A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

For this Reflection Blog, you will create a reflection blog focusing on Denning's Chapter 12, "A Different Kind of Leader."

In Chapter 12, Denning explicitly describes his dimensions of leadership. Reflect on those dimensions and how you expect they will impact the way you lead in the future. Include specific examples of how at least THREE of Denning's dimensions manifest in your own application of leadership.

I absolutely loved this book. I know this isn't "review the class text" time but I feel like I have to mention that. Stephen Denning has taken the “rules” of being a leader to new heights. His theories are spot on and meaningful without being preachy and unattainable. He understands and embraces people’s weaknesses and shows us how to recognize them and make them part of our leadership story.

“The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it.” (Denning, 2010) This is such a valid dimension of leadership today. I sit in a morning meeting that should absolutely be an e-mail. In this meeting, I listen to defeated managers feeling like they are fighting an uphill battle with every little thing. Parts are missing? They take that as a personal affront to their team’s progress. High labor loss? That has to be because they have lazy workers who hate them and are probably on interviews somewhere else. Behind schedule? That is because leadership thinks that they can do miracles with nothing and are unrealistic. That it’s all because the world is against them. A leader would see that missing parts is an opportunity to work with the suppliers or the kitting areas to see if they are getting everything they need to be successful. This could create a collaboration and even smarter tools for future successes. High labor loss could be a number of things. Did school just start up? Kids usually bring home those germs the first few weeks of school and inevitably the “crud” or whatever wreaks havoc on the kids and in turn the parents. People get sick. What about recent high levels of over time? Are people burnt out? How is morale? As a leader, high labor loss is an opportunity to have a conversation with your team and find out what’s going on, how you can help them, and to problem solve with them. Schedule is king at The Boeing Company. Everyone knows this and it has nothing to do with managers or people. Boeing is a mega-business that provides for somewhere around 79,000 employees. They have to make money and the way they make money is building the best airplanes the fastest, toughest, and in the most cost effective way than their competitors. Is this always fair to the people or even realistic? No. But the idea is that as leaders, we challenge our teams to do their very best…and then a little bit more. Boeing used to make airplanes out of canvas and wood. But in the 1960’s, it helped put man on the moon. We can make awesome jets in record time and it takes effective leaders…not whiney managers to inspire people to get it done. An effective leader believes that anything is possible!

“Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity.” (Denning, 2011) Obviously, a leader needs to set the example for their teams. Can that leader also set the example for their peers? Their bosses? Their organization? Absolutely. Every single time a manager says one thing and does exactly the opposite, they chip away at their authenticity and integrity. How can teams be expected to behave one way when their manager behaves another? Being a leader means that you are always holding people to their highest potential and working to develop them into someone who will one day be a great leader too. It should be like gossip…you should be able to say whatever you’re going to say in front of the whole team. Leadership and the authenticity a leader should exude is the same way. If there is a behavior that your team shouldn’t display, then neither should you. “It’s not possible for leaders o exercise manipulative and spinning behavior in one part of their conduct and be accepted as open, truthful, and trustworthy in other domains.” (Denning, 2011)

“Interactive leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority.” (Denning, 2011) Oh gosh I love this one. This dimension really plays to my inner anarchist – but in a good way. Should the fact that someone is a mechanic mean that interactive leadership doesn’t apply to them? Heck no. Just because someone isn’t a vice-president, or CEO, or even a manager does not mean that they do not have leadership skills or should be kept from using those leadership skills. When I need advice and direction from my team regarding their schedule, I go to the leaders of the team…the people who do the work and have proven integrity and sincerely care about the work. These people are rarely the managers. I have found that people who exhibit leadership (not to mention critical thinking) skills to some managers at Boeing tend to put the managers on the defensive. Leaders would develop those behaviors and advocate for their team. I recently found out that one manager at the last Boeing business unit I worked at in WA actually made it impossible for an up and coming leader to stay with the company. She had relegated him, a college educated degreed industrial engineer, to her personal secretary with no possible way out. Somehow, she had influence over people who could have helped him but didn’t. I’ve had dealings with this person myself so I know it is true and not an exaggeration. This kind of manager is deadly to the future leaders in an organization. Leaders are in all levels of an organization. If you are a manager and this idea scares you…you need to get out of management. “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.” (Denning, 2011) I never want to be a manager who makes good people want to leave the organization that I support.

I repeat…I loved this text and it will go on my shelf to refer back to long after this class is over and my degree completed.

Reference:

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.