South West Regional Health and Well-being Leadership Academy  

Effective Leadership in times of change and uncertainty

Robin DouglasDouglas Consulting Services

March 2011

The following presentation contains a range of ideas that have been chosen to help you as part of a process of leadership to:

– achieve your outcomes and goals in difficult times– use your personal skills and knowledge to best effect– understand the dynamics of leading effective change– work effectively with others in change– maintain commitment and energy in the face of

resistance or opposition– Recognise the complexity and messiness of real and

effective change

Contents

• Part 1. Key thinking about leadership

• Part 2. Developing a language for public service leadership

• Part 3. Leading successful change

• Part 4. Strategic leadership

Part 1. Key thinking about Leadership: Vision

‘Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul’

» Nicolo Machiavelli

‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea’

» Antoine de Exupery

Action

‘Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood’

»Marie Curie

‘The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers’

»Amelia Earhart

Facing the leadership challenge

‘ We need to be more radical in the way we join up departments, authorities, agencies and sectors, to offer services that are built around client needs; we need to devolve power to devise new solutions closer to the frontline; we need to be better at influencing citizens to change their lifestyles and so reduce the pressure on public services’

Sir Michael Bichard 6th May 2009 The Guardian

And now:• ‘Local authorities must not wait for central

government legislation before implementing Total Place...maintain the momentum to convince the new government this can not be let go’

Lord Michael Bichard

21st May 2010

Total Place Review

A brief review of a century of leadership ideas

• Born not made….the great ‘man’ theories

• Style …what works?

• Traits…make good leaders

• Contingency or situational ….fit for purpose leadership

• Ends matter…leadership for results

more views…

• Focus on actual performance not theory• Competence…skills, knowledge and behaviour

can be learned• Action centred leadership….leadership includes

the team• Focus on the ‘intelligences’ – emotional,

environmental, social, and organisational

• Is effective leadership rooted in skills, behaviour or belief?

Leadership in action: John Adair focused on leaders need to balance….

Task

Team Individual

We also need to include a 4th domain…the organisation & the political context

& Dick Beckhard said that leaders…

• ‘Solve problems and manage dilemmas’… but must not get them confused.

• ‘Only do 3 kinds of work in organisations’...– Act on things yourself – do it!– Help others to do things – collaborate!– Permit things to be done…delegate and then

get out of the way!

• Think about a complex dilemma or ‘wicked’ problem that you have faced and improved. What enabled you to do this?

However, some of it is rocket science…

Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.

Laurence J. Peter

Is it management or leadership ?• Are the things you are handling tame or wicked

– problems or dilemmas?

• …working with past experience or meeting unpredictable challenges?

• With an understanding the timetable and pressures for action or in turmoil?

• Through organisational controls or using different sources of influential authority?

• Deciding or enabling?

When is it leadership ?

Command? Management? Leadership?

• Focus? Tactical Operational Strategic

• Time? Short Term Medium Term Long Term

• Problem? Critical Experienced New

What do good leaders do?

• Understand your agenda & focus on outcomes• Be curious – question and build understanding• Network and benchmark – how do others do it?• Walk about – be seen and heard• Get others to decide – set the framework• Strike deals – create dependencies• Show clear values and priorities• And probably, by being boring and repetitive

– From John Kotter ‘The General Managers’

Questions from leaders

• If I ask questions, how do l ensure I get useful answers?

• How do l understand how other players are likely to think and act?

• How do l deal with reluctance to change?

• How do l find time to learn, act and think differently?

• How do l ensure command or management doesn’t rule out leadership?

Part 2. Developing an outcomeslanguage for public service leadership

• The language of outcomes is hard to learn and use skilfully

• ‘Turning the curve’ can be very helpful• You will need to understand the ‘people’s

perspective’• You won’t achieve outcomes, people and

communities will• You can help by engaging and co-producing

their outcomes

Outputs/Services

Inputs

Outcomes

Changes in individual behaviour

Real personal benefits

Enhanced knowledge and choice

Wider health and social gains

Consensus Building

Partnership strategydevelopment

Organisationalarrangements

Joint funding plans‘Single door’ services

Information toconsumers/public/users

Partnershipprojects

Improved access to services

Depend on

Lead toInfo

rm o

rgan

-

isat

iona

l cha

nges

Depend on

Lead to

A framework for outcomes

Joint service delivery

Mapping your partnership working

TensionsConflicting priorities

Turf warsService focus

Integrated activityFlexible use of staff

Rule breakingTensions in governance

Outcomes focus

Complex accountabilitiesFaçade activities

Large scale meetingsExpressive focus

NetworkingCultural developmentRelationship building

Governance focus

action

planning

agency collective

orientation

mode

Who’s outcomes? Understanding Needs: Jonathan Bradshaw

Comparative Needs Normative Needs

Expressed

Needs

Felt Needs

Three mind sets that shape organisational life

Underlying beliefs set the tone and expectations for leading in complexity. Avoid the traps of other’s paradigms, metaphors and perspectives

The Metaphor is: The Focus is:

1. ‘Newtonian’ Clock/mechanical Planning, systems & outcomes

2. ‘Darwinian’ Plants- evolution and Learning, organic growth, change

scenario choices

3.‘Lost in change’Heroes in chaos Political, opportunist,

rule breaking, short life systems, ‘messy

choices’

Leading with different sources of authority…..

Positional

Based on Role & OrganisationalPosition

Given

Wisdom

Based on the Belief & Trust of Others

EarnedKnowledge

Based on Personal CapacityExperience & Understanding

Acquired

The learning leader……from the unknown unknowns

Unconscious incompetence

Conscious competence

Unconscious competence

Conscious incompetence

 

The johari window: using the four regions

1.What is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others

2. What is unknown by the person but which others know – feedback (1 - 2)

3.What the person knows that others do not know – disclosure (1 - 3)

4.What is unknown by the person and unknown by others – revelation (1 – 4)

Part 3. Leading successful change

• What are you trying to achieve?

• Do you have the resource and energy to see it through?

• Do you understand the others agenda?

• How are you going to handle resistance and inertia?

Understanding the context for change

PRESSUREFOR

CHANGE

CAPACITY FOR

CHANGE

A CLEARSHAREDVISION

ACTIONABLEFIRSTSTEPS

Bottom of “in-tray” Anxiety and frustration

A fast start that fizzles out

Haphazard efforts &false starts

Leading in transition

1. Immobilisation• Shock• Overwhelmed• Mismatch between high expectations and reality

2. Denial • Temporary retreat• False competence

3. Incompetence• Awareness that change is necessary• Frustration phase• How to deal with change

4. Acceptance of reality• ‘Letting go’ of past comfortable attitudes and behaviours.

7. Integration• Incorporate meanings into new behaviours

6. Search for meaning• Internalisation• Seeking understanding

5. Testing• New behaviours, new approaches (tendency here to stereotype, i.e. the way things should be done); energy; begin to deal with new reality - anger and frustration.

TIME

PER

FOR

MA

NC

E

Processes

People Policies

Culture

Organisational norms

Ways of working

Style

Skills

Personal Values

Individual Behaviour

Explicit organisational values

Roles

Defined goals & priorities

Public statements/ policies & strategies

3 Dimensions of Change in Organisations

‘Scott and Jaffe’: Reactions to change

DENIAL COMMITMENT

RESISTANCE EXPLORATION

Past Future

External Environment

Patterns of behaviour in change:

Victims... • put obstacles in the way, & may even sabotage• are likely to be defensive/negative• tend to blame others• look for short term solutions• have little regard for others• don’t look for solutions• have purely personal objectives• make heavy weather, even of simple issues• tend to withdraw, either physically or psychologically

Survivors . . .

• say the right thing – but don’t mean it• deny any real benefits• make cynical comments• take an “I’m all right Jack” position• put energy into positioning themselves – become territorial, pulls rank• spend time prioritising own needs – at

expense of others/organisation• can be aggressive or manipulative

Navigators . . .

• have the will to face the anxiety of change• can cope with the uncertainties• take a proactive approach• manage the pressures of change well• cultivate a belief in their ability to deal

competently with the situation• prefer being the cause of events rather than

at their mercy

At your best you are………? What brings out the worst in you?

Part 4: Strategic Leadership needs you to…• be clear about the core values, principles and main

elements of your strategic agenda.

• be able to describe vividly the ends and the nature of the journey

• understand the difference between a strategy (or plan) and strategic behaviour.

• share your vision with others to generate followership.

• .

• Enable and encourage others to engage with your ideas and shape the strategy.

• distinguish the difference from your ends and their means.

• Work the system, not just the organisation.

Leading through strategic behaviour requires …• Understanding that single or simple solutions rarely

work, systems and inter-connections are crucial

• A continuous focus on outcomes… there are often many different ways of getting there

• Developing skills in strategic behaviour, using feedback to understand what works

• Recognition that effective strategies must be constantly ‘reshaped’ to allow for change

…’being strategic’ also requires you to • Get your focus right – separate the solvable problems

from complex dilemmas

• Understand others agendas as well as your own

• Find a common language, and actively test assumptions

• Allow some space for learning - the best strategies will emerge

• Build purposeful partnerships and alliances

• Know what support and resources you need

In summary: Leadership in change …. to achieve real benefits for people by…

• Focusing on outcomes and enabling others in co-producing ways of achieving them

• Using your power, influence and authority skilfully

• Understanding your own patch and other’s organisations

better

• Improving innovation and productivity through collaboration and effective partnership working

• Leading through action and problem solving, place shaping and supporting local individuals and community

• Building and enabling leadership skills in others

• Recognising the need for your own survival, support and growth

• And…………?