Leadership: the Global Views of Public Managers

Leadership: the Global

Views of Public Managers

Robert C. Myrtle, DPA

Director, Executive Master of Leadership

Professor of Public Administration,

Professor of Gerontology

Dr Robert C. Myrtle

School of Policy, Planning, and Development

Leadership: the Global Views of Public Managers

• What are the competencies of a highly effective public leader from a Taiwanese perspective?

• Do public managers in Taiwan identify different competencies of effective leaders than their public sector counterparts in the United States?

• Which of these competencies have been important to your success as a leader and as a manager?




• The goals of this presentation are:

– To describe what Taiwanese and American public managers identify as the behaviors and characteristics of outstanding leaders in public sector organizations.

– To compare these behaviors and characteristics with the behaviors and characteristics identified by the largest study of leaders world wide.

– To identify the behaviors and characteristics that all effective leaders possess.

– To note how effective leaders adapt these to different national contexts.




• Understanding the differences in the views of public managers working in Taiwan and the

United States —A point of departure.

– ___ public sector managers in Taiwan and ___ public sector manager in the United States were asked to complete a leadership survey drawn from the GLOBE

(Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Effectiveness) study.

– These findings will be used to highlight the behaviors and characteristics associated with highly effective public sector leaders.




• If you were asked for your definition of leadership, what would you say?

– Take a moment to list 3 characteristics or behaviors that you believe are associated with highly effective public leaders.

• If you were asked “why would anyone want to be led by you, what would you say?

– Take a moment to list 3 reasons people would give as to why they would want to be led by you.

• We will return to these two questions after some background on the global leadership study




• The GLOBE Study

– Involved 170 researchers.

– Took 10 years to do.

– Surveyed over 17,000 managers in 62 different countries.

– Examined the relationship between cultural influences, leadership behaviors and competencies and leadership effectiveness

– Identified 6 universally perceived leadership attributes that are contributors to or inhibitors of outstanding leadership




• GLOBE Core Leadership Dimensions

:

– Charismatic/Value-Based : the ability to inspire, motivate and expect high performance outcomes based on core beliefs and values.

– Team-Oriented : the emphasis placed on effective team-building and the implementation of of common purpose among team members.

– Self-Protective : A focus on the safety and security of the manager.

– Participative: the degree to which managers involve others in the making and implementation of decisions.

– Humane-Oriented : the degree of emphasis on supportive and considerate behaviors.

– Autonomous: the degree to which the manager focuses on individualistic and independent action.


• Global Leader: One who has the skills and abilities to interact with and manage people from diverse cultural backgrounds

• Characteristics of a global leader: Cosmopolitan, skilled at intercultural communication, culturally sensitive, and capable of rapid acculturation

• Global Leader Characteristics

– Knowledgeable about cultural and institutional influences on management

– Facilitator of subordinates ’ intercultural performance

– A user of cultural synergy

– A promoter and user of the growing world culture

– A commitment to continuous improvement in self-awareness and renewal




• How do Taiwanese and American Public Managers compare on the GLOBE Leadership dimensions?




• What is leadership anyhow?

• One definition of leadership is: “Leadership is involves the creation an environment where people feel empowered to do their best in the pursuit of important organizational goals ” .

• Effective leaders create motivational visions, collaboratively establish challenging goals and objectives, provide the necessary resources and support so that their team members can excel and mentor, coach and model the behaviors, attitudes and values that are embedded in the vision and the goals of the organization.




• What are the characteristics of highly effective public managers?

Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Leaders

Attributes, Qualities, Traits

• Has integrity

• Is positive, dynamic and encouraging

• Authentic to their own personality

• Takes responsibility

• Treats everyone fairly

• Admits their mistakes

• Build community

• Has a vision

• Is an excellent communicato r

Dr. Robert C. Myrtle

University of Southern California

Behaviors, Actions

• Clarifies roles and responsibilities

• Manages conflict

• Performance Oriented

• Decisive

• Develop their people

• Direct, explain, show and teach

• Encourage, coach

• Involve, engage

• Delegate, manage by exception




• What did you identify as the factors associated with people wanting to be led by you?




• Most people want ~

– A leader who listens to me in an effort to understand.

– A leader who appreciates the challenges I face in doing my job.

– A leader who keeps me informed in what is happening in our unit and in the organization at large

– A leader who sees the big picture, anticipates changes and works with us to develop strategies to respond.

– A leader who is just, fair and does what he or she say they will do.

– A leader with passion for their job, for the people they serve and for the employees who work for them.

– A leader who is interested in working with us to create the work unit that others admire.

– A leader is committed to my development as a person, as an employee, as a professional and as a civil servant .




• What contributes to the development of the global views of public managers?




• Global Leaders

– Have a knowledge of how their organization is impacted by the dynamics in the global community

– Appreciates and supports cultural and gender egalitarianism.

– Skilled at intercultural communication.

– Fosters a respect for the differences in people and their cultures.

– Uses social and cultural uniquenesses to improve organizational functioning.

– Excels in the development of partnerships and interorganizational relationships

• Able to create and sustain partnerships and alliances

• Capacity to manage relationships that builds trust and understanding.

– A capacity to ensure results through shared, in contrast with hierarchical, leadership

– Thrives in a technologically dynamic environment.

– Adjust their leadership styles to fit different situations by understanding what local managers do to lead successfully in their own country while remaining true to their core values as a person and as a leader.




• How can you become a better leader in a global environment?

– Four critical building blocks

– Building block 1: Knowing your self

– Building block 2: Knowing your team

– Building block 3: Knowing your organization

– Building block 4: Knowing the world

• The Leadership Competency Profile on the following slide might point out areas for improvement as a leader excelling in a global environment

11

12

13

14

9

10

3

6

7

4

5

8

2

1




Leadership Dimension Not a

Strength

Sufficient A

Strength

Awareness of trends long before they impact the organization.

Ability to explain organization

’s purpose to a stranger.

Knowledge of the most important concern of each person I lead.

I regularly seek feedback about myself from others.

I spend time getting to know each person I lead.

I have a broad network of contacts that provides me with information on emerging trends affecting the organization.

People say I am passionate when I talk to others about my organization.

I know my weaknesses.

I can explain how my organizations capabilities differ from other similar organizations.

I am actively working on improving one aspect of myself.

I know how each group in the organization affects the work of other groups.

I could list the top capabilities of every person I lead.

I scan the environment for developments that could pose a risk or threat to my organization

I know what people spend most of their time on.




• Which of the four critical building blocks are your strengths and which might deserve development?

– Building block 1: Knowing your self (Q4, Q8 and Q10).

– Building block 2: Knowing your team (Q3, Q5, Q12, and Q14).

– Building block 3: Knowing your organization (Q2, Q7,Q9, and Q11).

– Building block 4: Knowing the world (Q1,Q6, and Q 13).




Some closing thoughts on the leadership competencies of effective public managers in a global environment.

Universal Facilitators of Leadership Effectiveness:

• Being trustworthy, just and honest.

•

Having foresight and planning ahead.

• Being positive, dynamic, encouraging, motivating and building confidence in people you lead.

Universal Impediments to Leadership Effectiveness

• Being a loner and asocial.

•

Being non-cooperative and irritable.

• Being dictatorial

Culturally Contingent Influences on Leadership Effectiveness

•

Being individualistic.

• Being status conscious.

•

Being a risk-taker.




Questions?

Comments?

Reactions?




Thanks!

Leadership: the Global Views of Public Managers

Robert C. Myrtle, DPA

Director, Executive Master of Leadership

Professor of Public Administration,

Professor of Gerontology

• Understanding the differences in the views of public managers working in Taiwan and the

United States —A point of departure.

• If you were asked for your definition of leadership, what would you say?

:

Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Leaders