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Effective Leadership 1 Running Head: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP Effective Leadership Literature Review

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Effective Leadership Literature Review

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Page 1: Effective Leadership Literature Review

Effective Leadership 1

Running Head: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Effective Leadership Literature Review

Page 2: Effective Leadership Literature Review

Effective Leadership 2

Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change: Author: Robert E. Quinn.

Effective leadership is critical to an organization’s achievement. There are several

common characteristics that effective organizational leaders share.  Without these characteristics,

initiatives and change can fail.  Leaders can take various different steps to help keep projects

from failing.

In this book "Building the Bridge as You Walk on it" the author proposes a new model of

leadership. Quinn the author of this book calls this “the fundamental state of leadership," which

is developed and supported through the firsthand stories of others who have experienced

personal transformation.

The author goal “is to illuminate how we can transform ourselves and our organizations."

This process, he argues, requires a new way of thinking. Normally we pursue change through

telling others why they need to change and, if this fails, we attempt to make them change.

Quinn addresses multiple meanings, all metaphors for the process of leading. Leadership is not

due to position or authority; instead, leading is engaging in a new endeavor while in the midst of

the change itself.

This book of "Building the Bridge as You Walk on it" has three parts, as follow, An

Invitation to the Fundamental State of Leadership, Eight practices for entering the fundamental

state of leadership and Developing Leaders.

In the first part “an invitation to the fundamental state of leadership." in this part of the

book Quinn explains the concept and presents his reasoning behind the need for personal

transformation before one is able to lead.

In chapter two of the part one, “the fundamental state of leadership” is about change. We

look to find that change by stepping outside of our comfort zone and asking what results do we

Page 3: Effective Leadership Literature Review

Effective Leadership 3

want or need to create. One becomes less self focused and more other-focused (Quinn, R.E.

(2004). Within these transformations of self and putting others first in addition to giving of

oneself can also be view as maturity. An example comes to mind, when flying on an aircraft the

flight attendant will instruct the passenger in the event of an emergency the oxygen mask will

release. If you are traveling with a child place the oxygen mask over your face and then they

instruct to assist the child. This is a real life example of how you must help yourself first and

then you can help other. It is the same in the growth process. That is how leaders are positioned

to lead people within an organization. Leaders first feed their need for knowledge with education

and they also acquire life experiences and then they can become self less.

The “fundamental state of leadership,” differentiated from the normal state, is

characterized by four qualities. The leader is purpose-centered; he or she is committed and

engaged in pursuit of a meaningful task. The person is internally directed, always self-examining

and attending to value-behavior inconsistencies. Other-Focused, One must transcend his or her

ego and be other-focused, putting others first and being authentic. Finally, the leader is externally

open, with a real interest in learning.

In the second part “eight practices for entering the fundamental state of leadership.”

The “fundamental state of leadership,” differentiated from the normal state, is characterized by

four qualities. The leader is purpose-centered; he or she is committed and engaged in pursuit of a

meaningful task. The person is internally directed, always self-examining and attending to value-

behavior inconsistencies. Other-Focused, One must transcend his or her ego and be other-

focused, putting others first and being authentic. Finally, the leader is externally open, with a real

interest in learning.

Page 4: Effective Leadership Literature Review

Effective Leadership 4

The author used some stories of others, to present, clarify, and support is argument, is

clear and serves their purpose. At the end of each chapter, readers are invited to submit their own

stories or insights to a web page (www.deepchange.com).

Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution and Change

How to make strategy work? Hrebiniak focuses his attention on the processes, decisions,

and actions which are needed to execute an appropriate strategy effectively. It soon becomes

obvious that Hrebiniak is a pragmatist. His observations and recommendations are based on an

abundance of real-world data. Both he and his content are results-oriented. He is determined to

help his reader to see the Big Picture but also to be ever-alert for significant details. A realist,

Hrebiniak fully understands that strategy execution initiatives inevitably encounter all manner of

barriers, challenges, etc. and so he correctly stresses the importance of managing change as a

complicated, sometimes volatile process. The author comes to the point in the first sentences of

the introduction. “This book focuses on a critical management issue: Making strategy work or

executing strategy effectively.” Hrebiniak introduces a step-by-step plan for the execution

process, which can assist people during this process.

In this book, Hrebiniak offers the first comprehensive, disciplined process model for

making strategy work in the real world. Drawing on his unsurpassed experience, Hrebiniak

shows why execution is even more important than many senior executives realize, and sheds

powerful new light on why businesses fail to deliver on even their most promising strategies.

Next, he offers a systematic roadmap for execution that encompasses every key success factor:

organizational structure, coordination, information sharing, incentives, controls, change

management, culture, and the role of power and influence in your business. Making Strategy

Work concludes with a start-to-finish case study showing how to use Hrebeniak's ideas to

Page 5: Effective Leadership Literature Review

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address one of today's most difficult business execution challenges: ensuring the success of a

merger or acquisition.

The material is carefully organized within ten chapters whose subjects range from

"Strategy Execution Is the Key" to "Summary and Application: Making Mergers and

Acquisitions Work," followed by an Appendix in which Hrebiniak provides a strategy execution

survey conducted by The Wharton School of Pennsylvania and GartnerG2 in 2003. There are

references to survey results throughout the book. For example, responses to a section on

"Obstacles to Strategy Execution" I also appreciate various reader-friendly devices which

Hrebiniak employs such as graphic illustrations and checklists as well as a Summary of key

points at the end of each chapter.

The purpose of the third chapter is to clarify the link between planning and execution and

show how strategy creation affects strategy creation. “Strategic planning at the corporate level is

primarily involved with portfolio decisions and a resource allocation across businesses….The

goal [at business level] is to develop a strategy that leads to competitive advantage in an industry

or market segment.” The final point is that strategy makes demands on the development of

organizational skills, resources, and capabilities.

"The operational aspects of strategic and short-term objectives mean that these objectives are

measurable. They are useful for strategy execution if they measure important results. Strategy

must be translated into metrics that are consistent with strategy and measurable. Only then can

the results of execution be adequately assessed. Without these useful metrics, successful

evaluation of execution results is not possible." (Page 88)

The Path to Successful Execution: Good Strategy Comes First: A number of points in the

present chapter relate to the success of a company’s execution or implementation efforts.

Page 6: Effective Leadership Literature Review

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• Strategy is the essential ingredient, the driving force behind execution efforts…

• It is vitally important to integrate corporate and business strategies. This means that effective

communication is needed between levels, along with processes that enable decision-makers to

reach agreement on strategies, goals, and performance metrics…

• Long-term strategic needs of the organization must be translated into short-term operating

objectives in order to successfully execute-strategy…

• Finally, strategy makes demands on organizational resources and capabilities…

Page 7: Effective Leadership Literature Review

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References

Hrebiniak, L. G. (2005). Making Strategy Work. New Jersey: Wharton School Publishing.

Quinn, E. R. (2004). Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change.