This is the last blog for MSLD521 and a part of me is happy
to start a new class in a couple of weeks and a part of me want’s MSLD521 to
not end. I was skeptical that storytelling could have a large and important
role in leadership and it only took about 4 weeks to make a believer out of me
when I began exercising some storytelling skills at work. Thank you Mr. Denning
for sharing your storytelling story with me so I may have an even greater
impact in a very positive way on those around me. (Denning, 2011). Thanks to
his book, The leader’s guide to
storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative, I
have had success advancing ideas within my organization, had a very successful negotiation
session take place with favorable action items created at an offsite program
management meeting with an important vendor, increased the book club membership
in our organization significantly and had many other positive outcomes.
I’m really excited to share with you the best chapter in
Denning (2011), “A Different Kind of Leader”, not because it is the last chapter,
but because of the profound impact it had on me and the impact it could have on
you as well. Denning begins by unveiling what he has learned through
storytelling “To this point, I’ve been looking at leadership through the lens
of storytelling. Now I want to look at leadership more directly and state
explicitly what kind of leadership I’m talking about. It has several dimensions:”
(Denning 2011, p. 270). The three dimensions I feel are the most important and
the ones I connect the most closely to are:
·
The interactive
leader works with the world rather than against it
·
Interactive
leadership both adds and subtracts elements from the leadership palette
·
Interactive
leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority
The Interactive Leader Works with the
World Rather than Against It
“The key is to read the world and let the world do some of
the work for you rather than trying to manipulate and control others…to get
compliance with your will.” (p. 270). Taming the grapevine, (rumor and gossip
control) is a perfect example of this concept. In taming the grapevine, Denning
recommends flowing with the current created from the rumor or gossip in what I interpret
as the method to alter the direction the rumor or gossip is taking the
organization “The trick is to work with, not against, the flow of vast underground
river of informal communication that exists in every organization.” (p. 221).
Several techniques are mentioned, such as using satire or self-deprecatory humor
that goes with the flow of the rumor that is meant to derail it. If the rumor
is true, Denning (2011) is quick to say to admit the mistake, provide a plan
and move on. (p. 221).
Interactive Leadership Both Adds and
Subtracts Elements from the Leadership Palette
“…it (interactive
leadership) requires setting aside techniques of manipulation and winning
regardless of cost that are deployed by the robber barons, hardball strategists
and spin artists (p. 270).” I have no issues with setting aside manipulation
and a winning at all costs attitude. No problem whatsoever. In fact I am very
hopeful that someday interactive leadership will be the norm and not the
exception. Participative leadership and being comfortable with sharing and relinquishing
power is needed is what we are talking about. One of my favorite MSLD videos is
Itay Talgam’s (2009) video that
features one of his mentors, Lenny Bernstien, in Lead
like the Great Conductors. In this video, Lenny has his back turned
towards the orchestra in a total display of trust not disgust as the orchestra plays.
He has given them complete control of the arrangement and listens to every note
with joyful tears rolling down his face. This moment is epic. This is a picture
of the type of leader I would like to become someday.
Interactive Leadership Doesn’t Depend on
the Possession of Hierarchical Authority
“Anyone and everyone who can help clarify the direction or
improve the structure, or secure support for it, or offer coaching that improves
performance is providing leadership.” (p. 271). You know at times I use to feel
uncomfortable when I was in a coaching position with an employee and the
employee provided something to the coaching session that I was not aware of or
had knowledge of. No more. In interactive leadership, the leader embraces
learning no matter what direction it comes from!
I have read and heard that women leaders are more likely to
embrace interactive leadership and I believe this to be very true. Larson
(1991) and Karau & Eagly (1999) support this claim.
In a survey sponsored by the
International Women's Forum, Prof. Judy Rosener compared the management styles
of 465 successful women managers with that of an equal number of male
counterparts. Her results, first discussed in an article in the Harvard Business
Review (Dec. 90), indicate that women are less likely to use the "command
and control" leadership style than their male counterparts. Rosener argues
that the successful women she studied have a leadership style which she calls
"interactive leadership." (Larson, 1991, para. 10-13)
Differences in the leadership
style of women and men were documented by Eagly and Johnson (1990) in a
meta-analytic review of 162 studies. In these studies, women generally adopted
a somewhat more democratic or participative style and a less autocratic or
directive style (mean d = 0.22) than did men. Although sex differences in task and interpersonally oriented
leadership styles were minimal among managers in organizations, they were more
typical of students in laboratory groups who were temporarily placed into
leadership roles. (Karau & Eagly, 1999, para. 10)
I feel it is important to recall
my claim made above that “women leaders are more
likely to embrace interactive leadership”. Just because they are more likely,
doesn’t mean that in an organizational setting where they be expected to act
like “men” that they will and Karau & Eagly’s journal article highlights
why a woman’s natural instinct to be interactive and nurturing may be
suppressed by the testosterone surrounding her. Interestingly enough, we have a woman manager
in our group and the more I’ve learned about interactive leadership the more I
want to get to know her better. She helped me with some ideas for the book
club, such as dividing the club into teams with each team responsible for
providing their interpretation of the reading assignment to kick-off each
meeting. I’m sure I can learn more from her.
Conclusion
Learning about the dimensions of interactive leadership has
made quite an impression on me and I will strive to adopt this approach and
make it a daily part of my leadership approach. What will this mean? What
impact will this have? Well for one. I don’t have to be a “traditional leader”
anymore and make sure I’m on the high ground. In fact at Monday’s team meeting
I will make it a point not to sit at the King Arthur’s round table and let one
of the employees have my reserved seat next to the king. Freedom. It is going
to feel good!
References:
Denning, S. (2011). The leader's guide to storytelling: Mastering the
art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.
Karau, S. J., & Eagly, A. H. (1999). Invited reaction: Gender,
social roles, and the emergence of leaders. Human Resource Development
Quarterly, 10(4), 321-327. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/234904257?accountid=27203
Larson, P. (1991, Oct 19). Women favor interactive leadership. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/239603786?accountid=27203
Talgam, I. (2009). Lead like the great conductors [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors#t-693877.
