Acknowledgement:
This course was adapted from Leadership: Reflective
Human Action (Andrews, Mitstifer, Rehm, Vaughn, 1995)
by Susan S. Stratton and Dorothy I. Mitstifer.
Copyright © 2001, Kappa Omicron Nu.
Reflective Human
Action
Introduction and Course Syllabus
Welcome to Reflective Human
Action! This eight week online course
is sponsored by Kappa Omicron Nu as a contribution to
leadership development. Leadership is a
popular topic in education and business but Reflective Human Action puts
a different twist on the subject.
Self-development, after all, is a personal choice, and this course
enables persons to take charge of their lives.
In return for this “freebie” we ask only that you write your “story”—a
sort of testimonial—about how you used the content of this course and what the
outcomes were. You may send your story
to kon.org.
You, of course, know that
copyright law holds that use of this material for purposes other than your
personal self-development requires advance approval. Approval can be acquired through kon.org.
There are at least four
choices for utilizing the course:
1.
Knowledge - Read the text to learn about leadership,
especially reflective human action. The "e-lectures" are identified
by the following symbol:
2.
Experiential Knowledge - Read the text and select
several exercises that increase your competence in selected areas.
3. Self-Managed
Life Change - Read the text and complete the whole series of exercises in order
to make a major difference in your life.
4. Life Change
facilitated by Telementoring or E-mail Mentoring - Enhance the process with a
mentor selected by you, or contact Kappa Omicron Nu to supply a mentor (there
may be a cost associated with this choice). Requests can be made through kon.org.
The focus of this leadership
course is to lay the groundwork for the process of reflective human
action. This process is an active,
mind-engaging method of meaning-making in a community of practice.
The first half of this course
focuses on the natural law of systems.
Systems exhibit the same principles regardless of what type of system is
present. So understanding how natural
law creates self-organization of the system will give a leader a tremendous
advantage in being confident that a chaotic situation does not require control,
but rather acceptance of the chaos. The
system will naturally move to sharing information, developing relationships and
embracing a vision. This concept is
found in Margaret Wheatley’s work entitled, Leadership and the New Science
(1994).
The second half of the course
focuses on the work of Robert Terry (1993).
Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action offers us several tools
to examine situations. First, Terry’s
work begins with a foundation that underlies all action. That foundation includes authenticity,
ethical sensibility and spirituality.
Secondly, Terry gives us the Action Wheel, which helps leaders
appropriately frame issues, which leads to effective solutions and
interventions. Finally, Terry gives us
the 7 C’s of Authenticity, which helps us examine whether we have found
our authentic self.
Finding our authentic selves
takes private reflection, noticing who we are in the present moment, and
recognizing the influences of the system to which we belong. Much of this course will require true
“inner” work.
Components of the Reflective
Human Action Model (below) will be explored throughout the course.
Reflective Human Action Model
To do this course well, you
will need:
·
The Supplemental Textbook – Leadership: Reflective
Human Action. Order from Kappa Omicron Nu (517.351.8335 – kon.org/contact.html).
·
A private journal
·
Some time
management
Week
2: Experiential Learning: Core Principles of the New Reality
Week
3. Theoretical Framework: Core Features of Reflective Human Action
Week 4.
Experiential Learning: Core
Principles of Reflective Human Action
Week
5: Theoretical Framework: Applying the Issues of Action
Week
6: Experiential Learning: Framing Issues
Week 7.
Theoretical Framework: RHA—An
Uncommon Journey to Leadership
Final Paper: The Power of Personal Mission Statements and
Reflective Human Action
Each
week there will be at least one reading, discussion question, and
activity. However, some weeks may require
more than one activity.
As for time management, you
should plan the following sequence of events each week:
Pick up the e-lecture, reading
assignments, and activity(ies) on Friday; that way you can plan your week
around completion of the activities.
Reading should be completed by Tuesday.
Your activities should be well underway by Tuesday. Your participation in the discussion should
take place later in the week.
So grab your
journals and let’s get to work!!
References:
Andrews, F. A., Mitstifer, D.
I., Rehm, M., & Vaughn, G. G. (1995). Leadership: Reflective Human
Action. East Lansing, MI: Kappa Omicron Nu.
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic
leadership: Courage in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wheatley, M. J. (1994). Leadership
and the new science: Learning about organization from an orderly universe.
San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Reflective Human Action
On-Line
Curriculum
Topics: The Nature of Reality, the New Science,
Natural Laws, Accepting Chaos
Objective: Notice
and reflect on experience about how chaos sets new energy in motion in a
system.
1.
Read the E-Lecture On-line and Chapter One in the accompanying
text.
2.
Participate in the two discussion questions.
3.
Complete one reflection activity, posting your
observations.
·
What does physics have to do with leadership?
·
What do natural laws and human nature have in common?
·
What natural laws are evident in the course of a human
interaction or group dynamic?
·
Do systems have similar characteristics?
·
What does the solar system have in common with an
organizational system?
Do these questions create a
chaotic state in your mind? If so, you
are on the right track to begin this course in Reflective Human Action!
In Week 1 Readings, you will
be introduced to deep philosophical, scientific, and spiritual questions and
theory about the nature of reality. In
the new view of reality described in the readings, it may appear that Western
science is merging with Eastern thought, creating a new order!
E-Lecture:
Have you ever complained about
how things are always changing? If you
listen to conversation around you, particularly if it involves people over 40,
you will frequently hear comments that indicate a desire to resist change,
control change, or manage change.
Change is often framed as an aggressor, “victimizing” the population
upon which it descends!
The
reality of change is that it creates chaos.
If each person could, in fact, accept
chaos, rather than resist it or deny it exists, our world would be able to
organize itself toward effective solutions.
Natural law says that we will self-organize when we accept chaos. For in accepting
chaos, we will share information,
develop relationships and embrace vision.
In other words, when we accept chaos, we naturally enter into a process that will seek solutions. This self-organizing naturally creates a
process of renewal in any system—even those made up of human beings!
This
principle is part of the theory of “the New Science”.
In the new science, control of
a situation relies NOT on denial of chaos and attempts to maintain order, but
rather acceptance of chaos and entering into a process of engagement with
others.
Discussion #1:
Have you ever noticed that
when two or more seemingly opposites come together, chaos occurs? When those opposites rub together, some
storming occurs in the relationship, but through that interaction a new energy
is created in the system. This energy
is a synergistic, creative energy.
Using this situation as a reference point, have you ever experienced
this process in a relationship where you have moved from “forming” into “storming”
into “performing” and then “norming?”
How does your experience relate to the principles of the new science: accept
chaos, share information, develop relationships, and embrace vision?
“Chaos: the final state is a system’s
move away from order.” What
does this mean to you? Give evidence of
your interpretation.
Option
I: Reflection
Think about an individual with
whom you have some difficulty. Describe
that individual in terms of why you don’t get along. Ask yourself and reflect on this idea: What if the opposite were true?
What if the individual didn’t have the “negative qualities” you
describe, but, in fact, those “negative qualities” are what you radiate and
only see by reflection (like a mirror) in the other person?
Explore the possibility that
you exhibit the very qualities that you don’t like in the other person. Talk to at least one person about the
possibility that you exhibit those qualities.
Post your observations in
relation to self: reference any new
information you discovered, describe how that new information changed the
relationship, and describe the new vision of yourself.
Observe a head of
broccoli. Notice how the smallest piece
reflects the same shape as the whole? A
natural law is: The whole system is contained in every part of the system.
Reflect
on a system that you belong to—your academic department, your family, a
team. List positive and negative qualities
you have observed in that system. Then
reflect on how you exhibit those same qualities.
Notice
the patterns in other members of the system.
Reflect on how you exhibit those same patterns. Share your observation with one other person
in the system.
Post your observations as you
relate to the natural law of “each part
contains the whole.” Reference
any new information you discovered, describe how that new information changed
your relationship to the system and your relationships within the system, and
describe the new vision of yourself.
Objective: Reflect on the application of the New Science
This week’s assignments:
1.
Read the E-Lecture…it’s a long
one!
2.
Participate in one discussion question.
3.
Complete one reflection activity and e-mail the piece to
your instructor.
Is it true that perception is
reality?
It is!
Through questioning our static reality, our perceived reality changes. Why?
When we question, we open the possibility of a new perception. Through the questioning, we “see”
information to support a new perception.
In Leading from the Heart: Choosing Courage over Fear in the
Workplace, author Kay Gilley uses a questioning technique that challenges
all reality. Asking “What if the
opposite were true?” opens the door to consider other realities.
For example, twenty years ago,
we all “knew” that if someone were diagnosed with cancer, they would not likely
survive more than 6 months to 2 years.
But someone asked, “What if the opposite were true?” Because of that question, we now have
treatments available that change the old reality.
A
close friend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was told she had a 5% chance of recovery from this cancer,
since this was her second occurrence of cancer. Most would give up the fight, believing that 95% of the people
stricken die soon. Yet my friend
believed, what if the opposite was true…What if I am in the 5% group? And she began treatments with a belief that
she would in fact prove the statistics wrong.
This belief system directed her body to fight to be in the 5%, rather
than give up and go with the 95% who don’t make it.
She
recovered.
Questioning our perception is
the key to a new reality. Seeking
information and sharing our thought process in relation with others creates new
meaning for all involved.
You are probably sitting in a chair as you read this e-lecture. In our perception, a chair is a solid
impermeable object, right? But, what if
the opposite were true???
Leadership is practiced within
the context of the environments in which we live and work. The issues that
trouble organizations (whether they involve family, work, or play) are those
that shape our ideas of science: order, control, structure, prediction, etc. But what if the opposite were true? Although
new understandings have shaped our view of the natural world, the old theories
continue to direct the man-made world of organizations.
Tom Peters, an internationally
renowned speaker in the field of management and leadership wrote a book in 1987
entitled Thriving on Chaos. He
intentionally chose this title rather than thriving amidst chaos to challenge his readers to go beyond coping with
chaos. In other words, he wanted his readers to deal proactively with chaos and
look at chaos as a source of advantage rather than as a problem.
In this module, we will more
closely examine new scientific principles that have implications for
leadership. Chapter One of the text
introduced the four core organizing principles, but let’s focus on each concept
in the New Science.
Chaos: The final state in a system’s move away from order
One
core organizing principle of the new reality is accept chaos. New perspectives from the sciences deny the complex
and rigid structure of the old models of leadership. Instead, order develops naturally
from within instead of being imposed from without. What may appear to be
chaotic is simply a natural transition to a new state. The ability to be
confident when we don't know, when we are confused, or when we muddle through
represents this principle of accepting chaos. Creative or breakthrough thinking
often comes out of being overwhelmed, confused, and uncertain. New levels of
order and new levels of understanding grow out of apparently chaotic
situations. What some might call chaos may be a limiting tendency to look at
"parts;" by standing back and looking at the whole, beautifully
ordered forms may become apparent to us.
The
role of chaos is an essential process by which natural systems, including
individuals and organizations, renew, and revitalize themselves:
·
The traditional definition of chaos is a system whose
behavior is totally unpredictable.
·
People tend to view and experience chaos as uncertainty,
unpredictability, craziness, feelings of being overwhelmed.
·
Chaos is order without predictability; order is inherent
in the system and observable when the system is viewed over time.
·
Order and change and autonomy as well as control cannot
continue to be viewed as great opposites.
·
Organizations are process structure rather than
permanent structures.
·
When a complex living system is subjected to high levels
of change, it possesses an innate ability to self-organize or reorganize so
that it functions better in its new environment.
·
Disorder can be the source of new order (or form) better
suited to the demands of the environment.
·
It is hard for us to welcome disorder as a full partner
in the search for order when we have expended so much of our lives trying to
ward off disorder.
·
Self and organizational transformation requires a
willingness to "let go" and pass through the "dark night"
of chaos--use chaos as a part of our thinking to create innovative and
successful teams.
Information is the
creative energy of the universe—the substance, the invisible workings of
creation.
A second core organizing
principle is share information. A new
insight is that information is one of the primary organizational forces in the
universe. Instead of creating information, information is creating life.
Information is a resource that moves through the system, disturbs the peace,
nourishes new life, engenders creativity, and encourages innovation. Closely
guarded information, as the source of power of the old leadership model, is
counterproductive to this new understanding. In other words, information is not
an entity to condense, package, and pass along in memos. Rather it must be
treated as a dynamic quality that nourishes change and creative ideas.
Information, freely generated and exchanged, becomes the basic ingredient of
the universe.
Begin to notice that information isn't simply something we organize but that it has
the power to organize people and tasks.
And since information has this organizing power, a critical leadership
skill is to constantly receive, interpret, and use information to adapt to the
ever-evolving environment.
The
position of information is the primary organizing force in any organization:
·
The more participants we engage in our universe the more
we can access its potentials and the wiser we become.
·
It is impossible to expect any plan or idea to be real
to people if they do not have an opportunity personally to interact with it, to
create different possibilities through their personal processes of observation.
·
It is the participation process that generates the
reality to which individuals then make their commitment.
·
Information is the source of order, the self-generating
source of organizational vitality.
·
Information is an organization's primary source of
nourishment.
·
Organizations are discovering that their route to health
and resiliency is to open their organizations to free-flowing information
around which trustworthy employees are free to organize their work.
Reality is created
as people and ideas meet and change in relationship to each other.
A third core organizing
principle is develop relationships.
Out of quantum mechanics we learn that the forces within the universe are best
described as both particles and waves (or energy fields). When applied to the organization,
participants are both workers and relationships.
Reality is created as people and ideas
meet and change in relationship to each other. Thus, an organization is
best described as a web of relationships. To capitalize on this principle,
organizations must open up and encourage people to move about, making contact
with others, not because of role or status but because of work needs.
The
rich diversity of human relationships is the energizing force for us as
individuals and as leaders.
·
Our attention must shift from the enticement of external
rewards to the intrinsic motivators that spring from the work itself.
·
21st century leaders must focus on the deep longing for
community, for meaning, for dignity, and for love in our organizational lives.
·
We need to step back and see ourselves in new ways,
appreciate our wholeness, and design organizations that honor and make sense of
our totality.
·
We need to recognize the unseen connections that
influence our behavior in the work place or other setting.
·
We do not exist independent of our relationships with
others.
·
Different settings and people evoke some qualities from
us and leave others dormant; in each relationship we are different--we are new
in some way.
·
What is critical in organizations is the relationship
created between the person and the setting--each relationship will be different
and will always evoke different potentialities.
·
Power in organizations is the capacity generated by
relationships; look carefully at how the work place (or other setting)
organizes its relationships--the patterns of relationships and the capacities
available to form them.
·
What gives power its charge is the quality of
relationships.
·
Leadership is always dependent on the context, but the
context is established by relationships.
Vision: An energy
field expressive of purpose and direction.
A
fourth core organizing principle is embrace
vision. Field theory teaches us that space is occupied by unseen structures
that have a broad and significant impact. Vision as a field could have a
wondrous capacity to bring energy to an organization and link with other fields
to effect movement, flow, and change. The concept of vision as an energy field
having an impact on purpose and direction suggests that organizations need to
create consistent messages of vision. Indeed, field theory implies that there
are potentials and influences everywhere. Kotter (1995) concludes that in
addition to the need for a consistent vision to guide persons and organizations
through change, a shared vision of the change process will increase the success
of transformation efforts.
The
role of vision is an invisible field that can enable us to recreate our work
place and our world:
·
Everyone in the organization has something to contribute
to the vision.
·
Peter Senge in The
Fifth Discipline (1990) states: " . . . an organization's vision grows
as a by-product of individual visions, a by-product of ongoing
conversations" (p. 212).
Wheatley
gives perspective to life in the 21st century with these thoughts:
New science
requires us to question many of our most deeply held assumptions about how
things work in life and in our organizations. None of these shifts is
insignificant. All of them are worthy of further thought and conversation, as
we try to invent and discover the organizations of the next century. Hopefully,
these newer sciences point the way to a simpler way to lead organizations. But
to arrive at that simplicity, we will have to change our behaviors and beliefs
about information, relationships, control, and chaos. We will need to recognize
that we live in a universe that is ordered in ways we never suspected, and by
processes that are invisible except for their effect. (Wheatley, 1993, p. 16)
For
more input on the New Science, watch Margaret Wheatley’s Leadership and the New
Science video. (This video is
available from Kappa Omicron Nu – 517.351.8335.)
What is your definition of
chaos?
Recall a time in your personal or work life when you were in
complete chaos. How do you respond to
chaos in the environment? What did you
do to work through the chaos? Did you
have a positive or negative outcome as you worked through this chaos?
Introduction
Learning about ourselves by
reflecting on our past can help us recognize the big picture of our lives. Our
history can provide a broader view of the context in which our lives take
place. By understanding our history we can understand why we view the world as
we do and gain some insight into our leadership strengths. We can identify the
main lessons we have learned and understand how our values, beliefs,
perceptions, and expectations have changed with time.
When we reflect on our
history, some of us recognize that our lives are not what we want them to be.
We feel an emptiness, a sense that we have lost our values, and frustration
with our lives. We yearn for the "right job," the "right
relationship," the "right church," etc. Yet, we fail to identify
that these symptoms reflect a loss of soul and without soul we can never find
true meaning in life. The goal of soul work "is a richly elaborated life,
connected to society and nature, woven into the culture of family, nation, and
the globe. The idea is not to be superficially adjusted, but to be profoundly
connected in the heart to ancestors and to living brothers and sisters in all
the many communities that claim our hearts" (Moore, 1994, p. xviii). Care
of the soul is not without its moments of darkness and periods of foolishness.
However, the very foundation of soul is self-knowledge and self-acceptance
(Moore, 1994).
This activity will help you
identify the strengths and perceptions you have acquired from living life. Will
they fortify you to face reality as it is, to embrace the most difficult, to pursue
a common exploration of the future, and to search for the common good among a
diversity of perspectives? Will you be ready to dream for a new and more humane
future, embrace the true and real in yourself, and truly "live
soulfully" (Moore, 1994) as you engage with others in leadership?
Arriving at a point in our
lives when we can say "I know who I am" does not occur overnight. It
is the culmination of many efforts to achieve a positive sense of self, to know
our abilities and limitations, and to find meaning or purpose in our lives. In
this activity, you will increase your awareness of the lessons you learned from
the past. These will provide insights about yourself and about your roles as
leader.
Activity
Instructions: (Choose Option I or II)
Option I: Noticing the patterns that create chaos.
1.
Think about the most chaotic system you know. It might be your family of origin situation,
your current marriage or family, your academic department, or perhaps a
difficult relationship. Reflect on the
following directives:
a.
Chart the history of the relationship(s) in that system.
b.
Note particularly the impact of people coming and going
inside that system.
c.
Do you notice any recurring patterns in the history of
the system?
d.
Develop a theory about how the pattern will play out in
the future if personal leadership is NOT exercised.
2.
After you have explored your system, write a reflection
paper to summarize your theory, giving evidence to support your position.
3.
From what you have learned about this system, add to
your reflection paper by exploring the following: How and with whom would you
share this information to actually shift the system positively? What impact might sharing your observations
have on the situation?
1.
Reflect on the following questions. Focus on the simple
and little things in your life that have significance for leadership.
a.
Picture yourself at the earliest age you can remember.
What did you look like? What were you doing? Who was with you? What objects are
in your picture? Who is in your family? What is your birth order? If you are
the oldest in the family, what happened to your place in the family when
younger siblings were born? If you are the youngest, how did other members of
the family respond to you?
b.
What was your role in the family when adults were home?
When adults were not home? With whom did you stay when your parent(s) were
away? How old were you when you were allowed to stay at home alone?
c.
Who were your playmates? What was your role when
playmates came to your house to play? Were you a leader of the playmate group?
Were you a follower? Did you dominate the play experiences? Were you well
liked? ignored? admired? selected first (or last) when groups chose teams?
d.
Were you good at sports? good at such things as math and
science?
e.
How did your size compare with your playmates? Was your
size (appearance, abilities, lack of abilities, gender, ethnic group) a factor
in your early play experiences? teenage experiences?
f.
Did your family vacation together? Describe what
happened on a typical family vacation. How often did the family move? Why did
you move?
g.
When did you first notice the opposite sex? Did your
behavior change when a member of the opposite sex was present? When did you
begin dating? Were you popular?
h.
What was your relationship with your grandparents? Did
you visit them often? Did you stay with them when your parents were away?
i.
After you left home, where did you find friends? Who
mentored you? What was your role in your circle of friends? in the
organizations and institutions of which you were a part?
j.
In work situations, what roles did you hold? Were they
mandated or chosen? How did you relate to authority?
2.
After you have explored your past, write a reflection
paper to summarize your experiences as follows: identify the typical role you
have played, define what you are good at and poor at and what you enjoy and
avoid, explore the typical reactions you elicit from others.
3.
From what you have learned about yourself, add to your
reflection paper by exploring the following: characteristics (strengths) you
bring to leadership, ways you want others to respond to you, behaviors that you
want to overcome to be a more effective leader.
Reference:
Moore,
T. (1994). Care of the soul: A guide for
cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life. New York: Harper
Collins.
Topics: Authenticity, ethical sensibility, spirituality and features of
action
Objectives: Recognize
the features of action in statements and correctly identify which feature is
represented.
This week’s assignments:
1.
Read E-lectures and Chapter Two and Organizational
Issues 1-4
2.
Participate in one discussion question.
3.
Complete one activity.
E-Lecture:
Many believe “We are human
beings having an occasional spiritual experience.” BUT…
What
if the opposite were true? What
if we are spiritual beings having an occasional human existence? Imagine how that view of life would change
your interpretation of experience!!
Authentic leadership really
comes from the second perspective—we are indeed spiritual beings having an
occasional human experience. It is this
perspective that allows us to step back from the human situation, notice the
human action presented to us, informing our response with authenticity, ethical
sensibility and spirituality. Looking
at human behavior from this perspective allows for observation of the human
experience, complete with human foibles, challenges, and limited five-sensory
perception. Standing in this new
perspective, we can draw new conclusions about the challenges we face.
In human interaction, there is
a stimulus and response. For most
people, there is an automatic response to the situation. For example, a colleague makes a cutting
remark; we automatically retort without thinking, making the situation
worse. In a new reality, imagine a space between the stimulus of the cutting
remark and your delivery of a response.
Imagine that you can step into that space or gap and process the
following questions:
a. What is going on with my colleague that s/he would
say such a nasty thing to me?
b. Who do I want to be in my response?
c. What alternative responses could I use to be the
person I really want to be?
d. Listen to your intuitive self to give you an
appropriate response, and then consciously deliver the response that reflects
who you REALLY want to be.
It
is in the noticing of who we are being in a situation and who we really
want to be that is a key to authentic leadership.
How
do you know if you’re being authentic?
Robert Terry (1993) gives us a way to evaluate our responses in this 7
C’s of authenticity: correspondence, consistency, coherence, concealment,
conveyance, comprehensiveness, and convergence. This week’s readings give clear definitions of each of these
concepts.
Terry
has analyzed human action and identified seven features of every human
action: mission, meaning, existence,
resources, structure, power and fulfillment.
These seven features provide the framework for selecting an appropriate
leadership response as we interact on a human level. Selecting the appropriate response requires
the leader to frame the issue before responding. This framing will determine what we “see” in the interaction, and
consequently how we interpret the meaning of the action, what alternative
responses we’ll consider, and how we deliver an authentic response. The ability to frame appropriately is
a second key to authentic leadership.
The
Action Wheel (Terry, 1993) will not provide any right answers—it is intended to
generate new insights, to help a group question the obvious. It helps the group
get unstuck. Although the positional leader will find the Action Wheel to be
useful, its use by groups is by far the more important use. Instead of focusing
on who’s at fault or complaining, naming the issue takes the forefront.
The
first step is analytic. It has to be acknowledged that as a member of a
particular group, you may not have the ability (i.e., status, credibility,
option to deal with the underlying issue) to provide leadership in bringing the
issue to the stage of dialogue. Even if a particular group does not wish to
examine the issue, the individual can use the framework to determine “What is
going on?”
The
second step is strategic—determining the intervention. Whatever feature we
think an issue represents, it really represents the next feature
clockwise as indicated by the direction of the arrow. If, for instance, an
issue is determined to involve power, the intervention to work on is mission.
Eventually, all features of action must be addressed, but what is critical is
locating the focus of our engagement at the outset of the leadership task. Most
of the time, leadership work will continue clockwise with subsequent features
of action. But the Action Wheel is meant to help a group be creative in solving
problems. After working through the intervention, it’s possible that it would
be useful to return to the foundations (the counter clockwise features).
Those
of us who have worked with the Action Wheel have more and more respect for its
value as a tool. But it takes time, and we don’t necessarily expect you to have
enough experience on one or two activities to determine its value for you.
We’re all learners, and we are all rich resources to each other.
Action
Wheel
Leadership is a
particular way of engaging with life.
It is a lifelong commitment to growing toward human fulfillment.
In the following scenarios,
using the Action Wheel (Figure 1) identify the issue, the appropriate
intervention and the principle of Reflective Human Action required for leadership
in the given situations.
Charles
is President of the ABC local chapter. He is concerned because there is lack of
involvement by officers in the work of the chapter. He discusses the situation with
several officers and identifies the concerns: "Nobody seems to care about
ABC.", "I'm not clear on our direction.", "We are never
very successful."
Cindy and her new husband are
struggling with blending two families into a fully functioning one. Such
accusations and questions as "Things just aren't fair." "We
don't do things like that anymore." or "Why are we doing this
anyway?" are commonly heard.
Ahn is working for an
organization with declining membership statistics. She thinks the organization
is important, but she is getting discouraged because she hears members say,
"The times are against us."
"There doesn't seem to be anything that will help us." or "The situation is hopeless."
Introduction
There
are seven features found in every human action: meaning, mission, power, structure, resources, existence, and
fulfillment (Terry, 1995).
These features are implicit or explicit in every action whether the action has
occurred, is occurring, or will occur in the future. In themselves, these
features are value neutral and are neither good nor bad. They are present
whether the individual performing the action is aware of them or not. However,
knowing that every action has these features can direct leadership to the
discovery of what is really going on--toward framing issues appropriately. See
also http://www.action-wheel.com.
1.
Mission is
the direction, the toward which, of
human action, the purpose, the expectation, the aim, the vision, the goal, the
intention, and the objective. Mission directs and focuses power which energizes
and modifies structures to accomplish a mega end. Mission answers the question:
What is the ultimate purpose of this action?
2.
Meaning is
the why or for which of human action and the context of action. Meaning of an
action evaluates, recommends, justifies, and makes sense of the action. Meaning
expresses significance and legitimacy and puts mission into context. It
provides cultural justification and sets boundaries for human action. Meaning
answers the questions: Why am I doing this action? What is at stake?
3.
Existence is
the setting from which human action
arises. Existence answers the question: What is the history of this event, situation,
or action?
4.
Resources are
the with which of human action.
These are the tangible and intangible components with which action is
accomplished. Resources limit power and structure and come from what is
actually or potentially available in existence. Resources answer the question:
What are the critical assets needed to accomplish the mission?
5.
Structure is
the through which of action. It is
the plans, the maps, the arrangements, the forms, and the processes that order
and direct power toward the accomplishment of mission. Structures channel,
sustain, and restrict power, generate new ideas, allocate new resources, and
urge the mission forward. Structure answers the question: What are the plans
and processes through which this action will be accomplished?
6.
Power is
the actual expenditure of energy. It is the by which of human action, the decision, the passion, the
self-determination, and the will that provides energy to the action. "It
is the invisible spirit behind commitment, the unique human dimension of
power" (Terry, 1993, p. 73). Power answers the question: What is the
stakeholders’ level of commitment for this action?
7.
Fulfillment is
the completed human action. It is the into
which the meaning, mission, power, structure, resources, and existence of
human action converge at any given point in time. Fulfillment answers the
question: What is the completed action?
Activity Instructions:
What is the ultimate purpose
of this action? (mission)
Why am I doing this action?
What is at stake? (meaning)
What is the history of this
event, situation, or action? (existence)
What are the critical assets
needed to accomplish the mission? (resources)
What are the plans and
processes through which this action will be accomplished? (structure)
What is the stakeholders'
level of commitment to drive action? (power)
What is the event in its completed
action? (fulfillment)
____________The situation is
terminal.
____________We have
conflicting policies.
____________We tried that
before. It didn't work then, and it won't work now.
____________There is nothing
to draw on for help.
____________Things don't make
sense.
____________The decision
making is by fiat.
____________Things just aren't
fair.
____________Nobody cares about
this place.
____________There is no
coordination among jobs.
____________Morale is down.
____________People operate on
selfish, narrow interests.
____________The organizational
chart doesn't reflect the way things happen.
____________The things we have
don't work.
____________One policy
undermines others.
____________Why are we doing
this anyway.
____________The company is
poorly organized.
____________My energy level is
really low.
____________There's nothing to
hope or dream for anymore.
____________They don't do
things right anymore.
____________I don't know
what's happening. I just know that I was deeply upset when I left work.
____________The forces
battering us are beyond our control.
____________We can't get
things done.
____________We've lost our
way.
____________History is against
us.
____________All decisions are
already made; it's a sham.
____________The environment is
overwhelming us.
____________This is a crazy
world.
____________There is no rhyme
or reason to the way things are organized.
____________We need more, or
less, of X for us to do our work.
____________The situation
can't change.
____________The decision-making
process is vague or undefined.
____________I don't know what
we need.
____________We have a terrible
track record.
____________We are not sure
what we need to complete the task.
Reference:
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Topics: Living Consciously, Present Moment Awareness & Commitment
Objective: Experience conscious living and present moment awareness.
This week’s assignments:
E-Lecture:
If you’ve ever visited London,
England, you probably recognize the phrase “Mind the Gap”. In London, as you board or disembark from
the subway, a male voice warns over the public address system. “Mind the gap. Mind the gap.” Of course,
the intent is to watch your step and don’t fall into the gaping space between
the train and the platform. This phrase
has stuck with me to describe a unique space in time. Let me explain.
As we live each day, we are
constantly bombarded with stimuli. We
perceive the stimuli that cause a reactive response. Usually people receive and respond without thought. The response is generally automatic: stimulus/response…stimulus/response…stimulus/response. There is however a space—a gap, if you
will—that is available to you between the stimulus and the normal time to
respond. That gap contains the field of
all potentiality…it contains spirit…it contains imagination and conscience…it
contains self-awareness and independent will…it contains the key to creating
something new.
We all have the possibility of
accessing this space, but we often fail to notice that it’s there. In order to access it, you must first get
out of “automatic drive” and begin to notice yourself as you “be” in the
world. This requires reflection on the
stimuli presented and evaluating your options to get the best result of who you
want to be in any given situation. To
repeat…you need to notice who you are being as you are being it…in other words,
begin to create consciousness about you and your thoughts as you move about
your world. In other terms, you must
begin being present in the moment…
Present moment awareness is an
amazing place to be. Time moves very
slowly in this space—unlike when you move through the day in past or future
awareness. Being in present moment
awareness, you set aside your baggage from the past and your worries in the
future and experience the moment—being present in this moment.
For example, you may be
wondering right this very minute…I have
so much to do today, how long is this e-lecture…I’ll never get that big project
done if I don’t start moving…I don’t have time for this today. This is living in the future. And the future doesn’t exist yet.
Another example, the existence
of guilt in your life. You may be
thinking…yesterday, I didn’t take the
time to hug my kids…I can’t believe I can get so busy that I would forget such
a basic thing…but I couldn’t help it…I got that call that really threw me for a
loop, then the flat tire made me late, then I got home and things were such a
mess…I always told myself I’d never let a day go by without hugging the kids. I know what that feels like when the hugs
aren’t there. This is living in the
past. And the past no longer
exists.
The only thing that is real is
this moment. Who do you want to be in
this moment?
Authentic leadership requires
that you step into the gap between a stimulus and your response and reflect on
the alternatives available to you in your response. Incorporate, into your evaluation, which response is going to
better portray the person I want to
be. This process takes an imperceptible
moment, but it is critical to creating something that you do not currently know
how to do. Without this reflection in
the moment, you cannot lead. It is in
the present moment that reflective human action takes place. Leadership occurs from that reflection in
the present moment.
There is little difference
between interest and commitment. When
you are interested in something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, you
accept no excuses and produce only results. (Gilley, 1997, p. 45)
Leadership requires commitment. Personal leadership can only be exhibited if
you live authentically, in alignment with your core value system. Personal leadership is driven by a
commitment to make a situation “right”.
It comes from noticing when a
situation is out of alignment with an established vision.
Commitment is doing,
not trying. Have you ever tried to
sit in a chair? You either are sitting
OR not sitting—the act of trying creates an action suspended in non-accountability. Trying
creates activity, but not bottom line outcomes. What commitments have you made to yourself that you have tried to keep, but never were able to
fulfill? Perhaps the outcome has
something to do with the trying!
Commitment requires discipline, not only in the
fulfilling, but also in the consideration of the commitment. The foundation for this discipline is in conscious living. Conscious living requires one to be in the
present moment—that space between stimulus and response—where one gets in touch
with the authentic self—to examine the promise for action and assess whether
the promise is in alignment with the true and authentic self. Conscious living requires us to carefully
consider our authenticity in our response, examine if there is a possibility
that something within us might sabotage or undermine our resolve. Conscious living helps us to see how events
of the past may impede our ability to fulfill our commitment today.
Careful consideration is not the only thing required
to fulfill a commitment. Good
intentions are only intentions.
Action must back up the intention.
There needs to be plan—a strategy—to back up the commitment.
Here are some questions to consider before making
a commitment (Gilley, 1997, p. 47):
What does the commitment require?
·
What must I do to
make sure the commitment is carried out?
·
What must I refuse
to do to make sure that it is carried out?
·
How do I measure my
progress?
·
What support
systems or mechanisms do I or others need to make sure that the commitment is
carried out?
·
Why wouldn’t I want
to be committed to this?
·
What situations
test our commitment?
·
How do we respond
in those situations to ensure that we keep our commitment?
Reference:
Gilley,
K. (1997). Leading from the Heart:
Choosing Courage over Fear in the Workplace. Newton, Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heineman
Activity:
(Complete Activity 1 and 2)
Activity 1:
To become fully aware in the
present, practice this activity daily for the next seven days:
Choose some small aspect of a daily activity and
really notice you in the
process. It might be cooking or washing
dishes, shaving or brushing your teeth, or walking across campus. Notice who
you are being in the process of this activity. Notice your attitude about the activity. Notice your movement, your body’s tension,
your rhythm and pace during the activity.
Notice what distracts you from completing the activity in a focused
manner. Is there a difference in your
noticing between day 1 and day 7 of this activity? Post your observations about present moment awareness and you.
Activity 2:
In our lives, values serve
many purposes. They guide personal and social behavior. They inform us of what to
do and what not to do relative to moral conduct and personal competency. They
serve as guides for taking positions on issues, choosing our politics, and
evaluating actions, beliefs, and attitudes of ourselves and others. "They
are our deepest feelings and thoughts about ourselves and our life"
(Throop, 1993, p. 5).
Values are defined by many
authors. Rokeach (1973), one of the
leading researchers and scholars in the field of human values, defines a value
as "an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of
existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode
of conduct or end-state of existence" (p. 5). Kouzes and Posner (1993) define values as "the beliefs about
what means and ends are desirable and undesirable, preferable or not
preferable" (p. 62).
When values are clear, persons
do not have to rely on anyone else to provide direction. They can act independently and can recognize
conflict between personal values and those of business or society. When values are clear and recognized,
individuals are more in control of their lives and are thus empowered.
Values and value systems serve
as guides for resolving conflicts and making decisions. We must recognize that we may not always be
able to behave in a manner consistent with our values. Occasionally, two or more values
conflict. By being clear about our
values and being able to articulate them when appropriate, individuals can engage
in true dialogue about priorities that direct their behavior. Also, we are most comfortable in situations
when our thinking, feeling, and acting coincide, i.e., work together.
References:
Kouzes,
J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (1993). Credibility:
How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Rokeach,
M. ( 1973). The nature of human values.
New York: Free Press.
Senge,
P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R. B., & Smith, B. J. (1994). The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies
and tools for building a learning organization. New York: Doubleday.
Throop,
R. K. ( 1993). Reaching your potential:
Personal and professional development. New York: Delmar Publishers.
Activity Instructions:
a.
What do these core values mean, exactly? By holding
these values, what are you expecting of yourself in good times? in bad times?
b.
Have you considered other alternatives to these values?
c.
Are you willing to affirm in
public that you hold these values?
d.
Are you willing to act on
these values repeatedly and consistently over time?
e.
In order to reflect these core values, what would you
change in your personal life? in your professional life?
f.
What would an organization be like which encouraged
members (workers) to live up to these values?
3. As a result of your answers, do you want to change any of the
selected values?
4. Focusing on the five values you consider most
important, prioritize them in order of importance to you.
5.
Reflect on the following questions:
a.
Have you ever had to compromise one of your five core
values? What did you feel when you had
to give up a core value at home or at work?
b.
How do you want to handle this situation in the future
if it arises?
6.
Post your top five values in order of priority to you. Share your thoughts about why have you
chosen those particular values as priorities?
Source: The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a
Learning Organization, by P. M. Senge, A. Kleiner, C. Roberts, R. B. Ross,
& B. J. Smith, New York: Doubleday, 1994. Reprinted with permission of the
publishers. All rights reserved.
|
Ad ______Achievement ______Advancement
and Promotion Adventure Affection (love and
caring) Arts Challenging problems Change and variety Close relationships Community Competence Competition Cooperation Country Creativity Decisiveness Democracy Ecological awareness Economic security Effectiveness Efficiency Ethical practice Excellence Excitement Expertise Fame Fast living Fast-paced work Financial gain Freedom |
Friendships Growth Having a family Helpings other people Helping society Honesty Independence Influencing others Inner harmony Intellectual status Involvement Job tranquility Knowledge Leadership Location Loyalty Market Position Meaningful work Merit Money Nature (being around people
who are) Open and honest Order (tranquility,
stability, conformity) Personal development (living
up to the fullest use of my potential) Physical challenge |
Pleasure Power and authority Privacy Public service Purity Quality of what I
take part in Quality in
relationships Recognition (respect
from others, status) Religion Reputation Responsibility &
accountability Security Self-respect Serenity Sophistication Stability Status Supervising others Time freedom Truth Wealth Wisdom Work under pressure Work with others |
Week 5 – Applying the Features of Action to Issues in the Commons
Topics: Authenticity, Ethical Sensibility, Spirituality,
Listening, Questioning
Objective: Examine personal authenticity.
This week’s assignments:
1.
Read the E-lecture and Chapter 3 in the text.
2.
Participate in the Discussion.
3.
Complete 1 Reflective Activity, posting responses in
your journal.
E-Lecture:
Genuineness and a refusal to
engage in self-deception characterizes authenticity. It "entails action
that is both true and real in ourselves and in the world. We
are authentic when we discern, seek, and live into truth, as persons in diverse
communities and in the real world. What distinguishes leadership from other
forms of action . . . is that leadership calls forth authentic action in the
commons" (Terry, 1993, pp. 111-112). In other words, authenticity is
reflective engagement in those public places where leadership lives, moves, and
expresses itself.
Inauthenticity is abetted by
the following factors: a sense of disconnection from institutions and people,
the shift to information-based activity, questions about the viability of
institutions, the popularity of virtual reality—made-up reality, the fragility
of shared purposes, and a tendency toward relativism. However, the ability to name the challenges to authenticity gives
hope for transforming the inauthentic.
Focusing on authenticity as a
source for leadership is important in the areas of personality, inclusiveness
of action, self-correction, engagement, vision, and ethical foundation. In these ways authenticity is as essential
to leadership as the concept of action.
Individuals have the
obligation to apply authenticity by exhibiting wise judgment, understanding
self and others, demonstrating empowerment, and exhibiting personal growth and
development. Authenticity is exhibited
in community by an enduring future, mutuality/regard/respect, shared power in
dialogue over collective interests, equitable and adequate distribution
systems, adequate resources, and ecological diversity and survival.
Leaders can show authentic
appreciation and respect for others by reaching out, listening to them, and
learning from them. To be effective, we must listen actively to what others
have to say. In this way, we affirm the legitimacy of another’s way of looking
at the world, and we begin to let go of some of the defenses we all have about
what is different.
Active listening means engaging
the mind with the message and the speaker. When you are concentrating on the
message and the speaker, you are engaging in true communication with another.
Some techniques for active
listening include being physically prepared, being open to other points of
view, being curious and willing to ask questions, and listening for underlying
meanings (Throop, 1993).
Physical preparedness goes
beyond physically hearing the message. Listening can be improved by the
following tips (adapted from Ailes, 1988, p. 60):
Being open to another’s point
of view is not always easy! Each of us
risks having to change our own views, feelings, ideas, or attitudes as a result
of what we hear. "Listening in an
open, nonjudgmental way does not necessarily mean that you must agree with
everything the speaker says. It means you have to be willing to accept that the
individual has the right to say it and to listen" (Throop, 1993, p.
205). Too, focusing on the other point
of view means foregoing fault-finding and error-searching. This principle means that you let your
curiosity about the other point of view guide your attention!
Part of being an active
listener means formulating and asking meaningful questions that give additional
detail and clarity about the message.
Open-ended questions that require an explanation as a response also help
to increase understanding.
Listening for meaning in the
message is critical to learning from the message of another. Critical thinking skills are needed to
identify ideas, facts, and relationships.
This information is obtained with the following questions (Throop, 1993,
p. 209): "What is the most important thing being said? What facts or ideas support the main
idea? Does one thing cause
another? Does this represent fact or opinion?"
These questions probe for
information so you can learn from the message.
Listening openly and actively
to the messages of others helps us affirm our willingness to reach out, to
learn from others, to appreciate others, and to value differences as strengths.
References:
Ailes, R. (1988). You are the message: Getting what you want
by being who you are. New York: Doubleday.
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership: Courage in action. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Throop,
R. K. ( 1993). Reaching your
potential: Personal and professional development. New York: Delmar Publishers.
Discussion:
Think of a time when you know
you were authentic in an interpersonal interaction.
How do you personally know when
you are being authentic and inauthentic?
What do you observe about yourself
when you are being authentic and when you are not? What do you hear in your head?
What do you feel in your body? What conclusions can you draw from this?
Though ethics as a concept is
familiar to all of us, some definitions will assure shared understanding.
Ethics has to do with how people ought to act towards each other. Ethical
issues have to do with questions of right and wrong--our duties and
obligations, our rights and responsibilities in the ethical dilemmas at home,
on the job, and in social situations. Ethical reasoning involves forming
judgments about what to do.
Acting with courage is another
way of saying ethical sensibility. Close your eyes and imagine someone acting
with courage. Did you picture someone rushing into a burning building and
saving a child or a pet, interceding with a potential attacker and preventing
an assault in the park? Most of us envision dramatic, extraordinary acts when
we think of acting with courage. However, it takes tremendous courage to choose
to act based on principles of human dignity and respect, to be honest with
yourself, to recognize rationalizations that keep you from living true to
yourself, to stand up for the principles in which you believe, and to act for
the common good. Ethical sensibility as a characteristic of leadership requires
us to exhibit specific behaviors.
Ethical sensibility--the imperative to be intellectually and
morally defensible.
But how does one judge how to
behave ethically? (Mitstifer, 1989, p. 10)
Although there are various
models of ethical principles, most include the following five:
1. Value of Life - acting in a way which does not harm human life.
2. Goodness or Rightness - using the principle of the greatest good
for the greatest number.
3. Justice or Fairness - assuring equality of treatment and fair
distribution of benefits and burdens.
4. Truth-telling or honesty - basing action on truth.
5. Individual Freedom - assuring self-determination.
Terry (1993) applies the above
generic ethical principles to leadership:
1. Responsibility - accountability for authentic action.
2. Love - attention, caring, and forgiveness.
3. Participation - actual engagement.
4. Justice - fairness.
5. Freedom - potential and possibility affirmed.
6. Dwelling - place, space, and time affirmed.
The overarching
requirements for those who adhere to a social ethic are to SHOW UP and ENGAGE.
References:
Mitstifer, D. I. (1989). Ethical dimensions of the scholar: A
professional development module. East Lansing, MI: Kappa Omicron Nu.
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership: Courage in action. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Activity
1 Instructions:
What would it take for you to
exhibit moral courage as you face a situation you believe is unethical?
Choose one set of examples
below. Examine how you might
automatically react versus if you reacted with moral courage in the situations
below. Reflect on your response first,
drawing conclusions about you. Then ask
two other people, of different generations than you. Are their responses any different from yours? Post your personal reflections on whether there
are generational differences in terms of ethical sensibilities. Additionally, share your thoughts on what it
really takes to show moral courage.
Options:
1a. Your sibling shoplifts a piece of clothing as you shop together.
1b. You learn that your sibling is wearing stolen goods.
2a. A friend tells you s/he is intimately involved with someone other
than his/her spouse.
2b. You see your friend having an intimate, romantic dinner with
someone other his/her spouse.
3a. You buy clothing made in a sweat shop in Malaysia.
3b. You
can’t find any childcare under $20/day.
A friend introduces you to a new immigrant who will only charge $12/day
to provide daycare for your child.
4a. You are on the board of an organization who “dumps”
leadership roles and tasks on unwilling participants or people who don’t show
up at meetings. “Oh, Cathy, isn’t
here tonight…let’s elect her to handle the convention since none of us have the
time or interest!”
4b. You serve
in a leadership position on a board, but are not available to attend the board
meetings on a regular basis.
5a. You
live in a community where intolerance is demonstrated by offensive language and
judgmental gossip.
5b. Your
friends would like to take you to a particular restaurant whose management is
known to ship in young Jamaican men to capture the old world atmosphere of
slave-servants.
Activity
2: Questioning and Listening
Focus on asking open-ended
questions for one day and using active listening to receive the responses. Open-ended questions cannot be answered with
a “yes” or “no”. Open-ended questions
often start with a “why” or “how”. Such
questions express curiosity, and lack built-in answers. At day’s end, reflect on what new perspectives
you discovered in the experiment. In
your questioning, did you help anyone else gain a new insight as well? After completing this experiment, write
your personal reflections on what have you discovered about the value of
questioning and listening in gaining insight and creating synergy. E-mail your thoughts to your instructor.
Week 6 - Applying
the Features of Action to Issues in the Common
Topics: Framing Issues
Objective: Examine situations, using the Action Wheel.
This week’s assignments:
In Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action by Robert Terry (1993) the
stage is set for the importance of framing issues.
What is leadership and what is
expected of us as leaders? To ask these questions, [however,] is to challenge
the adequacy of prevailing leadership perspectives. How comforting it would be
to believe that some expert knows a simple formula for leadership and can offer
a sure way for leaders to define and solve problems. Yet leadership experts
differ profoundly, offering conflicting theories about the nature of effective
leadership. Some theorists say the essence of leadership is vision. Others say
it is empowering followers. Still others offer leaders management skills, on
the premise that even if we cannot diagnose the problem and have experts fix
it, perhaps we can manage it (p. xvi)
Terry's view is that
leadership depends on the ability to frame issues correctly. He defines framing as the ability to answer the
question: "What is really going on?" and to call forth authentic
action in response to issues identified.
To truly answer, “What is
really going on here?”, the situation must be framed accurately.
The Authentic Leadership Model
by Terry uses the Action Wheel (1993) as a tool to help leaders diagnose the real problems leadership faces and frame
the issues appropriately. Framing issues requires the capacity to think in
different ways at the same time about the same thing. The ability to see new
possibilities and create new opportunities will enable leaders to find choices
when options are limited severely and to find hope when fear and despair
abound.
Terry’s
model uses the seven features common to all human action to frame issues. It is
based on two hypotheses: all human action is structured the same and the way we
frame an issue determines how well we focus the issue, judge what is really
happening, and direct our attention and intervention for change. Terry believes
that the questions related to the features of action are so important because
we often fail to identify the real problem before selecting and
implementing an intervention.
Issue framing is a critical
task of leadership, but it is not a mechanistic activity despite the usefulness
of the Action Wheel. Leadership must
understand the principles of the universe and of action and use authenticity,
ethical sensibility, and spirituality to serve the common good. Terry (1993)
situates leadership in the following quote:
Leadership is not a means to
another end. It is not instrumental. Leadership is the action itself. . . .
Leadership is a gift to be unwrapped and treasured; leadership is choice, to be
claimed; leadership is part of a web of interdependent actions, to be made
functionally whole; leadership is participation, to be energized; leadership is
adventure, to be embraced; leadership is creativity and innovation, to be
playful. Leadership is total engagement offered for the well-being of the earth
and all it inhabitants. . . These are truly times to try our souls. We do
indeed have miles to go before we sleep. These are also times that inspire our
souls. The world becomes us. We can meet the call and make the difference
expected of us as partners of the universe. The common ground in our hope is
our action together, asking the difficult questions, searching for the fitting
responses. (pp. 273-274)
Reference:
Conger, J. A. (1994). Spirit at work: Discovering the spirituality
in leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership: Courage in action. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Test Robert Terry’s theory in
real life. Listen for a complaint or
concern or objection on a project you are involved with.
Week 7 - RHA–An Uncommon Journey to Leadership
Topics: Self-knowledge
Objective: Explore one’s inner self
This week’s assignment:
E-Lecture:
Terry
(1993) classifies the diverse viewpoints about leadership into six schools. He
believes that each approach offers some important aspects of leadership that
need to be blended into a comprehensive theory. This school describes the
approaches that attribute traits and acquired skills to leaders. It proposes
that leadership theory can be developed by examining the qualities of leaders
and the elements of situations. This school leads to the argument of whether
leaders are born or made and to the concept of "natural leader." It
leads also to the notion that persons who have certain qualities are destined
to leadership and those without are relegated to followership.
These
ideas are described by Terry (1993) as exclusive
personal theory. An inclusive
approach to personal leadership is reflected in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
that describes the dimensions of a person’s personality and recognizes
everyone’s capacity to lead. This school, based on innate qualities, lacks
appreciation for transcendence of human limitations and for the full complexity
of action. However, it does help individuals understand their innate qualities
and take advantage of their strengths. Knowing oneself and others are essential
skills for recognizing and appreciating differing qualities, improving
outcomes, valuing differences as strengths, nurturing ideas and people,
supplying needed abilities, and understanding the social reality (history,
reality, and possibilities of the social setting).
See
for example: Bennis, W., & Goldsmith, J. (1994) Learning to lead: A workbook on becoming a leader. Reading, MA:
Addison-Wesley. Astin, H. A., & Leland, C. (1991). Women of influence, women of vision: A cross generational study of
leaders and social change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Helgesen, S. (1990).
The female advantage: Women's ways of
leadership. New York: Doubleday.
The overarching goal this week
is to explore one’s inner self and answer the questions "Who am I "
and "What traits do I have or have I acquired that support
leadership?" Through knowing ourselves and others we will be able to
address the obligations of leadership that accompany action. From the personal
leadership perspective these responsibilities are to recognize, appreciate, and
value differences as strengths, to improve outcomes, to nurture ideas and
people, and to supply needed abilities.
All of us have many lives: our
deep inner life where we connect with our spirit; our public life where we
engage with other people at work, in our communities, at social, or at church
events; and our private life where we are away from the public with our
families or alone. According to Covey, Merrill, & Merrill (1994), our most
significant life is our deep inner life. In this life, we connect with
"our unique human endowments of self-awareness, conscience, independent
will, and creative imagination" (p. 109). Without these endowments, we
cannot generate a personal or professional vision that will lead to
"quality-of-life events."
We use knowledge of self or
self-awareness to explore our needs and capacities and integrate them with our
actions. In order to know self, we look at the reasons why we behave as we do.
We examine our roots and evaluate how these impact our knowledge, attitudes,
beliefs, and behaviors.
Knowing self helps us tap into
our deep conscience. Through conscience we realize our unique contribution. We
use conscience to align our values and strategies with principles.
Once we are in contact with
our own uniqueness, we can use creative imagination to envision and give meaningful
expression to our vision and our values. Our creative imagination is likened to
a blueprint. It is the mental picture of the construction before the first
board is nailed in place. Through creative imagination we "see ourselves
living our vision based on our values" (Covey, Merrill, & Merrill,
1994, p. 107).
Knowledge of self, recognition
of our uniqueness, and living our vision lead us toward a new paradigm of
leadership. This paradigm comes from accessing and creating an open connection
with the deep energy that comes from a well-defined, thoroughly integrated
sense of purpose and meaning in life. This paradigm "grows out of
connecting with our unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes in
fulfilling it" (Covey, Merrill, & Merrill, 1994, p. 107).
References
Bennis,
W. (1989). On becoming a leader. Reading,
MA: Addison-Wesley.
Covey,
S. R., Merrill, A. R., & Merrill, R. R. (1994). First things first. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Kouzes,
J. M., & Posner, B. A. (1993). Credibility:
How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Louw,
L-L. (1995). Ubuntu: Applying African philosophy to diversity training. In L.
B. Griggs & L-L Louw, (Eds.). Valuing diversity: New tools for a new reality. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Discussion:
Is it
possible to have social consciousness without authenticity, ethical sensibility
and spirituality? Is it possible to do works
of social justice without authenticity, ethical sensibility and spirituality?
Activity: (Complete Activities 1 and 2)
Activity 1:
a.
Why do you care so deeply
about this issue?
b.
Reflect on what leadership role you have taken to date
to address the issue.
c.
Reflect on how you might share information with another
person, develop a relationship and embrace a vision about the issue.
Activity 2:
Introduction
The phrase "know yourself"
is a common message for all leaders. If individuals are to establish and
enhance their credibility as leaders they must know who they are and who they
want to be. Self-knowledge is an essential part of defining a leader's
integrity (Kouzes & Posner, 1993). According to Bennis (1989, p. 51),
"to become a leader, then you must become yourself, become the maker of
your own life." Knowing oneself is one of the most difficult tasks any
individual faces. ". . . until you truly know yourself, strengths and
weaknesses, know what you want to do and why you want to do it, you cannot
succeed in any but the most superficial sense of the word" (Bennis, 1989,
p. 40). Furthermore, Louw (1995) quotes an African proverb--A person is a
person through other people--to assert that you don't know yourself without
knowing yourself in relation to other people. In this activity, you will
explore deep feelings and knowledge about yourself.
Activity Instructions:
Inner Strengths Assessment Worksheet
(Modified
from First Things First, by S. R.
Covey, A. R. Merrill, & R. R. Merrill. New York: Simon & Schuster,
1994).
|
Questions |
Responses |
|
|
1. What are my greatest strengths and talents that
would be of value to other people? |
|
|
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2. What strengths and talents have others who
know me well noticed about me? |
|
|
|
3. How are the abilities and talents I
identified different from and alike those identified by other people? Why might
they be different? |
|
|
|
4. What qualities of character do I admire
most in the one person who has made the greatest positive impact on my life? |
|
|
|
5. Why was that person able to make such a
significant impact? |
|
|
|
6. What have been the happiest moments of my
life? |
|
|
|
7. Why were these moments happy? |
|
|
|
8. What are the three or four most important
things to me? |
|
|
|
9. When I review my personal life, what
activities do I consider of greatest worth? |
|
|
|
10. What are my personal needs and capacities? |
|
|
|
11. What quality-of-life results do I desire in
the personal area that are different from what I now have? |
|
|
|
12. What do I have to do to create those results? |
|
|
|
13.
What are my physical needs and capacities? |
|
|
|
14.
What quality-of-life results do I desire in the physical area that are
different from what I now have? |
|
|
|
15. What do I have to do create those results? |
|
|
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16. What are my social needs and capacities? |
|
|
|
17. What quality-of-life results in the social
area do I desire that are different from what I now have? |
|
|
|
18.
What do I have to do to create those results? |
|
|
|
19.
What are my spiritual needs and desires? |
|
|
|
20. What quality-of-life results in the spiritual
area do I desire that are different from what I now have? |
|
|
|
21. What do I have to do to create those results? |
|
|
|
22. What are the most important roles in my life?
_________________, _________________, _________________, _________________,
_________________, _________________, _________________, _________________. |
|
|
|
23. What are the most important goals I want to fulfill
in each of these roles? |
|
|
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24.
What progress am I making toward fulfillment of these goals? |
|
|
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25.
What results am I currently getting in my life that I don't like? |
|
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26.
What results am I currently getting in my life that I don't like? |
|
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27. What paradigms would produce better results? |
|
|
|
28. If I had the personal, physical, social, and
spiritual capacity to do anything I wanted to do with my life, what would it
be? |
|
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29. What are the important principles upon which
this choice is based? |
|
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Topics: Creativity
and Reflective Human Action, aesthetic approaches
Objective: Apply
creativity to examine a system
This week’s assignment:
1.
Read the E-Lecture.
2.
Participate in the open challenge for discussion
3.
Complete 1 activity, posting your observations in your
journal.
E-Lecture:
The
“new science” view of reality prompts leaders to view organizations as
"webs of relationships." Thus, Gardner (1993) argues, "creative
activity grows, first, out of the relationships between an individual and the
objective world of work, and, second out of the ties between an individual and
other human beings" (p. 9). As individuals work alone and together to
shape ideas into reality, numerous possibilities are evoked and creativity
results. "Innovation arises from ongoing circles of exchange, where
information is not just accumulated or stored, but created. Knowledge is
generated anew from connections that weren't there before" (Wheatley,
1994, p. 113).
Because
everyone plays an essential role in the formation of knowledge, the creativity
of each member in an organization is important. What does it mean to live and
work creatively? Perhaps the most essential quality is the adoption of a
creative attitude and way of living (deBono, 1992; Gardner, 1993; Moore, 1992).
According to deBono (1992), "The creative
pause should become a mental habit for anyone who wants to be
creative" (p. 86). He defines the creative pause as a deliberate
interruption in our everyday routine to pay attention to some point. We should
pause at any time during our ordinary day simply because something is
interesting, amusing, or in some way engaging. When we "let ourselves be
arrested by the imaginal richness" (Moore, 1992, p. 289) around us,
genuine creativity increases.
Not
only must we "let the world in, to perceive it" if we are to live
more creatively, but we must take time
to "engage it fully" (Moore, 1992, p. 286). By spending meaningful
time with nature, things, and human beings, "we get to know them more
intimately and to feel more genuinely connected with them" (Moore, p.
287). Our creativity tends to flourish when we spend time thinking about the
ideas we truly love and engaging in the activities that spark our imagination
(Moore, 1992). As Wheatley (1994) reminds us, full engagement requires that we
stop trying to do everything right and begin adding a quality of playfulness. A
playful spirit adds imagination, emotional intensity, fun, mystery, and
surprise that are too-often absent from "serious" work. The more we
engage in play, the more likely we are to be surprised (Wheatley, 1994).
"Surprise is the only route to
discovery" (Wheatley, 1994, p. 142) and play often results in a
"new-found creation of the mind" (Huizinga, 1955, p. 9-10).
We
also enrich our engagement in ordinary activities, ranging from personal
decision making to political expression, when we approach them aesthetically
(Broudy, 1972; Moore, 1992). "To experience life aesthetically is to sense
the drama in every event of nature, in every moment of life, in the conflict of
colors and shapes, sounds and rhythms" (Broudy, 1972). It is to draw the
parts of everyday experience together into a meaningful whole--a whole that
illustrates beauty, theme, and variation on a theme, reciprocity, rhythm,
harmony, balance, and resolution of conflict (Kupfer, 1983). Artistic
experience occurs whenever we "create an external, concrete form in which
the soul of our lives can be evoked and contained" (Moore, 1992, p. 302).
For example, Wheatley (1994) compares organizations to the art of dance: "Knowing
the steps ahead of time is not important; being willing to engage with the
music and move freely onto the dance floor is what's key" (p. 142-143).
Discussion:
Do you have a problem in a
system that you’d like to share? What
changes can you make in the system to improve people’s ability to creatively
address the problem? Consider time for
reflection, mindfulness, creativity, playfulness, artistry and story-telling. Once posted, classmates may share other
approaches to try.
Activity:
(Choose Option I, II and III)
Option
I: Pause for Creativity
Every time we stop to pause to
reflect and wonder, there is a possibility of a new idea. Thus, deBono (1992)
calls this habit the creative pause. Although not every creative pause leads to a creative result,
deBono argues that the habit of stopping to engage with our thoughts stretches
our imagination. Every time we pause, we invest in our creative potential and
could discover something new. The following thoughts are examples of a creative
pause:
I want to pay
attention to . . .
Is there another idea here?
Is this the only way to do
this?
This is interesting.
Take a few moments to jot down
anything that is particularly intriguing, attractive, perplexing, or interesting
to you. Think about the people around you, the room you are in, the ideas that
you have found appealing, anything that comes to mind!
1.
2.
3.
Are any ideas interesting
enough to pursue further? What more do you want to know? How can you begin to
more deeply engage with the idea?
If there is something in ideas
that emerge from creative pausing that is inherently valuable, the insights
sometimes can be applied in some way to solve a problem. The creative
focus is related to the creative pause but involves selecting defined
areas for reflection. Some examples are:
I want to improve . . .
We need some ideas for . . .
We need opportunities for . . .
Select an area for creative focus.
Then play with ways the ideas from creative pausing that could be applied in a
more focused manner. (The ideas may or may not lead anywhere, but there is
always the possibility when you take a moment to try them out.)
Reference:
deBono, E. (1992). Serious creativity. New York:
HarperBusiness.
Kupfer
(1983) argues that establishing aesthetic relations in everyday activities is
essential to meaningful family, work, leisure, political, and educational life.
Aesthetic experience--from personal decision making to building a
community--depends on the capacity to integrate diverse details into a
meaningful form:
In
aesthetic experience, we respond to what is presented to us by discriminating
among its constituents so as to integrate them into a unified whole. The whole
is formed out of the interaction among its parts. While these parts are
distinct, making distinctive contributions, their relations with one another
and their place in the whole is decisive for their meaning and value. In the
aesthetic ideal, they enhance and deepen each other's significance: one word's
connotation enriching another's meaning, this musical phrase heightening that
one's effect, the shape of a roof setting off the window's lines. The parts are
interdependent, forming a kind of community. (p. 4)
Experience
in organizations becomes more meaningful whenever we draw in artful qualities.
Such artistry is especially significant in the new science view of reality
where forms constantly change amidst chaos, and new forms must take shape in
continual self-renewal. The following exercises are intended to help you think
about art and aesthetics in your organization:
1. Describe
your organization in terms of selected art concepts. Some examples are:
a. Sensory
elements: color, shape, pattern, texture, sound, smell, taste, imagery.
b. Beauty,
style, poetry, dance, music.
c. Reciprocity
of parts, balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm.
d. Tension
and resolution of tension, unity in diversity, variation on a theme.
e. Drama,
surprise.
2. How
can you more fully integrate these concepts into the daily life of your
organization?
3. Have
aesthetic experiences in your organization contributed to creativity in the
past? Explain. In what ways can your organization become more artful in the
future?
Using
an aesthetic approach and the action wheel, frame one issue pertinent to your
organization (meaning, power, etc.,). Using ideas from art and aesthetics,
suggest ways to intervene and address the issue.
Reference:
Kupfer, J. K. (1983). Experience as art: Aesthetics in everyday
life. Albany: State University of New York.
Option III: The Storied
Organization
One particular art form that
is significant to organizations is storytelling. A good story weaves together a
unique plot with vivid details. Interesting characters have intentions, take
actions, and experience outcomes in a particular setting. A good story also
illustrates a theme which tells us something about our personal and shared
lives.
Stories, to Bruner (1987), are
an everyday form of "lifemaking" (p. 12) by which we interpret (and
continually reinterpret) our experiences, imagine our futures, create
identities, learn values, and understand our culture. When we see ourselves as
"great weavers of tales" that "capture our imaginations and the
experiences of our lives" (Wheatley, 1994, p. 142), the work in our
organizations gains a quality of play, enjoyment, and creativity. The following
questions are intended to help you think about the art of telling and
interpreting stories:
a.
What is the overall theme (or themes)?
b.
What organizational values does the story reflect? Does
it reflect your mission?
c.
What does it say about the personal sense of identity of
those within the group?
d.
What does the story reveal about the relationships among
people and group culture?
e.
How do you envision the story as it continues into the
future?
2. Consider
the features of human action. What does the story reveal about the features of
human action in your organization?
3. Discuss ways you might enhance the creativity of your organization
through stories.
Reference:
Bruner, J. (1987). Life as
narrative. Social Research, 54(1),
11-32.
Final Paper
Introduction
Visioning is the term used to
describe the process of focusing on an image of the future. It has been
referred to by Jaffe, Scott, and Tobe (1994, p. 146) as " . . . a journey
from the known to the unknown. "Other authors refer to visioning as "
. . . the ability to see beyond our present reality, to create, to invent what
does not yet exist, to become what we not yet are" (Covey, Merrill, &
Merrill, 1994, p. 103-4).
We use current facts, hopes,
dreams, threats, dangers, and opportunities to design our visions. Visioning
encourages us to use awareness of ourselves, our conscience, our imagination,
and our independence to ask the tough questions: What do we want to be? What
does it take to be the best that we want to be? What are my capabilities for
achieving what I want to be? For what do I want people to know me? Visioning
focuses on what we want to become rather than on what we are presently.
Effective visions for the
future are grounded in respect and honor for the past. People who accept their
past and use it as a stepping stone to the future deal with change more easily
than those who refuse to let go of the past. In our personal and professional
lives, ". . . change occurs in creating a continuity from the past to the
future. Honoring the past provides a springboard into the future" (Jaffe,
Scott, & Tobe, 1994, p. 155).
The visioning process has
numerous outcomes for an individual and an organization. Several outcomes
important for an individual relate to commitment, sense of purpose, personal
mastery, appreciation of differences as strengths, interdependence, and
innovation.
In this activity, we will
learn about the process of visioning as a means of reflecting on our own
personal vision. Visioning challenges all of us to engage both head and heart
in designing a mission statement of what we want to be and what it takes for us
to "get there."
Getting in touch with our
inner selves allows us to use our self-awareness, conscience, independent will,
and creative imagination to create a compelling inner or personal vision.
Putting that vision into words of a mission statement permits us to discover
new ways of seeing ourselves and doing what is right. In other words, the end
of the personal mission statement is "personal empowerment".
A personal mission statement
is exactly that--truly personal and empowering for the individual who envisions
it. It is not a "to do list" to be checked off when completed.
Rather, it is a living document that becomes the person. It is the blueprint
before construction, the criteria by which we live our lives day by day. Covey,
Merrill, and Merrill (1994) indicate that "most people who feel empowered
by their mission statements find that there seems to be a point at which their
statement 'lives.' They own it. It is theirs. A vital connection is made
between the mission and the moment of life. With nurturing and continuing
cultivation the mission statement becomes the primary factor that influences
every moment of choice" (p. 116).
Covey, Merrill, and Merrill
(1994, p. 113) identified several characteristics of empowering mission
statements. An empowering mission statement:
Final Project: (Parts 1 and 2)
Part I:
Directions:
1. Find a quiet place where you can bring
yourself into a reflective frame of mind.
2. Reflect on the results you want to achieve in
your life. Write down your responses.
Bring your vision to the surface
by asking questions such as "If you could have it now, would you want
it?" "What would it bring you, allow you to do?"
3. Allow the ideas listed below lead you toward
expressions of deep wishes and vision.
a.
Self-image: If you could design the kind of person you
wanted to be, what qualities/characteristics would this person have?
b.
Tangibles: List the material things this person would
have.
c.
Home: Describe the living environment of this person.
d.
Health: What is your desire for the health and fitness
of this person?
e.
Relationships: What types of relationships would this
person have with family, friends, associates?
f.
Work: What is the professional or vocational aspiration
of this person? What impact would you want this person to have on other people
in the work environment? What do you see this person doing in the work
environment?
g.
Personal pursuits: Where do you see this person in terms
of individual learning, travel, reading, volunteering?
h.
Community: What is your vision for the community in
which this person lives and works?
i.
Life Purpose: What is the purpose of this person’s life?
4. Review what you have written about your
vision. Identify the primary goals that surface from this analysis. Are there
some common themes that both you and your partner share?
5. In the privacy of your own space, develop an
action plan--a mission statement--for living out these goals.
References:
Covey, S. R., Merrill, A. R.,
& Merrill, R. R. (1994). First things
first. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Jaffe, D. T., Scott, C. D.,
& Tobe, G. R. (1994). Rekindling
Commitment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Part 2:
Once you have completed your
personal mission statement, reflect on the principles of Reflective Human
Action (authenticity, ethical sensibility, and spirituality). How does your personal mission statement
integrate the process of the new reality:
accepting chaos, sharing information, developing relationships, and
embracing vision?
Fax your Final Project for
evaluation to: Kappa Omicron Nu – 517.351.8336
The final grade will be based
on participation in the course, substance and depth of the personal mission statement,
and the reflective integration of the concepts explored in this course.