Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency for Toxic Substances and Disea

1. Harvard University HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Meta-Leadership and the Challenge for Public Health Joseph M. Henderson, MPA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mid-America Regional Pubic Health Leadership Institute October 27, 2006

2. First things first…. • What is a successful leader? • When have you been inspired by a leader? • Who in history do you feel was a great leader and why?

3. Public Health Leadership Challengesa select few … • Building/sustaining public health infrastructure at a time when resources are shrinking and burdens are increasing • Recruiting and retaining a competent workforce • Getting, Being, and Staying prepared for every possible public health emergency How can leaders transform themselves and their organizations to address these challenges?

4. Consider Meta-Leadership • Defined as: • Leadership that connects the purposes and the work of different organizations or organizational components to achieve a greater good • Leaders able to influence and accomplish such collaboration of effort across organizations – multi-jurisdictions, multi-agencies, and public-private entities… motivating inter-action, enhancing communication, and engendering the sort of cross-organizational confidence necessary for effective “action”

5. Meta-Leadership (continued) • Traditional Leaders vs. Meta-Leaders: • Traditional leaders derive their power and influence from within their organizational silos (i.e., job description, authority of position, expectations of supervisor and subordinates) • Promotes a related set of functions • Controls a related set of workers • Is the sum of all the parts - Newtonian Systems • Supports a structured/familiar Organization • Operates under a defined set of principles • Is tied together by a unique culture LEADING IN THE SILO

6. Meta-Leadership (continued) • Meta-Leaders strive to influence what happens within their organization by seeking credibility from others outside their office or organization where common goals or a sense of purpose are shared – they lead across the silos… COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS More than the sum of the individual parts Meta-Leadership LEADING IN THE SILO • Big picture • Multi-dimensional perspective • Comfortable with the unfamiliar • Recognize cultural value • Can integrate diverse goals

7. Key Characteristics of a Meta-Leader • Understands their Emotional Intelligence (EI) • Courage to take risks and manage consequences • Sensible in understanding and managing various organizational cultures – works inside and outside the silo • Curious – asks good questions • Connects all the pieces • Conflict Solver – recognize, manage, and solve • Focuses on the complex problem and larger solution

8. The 5 Dimensions of Meta-Leadership Lead Up The Event The Person As Leader = Optimal Result Lead Connectivity Lead the Silo

9. The Person as Leader

10. THE MIND, THINKING & ACTION OF THE LEADER Intellect/ Creativity Protocol/ Familiar Primitive Reaction

11. THE MIND, THINKING & ACTION OF THE LEADER REACTING TO A CRISIS • Fear • Trauma • Fatigue • Lack of Exp. • Poor Info. • Mistakes In a crisis, the situation can take leaders to the “basement”

12. THE MIND, THINKING & ACTION OF THE LEADER TAKING COMMAND • Structure • Procedures • Management • The Familiar In a crisis, the leader can gain control by implementing protocol

13. THE MIND, THINKING & ACTION OF THE LEADER GENERATING ACTION • Highly rational • Connects • Leads • Impacts In a crisis, the “meta-leader” generates a creative connectivity that drives action KEEP IN MIND THE PROCESS IS DYNAMIC

14. Staying out of the BasementEmotional Intelligence (E.I.)* • Awareness of Self: • Know thy self: moods, emotions, sense of humor • Self regulate disruptive impulses: think before acting • Goal is to develop self-confidence • Awareness of Others: • Social awareness: empathy, organizational sensibilities • Relationship management: inspire leadership, influence and develop others, be a catalyst for change, manage conflict, and build teams The value of a shadow * Goleman, 2004

15. Staying out of the BasementEmotional Intelligence (E.I.)* and Fear • Fear is one of several emotions (i.e., courage, sadness, love, joy, pleasure…) that affect decisions • Impact on Self: • Can motivate action (good or bad?) • Can cause paralysis (good or bad?) • Impact on Others: • Can contribute to chaos or panic • Can provide an opportunity for the leader to command • Time + experience + genetics = Confidence/Security * Goleman, 2004

16. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE LEADERSHIP PASSIVE ACTIVE Empowers others Won’t micromanage Methodical progress Commands/Acts Charts the course Thinks ~fast~forward GOOD Ego driven Alienates subordinates High Emotions Indecisive Risk averse Seems confused BAD

17. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE LEADERSHIP PASSIVE ACTIVE Lyndon Johnson Woodrow Wilson Abraham Lincoln Winston Churchill George S. Patton Thad Allen (Katrina) GOOD Alexander Haig Napoleon Bonaparte Nikita Krushchev Mike Brown (Katrina) Jefferson Davis Capt. of the Titanic BAD

18. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE LEADERSHIP PASSIVE ACTIVE • Champion vs. Authority • Influence vs. Control • Persuasion vs. Coercion GOOD BAD How do you stay above the line?

19. Leadership Quotes “One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.” “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." “No reason to panic, I’m in charge.”

20. Leadership Quotes continued “Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively well."

21. BREAK

22. The Event

23. Challenges in Defining the Event: Failure of Imagination Scale Size & Scope Substance & Nature

24. Challenges in Defining the Event: Understand the Escalating Potential High 1,000 – 100,000+ Command and control – vital to assure wide area containment Pandemic Flu Activate community-wide mass care system – manage great loss Potential for Chaos Increases Katrina Manage high volume of data and information Number of People Affected Leadership Pressure Deliver mass intervention – call up reserve workforce SARS Communicate to stakeholders and public – enhance surveillance & reporting Anthrax 10/01 Report – Mobilize Response – Investigate – Prophylaxis 1 LOW Assess – Diagnose – Isolate – Treat – Manage MORE LESS Time To Solve Problems/Make Decisions

25. Challenges in Defining the Event: The Impact of Chaos • Defined as: • A “perceived” state of extreme confusion and disorder – Princeton University • The disorder of formless matter and infinite space, supposed to have existed before the ordered universe – Webster’s Dictionary • In Chinese mythology it’s the name of a god – Wikipedia.org • The name of the puppet cat in Canadian children’s television program Sesame Park – Wikipedia.org • The final boss in the first Final Fantasy game. He is a relatively large demonic figure who possesses magical powers as a result of apparently being of the Four Friends – My 15 year old son Nick

26. Challenges in Defining the Event: The Impact of Chaos (continued) • Simple Exercise: • My story • Key discussion questions: • Describe a situation where you experienced a chaotic situation? What was your initial “emotional” reaction? • How did it resolve? – Who, when, how? • What role did you play? • What critical lesson did you take away from the experience? • Take 5 minutes to think about this and we will discuss

27. Challenges in Defining the Event: The Impact of Chaos (continued) • What feeds chaos: • Lack of control of: • Information (coming in and going out) • Resources • The decision process • Time (can’t do much here) • Command pressures – orders from above to perform • Failure to imagine where an event might take you (i.e., Pan Flu) • Failure to understand the consequences (good and bad) of decisions (short and long-term) • Failure to assume command and assert control

28. Challenges in Defining the Event: One Solution - Create an Operational Picture • Step 1: • Establish “operational awareness” get information • This is people, information systems, the media, other sources • Develop a process to question reliability of the information • Step 2: • Create a framework to organize incoming information based on time, place, scale and scope of the event • Use maps, graphs and pictures to portray knowledge – update often • Step 3: • Based on your operational picture and incoming data begin to develop predictions about how the event might evolve • Build decision-process around the operational picture

29. Leading UpExercise: Discuss Promising Practices

30. The Challenges of Leading Up: Organizational/Political • Understand/manage expectations and roles of: • Elected Officials who have authority, can exercise options, and are ultimately accountable, and • Subject Matter Experts who have information and facts, capacity to analyze, and expertise and credibility that create public confidence • All “crisis” events are political What the public wants What the public expects FAMILIARITY ACCURACY BALANCE

31. The Challenges of Leading Up: Consequences of Failing to do this • Subject matter exerts end up executing poorly derived strategies • Staff moral suffers • Good science and decision making questioned • More time needed to resolve the crisis • Negative consequences much greater What the public gets What the public perceives CONFUSION INCOMPETANCY IMBALANCE

32. The Challenges of Leading Up: What Can and Must be Done • Work with leadership to create and understand roles before the event – exercise these roles • Emphasize shared responsibility and accountability in decision-making processes • During event – Share operational picture • Manage up one level at a time – be courageous

33. Leading in the Silo

34. Remember the Silo – This is a good thing! • Promotes a related set of functions • Controls a related set of workers • Is the sum of all the parts - Newtonian Systems • Supports a structured/familiar Organization • Operates under a defined set of principles • Is tied together by a unique culture LEADING IN THE SILO

35. Three Phases of Leadership/Followership PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III Operations & Execution Vision & Strategy Impact & CQI Plan Execute Connect Pieces Monitor Change Measure Productivity Assure Systems to Support CQI See Big Picture Know Desired Outcomes Build Coalitions WHERE DO YOU LEAD?

36. Three Phases of Leadership/Followership DREAMERS PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III Operations & Execution Vision & Strategy Impact & CQI • If you are only looking at… • Then: • Your vision will not have traction • You may find your intentions distorted • Vision legitimacy will be questioned • During response may not appreciate details See Big Picture Know Desired Outcomes Build Coalitions

37. Three Phases of Leadership/Followership CHARGERS PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III Operations & Execution Vision & Strategy Impact & CQI • If you are only looking at… • Then: • High activity/low productivity • Others won’t know direction & intent • Could do more damage than good Plan Execute Connect Pieces

38. Three Phases of Leadership/Followership BEAN COUNTERS PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III Operations & Execution Vision & Strategy Impact & CQI • If you are only looking at… • Then: • There will be high frustration • No realistic metrics to assess accomplishments • The change/impact will be questioned Monitor Change Measure Productivity Assure Systems to Support CQI

39. Drive the Learning Curve PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III Operations & Execution Vision & Strategy Impact & CQI Leaders drive the learning curve across all three phases – especially during a crisis

40. Develop the System to Support Leadership in the SiloKey questions: • Are our systems that select, train, and test leadership able to meet today’s decisions challenges? • Are individuals offered the opportunity to lead, groomed for greater challenges, inspired and incentivized to grow into leadership positions? • Is leadership an organizational priority or an action item we tend to focus on last when leading our organizations??? A System of Continuous Improvement

41. Wrap-up

42. Tools for Your Toolbox • The Person • Use structure (i.e., checklists and procedures) to gain control • Control your emotions (Use a Shadow) • Active/Passive Leadership • Champion issues • Influence followers • Persuade action

43. Tools for Your Toolbox • The Event: • Value the power of imagination • Understand what feeds chaos • Create an operational picture

44. Tools for Your Toolbox • Lead Up • Work with leadership to create and understand roles before the event – exercise these roles • Emphasize shared responsibility and accountability in decision-making processes • During event – Share operational picture • Manage up one level at a time – be courageous

45. Tools for Your Toolbox • Leading the Silo: • Drive the learning curve (Vision+Execution+Progress Measurement) • Actively create leaders and followers

46. Tools for Your Toolbox • Be A Meta-Leader – Lead Connectivity: • Connect the purposes of different organizations to achieve a greater good • Understand and manage Emotional Intelligence (EI) • Take risks and manage consequences • Be Curious – ask good questions always • Recognize, manage, and resolve conflict • Focus on the complex problem and larger solution

47. The 5 Dimensions of Meta-Leadership Three Key Questions to ask yourself: • The Person as Leader • Do you know how to get out of the basement? • Are you managing your behavior and emotions and are you aware of those around you? • Do you know how and when to be a good passive/active leader? • Lead the Event • How can you manage chaos? • Are you using your imagination to see where the event may take you? • Have you created an operational picture of the event?

48. The 5 Dimensions of Meta-Leadership Three Key Questions • Lead the Silo • Are you driving the learning curve from vision through execution to progress measurement? • Are you building systems to develop leaders? • Are you developing followers? • Lead Up • Have you worked with your leaders to understand decision roles and responsibilities? • Have you established two-way channels of communication with leaders to share information? • Have you provided your leaders with the tools to manage up?

49. The 5 Dimensions of Meta-Leadership Three Key Questions • Are you a Meta-Leader Creating Connectivity: • Are you working to connect the purposes of many organizations to achieve a greater good? • Do you ask good questions? • Do you recognize, manage, and resolve conflicts? • Are you willing to take risks and manage the consequences? • Have you developing future leaders? • Are you successful?

50. The 5 Dimensions of Meta-Leadership Lead Up The Event The Person As Leader = Optimal Results Lead Connectivity Lead the Silo