Mgt. 667 – Leadership Week 7

1. Mgt. 667 – LeadershipWeek 7 Rex Mitchell Spring 2006

2. Leadership assessment & development plans • Some excellent, almost all quite good • Most made good use of data, were honest, had introspection • Better plans were specific & focused • Are more likely to try new behaviors when you think through (better to role-play) how you will try them in a specific situation • How to gauge progress? • Helps to disclose your plans • Need to continue actions past next week!

3. Power: potential ability to influence behavior, events …get people to do things they would not do otherwise • Influence, politics: processes & actions through which potential power is used • Leadership: art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations

4. Sources of Power

5. Sources of Power • Formal authority & reputation • Resources • System connections & positioning • Expertise • Personal

6. 1. Formal authority & reputation • Should distinguish between these • Formal authority particularly important where? • Military • Police • Some government organizations • Formal relatively less important where? • New organizations • High-tech, R&D organizations • Universities

7. 2. Resources • Control • Acquisition • Creation …giving ability to reward and punish

8. 3. System connections & positioning • Centrality • Political access • Visibility • Relevance (alignment) • Criticality • Discretion • Non-substitutability

9. 4. Expertise • KSAs (knowledge, skills, abilities) • Performance • Professional credibility • Fit with organizational needs & priorities

10. 5. Personal • Charisma • Attractiveness • Energy, stamina • Focus • Determination • Interpersonal skills • Personal reputation • Flexibility • Able to engage effectively, even confront • Able to let others get credit

11. LBJ Example • At 23, in 1931, arrived in Washington as secretary to Congressman Richard Kleberg • Saw “Little Congress” (inactive secretaries’ club) as opportunity • Got himself elected Speaker of it • Transformed it with speakers, then press, then members of congress • Provided press with information & access, politicians with coverage, and aides with involvement

12. LBJ - 2 • While still secretary to Congressman Kleberg, cultivated connections and friendships with powerful figures • Got huge extra allocation of patronage jobs for Kleberg • Tireless in efforts to know & be known by others

13. LBJ - 3 • Elected to Congress in 1938 at age of 30 • Very active in getting public works projects for his district • This led to ample contributions • Particularly cultivated Sam Rayburn (lonely, Texan, powerful Speaker of the House) • Elected senator in 1948 • Changed political stance to conservative • Manic schedule, first with helicopter • Won primary by 87 votes in over a million, all from a suspicious ballot box from one county

14. LBJ - 4 • Cultivated Richard Russell • Molded self as a conservative Southerner • Elected Minority Whip, then Minority Leader, then Majority Leader in 1954 • Built his “good old boy” network in the Senate and beyond, including Pres. Eisenhower • Tremendous energy, long hours • Focused, avoided oil deals, considering future plans to run for president

15. LBJ - 5 • Social events for political purposes • Proposed to wife on first date • Lost 1960 nomination to JFK, became his VP, then President in 1963 • Moved between conservative and liberal, e.g., Great Society program • Continued to use the “Johnson treatment” (intensively working over others with charm, promises, threats and/or intimidation)

16. LBJ - 6 • Not just the Vietnam War caused loss of power • He lost power primarily by not changing as the environment changed around him, and consequently did not run for reelection in 1968 • Problems with old ways (private, secret deals, telling different things to different people…) • Different reactions to the “Johnson treatment” • TV and media had become very important

17. Exercise on Instrument 5(Sources of Power) • In groups, one starts with description of person picked • Give scores on five sources & discuss conclusions between scores & experience of the person • Group helps extend & enrich discussion • Repeat with another person

18. Engaging with Readings • What are my reactions to this: thoughts, feelings? • What do I agree with, like, want to remember and use? Why? • What do I disagree with, wish were different, would change, would expand on...? Why? • What connections & expansions can I make from my experience?

19. Pfeffer on Sources of Power • Ch. 4-9 • Your • Reactions • Agreements • Disagreements • Expansions

20. How about: • (111) Three aspects of centrality: • Betweenness • Connectedness • Proximity/closeness • (135-7) Self-fulfilling prophecies • (143) Performance means: • Being knowledgeable • Protecting the boss • Making the boss and unit look good

21. Framing

22. Framing • Selecting & emphasizing certain aspects • Excluding or minimizing others • Clarifying objectives and constraints • Provides context for discussion or negotiations

23. Framing Example • Things are so uncertain with our business, we'd better not "rock the boat!" • Our business is in such a nose dive, we must do something different right away or we will lose it all! • Our business has major troubles. We need some help in diagnosing the problems and developing solutions.

24. Another 3-Part Framing Example 1. This is land settled by our ancestors thousands of years ago, under direction from God, resettled by our fathers over half a century ago, and developed and improved by our people since. This land is vital to the protection of our people from the criminal terrorist attacks of the Palestinians, who Palestinian leaders have refused to control. We must never give up one inch of this land!

25. 2. This is land inhabited by our ancestors for thousands of years. This land is vital to the development of a viable Palestinian homeland, which should be an independent Palestinian state. There can be no peace until we regain our rightful possession of this land!

26. 3. This is very special land, characterized by thousands of years of history involving ancestors of you both. It has historical and religious importance for both of you. You both have a sincere desire to find a solution to the conflict that allows you to share this land in an appropriate way and that provides a basis for your people to live side-by-side in peace.

27. Example of Reframing • From: She is not a team player • To: She is unusually clear about what she wants

28. Another Reframing Example • From: “Your demands are ridiculous and you’re trying to put me out of business!” • To: “Although you object to my last proposal, I still believe you are willing to work with me to develop a solution that we both can live with.”

29. Framing Exercise • Individually, pick a conflict situation you know well • Write out (briefly) a frame from the standpoint of two different parties • Develop a third frame that might bridge between the initial two frames • Share some examples

30. Framing can… • Determine which issues get attention • How the issues will be approached • Provide opportunities to explain reasoning • Create a bridge between parties in conflict • Be misused and abused • Help leaders manage meaning – to mobilize others to want to struggle for shared aspirations

31. Next (Last) Time • Rest of Pfeffer book • Do & score Instrument 6 • Read cases 7 & 8; make notes on questions • Integrative paper • One-page progress report on leadership development plan implementation so far • Peer ratings & class evaluation