Leadership Equation

THE LEADERSHIP EQUATION Analyzing Driving Variables for Effective Leaders

Jan Whyte JanWhyte@LitigationByDesign.com

Abstract Leaders may be born. Or they may emerge. Does legitimate power make you a better leader?

This paper analyzes the factors of leadership and how they contribute to followings.

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The Leadership Equation - An Analysis of Effective Political Process Engagement

Introduction

Individuals in Canada are influenced by leaders in politics, justice, law enforcement, union/coalitions and individuals. Through 27 years of first hand experiences in civil litigation in Canada, the writer has experienced tens of thousands of scenarios involving Canadian businessmen, government employees, judges and adjudicators, public safety employees, organized labour unions and individual citizens. All of these citizens of Canada were prompted to engage in fighting for ideals and a better life in Canada – the basis of the political objective. It was through this personal experience that the five main types of leaders, and their effects on engagement of the Canadian citizen in the political (better life) process, were chosen:

1. Political Leaders (Stephen Harper, Prime Minister) 2. Justice Leaders – Courts (Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin) 3. Law Enforcement Leaders – RCMP, Municipal Policing 4. Discourse Community Leaders – Union of Indian Band Chiefs (British Columbia) 5. Individual Citizens as Leaders – (Inspector Kim Rossmo, Vancouver Police Dept.)

In The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner, 2007), the authors set out the results of

international surveys on Leadership. The survey population from Canada identified four main

traits required of a leader: honesty, forward-looking, visionary and competency (p. 31).

On the Canadian Organization of Leaders website (Governor-General of Canada Leadership

Conference, 2014), there is a statement made as to who leaders in Canada are and what they

do:

“Keep in mind that real leaders are ordinary people with an extraordinary vision. So

dream big and think outside your boundaries. Be proud of yourself and of your ability to

lead. Be sure to lead by example, by doing the right thing and sticking to your values.

And most importantly enjoy what you are doing.”

2012 Conference Chair — Annette Verschuren

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Analysis

Is there a correlation between the Kouzes & Posner (supra) theories and the Canadian leaders its

citizens have chosen to follow?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

An analysis of the public opinion regarding political figures gleaned a poor turnout at voters’ polls, (Democracy Watch, 2014) negative comments regarding the actions of the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper (Conacher, 2014), evidence of mistrust amongst Senate members (CBC News, 2014).

The election results from the (x) election when Stephen Harper was elected Prime Minister were (x). This means that X (total number) of Canadians were engaged, whether with the intent to elect or thwart an election of, Stephen Harper.

Stephen Harper also engages many Members of Parliament and Senators – regular Canadian citizens who have chosen to serve in public office. Once again, their engagement may be aligned or mal-aligned with the Prime Minister, however they are engaged.

Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin

The Supreme Court of Canada and the policing agencies in Canada, through their mandate to uphold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada, as well as other official legislation, policies and common law, score high points in the areas of trust and doing the right thing. They were found to engage their followers through the publication of the laws, encouraging website messages (Federal Government of Canada, 2014), (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2014) and unobstructed transparency to the public via open court rooms at courthouses across Canada, and in Ottawa at the Supreme Court of Canada as well as 911, 24/7 access to the police in Canada by any citizen.

In 2006 Chief Justice McLachlin addressed the Canadian Bar Association (Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, 2007) called for reform in the political forum of access to justice for all Canadians. The root cause of this injustice, according to McLachlin, was the prohibitive cost of hiring lawyers to ensure justice was done on behalf of Canadians.

All lawyers in Canada follow the leadership of Madam Justice McLachlin. Having worked at the Vancouver law firm where she originated, and brought cases before her at County Court, Supreme Court, BC Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada levels, the writer can attest to the number of followers of this leader. By nature of her personality, she scores high on the influential power scale for the Leadership Equation.

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By nature of her formal position, she scores high on the political and ethical power factors. One example of this superior power level is her recent decision that an Ontario Justice be disqualified from his appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada because the legislation required a Quebec Justice. Despite an appeal by Prime Minister Stephen Harper for reversal of the decision, the Chief did not. Therefore the political (ethical) score of Madam Justice McLachlin is higher than the Prime Minister’s (CBC News, 2014).

Union of Indian Band Chiefs

Special discourse groups such as the Union of Indian Band Chiefs were found to be influential in leadership within their discourse communities. They champion national causes such as the preservation of the picturesque archipelagos, ancient Indian lands, from contamination from industrial oil tanker and pipeline construction.

They apply natural law ethical principles and engage their constituents and constituents in other discourse communities to rally for the preservation of the environment such as the opposition to the Enbridge Pipeline in Kitimat, BC. Because this is a cause for all Canadians, specifically British Columbians however the emotion is high across Canada with respect to the capitalistic ethical principles being applied by the Federal Government, this union has influential power that has put it at the forefront of leadership for the citizens of Canada.

Therefore this leadership example has the possibility, through influence and numbers, to be a significant threat to any legitimate powers and opposing political (ethical) factors of the Government (ie Prime Minister Stephen Harper).

Rt. Hon. David Johnston

The Governor-General of Canada is in a unique, unbiased position when it comes to political

matters. He is a representative of Her Majesty the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth, and

is appointed, not elected.

The Governor-General is a champion for all Canadians. His objective is the peace and good

government of Canada – for all Canadians. The website (Governor-General of Canada

Leadership Conference, 2014). He is conservative in his views and communications.

By the very nature of his sponsorship of the yearly Leadership Conference, Governor-General

Johnston engages hundreds of Canadians to get involved in the political forum. While it is not

formal party politics, it is participation in pressing issues for Canadians. Attendees vary from

year to year, therefore the reach of this initiative is vast and endless.

The Governor-General has no official political power, his political factor is low, however the

ethical factor for the Leadership Equation is high. His influential power is not high, by nature of

his personality and the conservative approach he takes in his initiatives.

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Inspector Kim Rossmo (VPD)

This individual leader inspired a community of persons to engage in the political process, to an

amazing result. Inspector Rossmo, was a former VPD Detective and appointed Inspector with

the Vancouver Police Department. He had returned to post-secondary school after years as a

Detective with the VPD where he attained a Ph.D. in criminology and patented a geographic

profiling tool to be used in crime detection and prevention. Inspector Rossmo applied his tool

to the growing problem of the Downtown East Side Missing Women phenomenon. At the time

of Inspector Rossmo detected the presence of a serial killer, however he was unable to gain co-

operation within the VPD to proceed with an investigation on this basis.

At the Supreme Court of British Columbia employment trial of Inspector Rossmo, which was

unrelated to the Missing Women case, evidence was disclosed to the Court and to the public

that had Inspector Rossmo been supported by the VPD superiors, the number of missing

women would have been significantly less than the ultimate number of women who were

murdered by Robert Pickton, as has now been established via the convictions on several counts

of murder to which Robert “Willy” Pickton has been sentenced.

The disclosures of information were picked up by news reporters who were attending the

Courthouse and sitting in on trials looking for stories, as they usually do. As a result, the families

of the missing women started attending the trial and would wait for hours to speak to Inspector

Rossmo during the morning, noon and afternoon breaks. They would bring him flowers, and

touch him as if he were a God. It was a sight the writer will never forget. Nor will she ever

forget the tears in Inspector Rossmo’s eyes when he looked back at the torn families – families

whose members he had sworn to protect.

Through his private acts of public disclosure via the employment dispute, and at his own

significant legal expense, Inspector Rossmo (who is now a Research Assistant at the University

of Austin, Texas) inspired the families of the Missing Women to engage in the political process

by lobbying for performance of an inquiry into the policing problems that led to the

unnecessary loss of lives. The result of their engagement efforts is now the report of Wally

Oppal, Commissioner, “Forsaken” (Oppal, 2012).

As a result of the Forsaken report, policing practices and attitudes toward sex trade workers are

being reformed in Canada.

Dr. Rossmo scores the highest points with respect to political (ethical) factors, power (through

the power of the individual to personally access the Justice system), and – obviously with

respect to the respect earned by Dr. Rossmo by the engaged Missing Women families for

justice reform - influence.

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Analysis

The following Leadership Equation values have been assigned to the Leadership Equation

factors, weighted in a range of 1-15 per category, based on the facts discussed in the preceding

section.

Politicians Judges Police Unions or Coalitions (eg. Indian Band Chiefs)

Governor General of Canada

Citizens (eg. Kim Rossmo)

Leadership Equation

Power (Formal, Position)

10 15 15 10 0 1

Power (Informal, Respect)

0 10 10 10 15 1

Political Influence 15 15 15 10 10 1

Totals 25/45 40/45 40/45 30/45 25/45 3/45

In addition to the Leadership Equation factors, there are more leadership characteristics that should be applied in deciding what characteristics of leaders result in engagement of Canadians in political processes.

In the table below, leadership characteristics gleaned from (a) the Governor-General’s Leadership Conference site, and (b) the Canadian statistics reported in The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner, 2007) (a publication used as a learning text by the British Columbia Institute of Technology in its Leadership courses), have been assessed. The values assigned simply reflect the presence or absence of that characteristic in the leader examined.

Characteristics Canadian Leadership Council Demands in Leaders (Annette Verschuren 2012 Conference Chair, Leadership Canada Conference)

Politicians Judges Police Unions or Coalitions (eg. Indian Band Chiefs)

Governor General of Canada

Citizens (eg. Kim Rossmo)

Extraordinary Vision 1 1 1 1 1 1

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Characteristics Canadian Leadership Council Demands in Leaders (Annette Verschuren 2012 Conference Chair, Leadership Canada Conference)

Politicians Judges Police Unions or Coalitions (eg. Indian Band Chiefs)

Governor General of Canada

Citizens (eg. Kim Rossmo)

Duty to Do the Right Thing (Justice as Paramount Ethical Theory)

0 1 1 0 0 1

Stick To Their Values 0 1 1 1 1 1

SubTotal 1/3 3/3 3/3 2/3 2/3 3/3

Characteristics Canadians Demand in Leaders (Kouzes & Posner, 2007)

Honesty 0 1 1 0 0 1

Forward Looking 1 0 0 1 1 1

Inspiring 1 1 0 1 1 1

Competent 1 1 1 0 0 1

SubTotal ¾ 3/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 4 /4

What do Leaders Do? (Kouzes & Posner, 2007)

Clarify Values 1 1 1 1 1 1

Set the Example 0 1 1 1 1 1

Envision a Future 1 1 1 1 1 1

Enlist Others 1 1 1 1 1 1

Foster Collaboration 1 1 1 0 1 1

Strengthen Others 1 1 1 1 1 1

Search for Opportunities

1 0 0 1 0 1

Experiment and Take Risks

0 0 1 1 0 1

SubTotal 6/8 6/8 7/8 7/8 6/8 8/8

Totals 10/15 12/15 12/15 11/15 10/15 15/15

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Conclusion

An effective governmental/political Leader in Canada is one who is honest, forward-thinking,

influential and competent and is leading one or more citizens in the pursuit of a shared vision

for a better Canada.

The research-informed weighting tables show us that the highest ranking leaders who (a) fit the

definition of what Canadians want in a leader; (b) provide access for their followers to

participate in the political/governmental process; and (c) possess the power of leadership

through formal and informal means are those who have been placed at a high level of

responsibility, duty, through their profession of upholding justice and laws on behalf of the

citizens of Canada. Ranked #3 and #2 are the individuals who are involved in justice and law

enforcement, while the #1 ranked leader is the individual who goes to extraordinary lengths to

inspire the people to take action.

In applying the Leadership Equation, even with a quantitative difference as set out in the

analysis tables, the deciding factor of legitimate and informal power is properly an exponential

function rather than one of simple addition.

[(sources of power) + (contingencies of power)] ±INFLUENCE

(POLITICS) (ETHICS) (≠ or = LEADERSHIP GOAL)

As evidence by the cases of Chief Justice McLachlan and Police Officers, legitimate power with

an ethical foundation creates a compelling argument for these groups to be found the

preferential leaders in Canada.

However, as evidenced by the cases of the Union of Indian Band Chiefs and Dr. Rossmo, and as

supported by the Leadership Equation, positive influence is the leadership power which

overcomes a deficit caused by a legitimate source of power factor (ie political office or

justice/law based) to identify the key leaders who cause Canadian constituents to engage them

in the political process.

The conclusion from this study is that Canadians fully engage with leaders who promote

characteristics such as justice (ethics), heroism (altruism) and preservation and do not fully

engage when their leader is partisan or leading through formal authority.

Janice Whyte, CPC, MCIArb

July 19, 2014

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