A511.3.3.RB – Power and Influence

Ah! Power and Influence: The gravitational force of leadership. A person who lacks possession of these essences cannot be a leader.

Our reading this week walked us through types of power and influence along with how one could acquire, or lose, these necessary gifts.

“Power involves the capacity of one party (the “agent”) to influence another party (the “target”), but this influence has been described and measured in several different ways. The term may refer to the agent’s influence over a single target person, or over multiple target persons. Sometimes the term refers to potential influence over things or events as well as attitudes and behavior. Sometimes the agent is a group or organization rather than an individual. Sometimes power is defined in relative rather than absolute terms, in which case it means the extent to which the agent has more influence over the target than the target has over the agent.”(Yukl, 2012)

The depth and breadth of the power and influence is impacted by many variables. Interestingly, the perception of power may be the most important aspect of the lesson this week. If the target perceives that the agent possesses power, influence is possible. A raw form would be the use of a bluff in the game of poker. Conversely, if the target lacks the perception that the agent possesses power, it does not exist. Think of the “Do you know who I am?” rants that sometimes occur at airline ticket counters or hotel check-in desks.

“An agent will have more power over some people than over others and more influence for some types of issues than for others. Furthermore, power is a dynamic variable that changes as conditions change. How power is used and the outcomes of influence attempts can increase or reduce an agent’s subsequent power.”(Yukl, pg. 186)

We all have learned to operate in the influence of power. As babies we were beholden to those that provided for our needs. (In a role reversal, our cries provided us with the power to command our parents. “Feed me! Change me! Hold me!”) We learned who could get us what we needed and, as we grew, what rules they had for us to follow. We learned basic skills in the wielding of power and influence from reacting to our parents and teachers.

We learned that roles can provide legitimacy of power. The teacher can make your life miserable and the Principal will back her or him up. There are rules that define the power.

We recognized reward power. We learned who could provide us with treats or free time.  We found out about coercive power, too. We learned who could ground us and what would get us grounded. There might even be some corporal punishment to drive the point home.

As we progressed through school, opportunities to experience expert power could be found in our teachers and professionals with whom we interacted. They had the knowledge we needed. When we couldn’t get the information easily, or just wouldn’t provide it, we learned the power that merely holding information could provide.

Finding out that there are jobs that are more comfortable to do, or more coveted for their pay or prestige taught us that there is power to be found there, as well.

Power and influence are dynamic. As Yukl states, “it changes over time due to changing conditions and the actions of individuals and coalitions.” (Yukl, pg. 193)

My current job requires that I both project and respect power in many ways.

The title and position I have been given by my company sets a certain level of power in the organization. There are policies, processes, and rules that delineate a part of the power I wield. Employees are all educated in the hierarchy of the corporation and have expectations about what I can and cannot ask of them.

Professional expertise and experience provide another source of power for me. I possess government issued licenses and maintain demonstrated technical proficiency at a very high level.  At the same time, the job I hold is considered by many to be prestigious. That provides cachet in some circumstances.

The level of responsibility I am presented with demands that I wield a level of power commensurate to protect the assets and people for whom I am deemed accountable. The expectation of others that I have their safety at heart is the most demanding form of power in my possession. It is the one I am most cautious about using…or not using.

In my organization’s day to day operations there is the power I have to provide opportunities for growth for my direct reports, to provide information freely, to ensure their needs are being met so they can do their jobs economically, and to ensure they feel integral to the operation.

How, when, and to what extent I use the power I have earned (from my peers, reports, and superiors) or donned (from my position) is as variable as the weather. Rarely are days the same. The only thing I know for sure is the there will be lessons learned and I hope to be able to apply what I learn correctly when the chance next arises.

Meanwhile, I am under the influence of all of those forces of power because I work in the middle layers of a very large corporation and perform work, at times, that carries a factor of risk that is comparatively higher than many jobs. As a middle manager, the energy flows up, down, and laterally.

Have I had an opportunity to experience dysfunctional Leader-member-exchange (LMX) relationships? Yes. “The basic premise of the theory is that leaders develop an exchange relationship with each subordinate as the two parties mutually define the subordinate’s role.” (Yukl, pg. 222) As the perfect leader and the perfect subordinate are yet to meet, I know I have been on both sides of this equation in a dysfunctional role.

“When leaders are perceived as exhibiting negative behaviors to subordinates, subordinates reciprocate by engaging in negative behavior.” (Rozhan Othman, 2009) Does one behavior always elicit the other? Not necessarily, and Othman et al discuss the situations in detail, if you get the chance to read their article.

Much like flying an airplane on a flight path can be broken down into multiple corrections “back onto the planned path as a myriad of forces keeps trying to knock you off”, being a leader requires the same type dedicated resilience to being good. The forces trying to distract you and knock you off will always be there. Plan well and keep tracking back to where you need to be. I feel like that is what I am doing all the time.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Rozhan Othman, F. F. E., Ng Lay Shi. (2009). Understanding dysfuncntional leader-mamber exchange: antecedents and outcomes. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(4), 24.

A511.2.3.RB_DavisCarl

Here we are in week two!

Our discussion topic concerns supportive behavior by leaders and managers. First, let’s look at what leadership behaviors may fall under the banner of being supportive. In our text, Mr. Yukl provides some guidelines for demonstrating supportive behavior. (2012, pg.64)

• Show acceptance and positive regard.

• Provide sympathy and support when the person is anxious or upset.

• Bolster the person’s self-esteem and confidence.

• Be willing to help with personal problems.

As I read the guidelines and the descriptions provided in the book, the word that kept popping into my head was ‘inclusion’. One of the main draws of being on a team or in a group, at least from my perspective, is the feeling of being included. A leader needs to communicate to the members that they are part of the whole.

The act of being inclusive requires more than sending out a paycheck each week. Demonstrating care and concern for the individual builds deeper ties. To that end, the care and concern being demonstrated by the leader must actually exist. If compliments or support appears the least bit insincere, damage is done to the relationship.

I appreciated the following passage in the book. “Stress is reduced by showing appreciation, listening to problems and complaints, providing assistance when necessary, expressing confidence in the person, doing things to make the work environment more enjoyable, and buffering the person from unnecessary demands by outsiders. Stress is increased by making unreasonable demands, pressuring the person to work faster, being overly critical, and insisting on compliance with unnecessary bureaucratic requirements. Although results in research on the effects of considerate, supportive leadership are not consistent, it is likely this type of behavior will improve subordinate satisfaction and performance in many situations.” (Yukl, pg. 64)  If proper communication is made up front, the need for added stress from the leader should be lessened or removed. If a leader finds they must constantly harangue, coerce, or threaten the group, there are issues of support, communication, and development that need to be addressed before moving on to the next project.

Are there times when stress needs to be applied in the workplace? Yes. Deadlines and performance goals serve those functions admirably. Does every team need occasional motivation to maintain a high level of performance? Yes. Being supportive is one of the methods for motivating a person or team.

A dilemma present in corporate work environments is the perception of being too supportive, especially if the attention seems to fall upon an individual or small group. The Human Resource (HR) shop in many a company has their days filled with allegations of preferential treatment. The rules that managers and leaders must work within make the job of supporting very defined. In extreme cases, legal action has occurred. Harassment, favoritism, or merely the perception thereof, must be avoided.

The first three bullets above can, and should, be handled by the manager. In the case of the willingness to help with personal problems, the company will hopefully have programs and systems in place to help provide that help.  In the event the company does not provide assistance, the manager/leader can provide assistance by identifying professional help for the employee and providing time for the employee to seek that help.

Providing opportunities for subordinates to develop their skills is an integral part of supportive leadership. The guidelines from our book provide an excellent resource from which to begin. (Yukl, pg. 66)

• Show concern for each person's development.

• Help the person identify ways to improve performance.

• Be patient and helpful when providing coaching.

• Provide helpful career advice.

• Help the person prepare for a job change.

• Encourage attendance at relevant training activities.

• Provide opportunities to learn from experience.

• Encourage coaching by peers when appropriate.

• Promote the person’s reputation.

As I have gained experience as a manager, my desire to provide the assistance the guidelines denote has only grown stronger. I am a firm believer that providing opportunities for personal and professional growth to an employee is beneficial to more than just the employee. The company benefits from the person gaining more skills and confidence, the manager benefits by having more skills on their team to bring to bear on issues, and the employee gains skills, knowledge, and confidence.  I believe that if the employee wins, the company will win in the long run. The leader’s role is to locate the opportunities and, maybe more importantly, identify the proper timing of the opportunity. The employee’s desire to grow, the right opportunity, and the right time all need to be present or the result will be less than optimal.

I have been the receptor of growth opportunities. When I was younger, I didn’t appreciate them as much as I do now. I have even gone back and thanked managers from jobs I held long ago after pondering the opportunities they presented me. I learned that I didn’t necessarily see the benefit at the time. The important this is that my manager did see it.

The third part of supportive leadership that Yukl discusses is providing praise and recognition. “Recognizing involves giving praise and showing appreciation to others for effective performance, significant achievements, and important contributions to the organization.” (Yukl, pg. 68)

Let’s take a look at the guidelines provided by Mr. Yukl. (Pg.69)

• Recognize a variety of contributions and achievements.

• Actively search for contributions to recognize.

• Recognize improvements in performance.

• Recognize commendable efforts that failed.

• Do not limit recognition to high-visibility jobs.

• Do not limit recognition to a few best performers.

• Provide specific recognition.

• Provide timely recognition.

• Use an appropriate form of recognition.

Across the companies I have worked for through my career, I would say this recognition has been handled the poorest of all the facets of leadership. Most places have some sort of reward and recognition tools for managers to use. The breakdown comes at the delivery.

Three lessons I have learned that I would gladly pass along are to be sincere, not everyone wants to be recognized in front of a crowd, and to know that an honest ‘thank you’ is one of the best tools you've got.

Taking the time to recognize the efforts of someone means investigating the hours of work, noting the stress they felt, the obstacles they overcame, and the impact of the job they did on the company and the group. Handing them a hat and a handshake is not enough.

In summary, the guidelines of supportive leadership serve to remind us that we lead people. People with lives, needs, and desires that need to be addressed by the leader. I tend to tie the needs back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow (1943) because I find the structure easy to remember. Start with the physiological needs of the employee, then the need for safety, love or belonging, esteem, and finally self-actualization. The guidelines above tie in to the basic needs of the employee quite well. The supportive leadership techniques are just another tool to bring to bear as we face the daily challenges at work, home, and in life.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 26.

A511.1.3.RB_DavisCarl

Welcome back to educatedleadership.blogspot.com!

Leadership and management have been the focus of chapters one and two of our textbook in organizational leadership class.

Is there a line that separates the two terms? Can one be a manager without being a leader? Can one be a leader without being a manager? I believe there are people who think the two skill sets can be separated. I do not subscribe to that theory. In order to be successful, a leader must be able to manage and vice versa.

A comment I heard long ago was, “No soldier was ever managed into battle.” I believe that to be true. However, that soldier had to be managed to the battlefield. Yukl cites Mintzberg’s  taxonomy  of roles for manageing in his book(pg. 29, 2012). There are ten different manager roles noted.

Information Processing Roles

• Disseminator

• Monitor

• Spokesperson

Decision-Making Roles

• Entrepreneur

• Disturbance handler

• Resource allocator

• Negotiator

Interpersonal Roles

• Liaison

• Figurehead

• Leader

While one of the roles is that of leader, I believe leading occurs while carrying out other roles on the list. As figurehead and spokesperson, the implication is that the manager is the leader. The disturbance handler role requires leadership, or the perception thereof, to be recognized as the person who can quell the upset.

Leadership is demonstrated in the entrepreneur and negotiator roles. As an entrepreneur, “the manager of an organization or one of its subunits acts as an initiator and designer of controlled change to exploit opportunities for improving the existing situation.” (Yukl, pg. 30) As a negotiator, “Any negotiations requiring a substantial commitment of resources will be facilitated by the presence of a manager having the authority to make this commitment.”(Yukl, pg. 31)

As we study the two major roles of leadership and management, I will be drawing from personal experience accrued in my jobs as a manager/leader. Without a doubt, I believe a good leader/manager must move seamlessly through all the roles noted by Mintzberg as they are needed, all the while understanding that there are many people looking to him/her to be the leader.

The TEDx talk that we were assigned to watch covers a vital point of leadership. Mr. Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Sinek (2009).  I was reminded of the military saying about winning the hearts and minds of the enemy to turn the war. Both comments speak to the idea that passion is created and nurtured around feelings and ideas.

Recently, while mentoring a new manager at my company, he asked me what my main focus was as a leader. After some consideration, I told him I start with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs Maslow (1943). those needs include: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The people that work for me must have as many of those needs met as possible to be able to commit their focus to the job. Once the employees know I take their needs into consideration, they are much more likely to listen to my vision and direction. They are open to pick up on the feelings I am trying to communicate.

Much of management is tangible. Handling logistics, communicating, dealing with day to day issues all fall under management. The leadership side touches on the intangible. Imparting the vision and the “why” of the task you are setting out to accomplish. Mr. Yukl’s roles(2012), capture that fact in the way the leadership role is intertwined through many of the managerial roles.

I look forward to progressing through this class as I broaden and refine my skills.

Yukl, Gary A. (2012-02-09). Leadership in Organizations (8th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 26.

Sinek, S. (Producer). (2009, January 18, 2015). Start with why – How great leaders inspire action. [Lecture] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&feature=share&list=PL42F8562DCD3CCEA8