Embedding

Transformational
Leadership In Practice
Caroline Patterson
Special Adviser, Organisational Development,
Gateshead Council
Purpose
Talk about Transformational Leadership (TF)
What it is, what it really means
Why its so important
Practical things weve done to embed it and
360 degree appraisal in various
organisations
Some of the lessons learned along the way
Also here to learn from your experience
Style
Need to briefly recap the theory, but well
do that quickly
Debunk some of the myths
Challenge what you believe to be true
Build in some activities around factors to
consider when embedding TF/using 360
Handouts and questionnaires to take away
Why Im Here
Met Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
in 1999
Programme Director IDeA Modern Managers
Programme
She conducted the biggest study ever on leadership
in the public sector
Worked together since then developing and
embedding leadership cultures in various
organisations
National research- MBA Hull, Members 360
Why Do We Need Leadership?
Quick Recap.
Importance of Leadership
Vision, direction and focus real skill is
aligning people to it
Clear goals, dont know where you are going
you are unlikely to get there
Team spirit.

Managers managing is important
Transformational Leadership has the
biggest impact on morale, motivation,
stress, job satisfaction, productivity and
performance
Importance of Leadership
Poor leadership costs in terms of
stress related absence, and has enormous cost in
terms of individual health and psychological well
being
Increased focus on leadership development and
assessment in our Corporate Performance
Assessment
Leadership is the single biggest factor that drives
change and organisational improvement LG
White Paper

Direct Relationship Between
Leadership, Motivation, Stress
and Performance
3 Variables That Affect Performance
Performance =

A + Ability and competence
M + Motivation
R + Resources
TIME
PERF
motivation
Motivation Over Time
40-50%
effective
Leadership is about saying
How can I interact with
people to improve their
performance, give them just
enough stretch to keep them
motivated and help them
realise their potential?
Whats The Biggest Cause Of
Stress In The Workplace?
Climate Studies 50s to 90s
60-75% of people said that in any
organisation, the most stressful aspect
of their work was their immediate boss!
Managers with controlling styles who fail
to clarify roles and responsibilities, who
exert undue pressure have working
groups with higher levels of stress and
tension
Controlling Styles
Climate Studies- Main Causes Of Stress
Unclear roles and responsibilities

Lack of autonomy

Lack of social support
Levels Of Arousal
Perf.
Acceptable level of stress
Unacceptable level
Stress is Infectious!
Average correlation within the same
working groups

= .92
We leak!!!!
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
Leadership Development
is both a financial and moral imperative.
Stress is increasing in
organisations at a phenomenal
rate
Cost of stress is also increasing
(in terms of absence as well as performance)
The Search for the Holy Grail
What makes a good leader?
Leadership Research: The Old Paradigm
1930s-50s Great Man Approach
Traits Approach

1960s The Behavioural Approach

1970s Situational/Contingency
Approach

Autocratic Participative Consultative
Levels of
Autonomy
Democratic

Tannenbaum Schmidt
Levels of
Freedom
Levels of
Control
1960s Behaviour/Style Approaches
one best style
Blanchard-Situational Leadership

PARTICIPATE SELL
DELEGATE TELL
FOLLOWER MATURITY
HIGH LOW
The New Paradigms of
Leadership
Changing Paradigms of Leadership
Seismic shift in thinking in the 70s
Old models only suitable for stable
environments
Research conducted with first line
supervisors
Need to engage with CExs with experience
of managing strategic and complex change
Existing research not particularly valid- all
self rating
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
The Myths of Leadership
Its rare
Its found mainly at the top
Its about being super-human
You can only do it if you are male!
(Well save that one for another time)
Research on Charisma
Early research- charismatic leaders were
the star performers
Utter rubbish -completely discredited
You were perceived to be charismatic if
you were evangelistic, expressive, waived
your arms about, had blue eyes, were
extrovert rather than introvert
Leadership is about being quietly effective
Knight in shining armour
required to charge in on their
white horse and save the
organisation from ruin-

Mere mortals need not apply!
Unrealistic Job Ads
Whats the Difference Between
Leadership and Management?
Another paradigm shift-leadership no longer
viewed as a subset of management.
Kotters Comparison of
Management & Leadership
Transactional Leadership

(Management)


Creating Planning
Budgeting:
Agendas

Developing HR
Organising &
Staffing

Execution Controlling &
Problem-
solving:


Outcomes Produces a
degree of
predictability
& order

Transformational Leadership
(Leadership)


Establishing Direction:


Aligning People:


Motivating & Inspiring:


Produces change - often to a
dramatic degree

Leadership Versus Management
Management is about coping with
complexity, provides stability, order and
consistency

- Is transactional
- Promotes the status quo

Leadership Versus Management
Leadership is having vision, a clear sense
of direction and aligning people to it,
helping people cope with change

-Promotes transformation
and drives change

Leadership Versus Management
Management is about doing things right
Leadership is about doing the right thing
We need to develop both


But where did the terms transactional
and transformational come from?..
Transactional versus Transformational
Transactional - negotiation exchange or
bargaining
Transformational - a vision that things
would be different or better
George McGregor Burns
Bass, B.M. (1985) Leadership &
Performance Beyond
Expectations. London: Free Press
1980s Basss Model of Transformational
Leadership
Idealised Influence (Vision)
Inspirational Motivation (Charisma)
Intellectual Stimulation
Individualised Consideration
Vision
Vision is the dream that invents the
future

Developing a shared vision
Direction, aligning people
Painting pictures
Make people believe its achievable
Be a Good Conductor
The task is to get the orchestra
working to deliver the music in your
head. Its a three stage operation-
hear the music, get it over to the
orchestra get them to give it to the
audience
Leonard Bernstein
Redefining Charisma
Quietly effective
Positive role models others look up to
and want to follow
Encourage people to give more of
themselves, go the extra mile
Can be positive or negative
Beware the pseudo-charismatics
Pseudo- Charismatics
Often do well at interview
All gloss and no substance
Highly visible
Good at self promotion/taking credit
for the work of others
Dont deliver results
Can generate compliance cultures
Zero correlation between charisma
and performance, strong correlation
between charisma and pay!
Potentially Worrying !!
Intellectual Stimulation
Encourage people to question the way
things are done and are not defensive
Take a collaborative approach to problem
solving
Intelligent and use a range of behaviours-
adjust pitch and style according to whom
they are dealing with, gain credibility
quickly
Individualised Consideration
Genuine concern for others and their
welfare
Communicate positive expectations of
people
Treat them with dignity and respect
Not interested in status and hierarchy-
treat everyone as equals
Value diversity and difference
Are you ok?
Does The Soft and Fluffy Stuff Really
Work?
Research has shown that:

Transformational Leadership has a significantly greater
impact than Transactional Leadership on a variety of
subjective and objective outcome measures, including:

job satisfaction, motivation, and performance of followers
lower levels of stress & burnout amongst staff
more collaborative, innovative, harmonious teams
financial performance of organisations
performance in public sector organisations

Source: Bass, B.M. & Avolio, B.J., (1996) Postscripts: Recent Developments
for Improving Organisational Effectiveness, Sage
The Importance Of Balance

Its about being transactional in a transformational way
Managers Managing Is Also Important
Clarifying roles and expectations
Competency Framework
Constitution
Delegations
Training on key skills
Decision making
Structures
Training on personnel
policies and procedures
Appraisal
Managing poor
performance
Reward/sanction
Why Conduct Further Research?
Most leadership research was from the US

Based on commercial & military
organisations

Focus was typically on male white top
managers who were self rating

Gender & race bias
How Was The Research Conducted?
Think about leaders you have known
2 outstanding, 2 average, 2 poor
Write their initials on a card
Shuffle cards and pick out 2
To what extent are they similar but
different from the rest?
Elicit and group constructs
Interviews with 150 male and female managers, LG and NHS
using Rep Grid
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe & John
Alban-Metcalfe
New Model of Transformational
Leadership (1)
(1) Leading others

Genuine concern for others
Enabling

Being accessible, available,


Encourages change
New Model of Transformational
Leadership (2)
(2) Personal Qualities

Honest and consistent

Acting With Integrity

Being Decisive

Inspiring Others

Resolving Complex problems
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe & John
Alban-Metcalfe

New Model of Transformational
Leadership (3)
(3) Organisational Skills

Political sensitivity and skills

Networker, promoter, communicator

Manages change sensitively and skilfully

3 Types of Handout In your Pack
How TF am I/Are We?
US Versus The UK Model
US models focus on charisma and vision,
the leader as a role model
UK public sector model leadership is
about engaging with partners, developing a
shared vision and engagement
Genuine concern fourth for Bass, top of the
LG scale
Ability to communicate positive expectations
and develop good networks is really
important
Transformational Leaders
Are outward looking
Drive change in organisations and make things
happen
Clear sense of direction and focus
Develop a shared vision and bring people along with
them
Communicate positive expectations
Accessible, approachable, are honest consistent
and act with integrity
Motivate and empower employees, help them cope
with change
The Relationship Between
Leadership and Self Awareness
Leadership and self awareness
are inextricably linked- to be a
leader you first need to know
yourself
Robert Greenleaf

Leadership is connecting what
I do to who I am to those I
serve

You are not a leader if no-one is
following you!!!
Problems with Traditional Appraisal
BOSS
TEAM
LEADER
LINE
MANAGER
360 Is a Great Tool for Developing SAw
Multiple perspectives on your leadership
style
Encourages a culture of openness and
feedback
Studies have shown it improves all aspects
of TF ( if development needs are
addressed)
Performance improvement is sustained for
at least two years
Particularly As..
Direct reports are the best predictors of
performance
Over and above assessment centres for
the first seven years
We all have blind-spots
Everybody sees me differently but me!
UK Model, Based on a 360
Approach
Self
Manager
0.3
.24
Staff
0.6
0.6
Colleagues .18
Activity
How transformational is your organisation?
How do you know?
Are you doing enough to develop TF, if not what
practical things do you need to do?
(Think specifically about the implications for
recruitment, A and D, competency frameworks,
development/ succession planning etc)?
What practical things would you need to consider
prior to implementing 360?
Lessons Learned

Embedding Transformational
Leadership
Leadership & culture are 2 sides
of same coin
-you cant change one without the
other
Schein
Embedding Leadership Cultures in
Organisations
The Culture Behaviour Cycle
Culture
Influences Reinforces
Focus At An Organisational
and An Individual
Level..

Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
Embedding TF-Research
Clear statement about which leadership and
management skills the organisation values
Core competency framework which assesses
management (the what) and TF leadership (the
how)
Dont run out-dated re-cycled management
development programmes
Assess the right behaviours when you recruit or
promote (handout refers)
Send a clear message-you only get on here if you
do x!!!
Challenge The Unwritten Rules
Explore the
contradictions
Some Examples
We want a high performance culture but reward
loyalty/length of service
We want to reward TF but Job Evaluation
rewards the task/ we dont look for TF in
recruitment
We are committed to equalities but few women
make it to the top
We want to focus less on hierarchy and more on
empowerment- but only senior managers can
present to members
Hull research-no contradictions in excellent
organisations

Other Lessons Learned
Never under-estimate the effort it takes to embed
this down to grass roots-change agents can help
Have a clear communications strategy that
tackles the soggy sponge
Then do some mystery shopping to find out
whether employees at different levels know what
TF is, what they can expect in terms of their
managers and leaders?
Training is just the beginning-the days of just
running a conference and expecting it to happen
are over!!!
Focus on tangible results.
Other Lessons Learned..
Managers at all levels need to work with
their teams and identify practical things
they will do to to engender TF in their
team/service and enhance their own
style
Publicise quick wins (articles,
certificates, recognition etc)

Its not just about training
Recruitment and succession planning
are key (recruitment fact-sheet refers)
Other Lessons Learned
Dont forget to bring your policies into line-
reward, recognition, bullying and
harassment, managing poor performance
This is also about how we do business- the
how we go about projects is as important
as delivering to time

Dont Forget The Importance Of Balance

Its about being transactional in a transformational way
Individual as well as
organisational behaviour
contribute to culture.
Embedding a Culture of
Transformational Leadership
Commitment from CEx and senior managers is vital
Studies show there are three major blocks to TF in
organisations:
Senior managers
Senior managers and
Senior managers!!!
and they are crucial in terms of role modelling
the right behaviours

Bass, B.M. & Avolio, B. J. (1993) Transformational leadership & organizational culture. Public
Administration Quarterly, 17, 112-121.
Essentially, Culture Management is
Message Management
Culture is created and sustained through
the messages people receive about how
to behave.
Carolyn Taylor, Walk the Talk
Managers Are Carriers Of Culture
Send important messages about what s
acceptable and what isnt through the way
they lead,manage and interact with others
Whether they are open to feedback and
suggestions
By what they choose to reward, how fair
they are in this process
Whether they deal with inappropriate
behaviour, and how well they tackle it
We must invest in their development
Quick Levers to Pull In Terms of
Culture Change
Behaviour Training and role modelling
Myths and Stories Mavericks, heroes and villains
Positive reinforcement-
integration
Signs and Symbols Eg: Creating a high
performance culture,
performance dashboards,
displaying evaluation data
Pace and choice-see reward
Systems Reward-measure recognise
and reward the right things-
Succession Communications,
meetings
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
Can Leadership Really be Developed?
It depends..

On the attitude of the individual
Preparedness to accept others views as
valid
Whether they are open to feedback
Quality of feedback
The organisations commitment to reinforcing
what is important- supporting development-
whats the sanction if people dont change?
Lessons Learned
Embedding 360 Degree Appraisal
Critical Success Factors
Be clear about why you are using it
Is the organisation ready?
Ethics/confidentiality agreement- the
person owns the data
360 should be used primarily for
development purposes rather than
performance assessment (360 should not
be linked to performance pay)

Critical Success Factors
Supplements rather than replaces A and D
Chose a valid, reliable instrument which
reflects your strategic aims
Cost and complexity can be a problem
Pilot-light small fires
Start at the top
Develop feedback skills first

Get People To Admit There Is a
Problem!!!
When was the last time you asked for
feedback about your personal style?
How frank were the conversations?
Do you know how your team would describe
your style, your strengths, what you bring?
Do you know what they want you to stop
doing/ do differently?
Is there two way or one way feedback in A
and D?
Critical Success Factors
Clear advice on choosing raters
Brief raters on TF- they need to understand
what they are assessing
More detailed briefings may be required for
instruments which also assess competence
Online briefings
Credible qualified facilitator
Prioritised Personal Development Plans with
no more than three key objectives
Get commitment to resourcing development
needs
Embedding
Transformational
Leadership In Practice
A Question to close..
Can an organisation be transformational or is it
the people that make it?