Leadership Student Reading PDF

# Leadership ## Leadership Student Reading ### Leadership Qualities #### Defining Leadership Air Force Doctrine Volume 2 defines leadership as "the art and science of motivating, influencing, and directing Airmen to understand and accomplish the Air Force mission in joint warfare." Effective lead...

# Leadership ## Leadership Student Reading ### Leadership Qualities #### Defining Leadership Air Force Doctrine Volume 2 defines leadership as "the art and science of motivating, influencing, and directing Airmen to understand and accomplish the Air Force mission in joint warfare." Effective leaders must always keep in mind two fundamental concepts: the mission and their subordinates. The primary task of a military organization is to perform its mission. A leader's primary responsibility is to ensure organizational effectiveness and success. Unit Effectiveness is a direct result of the leader's ability to lead people to accomplish the mission. Air and Space professionals at all levels play an integral role in unit effectiveness and mission success. As you develop your leadership philosophy, you must realize that everything you say and do sends a message to your followers. As a leader and role model, your people will look to you for direction, assistance, acceptance and more. Understanding this responsibility is a heavy burden but learning to apply the concepts of effective leadership makes it an easy one to carry. The more you seek out leadership opportunities, the more comfortable you will be with leading. Given the authority, any Air and Space professionals can command, but leadership is more than simply giving orders and expecting results. Leadership requires the application of emotional intelligence and a willingness to understand your subordinates. NCOs are charged with the responsibility of accomplishing the mission while also ensuring the growth of the Air and Space Forces' newest members. The core value "Excellence in All We do" encompasses not only excellence in personal ventures, but also applies to supporting and creating excellence in others. Leadership concepts are well studied, and guidance is constantly in revision to ensure the Air and Space Forces' leaders of tomorrow are trained appropriately. Learning to be a good follower prepares you for your role as a leader and supervisor. #### Defining Followership According to Webster's Eleventh New Collegiate Dictionary, a follower is, "one in the service of another; one that follows the opinions or teachings of another; one that imitates another." Characteristics that embody a good leader are like those associated with being a good follower. At all levels of the NCO tier, members are responsible for leading and following the orders appointed by the officers above them. The key to followership is understanding what is expected. Great followers commit to the plan of the organization; requiring them to understand the mission and concurring with its goals. A common pitfall involves demanding blind obedience from their subordinates. Create an environment where subordinates want to follow you. Enabling committed followers requires effort from all sides. ### Types of Leadership #### Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership style is centered on the boss. In this leadership the leader holds all authority, control, and responsibility. These leaders make decisions on their own without consulting subordinates, communicate them to subordinates and expect prompt implementation. An autocratic work environment normally has little or no flexibility #### Democratic Leadership In this leadership style, subordinates are involved in making decisions. Unlike autocratic, this leadership is centered on subordinates' contributions. The democratic leader holds final responsibility, but he or she is known to delegate authority to other people, who determine work projects. The most unique feature of this leadership style is that communication is active upward and downward. #### Strategic Leadership Strategic leaders, like democratic leaders, care about the success of the whole more than they do their own status, but their approach is a little bit different. Strategic leaders fulfill their role of being a team leader not only by taking responsibility for what happens and making progress simply by what's most popular, but by developing and employing methods and strategies that will improve the lives and wellbeing of everyone involved. They are less concerned with maintaining the status quo than they are transforming it. #### Transformational Leadership Unlike other leadership styles, transformational leadership is all about initiating change in organizations, groups, oneself, and others. Transformational leaders motivate others to do more than they originally intended and often even more than they thought possible. They set more challenging expectations and typically achieve higher performance. Their approach is to empower everyone to make advancements and changes in their own lives, which results in better performance and outcomes. #### Team Leadership Team leadership involves the creation of a vivid picture of its future, where it is heading and what it will stand for. The vision inspires and provides a strong sense of purpose and direction. Team leaders don't just focus on the good of the whole, they focus on navigating the personal dynamics of smaller, initiated groups. Rather than just trying to motivate everyone, they focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each and decide how to best employ them in harmony. The team leader is responsible for ensuring that everyone is staying on pace for their goals. #### Cross-Cultural Leadership Cross-cultural leaders are driven by a deep desire to see different types of people (whether that is racial, political, or social) integrated and to see those less privileged being given voices and equal opportunities. They are committed to creating work and social environments in which all people can thrive. An effective leader in this domain will be able to understand and reason with people from different backgrounds, rather than just advocating for one over another. They have deep understandings of various perspectives, which is what makes their role so important. #### Charismatic Leadership Charismatic leaders devote themselves to change the status quo by inspiring trust among people using convincing charm and credibility. This type of leader thrives from using past experiences of what works and uses it as a guide when performing a new task. An example of this type of leader would be Nelson Mandela, who stated, "Your vision in life must be for greater good”. #### Visionary Leadership Visionary leaders are hard to come by and succeed on purpose with very strong will power. The driving force behind a visionary leader are their incredible ideas for needed change. They use a combination of leadership styles to implement change within an organization by herding/identifying skill sets within a force to execute. A principle of a visionary leader is to challenge the process, not just by words but with actions and balance. This type of leader invents the undone. #### Coaching Leadership People with a coaching leadership style take a sincere interest in assisting with the development of individuals using genuine encouragement and motivation. This leader takes the time in finding out more about the individuals themselves and builds off the members skill sets to help them improve as an individual and operate on their own within an organization, team, or unit. #### Transactional Leadership Transactional leaders make transactional exchanges, "You do this, and I'll reward you with this". These leaders take an approach to making deals. The groundwork for these types of leaders is laid out in detailed standards and expectations. They have the attitude of just going with the flow of things within a work center when task is met. #### Laissez-faire Leadership The French name of this style of leadership solely speaks for itself. "Laissez - to leave" 'faire - to do'. This type of leader is talked about within the workplace as being lazy, absent from projects or work when needed. The subordinates or employees are left with little to no guidance on accomplishing task. People who fall into this type of leadership style truly believe that people will eventually figure things out if left alone although they're mistakenly wrong. Laissez faire leaders are the least effective in there absent delivery and often leave subordinates morale low. #### Facilitative Leadership Facilitative leaders are interested in the entirety of the group working together and bringing members back to the objective when making change. This type of leader does not consider or see individual feelings of team members, they look at the group as a whole and believe productivity is most effective based on outcomes. ### Self-Assessment and Your Right to Lead: A Leadership Primer "The unexamined life is not worth living." **Socrates** Leaders are busy people who spend much of their time investing in others, bettering their organization and ensuring 'things' get done to standard - it's what good leaders do. From time to time, however, leaders, especially busy leaders, need to take a step back and make time to reflect and think deeply about leadership, their own leadership; the process, the results and their connection to other people. To Socrates' point above, you should make time to think about what you are doing and why you are doing it. Let's make this personal. When was the last time you asked yourself, "What gives me the right to lead?" Although a straight-forward question on the surface, a meaningful answer is difficult to discern due to personal biases and blind-spots. Although difficult to accomplish, the time and energy spent thinking critically about who you are as a leader is time well spent, because good leaders are also lifelong learners who have the ability to self-correct when needed. Moreover, personal reflection and self-awareness support continued growth and maturity, not only as a leader, but also as a person. The purpose of this leadership primer is twofold: first, to provide you with a framework for self-reflection, and secondly, to offer a structured approach to self-assessment in the area of leadership. Structure is helpful in the amorphous process of thinking about your own strengths and weaknesses. Enhanced self-assessment, however, is only useful if it leads to improved self-awareness as a leader. #### The Model The RLAM is an organized way of thinking leadership. This model is read bottom to top, beginning with Reputation & Trust, at the bottom most part of the triangle and working up to Relevance at the triangle's apex. Please remember, the intent of this model is merely to facilitate ordered thinking and does not constitute a challenge to you or your leadership. No one is questioning your right to lead. You are already a proven leader in many aspects of your life; but even proven leaders should take time to reflect and think. #### Thoughts behind the Model The RLAM strives to achieve a balance between providing sufficient structure, without imposing restrictive detail. Diverse audiences can use this model: international officers, leaders from all services and all ranks, civilians from differing agencies, as well as doctors, nurses, lawyers...it is flexible enough to allow personalization without losing meaning. The elements comprising the RLAM are designed to be universal in nature, yet meaningful to you. In the end, the RLAM is just a model, one of many available to you. What makes the RLAM unique, however, is that it is crafted to address specific facets military leadership. Hence, don't fight the model, make it work for you. Please note that the elements contained within the RLAM are italicized from this point forward for the sake of emphasis. #### Elements contained in the RLAM: ##### Reputation & Trust A leader's personal reputation either reinforces or diminishes the notion of trust. * **Reputation:** The leader's calling card When established as a leader, your reputation precedes you in assignments, as well as follows you when you depart an organization. Stoic philosophers argued that one's reputation is outside of one's control. I disagree; in fact, I posit that it is absolutely in a leader's best interests to safeguard and protect their personal reputation (as well as the reputation of the organization and institution.) * **Trust:** The strength of the bond between you and those you lead The author Stephen M. R. Covey posits that we lead at the Speed of Trust. The element of trust is indicated as a green arrow on the bottom and along right side of the RLAM. The concept of trust is unique and complex in that it is essential for leadership to exist, difficult to measure, takes time to establish, and is extremely fragile. Trust is both a byproduct of leadership and an enabler of leadership. The three levels of trust reflected in the RLAM are respect, confidence and commitment. * **Trust and Respect:** A modicum of trust must exist before a leader can accomplish even routine business. This modicum or initial kind of trust is represented by the green base or foundation of the RLAM. The idea is that if you do well as a leader, trust between you and the led will grow as indicated alone the right side of the RLAM triangle. Respect, the lowest level of trust in the RLAM, is often rendered based on rank, position and institutional credentials, whereas trust is more personal. The trust you garner is a reflection of who you are as person and leader. The people you lead will show appropriate respect, but they do not have to trust you. What you say and what you do should be congruent. Your actions, the decisions that you make, how you interact with people, and your demonstrated competence, will determine the amount of confidence granted to by those you work with and lead. Remember, you must lead above the "Red Line" (described in detail below) to earn people's confidence. * **Commitment:** If you have a positive impact in the lives of your people, your organization and in the environment, people will commit to where you are taking the organization and your efforts. They will "buy-into" your vision. ##### Authority: * **Authority:** What you are allowed to do Your authority as a military leader flows from the constitution, the congress, and powers vested in you by the President, as Commander-in- Chief. These powers allow you to accomplish specific missions, and to maintain good order and discipline. Constitutional and legislative authorities, such as Title 10 of the U.S. Code, codify, in greater detail, what you are allowed to do, as well as what you are prohibited or restricted from doing. Moreover, the lineage of your authority is as old as the republic itself. Always be aware of the limits of your authority and strive to never abuse the power vested in you by our nation and your superiors. Authority, based on rank, position and duty is always present. However, good leaders also generate their own authority. This personal brand of authority emanates from the type of person that you are and has nothing to do with rank, position or title. It is the most influential authority available to a leader. ##### Obligations and Requirements: What you must do Leaders incur obligations and assume responsibility for requirements in a variety of ways. Although easily conflated, obligations and requirements are not necessarily the same thing. * **Military leaders first incur a personal obligation after taking the oath of office and accepting the terms of a commission. Leaders accept obligations knowingly and freely, binding them to a higher purpose; whereas requirements are imposed. Requirements may be varied, onerous, routine, but never optional. Regulations, operating instructions, policies, orders, and job descriptions are a few examples of requirements.** * **The Red-Line:** Remain safely below it, or make a difference above it. The red-line separating the obligations and requirements block from the upper part of the RLAM is a notional point of commitment. It is also something of a risk indicator. Leading 'below the line' is safe, one does what is required, but little more. Leaders, who lead 'above the line,' however, are more exposed to observation and criticism. They expend the effort required, regardless of risk or discomfort, to succeed and accomplish the mission. When you lead above the line you assume more personal risk, because you allow others to assess your competence, personality and character. Leading above the line is required, however, if you are to make and keep your organization relevant. Successful leaders spend most, if not all, of their time above the red-line. ##### Drive: Why you do what you do What motives you to lead and serve? Your followers may guess at your motivations, but only you know (if you are honest with yourself) why you take on the responsibilities of leadership. The element of drive is represented by a semi-transparent gear sprocket. The notion behind this is that true motivation is difficult to observe and assess though many will try. When thinking about motivation, begin by asking yourself this question, "who do I serve and why?" ##### Competence: What you are capable of doing At first glance, the topic of a leader's competence seems straight forward. Upon deeper examination, however, it is not easy to state with certitude what comprises a leader's competence. People tend to have their own ideas and perspective as to what competence is and what it looks like. The words "competence" and "competency" are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Think of "competence" as the actual state (level) of skills and abilities that you currently possess, whereas "competency" includes the specific skills and abilities required by a particular job or position. In other words, competence is the current state of your ability, what you are able to do; competency is what is demanded of you by a position, duty, or situation. When the skills required (competency) are greater than your present abilities or skills (competence), you must either develop the required skills or risk failure. It is not wrong to be in a position where the competency required is greater than your current abilities; this is the very essence of being "stretched" as a leader in order to grow and develop. ##### Character: What you will do Character is significant to any leadership discussion. Numerous definitions exist for the notion of a person's character; some stress a psychological perspective, others lean heavily on moral or legal considerations. It might be helpful to think of character as a balance sheet, one that takes into account the positive and negative aspects of who you are as a person and a leader. Since everyone has character, the balance sheet analogy is apropos. People either possess overall positive (good) or negative (poor) character. Remember, no one is perfect. One definition that rings true, at least for me, is one from the United States Air Force Academy as stated in a 1996 (summer) article in Airpower Journal by Major Brian Hall and Colonel David Wagie; these authors defined character as: "...the sum of those qualities of moral excellence that stimulates a person [leader] to do the right thing, which is manifested through right and proper actions despite internal or external pressures to the contrary." Your character, to a large extent, is determined by your decisions, choices, and actions. Maintaining strong character requires work, commitment and sometimes sacrifices. ##### Personality: How you do what you do Your personality is developed and defined by your DNA, environment, and experiences. " Personality is a leader's delivery system." Personality is also the filter through which all talent, qualities, and skills pass when delivered. Personality for the purpose of this primer can also be thought of as emotional maturity or emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, who pioneered the term "emotional maturity," attributed four competencies (Goleman's Framework) to a balanced and mature personality: * **Self-awareness:** the extent to which a leader has a realistic understanding of their own being. * **Self-management:** the ability to control one's emotions and actions. * **Social-awareness:** the level at which a leader understands the value of relationships and other people. * **Relationship-management:** the ability to establish a meaningful connection and bond to others. Your personality goes a long way in determining who are as a leader. If you have a toxic personality, or a poor delivery system, you will find that it adversely affects how your competence, character, and other positive qualities are considered by others, thus reducing your overall effectiveness. Leadership is the business of people; your personality matters a lot. ##### Relevance: The difference that you make Relevance resides at the apex of the RLAM. A leader's relevance is directly proportional to the cumulative effect of all the other elements in the model: trust and reputation, authorities, obligations and requirements, competence, character, and personality. Relevance is both an outcome and an act, the act of being relevant. Relevance occurs when all the elements of the RLAM are brought to bear in a manner appropriate to the environment, organization and people. The paragraphs below relate how the concept of relevance applies to each of these areas: * **Environmental-relevance:** Environmental relevance is more encompassing than organizational relevance; good leaders have areas of interest that are larger than just the organization to which they belong. For instance, they not only understand the needs of their boss, but also the needs of their boss's boss, as well as, the needs of their peers. To be relevant you must possess the ability to build bridges, represent your organization, and operate within the interest of adjacent, higher, and lower organizations. * **Organizational-relevance:** Every unit, business, or organization has a personality, temperament, and culture. You are relevant when you understand the organization, meet the needs of the organization and the needs of your people; or, when required, intentionally change the organization's structure and culture. Some leaders, unfortunately, are overly rigid in their approach, thinking that the organization must adapt to their needs, when in fact, give-and-take is usually the best approach. If you are not able to fit within the culture of the organization, or do not meet the needs of the organization, you risk becoming irrelevant as a leader. * **People-relevance:** Good leaders have a positive impact in the lives of people. To be relevant, you must care for, encourage, coach, guide, develop, and mentor: followers, peers, and sometimes even your boss. #### Applying the Model: Every element in the RLAM is important. Initially, you might want to assess each element independently. However, in the end, the RLAM must be considered holistically. Although read from the bottom up, when considering areas for self-improvement begin with Relevance. Here is an approach: * What makes you a relevant leader in your area of expertise or field of endeavor? * What drives you to be relevant in the lives of those you lead? * List the skills, traits and attributes needed to be relevant. Ensure you consider the elements of competence, character and personality. * Consider how you might build and maintain trust between yourself, peers, subordinates and your bosses. * Determine the any areas or elements of the RLAM might require additional work or strengthening. * Make a plan to do so. ### Knowledge Check Double Check your knowledge! #### Summary: The RLAM and this primer provide a framework to help you answer the question "what gives me the right to lead?" Self-assessment, however, is only useful if it leads to self-improvement. Please remember that your right to lead is earned daily, one person at a time. #### References: 1. Plato, The Apology, 2. Epictetus, The Enchiridion. Epictetus was a stoic philosopher who lived 55-135 AD 3. Stephen M. R. Covey, Leading at the Speed of Trust, Free Press, 2008. 4. The Social, Return Company, (Minner.org Ltd), "Competence vs. Competency," http://www.minney.org/competence-vs-competency, accessed on 2 June. 5. Hall and Wagie, "The US Air Force Academy's Cutting-Edge Character Development Program," Air Power Journal, Summer, 1966. PP 35- 39. 6. Gene Kamena, Prof, USA (Retired) 7. Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, Primal Leadership, Harvard Business School Press, Boston MA, 2002. 8. Ibid, Appendix B ### Leading Change #### Adaptability Before you can explore the three elements of adaptability, you need a working definition of adaptability. "Adaptability is the ability to adjust to changed, unexpected, or ambiguous situations by actively seeking information and by demonstrating openness and support of different and innovative change ideas." This definition was developed with NCOs in mind because NCOs, now more than ever, must have the ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations in deployed and in-garrison environments. Anyone who has deployed knows all too well the importance of adaptability. One day you are sitting comfortably at a desk with heat and air conditioning, and the next day you're sitting in a bunker with your entire battle rattle on, sand blowing in your face, waiting for the "all clear" to sound so you can return to your tent! When an NCO actively seeks information, they should be proactive in finding out as much as they can about a pending or in-progress change initiative. This information should be communicated in a style that is open to different and innovative approaches to change ideas, and then, when people bring ideas forward, you should suspend judgment to fully explore and examine all ideas. By keeping subordinates informed about a change initiative, NCOs can eliminate problems associated with the change, especially when it involves unexpected or unclear situations. Let's explore three elements that allow some to adjust quicker and better than others when unexpected change occurs. #### Three Elements of Adaptability NCOs need to respond effectively to change in the organization and environment, but what is it that allows some people to adjust better than others? The answer involves three elements: * **Cognitive Flexibility :** The ability to use different thinking strategies and mental frameworks. * **Emotional Flexibility :** The ability to vary your approach to dealing with your own emotions and those of others. * **Dispositional Flexibility:** The ability to remain optimistic and at the same time realistic. Just having one of these characteristics is not enough. You must exhibit at least two of the three characteristics to reach an effective level of adaptability. With that in mind, let's examine these characteristics a little closer. ##### Cognitive Flexibility NCOs who have cognitive flexibility can incorporate different thinking strategies and mental frameworks into their planning, decision-making, and day-to-day activities. An example of cognitive flexibility is having a working Plan A; while having a Plan B, C, and D or, in other words, having the ability to have multiple scenarios in mind so that changes can be made due to changed, unexpected, or unclear situations. Cognitive flexibility indicates nimble and divergent (different) thinking, an interest in developing new approaches, the ability to see and leverage new connections, and the ability to work well across an organization. NCOs with cognitive flexibility do three things habitually: 1) They scan the environment, 2) develop an understanding, and 3) create strategies. Let's explore these next. 1. **Scanning the environment :** refers to the ability to identify changes as they occur and to see the changes coming. An effective leader knows how critical it is to identify new trends and opportunities, so they're never caught off guard. Just being able to identify or recognize change is not enough. Saying, "I knew this was going to happen" does not help anyone. Effective leaders act! 2. **Developing an understanding** means "making sense" out of a situation. This process may include opposing thinking, contemplating a totally new direction that turns obstacles into opportunities and ideas into innovative practices. Improving your ability to develop an understanding of a situation is important because it means you can interpret and comprehend what you see, hear, and read, especially when it comes to different views. These often result in powerful opportunities for change once each person or group has come to a full and shared view. 3. **Create strategies** involves developing several possible plans for responding to change. Sitting back and waiting for somebody else to make a decision that may or may not come is not a strategy. NCOs who possess adaptability develop several strategies because they recognize the impracticality of predicting exactly how any given situation will play out. Cognitive adapters move past strategies that are comfortable and that have worked in the past, because they understand the old methods will not work in the current situation. Cognitive adapters seek out and test new approaches, invent various strategies for leading, find different ways to communicate their interpretation of changing events. An effective leader convinces subordinates by combining their cognitive flexibility with emotional flexibility when addressing the emotional parts of change. ##### Emotional Flexibility Emotional flexibility is the ability to change your approach to deal with your own and others' emotions. This is an area that many leaders often fail to consider. An emotionally flexible leader is comfortable with the process of transition, including grieving, complaining, and resistance, which often are associated with change. Adapting to change requires give-and-take between the leader and those experiencing the change. Leaders who do not possess emotional flexibility are dismissive of others' concerns and emotions and shut down such discussions. On the other hand, leaders who possess emotional flexibility deal effectively with emotions and concerns, to move the change agenda forward. They do not "give in" to emotions or get pulled off course by concerns. NCOs with emotional flexibility habitually do four things: understand and manage emotions, connect with, and address the emotions of others, emotional engagement, and balance emotions and actions. Being emotionally flexible requires you to first demonstrate an awareness of your own emotions. This means acknowledging and presenting your emotional responses in a genuine way, thereby helping others to do the same. Leading is emotionally difficult work. A leader who ignores the "emotional element" and deals with only the "reality" element will be less effective and will eventually suffer from the strain. Leaders need energy and the strength to deal with change; taking care of your emotional self helps maintain the energy necessary to deal with the change. Emotionally flexible leaders are aware of what subordinates, peers, and even supervisors are feeling. They consider the emotional aspect and respond to it in helpful and positive ways. A leader who provides a safe environment for people to express their emotions and is open and forthright generally gains commitment from those affected by the change. While you're emotionally helping others to get on board, be careful not to push so hard that you find yourself tangled up in the emotional aspects of the change. Often amid change, a leader assumes that people are automatically motivated and engaged. What they fail to realize is that while they may be committed to the initiative, others may be in denial or resistance. By acknowledging the truth of the situation with emotion and support, leaders encourage subordinates to connect to the change and stay engaged. It is impossible to move through a change with indifferent, confused subordinates. The NCO who maintains professionalism finds and maintains a balance between emotion and action. Compassion and listening is key in finding a good balance between allowing enough time for the struggle and helping to resolve a situation so that they can move on. A supervisor should allow the expression of negative emotions but discourage wallowing in those emotions. A more effective message is one that recognizes the emotion while at the same time offers optimism grounded in realism and openness. ##### Dispositional Flexibility A leader who displays dispositional flexibility operates from a place of optimism grounded in realism and openness. They acknowledge bad situations while imagining a better future, at the same time. These leaders figure out what they need to be hopeful in the current situation, no matter what difficulties and challenges they face. When being hopeful or optimistic, leaders can neither be overly positive or pessimistic. A leader who displays dispositional flexibility sees change as an opportunity rather than as a threat or danger. Dispositional flexibility can be seen in optimism, support, and self-identification of tendencies. This type of leader is truly optimistic about all members being effective in the new environment. They identify what is positive about the new experience or situation and build on it through effective communication. Effective communication occurs when the leader balances common sense and a willingness to give voice to uncertainty, while focusing on the positive. This leader allows others to understand the questions and issues behind their concerns and doubts. This often leads to constructive brainstorming and conversations and uncovers new approaches and solutions. A leader who is skilled at the dispositional part of flexibility encourages others in the organization or team to go with the flow of change. They recognize and commend others for their contributions and introduce those who are new to the organization or team. A dispositional flexibility leader is aware of their preferences and tendencies and can modify their behaviors as needed. They are comfortable experiencing new things, trying new approaches, and working through uncertainty. Since effective leaders possess adaptability, let's explore some things you can do to improve your own adaptability. "In order to change an attitude, it is presumably necessary to modify the information on which that attitude rests. It is generally necessary, therefore, to change a person's beliefs, eliminate old beliefs or introduce new beliefs." -Richard Petty & John Cacioppo #### Developing Flexibility Skills are abilities to perform the basic steps of a task. Skills do not naturally exist within you; they must be acquired through formal and/or informal training. The good news is, with some effort, you can develop your adaptability skills and see improvement almost instantly. ##### Cognitive Development The following steps are methods you can employ to develop your cognitive flexibility. * ** Be curious:** Curiosity killed the cat, but it kept the organization alive! * **Accept the difference:** Face it, things are different, it does not mean it is "right" or "wrong", it just means it is different. Too many times you become comfortable with things that always stay the same. That isn't adaptability, it's just the opposite! * **Observe:** Get out and see for yourself what is going on. During difficult, changing times, subordinates need to see leadership "leading" from the front. * **Have a plan:** Know ahead of time your approach and procedures for dealing with resistant employees, managing a crisis, or making a quick decision in the face of uncertainty. But don't get too attached to a single plan or strategy. Always have a plan B and C. * **Be resilient:** Resiliency is the ability to adapt or recover from difficult conditions. The best way to adapt and recover is to understand and identify underlying concerns and issues that may account for people's resistance during change. * **Keep learning:** As with anything regarding personal development, continuous education is the key to many successful endeavors. Developing your cognitive abilities is no different. The ability to critically think is an essential trait in effective leaders. Remember, as a leader all eyes are on you: the way you handle yourself, the way you react, even the way you communicate has a huge impact on your subordinates and on your organizations. It often means the difference between a successful and failed change effort. ##### Emotional Development NCOs with emotional flexibility can change their approach to dealing with their own and others' emotions. An emotionally flexible leader is comfortable with the process of transition, including the grieving, complaining, and resistance. The following methods help develop and improve emotional flexibility. * **Support systems:** Look to mentors, friends, supervisors or trusted peers, family members, and others to serve as your support system in times of change. Encourage subordinates to do the same * **Feedback:** Provide prompt feedback, both positive and negative, to employees. This gives you practice in dealing with the emotional reactions of others while facing your own emotions, or resistance, or both. Remember to always be specific and avoid using vague responses, not giving an answer or feedback in many cases IS STILL FEEDBACK! * **Decisiveness:** When faced with a tough decision such as implementing an unpopular decision (change), be clear, make decisions, and act decisively. Doing it may be difficult, but doing otherwise harms the organization and avoids reality. * **Avoid bulldozing change:** Effectively manage others' resistance to change by explaining, answering questions, and patiently listening to concerns. * **Motivation:** Find ways to motivate. Consistently interact with staff in a way that is motivating and encouraging. * **Triage:** Confront problem employees. Move quickly to address them. Otherwise, you hurt morale, foster resentment, and stifle change. * **Listen:** Learn to use effective listening skills to gain clarification from others. This helps identify resistance and concerns while modeling preferred behavior. * **Collaborate:** Involve others in the beginning stages of an initiative. This way you are more likely to consider other people's concerns, as well as their ideas. It also helps gain their commitment. * **Change your approach:** Get comfortable using a broad range of methods and techniques so that you can adjust your style to changing situations. * **Face reality:** Adapt to changing situations with realism, openness, and optimism. #### Dispositional Development The following methods are ways you can develop or improve dispositional flexibility: * **Be genuine:** Leading change by example requires honesty and authenticity. Understand your own reaction to change so that you can be straightforward with others. * **Accept change as positive:** Find ways to see the benefits of change, not just for the organization, but also for yourself, your coworkers, and subordinates. * **Adapt your plans:** Accept that you cannot know or control everything. Be prepared to shift according to changing external pressures or internal dynamics. * **Cast a wide net:** Involve key people in the design and implementation of change. This requires building good networks and relationships as a matter of course. * **Rehearse:** Give yourself a chance to practice new skills and new behaviors, or to learn about a new situation. Rehearsing can quickly make the unfamiliar familiar. * **Immerse yourself in the new environment:** Jump right in and meet the people and learn the ropes in a new situation. Join activities, take a tour, and invite people for lunch or coffee. * **Be a mentor or coach:** Make it a practice to mentor and teach employees. This allows you to set clear expectations and guide employees in how to meet those expectations. It also provides a venue in which to deal effectively with resistant employees. * **Pay attention to life beyond work:** Shifting between work, family, and other interests and obligations is a form of adaptability. Attend to life and work issues and use the interaction as opportunities to practice flexibility. Change is ever present and often occurs quickly. For leaders, the implications are both personal and organizational, and the consequences of not adapting to change can be severe. By learning and deepening your cognitive, emotional, and dispositional flexibility, you can be more effective for yourself, your people, and your organization. The key is to embrace change and use it as an opportunity to grow and learn. The more positive experiences you have with change, the more you become comfortable with and skilled at adaptability. ### Leadership Activity Download and complete the following exercise only when authorized by your instructor. * **Motivation to Lead Assessment Tool** ### Leadership Homework Independently research four poor leadership qualities. Be prepared to discuss your findings during a group exercise in class.