OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0398
Self-Leadership Change Project: the Experiment
James I. Phillips
Dave Kern
Kenneth E. Jones Jr.
Jitendra Tewari
Northeastern State University
Abstract /Program Description
The Self-Leadership Change Project “Experiment” is designed to aid the participant to
learn first-hand that each person affects others around them. As individuals strive to
achieve goals and be their best selves, they influence others to do the same. It is this
interaction combined with a focus on the betterment of others that provides the purest
and most enduring source of motivation for one's own pursuit of personal progress. This
session is designed to provide hands on information about implementing the SelfManagement Change Project, based on a pilot program currently underway at a
regional university in the central United States.
Keywords: self-leadership, influence.
1
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0399
Self-Leadership Change Project: the Experiment
In this session, participants will be introduced to the Self-Leadership Change
Project (SLCP) in an abbreviated form that simulates the initial experience of students
who participate in the project. There will be a brief introduction of self-leadership
concepts, and an introduction to the project. Participants will develop a SLCP of their
own, followed by a discussion of the project, self-leadership concepts and application. If
time allows, participants will prepare a “mock” survey as if each had completed the
project, and provide feedback and input for improvements.
The self-leadership change project (SLCP) has been introduced to students in
several senior level courses at a regional university located in the central United States
to expose students to two integrated leadership concepts. The first is that leadership
begins with oneself. The second is that self-directed change often leads to influencing
others who observe self-leadership actions and results. Students select a SLCP
project, which is included in the syllabus and the grade for the course. At the
conclusion of the course, students submit a report of their SLCP that addresses their
level of accomplishment, what they learned, and what their observers reported. The
observers were asked to report on whether the change occurred and if any change
occurred in others as a result of the SLCP.
Project (SLCP) process includes the following steps:
1) Select a project and begin personal change
2) Write a simple sentence or two that describes your SLCP
2
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0400
3) Select and orient observers -- observers are asked to record changes
observed in the participant and more particularly, if there are any changes in
the environment and others in it. Observers are asked: "How has the SLCP
affected others in any way?"
4) Record SLCP progress each day and any personal insights
5) Provide summary of readings about your SLCP
6) At the end of the timeframe, write a final report or summary paper that
includes summaries from readings, observer notes, and personal
observations
Preliminary Anecdotal Feedback
The SLCP reports submitted by the students at the conclusion of prior courses
provided rich anecdotal feedback on the success of the SLCP as a method or process
for personal-change. The types of projects selected by the students varied from learning
how to play the guitar to smoking cessation, and from anger management to diet and
healthy living programs. A reading of the student’s SLCP final reports revealed that in
many cases change was observed not just with the students, but also with others
around these students, and that observers were influenced by the students involved in
the SLCP.
Theoretical Background
Kurt Lewin asserted, "You cannot understand a system until you try to change it"
(Schein 1996, p. 64). Applying this assertion to individuals, we may assume that as we
3
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0401
change ourselves we also learn about ourselves. This fulfills an ancient Greek aphorism
– "know thyself," which suggests the importance of self-leadership a critical element in
developing the capacity to provide leadership to others (Schaetti, Ramsey and
Watanabe, 2008)
A stream of research has evolved from the self-leadership concept developed by
Charles Manz and colleagues in the mid-1980’s (e.g., Manz 1983, 1986). The focus of
this stream of literature is on leading oneself in contrast to external leadership or
direction (Neck & Houghton 2006; Stewart, Courtright & Manz 2010). According to
Neck and Manz (2010) “leadership rang[es] from an entirely external influence process
at one extreme to a self-imposed process at the other” (p. 2), ranging from external
leadership to participative leadership and then to self-leadership. The concept of selfleadership is derived substantially from research and theory in two areas of psychology:
social cognitive theory and intrinsic motivation theory (also cognitive evaluation theory),
(Neck & Manz, 2010).
Central to the theory are three strategies to assist in leading oneself: behaviorfocused, natural reward and constructive thought pattern (Neck & Houghton, 2006).
Research has found relationships between self-leadership measures and job
satisfaction (Houghton & Jinkerson 2004; Neck & Manz 1996). and self-efficacy (Neck
and Manz,1996; Prussia, Anderson & Manz, 1998). In a comprehensive review of selfleadership literature, Neck and Houghton (2006, p. 285) suggest that “the application of
self-leadership strategies may result in a number of predictable outcomes/performance
mechanisms, including commitment, independence, creativity, innovation, trust, team
potency, positive affect, job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and self-efficacy.”
4
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0402
A complementary concept of self-leadership is presented by Schaetti, Ramsey
and Watanabe (2008, p. 4): "Being responsible for ourselves … is the first step in
being able to effectively lead others". This expands the application of self-leadership to
address both internal leadership and external leadership, whereas the former provides
the foundation of the latter. In essence, self-leadership contributes to achieving
personal change and improvement, while simultaneously influencing and “leading”
others who observe the individual’s change through self-leadership. It is this dual
concept of self-leadership that created our interest in the Self-Leadership Change
Project.
The project builds on Bandura’s concepts of self-mastery (1986) and modeling
correct behavior (1977). Self-mastery involves encouraging people to select and
accomplish tasks, building an individual’s belief in their ability to impact their own
behavior. By modeling correct behavior, self-leaders’ successes provide observers
confidence in their own ability to attempt change and succeed.
Application and Research Direction
Our research evolved from an interest in helping students discover selfleadership through a structured change program integrated into a senior level course.
Initially, the project involved only structured reports; however, review of the outcomes
from the project indicate the potential for measuring the impact of self-leadership on
individual outcomes and the subsequent influence on others. As such, the current
research project is intended to build understanding of how self-leadership results in
positive personal outcomes, and on the subjects’ influence on others.
5
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0403
The project incorporates behavior-focused and natural reward strategies in its
structure and selection approach. Behavior-focused strategies involve self-goal setting
(personal selection of a project), self-observation (journal), and external cueing
(observer feedback). Natural rewards derive from encouragement to students to select
the project they want to do. Students are coached to choose a project that is rewarding
in itself, is very “doable”, and is self-motivating. By choosing meaningful and/or
enjoyable actions, students are likely to find the required actions self-rewarding. By
encouraging students to recalibrate once they have started and to make adjustments to
the project, students tend to eliminate negative elements or provide more meaningful
enhancements to the project (e.g., shifting from a “diet” to healthy eating and regular
exercise).
A questionnaire has been developed to document student perceptions of the
outcomes of the project including personal achievement and influence with others
(appendix). Students are given the opportunity to participate in the survey; however, it
is purely voluntary and confidential, and is not a requirement for the course.
References
Bandura, A. 1986. Social Cognitive Theory. New York: Free Press.
Bandura, A. 1987. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological
Review, 84:191-215.
Houghton, J.D. and Jinkerson, D.L. 2004. Constructive thought strategies and job satisfaction: a
preliminary examination, paper presented at the 2004 Western Academy of Management
Conference, Alyeska, AK.
Manz, C.C. 1983. The Art of Self-Leadership: Strategies for Personal Effectiveness in your Life
and Work. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
6
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0404
Manz, C.C. 1986. Self-leadership: toward an expanded theory of self-influence processes in
Organizations. Academy of Management Review, 11:585-600.
Neck, C. P. and Manz, C. M. 2010. Mastering self-leadership: Empowering yourself for
personal excellence. Fifth edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Neck, C.P. and Houghton, J.D. 2006. Two decades of self-leadership theory and research: past
developments, present trends, and future possibilities. Journal of Managerial Psychology,
21:270-95.
Neck, C.P. and Manz, C.C. 1996. Thought self-leadership: the impact of mental strategies
training on employee behavior, cognition, and emotion, Journal of Organizational Behavior,
17:445-67.
Prussia, G.E., Anderson, J.S. and Manz, C.C. 1998. Self leadership and performance
outcomes: The mediating influence of self-efficacy. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19:52338.
Schaetti, B. F., Ramsey, S. J. and Watanabe, G. C. 2008. Making a World of
Difference: Personal leadership. Seattle, WA: FlyingKite.
Schein, E.H. 1996. Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory in the Field and in the Classroom:
Notes toward a Model of Managed Learning, Systems Practice 9:1:27-48.
Stewart, G. L., Courtright, S. H., Manz, C. C., 2011. Self-Leadership: A Multilevel Review,
Journal of Management 37:1185-222.
7
OBTC_2011_Proceedings-Page0405
Appendix: Survey Questions
1) What was your SLCP (please be brief)?
2) Did you include in your SLCP a purpose to help others? Y/N
3) If yes, what was the purpose?
4) Why did you choose the project you did for your SLCP?
5) To what degree did you achieve your goal?
Circle One (1-None, 2-Little, 3-Somewhat, 4-Much, 5-A Great Deal)
6) What amount of change did you notice in yourself?
Circle One (1-None, 2-Little, 3-Somewhat, 4-Much, 5-A Great Deal)
7) To what degree did your observers notice any change in you as a result of your SLCP? Circle
One (1-None, 2-Little, 3-Somewhat, 4-Much, 5-A Great Deal)
8) To what degree did you notice any change in others around you as a result of your SLCP?
Circle One (1-None, 2-Little, 3-Somewhat, 4-Much, 5-A Great Deal)
9) To what degree did your observers notice any change in others around you as a result of
your SLCP?
10) Did non-observers comment on any change in you or others around you? Y/N
11) If yes, please explain.
12) What method(s) did you use to meet your goal?
13) What learning(s) did you have as you experienced the change?
14) Do you feel that you will continue the change that you began? Y/N
15) Explain your answer to the question above.
16) Are you planning on starting a new change project in the near future? Y/N
17) If yes, are you planning to make any changes to the SLCP process? Y/N
18) Explain your answer to the question above.
19) Information about you: age____, gender M/F____, years of full time work experience____.
8