Embedding Transformational Leadership In Practice

1. Embedding Transformational Leadership In Practice Caroline Patterson Special Adviser, Organisational Development, Gateshead Council

2. Purpose • Talk about Transformational Leadership (TF) • What it is, what it really means • Why it’s so important • Practical things we’ve done to embed it and 360 degree appraisal in various organisations • Some of the lessons learned along the way • Also here to learn from your experience

3. Style • Need to briefly recap the theory, but we’ll do that quickly • Debunk some of the myths • Challenge what you believe to be true • Build in some activities around factors to consider when embedding TF/using 360 • Handouts and questionnaires to take away

4. Why I’m Here • Met Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe in 1999 • Programme Director IDeA Modern Managers Programme • She conducted the biggest study ever on leadership in the public sector • Worked together since then developing and embedding leadership cultures in various organisations • National research- MBA Hull, Members 360

5. Quick Recap………. Why Do We Need Leadership?

6. Importance of Leadership • Vision, direction and focus –real skill is aligning people to it • Clear goals, don’t know where you are going you are unlikely to get there • Team spirit……………. • Manager’s managing is important • Transformational Leadership has the biggest impact on morale, motivation, stress, job satisfaction, productivity and performance

7. Importance of Leadership • Poor leadership costs ££££££££££ in terms of stress related absence, and has enormous cost in terms of individual health and psychological well being • Increased focus on leadership development and assessment in our Corporate Performance Assessment • “Leadership is the single biggest factor that drives change and organisational improvement “ LG White Paper”

8. Direct Relationship Between Leadership, Motivation, Stress and Performance

9. 3 Variables That Affect Performance Performance = • A + Ability and competence • M + Motivation • R + Resources

10. Motivation Over Time PERF motivation competence 40-50% effective TIME

11. Leadership is about saying… “How can I interact with people to improve their performance, give them just enough stretch to keep them motivated and help them realise their potential?”

12. What’s The Biggest Cause Of Stress In The Workplace?

13. Climate Studies 50’s to 90’s • 60-75% of people said that in any organisation, the most stressful aspect of their work was their immediate boss!

14. Controlling Styles “Managers with controlling styles who fail to clarify roles and responsibilities, who exert undue pressure have working groups with higher levels of stress and tension”

15. Climate Studies- Main Causes Of Stress • Unclear roles and responsibilities • Lack of autonomy • Lack of social support

16. Levels Of Arousal Unacceptable level Perf. Acceptable level of stress

17. Stressis Infectious! We leak!!!! • Average correlation within the same working groups = .92

18. Leadership Development is both a financial and moral imperative…. • Stress is increasing in organisations at a phenomenal rate • Cost of stress is also increasing (in terms of absence as well as performance) Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe

19. The Search for the Holy Grail What makes a good leader?

20. Leadership Research: The Old Paradigm 1930s-50s Great Man Approach Traits Approach 1960s The Behavioural Approach 1970s Situational/Contingency Approach

21. 1960’s Behaviour/Style Approaches “one best style” Levels of Freedom Levels of Control Tannenbaum Schmidt

22. Blanchard-Situational Leadership PARTICIPATE SELL DELEGATE TELL FOLLOWER MATURITY HIGH LOW

23. The New Paradigms of Leadership

24. Changing Paradigms of Leadership • Seismic shift in thinking in the 70’s • Old models only suitable for stable environments • Research conducted with first line supervisors • Need to engage with CExs with experience of managing strategic and complex change • Existing research not particularly valid- all self rating

25. The Myths of Leadership • It’s rare • It’s found mainly at the top • It’s about being super-human • You can only do it if you are male! (We’ll save that one for another time) Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe

26. Research on Charisma • Early research- charismatic leaders were the star performers • Utter rubbish -completely discredited • You were perceived to be charismatic if you were evangelistic, expressive, waived your arms about, had blue eyes, were extrovert rather than introvert • Leadership is about being quietly effective

27. Unrealistic Job Ads Knight in shining armour required to charge in on their white horse and save the organisation from ruin- Mere mortals need not apply!

28. Another paradigm shift-leadership no longer viewed as a subset of management…………. What’s the Difference Between Leadership and Management?

29. Transactional Leadership (Management) Creating Planning Budgeting: Agendas Developing HR Organising & Staffing ExecutionControlling & Problem- solving: OutcomesProduces a degree of predictability & order Transformational Leadership (Leadership) Establishing Direction: Aligning People: Motivating & Inspiring: Produces change - often to a dramatic degree Kotter’s Comparison of Management & Leadership

30. Leadership Versus Management Management is about coping with complexity, provides stability, order and consistency - Is transactional - Promotes the status quo

31. Leadership Versus Management Leadership is having vision, a clear sense of direction and aligning people to it, helping people cope with change -Promotes transformation and drives change

32. Leadership Versus Management • Management is about doing things right • Leadership is about doing the right thing • We need to develop both But where did the terms transactional and transformational come from?…..

33. Transactional versus Transformational • Transactional - negotiation exchange or bargaining • Transformational - a vision that things would be different or better George McGregor Burns

34. 1980’s Bass’s Model of Transformational Leadership • Idealised Influence (Vision) • Inspirational Motivation (Charisma) • Intellectual Stimulation • Individualised Consideration Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership & Performance Beyond Expectations. London: Free Press

35. Vision “Vision is the dream that invents the future” • Developing a shared vision • Direction, aligning people • Painting pictures • Make people believe it’s achievable

36. Be a Good Conductor “The task is to get the orchestra working to deliver the music in your head. It’s a three stage operation- hear the music, get it over to the orchestra get them to give it to the audience” Leonard Bernstein

37. Redefining Charisma • Quietly effective • Positive role models others look up to and want to follow • Encourage people to give more of themselves, go the extra mile • Can be positive or negative • Beware the pseudo-charismatics

38. Pseudo- Charismatics • Often do well at interview • All gloss and no substance • Highly visible • Good at self promotion/taking credit for the work of others • Don’t deliver results • Can generate compliance cultures

39. Potentially Worrying !! Zero correlation between charisma and performance, strong correlation between charisma and pay!

40. Intellectual Stimulation • Encourage people to question the way things are done and are not defensive • Take a collaborative approach to problem solving • Intelligent and use a range of behaviours-adjust pitch and style according to whom they are dealing with, gain credibility quickly

41. IndividualisedConsideration • Genuine concern for others and their welfare • Communicate positive expectations of people • Treat them with dignity and respect • Not interested in status and hierarchy- treat everyone as equals • Value diversity and difference • Are you ok?

42. Does The Soft and Fluffy Stuff Really Work? Research has shown that: Transformational Leadership has a significantly greater impact than Transactional Leadership on a variety of subjective and objective outcome measures, including: • job satisfaction, motivation, and performance of followers • lower levels of stress & burnout amongst staff • more collaborative, innovative, harmonious teams • financial performance of organisations • performance in public sector organisations Source: Bass, B.M. & Avolio, B.J., (1996)Postscripts: Recent DevelopmentsforImproving Organisational Effectiveness, Sage

43. The Importance Of Balance “It’s about being transactional in a transformational way”

44. Managers Managing Is Also Important Appraisal Clarifying roles and expectations Competency Framework Managing poor performance Constitution Delegations Structures Training on key skills Decision making Training on personnel policies and procedures Reward/sanction

45. Why Conduct Further Research? • Most leadership research was from the US • Based on commercial & military organisations • Focus was typically on male white top managers who were self rating • Gender & race bias

46. How Was The Research Conducted? Interviews with 150 male and female managers, LG and NHS using Rep Grid • Think about leaders you have known • 2 outstanding, 2 average, 2 poor • Write their initials on a card • Shuffle cards and pick out 2 • To what extent are they similar but different from the rest? • Elicit and group constructs

47. New Model of Transformational Leadership (1) (1) Leading others Genuine concern for others Enabling Being accessible, available, Encourages change Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe & John Alban-Metcalfe

48. New Model of Transformational Leadership (2) (2) Personal Qualities Honest and consistent Acting With Integrity Being Decisive Inspiring Others Resolving Complex problems

49. New Model of Transformational Leadership (3) (3) Organisational Skills Political sensitivity and skills Networker, promoter, communicator Manages change sensitively and skilfully Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe & John Alban-Metcalfe

50. 3 Types of Handout In your Pack How TF am I/Are We?