Leading Today

Thinking Styles Lead to Styles of Leading I have posted this message on various posts since 2013 and based most of my speeches, workshops, training programs and university masters degrees courses on this premise since 1980. THINKING STYLES - Theories, Models, Businesses In 1976 while in a gifted education class and then a counseling class I became aware of personality and thinking style tests.  The previous 10 years I had worked and was still working as an architect and a graphic designer. Over the next 7 years I completed a Masters in Education in Guidance of Counseling focused on Gifted, Talented and Creative people and a PhD in Educational Psychology with the focus on the teaching of creative thinking tools and techniques. From 1976 to now I have read about, studied, explored, used, researched over 400 style instruments: thinking, learning, teaching, counseling, communication, team creative thinking, conflict/negotiation, etc. After completing my PhD in 1983 I did a

Change the Only Constant in the Universe Philosopher Cato is often given credit for this observation Though some people thrive on Change, many to most do not. Here are a variety of reasons why the greatest majority of people RESIST CHANGE. WHY PEOPLE RESIST Change People resist change for a variety of reasons. Some of them are... 1. The purpose of the change communicate individually more is not made clear.  communicate with group more thoroughly 2. The people affected by the change  involve them in small groups are not involved in the planning of the change. 3. Existing habit patterns  study how changes will affect are not considered. existing habits/paradigms 4. Lack of ownership  involvement, encourage buy-in 􀀇􀀄􀀁 􀀏􀀓􀀕􀀝􀀁􀀡􀀘􀀁􀀓􀀢􀀢􀀓􀀣􀀗􀀠􀀥􀀁􀀔􀀗􀀠􀀗􀀫􀀥􀀤􀀁􀀁 􀀁 􀀁 􀀢􀀓􀀪􀀡􀀘􀀘􀀂􀀁􀀁􀀣􀀗􀀨􀀓􀀣􀀖􀀤􀀂􀀁􀀔􀀗􀀠􀀗􀀫􀀥􀀤􀀁􀀘􀀡􀀣􀀁􀀣􀀗 5.  Laci of apparent benefits  payoff, rewards, benefits for results􀀇 􀀄􀀁 􀀏􀀓􀀕􀀝􀀁􀀡􀀘􀀁􀀓􀀢􀀢􀀓􀀣􀀗􀀠􀀥􀀁􀀔􀀗􀀠􀀗

How Leaders Make Decisions Your table will be assigned one pair of these 10 Primary Decision Making Types. Your task is to discuss positive, beneficial aspects of each, even if they contrast or contradict each other or you currently would have difficulty using either or both.  Then choose an example of when you could use each of them in your department or agency, separately. TELLING I have made a/the decision, this is it (no input from employees) PRESENTING This is the decision I have made, and this is why it is a good one for you to follow or use. (no input from employees) REQUESTING Here’s what we are going to do. What do you think about it? (asks for input from afterward) CONSULTING I’m thinking of a possible solution, how might I improve or alter it for the better? (asks for input that could effect the solution) INVOLVING Here’s the problem, tell me your ideas and I’ll base my decision on your input. (involves input) TEAMING UP Here’s the full situation

Introduction to Leading Today You are beginning a program that has been designed to provide you many opportunities to examine your past, present and future thoughts about being a successful leader in your profession. The program has been designed to cover several inter-related topics that are highly important to “leading productively” in today’s and tomorrow’s workplaces. Included among the topics are: 1. leading and leadership (coordinating) 2. communicating 3. teaming and teamwork (collaborating) 4. creative thinking & problem solving (cre8ng) 5. conflicting (conflict resolution and negotiation) 6. changing 7. connecting w/ employees & other leaders 8. teaming (collaborating) In each topic you will be asked to examine various styles, theories, skills that I will present and the ideas of the other members of your class to compare and contrast them with your own that you have collected and developed since you began working. My goals and objectives

There are Potentially Infinite Styles of Leading When I began giving speeches, workshops, training programs or facilitating Retreats focused on Developing Leaders I began using Leader Styles to help the various leaders and future leaders explore that the  BEST LEADERS ARE THEMSELVES while understanding ALL those who follow them. While I was working on my doctorate I studied many Thinking Styles models and used them with many audiences and classrooms of students to help them  UNDERSTAND YOURSELF IN ORDER TO WORK BETTER WITH OTHERS I created my own basic Thinking Style Model based upon a great deal of experience with hundreds of others and especially after I did a Correlation Study using 300 separate tests, questionnaires, quizzes that produced scores of .9 and higher, basically saying that they all were very much the same. They ranged from quick exercises to tests with over 200 questions. Because I often did lunch time speeches I needed something shorter 

Leader - Manager - Boss In the early 1980s Warren Bennis wrote a book that began the HATE MANAGERS & BOSSES, LOVE LEADERS MOVEMENT. In my workshops, retreats and university courses I challenged the participants and students to explore their own thinking about these 3 roles Over my 30 years of doing such programs I developed my own thinking. Boss, Manager, Leader  are simply 3 ways of mostly doing the same work with employees or teams. Also one lesson I learned and support is that Unless you can effectively BOSS you will never truly learn how to LEAD or earn the right to LEAD other people. Also I created a 4th title or role COORDINATOR Coordinator of the work of other people from a few to thousands. For me we BOSS when the time is limited or in emergency situations. Managing is what ALL employees need to be trained to do much as W. Edwards Deming and Juran wrote and spoke about during the decade of QUALITY CIRCLES and the QUALITY MOVEME

Typically Americans HATE to be Managed or BOSSED Typically Americans may hate to be managed yet they will follow leaders they believe in, at least for a short while.  The key is "FOR A SHORT WHILE" Leaders may be born. Leaders can be developed.  Leading productively, effectively and efficiently does consist of learnable skills, behaviors and attitudes. Over the first 5 years of my speaking, doing workshops or retreats about Leadership in the US I started titling my sessions. AMERICANS TYPICALLY HATE TO BE MANAGED But THEY WILL FOLLOW LEADERS AT LEAST FOR A SHORT WHILE. All the books I had been reading since Warren Bennis's famous one we damning Managers and praising Leaders and of course hating BOSSES. The following exercise I began using in 1980 with the first two Community Leadership Development Programs that Walt Denero asked me to speak to when they came to the University of Georgia for their KICK-OFF RETREATS fo