Two
Dimensional Modeling / Leadership
Training and Development (Useful Links)
Recommended book
Book: Bolman
Lee, and Terrence Deal. Reframing Organizations.
Second. Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
Inc., 1997.
(Amazon Book Review)
The following is taken from the following URL:
www.makingstandardswork.com/Downloads/AEL_Chp_2.pdf
(I see
now it is broken link; retrieval of this material is about year
2002-3).
CHAPTER 17. REFRAMING
LEADERSHIP
Summary
Chapter 17 presents a multiframe
perspective on leadership. Though leadership is widely viewed as a cure-all, it is often misunderstood. The authors
identify basic elements of leadership and distinguish it from related concepts of power,
authority, and management. For Bolman and Deal, leadership
is situational (dependent on organizational, environmental, and/or historical context), relational (a
relationship between leader and followers), and distinct from position (not synonymous
with authority or high position). It is a subtle process of mutual influence that fuses thought,
feeling, and action to produce cooperative effort in the service of the purpose and values of
both leader and followers. In their exploration of leadership, the authors describe
research and popular approaches, such as the Managerial
Grid and the
Hersey/Blanchard situational leadership model.
They also examine issues related to leadership and gender, addressing
whether women lead differently from men and why they have had limited
success in achieving the highest positions. Because leadership is complex, leaders need multiple
frames. Each frame offers
a different perspective on leadership, summarized in Table 17.3
of the text. The chapter explores in depth the skills and processes associated with
leadership from each of the four perspectives.
Structural leadership.
Little is written about structural leadership, probably because
structural theorists are often cynical about the concept. But
the authors argue that structural leadership plays a decisive role in shaping organizations.
It can be powerful and enduring, even if more subtle and less heroic than
leadership based on other frames. Effective structural leaders are social architects
who apply analytical and design skills to diagnose an organization’s needs and develop
structural solutions. They need not be petty tyrants who manage by detail
and fiat. Structural leaders are successful when they have the right answer for their organization
and can get their answer accepted and implemented. Good structural leaders:
(1) do their homework; (2) develop a new model of
the relationship among structure, strategy, and
environment; (3) focus on implementation; (4) continually experiment,
evaluate, and
adapt.
Human resource leadership.
Until recently, human resource conceptions of leadership have dominated the management literature. An effective
human resource leader is
a catalyst and facilitator who motivates and empowers subordinates.
The impact of
human resource leaders is based on talent, sensitivity, and service—not
position or
force. Effective human resource leaders use skill and artistry
in helping people to
accomplish extraordinary results. They build organizations that
derive their success from
a highly committed and productive work force. When they are
ineffective, human resource leaders risk looking naive and weak. Good human
resource leaders:
(1) believe in people and communicate their belief; (2) are visible
and accessible;
and (3) empower others—increase participation, provide support,
share information,
and move decision making as far down the organization as
possible.
Political leadership. Successful political leaders
are advocates who understand that influence needs
to begin with an understanding of others’ concerns and interests.
Good political leaders (1) clarify what they want and what they can get;
(2) assess the
distribution of power and interests; (3) build linkages to other stakeholders; and
(4)
persuade first,
negotiate second, and use coercion only if necessary.
Symbolic leadership. Effective symbolic leaders are
prophets, artists, and poets whose
primary task
is to interpret experience and create a meaningful workplace.
They are often transformational
leaders—visionaries who bring out the best in followers and
move them toward
higher and more universal needs and purposes. Effective symbolic
leaders follow
a consistent set of cultural rules and practices: they (1) lead
by example; (2)
use symbols to capture attention; (3) frame experience; (4) communicate
a vision; (5)
tell stories; and (6) respect and use history. The chapter ends with an integrated four-frame view of leadership and a
prescription for wise leadership:
(1) understand your own frame and its limits; (2) capitalize on
your strengths and
work to improve weaknesses; and (3) build teams that supply leadership
in all four modes—structural,
human resource, political, and symbolic.
Key Terms
Power: The ability to make things happen,
to create an effect.
Authority: Power rooted in the perceived
legitimacy of one’s office or position.
Management: The process of running an organization
or getting things done through planning,
organizing, staffing, controlling, and leading.
Leadership: A process of mutual influence
fusing thought, feeling, and action to
produce cooperative effort in the service of purposes and values
of both the leader and the led.
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