Management and Leadership – Integration of Dees Chapters 6-8 Raquel T. Hanna Liberty University BMAL 501 Introduction Leadership is the main focus of Robert F. Dee’s book, Resilient Leaders. As a requirement, each student is to individually express three concepts that were beneficial from the chapters 6-8 in his book. Each student must also discuss why the chosen three concepts are important for any organization to consider. In my opinion, I feel the three most concepts discussed in Dee’s book in the aforementioned chapters are vision, leading by example, and empowerment. We will look at these three important qualities and see how they all intertwine. Three Concepts Leadership without vision can be an almost impossible task. Vision is the cornerstone to leadership success. Dees (2013) defines vision as “a clear focus upon a future end state that propels self and others forward with expectation and perseverance” (pg. 160). Leaders with vision provide the inspiration needed by managers and their subordinates to initiate and implement change. This is done by improving performance through working towards a common objective, also known as an organizational goal. A visionary leader must review their vision regularly to ensure it reflects organizational performance at all times. “In fact, visionary leadership, a form of transformational leadership, offers opportunities to foster the capacity of an organization to meet the needs of its constituents” (Taylor, Cornelius, & Colvin, 2014, pg. 567). However, being just a visionary is not enough for leaders to reach their desired goal. A good leader must also possess an ability to lead by example. This is an important characteristic trait that separates him from his subordinates. It is important to be able to lead through explanation as well as demonstration. This is valuable because it allows the subordinates to be able to witness, first hand, the confidence their leader manifests what to do in difficult situations. Kouzes (2014) states, “Exemplary leaders know that it’s their behavior that earns real respect. They practice what they preach. Their words and deeds are consistently aligned. The truth is that you either lead by example, or you don’t lead at all” (pg. 2). This is what makes leading by example such an essential part of being a successful leader. These occurrences reassure the leader’s subordinates that he understands his role and challenges, and has the determination and strength to overcome any adversity that would pose a threat to their organization. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines empowerment as the state of being empowered to do something: the power, right, or authority to do something. Leadership by empowerment is providing the tools and resources necessary for their subordinates to attain an empowered state. This state of empowerment is the enthusiastic acceptance of enterprise independence given to subordinates by their superiors. As noted in The Psychology of Employee Empowerment, “Empowerment means that management vests decision-making or approval authority in employees where, traditionally, such authority was a managerial prerogative” (Huq, 2016, pg. 7). This simply translates that a leader must encourage and establish an environment where subordinates are able to make good decisions effectively. In order to make this happen, the environment established would need to be a favorable one that allows the subordinates to grow. References Dees, R. (2013). Resilient Leaders: The Resilience Trilogy. Santa Diego, CA: Creative Team Publishing. Taylor, C., M., Cornelius, C., J., & Colvin, K. (2014). Visionary leadership and its relationship to organizational effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 35(6), 566-583. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquestcom.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1651358952?accountid=12085 Kouzes, James M. (2014). The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership – Technology. San Francisco, CA: Center for Creative Leadership. Huq, R. (2016). The Psychology of Employee Empowerment. London, Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. Introduction As discussed in the previous board’s leaders must be resilient. The assigned reading for module seven offers even more depth and clarity on applying the expertise of Gen. Dees and applying it to a leadership model. While there were many important principles the three that stuck out the most were be a merchant of hope, empower others, and comprehensive selfcare. The following paragraphs will discuss the principles in detail. Be a Merchant of Hope Anyone can walk around defeated. One of the very first concepts that Gen. Dees impresses upon his reader is that leadership will be met with adversity. Not only in the life of the leader but also I in the life of those whom they lead. I leader must be able to impress upon their organization that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Dees describes a merchant of hope as one who conveys a sense that things will get better, a sense that current trials will result in future benefit for self and others, a sense that we ultimately will not be disappointed (Dees, 2013). Hope is powerful because it can propel an individual to achieve great things. Anyone who purposes to accomplish anything great will come in contact with road blocks. It is the hope of seeing the job through that will drive them to push through. George Pattison had much to say about hope. He writes “In an age that believes itself competent to manage the future but, in attempting to do, generates new individual and social neuroses, hope is required for sober reflection on human limits as well as sustaining openness to the future (Pattison, 2016).” Empower Others A leader can only lead if they have those who are willing to follow them. In an age where everyone wants to know “why?” it is important for a leader to empower their followers. Dees makes a great point when he asks “Do your troops know that you need them? (Dees, 2013)” People need to feel needed and want to be valued as a member of the team. People are creative, interesting, and innovative. An effective leader will realize the potential that they have and harness their creative genies. Sometimes empowering others is not easy Carmen Portillo writes “Empowering others is not a touchy-feely process. It is a process that requires strategy and an action plan (Portillo, 2014).” It is important to understand that sometimes empowering others means stretching them out of their comfort zones and showing them what they are capable of. Comprehensive Self-Care Any student of sacred scripture understands that it is important for humans to rest. Speaking on the important of rest Moses writes “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made (Gen 2:2, KJV).” It is important to understand that God did this to show humans a model of a work week. God required no rest but understood the limitations of human bodies. He created them after all. Even an animal that was built for work has to take time to rest. Many times in the frontier day’s ox were used to carry very large loads of family’s out west. Many of the successful pioneers understood that they had to rest their ox or they would not make it to their destination. A leader must understand that there must be a bit of self-care if they can “stay in the fight”. Conclusion As a conclusion there were many really interesting concepts this module but the three that were discussed in the previous paragraphs really stand out. If a leader integrates those concepts into their leadership strategy they will be very effective. Works Cited Dees, R. F. (2013). Resilient Leaders. San Diego: Creative Team Publishing. Pattison, G. (2016). Hope. Political Theology, 199-205. Portillo, C. (2014). Empowering Others. Hispanic Health Care International, 60-61. Group 1 DB Forum 7: Part 1 In chapters five through seven of General Dees’ book, he attacks the issue of how to lead prior to, during, and following a crisis situation. As we all know, crises arise with little to no warning all the time… so how can you prepare for this situation? You can’t, but you can avert potential crisis situations by having vision and setting conditions for your organization to be successful. Once a crisis happens, it is your responsibility to know when to move out of the way and let the experts do their job. Lastly, it is important to reaffirm every person involved that they and the organization will overcome this crisis and move on. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is an age old saying emphasizing the necessity of being prepared for the worst. General Dees writes of General Jack Keane, his Division Commander when he was in the 101st Airborne Division. He states that a great military leader will use certain enablers, such as quality intelligence, adequate logistics, reliable communications, properly positioned mobility and counter mobility assets, before he will commit to putting his soldiers in harm’s way. “It is a practical and a moral responsibility for leaders to do everything possible ahead of time to ensure the safety and success of their subordinates” (Dees, 2013, p. 152). Not all crises are avoidable, but a true, selfless leader will react smartly to the initial outbreak of chaos. Leaders need to be wise to know their role in an emergency and realize that sometimes staying out of the way is the most helpful action they can take so the experts can handle the situation (Dees, 2014). The experts are professionally trained in crisis management and do this for a living. Too often, leaders will feel that they need to be in the middle of the situation to oversee success. Contrary to popular belief, “leaders often inserted themselves and became ‘part of the problem rather than part of the solution’, even in some cases precipitating preventable disasters” (Dees, 2013, p. 192). De-escalation of this highly emotional crisis is the most important first step that a leader should make. He or she should communicate with all members involved, attempt to create positive attitudes, and to build confidence working towards the best possible solution. According to Chadderdon, your employees will be looking to you as their leader for a sense of strength and security. They need to know that they are being led by someone that truly cares for what is best for them, someone who deserves their respect, and “you should make it evident that your employees can expect clear decisions and clear communication from you” (2001). Conclusion Leadership’s awareness of the possible crises that could occur in their organization is crucial in preparing for what could happen. Implementation of an effective disaster plan can help, but often the initial actions and attitude of the leader is the most important factor. The positive attitude, effective communication, and sense of confidence that a great leader provides to employees can have a motivational effect in this time of crisis. This positive effect can facilitate coping and well-being when undergoing stress and employees who are optimistic rebound quickly after setbacks and persevere (Sommer, Howell, & Hadley, 2015, p. 176). References Chadderdon, L. (2001, October 25). Leading Your Company Through a Crisis. Inc. Online. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/articles/2001/10/23585.html. Dees, R. (2013). Resilient Leaders, 1st Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/MBS1873240/. Dees, R. (2014). Leadership Before, During, and After Crisis. [Video presentation]. Retrieved from https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_399607 _1&content_id=_21067881_1. Sommer, S. A., Howell, J. M., Hadley, C. N. (2015, April 6). Keeping Positive and Building Strength: The Role of Affect and Team Leadership in Developing Resilience During an Organizational Crisis. Group & Organization Management, 41, (2), 172-202. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1059601115578027. Running head: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Leadership and Management BMAL 501 February 05, 2017 Introduction 1 LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 2 Management and leadership provide key pillars within an organizational environment. There is a need to develop a positive environment where it is possible to achieve the outlined goals. Understanding the key strategies that need to be considered in integrating leadership within an organizational environment provides a better work environment where success can be attained. This week’s chapter readings, in this case, provide a crucial understanding on Dees (2013) view on resilient leaders and how they can be effective within the organizational environment. The key concepts identified within the chapter readings, provide a greater focus on strong organizational leadership within an organizational context, including vision, being a merchant of hope and empowering others. Concepts Vision Dees provides a greater focus on his definition of a perfect leader. Setting a vision is a key aspect that is supposed to spearhead the overall development process of the organizational performance. A vision focusses on long-term goals, which can only be achieved by ensuring that short-term goals are successfully achieved (Dees, 2013). Positive organization within organizational context is based on the vision that a leader has, and the strategies that are being put in place to achieve the target. A resilient leader must have a vision, which guides his or her operations within the organizational context. Followers within any given organization need to be guided by organizational principles, which are implemented, on the basis positive development. Ensuring that they understand the organization’s vision plays a key role in their concentration levels in order to ensure that the vision is attained (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 3 Merchant of Hope A merchant of hope within an organization entails inspiring hope among followers. A leader should have hope in the processes as well as his or her followers in concentrating on attaining the highlighted goals. Having hope strengthens leaders and ensure that they do not give up easily. A leader who is taking a risk within a given operational environment must have hope of the success of the strategies implemented. Being a risk taker without hope is detrimental to the overall success of the strategy incorporated. Dees highlights that hope is a key trait of resilient leaders who aspire to achieve greater things within their workplace (Dees, 2013). Hope guides both leaders and followers in equal measures based on the underlying elements, which are being developed. Empowerment Empowering others within an organization builds a strong foundation for success. Empowering others ensures that there is a strong continuity, which motivates employees. There are different ways to empower employees within the organizational environment. Training is one of the key ways, which plays an important role in the development of both personal and professional elements (Clinton, 2017). Empowerment creates an increased level of commitment to an organizational environment leading to high level of job satisfaction. Employees need to be comfortable in their workplace to work effectively towards the attainment of the organizational goal. Creating an interactive environment as a leader is also another crucial way to empower employees through encouraging productive interactions where they can learn and share ideas from each other through building teams (Boyatzis et al., 2015). LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 4 Conclusion The success of any organization is based on the integration of quality values, which create a conducive environment for success. Vision, hope, and empowerment are key concepts which are interlinked and create a high diversity workplace environment where the input of employees is acknowledged creating a higher level of understanding on developing a strong organizational culture. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 5 References Boyatzis, R. E., Rochford, K., & Taylor, S. N. (2015). The role of the positive emotional attractor in vision and shared vision: toward effective leadership, relationships, and engagement. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 670. Clinton, J. R. (2017). The making of a leader: Recognizing the lessons and stages of leadership development. Two Words Publishing, LLC. Dees, R. F. (2013). Resilient leaders. Williamsburg, VA: RFD, LLC. ISBN: 9780985597993. Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
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