political & directive leadership lecture 1 & 2 notes
TRANSCRIPT
Political & Directive Leadership
Lecture 1 & 2 Notes
Fundamental Assumptions
• People act out of self-interest and personal pursuit of power, wealth, and influence
• Careerism-focused on their own needs• Scarcity of resources-zero sum game• Intensifying competition outside and
complexity inside companies call for increased specialization
• Organizational units are embedded with Localitis
Political LeadershipCentral tenets
• Move forward in small incremental steps
• Orchestrate change from behind the scenes
• Selective use of shared information
Setting and Communicating Goals
• Keep your goals flexible, sometimes vague
• Broad goals minimizes the likelihood that opposition will mobilize
• Involve as many as possible to maximize creativity and innovation
• Communicate the strategy over time
Formal Systems and Structures
• Value loyalty in key positions
• Staffs can be a powerful resource to review and evaluate results for “contamination”
• Tilt towards greater dependency on staff assessment
Resolving Conflicts
• Don’t signal your position pre-maturely• Negotiate compromises that are most
likely to reduce and defuse opposition to objectives
• Save face for those that might lose in the situation, if necessary
• Since compromise is likely, answer the question what am I willing to give up?
Directive LeadershipFundamental Assumptions
• People are also motivated by a drive to realize their potential
• They want to take responsibility for their decision and enjoy the satisfaction of success
• Believe people are willing to meld self-interest with corporate interest
• Organizations need strong pushes toward coherence and goals
• Coherence and substance are more important than style
Setting and Communicating Goals
• Leaders strive to embrace a clear vision
• Encourage open debate grounded in facts
• Prone to act and set the agenda
• Strive for internal cooperation
• Embrace consistency of purpose and action
Formal Systems and Structures
• Systems and structures are not ends in and of themselves
• Rather should be adapted to meet the needs of the business
• Design and redesign systems and structures consistent with means and ends
Resolving Conflicts
• Demand open and frank exchanges• Some disagreements reflect fundamental
differences in knowledge, assumptions, and view of risks
• Information is a powerful tool to build a commitment for shared purpose, goals, and actions
• Once the issues have been aired and the strategy is set, everyone pulls together
Political vs. Directive
• P-Bias toward being led by bottom-up influence over DM
• P-More willingness to rely on corporate staff
• D-Bias toward top-down influence over DM distinguishes strategic from tactical
• D-Fully engaged at all necessary levels