leadership ,live with ambiguity

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Leadership 1LIVE WITH AMBIGUITY- Adapt to uncertainty Change means uncertainty. It can involve letting go of the familiar before a new routine is established. An ability to cope with ambiguity is therefore a useful asset for surviving in a changing world.This tool uses a questionnaire, developed by Adrain Furnham,to assess how likely we are to see change and ambiguity as a positive opportunity rather than as a jungle full of danger.

1. complete the questionnaire and calculate your score

Do you think each of the statements below is true or false? Tick the appropriate one TRUE FALSE

a. An expert who doesn’t come up With a definite answer probably _____ ____ Doesn’t know a great deal

b.A good job is one where what is To be done and how it is to be _____ ____Done are clearly specified

SUSIKKSHIT HR CONSULTANTS

c. In the long run it is possible to Get more done by tackling small,Simple problems rather than _____ _____Larger,complicated ones

d.A person who leads an even,Regular life in which few surprisesOr unexpected happenings arise _____ _____Has a lot to be grateful for

e. I like parties where I know most

Of the people more than ones where _____ _____All or most are complete strangers

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f. The sooner we all acquire similar values


and ideas the better _____ _____

g.People who schedule their lives all theTime probably miss most of the joy ______ ______Of living

h.It is more fun to tackle a complicated

Problem than to solve a simple one _____ _____

i. People who insist on a yes or no answer,Don’t know how complicated _____ _____Things really are

j. Many of our most important decisionsAre based on insufficient information ______ _____

k.Managers who hand out vagueAssignments give a chance for


Subordinates to show initiative and ______ _____Originality

l. I have always felt that there is a clear Difference between wright and wrong ______ _____

m. Nothing gets accomplished unless you Stick to some basic rules ______ _____

n.Vague and impressionistic pictures Really have little appeal for me _______ ____

o.Before an examination,I feel lessAnxious if I know how many questions _______ _____There will be

p. Sometimes I enjoy going against theRules and doing things I’m not _______ ______Supposed to


q.I like to fool around with new ideasEven if they turn out to be a waste ________ _______Of time

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r. If I were a doctor,I would preferThe uncertainities of a psychiatrist _______ _____To the clear and definite work of aSurgeon

s. I don’t like to work on a problemUnless there is a possibility of an _____ _____Unambiguous answer

t. It bothers me when I am unable to Follow another person’s train of ______ ______Thought.


2. SCORE YOUR RESPONSES;The higher the score the more intolerant of ambiguity you are. Score one for each TRUE response for questions a-f, k-o and t. Score one for each FALSE response for questions g-j and p-s.

If you have scored low, you probably don’t need to focus on improving your tolerance of ambiguity! If you have a high score, you probably need to work on this area. The following check list gives some practical ideas on what you can do.

Push yourself to try out new experiences rather than sticking to familiar activities

Get involved in activities that will force you to meet new people. Talk to them to find out their views and ideas.

Take on a new project which is large/complicated/vague and which you are unclear how to tackle

Practice seeing both sides of a debate/the pros and cons/strengths and weaknesses/pluses and minuses

Say “if I were…I would…” and work out what you would say or do if you were really in their shoes

Examine all alternatives to solving a problem or achieving a result, not just the most familiar. Try something new for the sake of it

Say words like” I don’t know”/”I’m not sure” and see how others react-it won’t be as bad as you think

Delay making decisions until the facts are clear and the options highlighted

Ask questions rather than give answers when people come to you with problems. Help them to find their own solutions

Above all, don’t worry….it’s waste of energyAn ability to live with ambiguity makes it easier not just to cope with change but to instigate and proactively make change happen.This tool helps you assess your style in this area and gives some practical tips on how to improve.


P 13

Leadership 2LEADERSHIP QUIZ

Try This Quiz To See How You Rate As a Leader

Have you got what it takes to get to the top? Do you have the management skills employers are looking for? Or do your talents lie in being a team player rather than a leader? Take this quiz to find out. Tick mark which applies to you : a or b or c or d of each Question .

1. How important Is Status To You ?

a) Very important: I like to feel like I’m in the top echelon.b) Quite important: It’s good to be in with the in-crowd.c) It’s more about the quality of relationships than where you fall within those

relationships.d) Not very important: I just want to get on.

2. In Your Childhood What Was Your ‘Gang Rank’?

a) The leader: feared by all.b) The funny one: adored by all.c) The thinking one: listened to by all.d) The geeky one: noticed by none.

3. At The Office Do You Come Up With New Ideas And Suggestions?


a) All the time: I really let everyone know what I think.b) Quite often: but not at all if it would mean upsetting someone.c) Often: being careful of any personal and political issues.d) Rarely: what if it was the wrong thing?

4. A Colleague Has Been Criticized For Shoddy Report Writing. Do You?

a) Tell them why they should have known better.b) Take them out for a drink after work.c) Offer to proof read their next effort.d) Avoid them. You’ve got too much to do as it is.

5. You Have Just Faced Some Negative Feedback. How Do You Respond?

a) Get angry and defensive.b) Listen carefully but come away feeling disappointed.c) Consider what you could change and how you could improve.d) Sigh and think; “ yeah that’s me”

P 146. What Does EQ Mean To You?

a) Nothing: it’s a wishy, washy management fad that hopefully will soon gout of fashion.

b) It’s an excuse to be allowed to a laugh on company time.c) It’s a way of empathizing with how your colleagues may be feeling.d) That you should try to understand boss’s moods.

7. Faced With a Problem To Solve, What Do You Do?

a) Come up with one solution and pronounce it correct.b) Generate a few possible solutions and ask others what they think.c) Brainstorm with a couple of nearby colleagues.d) Seek your manager’s advice.

8. Your Boss Has Asked You To Do Something That Is Beyond Your Abilities. Do You?

a) Take it on with gusto: you’re up to anything.b) Give it your best shot: making a passing joke not to blame you if it all goes

horribly wrong.c) Agree to do the task: but ask for further direction and assistance.d) Stress out, clam up and finally confess that you just don’t think you could

manage it.9. Is delegation..

a) A waste of time: no one else will be able to do it as well as you so you might as well do it yourself.

b) An easy way to share the workload.c) An effective way to create new learning opportunities for others.d) Something I’m always on the receiving end of.

10. Change To You Means…..a) Something to be controlled.


b) An opportunity where anything could happen.c) A chance to make progress.d) Something to go along with.

Total no of a) = b) = c) = d) =

Mostly As natural born leader, ur strong. Decisive, and authoritarian, u expect every one around u should respect u. Mostly Bs u got good potential . u support people , listen to others , u want to be liked is a problem with u. Mostly Cs mgt type , u have ability bto climb. Of all the mgt skills this type most wanted. Mostly Ds u prefer to listen not voice ideas, u prefer to implement decisions than be part of decision making. U r solid, reliable team player. You are mostly led.

P 15 Leadership 3

Leadership Behaviour QUESTIONAIREBelow is a list of statements about leadership behaviour.Read each one carefully, then, using the following scale,decide the extent to which it actually applies to you.For best results,answer as truthfully as possible.

Never = 0, Very rarely = 1, Occasionally =2 Sometimes = 3, Mostly =4, Always = 5

1. ____ I encourage my team to participate when it comes decision making time and I try to implement their ideas and suggestions.

2. _____ Nothing is more important than accomplishing a goal or task.3. _____ I closely monitor the schedule to ensure a task or project will

be completed in time.4. _____ I enjoy coaching people on new tasks and procedures.5. _____ The more challenging a task is,the more I enjoy it.6. _____ I encourage my employees to be creative about their job.7. _____ When seeing a complex task through to completion,I ensure

that every detail is accounted for.8. ____ I find it easy to carry out several complicated tasks at the same

time.9. ___ I enjoy reading articles ,books,and journals about

training,leadership,and psychology;and then putting what I have read into action.

10. ____ When correcting mistakes ,I do not worry about jeopardizing relationships.


11. ____ I manage my time very efficiently.12. ____ I enjoy explaining the intricacies and details of a complextask

or project to my employees.13. ____ Breaking large projects into small manageable tasks is second

nature to me.14. ____ Nothing is more important than building a great team.15. ____ I enjoy analyzing problems.16. ____ I honor other people’s boundaries.17. ____ Counseling my employees to improve their performance or

behaviour is second nature to me.18. ____ I enjoy reading articles,books and trade journals about my

profession;and then implementing the new procedures I have learned.

P 17SCORING SECTION

After completing the questionnaire, transfer your answers to the spaces below:

People Task

Question Question1. ____ 2. _____4. ____ 3. _____6. ___ 5. _____9. _____ 7. _____10. _____ 8. _____12. _____ 11.______14. ______ 13. ______16. ______ 15. ______17. _______ 18. _______

TOTAL ______ TOTAL _____X 0.2= _______ X 0.2= _______(multiple the total by 0.2 to (multiple the total by 0.2

get your final score) to get your final score)


P 18

MATRIX SECTION Plot your final scores on the graph below by drawing a horizontal line from the approximate people score (vertical axis) to the right of the matrix, and drawing a vertical line from the approximate task score on the horizontal axis to the top of the matrix. Then, draw two lines from each dot until they intersect. The area of interaction is the leadership dimension that you operate out of.

Country club

Team Leader


Impoverished Authoritarian

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 TASK

P 19

Leadership 4 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES INVENTORY

Below is the list of leadership traits. Rate the importance of these traits to effective leaders seeking to create High performance organuzations, using the following scale.1= little importance; 2= Modest importance; 3= Marked importance; 4 = great importanceYour number Total cannot exceed 60, and you must show at least five 1s and five 4s inyour tally

1 2 3 4

1 Question assumptions underlying current practices

2 Formulate solutions with an eye on current political and organizational dynamics

3 Communicates effectively across organization's departmental boundaries

4 Have in-depth knowledge of a range of financial operations

5 Attend to colleague's aspirations for personal learning and development

6 Listen to and incorporate diverse perspectives in to decision making

7 Enlist the commitment of others to common goals

8 Run meetings and make presentations effectively

9 Communicate with customers to learn what they think

10 Draw out others personal preferences to search for common ground


11 Surface conflicts before they become serious road blocks

12 Articulate a clear vision for how individuals might work more closely together

13 Generate creative solutions in the midst of chaotic circumstances

14 Show honesty and forthrightness in dealings with others

15 Demonstrate a caring attitude towards others

16 Shape working norms to include all cultural and ethnic groups in the workplace

17 Mobilize financial resources to serve organizational objectives

18 Seek representation of stake holders in discussion that affect them

19 Not only take risks, but encourage others to do the same

20 Exhibit a sense of humor

21 Demonstrate flexibility in responding to tough issues

22 Build consensus among stake holders on the direction of future operations

23 Consistently build on others ideas in problem-solving discussions

24 Step in and redirect destructive conflict

25 Promote recognition of others contributions

Score tabulation : Fill the scores you gave for each question , in brackets and totalType A = Score of Q1( )+Q6 ( )+Q11 ( )+Q16 ( )+Q21 ( ) = Total ( )Type B = Score of Q2( )+Q7 ( )+Q12 ( )+Q17 ( )+Q22 ( ) = Total ( )Type C = Score of Q3( )+Q8 ( )+Q13 ( )+Q18 ( )+Q23 ( ) = Total ( )Type D = Score of Q4( )+Q9 ( )+Q14 ( )+Q19 ( )+Q24 ( ) = Total ( )Type E = Score of Q5( )+Q10 ( )+Q15 ( )+Q20 ( )+Q25 ( ) = Total ( )

Type A =challenging the process for improvementType B = Inspire a shared vision Type c= Enable others to act Type D =Model the wayType E= Encourage the heart


P 20Lead the way – Be an effective change agent

What it is

If others are to take you seriously and implement change at your instigation, you must behave in a way which builds their respect and commitment. This tool outlines the key behaviours of a change agent under the headings of:

Being customer focused. Changing the status quo. Promoting tough standards. Being visible and available. Championing excellence. Acting with integrity. Teamworking

The behaviours are in questionnaire format so that u can assess yourself and also use it as a frame work to seek feedback from others.

How to use it

There are ten questions on each element .For each question, rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 6:


1. Very poor ; in need of sufficient improvement. 2. Poor ; needs some work. 3. Some problems here; tough not too bad. 4. OK ; but could be better.

5. Good ; improvements would be marginal.6. Very good ; no need to focus improvement here.

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You could also gain valuable feedback by asking others to complete the questionnaire about you.


Section 1: Being customer focused

I am clear who my immediate customers are ____

I regularly spend time agreeing requirements with my customers. ____

I regularly receive feedback from my customers. ____

I encourage feedback from my customers. ____

I regularly take action to improve the standard of per my personal outputs to delight my customers. ____

I encourage feedback on my actions and behavior from others. ____

My area spends time agreeing requirements with customers. ____

My area as clear measures of customer satisfaction. ____

I do not allow departmentalism / blinkered attitudes to colour decision that affect customers. ____

I use customer satisfaction as a key measure in all my decision. ____

TOTAL

Average Score (Divide total by 10) ____ What are your priorities for improvement in this area?

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P 22


Section 2: Challenging the Status quo

I do not tolerate poor standards in any circumstances. ____

I continually question the way things are done as a way of stimulating improvement. ____

I am receptive to and welcome new idea. ____ I invest my time and resources in improvement activity. ____ I allow my people to experiment, make changes and take risks. ____

I encourage others to question and challenge the status quo. ____

I do say ‘ no ‘ and explain why. ____

People feel free to express their views to me. ____

My area has clear improvement goals that are monitored regularly. ____

Every one in my team has at least one improvement goal towards which they are working. ____

TOTAL


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Section 3: Promoting challenging standards

I have measures that tell me how I am doing. ____

I use data to make decisions wherever possible. ____

I insist that outputs from my area match customer requirements. ____ I put effort into preventing rather than correcting errors. ____ I delegate authority and set challenging targets for others to achieve. ____

I set clear expectations on the standards I want. ____

I always set or agree demanding improvement goals for myself. ____ I coach my team to adopt high personal standards and behaviors. ____

I censure anyone who deliberately compromises agreed Performance standards. ____

I spend time planning the personal development of my staff. ____

TOTAL


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P 24

Section 4: Being visible and available

I regularly walk about in my area. ____

I spend time with people at their place of work. ____

I encourage people to approach me when they need to. ____ I am able to pick up early warning signals of problems. ____ I listen to the views and ideas of my team. ____

I am accessible; people can see me when they need to. ____

I maintain good relationships and internal contacts. ____ I regularly talk to the staff. ____ I know what is improvement to my people. ____

I look for examples of excellent behavior and actions in others. ____

TOTAL


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P 25

Section 5: Championing excellence

I invest in activities to improve performance. ____

I apply the principle of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)in my daily work. ____

I use problem solving tools whenever possible. ____ I hold regular meetings with my staff to stimulate improvementactivities. ____ I talk about mission and improvement goals. ____

I encourage continuous improvement through my own behaviors. ____

I fully recognize high standards of performance. ____ I am open about what my mistakes and learn from them. ____

I am always punctual and well prepared. ____ I treat errors as opportunities for improvement. ____

TOTAL


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P 26

Section 6: Acting with Integrity

I treat others with fairness, trust and respect. ____ I never feed the grapevine by gossiping. ____

I always keep my promises. ____ I hit deadlines, which I have agreed. ____ I only give feedback constructively, not destructively. ____

I am always honest with others. ____

I fight hard for what I believe in. ____ My actions reflect what I say. ____

I explain the reasons for decisions. ____

I set clear priorities and maintain consistent directions. ____

TOTAL


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P 27

Section 7: Team working

I seek all views and give every one their say. ____

My direct reports work with me as team. ____

I respect and work together with my peers. ____ I am perceived as decisive but not as autocratic. ____ I do not obstruct collective decisions once made. ____

I listen generously with an open mind. ____

I agree clear goals, targets and standards with my team. ____ I invest time developing my team to work more effectivelytogether. ____

I ensure every one has the knowledge and skills they need to play their part. ____

I encourage my team regularly to review our performance. ____

TOTAL


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P 28

2. Transfer your average score for each section on to the diagram below. If you have asked others to complete the questionnaire on you, and plot their average scores to the diagram and look for the gaps. Ask yourself why these gaps (if any) exist and how you can explore them further.

LEADERSHIP STYLES SCORING GRID

6------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0Championing Being Team Acting Promoting Challenging BeingExcellence visible working with challenging the status customer & Integrity standards quo focused available.Scale1. Very poor, in need of significant improvement2. Poor, needs some work.3. Some problems here, though not too bad.4. OK, but could be better.5. Good, improvements would be marginal.6. Very good, no need to focus improvement here.


P 29

3. When you have completed all the sections, review your chosen priorities and identify three areas to work on over the next six months. It is acceptable to choose more than one area from a particular section if this best reflects your needs.

Behavior to improve Actions intend to take When

1.

2.

3.

How it helps?

This tool helps you to identify the specific leadership behaviors that you need to work on to become a better change agent.


P 30Leadership 6

Be a manager or a leader.

Managers are bottom line oriented. Their working is reasonably established on structural guidelines. Their job is to train people not to educate them. Leaders are few. They are conductors; they rise to the top despite possible weaknesses. Are you a manager or a leader?

Answer your preferred choice / style of working, either a or b. Read the statements given below carefully and give your responses by ticking a) or b). Be honest!

While working I prefer / or my style is:

1. a) Doing things right.b) Doing right things.

2. a) Ask how and when.b) Ask what and why.

3. a) Believe in control. b) Inspire trust.4. a) Accept challenges. b) Accept the status.5. a) Have a long-range view.

b) Have a short-term perspective.6. a) Focus on systems and structures.

b) Focus on people.7. a) Innovation.

b) Administration.8. a) Eye always on the Horizon.

b) Eye always on the bottom line.9. a) Cope with whatever happens. b) Make things happen.10. a) Focus on rational goals.

b) Keep the mind open to learn and be flexible.Ans: statement 1,2,3,6,9 and 10= if response is “a “ it is M ( manager ). If response is i “b” it is L (Leader) Statement 4,5,7 and 8 = if response is “a “ it is L ( leader ). If response is i “b” it is M (Manager) .TOTAL Ms and Ls , which ever is higher that is ur style.


P 31Leadership 7

Possess Leadership Potential

Am I a potential Leader?

Read the following statements and respond A if you agree or D if you disagree with the statement in the boxes given in the response sheet at the end of this session.

1. A good leader achieves his or her objectives at all costs._____

2. The key to good leadership is being consistent in how one leads.______

3. I let subordinates participate in the decision-making process without seeing it as a threat to my position._______

4. If my group fails to achieve an objective because of a group member’s failure, I would explain it as such to my superior._______

5. I am indispensable in my present position.______

6. Good leaders are born and not made._______

7. I don’t depend on my followers as much I depend on myself._____

8. As a manager, I never entrust a vital project to any one but myself, even if that means working overtime.______

9. I will recommend a subordinate for promotion to a position equivalent to mine.______

Ans=statement 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,and 9 =1 pt for D(disagree), 0 pts for A ( agree) “ 8 = 1 pt for A ( agree) , 0 pts for D (disagree)

Result ; 8 to 9 =excellent potential, 5 to 7 = good potential , 0 to 4 =drasic changes needed


leadership ,live with ambiguity

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