Your thoughts . . . ?

"I would like to address the situation about dealing with those who are resistant to leadership. How does one lead in a situation where people aren't showing leadership and where people aren't responding to provided leadership?"

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Leadership: Charting a Course through a Personal Philosophy of Leadership . . . Daring to Declare with Passion

Part Three of a three-part exercise is now due in my current leadership courses—creating a “Personal Philosophy of Leadership.” I have noticed reactions to this assignment playing out in predictable patterns, leading me to reflect on the importance of the process. The assignment, designed for students to identify and establish themselves as leaders, requires scrutinizing leadership values, assumptions and beliefs, and unearthing personal convictions, challenges, goals, strengths and shortcomings.

Leadership is an elusive term in today’s world. Examining one’s leadership philosophy against the formal backdrop of leadership theory and practice elevates student learning to a meta level, an abstraction from the original concepts. Transitioning course learning—readings, discussions, case studies and self-assessment—to a substantive construct of a personal philosophy requires an in-depth interrogation of the internal self. What do I value? What are my assumptions? What are my goals? How am I perceived by others? How will I know when I have met my goals?

The Personal Philosophy of Leadership exercise encourages students to mine their strengths and weaknesses, while gently steering them to question who they are as leaders, to identify the leadership behaviors they are working toward, and to establish a framework for evaluating their own leadership performance.

Although positioned as a formal exercise supported by current thinking in the field of leadership, the assignment provides space for inspired perspectives.


“Express your passion,” I urge students as they begin to document their ideas. I also give them prompts to help them get in touch with that passion: “Try writing in the first person—it will help you to connect your thoughts with your writing. Ask yourself when, prior to this course, did someone inquire (or even consider) your leadership philosophy? When did you consider it, or share it with your followers, while encouraging them to construct their own?” And I remind students that completing this exercise represents more than checking off a course requirement: “Maximize this opportunity,” I tell them. “Consider it a gift to yourself that charts your lifelong leadership journey.”

The predictable pattern in students’ responses to my guidance goes something like this:

”What! Write in the first person? Express passion? Say what I feel? Can I do that in a formal paper? I want to restate what the theorists say . . . this is scary! It’s making me nervous. Passion? Who shows passion in organizational leadership? Oh, that’s right, the instructor emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership . . . the importance of looking beyond what we see . . . establishing a task/relationship balance. Is that what she means? I really need to think about this warm and fuzzy stuff. Passion . . . ??????
Eventually, after this brief perplexity, students turn to the task of developing their deeply personal philosophy of leadership. And, I’m proud to say, in this pattern they are also predictable: they never let me down. The excerpts below come from the conclusions section of papers recently submitted by students in one of my leadership courses. Through their reflection, experiences, challenges and a commitment to developing leadership skills, they offer us a window into how our future leaders see themselves and their obligations.

“ . . . being a leader among my peers, I worked tirelessly to gain my team’s trust and respect.”

“Most importantly, I will strive to become a skilled and diplomatic communicator who exudes authenticity and tact. I believe that directive will help me gain the experience to hone the skills . . .”

“In looking inwardly towards my own philosophy and personality, I believe I have the chops for what it takes . . . ”

“The world is still a big place that is full of big problems. There is room for everyone to contribute. I am confident that my chance is coming, and that my impact can be a lasting one.”

“I strive to have self-awareness and open-mindedness in order to understand context . . . to adapt my skills based on doing due diligence.”

“ . . . it is the characteristics and behaviors they develop by way of their defined values or the individual experiences that shape a leader’s perspective . . .”

“As we have learned from the content in this course, it is through experiencing the challenges of trying to lead in an unfamiliar environment that we are able to transform and grow our capabilities.”

“ . . . leaders must possess strong moral principles and ethics, which they live by and consistently demonstrate to their followers . . . ”

“Leadership is not only a quality but it's a lifestyle. It's something you live out daily.”

“. . . leaders are those who can influence others and help them find the best in themselves.”

So, there you have it, in their words, not mine; their “passion,” not mine.

Congratulations, students. You’ve charted your course . . . you’re on your way!

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Published on LinkedIn 11/12/15 

Leadership . . . The Journey of a Quote Begins with its First Reading: Where does it then lead us?

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands,

but in seeing with new eyes."

~Marcel Proust~

After stumbling upon Proust’s quote above a number of years ago, I chose it as my signature introduction, highlighting it on the home page of all of my online course material in leadership, global leadership and intercultural communication. The quote continues to resonate with me.  As often as I have heard and read it, the simplicity, depth and power of Proust’s words speak so eloquently, yet so subtly, to the very essence and nature of the topics I teach.

As for my students, my guess is the first day they enter my course’s learning system they quickly glance at Proust’s words and conclude they have a flaky or—if they are kind—a quirky professor.  Then, like most things one sees constantly, the quote fades into the background and perceptual blindness takes over--when students log in, they simply no longer see it.


By mid-quarter, when the leadership and cross-cultural communication concepts we’ve examined so far no longer seem like so many pieces of string too short to be useful but instead are finally beginning to interweave, link together and become meaningful for students, I introduce the quote again, this time on the Discussion Board.

Question: Does Proust's quote, posted on the course home page, speak to leadership in general, and to the leadership topics we have examined to date?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

The excerpts below were taken from some of the responses posted by students in my current “Foundations of Leadership” course.

“Although shifting perspective and ‘seeing with new eyes’ can be a powerful leadership tool, ‘new lands’ should not be completely counted out as there is always uncharted territory and innovative, creative ways to lead!"


 “The journey seems to beckon to understanding yourself as a leader and self-awareness.”

“The tools and techniques I have learned in this course are all about looking at things with new pair of eyes."


“In seeing with new eyes - specifically the eyes of their followers - the leader can achieve new levels of effectiveness.”

“ . . . the common element is not only being open to learning (‘seeing with new eyes’) but to actively seek learning opportunities (‘new lands’).”

“It's a great thing to see someone in a different light and recognize them for the gifts they offer. But if you are not able to act on that new recognition it's not effective leadership.”


“The ‘discovery’ aspect of leadership is really important. Leadership isn't a static position. It is critical to constantly refine, tailor and examine one's style in order to improve both your own skills but also those of whom you lead.”


“ . . . sometimes, we are in a new land so to speak – maybe literally.  Sometimes, it isn’t just readjusting our interpretations to fit changes in circumstances.  Sometimes, we are in a new, unfamiliar place, & then we need to learn first, & then adjust & re-adjust our attitudes & actions with our better informed eyes.”

“The quote is spot on in regards to ‘seeing with new eyes’ and how leadership is truly successful. To be a successful leader, you need to be able to look at your surroundings and understand each situation at hand. When you understand the situation, you can apply a particular model or method, and can guess what the result will be . . . "

“Adaptation will require leaders to see with new eyes, to change their ideas.”


“I’m unsure if this quote can be fully applied to the materials we have covered so far on leadership.  The quote in itself is very metaphysical in nature.  If you were to try and apply it to our leadership coursework and the various theories we have learned, it may be possible with some of the theories but not all.  In regards to leadership, this quote implies that there is essentially nothing new to discover in leadership (or the world really) but rather it is in new ways of understanding and interpreting what we already know that we can gain better insight into leadership.”


Yes, I believe they get it!  Do you agree?


Thank you, Marcel Proust.

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Posted on LinkedIn 11/2/15 

Your thoughts . . . ?

"What are some of the most common themes in leadership theory that are prevalent across culture and history?"

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Leadership . . . "Personhood" in Leadership: Am I asking the right quesitons?

Now into the fourth week of a fully online graduate course, “Foundations of Leadership,” my students and I have covered defining leadership and examining (with an eye toward cross-cultural competence) leadership traits, skills, culture and ethics.

Whether presenting online, classroom or hybrid courses, I find that Discussion questions are invaluable in assessing students’ ability to articulate and expand on the issues rather than just regurgitate from the text. Early in the quarter, I clearly state that I do not require students to post a specific number of contributions to the Discussion board—this is a graduate course, for goodness sake! Instead, to entice engagement, I rely on the questions being relevant to their lives, my ability to probe for deeper thinking, and the enthusiasm of fellow students conveyed in their responses. And it works. Through their reactions, ideas, and sharing of personal experiences, this exceptionally bright group of students do a great job of expanding each others' understanding of the basic theories and models of leadership as we move through the course from theory to practice.

That is, with one notable exception, which I’ll explain.

Recently, while searching for a book hidden somewhere on my unkempt bookshelves that I thought would inform a discussion on “Skills versus Process-based Approach to Leadership,” I stumbled upon Integrity by Dr. Henry Cloud. With a second cup of coffee in hand, I settled into my comfy reading chair and began exploring its pages. Before long (page 9, actually) I came across this passage:

Who a person is will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities, and opportunities will succeed

It is one's makeup as a person, in ways much more than ethics alone, that takes people to success or enables them to sustain it if they ever achieve it.  While character includes our usual understanding of ethics and integrity it is much more than that.  Another way of putting it is that ethical functioning is a part of character, but not all of it.  And it certainly is not all of what affects whether someone is successful or becomes a good leader. 

In my own experience in over twenty years of working with CEOs, boards, managers, management teams, VPs, partners, supervisors, investors, and those who have a stake in their performance, I have seen many honest, ethical people of "integrity" who were not making it in some way.  While they all were people of good "character," the reality is that their "personhood" was still preventing their talents and brains from accomplishing all that was in their potential.  Some aspects to who they were as people that they had never seen as important to develop were keeping them from reaching the heights that all of the other investments they had made should have afforded them.  While they met the criteria for having "integrity," they also left behind a trail of falling short in some key areas of performance that left them as well as their stakeholders and the people who depend on them wanting more.  They were unable to successfully:

. Gain the complete trust of the people they were leading and capture their full hearts and following.

. See all of the realities that were right in front of them.  They had blind spots regarding themselves, others, or even the markets, customers, projects, opportunities, or other external realities that kept them from reaching their goals.

. Work in a way that actually produced the outcomes that they should have produced given their abilities and resources.

. Deal with problem people, negative situations, obstacles, failures, setbacks, and losses.

. Create growth in their organization, their people, themselves, their profits, or their industry.

. Transcend their own interests and give themselves to larger purposes, thus becoming part of a larger mission.

These kinds of issues have little to do with IQ, talent, brains, education, training or most of the other important components of success.  Instead, they have to do with the other aspects of character functioning that we pay way too little attention to in training people to be leaders and to be successful.  The most important tool ultimately is the person and his or her makeup, and yet it seems to get the least amount of attention and work.  Mostly, we focus on professional skills and knowledge instead.

Eager to share this provocative excerpt with my students and read their reactions, I posted it to the Discussion Board and added the following questions:

How, in your opinion, does Dr. Henry Cloud's thinking concur with your own?   Does the excerpt expand our current discussion?  If yes, how?  If not, why not?

Much to my disappointment, no one responded. This no-one-came experience left me asking myself the following questions:

. Do my Discussion questions encourage students to consider the role “personhood” plays in leadership?

. Do the concepts of emotional intelligence, social intelligence, cultural intelligence, etc., truly speak to the development of “personhood”?

. Considering that leadership is an elusive term, complicated by the sheer number of leadership-related publications and the possible over-exposure of the subject, can students make meaning of the concept in their individual lives?

For me, the big takeaway was to ask myself, “Am I asking the right questions?” As an instructor, this is the question that will continue to challenge me.  

Reference:
Cloud, H. (2006).  Integrity: The courage to meet the demands of reality.  New York, NY: Harper.  ISBN: 978-0-06-084969-6

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Posted on LinkedIn 10/14/15 

Your thoughts . . . ?

“The biggest challenge I face in the workplace is how to effectively and graciously address language barriers in cross-cultural communication.”

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Your thoughts . . . ?

“I would like to understand the cultural aspect of the country of my present residence i.e. United States. Even though I have worked in U.S organizations, I have had very limited interactions with American counterparts due to the nature of my job in the past. But my current job requires me to interact with counterparts with American cultural background. I feel understanding the cultural difference between American and Asian cultures and how that shows up in the American corporate world- that is the most important topic I would like to understand.”

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Intercultural Competence: Achieving Elements of Skill

Earlier themes in this “Intercultural Competence in the Workplace” series have addressed self-development, understanding context, connecting emotionally and assessing behavior in context. These essential connectors, through the synergy of awareness and practice, catapult one’s mindset to the level of skill—the fifth and final theme. This element is about action—applying the constituent components that inform, support and develop intercultural competence. 

The model below represents the five essential themes reflected in the Intercultural Competence series. These elements respond to challenge, promote development and contribute to skill and knowledge, continually circling back, evolving and informing each other. This synergy supports and builds intercultural competence—and, at the same time, opens the way to increased learning and sensitivity.

 

Most skill building is specific to one’s role within an organization and—whether working domestically or abroad—hinges on organizational culture and ways in which one approaches context within the organizational setting. Ultimately, skill building is about the ability to size up whatever situation we are in and quickly assess and diffuse whatever challenges arise. For purposes of this series, skill building naturally falls into two dimensions: perspectives on intercultural skill and sources of intercultural skill building. 

Perspectives on intercultural skill 

Ask yourself, “How does intercultural competence inform my work?” This question will tease out the situational challenges you face related to culture in your daily interactions. An important part of intercultural skill is recognizing a situation when people are in the thick of issues and identifying ways to bring those issues to the fore. It requires creating safe space while recognizing and acknowledging feelings about difference. Skill is looking at ways to manage the difference to be more effective, as a team member or as a group. Intercultural skill is built over time, along with the ability to identify cultural nuances. Intercultural knowledge is especially necessary to maintain openness despite uncertainty in challenging cultural situations. One of the key components of intercultural competence is the ability to be present in the moment when defense reactions are triggered as a result of unknown circumstances, unknown actions, and behaviors that can’t be interpreted.
 

Sources of skill building 

Resources for building intercultural skills are readily available—models, books, workshops, in-house and online training—and strong feelings exist regarding the applicability of certain tools within the context of a workplace. In the end, however, it’s all about your mindset—how you work with and treat people. Are you culturally curious? Do you have an open mind? Are you willing to look through a lens other than your own? In his 2004 book, Presence, Peter Senge describes the moment when his own approach shifted from having to be in control to simply receiving. Since this idea of presence was introduced in 2004, the term has moved into the nomenclature of corporate environments and in popular culture in the notion of “mindfulness.” I’ll close the series with one final question: Are you “present” when dealing with intercultural challenges? 

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Posted on LinkedIn 9/22/15

Your thoughts . . . ?

"What are some of the skills and strategies necessary to integrate as a leader in a foreign country?"

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Serendipity . . .

Unity in Diversity . . . Hanukkah thoughts
at the time of Rosh Hashanah

During a recent catch-up session with a friend of Jewish heritage over a late afternoon coffee, she mentioned the upcoming “holidays.” By the context of the conversation, I knew she was referring to a religious holiday—not the upcoming Labor Day weekend. “Which holiday is it,” I asked. “Rosh Hashanah,” she replied. Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the Jewish new year, begins on Sunday, September 13.

My friend and I moved quickly to other topics, but later that evening while sorting through a pile of papers I found a poem given to me a few years back by another Jewish friend—an energetic and enthusiastic woman, now in her early nineties. The poem was written by her husband before he passed away almost a decade ago.

As I reread the poem—clearly written for the holiday of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of Lights—my thoughts flashed on recent media broadcasts depicting a climate of violence, injustice, bigotry and separation. But the poet suffused his work with a passionate love of humanity—a mind’s reach for unity in diversity—and it kindled in me a light of hope.

No matter what holiday you’ll be celebrating this month, the poem is published here with the hope that it will touch others as it did me.

As we celebrate together in a season of light,
may we see in that light the beauty of our common humanity.

May we also see, reflected in that glow,
the light on our differences and the beauty of man’s diversity.

For these are the lights lit not by one man, but all men—not by one faith,
but by all faiths, not for the freedom of one—but for the freedom of all to worship,
or not to worship, each according to his belief, his heart and his conscience.

May the light that glows in that diversity illumine
the miracle and wonder of creation.

But may we also see in the bright glare of light,
the evil of bigotry, injustice and indifference
that thrives in the darkest recesses of man’s soul.

                 As we celebrate together, may we look into one another’s eyes
                    and see a light reflecting love, understanding and caring.

                                                                ~ by Dr. Edward Osran ~

                                                                (Permission:  Lillian Osran)      

I didn’t have the privilege of meeting Ed Osran—I would have appreciated knowing him.

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Posted on LinkedIn 9/2/15