Reflections upon the last two lectures

Thinking about Leadership

We were asked what we had found affirming and disturbing over the past few lectures

Affirming

I found that my misgivings concerning the current management paradigm - both its theory and practice - were affirmed.  Although leadership is not just about management, the two have become conflated (see my post from the 16th of April on "Leadership Competencies")  and, rather than address its low competency in management, those in management have shifted our focus to leadership.  We now have poor management and poor leadership.

Disturbing

At the core of this problem is the hierarchical approach to management so common in the modern economy.  The approach creates management problems and comes up with new approaches to address them.  These new solutions are then misapplied, causing further problems.

Hard Decisions

It is common the read of managers describing how it was necessary for them to make the "hard decisions" such as sacking workers and closing factories (such as in the King Gee immersion experience).  Hard for the worker, not as hard for the manager!  The hard decisions were those not made by the managers; the ones that may have allowed the factory to be more productive; the ones that would have given the workers machinery, facilities etc to start their won textiles business.  This would have meant hard work and arguing (with their management).

Positive Organisational Scholarship

I find the topic fascinating but disturbing!  Such an effort to make a positive workplace when the standard management approach is so negative.  Again, new tools to fix problems that are inherent in the system.

The End of Leadership - Barbara Kellerman

In her new book, Kellerman decries the gap between "the teaching of leadership and the practice of leadership" and expresses her concern over the rise of the "leadership industry, of which she is a part.  She, in the extract we read in class, also seems to conflate "leadership" and "management".  Why do we need 24x7 leadership?  Why do we need a specific leader?  Why do we need 24x7 management? Why do we need a specific manager?   We we don't.  But when we try, we create more leadership and management problems.

Ricardo Semler and W. Edwards Deming

These two gents provide solid and successful examples of a different management/leadership paradigm.  Deming in Japan and around the  world; Semler in Brazil at Semco.

If the many solutions tried don't solve the problem, then perhaps we are looking at the wrong problem.

Summary

So far I've found the Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring course to be confronting, revealing, enlightening, provocative.  Oh, and formative in a visceral sort of way.