Contemporary Perspectives of
Native Leadership
Al Nygard
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Leadership Theories
• Great Man -- Leaders are born and not made. Great leaders will
arise when there is a great need.
• Trait -- People are born with inherited traits. Some traits are
particularly suited to leadership. People who make good leaders
have the right (or sufficient) combination of traits.
• Behavioral -- Leaders can be made, rather than are born.
Successful leadership is based in definable, learnable behavior.
• Participative -- Involvement in decision-making improves the
understanding of the issues involved by those who must carry out
the decisions. People are more committed to actions where they
have involved in the relevant decision-making. People are less
competitive and more collaborative when they are working on joint
goals. When people make decisions together, the social
commitment to one another is greater and thus increases their
commitment to the decision. Several people deciding together make
better decisions than one person alone.
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Leadership Theories
• Situational -- The best action of the leader depends on a
range of situational factors.
• Contingency -- The leader's ability to lead is contingent
upon various situational factors, including the leader's
preferred style, the capabilities and behaviors of
followers and also various other situational factors.
• Transactional -- People are motivated by reward and
punishment. Social systems work best with a clear chain
of command. When people have agreed to do a job, a
part of the deal is that they cede all authority to their
manager. The prime purpose of a subordinate is to do
what their manager tells them to do.
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Leadership Theories
• Transformational -- People will follow a person who
inspires them. A person with vision and passion can
achieve great things. The way to get things done is by
injecting enthusiasm and energy.
• Adaptive -- Leadership can be learned. It is about
understanding and about behaviors and actions. It is not
an inherent set of traits such as charisma. The
adaptability of organizations depends on having
widespread leadership that can come from anywhere
within an organization, not just from those in top
positions of authority. Because adaptive change
generates resistance, exercising leadership can be both
difficult and dangerous.
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Why Is It That……
• The tough questions don't get asked; they are the
elephants in the room at meetings. Everyone knows
they're there. No one dares to mention them.
• The important issues get discussed inside peoples'
heads or in private, whispered
• Those who try to lead change often find themselves out
on the proverbial limb, marginalized, in professional
jeopardy, and subject to personal attacks for their risktaking.
• Personal turfdoms are zealously guarded against
encroachment, while collaborative efforts are
undermined or simply stall out for lack of unified support.
• Established ways of doing things have become
sanctified into an immutable culture.
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Leadership essentials
• Passion
• Vision
• Ability to manage change
• Know it is temporary
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Leadership Roles
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models the way
provide direction, a sense of future
challenge current expectations
Leadership is all about purpose. Purpose creates
consensus, commitment and collegiality. Management is
about maintenance. Both are required - but Leadership
is the key to developing a shared Vision
• focus on what is important
• spread optimism - manage the 'heart' - say thanks (and
often get little in return). model the way - set the example
- by living their values.
• Communicate! and communicate! what is important
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Leadership Roles
• they believe and expect everyone to continually improve. They are
optimists. They enable others to act by clarifying expectations and
by building trust
• They treat people with empathy - apply the 'Golden Rule' at all times
• By providing clear agreed expectations they provide paradoxically a
safe environment to take risks.
• ensure that all understand what criteria they have to live up to - how
success is to be judged
• They hold people accountable to agreed commitments
• Leaders give recognition to those who show initiative or appropriate
behavior
• They must support those who need help the most
• They must be seen as trustworthy
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B Careful
• Be Aware -- It is easy to lose yourself in
your role
• Confusing role with self is a trap
• Intermingling self and role makes it harder
to deflect criticism – you take it personally
• Roles end.
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Leadership Responsibilities
• Provision
• Protection
• Direction
• Motivation
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Vision,
self-belief,
results focus,
courage,
integrity,
teamwork,
communication,
attentiveness,
commitment
Visibility
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Leadership Responsibilities
• Bravery – having or showing courage
• Fortitude – strength of heart and mind
• Generosity – to give, to share, to have a
heart
• Honor – to have integrity, to have an
honest and upright character
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Leadership Privilege
• It's the privilege and opportunity to direct
the actions of others
• Leadership is a privilege to better the lives
of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy
personal greed.
• Privilege is tied to roles
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Leadership Privilege
Judge your success by what you gave up in
order to achieve it.
Dalai Lama
You don’t write your life story with a pen,
you write it with your actions.
Chris Jourdain
You can definitely serve as advocates at the
community level.
Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding
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Tribal Citizenship
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What is citizenship
• Citizenship refers to a person's
membership in a political community such
as a country or city
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Responsibilities of citizenship
• demonstrating commitment and loyalty to the
political community and state
• constructively criticizing the conditions of political
and civic life
• participating to improve the quality of political
and civic life
• respecting the rights of others
• defending one's own rights and the rights of
others against those who would abuse them
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US Duties of citizenship
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Obey laws
Pay taxes
Serve in the Armed Forces if called
Serve on a jury or as a witness in court
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What does it mean to be a Tribal
Citizen?
He should stand for the people. That’s the reason
people depend on him. He should stand up for
the children and the helpless ones. He should
help; he should give them food. He shouldn’t
make anybody sad. He should be generous; he
shouldn’t hurt anybody. And you are not able to
make yourself chief of your own accord. The
people will watch you and if you are worthy, it is
proper they should select you.
Ben Black Bear Sr.
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Shared Community Values
An essential belief that we are all connected to each other and
interdependent, that the community includes everyone and leaves no one
behind, that we care for each other and believe in shared responsibility
and shared sacrifice, that we know everyone has inherent value and
worth.
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Humility – to be humble, modest, unpretentious
Perseverance – to persist, to strive in spite of difficulties
Respect – to be considerate, to hold in high esteem
Honor – to have integrity, to have an honest and upright character
Love – to place and hold in one’s heart
Sacrifice – to give of oneself, an offering
Truth – that which is real, the way the world is
Compassion – to care, to sympathize
Bravery – having or showing courage
Fortitude – strength of heart and mind
Generosity – to give, to share, to have a heart
Wisdom – to understand what is right and true, to use knowledge wisely
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