Veracious Leadership

 

The purpose of this paper is to articulate a guide plan for the further development and refinement of the writer’s practice of transformational leadership in the second half of his life. This guide plan is grounded in an understanding of the concepts and applications of transformational leadership as set forth in the research and writings of a wide variety of authors examined as well as the insights and influence of other commentators which the writer has explored during his consulting and teaching career. The writer’s experience is affirmed by certain lessons emerging from his understanding of this research, namely, that transformational leadership, as a process of influence, is not so much learned as it is lived; that the transformational leader’s effectiveness in facilitating a transcendent focus and change needs to be grounded in the authentic embrace and practice of certain core humanistic values; and that transformational leadership is more than a role played out in an organizational or communal setting-it is way of being that permeates, persistently and consistently, one’s personal, professional and spiritual interactions.

Based on these premises, the following paper will briefly outline the writer’s understanding of certain salient attributes of transformational leadership; describe the conceptual foundation of his leadership development plan (plan); identify three strategic aspirations that he is committed to realizing during the 2004-2007 period; and set forth specific goals and implementation actions to accomplish these goals.

Transformational Leadership

As background to the discussion of the writer’s plan, a brief overview to transformational leadership is provided to include identification of its key elements; examination of its possible outcomes and an overview of the lessons learned by the writer over the past eight weeks. Transformational leadership is a process in which an adaptive agent (s) of change engage (s) others, acting together in a situational context (be it at the organizational, community or nation level) to accomplish specific outcomes, the definition of which are arrived at through a leader-member collaborative process of inquiry, discovery and decision. As defined by Bass (1990) and others, the transformational leader leads by articulating an idealized future which thereby influences members (charisma); sets high standards and displays determination and confidence in achieving goals (inspiration); helps members discover and practice their creativity (intellectual stimulation) and pays attention to and coaches the developmental needs of members (individualized consideration) (Bass, 1990, p. 11). Significant attributes that define such leadership are the framing, forming and facilitation of a compelling vision for a desired future; courage and confidence; care and concern for people; a strong sense of justice; humility and the willingness to make sacrifices for one’s beliefs. Of most interest to the writer is the attribute of daring to be different, an important factor in one’s ability to be a change agent (Friedman and Langbert, 2000, p. 3). Daring to be different is an attribute that enables the leader to dramatically change the direction of the organization and its members—to transform it/them; to enable it/them to transcend its current trajectory. Daring to be different is a core attribute of the leaders who have had the greatest influence on the writer’s practice. Combined with a deeply ingrained personality preference to be intellectually skeptical, daring to be different, going against the conventional grain, is a leadership attribute that strongly resonates with the writer and is acknowledged as a basic building block for his current and future leadership practice.
In reviewing the lessons of this eight week exploration of leadership, five outcomes of transformational leadership stand out in the writer’s understanding of this process:

§ That the transformative dynamic is, at its core, driven by the leader’s genuine commitment to enable members to realize, on a personal level, a higher degree of self-esteem and a greater sense of self-worth, while also forging, without compromising personal gains, a genuine and necessary connection between individual and group. Bass (1999) suggests that this is what House and Shamir (1993) and Shamir et al. (1993) determined in their effort “get to the bottom of things”, that is, to drill down to the essence of the transformative leader (p. 23).

§ That transformational leadership creates the context wherein members are personally and collectively committed to realizing task and process outcomes that are beyond their expectations. (Conger, 1999; ) (Bass and Avolio: transformational leadership section, ¶2)

§ That transformational change is actually “beyond self-actualization”, that is, it’s about the pursuit of “. . .ideals or a cause that is more than oneself’” (Bass, 1999, p. 12).

§ That transformational leaders consistently show their conviction, self-confidence and dedication to bring into reality transformative visions of a desired future state and, at the same time, demonstrate their genuine concern for the needs of the members. (Conger, 1999, Conger and Kanugo’s behavioral model section, ¶7).

§ That transformational leadership is about psychological empowerment, that is, it’s about changing how others think, feel and behave, and that this has profound effects on work outcomes. It’s not that the transformational leader is psychologist or counselor; it’s that she/he knows about human behavior, is sensitive to the cognitive processes that lead to behavior, and knows that the enhanced well-being of the member is, at its essence, dependent on the member’s development as an authentic, mature human adult. Vandenberghe suggests that study of this dynamic on work roles and outcomes can yield significant insights (Bass, 1999, p.31).
In synthesizing the research into the key elements of transformational leadership and the outcomes of such leadership on the individual, group, organization and community, the writer has distilled some important lessons that explain his leadership experiences of the past and illustrate certain resonant new directions for the future.

 

These lessons are:

o Effective transformational leadership is a function of the interaction of leader, follower, and situation/context (Bass, 1999; Conger, 1999; et al.). Attention must be paid to each at all times.'

 
o Within the leader, transformational leadership is a function of intellectual and emotional maturity and the development of her/his cognitive and affective capabilities. Such leadership, when effective, is the result of maturation. As Collins (2001) points out, it’s not at all clear that all leaders, or potential leaders, have the maturity to lead in this transformative way. While these capabilities may be nascent in all they seem to surface only under certain extreme conditions of crisis (Collins, 2001). Bennis and Thomas (2002) called these crucible experiences. It’s about growing up in the very real sense of that phrase by facing the existential realities of human existence.

o Transformative leaders manage or balance the paradoxes of contemporary life: she/he is tenacious, yet humble; persistent, yet supportive; firm and focused yet quiet and nurturing; rational yet emotive. (Collins, 2001; Badaracco, 2002; Koestenbaum and Block, 2001).

o In organizational contexts, transformational leadership is determined to be the most effective way to lead (Bass, 1999, p. 9). It’s what enables “good-to-great transformations” to happen (Collins, 2001, ¶5).

o Transformational leadership is critical to dealing with complex systems that are continuously adapting to changing environmental conditions. Transformational leadership fosters a culture of care and connection wherein relationships among members are the “. . .new bottom line, not only for humanistic reasons, but as a way to promote adaptability and business success” (Regine and Lewin, 2000, Relationships section, ¶8).

o Kouzes and Posner (1987) maintain that it’s about transforming and empowering others to greatness; challenging the process; and setting expectations (self-fulfilling prophecies) that cause followers to move beyond their self-imposed limits (Field, 1989). Transformative leadership is effective because it’s grounded in a belief in the potential of people.

o From the writer’s experience, effective transformative leaders strive, in themselves and in their members, for coherence, collaboration, and courage to confront (and avoid) collusion with the status quo. In short, such leaders aspire to be authentic.

In preparing to formulate a personal leadership development plan, the writer not only reviewed the research of the many commentators examined within the structure of this course but also looked to other sources of insights that would help bring coherence to the literature within the context of the writer’s experience and current world view. Two such sources are the writings of Koestenbaum (2000) and Koestenbaum and Block (2002) which provide a philosophical framework for the writer’s personal plan, and by the writer’s exposure, in the early years of his adult maturation process, to the philosophy of learning and service as exemplified by the Jesuits.
According to Koestenbaum, the process of developing as a leader is essentially a quest for wisdom- a lifelong commitment to greatness and courage, and that this is not only within the leader but also her/his function-“the leader’s role is less to heal or to help than to enlarge the capacity for responsible freedom” (Koestenbaum, 2000). For Koestenbaum, transformation is not changing the way one thinks or the way one acts but that way one wills.

A personal development plan for this type of leadership is not focused exclusively on the development of specific skills and techniques but on the development and continuous practice of one’s awareness, and that of others, in order to create the conditions within which to operate. These conditions enable leader and member to accept the responsibility of free will, that is, the will to choose in every moment. The development plan is about a lifelong examination of will; of free will in balance with cognition (thinking) and affect (feeling).

Willingness is the capacity to change freedom into action. Buddhists talk about will and the freedom to choose. In this context, when we talk about transformation, at its most basic level, we are about converting anxiety to security. But we don’t grow without anxiety- it’s the catharsis, the crucible we need for change. So transformational leadership is marked by an ever present process of confronting anxiety. Anxiety is a natural condition of human existence. As such, we can’t avoid or soften it. We need to find ways of embracing it and to act in the face of it. This requires courage, and leads to authenticity (Koestenbaum and Block, 2001).

This is a proactive, aware, mindful and courageous stance. According to Koestenbaum and Block (2001), “Aristotle believed…that courage is the first of the human values, because it makes the others possible. Courage begins with the decision to face the ultimate truth about existence: the dirty little secret that we are free. It requires an understanding of free will at the archetypal level-an understanding that we are free to define who we are at every moment. We are not what society and randomness have made us; we are what we have chosen to be from the depth of our being” (p. 230).

To be courageous is not about waiting for some existential crisis, some profound physical, emotional, financial event to occur which may then bring forth a changed view of the world and our role in it. Courage is, instead, the awareness that it is within each of us, by virtue of our humanness, to be free to choose. The ultimate crucible to encounter is to choose not in reaction to some external challenge but to be willing and mature enough to confront our most existential crisis, that is the finiteness of our physical, emotional, financial, or organizational life. “Free will leads to anxiety. Anxiety is the discovery of the brittleness of the world, the contingency of our very existence, the appearance not of what is but of what is not, not of what might be but of what might not be. . . Anxiety is discovered as the normal condition of human beings. . .Anxiety understood is the beginning of an authentic life” (Koestenbaum and Block, p. 386-387).

Within this context of human development and maturation, we can explore the unique elements of leadership. Leadership is the “sum of two vectors: competence (your specialty, your skills, your know-how) and authenticity (your identity, your character, your attitude)” (Koestenbaum, March 2000, p. 226). To develop authenticity, “first, you need to dedicate yourself to understanding yourself better-in the philosophical sense of understanding what it means to exist as a human being in the world. Second, you need to change your habits of thought. . . [which] means changing your way of being intelligent. It means moving from a nonleadership mind to a leadership mind” (Koestenbaum). This is what Koestenbaum describes as the evolutionary transformation of who we are, how we behave, how we think and what we value. The real task of the leader is not only to do this for herself/himself but to involve members in this process to confront others with their own freedom to transform themselves. This is what Koestenbaum and Block (2001) associate with the leader values of character and maturity- taking care of one’s own feelings; being self-directed to be engaged in initiating the spirit of co-creation; helping others confront their freedom; being ethical; and being of service. “ In a word, character and maturity are the secret ingredients in self-reliance and, above all, in authentic hope” (Koestenbaum and Block, 2001, p. 393). This process is a combination of a continuous introspective journey and an active and authentic practice of the principles and beliefs formed during the journey.

The second source of insights that helps connect the literature on transformational leadership with the writer’s experience and current world view is his exposure, at the outset of his journey of adult maturation during his college years, to the beliefs and principles of learning and service as advanced by the Jesuits. A religious order who manifested the teaching function of the leader, the Jesuits have been, for more than 450 years, transformative leaders in academia, the sciences, national governments and community service. The Jesuit traditions to pursue excellence, to having an abiding and deep respect for the world, to inform one’s view of the future with hope, to be committed to service with a special concern for the poor and oppressed, and to be caring and discerning form an essential and enduring personal strength and core to the writer’s transformative leadership practice. Care for the person and responsibility to the community are central values that emerge from that experience, values that are validated by the emerging research into effective leadership for today’s chaotic and ever evolving organizations. The Jesuit traditions align closely with the practices of the transformational leader: heightened self awareness (or as the Jesuits counsel, updating oneself regularly about the “derailing baggage” that prevents the realization of full potential and determining what one stands for and what impact one wants to make); a commitment and persistence about realizing personal and collective goals (living according to one’s personal sense of magis (heroism); articulating personally motivating goals and ambitions; and being focused on ends that go beyond any one person (developing a worldview that guides interaction with others) (Characteristics of a Jesuit Education). The message of this tradition, embedded in the writer’s formative years, along with the more current renewed insight, provided by Koestenbaum and Block (2001), into what it means to be an authentic human being combine to define the writer’s current awareness of his capabilities and growing edges for transformational leadership. Within these two frameworks, the following plan is developed which outlines the writer’s next steps in mature leadership.

Three strategic aspirations set the long term context for the writer’s leadership development plan (plan) and establish the ultimate outcomes that draw forth the writer’s personal and public commitments for the next phase of his life. The three strategic aspirations are the development of the writer’s authentic self; the enhancement of the writer’s technical competencies; and the realization of the writer’s transcendent responsibility. To define the near term framework of this trajectory, specific, measurable, aggressive and relevant objectives are established for the next three years, a time frame co-terminus with completion of the doctoral program. These objectives allow for periodic check-ins to determine both the continued validity of the aspiration and progress being made to realize these ideals.

The first of these aspirations, which forms the foundation for all subsequent behaviors, is the development of the writer’s authentic self. It is what Plato meant some 3000 years ago when he advised to “know thyself”. It’s the counsel of Koestenbaum and Block (2001) to be thoroughly grounded in the science of being a whole person and the validation of O’Brien’s (Scharmer, et al., 2001) experience that it’s the “interior condition of the intervenor” that is most essential to enduring change.

The development of one’s authentic self is a continuous, lifelong process of learning, discovery, being. At the core, this development process is about learning, and specifically what Vaill (1996) describes as leaderly learning- an “ongoing process of action” (p.127). Authenticity requires cognitive and experiential learning about human behavior and an understanding of our assumptions about human beings. It requires knitting together, in a way that is coherent and resonant, the vast array of insights, analysis and data about human behavior in organizations. It requires an effective translation of the knowledge from this learning into processes that lead to leader, member, organizational action (Vaill, 1996, p. 126-132). These are the first cognitive steps in developing one’s authentic self.

Cashman (1998) provides a helpful framework (what he calls his five touchstones of authentic leadership) for how one can develop an authentic self. These five touchstones are to know oneself in an authentic way. This occurs from cognitive knowing as described earlier but also from when we are (i.e., we “practice being”) what we wish others to become. We live what we want to see in others, and through them, see in ourselves. Listening to others authentically is the process of being “centered in compassion and in a concern for the other person which goes beyond our self-centered needs. To influence others, we must first be open to their influence; we need to listen with a giving attitude”. Expressing oneself authentically is sharing our real thoughts and feelings in a manner that opens up possibilities for transcendence and a transformed future. Appreciating authentically is to recognize that human beings have an infinite capacity to be appreciated. Appreciation unifies teams, builds cultures, fosters commitment and bonds people to an organization. Appreciation is one type of self-expression that creates value. It energizes people and makes people want to exceed their goals and perceived limits. The last touchstone is to serve authentically. Leadership is a continuum of service. Our real job is to serve all the constituencies in our life and, in the process, to appreciate genuinely the fact that only through our interdependence with others do we create value” (p. 58-60).

The practice field for the writer’s path to authenticity over the next three years includes the writer’s personal relationships with family, friends and work colleagues; individual and group reflection and scholarship in collaboration with the members of his learning team in the UOP doctoral program; and the ongoing study and practice of meditation as a process for accessing awareness, mindfulness and the inner self.

Personal relationships with family members, friends and work colleagues provide the most important, most challenging and most constant practice field for the development of one’s authentic self. It is where the stakes are highest since it is in our most intimate connections that we are confronted with whom we really are and what is really required of us. In this plan, two of Cashman’s (1998) touchstones –listening authentically and appreciating authentically- set the context for the writer’s actions in the coming year. While there is the intention to live by all of Cashman’s touchstones, the two selected represent the writer’s growing edge at the present time.

With his significant other, it is the writer’s intention to resume the formal, weekly practice of deep dialogue which depends on authentic listening skills. It is only with a specific formal intention to engage in such conversation that the skills critical to its consistent effectiveness can be developed and sustained.

With work colleagues, it is the writer’s specific intention to demonstrate genuine appreciation for their presence and their personal and professional contributions to the work of the team and District office. This intention has heightened significance for the writer over the next three to four months as he assumes, on an interim basis, the responsibilities for directing the New England District office of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. This is a real time opportunity to publicly practice authentic appreciation.

In addition to this work context, the UOP learning team process is another opportunity for the writer to practice authentic appreciation. Classmates in the most recent online class demonstrated the importance of this practice in affirming the contributions and, by extension, the self-esteem, of others. Continuous, genuine expressions of support and validation enhances one’s sense of self and value to the group, and, as a result, elicits even greater effort and performance in the future. Apart from the personal impacts, there are demonstrated benefits to the work of the group. It is the writer’s intent to increase his participation in this affirming process in each DM course in the coming year. This will be measured by positively commenting on at least one observation by each classmate during the next online class session.

The UOP DM program provides the second context for the writer’s development of one’s authentic self. Again, all of Cashman’s (1998) touchstone practices are appropriate and necessary to the exceptional functioning of the learning team. Of these, the writer will most specifically focus on expressing authentically and serving authentically. In the former practice, the observation by a classmate in the current DM course that personal disclosure is difficult and challenging triggered the writer’s acknowledgement and response that teams, who have progressed through the forming, storming, norming process, reach a state of excellence and high performance as a result of the bonding of its members. Such bonding requires the willingness to be open and disclosive. This is one of those opportunities for members to confront one existential reality that challenges all of us-namely, the fear that we will be found out. (Koestenbaum and Block, 2001). But it’s only in this discovery that we can shed our defenses, and begin to know our true selves and to have others acquire this same knowledge.

To practice and to help encourage the group’s practice of authentic expression, make one attempt to create an opportunity, within the virtual team environment, for all members to learn something new about each other. The writer utilizes a variety of techniques, in client team building and board strengthening assignments, to bring about this outcome in other groups. Such techniques as timelines, silent story boards and prouds and sorries are effective in face-to-face contexts, and will be explored for adaptation to the online environment. (Of note, the writer utilized the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in the current DM class to begin this process of authentic expression.)\

Within the relatively limited experience of the learning team, serving authentically has naturally emanated from the group. It is the writer’s intention to help sustain this natural energy and commitment by both leading, and supporting the initiative of other team member to lead, those efforts that result in a better understanding of the personal and work value of an ethic of service.
Understanding and practice of meditative practices. Meditation, as the Buddha actually intended, is a mental discipline- an effort to train the mind through the cultivation of mindful awareness and attention to the present moment. If all the difficulties of life are the result of ignorance, deluded thinking, and conflicting emotions, then the obvious solution is to get wiser, more aware, balanced, and loving. We do this through the practice of meditation training or samadhi, which is the ancient word for mental discipline or contemplation. (Das, 1997, p. 260).

To strengthen and deepen his practice of meditation, the writer shall continue, during the next three years, his participation in a group called a sangha that meets bi-weekly to practice and reflect upon meditation and the development of awareness, not with any particular application to leadership but for its contribution to the development of one’s authentic self.

The ultimate outcome of these combined efforts to be more authentic in all interpersonal and organizational contexts will be to transform how the writer thinks, learns, connects with others and defines what is of value to his leadership and being. As suggested by Koestenbaum and Block (2001), it will establish a basis for acting with the courage to create a desired future and a courage not to collude with the status quo.

Transcendent Opportunity

The third, and final, strategic aspiration that defines this writer’s future focus is realizing the writer’s transcendent responsibility. This is not some grandiose or heroic intention; it is the writer’s contribution to some possibility that propels the writer beyond the [status quo] conventional trajectory of his work to date. It is as Zander (2000) characterizes “. . .generative, or giving, in all senses of that word-producing new life, creating new ideas, consciously endowing with meaning, contributing, yielding to the power of contexts” (p. 20). It is an integration, synthesis, convergence of all that has come before in the writer’s life for the purpose of invention and impact in the last half of life. It is one’s existential responsibility.

During the next three years, the primary objective here shall be to refine and narrow the writer’s focus in order to define what this responsibility is. The task is to both formulate the questions, and begin to address them, that define the transcendent opportunity that is emerging which can and will shape the writer’s personal and public work beyond 2007. At this writing, this process of inquiry and reflection begins with a range of questions:

a. Is this transcendent responsibility within the writer’s current field of activity of working to effect organizational transformation within non-profit entities operating in the community development field?

 

b. Is the transcendent challenge embodied in working within an ethnic/national culture different from the writer’s native culture? Increasing ethnic and cultural diversity, in all phases of organizational life, suggests that this arena may hold mutual benefits for the writer and the organizations with whom he would work.

c. Is the compelling future state of the writer’s consulting efforts directed to working with seniors to activate the wisdom of elders in the transformation of communities in a way common to cultures other than our own such as found in Asian and Native American communities?

d. Is the writer’s future life work involved in supporting aspiring and emerging youth leaders, agents for change of the next generation, to help form and inform their development as transformational leaders of the present and future?

While not necessarily first steps, these are extended forays into the existential flow of the writer’s evolving and emerging personal, professional and spiritual life. They are momentary and necessary pauses of awareness in which to intentionally reflect, re-focus and re-commit to an authentic personal and public life. Freely choosing this path and staying on task with its challenges can ensure coherence in the writer’s inner life which is expected to naturally result in leadership practices that hold the potential for continued personal, and member, transformation.

References

Badaracco, Jr. J.L. (2002). Leading quietly-an unorthodox guide to doing the right thing. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Bass, B. M. (1999, March). Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 8(1).
Bass, B.M. (1999, March). Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 8(1), 9-33.
Bennis, W.G. and Thomas, R. J. (2002). Geeks and geezers- how era, values and defining moments shape leaders. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Cashman, K. (1998, July/August). Five touchstones of authentic leadership. American Management Association International, 58-60.
Characteristics of Jesuit Education. Retrieved on February 7, 2004 from
http://www.sjweb.info/education/documents/characteristics_en.doc
Collins, J. (2001, January). Level 5 leadership. Harvard Business Review, 79 (1), 66-77.
Conger, J. A. (1999, Summer). Charismatic and transformational leadership in organizations: an insider’s perspective on these developing streams of research. Leadership Quarterly, 10 (2), 145-170.
Das, S. (1997). Awakening the Buddha within. New York: Bantam Doubleday.
Field, R.H.G. (1989). The self-fulfilling prophecy leader: achieving the metharme effect. Journal of Management Studies, 26(2), 151-175.
Friedman, H.H. and Langbert, M. (2000, Spring). Abraham as a transformational leader. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(2), 88-95.
Kakabadse, A. (2000, January/February). From individual to team to cadre: tracking leadership for the third millennium. Strategic Change, 9(1), 5-16.
Koestenbaum, P. (2000, March). Do you have the will to lead? Fast Company, 32, 222-230.
Koestenbaum, P. and Block. P. (2001). Freedom and accountability at work-applying philosophic insights to the real world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z. (1987). The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Lowney, C. (2003). Heroic leadership: best practices from a 450-year-old company that changed the world. Chicago: Loyola Press.
Regine, B. and Lewin, R.(2000). Leading at the edge: how leaders influence complex systems. Emergence, 2 (2), 5-14.
Scharmer, C.O., Arthur, W.B., Day, J., Jaworski, J., Jung, M., Nonaka, I., and Senge, P. (2001). Illuminating the blind spot: leadership in the context of emerging worlds. McKinsey-Society for Organizational Learning (SoL) Leadership Project (1999-2000). Retrieved on May 17, 2004 from www.dialogonleadership.org
Vaill, P. B. (1996). Learning as a way of being. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.
Wheatley, Margaret. (2002). Turning to one another-simple conversations to restore hope to the future. San Francisco: Berrett-Kohler Publishers, Inc.
Zander, R.S. and Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility: transforming professional and personal life. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.Add your content here