Communication and leadership during change

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Communication and leadership during change encompasses topics of communication (transmission of information) and leadership (influence or guidance) during change.[ citation needed ] The goal of leader development is "the expansion of the person's capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes."[ attribution needed ] The two central elements to this are leadership can be learned, people do learn, grow, and change, and that leader development helps to make a person effective in a variety of formal and informal leadership roles. [1]

Contents

Leader development promotes personal growth by helping individuals develop their abilities to manage themselves, to work effectively with others, and to ensure that the work gets done. Leadership development promotes organizational growth, helping the group as a whole develop the leaders it needs to carry out such tasks, such as securing the commitment of members and setting direction. [1]

Establishing connections between people who can help achieve someone's goals will increase your chances of emerging as a leader in an organizational context. A great deal of a leader's development happens internally.

Inside-out versus outside-in

Leadership development is an "inside-out" process[ citation needed ] (based on internal thinking and intuition [2] ) that starts within the leader and then moves outward to impact others (as opposed to an outside-in process, which takes its starting point from the employee's perspective and what is best for them and meets their needs).[ citation needed ]

Habits and character principles

A leader's effectiveness is based on character principles like fairness, integrity, honesty, service, excellence, and growth. According to Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , habits are a combination of knowledge (what to do and why to do it), skill (how to do it), and motivation (wanting to do it).

Spirituality or other values has played a critical role in leaders development, helping them to make and follow through on their moral choices, develop virtues and character, identify their values and purpose, completing job assignments and handle hardships. There are some common spiritual practices that promote leader effectiveness, such as

Self-leadership

Kevin Cashman argued that leadership should be looked at from within. [5] According to Cashman, leadership can be defined as the "authentic self-expression that creates value." [6] This form of leadership can be found at all levels within an organization. [7] He identifies seven pathways for individuals to lead from the inside out. Instead of a hierarchical order, these pathways are created holistically. [8]

Pathway one: Personal mastery [7]

Pathway two: Purpose mastery [7]

Pathway three: Change mastery [7]

Pathway four: Interpersonal mastery [8]

Pathway five: Being mastery [8]

Pathway six: Balance mastery [8]

Pathway seven: Action mastery [7]

Leading followers through change

According to Steven Klepper (1997), there are four main periods organizations go through in the organizational life cycle when there is change within.

It is extremely important for leaders to be flexible and acceptable to change because it is inevitable. [10] In order to get through change, organizations need good leaders to help them guide through these tough times. It is vital that the leader keeps the core values of the company intact while they go through change to make sure that the company still meets the needs of its customers. Some leaders will take note of previous leaders and adopt certain things that were successful that those other leaders did when they went through change. The leader needs to keep the other employees focused during this change period. [11]

Communication and leadership as an internal process

According to Hackman and Johnson, communication is an integral part of the internal process of leaders. [1] Leaders must face many obstacles and challenging situations that can lead to personal growth. Much of the personal development that occurs for leaders is done as an internal process.

As they personally deal with issues, they make decisions that affect their lives and the lives of others. Intrapersonal communication plays an important role in the decision-making process and for personal development of the leader. This inwardly communication does eventually manifest itself in outward effects.

Personal development as an internal process

Personal development is an important aspect of leadership. [12] The need for programs and courses specializing in personal development is widely accepted across a variety of fields from science [13] to religion. [14]

Leadership programs focus on both the outward display or leadership and the inward attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. Many of the authors of leadership books around the turn of the century began highlighting the internal process side of leadership development including Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Kevin Cashman, author of Leadership from the Inside Out. Both were widely successful best-sellers which focused on internal concepts such as "Being Proactive", Habit 1 in Covey's 7 Habits, [3] or "Personal Mastery", the first pathway in Cashman's Seven Pathways to Mastery. [4]

Role of intrapersonal communication

When leaders begin self-reflective analysis of themselves, they begin to engage in intrapersonal communication. Intrapersonal communication is defined as communication occurring within the individual mind or self. [15] It can be as simple as internal thoughts or more complex neurophysiological means of examining our self. [16] There is a long history of research on intrapersonal communication and its connection to internal development. [17] Individuals frequently engage in intrapersonal communication as a means of self-awareness and it is an internal process related to personal development. [18]

For leaders, there are many benefits with intrapersonal communication. Intrapersonal communication can increase self-awareness. [18] It can give the leader a better view of their self. Research shows it is a means of overcoming communication apprehension, for both interpersonal and public communication. [19] These are some of the benefits for the leader who engages in intrapersonal communication as an internal process for personal development.

Innovative leadership and change

There is little peer-reviewed material on the intermingling of innovation and leadership. It is, however, very evident[ according to whom? ] that great innovation comes from great leaders. Steve Jobs is an example of one of the great technological innovators of our time.[ according to whom? ] As a new phenomenon and thought, many[ who? ] are seeking out how leadership effects innovation and vice versa. Many acknowledge the need for public sector support and societal support of innovation in order for funding to occur, and in turn, innovation to occur, [20] many universities are implementing innovation networks, and the necessity for unique and independent thinkers is apparent. Google says, "Our commitment to innovation depends on everyone being comfortable sharing ideas and opinions". [21]

Transformational leadership and innovation

Transformational leadership, a type of leadership that has an ability to change an organization, [1] would likely produce innovation. Since innovation is more than simply invention, the process of leadership can in and of itself be innovative. Innovation is a crucial part of being an effective and productive transformational leader. A transformational leader is creative, interactive, visionary, empowering, and passionate. [1] [22] The subordinates self-concept function determines how the follower will react to the leader. The capabilities and strengths of a leader to be a leader have a direct effect on an organization's success. [23] Oftentimes, leaders are not trained well in leadership development, leaving them unprepared to foster an environment of innovation. [23] An innovative leader is a transformational leader.[ according to whom? ]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leadership</span> Quality of one individual or group influencing or guiding others based on authority

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team</span> Group linked in a common purpose

A team is a group of individuals working together to achieve their goal.

Organization development (OD)is an goals primarily called based totally technique to structures alternative inside an business enterprise. The organizational changes are typically initiated by the group's stakeholders. OD emerged from human relations studies in the 1930s, during which psychologists realized that organizational structures and processes influence worker behavior and motivation. Organization Development allows businesses to comstruct and maintain a brand new preferred state for the whole agency. Key concepts of OD theory include: organizational climate, organizational culture and organizational strategies.

Intrapersonal communication is the process by which an individual communicates within themselves, acting as both sender and receiver of messages, and encompasses the use of unspoken words to consciously engage in self-talk and inner speech.

Historically there have been differences among investigators regarding the definition of organizational culture. Edgar Schein, a leading researcher in this field, defined "organizational culture" as comprising a number of features, including a shared "pattern of basic assumptions" which group members have acquired over time as they learn to successfully cope with internal and external organizationally relevant problems. Elliott Jaques first introduced the concept of culture in the organizational context in his 1951 book The Changing Culture of a Factory. The book was a published report of "a case study of developments in the social life of one industrial community between April, 1948 and November 1950". The "case" involved a publicly-held British company engaged principally in the manufacture, sale, and servicing of metal bearings. The study concerned itself with the description, analysis, and development of corporate group behaviours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Covey</span> American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker

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<i>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</i> Business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey

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Communications management is the systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an organization and between organizations. It also includes the organization and dissemination of new communication directives connected with an organization, network, or communications technology. Aspects of communications management include developing corporate communication strategies, designing internal and external communications directives, and managing the flow of information, including online communication. It is a mere process that helps an organization to be systematic as one within the bounds of communication.

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Transformational leadership is a theory of leadership where a leader works with teams or followers beyond their immediate self-interests to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through influence, inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of a group; This change in self-interests elevates the follower's levels of maturity and ideals, as well as their concerns for the achievement. it is an integral part of the Full Range Leadership Model. Transformational leadership is when leader behaviors influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond their perceived capabilities. Transformational leadership inspires people to achieve unexpected or remarkable results. It gives workers autonomy over specific jobs, as well as the authority to make decisions once they have been trained. This induces a positive change in the followers attitudes and the organization as a whole. Transformational leaders typically perform four distinct behaviors, also known as the four I's. These behaviors are inspirational motivation, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration.

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Personal development or self improvement consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, and enhance quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life. It can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor, and it is not restricted to self-help. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems offered to support positive adult development at the individual level in organizations.

Change management is a collective term for all approaches to prepare, support, and help individuals, teams, and organizations in making organizational change. It includes methods that redirect or redefine the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation that significantly change a company or organization.

Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values than simply economic ones.

Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences, in humanities, as well as in professional and applied fields of study. The field of leadership studies is closely linked to the field of organizational studies.

Leader development is defined as the "expansion of a person's capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes". These roles and processes are ones that aid in setting direction, creating alignment and maintaining commitment in groups of people sharing common work. Most organizational leadership research and educational programs have focused on developing individual-based knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with formal leadership roles of individuals. Leader development therefore results by investing in human capital.

A leadership style is a leader's method of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Various authors have proposed identifying many different leadership styles as exhibited by leaders in the political, business or other fields. Studies on leadership style are conducted in the military field, expressing an approach that stresses a holistic view of leadership, including how a leader's physical presence determines how others perceive that leader. The factors of physical presence in this context include military bearing, physical fitness, confidence, and resilience. A leader's conceptual abilities include agility, judgment, innovation, interpersonal tact, and domain knowledge. Leaders are characterized as individuals who have differential influence over the setting of goals, logistics for coordination, monitoring of effort, and rewards and punishment of group members. Domain knowledge encompasses tactical and technical knowledge as well as cultural and geopolitical awareness.

Work motivation "is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration." Understanding what motivates an organization's employees is central to the study of I–O psychology. Motivation is a person's internal disposition to be concerned with and approach positive incentives and avoid negative incentives. To further this, an incentive is the anticipated reward or aversive event available in the environment. While motivation can often be used as a tool to help predict behavior, it varies greatly among individuals and must often be combined with ability and environmental factors to actually influence behavior and performance. Results from a 2012 study, which examined age-related differences in work motivation, suggest a "shift in people's motives" rather than a general decline in motivation with age. That is, it seemed that older employees were less motivated by extrinsically related features of a job, but more by intrinsically rewarding job features. Work motivation is strongly influenced by certain cultural characteristics. Between countries with comparable levels of economic development, collectivist countries tend to have higher levels of work motivation than do countries that tend toward individualism. Similarly measured, higher levels of work motivation can be found in countries that exhibit a long versus a short-term orientation. Also, while national income is not itself a strong predictor of work motivation, indicators that describe a nation's economic strength and stability, such as life expectancy, are. Work motivation decreases as a nation's long-term economic strength increases. Currently work motivation research has explored motivation that may not be consciously driven. This method goal setting is referred to as goal priming. Effects of primed subconscious goals in addition to goals that are consciously set related to job performance have been studied by Stajkovic, Latham, Sergent, and Peterson, who conducted research on a CEO of a for-profit business organization using goal priming to motivate job performance. Goal priming refers to the achievement of a goal by external cues given. These cues can affect information processing and behaviour the pursuit of this goal. In this study, the goal was primed by the CEO using achievement related words strategy placed in emails to employees. This seemingly small gesture alone not only cost the CEO very little money, but it increased objectively measured performance efficiency by 35% and effectiveness by 15% over the course of a 5-day work week. There has been controversy about the true efficacy of this work as to date, only four goal priming experiments have been conducted. However, the results of these studies found support for the hypothesis that primed goals do enhance performance in a for-profit business organization setting.

The Three Levels of Leadership is a leadership model formulated in 2011 by James Scouller. Designed as a practical tool for developing a person's leadership presence, knowhow and skill, it aims to summarize what leaders have to do, not only to bring leadership to their group or organization, but also to develop themselves technically and psychologically as leaders. It has been classified as an "integrated psychological" theory of leadership. It is sometimes known as the 3P model of leadership.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hackman, M. (2009). Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press Inc, Publishers. ISBN   978-1-57766-579-3.
  2. ↑ Inside Out vs. Outside In Thinking - CX University
  3. 1 2 Covey, S. (2004). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People . New York, NY: Free Press. ISBN   978-0-7432-6951-3.
  4. 1 2 Cashman, K. (1999). Leadership from the Inside Out. Provo, UT: Executive Excellence Publishing. ISBN   978-1-890009-31-1.
  5. ↑ Stogdill, R. M. (1965). Managers, employees, organizations. Columbus: Ohio State University, Bureau of Business Research.
  6. ↑ McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN   0071462228
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Hackman, M. & Johnson, C. (2009). Leadership: A communication perspective. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hackman, M. & Johnson, C. (2009). Leadership: A communication perspective. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
  9. ↑ "Leadership and Change".
  10. ↑ (McNamara)
  11. ↑ "Guidelines, Methods and Resources for Organizational Change Agents". 18 January 2022.
  12. ↑ Liu, J.; Siu, O.; Shi, K. (July 2010). "Transformational leadership and employee well-being: The mediating role of trust in the leader and self-efficacy". Applied Psychology: An International Review. 59 (3): 454–479. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2009.00407.x.
  13. ↑ Rao, S. (19 April 2009). "Personal professional development". AIP Conference Proceedings. 1119 (1): 7–10. Bibcode:2009AIPC.1119....7R. doi:10.1063/1.3137917.
  14. ↑ Brown, E. (2007). "Personal, institutional, and communal leadership: Rethinking leadership development for the jewish community". Journal of Jewish Communal Service. 82 (3): 234–243.
  15. ↑ "Merriam-Webster".
  16. ↑ Walla, P; Greiner, K.; Duregger, C.; Deecke, L.; Thurner, S. (2007). "Self-awareness and the subconscious effect of personal pronouns on word encoding: A magnetoencephalography (MEG) study". Neuropsychologia. 45 (4): 796–809. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.08.017. PMID   17005211. S2CID   13973453.
  17. ↑ Jemmer, P. (2009). "Intrapersonal communication: The hidden language". European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. 9 (1): 37–49.
  18. 1 2 Nurius, P.; Majerus, D. (1988). "Rethinking the self in self-talk: A theoretical note and case example". Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 6 (3–4): 335–345. doi:10.1521/jscp.1988.6.3-4.335.
  19. ↑ Francis, T.; Miller, M. (Jan 2008). "Communication apprehension: Levels of first-generation college students at 2-year institutions". Community College Journal of Research & Practice. 32 (1): 38–55. doi:10.1080/10668920701746688. S2CID   143016094.
  20. ↑ Taylor, J.S. & Machado-Taylor, M.D.M. (2010). Leading Strategic Change in Higher Education: The Need for a Paradigm Shift toward Visionary Leadership. Frontiers in Higher Education (Claes, T. & Preston, D.S., Eds.) Editions Rodopi BV: New York, NY.
  21. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2016-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ↑ Rank, J.; Nelson, N.E.; Allen, T.D.; Xian, X. (2009). "Leadership predictors of innovation and task performance: Subordinates' self-esteem and self-presentation as moderators". Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 82 (3): 465–489. doi:10.1348/096317908X371547.
  23. 1 2 Boatman, J. & Wellins, R. (2011). It's Time for a Leadership Revolution. T+D Publications, American Society for Training and Development: Pittsburgh, PA.
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