effective-leadership libro estupendo.pdf

5/21/2018 Effective-Leadership LIBRO ESTUPENDO.pdf

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The rare jewel of effective leadership Billy C Sichone


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The rare jewel of effective leadership Billy C Sichone 2

Dubrin J Leadership

Bower et al, Business Policy

Executive Excellence, 1999 issues

Copy right 2000Billy C Sichone

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic, digital, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior writtenpermission of the copyright owner. Exceptions however hold inthe case of brief quotations for academic or article purposes.


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PREFACE

The subject of leadership can not be ignored if we are to talk aboutincreasing company output as well as a motivated teamwork. Leaders are ahot cake in todays turbulent environment where organisations need tobe constantly changing if they are to remain buoyant. Good leaders are onever increasing demand and expensive to lose or hire.

The paper that lies in your hands contains the thoughts andresearch that I undertook in the years between 1998 and 2000 during MBAstudies. It has been interesting to learn that Manager / leaders are scarceand extremely critical now more than ever before. It has also beenrefreshing to note that teamwork is now being adopted everywhere. I was

personally elated when World Vision Zambia started talking more about itand went steps further to implement it. This was done when the ProgramManagers begun attending Leadership Training Courses at University ofSouth Africa (UNISA) resulting in much better relations and work culture.

I must confess that I was shocked to discover that Leadership andManagement are radically different. I have always assumed that theyare one and the same thing. I stand at the apex of my research and tracemy trail, how so different things look! How so mind opening the study hasbeen!

I have handled this subject in four sections in the following

fashion: Firstly, I have given a general overview of leadership of yesterdayand today. In the second place, I have sought to concentrate on effectiveleadership. In doing this, I have shown the nature and marks an effectiveleader, how to develop leadership, the results of good leadership and then,I have wrapped up the whole work by giving my own personal viewsabout leadership tomorrow and beyond. I have exited the orbit ofleadership by giving some recommendations.

If this work will help some soul, it will much delight the author.

Farewell.

Billy C Sichone20/04/2004MonguZambia.


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CONTENTS

PAGEPreface

Introduction 7

Overview 8

Concept 9

The nature of true leadership 10

Types of leadership 13

International leadership in perspective 17

Effective leadership defined 20

Marks of an effective leader 21

Developing effective leadership qualities 28

Results & effects of good leadership 30

Effective leadership tomorrow and beyond 31

Conclusions & recommendations 32

Bibliography 34

Appendix i 36

Appendix ii 39

Appendix iii 44

Index 114

About the Author 116


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I would like to thank all those that helped me in the preparation of thispaper. I salute the entire crew at BARCHcomputers for putting up with

those long demanding hours typing my scribbled manuscripts. Most of all,

my heart was strangely warmed to think about Jane my dear one. Herpresence in my mind and life made the sweat worthwhile.

Lastly, I salute all the sources I consulted in compiling this volume. I havelisted most of them in the Bibliography

B C S


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To my dear wife, who stood by my side while I painstakingly labouredaway to produce this book

To my Parents, that saw me from the cradle and put steel within my bones.To Mr Lutangu Lubasi who practically demonstrated true and modern

leadership while I served under himI remain indebted


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Therare jewel of effectiveleadership! !" # $%&

'

####

As partial fulfilment of the MBA leadership course, I undertook a researchto look at leadership in general and effective leadership in particular. Thesubject at hand was necessitated by the fact that some modern daymanagers do not seem to tick as expected. Having stumbled across anumber of books and magazines on the leadership topic, I felt the answerlay around the lack of proper leadership at management level. In Zambialeadership is a relatively new concept, because the majority of managersbelong to the traditional school of management thought where a manageris perceived as the boss who causes everybody to tremble when he/sheappears on the scene. Historically, Managers generally are viewed as aclass of people who are comfortable executives that order every onearound as well as hire & fire workers at will. This has been the darkpicture hither to, but thankfully, the sun of leadership is beginning to riseover the horizon. In agile and progressive organisations like World visionInternational, leadership, teamwork and constant change are establishedbuzzwords. People are aware of the latest developments and are quicklyadapting. In this paper, we seek to answer the question What is effectiveleadership?

In coming up with this paper, I consulted a wide range of books frommany disciplines relating to the subject at hand. Some books were ancientwhile others were relatively current. The attached bibliography and casestudies eloquently tell the story.

It is hoped that a perusal of this work will clearly give my own perceptionand appreciation of the subject at hand. Effective leaders are indeed a rare

jewel and need of the times.


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()* )#+()* )#+()* )#+()* )#+

ver the past few years, the subject of leadership yea, effective leadershiphas come into sharp focus. To the curious mind, the question is why? Why

put so much emphasis on leadership now and not in the past? Havingtalked about management for many years, why the sudden shift? Is itanother passing management fad? Almost every management book on themarket today has devoted at least a chapter or mentions leadership. Asearlier intimated, in yester-years, much weight was on managementpractice, procedures and maintaining the status quo because peoplebelieved that a manager was nothing more than one who controls, directs,coordinates and plans activities. But as time went on, it was discoveredthat for some reasons, management was not working too well in terms ofachieving the desired and expected results. Thus, investigations andresearch were instituted to discover the root causes and to find out a newway to get round this hurdle. Therefore, as time went on, people started

coming up with probable reasons and possible solutions. As such, anumber of theories came up that pointed to leadership as the ultimatesolution, at least for now. Leadership is a wide subject but suffice it to saythat there is the informal and formal leadership that is further broken downinto at least three leadership theories namely, the traits theory, the styletheory and the contingency theory. Admittedly much has been written onthis subject and a plethora of books entirely devoted to leadership theory

have filled libraries in hard copy form or no. The said books seek todefine more clearly what leadership theory is, its genesis and developmentacross the decades, its practical outworking and the end of leadership. Asone author has aptly quipped, leadership is the only vehicle for

tomorrows development As we prepare to tread in years of theunfolding new millennium, let us always remember that the road on whichwe now walk is in some sense new yet old. Let us get some detail on thesaid subject because leadership forms the bridge between organisationgoals and individual goals and is the crucial element in determining the

success of the organisation.'

Dubrin says that over 30,000 research articles and magazine articles etc have beenwritten in the last century alone. Another, Maylor suggests that an electronic libraryreference gave over 6, 000 references on leadership theory alone!

Mitchell Beazley: Organization theory Page 86.


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!!!!

Leadership has now taken the centre stage in Management circles as this has proved

to be more effective mode to unleash the latent potential within fellow team members.As opposed to the now obsolete way of the traditional Bossy kind of management,the latest trends of leadership permeate the organisation with a fresh fragrance of newpragmatic motivational ethics. Nowadays there is more talk about effective leadershiprather than just general leadership. But wherein does effective leadership consist?What exactly is effective leadership?

Leadership, in its simplest form, is defined as the ability to influence and inspireothers towards a worthwhile goal. Effective leadership goes a step further than theaforementioned definition. Writers like Heller accurately define it as thekey to trulyeffective leadership lies in mastering a wide range of skills, from implementing and

administering processes to inspiring others to achieve excellence. As can be seen,

this definition states that for one to be effective, they must have a wide knowledge inmany a field and be able to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself.The leader, among other things, must be visionary and able to inspire confidence inothers by being a challenge, trust others, a mentor, coach, motivator via complimentsand rewards, approachable, able to seat with subordinates and give a sympathetic andempathetic listening ear. The said leader does not content him/herself to know aboutthe general things regarding the workmates but goes out of his/her way to know theback ground details which might affect out put as well as the best ways to delegateand build a team spirit among workmates. This may well mean taking time off to visitteam members on the job, at home, in a social gathering, having informal chats over adrink or cup of tea as well as going for workouts together after hours. This has theeffect of reducing suspicions and prejudices that people harbour. Once people feel

valued and needed, they open up and are willing to take on bigger challenges as wellas risks to innovate and promote the cause of the organisation rather that remainingindifferent and aloof. They own the goal as it were, due to the effective leaderscontagious influence.The effective leader is systematic, highly organised and focused on what he/she wantsto achieve. He/she sets benchmarks of quality, time frames and is determined thatothers catch the ropes as well. This further means that the said leader is continuouslywilling to listen and learn from others who ever they may be (Whether young or old,subordinates or superiors etc), gains experience by the day, and makes every effort tomaster own function as well as others functions. The time has arrived when one mustbe multitalented and have a good working knowledge about other disciplines. Goneare the days when the Manager knew next to nothing about Marketing or finance, forexample. The 21stcentury leader must have a firm grasp of all the areas in order toconfidently lead. Apart from the afore mentioned points, the leader must ensurehe/she is able to detect strengths and weaknesses in others and positively facilitate thestrengthening of the positive sides while gently correcting the weak sides. Havingdone the above, in the leader hurtles along to deal with the preparatory work toleadership, which culminates into forming teams over which the selfsame leader,

Effective leadership, Robert Heller page 5


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exercises authority in a prudent and efficient fashion. Under team work, the issues ofdelegation, communication, decision making (through discussions and brain stormingsessions initially), goal setting, analysing problems and giving support to staff inagreed areas of implementation are dealt with. The last part the leader deals with isthe all important area of motivating others, establishing a vision, generating ideas,ideal management style (in this case, open management), boosting achievements and

finally, being competitive with respect to the outsiders. This competitive advantage isrealised by first treating the internal customers Employees well who in turn will goout of their way to treat the external customer most diligently and courteously.Remember, the customer is king! This approach to business works wonders for theorganisation in that it produces product loyalty and woos many more to the companyproducts. Furthermore, the effective leader must develop an apt acumen to network,identify and exploit opportunities through taking risks as well. Self SWOT analysisand frequent introspection and refocusing are critical. Further more, the leader mustbe bent on success and all out to win for his/her team.

!!!!

As earlier intimated, leadership is defined generally as the ability to inspireconfidence in others by influencing them towards a goal. This, among many things,includes the prowess to challenge others, give them confidence to and the tools toachieve a goal to which you are leading them. A leader is neither a boss nor amanager primarily but is robust, highly energised, resilient, astute, racy, inspirational,magnetic and visionary. He or she has a passion and longing to achieve somethingwhile carrying others along. In other words, leadership is the ability to challenge,

attract & stimulate others to achieve worthwhile goals as well as to solicit supportamong the people in the organisation and otherwise. Leadership entails teamwork,partnership and an ability to build cohesive friendships with others leaving anindelible mark on the tablets of their hearts. There is a difference between a leader &

a manager. A leader may not necessarily hold office but affects others while amanager usually holds office and basically ensures that the planned objectives areimplemented and controlled towards an appointed end.In my research upon the subject of leadership, almost all the books I consulted had asection on leadership verses management and this for a good reason. I think thatthis whole area of leadership has been either veiled under management or indeed beenassumed that all managers are leaders. As earlier intimated, in a way, that assertion iscorrect but needs to be qualified out because some managers have proveddemotivators rather than motivators. Generally, as Harvey Maylor (1999) aptly puts it,that Management is the technical discipline of applying and administering authorityover others which is given through the formalised structural arrangement of

Organisation. While leadership is the quality of obtaining results from others

through personal influence Clearly, we can see that whereas management largelydepends on the structural organisation make up, leadership is independent in the sensethat the leader possesses certain traits and attributes that influence other to dosomething. The manager has authority by virtue of office and exists basically tocontrol, direct and coordinate activity to their appointed ends while the leader may notnecessarily hold office to have things done. Furthermore, the leader handles change,takes risks and influences new decisions while the manager has a delimited area of


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operation. , ' !

-.-/*-.-/*-.-/*-.-/* LEADER1. Ensures things are going according

to plan1. Can face change, leads into new

frontiers optimistically.

2. Usually directs, controls resources 2. Inspires confidence in others3. Authority base is the Office 3. Not necessarily an office holder4. Usually limited in operations 4. Not limited and can think big/

strategically

5. Will not usually take risks 5. A dreamer & risk taker6. Short term in out look usually- The

manager is operational rather thenforward looking.

6. Long term out look and visionary

7. Uses vested power to get thingsdone

7. Gets on well with people &solicits their support

8. Not necessarily creative and /seeksto maintain standards

8. Creative and encouragesinnovation9. Task oriented-Plan, implement and

control budgets etc.9. Not really task oriented but

visionary & goal oriented

10. More concerned with results ratherthan mentoring

10. Builds others & hires other leaders11. Is above everyone considered boss,

self sufficient, always correct11. Good team player, coach and

mentor

1 1 People like Hary Chamers believe that one can be appointed amanager, not a leader, meaning that leadership is not automatic uponassuming management status. Executive excellence volume 16 # 12August 1999.

2. Harvey maylor: project management pp168 Dubrin: leadership, page 2As can be seen from the table, the leadership function, although traditionally part ofthe management function (motivating) is quite a discipline on its own. The questionthat begs answering at this stage perhaps is, is it possible for an individual to be botha manager and a leader in the same context? I think it is possible because effectivemanagers have been leaders in their own right. Zalenik (1977) pondered over this andcommented as follows:What is the best way to develop leadership? Every society provides its own answer tothis question, and each grouping for answering, defines its deepest concerns about the

purposes, distributions and uses of power. Business has contributed its leadership to

the leadership question by evolving a new breed called the manager. Simultaneously,

business has established a new power ethic that favours collective over individual

leaders, the cult of the group over that of personality. While entrusting the

competence, control and the balance or power relations among groups with the

potential for rivalry, managerial leadership unfortunately does not necessarily ensure

imagination, creativity, or ethical behaviour in guiding the destinies of corporate

1Harvey Maylor: project management page 170


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enterprise. We can see then that a person can wear both caps but the degree is whatvaries from person to person, though some will still argue that leadership is automaticwhen one assumes management status. Further still, another school of thought seems

to suggest that all managers must of necessity be leaders. Druckers statement isworth quoting at this stage in relation to management leadership:The manager is the dynamic life giving element in every business, without his

leadership, the resources of production remain resources and never becomeproduction. In a competitive economy above all, the quality and performance of the

managers determine the success of the business, indeed they determine its survival.

For the quality and performance of its managers is the only effective advantage an

enterprise in a competitive economy can have Peter Drucker, one of the fore mostrespected management gurus of our time, is correct in asserting that leader- managersare critical to the progress and success of any entity.In a nutshell then, management and leadership are different in their functions, scope,power base and the extent of influence. The one largely depends on the office whilethe other (leadership) emanates from personal attributes and qualities.Having differentiated management from leadership, we do well to state that successfulmanagers are usually faced with a mammoth task to the extent that their healthdegenerates leading to death, in some extreme cases. Stress builds up as a result ofsomeone excessively exerting themselves without rest until the body begins to feeltired all the time as no avenue to vent out excessively piled loads. The first sign ofstress are fatigue, forgetfulness, restlessness & failure to concentrate for long. It isreported that it is almost like Japan, the stress levels are so high to the extent that it isalmost a decree that people must go on leave at least once a year. Although on paperthis maybe true, the vast majority cannot imagine abandoning their office even for afew hours. Thus, many a leader suffers health breakdowns later in life. Many havesuggested ways to handle stress, and mailer suggests the four Ps* as follows:

1. Plan your way out of a situation sit and strategise before hand.2. Pace yourself Dont try to do everything alone and at the same time or at

once.3. Pamper yourself reward yourself for goals accomplished or plans completed4. Piss yourself laughing the healing power of laughter is enormous the Bible

says laughter is good for the heart Proverbs

Many a manager falls into the trap of wanting to achieve as much as possible at theexpense of health but a good leader will recognise the danger and seek to avert it. Buthow can a leader protect him/herself against extremes?

1. Know yourself, limits, strengths and weaknesses2. Do some exercise dont ever convince yourself that you are too busy to do

some workouts, go to a club etc3. Socialise there is time for everything under the sun. There is time to work

and time to relax. Walk around, visit friends, workmates and just take yourmind off work

4. Switch off your cell phone or buy another sim card when on leave. Nowadayswith the advent of modern technology, we can trace someone almost at everypoint on the earth. If you are to switch off the outside world, then give your

Harvey Maylor: project management page 168Harvey Maylor: project management page 172


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mobile phone to another and get another number which is restricted to a selectnon- business folk.

5. Effectively train others to take over your functions. An effective leader is notafraid to delegate or teach others to do their job. This increases the knowledgebase in the organisation and gives more time to the leader to concentrate onother things, thereby reducing the workload.

6. Involve your family at every point. Coveys book on highly effective familiesis a handy guide on this. The goal is to have family members empowered to doany work so that they assist in some assignments. Half the time, spouces haveno clue what the other is up to. Ironically, we hear of situations where one isdying of stress while the other is perpetually dead bored and on mentalholiday.

7. Sometimes, stand back and relax. Take a deep breath, think through things andthen commence the work. This usually applies to managers but leaders too doneed time to relax. The best time is before beginning the day or when thesettings in the brain begin to clog up. Disengage and then restart after sometime. I have found great refreshment and reinvigoration afterwards. Meditationis helpful to recharge the brain cells.

There are other ways of protecting your health such as talking to people, aboutnothing big particularly, attending some social gathering such as church or indeedtaking a holiday to some place for a retreat with your spouse. There is great benefitnow and henceforth health wise. Remember: Dont break the horse (your body) Godgave you to manage!

,01 (2 -3*4#1,01 (2 -3*4#1,01 (2 -3*4#1,01 (2 -3*4#1

Allmanagers develop a style of leading or motivating surbodinates, says Edwin B.

Flippo in his book Personnel management. Flippo continues to define leadershipstyle as a pattern of behaviour designed to integrate organisational and personal

interests in pursuit of some objective

. Obviously, the writer (Flippo) assumes thatevery manager is a leader!This could be true to some extent but as to whether all areeffective is an entirely different matter.Styles vary widely from the total autocrat to the almost total democrat, where peopledo as they please. In between these extremes are the various shades that colour theleadership spectrum. The total autocratic leader usually belongs to the traditional classwhere the influence is derived from the office rather than personal attributes. In thisscenario, the person is given too much power by virtue of holding office and can do ashe/she pleases. The selfsame leader rides a high horse, is untouchable, makesdecisions alone and passes them down the hierarchy and all must bow to the decreeor risk being chucked out. Further more, the autocrat does not interact with theoperatives closely but revolves in a unique executive orbit, with little or no touch with

reality. The autocratic is egocentric as seen in fig 1 below. Having asserted the above,we must hasten to say that the same autocratic leaders also do know that they need tomotivate people and thus do once in a while declare a bonus or pay rise. Autocraticleaders differ in degree of assertion and yet do have a following as well.

Refer to appendix 1 for case studiesFlippo Edwin B: Personnel Management, page 397Flippo Edwin B: Personnel Management page Check also john kotters article leadership engine, Executive Excellence magazine April 2000 pp 7


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Fig 1 The egocentric autocratic leader always centres on self, authority andpower

As we veer to the other extreme of the leadership chart, the total democrat almost hasno control over the situation at hand. People do as they please; For example, theyreport or knock off work at any time, unless of course they belong to the virtualoffice. The underlying belief and principle is that people are completely mature, self-regulative will do the reasonable thing at all-times. Fig 2 below illustrates how theradiant overly liberal leader always gives out with little interaction and feed backfrom team mates.But nothing could be further from the truth because training alone does not straightenup people. People need an attitude change consistent with their profession & calling inlife. In the total democratic environment, nobody questions or is accountable to anyone. Varying views on issues will hold sway and the goal not uniform.


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Fig 2 The overly liberal leader drives people away by not guiding them or showingthe strategic direction

In dealing with styles, we must not fail to state that leaders are all persuasive and in away manipulative though the effective leader is sincere and trustworthy in allcircumstances. Other attributes such as the open consultative styles, the benevolent,the goal centred or the people centred are true and come in various degrees dependingon what side of the pendulum one falls. Fig 3 below attempts to show the idealeffective leader that interacts with team mates thus leading to higher output.

Fig 3 The effective leader interacts with team mates, gives and gets prompt feed back


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Thus, we have seen that styles differ widely and apply differently in varying placesand circumstances. We now turn to zero in on Coveys principle centred leadership

approach because I believe highly effective people do not only have the seven habitsreverted on the tablets of their hearts but these habits orbit around a central principle.

In other words, all other orbiting traits emanate from a firm personal principal thatdirects and influences all steps taken.As earlier intimated Stephen Coveys excellent book Principle centred leadershiplays down many valuable truths that are critical for one to be effective andrevolutionary. In as much as people must begin with the end in mind, have multipleparadigm shifts; they must have a firm principle base from which to propel theiractions.Principle centred leadership, to borrow Coveys phrase, is an excellent point fromwhich to begin operating. What this teaching basically advances is that whatever wedo, there are no short cuts to things. If a farmer wants to reap a rich harvest, he has tofirst clear the area, plough the ground, plant seed and wait for rain, or better still,irrigate the field. As the case may be, he will have to wait for the natural phenomenonlike the rain to fall and let the plants germinate. This entire activity takes time and willhave to be patiently followed through until harvest time. In a nutshell, for one tooperate effectively, they have to work within a certain framework or else short circuitprogress. No one has ever short circuited nature and escaped unscathed. Further more,the person must go through multiple paradigm shifts where they see things in a totallydifferent light as well as put a finger on the source of strength-the inner self. Arrivingat this stage requires one taking a critical and honest introspective look and thenresolving to break with the past so as to achieve new and higher heights. Breakingwith the past requires courage, maturity, humility and determination whilst workingwith a reasonable but highly set goal framework. The principle centred leader must atall costs avoid the Seven deadly sins or pitfalls that seek to creep in the way. These

are stated as the quest to quickly get wealth without labour, indulge in pleasurethoughtlessly (especially after some success), have an abstract knowledge minuscharacter, go about business without ethics, using modern technology without humantouch, being unsacrificial and finally waxing politically eloquent without principle. Inevery endeavour and sphere, there are rules to be obeyed much like the Christian Tencommandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Bible)Having successfully surmounted and evaded the pitfalls, the principled person mustknow where their power base lies and from whence it comes. The knowledge iscritical for prudent utilisation when needed. Also, the leader must leave allcommunication lines open so that information can freely flow to and fro the person.Clear and timely communication is cardinal for success. Finally, under this head, theperson ensures that the family life is equally properly cultivated and not merely

relegated to the terraces. Usually, the danger is to be so engrossed in the pursuit ofexcellence at the expense of the other equally important aspects of life. This isscandalous for a leader. To the contrary, the effective leader is balanced and wellrounded recognising the centrality of the family unit. As we know, people thrive froma strong base of a highly effective family where every one is aware of what is goingon, is participative and kept within the loop. The smaller private victories areachieved first within the confines of the home and then later mature to bigger and

Consult Coveys 7 Habits of highly effective people-an excellent manual for all to read.


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greater victories. The family is the foundation upon which the superstructure ofsuccess is built. In a nutshell, the principled leader sharpens all the family membersfrom the youngest child to the spouse by way of coaching, interacting, complimentingas well as giving them the confidence and vision to succeed. The adage Teach them

how to fish today for tomorrow holds true ultimately.

#### !!!! !!5 !!5 !!5 !!5Before we move further, and in the light of the changing trends World over, our jobwould be half done if we did not include a section on internationalManagement/leadership. All along, we have assumed that a leader will apply the sametactics to inspire people. Many Managers have failed miserably on the internationalscene because of not appropriately applying their leadership skills. As you will notice,the profile of the global Manager is interesting because the said manager could berecruited from any point of the terrestrial ball. Gone are the days when only local staffcould be the only ones recruited for a job. Now, any one can take up the job as long asthey have the right qualifications and the acumen to feature on the international scene.In that case, the Manager must be very versatile, active and multitalented to fit in wellin varying environments. As such, there is need to be multilingual by mastering morethan one language as well as the unspoken cues that go along with the local culture.(a) In addition to the aforementioned point, the International Manager can lead from

any country and base. Thus, International experience is crucial for the present andfuture global manager having a wide mind and rich exposure internationally so asto objectively handle staff problems of various shades. For example, the need toempathise and understand the local situation yet to keep a global focus is key tothe success of manger a diverse work force. Closely tied to what has beenmentioned is the need to learn to motivate staff. How can one know withoutempathizing with the workers so as to know their actual needs? Were we to useStandard American motivation practices, they will most probably be out of tastewith the local scenario. Thus, there is a way in which one must know the best way

to reward and motivate a diverse cultured work force, although still keepingwithin the corporate culture and goals. The person who will be an excellentinternational manager and leader must possess the following cultural skills:

1. Maturity- One who is wise and able to handle diverse and sometimesradically different cultures competently.

2. Emotional stability-The person must not be moody and unpredictable. In onemoment, very warm, friendly and sociable but in the next hostile, argumentative,bigoted and throwing tantrums all over the place! The Manager must holdhim/herself in all situations whilst keeping his/her head in all situations.

3. Considerable breadth of knowledge- It is not enough to have the financialbacking or the acumen, but rather, knowledge must be first resident in the brainand from that platform then launch to deal with each case as it rears its

multicoloured head! The Manager must have a broad knowledge in terms ofgeography, history, culture, local politics, policies and the possible strategic routesto employ. He/she must also know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats that confront the fate of the organization.

4. Adaptability-Having acquired the knowledge and acumen; the manager mustalso have an ability to adapt to the circumstances prevailing so as not to appearout of step with the times. In other words, the understanding must trickle down to

Anonymous


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the heart where it will affect the will to accept the situation and do the best to reapmaximum benefits both for the organization, employees and the local community.Half the time, the will revolts to stay in a given place and thus, the manager,though knowledgeable and apt will pack his/her bags and return home as a failure.

5. Good attitude and effort- this aspect is closely connected to the above-mentioned point but has more to do with the mindset and the inward disposition

that one has towards life. If one is strictly ruled by his/her SRC |, they will displaya bad attitude and thus put in very little effort. Usually, such have a defeatistattitude to a point where even their minds cannot think objectively or strategically.

6. Positive out look- having said the above, the good manager then mustcultivate and have a positive out look to whatever situation that confronts him.Optimism should be the hallmark of a good International Manager.

But that is not all, some further traits are:(i) Communication- We live in a world of interdependence as well as an informationage. It is therefore not advisable to keep to oneself and only release Press statementsat irregular intervals while the rest of the time, pitch darkness reigns within theorganization. Clandestine, authoritarian and commando like managers are out of stepwith the modern management trends. Effective communication is the key to everything today.(ii) Respect-The manager must have due regard for others and not ride a high horsewhere no one is viewed as important as the self. Many an international manager haswrecked their potentially glittering career by arrogance and pride, although they hadunrivalled plans.(iii) Tolerate ambiguity- The Manager must have a high tolerance of uncertaintybecause of the nature of the international scenario. Some people cannot stand being inlimbo for long and easily get frustrated, but not so the good manager. Instead, he/shewatches the motions of the market and comes up with a pattern over time and yetalways giving allowance for sudden change. This calls for patient endurance andresilience. Analytical and logical people are the most in need of this grace.

(iv) Display empathy-Must be able to feel and imagine oneself in the shoes of theperson needing help. Without empathy, it is impossible to appreciate and rightly applythe right remedy in a given situation.(v) Non judgmental- half the time, without our consciousness, our SRC affects theway we judge things and situations. Our prior training ,orientation and culture have amore potent influence than we realize. For instance, what we have termed as moraland right may not necessarily the same else where. Thus, the manager must not bedogmatic nor condemn others for holding on to a varying opinion and practice.(vi) Recognise and control the situation aptly and quickly. The astute Managers eagleeye must see things and quickly devise a solution long before it happens. This is a rarestrength but the good International Manager possesses that discernment and uses itappropriately to handle issues.

(vii) A good sense of humour- Laugh off things and not take things to personal. Careof course must be taken not to trivialise even important and critical issues.The work of the international Manager who leads people has to contend with variousattitudes, beliefs, cultures, and values of the local condition. For instance, in theUnited States, the company business takes precedence over family and relationswhere loyalty is given to the entity. In Latin America, the opposite is true. Furthermore, in the USA, the entity concept of the organisation is espoused strongly while in

|SRC = self reference criterion


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other places, the entity cannot be separated from the people. Another difference is theway people view their jobs in a particular organisation. In the West, working for aparticular organisation is not viewed as life long while in places like Japan, peopledevote themselves to one for life along side other relatives and friends. The workrelationships are more personal and founded from culture and family while in theStates, the grounds of hiring some one is not family attachment or prior knowledge

but largely on merit. We may even add the attitude towards working hours as adifference! A Japanese worker will toil tirelessly until the work is complete everydaywithout minding the knocking off time while an American will content him/herselfwith the 8 hour schedule, pack bags and go home, whether the work has beenaccomplished or not! All the above attitudes influence out put and reactions of peopletowards their vocation. The international manager must contend and contain all thesevariations.

As we continue to look at leadership in general, perhaps it is fitting at this stage toreassert that leadership is different from management because the former has more todo with ones traits to influence change rather than to control activities. Variouspeople have said that leadership deals with interpersonal aspects of a managers job,

whereas planning, organisation & controlling deals with administrative aspects .This shows that the leader has to have certain attributes that are fitting to relate topeople in a motivational fashion. Further, Dubrin says that leadership deals with

change, inspiration, motivation and influence These attributes are essential forsuccess of any enterprise. Leaders are not afraid to step into the future face change oreffect radical transformations. Managers, on the other hand dare not risk anything andwould like to keep the status quo as calm as possible. In relation to what we have thusfar asserted, we can safely say that leadership forms the bridge betweenorganisational goals & individual goals and is a crucial element in determining the

success of the Organisation. We can see that a leader has the following traits.(1)Influence: The ability to change other peoples attitudes and behaviour un

coerced.(2)Power: The capability to exercise influence over the behaviour of others byvirtue of being over some of them. This power can be either coercive,positional or resource power. Many posses power due to either their status orpersonal attributes.

(3)Authority: The right to influence and is equivalent to the legitimate power onepossesses. Some people have authority that comes to them either by theirmagnetic, charming, visionary or maverick character. By these powers, theycan effect great changes in an organisation or community. Such leaders areknown as transformational or charismatic leaders. Others derive their authorityby legal means.

Charisma is a special quality of leaders whose purpose & extraordinary

determination differentiates them from others. From the above stand point, the principled person progresses to accomplish morefeats outside the home by being open minded creative, quality driven and passionateto transform situations into better places. This is done in a number of ways by firstly

Dubrin: leadership page 3Dubrin: leadership page 3Mitchell Beasley: organization theory page 86Dubrin: leadership page 19


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having a personal and corporate mission statement. A mission statement is a summaryof the objectives and why the entity exists. The self same statement will not only actas a reminder but as a benchmark to achieve higher heights of usefulness.In my opinion, I think all the people that have graced the leadership spectrum havebeen men and women of purpose and have operated from a strong principle base. Thatbody of principles has so soaked into their cardiac systems to the end that they have

conquered kingdoms upon kingdoms. There is no better way to begin each day andyear than with a firm resolution to work within the framework of the natural laws. Asearlier intimated, to have a mission in life, a goal, a vision, and a systematicallypriotised events and activities daily is a prerequisite to effectiveness. There must be acontinual desire to improve and to do things more efficiently thereby cutting costs.Having laboured, to expound and define what leadership is in general, we naturallyproceed to look at effective leadership in particular.

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When we take up the general subject of leadership, many people assume they qualifyas they exercise some influence in one way or the other in their respective spheres ofoperation, but are all leaders effective? Do they reap the same results when they take

up task? We hardly need to labour the point because the answer is clear: Not all areas effective. Highly effective people are leaders but they are much more superior inthat when they take up a task; they succeed where others have failed or sweated toachieve similar results. In other words, an effective leader possesses intrinsic andinternalised powers to get things done. For example, the effective leader builds teams,empowers people, coaches colleagues and has the capability to cause people tounleash their hidden potential to produce high results. Effective leaders arecharismatic and possess certain unique characteristics to be highlighted later.

Having briefly defined an effective leader, we proceed to discover how an establishedleader can actually be even more productive.

How can a leader improve his/her effectiveness?What gadgets will he or she use to achieve maximum potential? A number of wayscome to the fore but the following will suffice for our purposes:

(1)The leader must be able to make decisions timorously, with consensus havingconsidered all options laid bare. It is a disastrous situation when one isindecisive or makes decisions late. A leader must have the courage to maketough decisions and that, quickly,

(2)Ability to set goals: The leader must set high challenging goals and doeverything to ensure that those goals are either met or excelled. Each yearshould bring new challenges.

(3)Ability to develop a cohesive teamwork The leader must be at the forefrontto build a culture of teamwork. He/she must study the staff and place them inthe right positions while providing a conclusive environment. The leader willdo this by assigning roles, building multi skill capacity, rewarding people aswell as visiting them. The leader is empathetic and helps people to willinglygo across their departmental walls to collaborate with others. This paradigmsshift takes time but possible.

(4)By leading meetings and discussions. Regular meetings to discuss issues as ateam is critical. When people are given room to express themselves, the feelheard and encouraged to be innovative. In such brain storming session,


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people are not timid or afraid to make mistakes or to disagree to a proposition.People pull together. Furthermore, the leader gets to know people better,removes prejudices and ultimately let people make the decision to which theywill all willing subscribe. These meetings could be daily each morning 15minutes, weekly or monthly as the case may be. This helps to assess theprogress and check the pace or bench markets set. This approach avoids

delays, minimizes misunderstandings and binds the team with invisible cordsthat are not easily severed.

(5)Analysing problems: The leader has to sharpen the prowess of analysing data,questioning where not clear and also intelligently interpreting issues,especially financial figures. The leader should come with a possible attitudeand determined to apply ones mind. No longer are financial reports the privatepreserve of a certain elect few.

(6)Ability to give support. Once people notice that you are empathetic and notonly interested in them when they are churning out your expectation, they willgladly soak into your leadership wing shadow. The leader must make everyeffort to build trust, look after people, sit with them, impart confidence andprovide a supportive back up wherever possible. I am sure that the above

traits, once cultivated will increase ones effectiveness ten fold.

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The effective leader towers above peers in terms of abilities, creativity, achievement

and influence on others. The following seven traits mark out the effective leader!1(1)Great leaders identify, cultivate and inspire enthusiastic followersSome people are successful but are not leaders asserts Ken Shelton and I tend toagree. Some seem to blossom on the labours of predecessors or they themselveshave a personality that forces people to do things, not necessarily that the peopleare inspired or challenged. These kinds of leaders work best alone and do notenrich others. Not so the effective leader! He/she is a source of comfort, self-

acceptance & worth, cultivates a cohesive community culture that is of great helpand challenge to others, to the extent that others want to imitate them. They arenot merely content to have a following but an empowered following that ischarged, visionary and highly result based at all times. In short, they enlist thecooperation, support and loyalty of others.

(2)Great leaders focus their effortsHighly effective people have a goal all the time upon their mind and will neitherlook to the left nor to the right until the goal is achieved. Nothing will destruct orcloud their view of the destination unless it helps them to attain the goal. Theythink, ponder and move towards the mark diligently. In short, there are focusedand will not waste any energy, time or let any opportunity flip by. He/she redeems

the time as the time is short. One thing done at a time!

(3)Great leaders face and overcome great difficultiesTo the ordinary mind, a problem is a great stumbling block that can cause them toabandon ship or sit down to mourn over the apparent misfortune. On the otherhand a great leader looks at hurdles as challenges and stepping-stones to higher

1Point heads adapted from the Executive excellence magazine: seven traits of great leaders April1999 issue page 14


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heights of service. In other words, the leader learns from mistakes and builds onthe successes by the same token. Ordinary leaders struggle where proactivelyeffective leaders sail plainly. The effective leader is resilient despite the manysetbacks.

(4)Great leaders expect more from themselves than they do from othersIf you do not believe you are worth anything or able to do much, you will go asfar as you believe. If you believe that, you can achieve much, you will obviouslyachieve success after success. The smaller successes lead to bigger ones until youexcel by leaps and bounds. Effective leaders expect and believe that theythemselves can do anything provided they put their head to it. In other words, theeffective leader has a right self worth, a good head and a high confidence toachieve the objectives timorously and consistently so. In a way, they are selfcontained although they strongly believe in teamwork and net working. Theymaster their functions very well. They demand more from self and willingly workrelentlessly hours on end until the mark is reached. They are not only achieversbut also self-starters and creatively so.

(5)Great leaders are not afraid to make tough decisions.Many a leader will shrink back to make tough decisions for fear of becomingunpopular, misunderstood or loss of face. The effective leader is not afraid of allthese but will meticulously & wisely worm his/her way through the problem tocommunicate an objective truth. The leader will consult widely, think throughissues and give the final verdict, ready to bear all the consequences of the decisionpassed.

(6)Great leader have a vision and utmost faith in themselves to fulfil thatvision.

If there is one attribute that marks any effective leader, it is that of having a vision

to look into the future. With all the energies to hand, the leader sweeps across thepresent into the distant future, facing all challenges positively. Not only does thesaid leader have a blurred vision but a clearly distinct and attainable vision towhich he/she will throw in all their weight to attain. Before launching out, theleader has great faith in the self to fulfil the activity according to expectations andbeyond. Many a leader usually is chancing or makes pronouncements before hand,probably without even counting his/her troops for the challenge ahead. Buteffective leaders are resolved and determined to win, which is half the battle won.Are you such a one?

(7)Great leaders are ambitious for themselves, their companies and theirpeople

Many begin well as the set sail on the ocean of life, with much life, promiseenthusiasm and energy, but alas, other things take their ambition away. Some ofthe robbers of a vision are marriage, sudden success, compromise or the wrongcompany and bad habits. All these cloud the ambition horizon to the extent thatwhen people die, a library of great plans goes with them to the grave. Buteffective leaders are extremely ambitious both for themselves and for all thosearound them. They have plans and goals for each member of staff, envisioningthem at a better plane in a given time period. Nothing destroys or corrupts the


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vision! As Ken asserts, No quality requires more guarding than ambitionAmbition is a tender and sensitive plant that needs constant care and nurturingevery hour of the journey. It will not live and keep growing if it is not nourished;

and the moment we begin to disregard it, we begin to go down hill... Thus, ifyour ambition is not alive, you should strengthen it in every possible way.

Visualise the thing you want to be . Further more, effective leaders are result

based in their out look to leadership, they:

Begin with an absolute focus on resultsAs intimated above, the effective leader is not only vision oriented but isfocused on the results before setting out. As Stephen Covey has asserted inhis book 7 habits of highly effective people, effective people have theend in mind and then begin to map out strategies towards the achieving ofthe said goals. They ask questions such as where does my organisationwant to be in 2 years? And then launch out full throttle to achieve with afocus on results, people do not move aimlessly akin to one running a racewithout destination.

Take complete and personal responsibility for the groups resultsEffective leaders never pass the buck to another person nor do they spendsleepless nights trying to locate some one to blame. They are pretty toobusy and goal orientated to begin apportioning blame. Instead, they look atany failure as an indication of a problem in the system rather than aperson. Thus, they set out to fix the problem source so as to ensuresmooth & expeditious out put. Traditional leaders are tyrants who never sitwith people and have no time, to listen in the modern leader however,accepts complete responsibility for any dysfunction.

Clearly communicate expectations and targets to people in their group.When the leader is clandestine and hoards useful information tohim/herself, the subordinates will feel left out and demoralised, as theywill not be sure whether they are operating with the acceptable framework.The effective leader makes information available and also ensures thatpeople know exactly their targets and expectations. This removes all roomfor excuse suspicious and prejudice in the event of a problem. But we mustassert that the leader does not only communicate dry facts, he/ sheeffectively communicates the urgency, importance and the warmth of thetask such that people will not rest until the goal is attained. Priorities andsequence of things is laid bare and any queries are clarified in a promptand personal fashion.

Determine what they personally need to do to improve their results.The effective leader does not spend his/ her entire life to coach and coaxothers to perform better but he/she also takes time to withdraw from thehustle and bustle of life for an internal introspection as well asretrospection. It is good to take time off periodically and think through

: Executive excellence: "seven traits of great leaders Page 14 Vol 16 No 16: Executive excellence: "seven traits of great leaders April 1999 Page 13 Vol 16 No16:


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issues, evaluate and then set personal goals afresh. This has a way ofrecharging the brain cells so that one is fresh to clearly plan and improveperformance. This is a trademark of effective leaders. Some take a deepbreathe and relax in their chairs before they begin any business each day.They also plan the day hour by hour.

Use results as the litmus test for any leadership or managementpractice in use new, proposed or initiated. The effective leader is nevercontent with part achievements nor does he/she sit on the laurels orpast glories. Each day has new challenges that must be faced as theycome. As such, closely knit to the aforementioned points above,effective leaders always set high goals segmented by bench marksagainst which periodic evaluations are done. From the results, theleader learns whether the practice is convenient, efficient or indeedideal. Furthermore, the leader always looks for easier and better waysto achieve the same goals. The results act as a litmus test for eitherleadership or management style.

Know and use every group members capabilities to the fullest andprovide everyone with appropriate developmental opportunities.

The effective leader is one who spends time studying the various membersof staff to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses and thus know whichpart of the team to put them. Like a football team coach, he/she identifiesstrengths and shuffles people around, of course having consulted them, inthe various positions so that they fully develop their potentials. In addition,the leader throws challenges to people by allowing them to lead groups,from small ones to big ones over time. In this way, people will exhibitleadership traits that were hither to latent. Also this motivates people and

adds to their self esteem. For example, at the Namuso ADP1 , almost all

members of staff have acted as manager, and others have respected them!

Experiment & Innovate in every realm under your influence, lookingconstantly for new ways to improve performance.

The effective leader is diligent learn new things from anybody whethersuperior or not and quickly grasps things. In this way, he / she is constantlyupdated and never caught unaware at all. In addition, the said leader is notafraid to take risks. There is always a thirst to try out new things and waysof doing activities to the end that current practices may be improved. Theeffective leader is not archaic, rigid nor autocratic but ready to venture intoany realm.

Increase the number of standards you measure and the rigor withwhich you measure them.

Effective leaders have a broad mind and by that token are able to have acomfortable appreciation of other spheres different from their speciality.For example, the leader is able to intelligently interact with and interpretfigures and metrics thus drawing conclusions. Apart from maths, the leadershould have a technically analytical and yet pragmatic mind so that he/she

1Namuso ADP is the name of the World Vision International Program at Mongu. ADP stands forArea Development Program. Refer to Appendix II for a case study at Namuso ADP


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can use various parameters to measure the results that come to the fore.Results tell a story and must thus be measurable in some way.

Constantly take action; results wont improve without it.The effective leader must act to produce results rather than just sitting backstoring at a glaring problem or a past success. Rather, the leader must be

proactive, and never be satisfied with the status quo. Leaders focus onopportunities for results. This entails focusing on what people can dorather than what they cant. Exploiting their strengths encourages resultsand avoids paralysis.

Increase the pace or tempo of your groupNot only is it good to get results but it is equally important to ensure thatthe results are timely. Thus, the effective leader ensures that each time, thepace and tempo of the group gets better and faster. This may well meandoubling up efforts as people become experts and thus reduce on the timespent doing a particular job. When people visibly see it in the leader (inincrease in pace & tempo) they will emulate. The leaders pace usuallysets the pace for the entire group. To some extent, leadership traits an infectious

Seek feedback from others about ways you and your group canimprove your out comes.

Sometimes, it is good to stand aside and observe how you do things. Betterstill, it would be good to ask other objective people to assess all of you andgive a feedback, giving ways you & other group members can improveoutcomes. Effective leaders are not afraid to be evaluated by out siderswho will give an objective report whether good or bad.

Make sure your colleagues perceive that your motivation is theachievement of positive results and not personal or political gain.Many aspire for leadership for the wrong reasons. Effective leaders cannotafford to have such a calibre of colleagues whose egocentric andclandestine agenda will not help anyone but themselves. Usually, suchselfish people are shrewd organisational politicians who gravitate towardsthe warm side and flee when the going gets though. The effective leaderensures that he/she is sincere and consistent when he/she does little thingsto motivate people rather than using the rewards and compliments to baitpeople so that they are forever tied hand & foot.

Model the methods and strive for the results your group wants touse & attain.

When a leader is chosen, usually they are role models for others to imitate. Thismeans that hither to, the person was a good example of consistent good behaviour.Good character is a powerful advocate for leadership. It goes before the person.Effective leaders deliver on their promises and are faithfully consistent on promisesno mater how insignificant.

Have an internal locus of control of the whole scenario but this leadership is not theassertive sort, this one is interactive in nature. In other words the leader is above


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everyone in the organisation in terms of abilities and acts as a resource person andfacilitator. The same does not bash everyone in his or her way but rather works sideby side with colleagues to achieve a particular goal.

Trusts people and delegates many tasks to them while he or she concentrates on otherthings. He or she is not bogged down with the details of planning and implementing

(although he /she has the ability) activities but rather looks for easier and better waysto do a job and the shares it with team mates

Never clandestine in his/her dealings but is open, communicates effectively andensures that no one is left in the dark. Since this is information-sharing age, theeffective leader shares skills, information that enables others to work well too.Another colleague educated and empowered is one way of freeing oneself from thatload to concentrate on other more important needs. This communication is through e-mail, person to person, visitation or regular reflective meetings that brain stormingsessions.

Never high goals and goes full throttle to achieve them. In the quest to appropriate,

he/ she involves everybody and makes them see the urgency and importance of thematter. In the end, people view hurdles as a challenge he/ she carries every bodyalong.

Have an unusual analytical eye and yet does not suffer from analysis paralysis. Inother words, the leader ensures that they receive data, process it and analyse theresults. Where issues are not clear, the leader freely asks or gives information as thecase maybe. Effective leaders need not be experts in every field but they have enoughgrey matter to capture issues and articulate them to all without much ado.

Not only have analytical powers, they are the best resource person available. As

intimated earlier, he/she has an interest in every area and is able to grasp things fast soas to sit back and lead from behind. In other words, the leader is an oasis of data,information and skills. The effective leader can articulate issues outside his/ hersphere of training having appreciated other areas. Gone are the days when managerswould say ask thefinance people, its not my area! For a modern leader to speak like thisspells disaster. In a nutshell then, the effective leader is in control of all his facultiesand in constant up date, with the whole picture in mind. In a capsule form, theeffective leader motivates others, creates and establishes a vision. In other, wordsgenerates ideas, manages openly, an achievement booster and is competitive.

Keeps their heads in all circumstances. Some people lose focus when they

succeed but the effective leader can handle the limelight and sustain theirleadership.

Are not easily flattered nor rest on their laurels. They do not get boggeddown with the trappings of past success.


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Have great visions that turn into reality. Such leaders can change entire

townsIn summary form, we can say that effective leaders are:

1. Visionary2. Have an excellent whole picture3. Excellent strategic thinkers and planners4. Creative & open minded.5. Trust others6. Team players, coaches & mentors7. Empathise with associates8. Value people9. Determined10.Good time managers11.Disciplined & keep the right priorities Not all urgent things are

important12.Systematic13.Free to delegate tasks14.Consistently setting high goals15.Inquisitive & have a wide range of knowledge16.Ever learning17.Achievers & performers.18.Motivators & inspirers19.Approachable20.Influential21.Proactive22.Self replicative23.Work Smart rather than only hard24.High capacity to forbear and forgive

Refer to the United States Information agency magazine entitled Leadership: Seven profiles in localGovernment We have live pictures of individuals that changed towns.


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The rare jewel of effective leadership Billy C Sichone

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n talking about developing leadership skills we cannot avoid encountering the question as towhether leaders are born or made. Admittedly, this is a very difficult question upon which

thousands of writers have shed their blood, with no conclusive answer. There are basicallythree schools of thought and each school has its own variations. As hinted before, manyauthors either support one doctrine in opposition to the other two. The first school asserts thatleaders are born and not made because certain people and families seem to have a natural flairfor leadership that hallows them unsolicited. Examples abound in that regard. But this schoolhas one problem because they cannot tangibly prove that leaders are born. The second schoolof thought is that leaders are made, that is, built up due to various environmental factors suchas background, training, exposure, circumstance and opportunity They argue that given theopportunity of in a vulnerable situation, one realises & reactivates their latent leadershiptraits. Further they argue that these leadership traits have to be developed over time ascircumstances show themselves. They state that one only discovers their potential whenconfronted with a situation that they have encountered before and from that situation, they

pluck some lessons to apply in future. For example, while a towering leader to whomeveryone looks is in their midst, the others will lie low and be subservient to the said hero butshould that person leave, another will arise to take over, although s/he may not be with theexact traits and degree of charisma as the predecessor. Thus, the new leader first encountersthe challenge & is afraid and feels inadequate, looks around and decides to rise to thechallenge as best as possible. This scenario happens again and again and in some cases, thenew leader brings in innovations, which the previous did not focus on. Unconsciously, welearn from our leaders and members, while in the same breathe taking note of their pitfallsand strengths. When the circumstantial leader rises to prominence, s/he avoids the pitfalls andimitates the positive traits from the predecessor before finding his/ her own feet. In my ownexperience, this has repeated itself so many times. Before the illustrious leader departs, I havetended to sit back and support the same but as providence would have it, the leaders uponwhom I relied heavily have either moved town or been transferred. There has been as initialfear tremor that has passed through my heart and mind but then I discovered that no one elsewould stand in for me. I pulled my self together and went ahead to achieve great things. Thiskind of leadership thought appeals to the natural mind but is it true? Can we verify it by wayof research? Isnt it true that those people are already born leaders but do not simply have anopportunity to express themselves? This theory also fails to stand on its own feet when weconsider myriads, which have miserably fallen by the way side after attempting to be leadersagainst their nature. The third school of thought is the contingency theory where it is believedthat no particular style of leadership is the best but depends on the situation.When considering leadership, we assume that the answer to the question at hand liessomewhere in between the two extremes. I think every person is a leader of some sort in their

own right and also that the leadership ability can be developed. What differs is the degree ofmanifestation some are more expressive and sanguine while others are choleric ormelancholic. Each of these differs and add colour to the vast array of the leadership rainbow.Since we believe that leadership powers can be developed, how can this be developed? Weassume that the answer to the question at hand lies somewhere in between the extremes.

How can a leader develop effective ways of doing things? How can one do a job of onemorning rather than the whole day? The answer lies in the ability of the leader to get hold ofcertain critical factors and master them. The primary thing that the leader must do to is begin


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focusing on quality in all his spheres. The said person must set the right priorities and exerthim self to attain the highest and best results in all spheres, whether in ethics or productoutput. Many times a leader is content to church out results enmass but is that result quality?Does it add value or send good massages abroad? The second thing is to be willing to learnfrom others, no matter their status learning, background or profession. Half the time, peopleare selective and prejudiced against certain areas. The leader must be willing to cross the

invisible departmental borders and grasp all he/she can. There is great value in willing tolearn, knowing that no man is entirely complete in knowledge in any profession. Havinglearnt from others, the leader then resolves to gain experience and in the process master thevarious factions. In the long run, the person becomes more proficient resulting in immensecost cuts. As time goes on, the resourceful leader will become a resource person who will bethere to help strengthen other peoples abilities. As he/she helps others repeatedly, the sameperson sharpens their own lot.

Thus, although some quarters believe that leaders are born, we can safely see that people candevelop sharpen their abilities with exposure and continuous training.

Further more, the leader is very strategic in outlook, highly organised and focused towards the

goal. Whereas the manager ensures things are going as per plan, the leader is an instrument ofchange with clear goals and mission. The leader is proactive and works by plan though opento any changes in the environment. The leader is a strategic risk taker and an agent of change.The leader is on a journey and as such constantly finding innovative ways of doing things.The status quo is not a resting place but a stepping-stone into higher lights orbs of service. Toachieve all these goals, the leader keeps focus & prioritises all the time. The burning motto isFirst things first It is true that many things seem urgent but not all are important. Thus, theeffective leader must have the ability to pick and choose the critical issues. Sadly, manyleaders are buffeted by a plethora of urgent issues and try to do all things at the same time. Inthe end, there is no tangible progressive achievement although much energy has been evoked.In a nutshell said leader is clear minded, methodical, focused and consistently mutating to suitenvironment.

Training Exposure Challenge

* * * * !!!!The results and effects of a good leadership are manifest as we commence by dealing with themarks of a good leader and then consider the effects of the same. The following is what I havegathered and concluded as I have read books and interacted with effective leaders. Where aneffective leader has passed, the following blaze will trail:

The quality of the output will be high as opposed to mediocre.The effective leadership is resilient, undaunted by quick tasks, threats or new

challenges.The effective leader is a fast and open learner and thus diffuses the same to others.The said leader gains experience and masters roles that he or she freely andwillingly passes on to others.Strengths are built upon and people are helped to identify and cultivate their corecompetencies. This is done via challenges and reflective training workshops.Cohesive teamwork is built where every member feels responsible and part of theteam. The results do not belong to one person but to all.

Cohesive Team work


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High out put A highly motivated team who willingly tackle their tasks

diligently.

Mutual concern for each other Absence of infighting and jostling for positions or status Goal focus & congruence Innovation and creativity are enhanced where people are free to

bring in ideas from which the best practices are fished.

Flexibility, agility & open mindedness on the part of the leaderthat ultimately rubs on to the rest of the team-mates.

People feel free & secure whenever they think of their jobs.There is little uncertainty though the modern trends of reengineering occur often. Because people are empowered, theycould either get another job or start another business altogether.

Self replication More proactive rather than reactive Continuity after the leadersexit

Impediments to effective leadership1. Character flaws: a. Integrity lack, inconsistency, indecision, unethical

practices,2. Little desire or passion. Low pulse for success or any cause.3. Little or no self discipline4. Blurred vision and goals5. Little or no determination6. Despair

Expected challenges for the leader1. Misunderstanding2. Threat3. Resistance to change, refer to the Butros Ghali case4. Dysfunctional parts in the chain and system5. Organisational politics e.g. passive resistance, back biting, little

buy in, different egocentric ambitions etc.

5 !5 !5 !5 ! ' ' ' '

Having scanned through the wide avalanche of books available on effective leadership,I fear that true and real effective leaders are exceedingly few and far between. The

times demand people who speak less with their tongues than those who vocalise theirmettle by their effects on a task undertaken.When I look around, all I see is a great mass of theorists across the Globe. It isgratifying however, that there is a new generation of Managers who are arising over thehorizon who will not stop at anything until they get the real genuine thing-Leadership.In my own prediction, I see a time when we shall see more of an informal office set upwhere people focus more on results rather than on petty squabbles such as what attire towear and which office to occupy etc. More frequently, people will not need to besupervised and will be disciplined enough to work from home and churn out high


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quality timorous results through the use of IT. Todays talk is focusing on the paperlessoffice as well as the virtual office. Now for these to be realities, people will need toreach a certain professional level and be self-governing. Already, we hear of self-managing teams with all the members of the team qualified professionals. I envision atime when every team member will have multiple talents and skills so as to take up anytask undaunted. The time of strict specialisation is fast coming to an end and is being

replaced by having a workable knowledge of many disciplines. Today, people are beingpaid for their knowledge rather than on the amount of time they spend doing aparticular job. For a long time to come, leadership and teamwork will carry the day fororganisational transformations.

Tomorrows scenario will be pretty the same but at an accelerated level. More andbigger challenges will surface and dynamic minds equal to the task will arise to meetthem.

9 * 9 * 9 * 9 *::::

I have thus laboured to bring to the fore what proper leadership is in the modernsociety, and having also zeroed in on effective leadership, it now remains for me to givesome recommendations of what I think is the best strategic way forward. We have seenthat much has been written on leadership lately, resulting in a plethora of volumes andmanuals on the topic. Although much has been documented on paper and otherwise, Ifear that very few people actually believe and practice what the purport to espouse. Imake this assertion based on what I have observed in various forums including myshort working stint. Thankfully, I worked with an excellent manager whom, in manyways, I am indebted to because for three years I read and watched his life, exemplifyingan ideal leader. He was far more than a manager. Turning my scope to other work

places within and without world vision, I see vast stretches of work places infested withautocratic managers rather than leader/ managers. Having asserted the last statement, letme hasten to say that it has equally been gratifying to see people change, open up andmutate to some semblance of the ideal manager after embarking on leadership training.If I were to paste a before and after picture in your mind of those people, the starkdifference would be so great. But that is what continuous training and exposure can do.What is my recommendation for the future? What ought we to do to salvage the officefrom being a tyrants dungeon to a sunshine peace haven where people work freelyand diligently? A number of recommendations come to the fore, some new, others old:

1. There must be continuous & constant training for staff people.2. There must be extended exposure of people to other environments,

either in the same industry or otherwise.

3. There must be increased encouragement of adopting methods of bestpractice. Knowledge must migrate freely.

4. People must be given more opportunity to take up responsibleleadership positions re- to act as managers, directors etc-This workedwonders at the Namuso ADP.

5. People must be challenged to believe they can do much more than theypresently envision.

6. People must be sometimes abandoned in risky & vulnerablecircumstances so that they are forced to use their latent leadership


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skills/survival instincts. This drags out to the fore the hidden strengths.This also strangles the laissez faire attitude.

7. Leaders must be consistent, visionary & full of integrity. They earntheir respect.

The road has been long but enjoyable. We have successfully ploughed through thewhole subject of leadership, having zeroed in on effective leadership. The question

paused at the beginning, What is effective leadership? is now answered and as such, Ihappily rest my case here!

Epilogue


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Bibliography

(1) Stephen Covey: Principal centred leadership NewYork, London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore

(2)Robert Heller: Effective leadership, Dorling Kindersley.London. New York. Sydney. Moscow

(3) Robert Heller: Managing teams, Dorling Kindersley.London. New York. Sydney. Moscow

(4) Executive Excellence Publishing 1999 April 2001issues.

(5) Andrew J. Dubrin: leadership: research findings, practice& Skills.

(6) Bower, Bastkett, Uyterhoeven & Walton: Businesspolicy: Managing Strategic processes, McGraw-Hill,Boston, Massachusetts Burr Ridge, Illinois Dubuque,Iowa Madison, Wiscosin New York, New York San

Francisco, California St. Louis, Missouri 8th

Edition

(7) Zambia Daily Mail 05/03/1999 issue(8) Cateora Phillip International Marketing: 9thEdition, 1996

Irwin McGraw-Hill, Boston Massachausetts,(9) Donald R. Cooper & Pamela S Schindler; Business

research methods, MCGraw Hill International Editions,Boston Burr Ridge, IL Dubuque, IA Madison, WI NewYork San Francisco

(10) Kereitner & Kinicki: Organisational Behaviour 4thEdition Irwin/ McGraw Hill, San Francisco.(11) Stephen Covey: 7 habits of high effective people1990/91 Pocket books, London, Sydney, New York, Tokyo,Singapore, Toronto.(12) Moi Ali: Marketing effectively: Dorling Kindersley.London. New York. Sydney. Moscow(13) Mary Ohara Deveraux & Robert Johansen: Globalwork Jossey Bass Publishers 1994.(14) Ariffin Ricky W. : Management 5th edition HoughtonUifflin Company Boston, Toronto, Geneva, Illinois, PaloAlto Princeton, New Jersey.(15) Thomas I Peters: In search of excellent: Warner books,1984 edition.(16) PJ Smit & ApduPlessis: Management Principlesworkbook 1994 futa & Lo ltd.(17) P. Bryans T.P Cronin: Organisation theory 1983,Mitchell Beazley Publishers(18) Charles B. Handy: Understanding Organisations J 2ndEdition. Penguin book(19) Edwin B. Flippo: Personnel Management 6th edition.McGraw Hill. Book Company. New York, St. Louis, SanFrancisco, Aukland, Bogota, Hamburg, London, Madrid,


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Mexico, Montreal, New Delhi, Panama, Paris, Sao Paulo,Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo & Toronto.(20) The Holy Bible: New International Version,International Bible Society, 1984.(21) Chuck Swindoll: Leadership, wordbook publisherWaco, Texas 1985.

(22) United States Information Agency: Leadership: Sevenprofiles in local government. This is a magazine.(23) Wendell L French, Cecil H Bell Jr: OrganisationDevelopment, Prentice-Hall of India Private ltd New Delhi-11001 3rdedition, August 1989.(24) John L Thomson: Strategic Management, ChapmanHall, London New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras(25) Samuel C Certo, J Paul Peter: The StrategicManagement process, Austin Press, Irwin Chicago, Bagota,Boston. Buenos Aires, Caracas, London, Madrid, MexicoCity, Sydney, Toronto, 3rdEdition.(26) Harvey Maylor: Project Management, Financial Times,Pitman publishing, London, San Francisco, Kuala Lumpur,Johannesburg.(27) William J Stevenson: Production/operationsManagement, Mcgraw- Hill companies, Inc., 1996 (IRWIN)Chicago, Bagota, Boston, Buenos Aires, Caracas, London,Madrid, Mexico City, Sydney, Toronto 5thEdition(28) Vroman H William, Vincent Luchsinger:Managing Organisation quality, Richard D IRWIN 1994 burrridge, Illinois, Boston, Massachusetts, Sydney, Australia(29) Mark Graham Brown, Darcy E Hitchcock, Marsha LWillard: Why TQM fails and what to do about it, Irwin

Professional Publishing. Chicago. London. Singapore 1994.(30) John Maxwell: 21 Irrefutable laws of leadership-Audiotapes.(31) The Leadership pill(32) Servant Leadership


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-!!; #-!!; #-!!; #-!!; #

The Kambule Baptist Church Scenario


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From about 1979 a Mini religious awakening swept across Zambia. The said revival,among many things, Occasioned the conversion of thousands to Christ, peoplesuddenly had a lively desire to know Christ and to do his work. Everywhere peoplewere conscious of the presence of God and attended every prayer meeting as well asevangelised when opportunity availed itself. Among the key revivalists at the timewas a man called Jack Sokoni, who was a fervent and fine expositor of the word. Headopted a systematic approach to expounding the Holy Scriptures to the end thatmany people might be built up as leaders. Every Sunday, he exercised a powerful andaffecting ministry. He guarded his pulpit jealously. This activity went on for nearlyten years when he suddenly left the Kambule Baptist Church to pursue further studiesabroad. An interesting phenomenon occurred because there was a latent leadershipcrisis that surfaced. Having been such a fine sound leader, people thought Pastor

Sokoni would be there always and as such, never made plans to prepare to take overhis shoes after his departure.

As a result, no one was found equal to the task for over 3 years, yet his powerfulinfluence still lingered many years afterwards.

In the fourth year, the Church felt they needed another Pastor and thus called anotherto take over but unfortunately, the new person did not last many years because PastorSokonis Ghost still lingered powerfully in peoples minds. The question that stillbegs answering in peoples minds today is why a vacuum was created and how thatcrisis could have been really avoided. Could that problem have been avoided? WasSokoni a leader?

(5(5(5(5

After much careful thought and research we observe that though Pastor Sokoni was agreat leader, he probably did not successfully pass on the Body of Divinity to a

wider body of faithful men. He seems to have been a great crowd puller, though nota very good one to one coach and mentor. Being Charismatic and magnetic, he dealtwith crowds rather than individuals and as such did not pick many understudiesexcept those who had a high IQ and could follow him through. The following weremy findings:

1. The Church had grown in knowledge but people were not given opportunity toexercise their leadership qualities.

2. The preacher appealed more to the intellect rather than causing people to applythose truths in real life.

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