tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24690827374942496422024-03-13T08:14:11.743-07:00LeadershipAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-30848861787907071532017-02-11T08:16:00.001-08:002017-02-11T08:16:18.801-08:00What Makes Me Feel Good About Work?
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To borrow a
term from Dan Ariely, in his 2013 TED Talk “What Makes Us Feel Good About Our
Work”, I can definitively state that I work in a “knowledge economy” and have
done so for my entire career, both as an Air Force Officer and as a defense
support contractor and consultant. As Mr. Ariely said, in a knowledge economy,
it takes much more than money to motivate people (certainly to motivate me) at
work. Don’t get me wrong, I would always like to make more money but if I am
honest about it, the type of work that I would do would have to be something
that I really liked – something that had meaning to me – before I would change
jobs or (especially) career fields. To say that money has little to no effect
on me is not entirely accurate, but meaningful and fulfilling work is also a
significant determinant of what I am willing to do for a living. In that sense,
I feel fortunate because I have always had the luxury of a career rather than
merely having a job that I had to do to put food on the table. I have been
blessed to be able to perform meaningful work instead of having to do something
that perhaps I may not have liked because I needed a paycheck and had no other
choice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is not
to say that I have always, and every day, loved my work. Acquisition program
management in the Department of Defense can prove extremely frustrating when
you deal with bureaucracy; you may even have a project in which you have
investigated a great deal of time, effort, and care thrown on the trash heap in
an instant. Sometimes that is just the way things happen, or so it would seem,
and the aftermath leaves you quite discouraged, angry, even ready to quit. But,
more often than not, I have also been blessed to see the things that I poured
my heart and soul into turn out to be successful. A major acquisition strategy
briefing was approved and even praised, an entire fleet of aircraft was
delivered to an operational command – a group of pilots and maintainers – and
is flying missions today, to everything in between has been the result of work
that I have done. I should hasten to add that I never did anything entirely on
my own but, as I enjoy the most, always with a team of similarly motivated
professionals.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As an Air
Force Officer, my most enjoyable and intrinsically rewarding times came through
the leadership of teams, or entire organizations, on a successful project or
program. I especially enjoyed the challenge of taking a program that was in
trouble (over budget, behind schedule, and/or not meeting its technical
performance requirements) and turning it around. When I took over programs that
were seemingly hopeless, and made them successful, I felt as though I was doing
not only meaningful work but also doing what I was “born to do”. I thrive on
challenges and even chaos, meeting those challenges, and turning chaos into the
orderly execution of an acquisition program. I’ll give you an example of one mental
and physical challenge that I will never forget.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Back in
2001, when I was assigned to the Joint Strike Fighter (now the F-35) program
and we were in source selection to select the winning contractor of the
competition to enter the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase
of the program, I was working especially late one evening with one other guy
still in the office. Around 9:30 in the evening, the Marine Corps two-star
general who was the Program Director at the time came into the office and told
me that he wanted me to brief the senior acquisition leadership of both the Air
Force and Navy the following morning at 8:00. He wanted a detailed briefing on
my (and my team’s) work on avionics open systems architecture – what we had
learned, and what we thought about the contractor’s demonstrated abilities in
that area. He told me that I could brief whatever I wanted and what I thought
was right. As he left, he said that I needed to be in his office the next
morning at 6:00 to go over my briefing. The two of us left in the office looked
at each other and said simultaneously, “It Looks like we’re working!” We
finished the briefing and left the office at 2:30 in the morning, then drove
the 43 miles back to the commuter lot where I had left my car at 5:00 the
previous morning. I drove to my house, took an hour nap, shaved, and put on a
fresh uniform, and met my ride in the same commuter lot at 4:30. We were in the
general’s office by 6:00, and I began my briefing promptly at 8:00. The senior
leadership proved extremely interested in what I had to say; they asked many
questions and my briefing lasted 90 minutes. It was among the best briefings
that I ever gave and when it was over, I felt elated! Then the fatigue set in
and the rest of the day felt almost endless until I could get back home and get
some sleep. But I was motivated! I felt extremely good about what I was doing
and had done. These are the kinds of challenges I lived for.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now retired
from the military and working as a defense support contractor/consultant, I
don’t get nearly the thrills that I used to get as a leader in the military. My
role now is generally advisory; I generate reports, I work with some pretty
massive spreadsheets dealing with budgetary issues, and I provide advice to senior
leaders. But so long as my work and my advice are appreciated and put to good
use, I find great satisfaction in what I do. I am in a spot where I am paid
sufficiently well that the issue of money is off the table and all that is left
are the intrinsic motivators. As always, I do what I do first and foremost to
provide for my family. But beyond that, I do what I do because I believe in the
objectives of our program and I believe that my work adds value. If it were
otherwise, I would be looking for other work.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am also at
the stage now where I have a strong desire to give back to the profession, so I
mentor junior government civilian and military members who work with me. I
enjoy teaching them about program management, and I enjoy seeing them succeed
in part because of the help that I was able to give them. For me, it has always
been about achieving the mission or objectives in a team setting. Seeing a new
aircraft parked on the ramp and knowing that I had something to do with putting
it there gives me a feeling of deep satisfaction. And the brilliant and
motivated people that I have had the privilege of meeting and working with across
the years has made my work so much more interesting. I have had opportunities
and experiences that many people my age have never had. These things have kept
me motivated throughout my career as both an Officer and a civilian.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-26656331692698255082017-02-04T10:17:00.002-08:002017-02-04T10:17:26.275-08:00Supportive Communication
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">A520.4.3.RB - Supportive
Communication</span><br />
<br />
<em><span lang="EN" style="font-style: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As a leader, the quality of your communications with your subordinates,
team, or staff, and your boss is crucial to developing and maintaining the
kinds of relationships that you need to both get the job done and foster a
healthy work environment for all concerned. One’s workplace should be pleasant,
with only healthy stress in the air. This blog will reflect on eight key
aspects of effective and healthy communication practices that will help you to
establish the good relationships that you require. These eight characteristics
of supportive communication are mutually reinforcing. Imagine receiving the
following email from your CEO in your Inbox on a Monday morning:</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">“We are getting less than 40
hours of work from a large number of our EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely
used at 8:00 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers – you either do not know what
your EMPLOYEES are doing, or you do not CARE. You have created expectations on
the work effort that allowed this to happen inside [fill in the blank Company],
creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and
you will fix it or I will replace you. NEVER in my career have I allowed a team
that worked for me to think they had a 40-hour job. I have allowed YOU to
create a culture that is permitting this. NO LONGER.”</span></em><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Would you, as a manager or
supervisor, think, “Wow, I must really be doing a bad job in motivating and
managing my employees; I need to get better!” I think not. The first thing that
I would think…well, I can’t say that here…the second thing that I would think
is probably along the lines of “leadership neither understands nor appreciates
the hard work and good job that I and my people do here.” I’d be angry and
defensive. I might also be fearful of a vindictive and vengeful CEO who has
just destabilized my work environment. The leadership is really watching the
parking lot as a measure of how well they think we’re doing our jobs? “What an
idiot; how did this guy get to be the CEO?” I would also instantly notice the
words in all-capital letters and interpret those as meaning that the leadership
clearly thinks that all of us employees are second-class citizens (and
expendable at a moment’s notice). I was taught a long time ago that using all
capital letters in an email is tantamount to shouting at someone. The tone is
clearly condescending and threatening to say the least. Leadership here has set
up an us-versus-them relationship with all of the mid-level managers and
workers. It is a classic example of disconfirmation, where the workforce will
feel significantly put down, unappreciated, valueless, and insignificant. In
short, I would never write an email anywhere close to the one above; not if I
wanted a productive, motivated, and stable workforce. Furthermore, I’d start
looking for a new job with a healthy, intelligent, caring hierarchy of leaders
who had a clue.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">To be effective, especially when dealing
with a contentious situation, communication must be supportive. One
characteristic of effective communication is “congruence” where the communication
(both verbal and non-verbal) exactly matches your intended message. Congruence goes
a long way to establishing sincerity as perceived by the receiver(s) of the
communication. This is not to say that if you are angry, you should send angry
emails or speak in anger to someone. Cool down first, collect your thoughts,
decide on a productive way in which to approach the situation, then prepare
your message. Incongruence is the opposite possibility where, perhaps without
your conscious knowledge, you may be angry but trying to be objective and
respectful in your communication; the anger nonetheless comes through to the
receiver, making you appear less than genuine or trustworthy. Congruence
enables the development of supportive relationships. Think through what you
intend to say, be honest with yourself about how you are feeling, and make sure
that your actual message and your intended message are in synch. Never react to
an email that has made you angry by replying in kind. Take the high road in
your response, if a response is even warranted, and keep negative emotion out
of your writing.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Another quality of supportive
communication is that it is descriptive rather than evaluative. A message that
comes across as evaluative means exactly what the term says: you are evaluating
or judging others negatively, which almost guarantees a defensive response or
emotion from the receiver(s). Descriptive, on the other hand, refers to a
message that is objective in that it sticks to the facts without ascribing any
blame or negative assessment to another person or group. Descriptive
communication greatly facilitates the quality of congruence as discussed above.
In being descriptive, you describe what the situation is and not anything about
the person or persons involved. In other words, there is no inference of negativity
toward anyone. Thinking through the facts, and again removing the emotion, to
state only the “what” of the matter will help ensure that your communication is
descriptive and enable you to then talk about what “we” (important that it is a
team effort) need to do to improve or solve the problem.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Closely related to descriptive
versus evaluative, your message should focus on the problem and not on the
person (or persons) involved. This is another facilitator of objectivity and
congruence. If your communication is problem-oriented (not person-oriented), then
chances are you are being descriptive (not evaluative) and your message is much
more likely to avoid sounding like an evaluation of an individual or group.
Again, focusing on the person will only get you a defensive reaction.
Problem-oriented communication sticks to the facts and avoids the inference of
blame; this in turn sets you up for a “we” type discussion of how to
effectively resolve the problem.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Supportive communication seeks to
validate a person or group by recognizing people’s positive contribution, their
importance, and their worth to the organization or the project at hand. Any
communication that invalidates someone will instantly become contentious.
People who do not feel valued will never give you their best effort, and
certainly not their loyalty. Even when facing a problem, you must begin by
assuring folks that they are highly valued and that there is certainly nothing
at all personal involved or at stake. Avoid condescension, edicts, being
impersonal or impervious in your verbal and written communication. If people
feel as though they are being talked down to, given rigid orders or ultimatums,
are not recognized as anything more than a number, or their feelings and
opinions do not count, you have set yourself up for failure as a leader. Show
respect for your people, solicit their inputs, allow them to talk instead of
making the communication strictly one-way. This fosters a “we are in this
together and I need your help” atmosphere, and people will give you their best.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Make your communication specific
so that you are understood. Vague or “global” messages will cause your people
to read (or hear) your message and interpret it in their own way, or fill in
the blanks, and your intended message will become distorted. Vagueness engenders
uneasiness among employees; it may foster distrust as if you have a hidden
agenda or don’t really know what you are talking about. People look for clear,
unambiguous messages so they know what they are dealing with. Messages that are
specific, concise, and objective speak to a strong, decisive leader who cares
enough about his or her people to tell it like it is.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Tie what you say to something
that has come before. Anchor your message with the message(s) you receive,
whether in a two-way verbal conversation or through exchange of emails. This is
known as “conjunctive” communication. It seeks to join what you are saying with
what your people are saying so that you are not talking past each other.
Conjunctive communication makes it easy for people to identify with your
message because it ties in with what they know or believe. Conjunctive
communication also helps people to feel understood and therefore validated.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Own what you say. Say “I” think,
feel, believe, perceive, etc. Avoid references to the ubiquitous “they” or “It
was decided that” wording. If you are sending a message, shouldn’t you refer to
yourself directly as the sender? Owning your message avoids the perception of
ambiguity or a hidden agenda. Your people are interested in what you have to
say; if you fail to own your message, you will come across as bureaucratic or
institutional and your people will tune you out. In other words, don’t make
your messages sound like a policy document.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Finally, listen. Actively listen.
Engage with the person or group; give the communication your full attention and
avoid interrupting other people. Listen to understand, not to merely respond.
Through your verbal and non-verbal actions, let people know that you are keenly
interested in what they have to say and that you have a strong desire to
thoroughly understand what they are telling you. When it’s your turn to speak,
ask clarifying questions and remember to be conjunctive. You may also wish to
avoid trying to solve the problem right then and there, but rather to ensure
that you gather your people’s full message, as they intended, and think about
what they said before engaging in analysis and problem solving. If you try too
soon to solve the problem, you may shut someone down and miss the full extent
of what they are trying to tell you. Also, avoid making judgements in your mind
about what is being said; that will make you distracted. Focus on gathering the
information coming your way.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">It’s safe to say that the email
quoted at the beginning did none of the eight things that I just described
about supportive communication. Don’t ever write an email like that or you will
permanently lose the respect, loyalty, and best efforts of your people. Instead,
practice and be mindful of: 1) congruence, 2) being descriptive, 3) remaining
problem-oriented, 4) validation of individuals, 5) being specific, 6) being
conjunctive, 7) owning your message, 8) good listening. One wrong move in any
one of these eight areas and you may never get a chance to recover.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-35041626931162969742017-01-25T14:27:00.003-08:002017-01-25T14:27:40.474-08:00A520.3.3.RB - Constraints on Creative Problem Solving
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Creativity of the Phoenix</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pablo Picasso
said “every act of creation is, first of all, an act of destruction. The
mythical Phoenix comes to mind when I first hear that statement. The Phoenix
lives for a time, then the old bird is destroyed in a fiery display, and a new,
young Phoenix arises from the ashes to take the old bird’s place and begin the
cycle again. Nature, or Creation, is replete with similar examples. After a
forest fire kills or destroys all of the trees, plants, and even animals over a
wide swath, soon there are new, green shoots sprouting from the blackened ground.
In time, the charred land is filled with young trees and vegetation; animals
return to live in a place that was once beautiful and teaming with life, then
dead, and once more full of beauty and life. Or witness the familiar
caterpillar that undergoes a complete metamorphosis to emerge as moth or
butterfly from its cocoon. Likewise, anyone who has lived, or spent time, on a
farm is indeed familiar with the cycle of planting, cultivating, harvesting,
turning the earth and destroying the remnants of the previous crop (thereby
enriching the soil), and replanting again in the spring. After the leaves change
color and fall from the trees, there ensues a dormant season where all is seemingly
dead, only to witness re-birth and renewal once the snow melts and the warmth
returns.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But each of these
re-birth or regeneration processes and cycles may be arrested. A warm spring
where trees begin to bud, followed by an unexpected harsh freeze can kill young
fruit, new leaves, or even the entire tree. Mudslides or bulldozers after a
forest fire can prevent new life from arising and the return of the animals.
New crops may likewise experience a killing frost if planted too soon. Like the
interruption of creation or rebirth in nature, we too can arrest or kill off
our creativity, personally or in the workplace. We either constrain our own
creativity through self-doubt or fear, or find it constrained by organizational
bureaucracy that won’t tolerate one who does not conform. It would follow from
Picasso’s statement that to be creative, we must first destroy that which
prevents us from performing creatively and allow something new to be created
within us.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To become
creative, we may find it necessary to destroy or supplant our existing
management and leadership techniques, processes, or understanding to replace
these with the creation of new and different leadership and management skills.
In her TED talk, “How to Manage for Collective Creativity” Linda Hill (2014),
stated that</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, “If we want to build organizations that can innovate, we
must unlearn conventional notions of leadership”. In other words, we must first
tear down or destroy what we think we know (or have learned) about great
leadership to enable ourselves and the organizations which we lead to become
creative.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing that we need to destroy is the idea that no one
can argue, even constructively, with the boss. Creativity requires the airing
of different, even contradictory ideas; healthy, even heated, debate is
essential for creativity and innovation. Another thing that we must discard is
the notion that the boss tells the subordinates what to do and the subordinates
do what they are told. Creativity and innovation are instead about working with
the unique talents and perspectives of everyone in the work group.
Experimentation is required, even if it means going down some blind alleys. A
third construct that we must unlearn for the creative organization to flourish
is that it is the leader who sets the vision for everyone else to follow. In a
creative organization, the vision is something that is collectively developed
by all members. As Linda says, leading innovation is not about creating a
vision and inspiring others to execute it. Instead, leaders of innovation bring
together people with great diversity and passion, to create a “public square”
type of interaction where all of the “disruptors” and “minority voices can
speak up and be heard.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If the common precepts of leadership must be effectively
destroyed for organizations to be creative and innovative, it would follow that
each of us as individuals must also destroy the manner in which we are
accustomed to functioning within the typical organization and replace our own
habits and self-imposed constraints with new ways of thinking, contributing,
and interacting within the workplace. We must rid ourselves of the fear of
speaking up and out for our ideas. We must discard the notion that we cannot
have ideas, opinions, or perspectives that differ from the boss and from other
members of the organization. Probably most importantly, we must train ourselves
to think and solve problems creatively. Whetten and Cameron (2017) discuss this
need to learn how to solve problems creatively, citing four “conceptual blocks
that inhibit creative problem solving”. Those blocks are: 1) Constancy, or the
tendency to define a problem in one way without considering all of the
alternatives; 2) Commitment, which is the tendency to define new problems as
mere variations of problems that we have already encountered and are used to
seeing; 3) Compression, or not filtering out irrelevant information and; 4)
Complacency, which is failure to be inquisitive and ask questions – in short, the
failure to actively think about the problem. These then are some of our
personal tendencies or traits that we must destroy if we are to become creative
and innovative.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many times, I have missed essential information about a new
problem because I have defined it using the familiar terms and patterns that I
learned from years of experience. Such experience is not an inherently bad
thing, provided it doesn’t blind you to new information. Right here, in the
second week of this course, I approached an assignment with the thought pattern
that I have used repeatedly in my schoolwork and in so doing, I read right past
one key requirement: to pose “intriguing questions” about the topic in my
presentation. When I read the assignment, I said to myself “Got it; I need to
build a Prezi presentation about the topic”. And that is what I did, completely
overlooking the last piece of instruction; the part of the assignment that
required some creativity at that. Lesson learned. I fell victim to constancy
and commitment (and perhaps a bit of complacency). In the future, I will read
(as I’m doing now) and re-read the assignment and ensure that I have covered
each, individual requirement therein. I crashed and burned on one assignment
because I thought I had done everything that I was supposed to do, without
carefully examining and double-checking each requirement.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each time the Phoenix arises from its ashes, it is faced
with the opportunity to begin anew, to experience life differently than it did
in its prior incarnation. Its destruction enables the possibility of a fresh
perspective, of different ways of accomplishing tasks than it may have learned
in past lives. Like that Phoenix, if we are to become innovative and creative
when called upon to do so, we must first destroy our old selves (figuratively,
of course) and become new in our habits, thoughts, and interactions within our
organizations.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-31952545611500879902017-01-21T09:22:00.003-08:002017-01-21T09:24:02.510-08:00<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">10 Minutes a Day</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The topic today is about remaining or living in the present,
moment to moment, and the value of spending ten minutes a day doing nothing in
pursuit of that objective. Another way to refer to this practice may be
“mindfulness” or even “meditation”. Whatever term you wish to ascribe to the
practice of spending ten minutes every day doing nothing, making an effort to
remain focused on the present, and quieting your mind, the aim is to reduce
stress and enhance well-being by removing yourself from the daily busy-ness and
noise that occupy our mind and keep us distracted from living in the present.
In Andy Puddicombe’s TED Talk (2012), he discusses both the problem of our daily
distractions that prevent us from being present in the moment and suggests a
few strategies for taking ten minutes each day to do nothing. Andy makes the
excellent point that even though our minds are probably the most important
determinant of our overall physiological health, we spend almost no time taking
care of our minds; instead, we spend time taking care of our cars, our homes,
and perhaps even our physical bodies and yet we neglect our minds. He says that
we are so distracted by our thoughts that we are no longer present in the world
in which we live. The result is stress and perhaps even clinical depression or
anxiety.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were assigned to practice spending ten minutes a day
doing nothing for at least three days in a row and report back on the value of
this practice, what we learned through this practice, whether or not this is
something we will continue and even encourage others to practice, and how
remaining in the moment can provide stress reduction. I have long been
intrigued by meditation and its advertised benefits; I have read a few articles
and books on the subject, and yet I have yet to become a successful
practitioner of the kind of thing that Andy talks about. I desire the benefits,
but I have found that meditation, for me, is extremely difficult.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In her book “The Type A’s Guide to Mindfulness: Meditation
for Busy Minds and Busy People”, Melissa Eisler mentions a long-used term
called the “monkey brain” to describe the common condition of people’s minds
and thoughts on any given day, where the mind jumps around from thought to
thought like a monkey swings from tree to tree. (Eisler, 2015). She says that
in any given day, people have approximately 50,000 thoughts go through their
mind and that this noise is something from which we need to learn to detach. We
cannot expect to shut these thoughts off, nor should we try (our stress will
only increase if we do so), but that we should learn to disconnect ourselves
from these thoughts, become a dispassionate observer, and recognize that this
massive jumble of thoughts is not really at all who we are; those thousands of
thoughts need not define us and keep us from being present in each moment.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have long been fascinated by the concept of time, and the
passage of time as we understand it. The idea of time travel I find especially
intriguing; not the theoretical basis for it so much as the possibilities that
might open up if we could travel back and forth through time. And the older
that I get, the faster that time seems to be passing by. As I think about these
things, I wonder what the duration of a “moment” in time is. What does it truly
mean to live, or be present in the moment? Again, as Eisler says, there is a
continual conversation going on inside our minds all the time; disjointed and
jumbled though it may be. For these reasons, and a host of others, I find any
form of meditative practice extremely challenging. Here is a moment, am I truly
present in it? Oops, there it went, and here is another one. But wait, I was
just thinking about the last moment, so I just missed living in this one. I
have not yet learned how to successfully disconnect from these kinds of
thoughts, and as a result, I have not yet learned to be truly mindful and enjoy
the benefits of quieting the mind to be present in the moment.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I once read an article about eastern philosophy that dealt
with the martial arts and meditation. I don’t have a reference to cite here,
but I remember that this article discussed the analogy of our being like water
as a martial artist and in our meditative practice. Water flows effortlessly
around obstacles and is persistent in its action. Likewise, as this article
stated, we were to let our thoughts simply flow like water, never attempting to
grab hold of any one thought and possess it, but to instead let all thoughts
pass by as we observed without emotion. To me, that is one of the better
analogies that helps me to understand what I am supposed to do when I spend ten
minutes (or whatever duration of time) doing nothing. As Eisler says, we are to
simply watch the thoughts come and go as we allow our mind to relax. As a
psychologist might say, we need to stop “playing the tapes” in our mind and
instead to simply be aware of what is.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Practicing mindfulness is indeed something that I intend to
pursue and would recommend to anyone seeking to reduce their stress levels and
improve their mental and physical health. I say “practicing” because I believe
it to be a lifelong endeavor. Becoming “good” at meditation requires practice
and effort. As Andy Puddicombe says, our mind is lost in thought (on average)
47% of the time. It is drawing our attention away from living in the present
and thereby robbing us of living our lives. This leads to unhappiness as we
begin to feel and understand that we are missing out on our life; time passes
quickly and we often have no idea where it went as we allow ourselves to be
distracted by the thoughts in our own head. Through practicing mindfulness, we
can change the way that we experience life, enriching each moment of each day.
Obviously, we cannot detach from our thoughts all the time. Writing this blog,
for instance, required focusing my thoughts and listening to the conversation
in my mind about the topic. But taking ten minutes, or twenty, or even more out
of our day to meditate can do wonders for peace of mind, just like taking time
to recover from a stressful workout can do wonders for our bodies and is indeed
essential for healing, recovery, and increased capacity for exertion in the
future.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Failure to practice mindfulness regularly results in stress,
unhappiness, and a feeling of missing out on your life as it unfolds. Our
monkey brain is a common condition that can cause us to worry. If you dwell on
the past, you may end up depressed, guilty, angry, or regretful about things
that you cannot change; this leads to a perpetual cycle of “if only I had done
this….”. If you try to live in, or figure out the future, you may end up
worrying about things that may (or may not) happen and conjure up situations or
scenarios that will almost always prove inaccurate as the future becomes the
present. Luke, Chapter 12, verses 25-26 say, “Can any of you by worrying add a
single moment to your lifespan? If even the smallest things are beyond your
control, why are you anxious about the rest?” We would all do well to think on
these things as we contemplate our individual need to practice doing nothing
for ten minutes every day to improve our mental, physical, and spiritual
health. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-31292545576018230292017-01-14T09:09:00.002-08:002017-01-14T09:09:46.682-08:00A520.1.3.RB - Self-Awareness
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Self-Awareness So Far…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whetten & Cameron define five core aspects of
Self-Awareness (Whetten & Cameron, 2016) that, to me, at this relatively
early stage of my studies in Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s Master of
Science in Leadership degree (MSLD), are only just beginning to come into focus.
This is my third class in the degree program, which will constitute a
cumulative of nine credit hours toward the 36 credit hours required for
graduation. What I believe has occurred thus far for me is a growing awareness
of at least some of the five core aspects of Self-Awareness: emotional
intelligence, values, cognitive style, attitude toward change, and core
self-evaluation. I’d like to address each of these five in reverse order in
this short blog.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Self-evaluation is like a tape that is always running just
beneath the surface on a personal level. Although I have only been exposed to a
single, formal self-evaluation tool (the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory), I have
taken that assessment multiple times throughout my career. My results have
shown that I started as an INTJ (introverted) and over the years have drifted
into the ENTJ (extroverted) realm. I think that this change has occurred over the
years due to the necessity of having to learn how to better work with people
and, as I got practice with business and other, social type relationships, some
fundamental changes took place in my personality. But beyond the MBTI
assessment, in my line of work there are always “lessons learned” endeavors or “hot-washes”
after every major undertaking, briefing, or meeting with senior leadership that
seek to understand and analyze what took place and how we could have done things
better. In those respects, self-evaluation is a routine part of my professional
life. In the courses that I have taken so far in this Master’s program,
critical thinking (e.g., walking around “the circle”) and a class that dealt
with leadership styles have both caused me to do some soul-searching personally
and professionally into what kind of leader I am (or aspire to be) and how I
think about critical or important questions in all areas of my life. In that
sense, my attention to self-evaluation has been awakened.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My attitude toward change is probably still my biggest
challenge among the five core aspects. Certainly, my classes thus far have
awakened my senses in this area, but I have a way to go yet before I will be as
comfortable with change as I am with routine. When we looked at leadership
styles, there was a section on leading change; the leadership style was called “Adaptive
Leadership” (Northouse, 2016). The material in this section really opened my
eyes to the challenges of leading a team, or an organization (or even myself or
family) through difficult change or adaptation. The chapter on Adaptive
Leadership caused me to think in detail about how I would face change or
adaptation, particularly if I did not agree with changes in attitudes or
beliefs required to accept the change. In thinking through these issues, and
relating them to the kinds of change we see in society and the workplace in
modern times, I was likewise awakened to the necessity of analyzing or
re-evaluating my own, long-held beliefs on various societal issues of the time.
I don’t want to make this blog into a socio-political treatise, so I won’t go
into the issues. But suffice it to say that as a result of that course, I definitely
came to a greater awareness of self and the necessity of my perhaps changing
the way that I view and approach changes in society, at work and at home as my
wife and I continue to adapt to being empty-nesters.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My cognitive style was challenged in the coursework that I
did in our first course that dealt with critical thinking. I had considered
myself a fairly logical, clear thinker up until I was exposed to the excellent and
challenging material in the book “Learning To Think Things Through” (Nosich,
2012). Suddenly, critical thinking became a lot more involved than I had
heretofore thought. But the concepts introduced and the thoroughness of the
process of critical thinking suddenly opened my eyes to much more structure,
and logical methods of addressing questions or problems than I had ever before
seen. Wrapped up in critical thinking is the concept of intellectual
perseverance, which is something else that opened my eyes regarding not only
how to do a better job of critical thinking, but also about an entire field of
study about the intellectual obligation we have as critical thinkers to wrestle
with difficult topics and work tirelessly to get at the truth or facts of a
given question or situation. Becoming more aware of how we think (and need to
think) engenders the realization of where we need to improve. This, in turn,
increases self-awareness.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Values is (or are) closely related to attitude toward change
and cognitive style. When we confront change, or leading change, our values can
be tested as can our reasoning or critical thinking skills. Wrapped up in
adaptability is the concept and need for embracing diversity, whether cultural
or personal. This course has re-opened my eyes to the many components of our
values and, when combined with critical thinking, provides a sound basis for
evaluating those same values. And with the process of examining values, we gain
maturity in our values. I discovered in my reading that my values are probably
residing mostly at the conventional level, which is to say I am a conformist.
Not surprising, given my long history with the military and in working within
that same environment as a defense support contractor. Where I aspire to be is
at the post-conventional or principled stage, moving beyond conformity to a
state where my values are both well-reasoned and wholly my own. This
realization has opened up yet another aspect of self-awareness for me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, we come to emotional intelligence which is probably
my weakest area. Even after years of dealing with other people in a wide
variety of situations, I find that I really have to work (and have much work
yet to do) on my ability to “diagnose, understand, and manage emotional cues”.
(Whetten & Cameron, 2016) In the first place, I dislike conflict and
intensely emotional situations. I am not comfortable in those settings. I also
am a work in progress with respect to self-control. I don’t blow up much
anymore, but I can get intensely angry and stew about something for long
periods of time even when I give the outward appearance of being calm and
collected. I do not yet have the emotional intelligence to deal effectively
with all cases of conflict, anger, and the negative emotions. The entire discipline
of emotional intelligence I find both fascinating and elusive. Clearly, the
manner in which we handle our emotions, and recognize and respond to the
emotions of others is a large component of our own self-awareness. This course
and others that follow I’m sure will continue to shed light on, and challenge,
my abilities in this aspect of both my skills and my knowledge. Developing
emotional intelligence, I believe, is a lifelong pursuit. There is always room
for improvement. I welcome the opportunity to continue acquiring knowledge and
practice in emotional intelligence. Becoming aware of our own predilections
where emotional intelligence is concerned seems to me to be at the core of our
development of self-awareness. And the application of critical thinking about
emotions should bear much fruit.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Becoming a truly great manager and leader is largely a
journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. Technical acumen is a necessary
but not sufficient condition for good leadership and management. As leaders and
managers, we are (or should be) all about dealing effectively, fairly, and ethically
with people who truly are the heart of enterprise. It would follow, therefore,
that a MS in Leadership should focus heavily on the development of the self to
become an effective leader and manager. The inaugural chapter of our text “Developing
Management Skills” was on developing self-awareness, which is foundational for
all that follows. The work that I have done so far in the MSLD program has
aided in my enlightenment when it comes to how I think, how I assess and
reason, how I deal with people, and what areas I need to work on. Such is key
to increasing self-awareness.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-65385406702197447142016-10-07T08:37:00.002-07:002016-10-07T08:37:57.520-07:00MSLD 511 Organizational Leadership Course Reflections<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">At the outset of MSLD
511, Organizational Leadership, as our very first assignment, we were asked to
develop and write down our own, personal definition of leadership. How entirely
appropriate that as our very last assignment in this course, after studying several
leadership approaches and theories, we are now asked to determine if we would
make any changes to our definition of leadership. My original definition, from
that first assignment, follows:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Leadership is a person,
or persons acting in coordination, who: oversees the activities of other
persons assigned to them, or hired by them; develops and communicates the
vision, goals, objectives, work assignments, policies, and constraints of the organization
or team; provides direction or instruction and necessary resources; evaluates
performance and provides feedback; inspires and coaches their people to achieve
the vision, goals, or objectives of the organization or team; evaluates and
manages the organizational interaction with the outside environment; and
otherwise enables individual, organizational, or team success in fulfilling the
stated vision, goals, or objectives; assumes responsibility for the
organization or team performance and its continued viability; sets and
communicates the standards and expectations for performance, fairly rewards
good performance, and takes corrective action when necessary.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The first thing that
strikes me about my original definition is that it contains elements from
several of the leadership theories that we studied in this course. For example,
“communicates the vision, goals, objectives” is found, or implied, in several
of the theories that we read about, from the Behavioral Approach, to the
Situational Approach, Path-Goal Theory, Leader-Member Exchange Theory, and
especially in Transformational Leadership where “Inspire a Shared Vision” is
listed as one of the early and essential steps of leadership. (Northouse, pg.
174) Similarly, in his chapter on Servant Leadership, Northouse lists “Conceptualization
[as an] individual’s ability to be visionary for an organization, providing a
clear sense of its goals and direction”. (Northouse, pg. 228) Finally, in my
Leadership Interview, setting the vision came out as one of four key “must-do”
activities of a leader. The other three were: getting the chain of command
rightly established, align the organizational structure with the vision, and
hiring talented people and letting them “run”. I would daresay that the
development and communication of an appropriate and clear vision for the
organization, however that is done, is at least as important as all of a leader’s
other actions, behaviors, and talents, if not more so.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The second element of my
original definition that I would like to highlight are the words “inspires” and
“coaches”. These leadership actions or behaviors stood out prominently in our
study of Transformational Leadership, the Situational Approach, and Path-Goal
Theory where the role of a leader to encourage, support, motivate, and even to
inspire were brought out as essential leader activities and behaviors in
situations where followers either needed help with figuring out a task, or where
the communication of direction and vision to inspire already highly developed
and talented followers would help energize the organization to excel. The
leadership style of “coaching” was explicitly stated in the Situational
Approach, where the leader needs to be both highly directive and highly
supportive for followers with low to some competence and low commitment to the
organization and its objectives. This also relates to the words “provides
direction or instruction” in my original definition. In all approaches or
styles, development of the follower was either explicit or implied.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Providing resources and “otherwise
enable[ing] individual, organizational, or team success” figured prominently
into Path-Goal Theory as the leader was seen as one who removed obstacles
between followers and the successful achievement of the stated goals or
objectives of the organization or team. Specifically, in Path-Goal Theory the
leader “defines goals, clarifies [the] path, removes obstacles, and provides
support”. (Northouse, pg. 116) However, Path-Goal Theory, as do the others,
goes above and beyond my original definition, citing greater complexity
regarding the type, or level of development of the follower, the complexity of
the scenario in which the leader may find himself or herself, etc.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So while my original definition
did contain several key aspects of the various theories that we studied, it
also omitted key details and even entire theories (e.g., Adaptive Leadership
and, to a large extent, Servant Leadership). This leaves me with the rather
obvious question of “How do I improve on my initial definition?” Developing an
accurate and concise definition of leadership that includes all of the key
styles, approaches, theories, etc. remains a truly challenging task and I’m not
entirely certain that I can do so without introducing yet more inadvertent
exclusion or error than I did the first time. I think that Leadership Theories
can be defined, and I believe that each of those theories provides ideas,
techniques, and even prescriptions for the myriad of combinations of
environment, objectives, follower development, constraints, and scenarios which
a leader may face. But whole chapters and long articles were devoted to the
adequate definition and description of each theory; again, how to come up with
a concise and clear definition of leadership that one may find satisfying?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In reading about each of
the leadership approaches or theories, I recognize portions of each that I have
used in my career, without necessarily knowing the formal definition of same. I
find therefore that, much like struggling with a revised definition of
leadership, I cannot label myself as one particular brand or style of leader.
My initial definition I know was heavily influenced by my experience and my
tendencies toward leadership. I have long recognized the importance of, and
tended to favor things like vision, supportive and directive behaviors,
coaching, removing obstacles from the path to success, and also aspired to be
an inspirational leader who tries to motivate (rather than coerce) followers to
achieve our mutual goals and otherwise succeed and grow in talent, knowledge,
and character. Within the past few years, primarily through church and also the
works of Ken Jennings, I have heard about servant leadership and done a lot of
thinking about, and aspiring to, that style. But I’m not there yet.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Along the way, and
especially in this course, there has also been introduced Authentic Leadership.
This is the theory or approach that I find most satisfying. A leader who
possess high moral standards and integrity, who is transparent, who is self-aware,
and able to be balanced in his or her processing of information; this is the
type of leader that I most want to be. I realize that such is a lifelong
process as Authentic Leadership inherently grows out of significant life
events, extensive experience, the process of self-discovery and awareness, and
the sharpening of moral reasoning and commitment. As such, it does not seem
probable or suited to the young and impetuous.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So what of this
definition of leadership? Perhaps it should go something like this:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“A leader is someone who
understands the various leadership theories and approaches, who has experience
with each, and who, based upon the particulars of environment, organizational
objectives or requirements, and follower development and needs, selects and
uses the appropriate leadership approach, or elements from several approaches,
to successfully guide or enable the organization to succeed, while having a positive
influence on its members.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">To be continued…. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-7820992041842764662016-09-25T09:20:00.000-07:002016-09-25T09:32:53.949-07:00<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Inner Work for
Authentic Leadership</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Most places that you go these days, and with most of the
people that you talk to, we appear to be suffering from a dearth of leadership. I frequently hear this lament at work;
society at large (fueled by the media) is bemoaning lack of leadership among
the leaders of The Congress, President, and other elected or appointed
officials. And corporate scandals (e.g., the bank failures and home mortgage
crisis of late, as well as the need for government bailout of two of the big
three automakers) abound. Instead of leaders with integrity, a moral compass,
and a backbone, we instead see corruption, indecisiveness, and otherwise
weak-minded “leaders” who are in it for the big money. It is the
in-authenticity of many of today’s leaders that seem to plague us in all areas,
from corporate, to non-profit, to governmental sectors. In fact, Barbara
Kellerman wrote a book back in 2012 entitled “The End of Leadership”, in which
she makes the case that we have “lost the recipe” when it comes to leadership;
universities and training centers no longer teach good leadership principles
and the “leadership industry” (the vast array of seminars, etc. available)
largely don’t know what they are doing. So
it should come as no surprise that, collectively, we find ourselves in trouble
where leadership is concerned. True, we still have some notable exceptions, but
by and large we appear to lack authentic leaders to lead us into this 21</span><sup><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
century.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What is Authentic Leadership? At present, there is not one
single, unified definition. Northouse
(2016) cites three points of view on Authentic Leadership. The first is the “intrapersonal perspective”
that focuses mainly on the leader and what goes on inside the leader’s
mind. Self-knowledge, self-regulation,
and self-concept are the three main components of the intrapersonal
perspective. Through these
well-developed qualities, an authentic leader leads with conviction, not by
necessarily emulating someone else. Also, life experiences and their meaning
are critical to the development of the authentic leader. The second
perspective, as described by Northouse, is interpersonal; in other words, the
leader-follower relationship. “Authenticity emerges from the interactions
between leaders and followers [ with the emphasis on the reciprocity of the
affect each have on the other]” (Northouse, 2016). Third, authentic leadership
may be addressed from the developmental perspective wherein authentic
leadership develops over time and influenced (or triggered) by major life
events (e.g., death of a loved one, loss of a job, etc.).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Bill George, developer of the Authentic Leadership approach,
in a short YouTube video, talks about how you become an authentic leader, or a
better (more authentic) leader, and touches on three main points: 1) real-world
experiences to help you gain self-awareness; 2) the need to process the
experience(s) through some type of introspection (e.g., meditation, prayer, or
some sort of intimate relationship where you have someone whom you trust to
talk to); and 3) receiving honest feedback from a person (or persons) with whom
you have a more intimate and trusting relationship, and who will tell you the
truth.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I think on my own leadership experience in the real world
of acquisition program management within the Department of Defense, and as a
defense support contractor (now on the “other side of the table” in certain
situations), I too lament the on-going decline in leadership within DoD and the
federal government at large. Failed
programs, huge cost overruns, contractors caught defrauding the government, a
crop of leaders who seem to prefer to not “rock the boat” by making any tough
decisions (and who operate on political correctness instead of unvarnished
truth), a lack of mentoring…the list goes on and on to make the case that we
lack authentic leaders; and it would appear that we aren’t going to get well
anytime soon.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For me, though, the real-world experiences that have had the
most impact have included observing and working with what we would have called
authentic leaders some 25-30 years ago. I had the extreme privilege of working
with The Lockheed Skunk Works as I was starting out in my career. In observing the kind of up-front,
no-nonsense, completely honest, and attention-to-detail practices of that company,
I learned how successful acquisition leadership and leadership practices could
work. I learned the value of operating on a person’s word and a handshake. I
learned how to cut to the chase on complex acquisition programs and focus on
the essentials. And I learned what a leader with integrity, morality, and a
solid work ethic looked like, acted like, and performed like. I learned the essential qualities of forming
good, trusting relationships with folks at all levels of the hierarchy, from
the production and assembly floor worker, to the Vice President and General
Manager for Aerial Reconnaissance Programs.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I also remember one experience that literally made all the
difference for me with another contractor with whom I was working and trying to
solve some significant production and performance issues. Along with our contracting officer, I
negotiated an “omnibus” contract settlement where the contractor owed the
government some things and vice versa.
During that negotiation, I agreed upon a particular contractual
arrangement with the contractor for production deliveries. Two weeks later, a briefing chart on that
very issue was presented by the contractor during a program review with my boss
and our chief of contracting in attendance.
They both stopped the presentation and questioned the arrangement since
they had a different interpretation of how things should read. The contractor
person giving the briefing turned to me and asked point blank, “Which is it,
Dan? The way I have it written up on the screen, or the way they just said they
believed it to be?” Moment of truth. I
took a deep breath and said, “The words up on the screen are what I agreed to
in negotiations.” A huge sigh of relief was felt around the room, my boss and
our chief of contracts said that was okay too, and we moved on. I could have
acquiesced to what I thought were the wishes of my boss and our chief of
contracts and said that their interpretation was the one we would go with. I
could have gone back on my word at the negotiation table, but I didn’t. The
amount of professional respect that I earned that day paid huge dividends with
the contractor as we made our way through the problems on the program.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, real-world experiences (especially real-world tests) I
believe are essential to the development of leader authenticity. And leaders
need to reflect on these experiences, both before they may occur (if such a
thing can be foreseen), and afterwards.
Like the old saying goes, “Always tell the truth and it’s much easier to
remember what you said.” My two main forms of reflection are “daydreaming” when
I have the chance; to just sit and replay the experience in my mind and relive
the emotions and thoughts that were running through me at the time; and prayer,
where I also replay critical successes and critical failures in my career and
my personal life. Part of reflection is the absolute necessity to learn to
forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made; learn from your mistake, then
move on.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Many times, it is essential to have a close, trusted friend
or two with whom you can share your experiences and receive honest feedback,
grace, emotional support, and encouragement for the way ahead. I am lucky
enough to have two such friends, to whom I can tell anything and not be judged,
but instead be understood, constructively criticized, and supported to move
forward with either new ways of looking at a problem or affirmations that I’m
on the right track. These two gentlemen
are both older than me, they both understand the DoD, and they are also
exceptional mentors to me along the way.
Though they are senior to me, we talk on an equal footing. We learn from each other; it is not simply a
one-way street where I go talk about my problems and they tell me what to do.
And we share and analyze successes as well as failures. These two confidantes
are my lifelines when I’m stuck and need advice. They are also accountability
partners, mostly when I ask them to be and sometimes even when I don’t. Relationships liked these are difficult to
find sometimes, but essential. I have
known and worked with these men for 12 and 24 years, respectively. We talk regularly, and without their guidance
and inputs, I would be left to fend on my own. These relationships make and
keep me authentic out there in the world.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The last bit of advice on authentic leadership that I’d like
to close with is to find and attend at least one good leadership seminar or
summit per year where you can hear directly from proven, great, and authentic
leaders. It’s inspiring; it’s insightful; and in my mind it’s essential to “recharge
your batteries” when it comes to leadership and leadership in the context of
your own life. I’m not trying to “sell” anything here, but if you are unsure of
what I mean, look up the Global Leadership Summit online and you’ll see one
such example of such a gathering. Day-to-day work inside any organization can
take a toll on you, and seeing and hearing great leaders of our time not only
reminds you that they still exist and authentic leadership is still possible,
but it can prove inspiring to you as you face your own leadership challenges.
All leaders should be authentic; I would go so far as to say that if you’re not
authentic, then you aren’t really a leader.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-14610187308462621002016-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:002016-09-17T12:16:15.909-07:00
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A Leader From the Past</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have never worked for a purely, or even highly,
transformational leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen a
few; two different Pastors from churches that I have attended come to
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two were charismatic,
excellent orators, extremely knowledgeable and insightful, and inspiringly
visionary. They each grew their congregations not only in numbers but (more importantly)
in Faith and moral character as Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the course of their ministries, they did indeed transform the
membership and the position of their respective churches; in essence, they
raised their congregants to a “higher level” and left their churches stronger
and more cohesive than they were when they first arrived. One of these Pastors
is now deceased, and the other is about my own age and still going strong.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In my professional career, I would have to say that
the closest I came to working for a transformational leader would be my first
boss on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. He was also my first mentor, and in
retrospect the best mentor that I ever had; mentoring is an inherently
transformational act of service. This man was a civilian who knew the business
of acquisition program management as well, or better than, anyone else I have
known or met since. I was indeed fortunate to have landed in my first
assignment with such a strong and capable mentor. He was intensely
professional, yet mild-mannered and easily approachable. I remember clearly how
he would spend time explaining all of the various concepts and knowledge
components of program management, then he would give me work to do that built upon
those explanations. He would have me learn by doing, answering questions
patiently, but quietly insisting on high-quality work and output.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bernie was his name and one day he took me through the
Air Force budgeting and programming process, teaching me all of the different
types of appropriations, how we developed our official budget submissions to
The Pentagon, and so forth. Then, he handed me our last budget position
documentation and asked me to update it, after which he reviewed my results and
then tasked me to build a briefing on our budget and travel with him to
Washington DC to present this same briefing to various program personnel from
The Pentagon! Bernie taught you how to swim, then asked you to dive off the
high board at the deep end of the pool like that. Early on, he also talked to
me about our weekly Program Staff Meeting, Action Item tracking, etc., then he
had me take over running those same Staff Meetings the following week. One
thing that I observed about Bernie is that he would not tolerate anything being
“put on the street” about our Program that was not perfectly accurate and
represented high quality and pride in workmanship. One of our financial
managers once let a budget document go out that had errors in it and I suspect
that the whole of the first floor of our building heard Bernie dress this
person down before he threw them out of our office.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Those are some examples of how Bernie operated.
Everything that he did was carefully planned and timed to provide the most
benefit to the health and successful execution of our acquisition program
possible. To this young Second Lieutenant, watching Bernie in action provided
me with a high degree of Idealized Influence. In the business of acquisition,
he was a superb role model and certainly someone that I wanted to emulate. He
commanded the respect of everyone associated with our Program, from the local
office and various functional personnel on our team, to senior leaders at The
Pentagon, and also among our Prime Contractor folks. His knowledge and business
ethics were second to none. I used to joke with people through the years that
all I ever really learned about acquisition program management, I learned from
Bernie in the first six months that I was in the Air Force. This turned out to
be a good thing as everyone, including Bernie, in our program office either
moved on to other assignments or retired shortly after those first six months
and I was left there by myself to carry on and run the Program. Day in and day
out, I was able to succeed in this endeavor by remembering all that Bernie had
taught me, and doing everything just as he had instructed and demonstrated.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bernie also provided Inspired Motivation. His
expectations were indeed high, as I have stated, and through the many “learn-by-doing”
activities that he coached me through, I became knowledgeable and “bought in”
to the overall mission and vision of our program office. In fact, the examples
that Bernie gave to me of how to effectively run a program stuck with me for
all of my career and many is the time over the years that I drew upon what he
had taught me to sort out and fix other programs that I would run later on. By
his having me work with our program representatives in The Pentagon, he also
inspired me to want to become a Program Element Monitor (PEM) and nine years
later, when I was transferred to Washington DC, that is exactly the job that I
got. And through Bernie’s examples and insights, I knew the PEM job well and
got to fulfill one of my biggest career aspirations.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After all that I have said, I don’t think that I need
to spend much time relaying that Bernie’s assignments for me provided a great deal
of Intellectual Stimulation. One thing that I will always remember is that he
would task me with work that I thought was beyond my capabilities, and then he
would provide instruction and mentoring to grow me into those new and more
responsible activities over time. He continually challenges what I thought were
my limits and then he helped me to exceed them. In an Aristotelian fashion,
Bernie would also hand me open-ended challenges and then help me to figure out
the solution, asking just the right questions at just the right times to prompt
me to take the next steps in figuring things out.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The last major element of Transformational Leadership,
Individualized Consideration, was a given with Bernie. He always had my back
and whenever I truly got “stuck” on something, he would talk me through it with
patience and empathy. His biggest interest was to not only teach me the
business, but to see me succeed and to eventually stand on my own two feet
where I could see what needed to be done and (without prompting) I would go do
it. It’s a bit cliché these days, but Bernie taught me how to do things well
enough that he enabled me to also “think outside the box”. Later, after he had
left the Program, I was able to use those abilities to challenge our prime
contractor to take on a technical issue that had plagued the program for several
years. And in the end, we found and successfully implemented the new technical
solution to the amazement of several senior Colonels in Strategic Air Command
(SAC), who were our customers for the system we acquired.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So I guess that I’d have to say, as I draw to a close,
that perhaps my opening statement was in error. I did indeed work for a
transformational leader at the very beginning of my career. I’ve given a lot of
examples of how Bernie exhibited these behaviors and qualities for me, but he
also did the same for everyone who worked on our Program. I watched him coach
and mentor others, both in our program office and across the cross-functional
team that supported us (financial managers, contracting officers, manufacturing
specialists, and engineering). Whenever I lament that we don’t have good
mentoring going on in the Air Force today within program offices, Bernie is the
guy I’m thinking about. If all of our young acquisition program management
troops today had a Bernie to teach them the ropes, our acquisition programs
would all be in far better shape than they are. I was lucky.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-49712883483328931482016-09-10T10:33:00.001-07:002016-09-12T16:45:17.359-07:00<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mid-Term Reflection</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I watched the TED Talk
by Talgam, ideas and affirmations about leadership at its finest began flowing
like water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conductors, at the level of
which Talgam speaks, are leaders of what we would otherwise call “High
Performing Teams”. In LMX jargon, each member of the orchestra is part of the
In-Group. They can all be trusted by the Conductor to perform their individual
and collective duties in a thoroughly outstanding manner; each musician is at
the top of his or her game and a consummate professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, they have all practiced together
for enough time, that they are truly a team where no one individual, or a few
individuals are playing for themselves, but they fully recognize, behave, and
focus on blending with one another to “speak” as one “voice” under the
leadership of the Conductor.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Again, as I watched the
video, I was immediately reminded of a time in my program management career
where I quite unexpectedly became the leader of an extremely high-performing
team for about eighteen months. When I came on board, everyone was indeed “warming
up” before the concert. I want to make clear, before I go any further, that I
take very little credit for the development and performance of this
high-performing team. I had the extreme good fortune to have brought together
individuals who were indeed at the top of their game, and eventually I became
like the final conductor that Talgam showed in his videos; I almost literally
could just stand in front of the group and enjoy the “music” as the team “played”
it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I learned from my
experience, as Talgam discussed in his talk, that the highest form of
leadership or at least the highest experience in leadership is to facilitate
the bringing together of talented people on a project and helping them to weave
together their talents and energies into a single story that we all tell
together. I had the distinct honor to almost literally play the part of a
Conductor. Everyone knew their part; I made sure of that, but not by edict,
rather by dialogue and capitalizing on their ideas and talents to make them
part of the unified whole. Everyone played their part to perfection. Everyone
challenged one another, helped one another, and delighted in the combined
accomplishments of the team.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This doesn’t happen by
accident, but obviously some amount of good fortune is involved. It is not
often that a leader inherits a team where everyone is a star performer, yet no
one puts themselves above any other member of the team. I merely needed to have
the good sense to set the objectives and get out of the way of progress. Every
last member of that team took extreme pride in their performance, but even more
in the performance of the team. It was an experience I will never forget. The
trick would be to build and mold such a team regardless of what you have to
start with as a leader. Like a Conductor, the leader would need to spend long
hours with individual performers, long hours with groups of performers, long
hours with the more senior and experienced performers to ensure that the right
kind and amount of mentoring was happening, and long hours with the team as a
whole to practice in real time how to reach for and achieve the goals and
objectives set forth.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The real leaders can do
just that. They can take a diverse group of individuals with varying talents
and levels of development, and they can make them into a high-performing team
by setting expectations, developing high-quality relationships with each
individual, teaching, coaching, delegating appropriately, growing and
developing the individuals, and also growing and developing the team. I think
that the example of top Conductors of orchestras is a great simile to that of a
top performing leader; likewise, I think that the example of the orchestra is a
great simile of a top-performing team. And yes, even the audience participation
is a great example of the context or external environment that leaders must
also include in the equation.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We have studied many
theories of leadership thus far in this Course. What I have found is that each
theory contains at least some elements of what great leadership looks like,
acts like, and performs like. One may argue whether traits are genetic or
conditioned, but every great leader does possess some degree of personal
characteristics that set them apart and make them effective. Likewise, a great
leader must possess a skillset that, while variable and somewhat
situation-dependent, must nonetheless be employed to achieve results. The
behavior and situational approach also described inherent truths in what leaders
should do, and how they might adjust their style to best fit the situation, or
to fit their followers (or both).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Path-Goal Theory clearly put forth the relevant role of a leader in
helping to remove or overcome obstacles in the path of the followers. And LMX
showed us how the social aspects of leadership usually do evolve within an
organization as relationships between leaders and followers develop; and how it
is only natural that leaders come to depend on followers who have demonstrated certain
qualities that the leader can depend upon to get things done.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Conductor of the
orchestra has no doubt established high-quality relationships with every
musician in his or her charge. Mutual respect has no doubt been established
between the players and the Conductor, and among every musician. Everyone
understands that they are uniquely talented and uniquely responsible for the
performance of the team as a whole. To the extent that a leader can achieve
those qualities or characteristics across his or her team or organization,
everyone wins. In every leadership theory we have studied thus far, there are
elements of truth in how a leader should go about creating such conditions.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-30419883706517930192016-09-02T08:28:00.001-07:002016-09-02T08:29:54.853-07:00A511.4.3.RB - Locus of Control<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Locus
of Control</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Within the Path-Goal Theory of leadership lies a
concept known as “locus of control”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically this concept holds that if a person has an external locus of
control, then they believe that they have little to no control over the events
or things that happen to them in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In other words, the “forces” that shape their lives are external to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conversely, people with an
internal locus of control tend to believe that they have a significant degree of
control over what happens to them in life, whether or not they succeed in their
endeavors, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This becomes important
in Path-Goal Theory in that leaders need to be directive in nature toward
people with an external locus of control, and supportive in nature toward those
who have an internal locus of control.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So what about this locus of control concept?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it real?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does it matter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that it
is real and it does matter and in this reflection I will explain my beliefs and
hope to at least cause you to think about the matter as it pertains to your own
experiences and perceptions.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I took the Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale Test and,
not surprisingly, I scored a 67%, indicating that I tend to favor the external
locus of control perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said,
this is not surprising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have come to
believe in life that a person can control very little of what happens to them;
the only thing that they can control is how they respond to those external
forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used the word “respond” on
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also learned that it is
better to respond than to react to external forces or events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One who responds does so with thought,
reasoning, and a calm demeanor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What one
does, therefore, is a rational act as opposed to an emotional (often angry)
reaction. It has taken several classes in Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend
and some therapy sessions to learn this material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to react to what I perceived were “unfair”
or “inappropriate” things that happened to me; now I try to respond and the
outcomes are much more favorable in terms of my own peace of mind and what
happens next as life unfolds.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I graduated from college in 1984, the Air Force
Officer who commissioned me was a young Captain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man had arrived at Michigan
Technological University (MTU) Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
(AFROTC), Detachment 400 (Det 400) two years prior to my graduation as a First Lieutenant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly thereafter, he pinned on Captain and
was my AFROTC instructor during my junior and senior year of my undergraduate
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used to say back then that
he was unsure of just how long that he would stay in the Air Force, and that he
may very well serve his four years and get out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ironically, today, he is the only person associated with the MTU AFROTC
Det 400 class of 1984 who is still on active duty, and he is a Lieutenant
General.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one, including him, ever
imagined that he would go this far in the Air Force.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A couple of years ago, I talked to this 3-star about
how he got to where he is, and he said very simply to me, “Dan, it was about
99% pure luck. I ended up working for the right people, in the right place, at
the right time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no magic
formula for getting to where I am”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
obviously, he is an intelligent, hard-working officer who always gave (and gives)
his best effort in every assignment that he has had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is exactly my point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best that anyone can ever do is to get
well educated, perform well and learn all that you can in each and every job
that you have, and generally work hard in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those things are within your control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, getting to the top of the pyramid is pretty much the result of
what happens to you, and not within your control.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have met and talked to several Medal of Honor
recipients and every one of them has stated that the only reason they received the
Medal of Honor, as opposed to someone else in their unit, is because they didn’t
get killed in the process of doing their job well on the battlefield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the 3-star I mentioned above, these
Medal of Honor recipients put their achievement down to “good fortune”.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conversely, I have seen people who were so focused on
controlling their careers that they very nearly drove themselves insane in the
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also add that they
usually turned out to be the exact opposite of what they tried so hard to
achieve (for their own sake).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These “careerists”
were generally poor leaders and their own worst enemy as they tried again and
again to rack up “points” and get to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I remember attending Squadron Officer School (SoS) in residence in
Montgomery, Alabama, in 1988.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day,
we were out at a site on Maxwell Air Force Base where they had set up several “stations”,
each with a different mental and physical problem-solving challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were divided into groups of six people (teams
of six) and rotated through these stations where we were given the problem, and
then as a team we had to solve it and perform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each problem (each station) was timed and scored, and the leadership and
followership of each team member was observed and recorded by the
instructors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About halfway through the
exercise (called “Project X”), there was a huge commotion a few stations away
from where I was involved with my team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One guy and one gal (both young Captains) had completely lost it because
they so desperately wanted to become Distinguished Graduates of SoS that when they
say their team failing one of the challenges, they knew that their point score
was taking a nosedive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy was
yelling and cursing; the gal was sobbing uncontrollably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two prime examples of what happens when you
attempt to control everything in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Needless to say, they ruined their chances of being recognized as top
performers in our class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A strong internal
locus of control can get you into all kinds of trouble. It took me several
years to learn this lesson, and to this day I would refer to myself as a “recovering
controller”.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So what does this mean in terms of how I perceive leaders?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I do appreciate directive leaders (a
nod toward my external locus of control) but only to a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I feel that I am being “talked down to” by
a leader and that his or her words reflect a perception on their part that I am
of low intelligence, I get angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the
problem is complex, I do indeed like clear direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the longer that I have spent in
leadership and followership positions, I have come to prefer a supportive
leader who encourages you, challenges you, rewards you, and works alongside you
as part of the team. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overly directive
leaders seem to me to have a tendency to be distant or detached; they therefore
don’t usually seem to truly appreciate their people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Directive leadership may be fine if you are a
restaurant manager of shift supervisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I much prefer supportive leadership in professional settings, even
though I tend toward an external locus of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose this is true because if leadership
is supportive, then I am content that my external environment is in good shape.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-22827601719388498002016-08-27T09:39:00.002-07:002016-08-27T09:40:42.312-07:00A511.3.3.RB - Directive and Supportive Behaviors<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bmFirstPageTitle">Directive and Supportive
Behaviors</a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Kenneth Blanchard, et. al., developed a leadership approach widely
known as Situational Leadership in which are defined four leadership styles or
behaviors, and four follower categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C426024570023148I0T426094518171296">(Northouse, 2016, Chapter 5)</a>
Included in the four leadership styles are two categories of behavior:
directive and supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The directive
behavior is, as the name suggests, a “one-way” communication wherein the leader
tells the subordinate (or follower) what to do, how to do it, when to get it
done, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally, the leader gives
detailed instructions and the follower does as they are directed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The supportive behavior is a “two-way” street
wherein the leader and follower are mutually engaged in determining the what,
how, and timeframe, etc. of the task (or tasks) to be performed by the
follower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supportive behavior encompasses
a participative approach that provides for emotional and social support to the
follower on the part of the leader.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
With these basic definitions in mind, I would like to reflect on my
directive versus supportive behaviors as I exhibit (or exhibited) them in my
various roles as a leader, follower, parent, child, friend, and I’ll even take
the risk and throw in spouse.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I am an only child who grew up with a strict mother and father,
where I learned my work ethic starting at a young age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a 21-year career in the military and
have now been a defense support contractor and consultant for approximately
11.5 years. I have been married for 33 years, and I am the father of two sons,
now ages 28 and 26.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my military
career, I had many opportunities to lead teams, both small and large, and to
direct a large acquisition program organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had many opportunities to follow
leaders, most of whom I considered quite good at their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my role as a support contractor and
consultant to various acquisition program offices, I have had ample opportunity
to serve as a follower, often as a follower of people in leadership roles who
are considerably younger than I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
can present some interesting challenges and, if I’m lucky, can also provide me
with mentoring opportunities.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But let’s start with my role as a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was certainly a follower and throughout my
younger years especially, my parents were directive leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not to say that they were
cold-hearted or distant; but when I was young, I was told what to do, how to do
it, and generally when it must be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had assigned household chores, like keeping my room clean, emptying
the waste baskets in the house, and helping both parents with odd jobs around
the house, in the yard, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my
parents told me to do something, they always expected me to comply with their
instructions and not have to be told twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, I oftentimes violated those instructions and suffered the
consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can remember, as I grew
older, my dad’s seemingly favorite words of sage advice: “If you had spent half
the time doing what I asked instead of complaining, you’d have it done by
now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those words were usually followed
by the consequences of not doing what I was told, and having to be told more
than once.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In my later teens, and living with my parents in northern
Michigan, we heated our house with a wood furnace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked at a local restaurant, often in the
evenings, and didn’t arrive home until after midnight on a Friday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I experienced many 7:00 am wakeup calls
from my dad, telling me that we were going to go cut a load of wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father was a carpenter and worked
extremely hard his entire life (which is probably why he is now 85 and in many
ways more fit than I am).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He expected
his only son to grow up used to hard work without complaint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cut a lot of wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a lot of chores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And though I didn’t completely realize it at
the time, those experiences were preparing me to work hard, and diligently, as
an adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents prepared me well
for my military career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rarely was my
parent’s leadership style a “two-way street”, but in my late teens there were
instances where their leadership, their parenting, did both allow and even
encourage me to participate in decision-making, as well as allowing me more
flexibility on when I got things done (as long as they were done!).</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When I became a parent myself, I expected things to work with my
two sons in basically the same way that they had worked between me and my
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is, my wife and I
never really discussed our parenting approach before we had our first son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife is one of five children who grew up
in a small house, and whose parents were more lenient with the chores, with
direction, and with consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looking back now, I can see that my wife’s parents had their hands full
with five kids and the kind of directive approach that I had experienced
growing up wasn’t nearly as feasible when dealing with five children instead of
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is that my wife and I
found ourselves at nearly opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to
parenting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I attempted to be directive
and establish consequences for misbehavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My wife was almost entirely participative in her approach with our sons,
even when they were quite young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
some parenting-skills disagreements, I dialed down my directive approach and
more or less followed her lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
result, our sons usually listened to me and di what they were told; my wife had
a harder time in that department but in the end she is today much closer to our
sons than I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sons respect me and
my work ethic, but they usually turn to their mother first when they need help
since mom always provided the social and emotional support in their formative
years.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Given my upbringing, I was more or less ideally suited to the
military’s typically directive style among the leaders for whom I worked as a
junior officer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed orders
without question (although I did ask clarifying questions if I didn’t
understand the task at hand).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As more
work was pushed my way, I simply worked harder and longer because that’s what
my dad did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the years went by, this
became problematic for me when I would constantly be consumed by work to the
detriment of family time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not
really know how to balance work and family, even though I heard that refrain
countless times from senior military leaders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I missed much of my sons growing up, which
is something I will always regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
my military bosses thought highly of my work ethic and I fared well on my
appraisals.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As I began to assume leadership positions in my military career, I
started out highly mission oriented and low on the social-emotional support
scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had grown up, and I had spent
the first few years in the military, believing that mission was everything and
people are just supposed to do as they are told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides that, I was an introvert so the
social side of things was not my strong suit early on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after five years on active duty, the Air
Force sent me to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to get my Master
of Science in Systems Management.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
lucky enough there to be exposed to professors who knew, and taught, the
theories of people like Dr. W. Edwards Deming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I quickly began to see that the people side of the whole leadership
thing really mattered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one of
Deming’s cardinal rules was that if an organization’s output was not right, it
was the fault of management and not the workers.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When I finished at AFIT, I was assigned to an acquisition program
office where I was given a significant leadership role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I began to act on the people side of the
equation, while ensuring that our mission was successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I applied what I had learned about Deming,
and about Blanchard (from my Organizational Behavior class at AFIT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This introvert found that I actually liked
the social-emotional aspects of leading teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I began to have off-sites; I structured meetings and reviews to give my
followers direct participation in decisions about strategy, and execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, starting with that first
assignment after AFIT, I have naturally tended toward what Blanchard would call
a “supporting” and “coaching” leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
find that I’m happier at work, and my followers are happier at work, and we are
more successful at accomplishing the mission when I hover between those two
leadership behaviors.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Now that I’m a support contractor and consultant, I am back to
being a follower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am fortunate in that
I usually get to be a behind-the-scenes supporting and coaching leader of sorts
in providing recommendations to my clients and even sometimes being asked to
mentor some of the more junior government people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just need to be careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some government personnel (military and
civilian), and leaders, know how to best employ a support contractor’s skills
and experience and tap into that knowledge for the benefit of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other government folks can view contractors
as “second-class citizens” who should be seen but not heard; those types of
people take offense if a contractor “steps out of his lane” and tries to make suggestions
or give recommendations about the conduct of the business of running
acquisition programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can work with
both types of people in that regard, and I can still salute smartly and do my
work quietly when required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I much
prefer the two-way street when I am a follower.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Now we’re down to my roles as a friend and spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a friend, I am never directive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind, friendship is by definition a
two-way street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If asked specifically
for advice, I will offer steps that I would take, or the things that I would do
in a given situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I would never
presume to direct a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, when my wife and I were first married, I did assume the
role of a director at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking
back, I don’t really know why I would have thought that was appropriate, but my
upbringing and my youth (and lack of relationship experience) probably had a
lot to do with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, my
directive approach as a spouse was met with more than a little resistance and I
gradually began to learn (often the hard way) that directive behavior in
marriage is the wrong approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
that message, and these days I do not direct anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes my wife does, but that’s okay
(listen up husbands!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marriage is a
lifelong learning process and I continue to work on my supportive,
social-emotional skills as a spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have found that I am a problem solver, so when my wife is concerned about
something and brings it to me, I have to be careful not to try to immediately
“fix” the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of being a good
husband is about listening and empathy, and not jumping in with directions in
any situations unless specifically asked to do so…and even then one must be
careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything is a true two-way
street, it is (and must be) in marriage.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I know that Blake and Mouton have sharply criticized the
Situational Approach <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C426095018287037I0T426095195717593">(Robert Blake and
Jane Mouton, 1981)</a>, asserting that only the Management Grid theory yields
the one, best leadership style, but I find the Situational Leadership approach
by Blanchard extremely useful and directly applicable to the real-world fact
that leadership situations or scenarios vary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Common sense tells us that we cannot act one way, and one way only in
all situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, paying attention
to directive behavior and social-emotional behavior has proven an important
guide in my leadership, followership, friendship, marital and other roles that
I have in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adjusting those two
behavioral factors in dealings with my adult children, as well as my aging
parents, I find to be necessary with each situation that arises.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-64362184542811738432016-08-20T09:33:00.001-07:002016-08-21T10:17:42.007-07:00A511.2.2.DQ_VoreDan<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bmFirstPageTitle">Reflecting on Leadership
Traits</a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">In his book “Leadership:
Theory and Practice”, Northouse describes the Trait Approach to leadership, or “great
man theory” as “focused on identifying the innate qualities and characteristics
possessed by great social, political, and military leaders.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C426024570023148I0T426024608449074"> (Northouse, 2016, p. 19)</a> He then
goes on to cite several researchers who list several leadership traits that
have been identified over the space of the last one hundred years or so which
great leaders possess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the key point
is that these essential qualities of a leader are “traits”; in other words,
they are qualities that leaders are born with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So either you have them, or you don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bottom line to this theory is that some people were born to be
leaders, while others (the vast majority of others, I might add) were not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leadership then is open only to a select few
who were born with some or all of the traits identified.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I want to state up
front that I do not agree with the Trait Approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that while certain individuals,
through the effects of their early childhood development, may possess certain
aptitudes that make leadership easier to learn and to come by, all individuals
with a desire to lead may acquire the necessary tools, knowledge, and abilities
to become a great leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I therefore
believe more strongly in the Skills Approach as identified by Northouse in
Chapter Three of his book.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">That said, my task at
hand in this Reflection is to identify some of my “traits” and to discuss the
extent to which I possess them, or my lack thereof is hindering my leadership
abilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will further reflect on how
the traits that I identify are important to my leadership style.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">This then begs the
question: What is my leadership style?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reflecting
back over my 32-year career in acquisition program management, where I have
been a Team Lead (what was called an Integrated Product Team, or “IPT” Lead) on
several occasions, and also as a Program Director or Division Lead of a large
organization, I would have to say that my style is participatory, structured,
coaching, mission-oriented, yet servant as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend to make as many decisions as I am able
with the considered inputs of team members or key section leaders within my organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I value the opinions of others and I depend
upon the expertise of the various functional discipline leads for their sage
advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In terms of structure, I am
mostly about centralized control and decentralized execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I delegate and I hold people accountable
while checking up on them along the way and ensuring that I remove any
roadblocks to success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When necessary, I
provide “top cover” to my people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
highly value coaching and mentoring and so not only do I perform those
functions as necessary, I encourage my subordinate leaders to do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, I do my best to take care of my
people while ensuring that my organization and its assets are aligned to
accomplish the mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to make my
enthusiasm for the mission become an infectious example for others to see and
thereby become inspired to work together and to work hard to achieve mission
success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I value servant
leadership above all else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe
that the highest calling of a leader is to serve not only his or her leaders,
but to serve their subordinates as well by supplying them with all of the
tools, education, and support possible to enable them to succeed in their individual
roles.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">With all of that said,
what are some of the traits that I possess, and where might I be lacking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Northouse cites the work of Stodgill (1974),
particularly his second survey that included 10 characteristics or traits
associated with good leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first is a drive for responsibility and task (or mission) completion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one, I can see in myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, I know that I have blind spots, but
for purposes of this reflection, I am going to stick with what I believe is
true of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am driven; I seek out
responsibility and even additional responsibility; whatever it takes for me to
assure that I complete the mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
learned my work and responsibility ethic from my parents, mainly my father, and
if anything, I drive too hard at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The second of the ten is vigor and persistence in pursuit of goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe this is closely tied to my drive
for responsibility; I do have to be careful at times to not be overly
persistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third characteristic is
risk taking and originality in problem solving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am all about that.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">When I was a junior
officer in the Air Force, I was put in charge of the Low Altitude Navigation
and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) Targeting Pod Production IPT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I took this position, the program was in
serious trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the first
Gulf War, Central Command (CENTCOM) demand for targeting pods was high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the production program had only just
begun and we had fielded 17 pods that ended up being in 15 different
configurations due to numerous production and performance deficiencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The support equipment did not work, and the
technical orders were generally a mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These things happen when you rush a new system into the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my career mentors was the LANTIRN
Program Director and she told me to go pick someone at (then) Martin Marietta
to be my contractor counterpart, and then see what I could do, working with
this person and the company, to fix the program.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I picked a guy who had
some experience with the targeting pod, was several years older than myself,
but someone who was highly regarded and had the reputation of being a good and
strong leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should note that by
this time, we had gone through two Vice Presidents, and had even brought back a
retired VP to try to resolve the issues but all had failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John, the man that I picked, and I hired a
process improvement and statistical process control guy, one of the best in the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sent him to the production
floor and also to visit with the design engineers about all of the problems we
were having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time, I flew to
Luke Air Force Base and visited with the maintainers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had five targeting pods in the shop that
they could not fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They showed me some
of their issues with the support equipment and tech data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called up the VP and the Director of
Logistics and told them to get on an airplane and that I would pick them up at
the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got back to Luke
with the two of them, I drove directly to the pod shop, where the guys had put
a pod in the intermediate-level support equipment, and I handed them their own
tech data, and asked them to fix the pod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They took off their coats and ties, rolled up their white sleeves, and
began to follow the tech data to troubleshoot and then fix the pod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In about ten minutes, I could see them
flipping back and forth among the pages of the tech data, looking confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within thirty minutes, they sheepishly look
at me and said, “Okay, you’ve made your point.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got complete buy-in from the company after that and we went to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began to identify the key mechanical and
performance measures on the production line and to establish statistical
process control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, we ended up
with nearly 500 measurement points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
got the engineers involved where critical tolerances were specified and began
to align the manufacturing operations with the design to a degree that had not
been done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also ensured that
the support equipment in the field was calibrated to the same tolerances and
indicators that were used in the factory to measure performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we went to work on the tech data with the
help of the Air Force maintenance personnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within 14 months, we had the number of fielded configurations down to
two, the support equipment fixed, and the tech data perfected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The program when I inherited it was 16 months
behind schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went on to finish
all 454 pods one year ahead of schedule.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Now that was a long
story so that I could say this: everything that we did to fix the targeting pod
problems was a calculated risk and required the kinds of problem solving that
had never before been done within the company, or on many Air Force production
programs in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once we began
to achieve some successes, it caught fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone became inspired and hugely dedicated to getting this program
fixed and superior product out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This brings me to the fourth characteristic: drive to exercise initiative
in social situations.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I am an introvert by
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me a choice, and I’ll pick
the good book and a quiet afternoon, or the small gathering over the big party
any day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that does not mean that I cannot
socialize and exhibit drive in social situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I am in a leadership role and working
should-to-shoulder with people to fix problems and succeed, I am in my element.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I led the Suite 5 development and
fielding (software and hardware modifications) to the A-10 aircraft fleet, I
inherited problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pilots and
maintainers felt that they were not being heard and that the things that they
needed were not making into configuration block upgrades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had a software development and
fielding process that took three years from start to finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, I had a few counterparts within the
company that, along with me, loved a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the lead Air Combat Command representative, all of the key software
engineers, the project managers, and the contracting officials in a big
conference room one afternoon, I and the lead company program manager led the
discussion to overhaul the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
then committed to the pilots and maintainers on an historically large number of
new function points and maintenance features that would be included in Suite 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the gloves off, we got extremely
innovative, and without making this an overly-long story, we fielded Suite 5 in
363 days (hardware and software mods, along with complete tech data) without a
single pilot or maintainer write-up on anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, due to several bureaucratic
changes, mostly on the part of the Air Force, nothing like this has ever been
accomplished since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our efforts were
all about risk taking, drive, and initiative in intense social situations with
scores of naysayers on the outside looking in (and even some actively trying to sabotage our efforts).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The fifth
characteristic is self-confidence and sense of personal identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make decisions as described above with a
strong self-confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trick is to
not let your personal identify get swallowed up in the larger picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend to identify strongly with what I’m
doing as a leader when I know we’re moving in the right direction and I see
tangible results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, my identity
gets tied up in that whole process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
through the years, I have managed to develop and maintain a good sense of
personal identity that can remain apart from my work identity.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The sixth
characteristic is the willingness to accept consequences of decisions and
actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe in this one with all
of my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than once, when
briefing my Team’s or Organization’s plan to address and fix broken programs, I
have sealed the deal in telling the senior people at the table, “If I’m wrong,
fire me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stand behind everything that
I do and I also take responsibility for the actions of my subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no alternative for me on that score.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The seventh characteristic
is the readiness to absorb interpersonal stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I struggle with this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I try most to achieve is to head off
interpersonal stress through frank and honest conversation with the folks
involved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talking it out up front and
early is usually a recipe for success, before things get out of hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twice in my career, I have had to call in the
“warring factions” and close the door, and get very blunt about their attitudes
and actions and basically tell them to knock it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did so with respect and decorum and the
situations were resolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
leaders have to do this, and I’ve found that subordinates will respect you for
it if done with their best interests at heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t let it get to where you are actually angry with someone before you
call them in to chat.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The eighth
characteristic is willingness to tolerate frustration and delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I struggle with this as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a terribly patient person, but I can
force it if I have to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once my Team and
I have launched on a course of action, or comprehensive plan to achieve some
goal or mission, I have little patience for those who circle back around and
start playing the bureaucracy card on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I expect people to execute what we’ve all decided upon; and also to not
bring me a problem without a few alternative solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am more than willing to help someone if
they are stuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I’m not willing to
do is to tolerate someone who sits at their desks “admiring the problem”.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The ninth
characteristic is ability to influence other people’s behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit that this one is becoming
more difficult with the passing years than I would like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say this because I don’t find the same work
ethic in the majority of the workforce today that I could count on 20 or 30
years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I try to influence
people’s behavior, I usually do so by appealing to their sense of personal
pride and accomplishment; or to their willingness to rise to a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That personal pride and willingness to rise
to a challenge is still out there, but increasingly I find it being replaced by
a more bureaucratic mindset that wants to focus on all of the reason why we can’t
do something instead of helping to figure out how we can do something.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Finally, characteristic
number ten is capacity to structure social interaction systems to the purpose
at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to joke that I was a
chemical engineer, not a social engineer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To a large extent that was true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But from the perspective of a leader, I actually find it gratifying and
enjoyable to engineer the necessary social interaction that gets the job done
and allows people to have some fun along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I delight in seeing relationships spring up
and take hold within the context of an organizational construct or timely
introduction that I have made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to
put the right people together in a team setting to achieve success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I play straight up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you see is what you get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> W</span>hen faced with hidden agendas or
disingenuous people, I have issues and these situations are where I am prone to
losing my temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I am always careful
with social interaction systems to try to make sure that I’m seeing reality.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">In Chapter Two,
Northouse goes on the present a table of various other traits that different
researchers have evolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose to
concentrate on the ten characteristics identified above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said at the outset, I believe more in
the Skills Approach, where leadership abilities are open to everyone who truly
desires to learn them. In that vein, the ten "traits" that I have addressed above, to me, are actually skills that I have learned over the years from mentors, good bosses, and hard-won experience.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-32265232206754256572016-08-13T07:55:00.001-07:002016-08-27T09:43:07.989-07:00A511.1.3.RB_Vore_Dan<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A511.1.3.RB_Vore_Dan</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Leadership Is a Two Way Street That Can Be Life Changing</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I was a young
Captain in the Air Force, I was assigned as the Team Lead for the Low Altitude
Navigation and Infrared Targeting for Night (LANTIRN) Targeting Pod production
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I stepped into this role,
the program was in terrible trouble. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Company producing the Targeting Pods had only delivered 17 of them and they
were in 15 different configurations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Video issues plagued the performance of the pod, as did several
mechanical and electrical problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
technical data was inaccurate and incomplete, the support equipment generally
did not work, and the using command, while they loved the capability of the
targeting pod, was complaining bitterly about their maintainability,
reliability and performance in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In short, things were a mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had over 450 total pods to produce and with each new pod there seemed to come
yet more new problems to add to the existing ones.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I began a series of
reviews, including an extended trip to one operating location where the pods
were being used on the F-15E aircraft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
visited the intermediate-level maintenance shop where they had five pods in-house
that were not working and which they could not fix with the existing technical
data and support equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had them
show me some of the examples and late that same evening, I called the Company
VP and his Director of Maintenance and Logistics and told them to get on an
airplane in the morning and that I would pick them up at the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they arrived, I took them straight to
the “back shop”, had them take off their ties, roll up their sleeves, and try
to diagnose and repair one of the pods using their tech data and support
equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within about ten minutes,
they threw up their hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had their
attention.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Colonel for whom
I worked at the time told me to pick someone within the Company to be my
industry counterpart as their lead Program Director for the Targeting Pod
Program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made my selection, that
gentleman was promoted and handed the reins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the start, he was one of the best leaders with whom I have ever
worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a very real sense, we worked
for each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together, we had the
responsibility to right the ship, and we had our work cut out for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We quickly agreed at the outset that together
we would work on a handshake and that when we said we were going to do
something, we could trust each other’s word that it would be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how were we going to take this broken
program, with a whole workforce that was demoralized (on the Company side), and
several military organizations and offices (on my side) that were completely
disillusioned and make it into a successful program?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This gentleman and I
did a lot of talking, strategizing, and interviewing of several people on both
sides of the table (USAF and Corporate).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Up to the point of my selecting this man to become the new Company
Program Manager, the Company had gone through several of its top executives,
engineers, logisticians, and production managers to no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we began to sift through all of the
problems and issues and gradually some patterns began to emerge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also formed a lifelong friendship and
healthy mutual respect for one another, the likes of which I have never since
experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A real, solid partnership
emerged fairly quickly.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We hired two process
control experts and paired them up with design engineers, manufacturing
engineers, and logisticians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat down
with the folks on the manufacturing floor who actually built the targeting
pods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, we sat down with the
folks who produced the support equipment and the technical data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following the guiding principles of Dr. W.
Edwards Deming, we began to identify key processes and key variables where
measurements were needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make a long
story short, we implemented a system-wide statistical process control system
wherein the critical design variables that were identified by the design
engineers were evaluated on the production line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole new picture emerged, data was
analyzed, processes were adjusted, tolerances were re-evaluated and adjusted as
required, and the measurement criteria used for acceptance testing of the pods
was aligned with the test variables and measurement techniques of the support
equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The technical data was overhauled
and corrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, we went from
15 configurations of pods to two, and we went from more than 18 months behind
schedule to finish all 450-plus pods one year ahead of schedule, and the
mission capable rate in the field, as well as overall performance was
exceptional.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s a long story
and a lot of technical detail to make the point that leadership is indeed a
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a process of establishing
mutual trust, mutual goals, of keeping those goals and indicators on how well
you are doing visible to all people involved; to show everyone that necessary
changes are being made and that they are achieving favorable results – that we
are “winning”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winning is
motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being on a winning team,
solving difficult problems working shoulder-to-shoulder is motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Morale skyrocketed as followers became
justifiably proud of their efforts, their work, and their products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for the two of us as the leaders (myself
and my Company counterpart), we learned more from the followers about the
product, the manufacturing processes, and how to “fix” problems like this than
we could have ever imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of
that, we got the privilege of directly implementing and experiencing the
teachings of Dr. Deming and seeing the results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I worked with my Company counterpart, I get to learn how leadership
works inside and industrial organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I learned more about leadership from that man than I have ever learned
from anyone before or since.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I said, my Company
counterpart and I became lifelong friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In recognition of his efforts and successes, the Company promoted him to
Vice President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw him a couple of
times when he came to The Pentagon to discuss what eventually became a Navy
program to put targeting pods on F-14s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the most
rewarding experience in my professional life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, a few days before I was to travel to Orlando, where he
and his wife and young daughter lived, to visit him, he died in a diving
accident at the age of 54 (the same age that I am now).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So instead of going to his house for dinner,
I went to his house for his wake and to express to his wife how terribly sorry
I was about his very untimely death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leadership experiences, if you are very lucky, can come along that will
change your life for the better and forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was one of the lucky ones. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-68668702394726488782016-07-31T10:18:00.000-07:002016-08-27T09:43:25.172-07:00A500.9.3.RB_VoreDan<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A500.9.3.RB_VoreDan</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Course Reflections</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I view my learning experiences in MSLD500 to have
extremely high value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will probably
repeat here entire sections of my comments from A500.9.2.DQ, Self-directed
Learning, because I think that my earlier words apply to the questions asked
here for Course Reflection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As discussed
in the Self-directed Learning writing assignment, a great deal of the value of
this course lies in the manner in which it was structured and how that
structure enhanced my own desire to dig in to the topics and direct my own
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the first online “classroom”
experience for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, this is
also my first, truly self-directed learning course and degree program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compared to my undergraduate degree experience
(Michigan Tech, class of 1984), and my first Master’s program (Air Force
Institute of Technology, Class of 1990), this degree program reflects a huge
culture shift from what I was used to in academia.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Online,
self-directed learning, which offered the ability to voice our own opinions,
research topics of our own choosing (e.g., we weren't told what to research for
our Action Research effort), and interact with the curriculum and our virtual
classmates on our own terms was completely new to me. At first, I was
somewhat bewildered and a bit overwhelmed because I had never been exposed to
this kind of learning environment, and with the relative freedom that we had
for self-directed learning, well...it took some getting used to.
Sometimes, at least initially, that much freedom is difficult to handle.
But as I got used to it, and finally figured out that this was indeed how
things were going to work, I came to like this approach much more than any
previous programs.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I get older,
I have much less patience for the traditional lecture in a classroom
setting. I've had enough of that in previous degree programs and
professional training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a general
principle, I don't much care for "meetings". What I prefer is
that you tell me what you require, point me in a general direction, and let me
go dig into it on my own time and to the degree I believe is warranted to maintain
a high academic or professional standard. I did the readings when it fit
my weekly schedule, and I felt more motivated to push myself than I would have
with the traditional "class-is-done-and-it’s-time-to-go-home" format.
In my last Master's program, I'll never forget the first day of statistics
class when the Professor walked in, put his notes on the podium, looked at us,
and said, "You all are going to get at least a 'B' in this class, so stop
worrying and now show me what you can do." I worked harder in that
class (because I wanted to) than in any other. My competition was with
myself at that point. I believe that the same general philosophy holds
with self-directed learning. You truly get out of it what you put into
it. At this point in my life, I believe it's the only way to truly get
educated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t just talk about it,
and answer some homework or test questions; instead you live it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If there was
one thing that Embry Riddle might have done slightly differently, it would have
been to explain (perhaps in a short reading) how this self-directed, online
course thing works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While some may have
already known what to expect, I was brand new to this approach and thus a bit “off
balance” for the first week or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
maybe that’s an intentional part of the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In retrospect, having to figure out how this
course worked on my own was in itself a good and challenging learning
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let me answer two more of
the “prompt” questions right here: The University and the Instructor did a fine
job on this course in every respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also want to say that I was continuously impressed with the deliberate
structure and method of this course where we didn’t “talk” about each topic
(like critical thinking); instead we were immersed and we experienced each
aspect directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each had to figure
it out; it was not spoon-fed to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure,
we did some reading, but we were caught up in doing all of the things that we
needed to learn and not just passively observing or hearing about each
topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, I found this course
to be cleverly designed to teach us about leadership from day one by putting us
to work directly on tasks that reflect the kind of thinking and doing that any
leader must be engaged in on a daily basis.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the biggest
thing that I got out of this course was a reinvigoration of lifelong
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a way, lifelong learning is
(and has been) a requirement in my profession; but I had lost the overall
picture over the years and therefore sensed that my mind was stale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lifelong learning is a mantra for me now and
this course has both reawakened me to my love of learning and to the critical
importance of seeing this degree through to the end. My Action Research
dealt with Intellectual Perseverance, and if one develops such perseverance
throughout life (because it's a journey, not a destination), then one will also
develop a love of lifelong learning. Going a step further, as I said in
my Action Research report, a leader must be a lifelong learner. There is
no sitting back and thinking, "Okay, I know how to do the leader thing
now." No, everything is in a state of constant change.
Technology, the external environment, business practices, legal requirements,
company policies, constraints…the entire corporate landscape continuously
shifts beneath our feet. If you're going to lead, you have to remain at
the top of your game, and that means that you must continually learn, adapt,
and thereby improve so that you can not only deal with the challenges of
leadership but you can anticipate them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I did not
necessarily have this perspective, at least not to this extent, before taking this
course. This is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue another
Master's degree; I wanted to see what new things were out there. And this
course, not unexpectedly, was right on target. In fact, it far exceeded
my expectations. Critical Thinking, Intellectual Perseverance, Action
Research, Lifelong Learning are the synergistic elements of Leadership.
I'm sure that as I proceed through this program, I will add other things to
that list, but this course has certainly given me a solid foundation for all
that is yet to come. The things that we have been exposed to here,
studied here, and done here are not just "coursework"
activities. They are the very things that leaders must do every
day. I've rarely seen any curriculum, or course, more directly and
immediately applicable to my job, which is leadership. The key thing that
this course did, through self-directed learning is to add an entirely new
dimension on top of what I have learned over a thirty-two-year career involving
many leadership experiences and positions. To me, this is how learning
should be; the things taught (or, rather that we learned) in this course are
now almost as second nature as breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through the work I have done here, I now have a framework, or roadmap on
what leadership is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going forward, I
foresee completing the map.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I expect, from
the “preview” in MSLD500 to build upon these foundations, expand them, and to
use the skills and concepts that we have learned here to complete the work that
is to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I further expect now that
each succeeding course in the MS in Leadership program will be designed in much
the same clever, self-directed learning way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I expect that we will continue to learn by doing and to enjoy the
freedom to pursue the various topics to the places we want them to take us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said above, we will each get out of this
program exactly what we put into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
being self-directed, I will enjoy the freedom to delve into as many particulars
as I want and especially those that deal directly with previous problems that I
have faced, but perhaps never fully understood, in my leadership positions.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-82689077283665171842016-06-27T16:30:00.002-07:002016-06-27T16:30:34.130-07:00A500.5.1.RB_VoreDan
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Critical Thinking – How Am I Doing?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The questions posed were as
follows: Take some time to reflect on the current state of your critical
thinking competencies. Consider your thinking processes when you started the
course. Have they changed at all? Have you been able to internalize any of the
techniques and concepts you have learned? What will it take to make lasting,
positive changes in the way you think?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My answers follow: When Critical
Thinking was introduced through the reading of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Learning to Think Things Through,</i> by Gerald Nosich (Pearson, 4<sup>th</sup>
edition, 2012), it became almost immediately obvious that the ideas and methods
presented constituted necessary practice on the part of any aspiring or actual
leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also reflected on the notion
of Intellectual Perseverance early on in this course and so learned that this
quality is an “intellectual virtue”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
extension, I would say that Critical Thinking ranks among Leadership Virtues.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What I discovered as I began
reading Nosich was new territory for me intellectually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had always fancied myself as a competent,
logical thinker and problem solver, but I had never received training in
critical thinking nor had I been introduced to it as a discipline in and of
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a scientist and engineer by
training, I had learned the scientific method, to question assumptions,
experimental or actual conditions that might affect outcome, to avoid
overgeneralization, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my first MS
degree program, I had learned about research questions, methods, data
gathering, statistical analysis, and the like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I had never before read an explicit treatment of critical thinking,
so if anyone had asked me what critical thinking was, I would have been hard pressed
to say anything with much validity.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After reading Nosich, my
awareness has certainly shifted and I now recognize the criticality of this
Leadership Virtue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also at least now
have a good source to consult regarding the finer points of the practice and
the techniques employed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I lack is
enough familiarity and practice to have the elements and the standards (for
example) ingrained in both memory and practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I do know is that I now at least slow down and recognize the need
to apply critical thinking to both the continued assignments of this course and
also to challenges encountered at work.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I am working on internalizing the
concepts of critical thinking; but I still must consult Nosich on a regular
basis to properly conduct the complete analysis of my thinking that is required
to qualify as critical thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
firmly believe that the knowledge of the requirement for critical thinking is
ingrained in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have a
good, and growing, general sense of the elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have internalized the concept of point
of view, context, and alternatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
further practice of the application of the techniques described by Nosich is
yet required to make the complete practice “second nature” as it were.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-53807538644949398392016-06-23T14:58:00.001-07:002016-06-23T14:58:26.048-07:00A500.4.3.RB_VoreDan
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bmFirstPageTitle">Reflections On the Art of
Choosing</a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Born and raised in the United States, I never thought about Dr.
Iyengar’s topic, or the points that she made in her TED video about choosing
and our cultural bias. (<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html</span></a>)</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As Dr. Iyengar conveyed, Americans have been taught for their
entire lives that choices, preferably choices that we make and the more choices
that we have the better, are part of everyday living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, if Americans were denied choices,
they would feel offended or cheated in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be “un-American” to say no to having
choices.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As I watched the presentation, I had difficulty remaining focused
because examples from my own life and my own perspective kept cropping up and,
in the context of Dr. Iyengar’s message I quickly began to find humor and even
a little embarrassment concerning how I perceived choice as a “requirement” in
many scenarios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I remember
buying my motorcycle a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were two of the model that I wanted that were exactly alike on the
showroom floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent quite some time
looking over each one for any minor differences or flaws and finally made my
choice based upon the one that I considered to be the “best” of the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, when a local department store that had an
extensive men’s clothing department used to be nearby and I would shop there, I
always preferred when I found a shirt or a pair of pants that I wanted to buy
that there be at least two exactly alike so that I could choose the best
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas if there was only one, I
went over it with a fine-toothed comb to make absolutely certain that there
were no flaws or imperfections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
recently, I bought a new car from a local dealer and I was mildly put off that
they only had one of the particular model and color that I wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have preferred two, so I could
choose!</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Reflecting on my own, heretofore largely unnoticed predilection
for choice, and hearing Dr. Iyengar talk about eastern Europeans, the Japanese,
or other cultures that perceive choice differently, I could only shake my head
at what now seem like my rather peculiar and perhaps even misguided feelings
about always needing to have a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And since early childhood, if I chose to do something and then did it,
things were fine in my world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if I
chose to do something and then someone (like my parents) told me to do it, I resented
it and drug my feet because in retrospect my “choice” had been changed into a
direct order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m beginning to wonder if
I need therapy.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I am fascinated by Dr. Iyengar’s findings, especially her second
and third “assumptions” that Americans make: more options lead to better
choices, and never say no to choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I think further on the purchasing examples that I have observed in myself, I
would have to admit that there have been times when having “too many” choices
left me feeling frustrated and sometimes unable to make any choice at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, depending upon my mood and stress
level, there were times when I was glad that there was only one of something on
the rack or on the showroom floor because then I didn’t end up second-guessing
myself later on.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The example of premature babies on life support and the difference
in how the French decide to remove a child from life support, versus how
Americans make that same decision was incredibly poignant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though American parents are the ones
asked to make the choice, and insist upon it, they suffer the most in the end. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents are not the ones who make the decision
in France; rather it is the Doctor who decides when to remove life
support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French parents recover far
more quickly from the pain of losing a child this way, and even gain
perspective on life and its meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I listened to this, the thought that came to mind was of our own,
individual death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly, we know
neither the time nor the place of our death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the movie, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bucket List</i>
(2007), when Morgan Freeman’s character reflects on his knowing the approximate
time of his death he says that he thought he would find it “liberating”, but as
he found out, it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have often
heard people say that they are glad that they don’t know how long they have
left to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, they are
saying “no” to a very personal and a very critical choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gain peace in not having a choice in the
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it hard to fathom how
those who are given a terminal diagnosis deal with knowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to never find out.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But let me emerge from the dramatic, or even the morbid, and
address whether or not I “agree” with Dr. Iyengar and what may be the
implication of her comments on leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do agree that Dr. Iyengar’s three assumptions are generally true of
American culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How often have I
heard, especially from the gurus of late, that indeed “Happiness is a choice”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More importantly, so we are told, we each
must make that choice for ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Make your own choices, but be prepared to accept the consequences of
those choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Americans thrive on
having the most choices that they can have, and not only do we never say “no”
to choice, we aggressively insist on choice.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Then Dr. Iyengar closes with a most interesting thought: maybe
listening to more perspectives, or from other cultures, on the importance and
even the authenticity of choice would serve us well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps Americans need to stop and think
about whether our view (the three assumptions) is always the optimal
approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, limiting our choices
through informed dialogue with others, sharing opinions on the matter, may
benefit not only the choice that we may make, but benefit other aspects of our
lives as it benefited the French parents to not be the ones who chose when to
take their premature baby off life support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had to chuckle a bit when I had the fleeting thought that in a way Dr.
Iyengar was suggesting that we should consult an increased number of choices
about having a choice, but I’m sure that wasn’t her actual intent.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So too as leaders, perhaps we need to be much more conscious about
situations involving choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we
need to reason our way through whether we actually enable choices (and how many
choices) for those in our charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
very least, we should help to ensure that if we offer choices, our employees
are well equipped to make an informed choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would say that the same holds for our peers and even our bosses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it may indeed prove best to limit
choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you go to your boss with a
laundry list of choices, rather than two or three “good” choices or options,
then perhaps you haven’t done your job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Likewise, if you don’t intelligently narrow the choices, but instead
throw everything on the table for your employees, maybe you haven’t served them
well either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not suggesting that we
as leaders stack the deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I am
suggesting is that our construct of choices must be meaningful and actionable,
and that true discernment is possible among what we offer to those whom we
serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to ensure that there
really is a need for both “ballet slippers” and “adorable”, or if anyone can
really tell them apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to base
our choice, indeed our value judgements, less on the illusion of choices and
more on the authenticity of what we view as choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you Dr. Iyengar for opening our eyes to
a vital issue not only in our culture but also our pursuit of learning about
real leadership skills.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-63121794293774262482016-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:002016-06-16T15:00:32.386-07:00A500.3.3.RB.VoreDan
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Organizational Leadership as a System</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When one thinks of Organizational Leadership, or any subject
that one might study, as a system of thinking, and not just a body of
information, then Organizational Leadership becomes a rich collection of
well-ordered and cascading concepts that allow one to critically think through
an Organizational Leadership question, challenge, or situation to derive a
well-reasoned conclusion. In other
words, approaching Organizational Leadership as a system of thinking causes one
to internalize the deep and essential concepts that comprise the discipline in
order that one might then apply these concepts to any scenario involving the
leadership of an organization. When I
was a graduate student many years ago, my statistics professor worked with us
to draw a detailed diagram (a concept map, actually) of the fundamental
concepts of statistics that included the different types of distributions,
statistical tests, and conditions under which one might go down one branch or
path of the diagram, and in so doing this exercise as the class progressed, when
we were done, we could see the entire field of statistics in one picture – a
roadmap – and we also knew how each different area could be applied to problems
that we might encounter in the future where we needed to draw upon statistical
analysis. But just as importantly, with
this diagram, we could see the relationships among the parts, and we knew how
to think about statistical problems in such a manner that we could then
diagnose a particular problem, think through the right technique to apply, and
then go dig into the depths of that application to solve the problem
correctly. Also, with this type of
knowledge, we could communicate these concepts to others and help them to
understand what we were doing for example when we established a detailed system
of statistical process control on a complex manufacturing line that was at the
heart of the acquisition program I was assigned to after graduation. I should note that the statistics course
structured, and the concept map was based, on a great book entitled </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Learning How to Learn</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, by Novak, Gowin,
and Kahle (September 28, 1984). It was
the first time that I had ever encountered this teaching method and also the
first time that I had a true grasp – a complete picture and thorough
understanding – of a complex subject that I had studied in school. When I came away from that treatment of the
subject of statistics, I truly knew about statistics and I could reason my way
through any situation that required its application.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contrast this with treating the topic of Organizational
Leadership, or any subject, as merely a body of knowledge. Treating subjects as merely bodies of
knowledge was, in fact, the way that my entire academic career had progressed
until that statistics class. You learn
rote facts, you study for the tests, you regurgitate these rote facts when
prompted, and then not only do you promptly forget those facts, when someone
asks you about the subject you find that you really don’t know the first thing
about it. How incredibly frustrating it
was, for example, to work my way through an entire four-year degree in chemical
engineering and then discover that I really couldn’t remember much of anything
that I had learned. I couldn’t answer
questions or analyze problems. In fact,
in retrospect, I had not </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">learned</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
about chemical engineering at all. I
crammed my head full of numbers and facts so that I could pass the exams but I
came away without a picture of what chemical engineering was, or how to solve
chemical engineering problems. So too
with treating Organizational Leadership as a mere body of knowledge. And as a leader, one will not succeed if all
you have at the end of your MS in Leadership degree program is a perishable
collection of disparate facts. Leaders,
of all people, must be able to think through problems, understand the
fundamental and key concepts, use these concepts to diagnose an organizational
issue, and know where to go if necessary – what specifically to reach for – to
solve the problem. As I continue to
approach my learning as part of this MS in Leadership program, I will seek to
understand the key concepts – the fundamental and powerful concepts as Nosich
puts it – and apply the appropriate concepts (just as I would apply the right
statistical technique to a statistical problem) to the questions that each
assignment poses and the overall questions that the course as a whole generates. I would be empowered to do this because I
truly </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">learned</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> about Organizational
Leadership. So when I’m done, I won’t
walk away with a bunch of facts – let’s call them trivia – that I quickly
forget and just go back to my old ways of approaching the topic. Instead, I’ll have a roadmap that allows me
to engage my newly earned knowledge and to discuss and explain, and to reason so
that others within the organization and those above me will understand and
agree with my diagnoses and recommendations.
In so doing I will be well equipped to </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">apply</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> my MS in Leadership to my work to enable better outcomes. </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-46525979277306409252016-06-11T08:32:00.001-07:002016-06-11T08:32:41.626-07:00A500.2.3.RB.VoreDan
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Tell Your Story</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Learning to Think Things Through</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Nosich, page 162) the author
asks, “What are some standards that are most important in your life?” He also asks, “How did you acquire those
standards? [and] How have they changed over the years?” I will first focus on some general standards
that I try to live up to in my life; I will then discuss the Critical Thinking
Standards in the text and comment on the extent that I hold these important in
my life (and work).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First and foremost, I attempt to
live my life in accordance with Christian morals and standards as I have learned
growing up, and in my adult life through attendance at church, various classes,
reading The Bible, and hard-won experience.
Before going any further, let me state for the record that I understand
Christians have not cornered the market on standards. In fact, many self-professed Christians
appear to abide by questionable standards and morals, while others who do not
profess to be Christian live exemplary lives.
Also, let me point out that I’m not talking about The Old Testament
(except for the Ten Commandments) and all of the Laws of Moses when I refer to
Christian standards. Instead, I try to
live my life according to The New Testament.
Among these Christian standards are honesty, kindness to others, loving
one’s neighbor as yourself, loving God will all of your heart, mind, soul, and
strength, not judging lest you also be judged, forgiveness, and the overall
words and teachings of Christ as contained within the Scriptures. I grew up in a Christian home, where these
values were taught; I attended church with my parents and these standards
simply became the context for living life.
But as a child and a young adult, I don’t believe that I truly
understood the criticality of these values, nor did I make it a priority to
live in accordance with them as I have come to later in life. I believed that these standards were
important in my younger years, but I often “pushed the envelope” in day-to-day
life. It wasn’t until I suffered the
consequences of violating some of these standards, and learned from my mistakes
a few times, that I truly came to understand how vital living up to them is if
you want to be at peace with yourself, others, and your life in general. In a sense, I had to start all over in
learning about these standards and their direct application to my living once I
had begun to understand the mess your life can become by not living according
to them. As such, I have gained a much
greater appreciation of these Christian standards as I have gotten older; they
are not just “rules” or words, or concepts, or good suggestions, but truly are
important instructions for living one’s life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I get into Critical Thinking
Standards, I want to mention three additional standard of sorts that I also
learned from my parents and grandparents that have served me well both in my
military career and in life after the military.
I call this first standard the “work ethic”, and I believe it is related
to the Christian standards that I discussed above. At an early age, from watching my parents (my
father, especially) and my grandparents, and through my own assignment of daily
chores around the house, I learned to work hard and to give it your all in
everything that you do, or strive to accomplish. Many of the old sayings come to mind with
this one, such as “If someone asks you to go a mile, go two.” Implicit in this work ethic is respect for
authority, which is also related to Christian values. I don’t mean any “authority”; what I mean is
what I would call “legitimate” authority, starting with God but also including
your parents, your elders, your instructors, and your boss. Clearly, when working at any job, if your
boss is asking you to do something dishonest, illegal, or unethical, you have
the right (even the obligation) to refuse.
In the military, there is the concept of a “lawful order”, which means
that your boss cannot order you to do something illegal (in accordance with the
Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Laws of Armed Conflict). If your boss does give an order that is
illegal, it is your duty to respectfully decline. But that is a subject for a whole other
paper. In general, one is to work hard
and in accordance with the boss’s instructions whether you are putting in an
eight-hour day, or whether you are asked to work nights and weekends on an
important project. I have always
maintained a strict, high work ethic, though this is becoming more difficult
with age; I simply don’t have the energy or the stamina that I once did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Energy and stamina bring me to the
next two standards by which, although you couldn’t necessarily tell by looking
at me these days, I try to live life.
These two standards are health and fitness. I attempt, through diet, exercise, and good
sleep habits, to maintain a high level of health and fitness in life. This was relatively easy when I was young,
and I had much more energy, stamina, and inner drive. And it was especially easy to eat properly
when I still lived at home with my parents until the end of high school. As an aside, many things seemed easier until
I left home and began living on my own through college and even up through
present day. My parents provided the
boundaries, kept good food on the table, and generally made life much easier to
live according to the standards that I have mentioned thus far. Once on my own, essentially free to live life
as I chose, many aspects of my life became less organized and I realize in
looking back that I just thought that I would automatically live life on my own
as I had with my parents. But that didn’t
happen. Maintaining standards require
focus and work. I would come to learn
this later in life; although it may seem obvious now, it was not obvious in my
twenties and thirties. Now age 54,
having had three back surgeries, and also having developed Type II Diabetes, eating
the proper foods and maintaining good and consistent exercise habits has become
much more critical. Like much of life,
there is no “destination” when it comes to standards of health and
fitness. It remains a journey and
keeping those standards in mind as I live each day of life is incredibly
important. Let me turn my attention now
to Critical Thinking standards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nosich (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Learning How to Think Things Through</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, Fourth Edition, 2012) lists
seven Standards of Critical Thinking: clearness, accuracy,
importance/relevance, sufficiency, depth, breadth, and precision. Not all are as familiar to me, nor do I
practice them, as much as I should.
Clearness and accuracy I have always strived for in both my spoken and
written communications. This started
early on in grade school and continues through present day as I write various
documents, reports, and letters, and prepare briefings for senior leadership in
the acquisition program office where I work.
During my three and one-half years in The Pentagon when I was on active
duty, I “went to school” on clearness and accuracy as I dealt routinely with
general officers. Generals have no time
or patience for information that is not presented to them in a clear and
accurate (and concise) manner. Importance
and relevance I have also attempted to work hard at through the years; these
two standards (or one combined standard in our text) are really an element of
“logic” for me. If something is not
important/relevant, I immediately question its value in conversation or
writing. Again, my military background
and experiences also emphasized important/relevant when providing information
and in making recommendations or decisions.
Depth is something that I learned about through school and my undergraduate
work, but graduate school and writing my Master’s Thesis really brought it
home. Not just the literature review
section of my Thesis, but also the mathematical modeling and results section
required significant depth of research and writing. Breadth is something that I’m more likely to
forget in my reasoning or writing. For
topics that I know well, breadth comes more naturally because I understand how
many things are interrelated. However,
if I’m dealing with a topic that I know little about, breadth is not
necessarily something that I remember to consider. Precision, closely related to accuracy, is
something that I value highly, probably (or especially) as a result of my
military training and career. The
ability to say or to report </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">exactly</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
what happened, what you mean, what you observed, or what needs to happen is
critical to decision making. This is not
to say that the other six standards are not, but precision to me is the
hallmark of good, critical thinking. As
a chemical engineering undergraduate, I spent four years learning the fine art
of precision (trust me). But precision
with words is as important as precision with numbers. On the whole, I’d like to think that I
already employ these standards in my thinking and writing, but as I read
Nosich, and as I work through the assigned writings in this course, I am either
discovering or re-remembering how to actively apply them and (hopefully) apply
them well. I believe such to be a
lifelong work in process. I also see the
necessity of mastering these standards for excellence in leadership.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469082737494249642.post-71108057744051641592016-06-05T12:12:00.003-07:002016-06-05T12:22:42.611-07:00A500.1.5.RB.VoreDan<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Intellectual Perseverance</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">In my experience in leadership
positions, from what I have learned in leadership courses, and in watching good
leaders in action, I have seen that leaders must develop and possess certain,
key traits and knowledge. Among the more
important traits are integrity, character, humility, moral courage, and
perseverance. Through use and
development of the intellect, leaders acquire knowledge across a vast array of
topics, such as effective oral and written communications, interpersonal
relationships, technical and business expertise, planning and strategy, time
management, and a sense of where to focus their attention to achieve optimal
results. The article </span></strong><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Winners Never Quit (Except When They Do):
Reflections on Intellectual Perseverance</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">, </span><a href="http://cct.biola.edu/blog/winners-never-quit/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">http://cct.biola.edu/blog/winners-never-quit/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)
puts it this way: “Intellectual perseverance is an intellectual virtue. Such virtues are the intellectual character
traits of excellent thinkers. Such
virtues include intellectual humility, intellectual courage, open-mindedness,
fair mindedness, perseverance, and so on.”
The author also goes on to state that: “Perseverance is a better
predictor of academic success than standard indicators like raw intelligence.” In my own life, especially in my first Master’s
degree program, I found this to prove true: I harbor no illusions about my own
raw intelligence but my learned ability to persevere led ultimately to my success.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">For those who would occupy leadership positions, the
development of these key traits and attainment of the knowledge to perform well
require intellectual perseverance. The
Foundation for Critical Thinking defines Intellectual Perseverance as: “Having a consciousness of the need to use
intellectual insight and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and
frustrations: firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational
opposition of others; a sense of the need to struggle with confusion and
unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding
or insight” (Foundation For Critical Thinking, The Critical Thinking Community,
Valuable Intellectual Traits, </span></strong><a href="http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528</span></span></a><strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">).</span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nothing
truly worthwhile ever comes easy. I have
certainly experienced obstacles and frustrations just in the completion of this
assignment. But, perseverance is the
ability to move forward, to make progress toward a goal, or to continue one’s
chosen course even in the face of harsh difficulties, resistance, frustration, or
fatigue. Merriam-Webster makes a noteworthy point in their definition of
perseverance: "Perseverance is required to perfect just about any
skill." (</span><i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Merriam-Webster Dictionary application</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
knowledge that leaders require comes about through continuous development of
the intellect. In other words, the
leader must remain in a state of continuous learning throughout his career. Intellect is “the faculty of reasoning and
understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract or academic
matters” (Oxford Dictionaries, </span></span><a href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">). The word Intellect imparts a
notion of sound knowledge, critical thinking, the ability to comprehend complex
concepts, and the ability to apply such concepts to the practice of leadership.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the
movie </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Patton</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> (1970), we see a General
who not only practiced perseverance, we also see a man who devoted a great deal
of his time to the study of history, particularly the historical details of
great military battles fought through the ages.
Patton was an intellectual, particularly in the study of his craft. At the Battle of El Guettar, where Patton’s
troops defeat the Germans, we hear George C. Scott, as Patton, exclaim, “Rommel…I
read your book!” Through intellectual
perseverance, General George S. Patton gained a host of knowledge about
military strategy and tactics; he also became intimately familiar with the
minds and the ideas of his adversaries to became one of the most successful
military leaders in World War II. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In a
Seminar given by Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s that I attended in 1991 in
Minneapolis-St. Paul, I heard Dr. Deming talk about “continuous
improvement”. At one point in the
proceedings, Dr. Deming stated, in reference to his Book </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Out of the Crisis</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> (Deming, January 1, 1982), “a book is never finished,
for there is always more to be said and better ways of saying it”. Dr. Deming was certainly an intellectual who
persevered in teaching right up until his death in in December, 1993. He was also an extremely accomplished leader
and advisor who helped to re-build Japanese manufacturing following World War
II, using statistical process control techniques that American manufacturers
rejected at the time. Dr. Deming
persevered in the face of obstacles, resistance, frustration, and certainly
what proved to be irrational opposition in this Country, to the point where
America’s manufacturing firms embraced his techniques in the 1980s and those
same practices persist today.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the final analysis, leaders require a well-developed intellect
because all leaders must make decisions.
Only through study, experience, and perseverance can a leader acquire
the mental faculties to make good decisions.
How else can you obtain the knowledge, and develop the criteria for
decision-making if not through diligent study, experience (even failure), and
practice; wrestling with difficult concepts to gain mastery of the skills required
of a leader? Intellectual perseverance
is indeed a fundamental requirement in the development of one’s leadership
ability. Albert Einstein once said </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“It’s
not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with the problem longer”. One more observation about perseverance that
I want to emphasize: the words “struggle”, “frustration” and “confusion”; and
the notion of overcoming these things.
Good leaders struggle, they are often frustrated, they can encounter
confusion, and they are frequently under stress when making decisions. Intellectual perseverance necessitates
practice dealing with stress, frustration, confusion, and to experience struggle. Through intellectual perseverance, one
becomes accustomed to the emotions that accompany these conditions and how to
rise above them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">When I
was a relatively junior Air Force Officer, I was responsible for the
acquisition of a specialized, largely hand-built single-seat aircraft. Occasionally we had to acquire a variant with
a back seat to use as a training aircraft.
One of these training aircraft was built under my watch and as it
proceeded through final assembly, we discovered a noticeable and unsightly gap
between the edge of the canopy and the cockpit sill. This was not a safety or even a performance
issue, it just looked bad and reflected poor quality workmanship. There was concern that the operational users
of this aircraft would not accept this flaw.
But to fix the issue would take literally thousands of man-hours and
cost the manufacturer a great deal of money.
I flew to Palmdale, California, where the aircraft was being assembled,
and had a look. I talked with company
management. I gathered as much data as I
could, and I came home to discuss the issue with my boss (a former pilot of
this particular aircraft). In the end,
my boss told me, “Dan, it’s up to you; you make the call.” I weighed the potential outcomes of the
choice that I had to make. It was not
easy picking up the phone, calling the company’s senior program manager, and
telling him that they must re-work this canopy to fix the problem. But after I announced my decision, that same
senior program manager said, “Dan, it’s the right call. We don’t want to deliver an inferior product,
and we’ll get to work on it right away.”
The thing that I learned that day is that people want a leader who will
make the difficult decisions, even (and especially) when the consequences are
significant. People generally understand
at least some of the stress associated with leadership; and people will not
respect an indecisive leader. Many times
during my career, I have had people pull me aside and say, “Thank you for
making a decision and providing direction; we don’t like not knowing which way
we are supposed to go.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In
closing, I would suggest that to truly understand a subject, you must teach it. Superior leaders don’t simply lead; they also
mentor their junior people. This
benefits not only the mentoree, but it also further sharpens the leader’s
skill. Teaching is probably the best,
and most accurate indicator of mastery of a given skill or topic. Mentoring then, can also be seen as part of a
leader’s intellectual perseverance. As
students enrolled in Embry Riddle’s Master of Science in Leadership program, we
are leadership mentorees. We will
undoubtedly wrestle with difficult concepts and find frustration as we strive
to learn new material, encounter opposition (most often within our own minds)
in completing the work, and the questions that we are asked to answer may
remain unsettled within our minds for protracted periods. We will experience stress due to time and
other constraints, and maybe even self-doubt as we examine our own leadership
ideas, have those ideas challenged, and expand our knowledge. But we cannot quit. The experience and practice of intellectual
perseverance, developing this intellectual virtue, is critical to our becoming
lifelong leaders.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17990922711467473957noreply@blogger.com0