Limiting the Risk of
Leadership
Communication
Presenter:
Lance R. Lippert
Objectives
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To better understand the role of
leadership in daily organizational
interactions.
To demonstrate leadership competency
in various organizational relationships.
To better understand the function of
communication in leadership
relationships.
Leadership?
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What is leadership?
Can I be a leader?
How do I lead?
Is it about the process, my ability, or
my relationships?
Leadership Aerobics!
Activity-Leadership Quiz
Can We Define
Leadership?
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"Leadership is a function of knowing
yourself, having a vision that is well
communicated, building trust among
colleagues, and taking effective action to
realize your own leadership potential."
(Bennis)
"Leadership is influence - nothing more,
nothing less." (Maxwell)
Can We Define
Leadership?
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“Leadership is the ability of developing
and communicating a vision to a group of
people that will make that vision true.”
(Kenneth Valenzuela)
“Leadership is an influence relationship
among leaders and follower who intend
real change that reflect their mutual
purpose.” (Rost).
Can We Define
Leadership?
Let’s ask some other experts!
 Santa
 Colin Powell
 Desmond Tutu
Leadership Approaches
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Trait theories: there are particular
personality qualities that are associated
with leaders and will result in effective
leadership (born not made)
– Intelligence
– Self confidence
– Determination
– Integrity
– Sociability
Leadership Approaches
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Styles Theories: Traits translate into
preferred behaviors in a leader.
– Behavioral styles make leaders more or less
effective leaders
– Form of activity
– Task behaviors-facilitate goal accomplishment
& achievement of objectives (task,
maintenance)
– Relationships behaviors-help followers feel
comfortable w/ job, selves, and others (social)
Leadership Approaches
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Situational Theories: Different situations
demand different kinds of leadership.
– Effective leaders adapt style the demands of
different situations
– Focus is on leadership in situations
– role development
– follower readiness
– nature of task and relationship
– Leader-follower match
Leadership Communication
Relational orientation
 Solicits opinions
 Recognizes positions, ideas, and feelings of
others
 Engages in flexible, open com
 Listens carefully to others
 Makes requests
 Focuses on feelings, emotions, and attitudes
as they relate to personal skills
 Most often communicates orally
Leadership Communication
Task orientation
Disseminates information
 Ignores positions, ideas, and feelings of others
 Engages in rigid, stylized communication
 Interrupts others
 Makes demands
 Focuses on facts, data, and info as they relate to
tasks
 Emphasizes productivity through acquisition of
tech. skills
 Most often communicates in writing
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LBDQ
Self Assessment
LBDQ Scoring
What’s orientation?
Sum the odd items & Sum the even items
Scoring
45-50
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
10-24
=
=
=
=
=
=
very high range
high range
moderately high range
moderately low range
low range
very low range
Leadership or Management
No need to differentiate the two.
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Key is to balance…organizations need to
nurture both
Not everyone is effective as both, but an
individual can be effective
Management role in hierarchy but
expected to demonstrate leadership
Have to reject the notion to denigrate
management to ennoble leadership.
BM Leadership Grid
Self Assessment
Effective Leadership
Communication Minimizes the
Risk of Miscommunication!
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Clarify communication
Check perception
Monitor your attitude
Relationship building
Clarify Communication
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IPC=the exchange of verbal & nonverbal
messages between individuals to gain an
understanding.
Competency=KASA
Consider
– Audience
– Channel
– Active listening
Miscommunication
Example
Check Perception
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Where does our perception originate?
What is the other person’s perception?
What is your perception?
How do we present ourselves?
Consider what we bring to the
interaction.
How Do You See the
World?
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The following short quiz consists of 4
questions and will tell you whether
you are qualified to be a professional.
Scroll down for each answer. The
questions are NOT that difficult. But
don't scroll down UNTIL you have
answered the question!
1. How do you put a giraffe into a
refrigerator?
How Do You See the
World?
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The correct answer is: Open the
refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and
close the door. This question tests
whether you tend to do simple things
in an overly complicated way.
2. How do you put an elephant into a
refrigerator?
How Do You See the
World?
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Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in
the elephant, and close the refrigerator?
Wrong Answer.
Correct Answer: Open the refrig., take out
the giraffe, put in the elephant and close
the door. This tests your ability to think
through the repercussions of your
previous actions.
3. The Lion King is hosting an animal
conference. All the animals attend...
except one. Which animal does not
attend?
How Do You See the
World?
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Correct Answer: The Elephant. The
elephant is in the refrigerator. You just
put him in there. This tests your
memory. Okay, even if you did not
answer the first three questions
correctly, you still have one more chance
to show your true abilities.
4. There is a river you must cross but it
is used by crocodiles, and you do not
have a boat How do you manage it?
How Do You See the
World?
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Correct Answer: You jump into the river and
swim across. Have you not been listening? All
the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting.
This tests whether you learn quickly from your
mistakes.
According to ACME Consulting Worldwide,
around 90% of the professionals they tested got
all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got
several correct answers. This conclusively
disproves the theory that most professionals
have the brains of a four-year-old.
Monitor Your Attitude
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Can’t give away something you don’t
have!
What kind of place would your
workplace be if everyone had your
attitude?
Are you a good organizational citizen?
YOGOWYPI!
Relationship Building
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Realize your connection with those
around you!
Synergy
– The sum of the whole is greater than the
sum of the parts.
– Take the parts separately from the whole
of the parts
A company had a vast scrap yard
in the middle of a desert.
Management said, "Someone
might steal from it at night." So
they created a night watchman
position and hired a person for the
job.
Then management said, "How
does the watchman do his job
without instruction?" So they
created a planning department
and hired two people; one person
to write the instructions and one
person to do time studies.
Then management said, "How will
we know the night watchman is
doing his tasks correctly?" So they
created a Quality Control
department and hired two people.
One to do the studies and one to
write the reports.
Then management said, "How
are these people going to get
paid?" So they created the
following positions, a
timekeeper and a payroll
officer; then hired two more
people.
Then management said, "Who will
be accountable for all of these
people?" So they created an
administrative section and hired
three people; an Administrative
Officer, Assistant Administrative
Officer, and a Legal Secretary.
Then management said, "We've
had this command in operation for
one year now and we're $18,000
over budget. We have to cutback
on overall costs."
So they laid off the night
watchman!
Climate
A set of organizational
characteristics that are relatively
stable, represent the workplace
atmosphere, differentiate
organizations, and influence
behaviors of organizational
members.
Climate Affects
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Attitude
Morale
Satisfaction
Dedication
Effort
Productivity
Did You Know….
 Climate is linked to job satisfaction
and perceive organizational
effectiveness.
 That as satisfaction with
communication increases, positive
perceptions of the general
organizational climate also
increase.
What Creates Climate?
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Leadership
Relationships
Communication
Trust
Credibility
Participation
What Creates Climate?
 Responsibility
 Socialization/belonging
 Compensation
 Rules/standards/expectations
 Workload
 Leadership
Question?
What do you think about when you
consider a supportive climate and
defensive climate?
Question?
What happens in these types of work
environments or in workplaces with
supportive or defensive climates?
Activity
1)
2)
3)
Let’s think about specific supportive
and defensive behaviors in your own
organizations or work teams that
might contribute to climate.
5 minutes-Individual reflection
10 minutes-Work group (3 people)
discussion
Large group discussion
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Evaluation
Passing judgments, questioning
standards, & blaming
Descriptive
Nonjudgmental & asking questions for
information
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Control
Trying to do something to another
Problem Orientation
Defining mutual problems & seeking
mutual solutions
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Manipulation
Tricking others, ego-centric, & hidden
agenda
Spontaneity
Being free of deception & having no
hidden motives
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Neutrality
Expressing lack of concern
Equality
Having mutual trust and respect
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Superiority
Communicating with an attitude &
condescending
Empathy
Respecting the worth of the listener
Characteristics of a
Defensive & Supportive
Work Climate
Certainty
Being dogmatic & needing to be right all
the time
Openness
Being willing to experiment with one’s
own behavior, attitudes, and ideas
Question?
What does leadership have to do
with a supportive climate?
What Comes First?
COMMUNICATION
CLIMATE
CLIMATE
COMMUNICATION
Communication
Competencies
Knowledge
 Ability
 Skill
 Attitude
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Effective communication is crucial to a
supportive workplace climate
Adaptive Leadership
(Situational LeadershipHersey & Blanchard)
Changing your leadership style based
on the people you are working with,
the nature of the task, the nature of
the organizational climate, and the
values within your organizational
culture.
Adaptive Leadership
Styles
 Director
 Coach
 Facilitator
 Delegator
Follower Readiness
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(competence/ability &
commitment/effort)
Readiness level 1-follower lacks skills
and willingness
Readiness level 2-follower lacks skills
but is willing
Readiness level 3-follower is skilled
but lacks willingness
Readiness level 4-follower is skilled
and willing
Adaptive Leadership
Styles
The Director….
Tells people what to do, when to do it,
and how to do it. No discussion.
Gives instructions of what to do, and
then supervise.
Adaptive Leadership
Styles
The Coach…..
Tells people what to do, when to do it,
and how to do it; however, provides
individuals with plenty of
encouragement and support.
Adaptive Leadership
Styles
The Facilitator…
Includes employee in decision making
process, seek their input, and listens
to their thoughts and ideas. Not too
directive.
Adaptive Leadership
Styles
The Delegator…
Tells individuals what needs to get
done and let them do it. For workers
who know how to get the job done
and are motivated to do it.
Case Study
The Practice of Leadership
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Exercising appropriate social influence.
“The process by which people
successfully persuade others to follow
their advice, suggestion, or order
(Keys and Case).”
What motivates you? The carrot or the
stick?
The Practice of
Leadership
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Facilitate participative decision making
when appropriate.
Make sense of information.
Work/life balance (stress).
Manage conflict (Crucial Conversations)
Life long learning and development.
Performance appraisals.
Build relational rapport.
The Practice of
Leadership
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Providing constructive feedback.
Feedback dimensions
– Valence (positive or negative)
– Timeliness (how quickly feedback is
given)
– Specificity (level of detail contained)
– Frequency (# of times feedback is given)
– Sensitivity
The Practice of
Leadership
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Goal setting.
Goal specificity
Goal difficulty
Participating in goal setting
Participation provides significant
rewards such as increased employee
satisfaction, and greater role clarity
Objectives
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To better understand the role of
leadership in daily organizational
interactions.
To demonstrate leadership competency
in various organizational relationships.
To better understand the function of
communication in leadership
relationships.
Contact
School of Communication
Illinois State University
Lance R. Lippert
(309) 438-8869
llipper@ilstu.edu