be both desired and sustainable by all in every occasion,
    where as win-lose would not always be desirable... only when one wins would
    one want it to be that way... Finally deceptions are difficult to sustain
    when the facts are known where as visions can be sustained even when the
    facts are known...

    Cordially,

    Esteban





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  • 15.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 12:16
    Estaban,

    Your questions and statements this morning are most provocative. Here is what they triggered in my mind:

    a. Regarding the tools of leadership: leadership "tools" cannot be exclusively focused on self. While I believe there is such a thing as self-leadership, most leadership is about influencing the external environment. Accordingly, as alluring as the idea is that leadership is akin to "build it and they will come"; it does not necessarily follow that just because a person makes himself or herself a paragon, others will follow. The ability to influence others is not a trivial thing. It comes from what a person projects. And what is projected must shape things external: climate, organizational structure, resource flows, alliances, power bases, etc, and, last but not least, the belief structure of the follower(s).

    b. Regarding the idea that both leader and charlatan can generate influence and, therefore, leadership: I agree. Leadership is an amoral condition or dynamic. While we often ascribe the better attributes of humanity to leadership, the fact is that people often do pretty sad and terrible things due to external compulsion.

    c. Regarding you thoughts that leadership is a catalyst that enables synergism, I agree. The attractive feature of leadership is that one is more likely to get synergistic behavior or outcomes operates thru leadership than if one operates thru management. When one operates thru management, the manager is the fundamental engine that drives people as cogs. Now, it is true that cogs can be build to amplify applied forces, i.e. some cogs are more value added than others. However, the fact remains that the energy for a pure management structure or system comes from the manager. On the other hand, leadership - thru the fact that it intrinsically operates thru empowerment - actually creates engines that are separate from the leader. That is why you get synergistic behaviors from leadership based structures and systems. It is also, I think, the primary reason that an integrated and healthy leadership dynamic is so prized and desired.

    d. Regarding your final question (below), I think the leader has to create the idea that a given followers WIFM lies in the BIDFAIR, as you have defined them. There is an interesting model that was presented thru the Army's Organizational Effectiveness School: the PLA or Power Leadership, Authority Model. The model (based predominantly upon the work of Jacobs, Shutz, Hersey, and Blanchard) depicts that a given transactional situation contains a leader, a subordinate, and a goal.

    1) In a situation of POWER, there is notionally/nominally 80% of the subordinates attention on the leader and 20% on the goal. (The subordinate is more concerned with pleasing the leader since the leader is the source of consequences, good or bad.)
    2) In a situation of AUTHORITY. the subordinates energies and focus are split 50-50.
    3) In a situation of LEADERSHIP, the energies are focused 80% on goal and 20% on leader. The reason is important to this discussion.

    In a situation of leadership, the goal has been identified to be the primary source of consequences, good or bad. Further, the leader has become more of a facilitator, i.e. is not viewed as a threatening presence.

    Please follow this short experience:

    When I was in the Army, I had occasion to be the lead instructor (TAC Officer) for a platoon of ROTC cadets (44 cadets) at summer camp. Each platoon had a pair of dedicated trainers. I was fortunate to be paired with one Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Juan Garcia; who, by the way told me on a daily basis "Sir, we (and our cadets) grow thru adversity." - a transformational lesson for me.

    In our training battalion, we had 5 platoons. Camp had a competition called Gold Bar stakes to drive up interest and participation in training activities. It consisted of a series of competitive tests that took place as a culmination subsequent blocks of training.

    There was a fellow TAC who was intensely competitive and decided that his platoon was going to win Gold Bar stakes. He was fairly ruthless, throwing resources and attention to the strong, and attacking the weak (to ostensibly toughen them up).

    After discussion, CSM Garcia and I agreed we did not want to give the Army officers who believed only the strong was worthy. We wanted to give the Army officers who valued the team, the corporate body. So, we agreed our overall strategy would be to drill the idea that a team was only as strong as its weakest link. In our platoon, when someone dropped from the morning two mile run, the platoon circled until that person rejoin us. (this was opposed to the practice of other platoons that jeered cadets who dropped out and had them walk back alone, in shame). When a person failed a test, the platoon was expected to work with that person(s) until he or she passed. etc. The more competitive cadets had a problem at first but when they learned that CSM Garcia and I rewarded those who worked to help the team win versus worked to help themselves win, they quickly feel in line.

    The long and short of it was that we did not believe we would win the Gold Bar stakes with this approach. Yet, our platoon constantly came in first or second in every event. Whereas the competitive TAC's platoon would ignore the average and below average performers, i.e. would only cheer for the "champions", our platoon cheered every cadet and pushed every cadet.

    The result: our platoon won the Gold Bar stakes.

    More importantly, I think, the cadets in our platoon learned fundamentally how to value the team over self; how to turn the WIFM into the BIDFAIR. A lot of those cadets are general officers today.

    Kind wishes.

    Ed
    Drive On!

    >>> esteban.trevino@neoris.com 07/29/02 10:36AM >>>
    "a mnemonic that helps you remember a few steps between the urge to do
    something and the action"...

    I wonder what leaders needs to do to shift individuals from a WIFM into a
    BIDFAIR menatlity?

    Cordially,

    Esteban

    WIFM- what in it for me, a mentality of maximizing my profits now at the
    expense of others
    BIDFAIR - best individual decision for all involved results, a
    collaborative sustenance with an individual commitment to the shared well
    being...




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  • 16.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 12:30
    garyl@market-engineering.com 07/28/02 03:44AM
    I wish I had a clear definition of equifinality.

    Gary,

    Here is how LVC Megson describes equifinality as part of a presentation on eight characteristics of organizations-as-open-systems:

    9. Equifinality
    Finally, the last characteristic of open systems is the property of
    equifinality: otherwise stated, a system can reach the same final state from
    differing initial conditions and by a variety of paths. In organization terms
    this is frequently called "adaptive capacity" or "flexibility." The key point
    here is that the adaptive capacity of an organization tends to decrease as regulating
    mechanisms, such as specialized sub-systems, spring into being and start
    working in a way which serves to preserve the character of the sub-systems.
    The total system risks stagnation - it loses adaptive capacity as "red-tape" or
    procedures strangle it. (LVC Megson, circa 1981)

    Kind wishes.

    Ed
    Drive On!


  • 17.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 12:52
    Ed,

    Thanks for your definition of equifinality. Would love to see the rest.
    Perhaps direct to me offline to avoid clogging the system.

    I've often seen the value of strategic directions (e.g., mission, goals,
    position statement) as enabling decisions down in the ranks. If strategic
    directions are known and used, then performers with situation expertise can
    decide how to use that expertise to best reach the goals.

    Directive leaders (do it my way) leave fewer options for the performers,
    taking away some of their potential contributions.

    So many people and companies today are time-driven that I find it hard to
    convince them of the need for strategy (strategic identity, strategic
    directions, strategic decisions). Yet the obvious benefits of an optimum
    result argues for leaving options open.

    We might call it optimized equifinality. Leadership can let go of control
    because of a shared vision, thereby giving every team member the chance to
    contribute their best stuff to a final result.


    Sorting through all of the ideas generated on this topic will take some
    time. For the moment, the ongoing dialog is building neural pathways in my
    brain that include a lot of very beneficial new concepts.

    Thanks to all!

    Gary

    ----------------------------

    Strategic marketing may well be
    the world's best leadership toolkit.

    Gary Lundquist - The Accelerator
    303-840-9929 www.market-engineering.com
    garyl@market-engineering.com


  • 18.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 13:31
    Gary,

    You are welcome.

    I like your term, "optimized equifinality". Since I teach in the Industrial Engineering and Management Systems department, optimization is always attractive.

    As I was reading your thoughts, statistical process controls came to mind. In case you are not familiar with SPC, it is simply recognizing that norms are formed by regression to the norm. In other words, behavior will never be along a single line. Rather behavior will be in a band, ideally, around the norm. SPC instructs a process manager to determine an ideal norm and then to place an upper and lower limit or range around that norm. The idea being that if the behavior lies within the specified range, no action is needed as long as the norm is maintained but if behavior manifests outside of the upper or lower limit, it is time to act.

    Loosely applying the concept of SPC to management, one might see that management tends to set very tight upper and lower limits. The "ultimate" expression of this is Six-Sigma.

    However, in my opinion, leadership would define SPC so the upper and lower limits, if they are defined, are defined in such a way that there is a great range to behavior. As you say, such ranging allows people freedom to operate in such a way that they can find a broader array of solutions, even solutions that lie outside of the organization. It is like cattle foraging on a range: If we keep cattle in a fenced area, then there is overgrazing and we have to put hay into the situation to keep the process going. But if we allow the cattle to fully range, they tend to find their own solutions to hunger and even will lead others to those solutions. This assumes equifinality is at play or there is a way to ensure equifinality is introduced when needed. For cattle, equifinality is brought into play with the round-up.

    Interestingly, on one level, until the round-up, the behavior of the cattle is multifinal. But, importantly, on a strategic level from the view point of the rancher, the behavior is equifinal since the ranging cattle get nourished and, therefore, contributes to his long term vision: fat cattle to take to market.

    This brings up a key point: most systems consist of multiple processes. Some processes need to have tight SPC so need management. Some need broad SPC so need leadership. So, no systems is entirely equifinal or multifinal. This is where part of the art of management and leadership comes in: knowing where and when to induce multifinal or equifinal behavior.

    Kind wishes.

    Ed
    Drive On!

    >>> garyl@market-engineering.com 07/29/02 12:51PM >>>
    Ed,

    Thanks for your definition of equifinality. Would love to see the rest.
    Perhaps direct to me offline to avoid clogging the system.

    I've often seen the value of strategic directions (e.g., mission, goals,
    position statement) as enabling decisions down in the ranks. If strategic
    directions are known and used, then performers with situation expertise can
    decide how to use that expertise to best reach the goals.

    Directive leaders (do it my way) leave fewer options for the performers,
    taking away some of their potential contributions.

    So many people and companies today are time-driven that I find it hard to
    convince them of the need for strategy (strategic identity, strategic
    directions, strategic decisions). Yet the obvious benefits of an optimum
    result argues for leaving options open.

    We might call it optimized equifinality. Leadership can let go of control
    because of a shared vision, thereby giving every team member the chance to
    contribute their best stuff to a final result.


    Sorting through all of the ideas generated on this topic will take some
    time. For the moment, the ongoing dialog is building neural pathways in my
    brain that include a lot of very beneficial new concepts.

    Thanks to all!

    Gary

    ----------------------------

    Strategic marketing may well be
    the world's best leadership toolkit.

    Gary Lundquist - The Accelerator
    303-840-9929 www.market-engineering.com
    garyl@market-engineering.com


  • 19.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 13:41
    Ed,

    Thank you for both of your posts...

    In your exercise (and in tit for tat strategy) an approach which would seem
    impossible to win, ends up as the winning one...

    From what I understand the equivinality state corresponds to the one that
    maximizes all involved results.

    BIDFAIR considers establishing the overall optimal solution independent of
    any sub optimal individual solution (for each sub-system). The best
    individual decision for all involved results may involve a sub optimal
    solution from the individual and particular moment, which produces a better
    overall solution... The team compensates for the individual weaknesses to
    ensure that the individual can benefit the team with its unique abilities
    and strengths... One can't be good at everything... Thus my acronym
    'BIDFAIR - best individual decision for all involved results' would seem
    to succinctly fit the bill for a clear definition of equifinality...

    Cordially,

    Esteban






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  • 20.  leadership

    Posted 07-29-2002 15:59
    Ed,

    I am impressed by two things you wrote in your earlier reply to Edryce. The
    first of these is:

    Leadership is NOT the sole and natural out flow of the practices of a
    leader. . . . leadership is a a complex interaction of influencing factors,
    beliefs, skills, resources, circumstance, power, privilege, organizational
    structure (or lack thereof), and....the list is quite extensive. The key
    point is that so much discussion of leadership is focused upon only one of
    the factors, the leader . . . the key to leadership is NOT the leader but is
    the holder of power: the follower or, in some instances, even the
    situation.

    In my experience the leader is most often most effective when he/she allows
    others to take the lead. In a football team, for example, the person with
    the most influence over whether or not the team achieves its ultimate goals
    and objectives is the person with the ball at any given time during a game.
    And the nominated leader (the captain, vice-captain, coach, manager, owner)
    sits back and provides all of the support necessary for that person to
    (hopefully) do the right thing with it.

    You also said:

    . . . I think the true tools of leadership lie in complexity thinking; among
    the ideas expressed most clearly and eloquently by Margaret Wheatley. They
    lie in the ideas of field operation, the quantum nature of people, the
    operation of strange attractors, etc.

    Well, my current PhD research happens to agree with you. In business, and I
    guess (oops, hypothesise) it is the same in other endeavours, a good leader
    is the person who can capture and synthesise the complexity and chaos that
    occurs within the 'team' and the environment in which they operate by
    understanding how A equals B equals . . . well, whatever comes out. What I'm
    interested in is whether or not we can actually predict the outcomes if we
    know enough about the inputs. A perennial question I imagine.

    Regards

    Phil Rutherford


  • 21.  Leadership

    Posted 07-30-2002 12:55
    The ROTC case kind of puzzled me... for evidently the leadership style in
    the ranks derived from Ed's leadership stimulus instead of a latent
    internal leadership drive... What must take place for particular leadership
    patterns to emerge? What actions would change the style used by those at
    top that sets the norms used? What actions by the ranks would establish the
    norms used?

    A common theme I have observed in many a movie has to do with the bully
    being confronted and required to changed (or at least outcasted from
    further bulling activities)... by the hero who takes on the courage and
    'wins', of course with everyone else then supporting the new status quo...
    What causes most to passively be accepting how things are, accepting a
    particular existing culture even when they would want a different one? What
    prevents individuals from inducing the particular culture that one desires?

    Cordially,

    Esteban




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  • 22.  Leadership

    Posted 07-31-2002 05:30
    Esteban,

    In a recent post you asked:

    > What causes most to passively be accepting how things are, accepting a
    > particular existing culture even when they would want a different one?
    What
    > prevents individuals from inducing the particular culture that one
    desires?
    >
    My experience is that many people want things to change but only few have
    the courage to actually do something about it. It is a little bit like the
    time-space barrier thingie in the TV series Stargate (you can see I don't
    watch it that closely). On one side of this surmountable barrier there is
    anger and frustration, shared by many, that something is not happening, that
    a certain 'existing culture' is emerging, or that certain outcomes are not
    being achieved. On the other side of the barrier is the solution to the
    anger and frustration, a calmer and more pleasing world. The problem is, few
    people have the courage to push themselves through the barrier, but once
    somebody does then others invariably follow.

    As an Infantry officer there have been many times when I have been in a
    position of frustration, have known what the solution was, but have had to
    screw up the courage to cross over the invisible line separating the two. I
    have had to fight my own demons because as the man in charge it was my job
    to ease the frustration by solving the problem - if only that barrier didn't
    stand in the way. We all knew what the solution was, but it was my job to
    cross that line and get on with it. Simple examples: Standing up to an
    aggressive subordinate, telling the commander that he is wrong and that men
    will get killed if we follow his plan, getting a tired patrol to keep moving
    when all they want to do is sleep, making unpopular decisions, and so on.
    All of these begin with a frustration and end when the invisible line
    between frustration and solution has been crossed.

    In most cases, the hardest part was crossing the line.

    They say courage is doing something when your whole body screams out that it
    ain't interested. To me, leadership is having the knowledge to identify the
    most appropriate solution to the frustrations that you and your people will
    face or are facing, and having the courage to cross the line that separates
    the two.

    Good question. Keep up the dialogue.

    Kind regards

    Phil Rutherford


  • 23.  Leadership

    Posted 07-31-2002 12:11
    Phil,

    With a bit of well intended humor to make explicit how sometimes we know
    without knowing what we know, "the time-space barrier thingie in the TV
    series Stargate" of all things happens to be a 'Stargate' :-)... I like the
    movie quite a bit, with some reservations... Using that series as a
    metaphor I perceive the underlying plot basically revolves around the treat
    of the imposition of exploitation vs sustaining a peaceful interaction and
    collaboration with mutual benefits.

    "The problem is, few people have the courage to push themselves through the
    barrier, but once somebody does then others invariably follow". Indeed, in
    the original movie (by the same name of stargate) when the thingie is
    reactivated it does enable to explore new worlds AND this also opens the
    door to the annihilation of the world as we know it by a vastly more
    technologically advanced malevolent being which banned education as a means
    of remaining in control... My reservations have to do with the exclusion of
    God and the portrait of religion within the movie and series (this seems to
    just reflect what some consider THE appropriate position). In any case
    within the series there exists two kinds of technologically advanced
    beings, the ones which will kind of help and the ones which will want to
    impose on us their exploitative ways... Those who kind of help only do so
    in a limited way because 'undeveloped' ones require to learn the discipline
    to prevent disasters that accompany advanced technologies.

    Congruency and desirable sustainability becomes the standard test I use to
    resolve among options. Thus accepting an idea ought to be independent of
    what I happen to want, desire or believe... kind of like truth. Getting
    into a deception happens to be easier than getting into the truth,
    especially when what we hold may determine what we get...Destructive
    patters are much more easily to accomplish and sustain than constructive
    ones... Collaboration (BIDFAIR) is much harder to sustain than exploitation
    (WIFM), even though BIDFAIR interactions can be more readily sustained and
    produce more returns. The shortsightedness of individual benefits of the
    moment prevent the overall encompassing better solution...

    It seems that the standard business rule happens to be: entities want
    others to buy whatever they happen to offer and want others to provide
    whatever they happen to desire... forgetting that the ultimate objective of
    sustaining a mutually enriching interaction that can be repeated and which
    dignifies those involved.

    Your statement "many people want things to change but only few have the
    courage to actually do something about it", seems quite similar to: most
    expect things to change without expecting to change themselves... which
    from my position follows the same contradiction of accepting the idea of
    exploitation when it benefits us while rejecting it when we become the
    exploited ones...

    So what can be done to eliminate the contradictions and incongruence
    exhibited in society? When does the consumer instead of the provider become
    liable for what they consume? When does someone have the right to infringe
    upon my liberties and dictate & impose their set of beliefs upon me? (Seem
    that the state imposes atheism upon many institutions instead of respecting
    religious freedom)

    What I perceive right now is that the only way to determine the outcome
    requires a personal involvement that propitiates the desired outcome... I
    keep wondering what will make others resolve for BIDFAIR instead of WIFM
    and what can prevent the degradation of BIDFAIR into WIFM. Do there exists
    latent leadership stiles or do humans develop the style in a dynamic
    interplay with the situation? What I have found is that the Congruency and
    desirable sustainability test resolve of the appropriateness of accepting
    an idea independent of wants, desires or believes...

    Cordially,

    Esteban



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  • 24.  Leadership

    Posted 08-07-2002 10:25
    There is an interesting article on the HR.com website concerning some
    aspects of leadership.

    "The Sinking of the Titanic: An Analogy of Leadership That Failed by
    Greg Smith

    This article was originally published in 1998.

    http://www3.hr.com/HRcom/index.cfm/2/D36B9E67-B6A1-4C65-9C6ACDA453DD372B
    ?ost=rcFeature


  • 25.  leadership

    Posted 08-08-2002 18:44
    From: Fabrizio Maimone [mailto:fabrizio.maimone@tin.it]

    Hallo,
    i am Fabrizio Maimone from Rome and it is the first time i reply to a
    community message, after a long period of "loorking".
    I find this discussion very interesting and i appriciate very much the
    focus
    on "systemic approach" and the link between leadership and other
    organizational dimensions, particularly referring to organizational
    climate
    and culture.
    Then, i definitely agree with the "BIDFAIR" approach to leadership.
    Starting from the considerations proposed in the latest mails, i would
    have
    some other questions to submit to the community: there could be also a
    "flexible leadership" (different members of the group could exercise a
    positive influence on the group depending on different situations and/or
    matters to cope with)? And a "shared leadership"?
    Then, may be the classic definition of leadership presumes a top/down
    logic...just to simplify: bosses take decisions and collaborators follow
    them. But it is always like that? So, there could be a down/top
    direction of
    the process, and could organizational and team change be also
    interdipendent
    phenomena? And how culture (both national and organizational) and/or sub
    -
    cultures influence this process (ie, is leadership just the same all
    over
    the world and in every organization?)?

    Best Regards

    Fabrizio


    Fabrizio Maimone
    Docente a contratto integrativo presso le cattedre di comunicazione
    organizzativa e sociologia dei processi culturali,
    dottorando in "Scienze della comunicazione ed organizzazioni complesse"

    Università LUMSA
    Corso di Laurea in Scienze della Comunicazione
    Via della Traspontina, 21
    00193 Rome
    Italy

    Office: Via di S. Erasmo, 12
    00184 Rome Italy
    tel/fax: ++39 06 70454469
    email: fabrizio.maimone@tin.it


  • 26.  Leadership

    Posted 02-19-2007 21:27
    Hi:

    I have a question: I am looking for a book and/or article on the theme of grieving, changing of attitude, behaviors, etc. of, e.g. , when a leader at mid-level becomes a leader of his previous colleagues at the executive level: what behaviour should he adopt with them, what to do, not to do, etc.

    Best,

    Sylvie


    Le 19/02/07 16:55, « Hamid Etemad, Prof. » <hamid.etemad@MCGILL.CA> a écrit :

    Hello,

    Professor Prakash Sethi of Baruch College, the City University of New York, has been an prominent authority on the CSR for a long time.
    He can be reached at Prakash_Sethi@baruch.cuny.edu .

    Hamid Etemad
    http://www.mcgill.ca/mie

     


    From: Management Education and Development Discussion [mailto:MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Dr. John Milliken
    Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 8:47 AM
    To: MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Corporate Social Responsibility

    Hi Everyone,
     
    Would any of you know of a top class expert on Corporate Social Responsibility who would be interested in giving a presentation to the management team of a global company in Ireland?
     
     
    Best wishes,
     
    John M.
     
     




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    Sylvie