HANO 14th
ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
October 2, 2014
Oahu HI
“The Leadership
Dilemma:
Balancing
Support and
Accountability”
L. Jani Sheppard, President
ljs.Leadership Solutions
ljs.leadershipsolutions@gmail.com
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions,
LLC 808.280.6135 ©2014
WELCOME AWSOME
LEADERS… AND LEADERS TO BE) !
 The
Dilemma
 Who could benefit?
 Why we’re here….30 yrs. and counting
“when I was in first grade….”
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
What is the Dilemma?
Dominant Style - Accountability
Dominant Style - Support
L. Jani Sheppard
ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135
©2014
From Cent for Creative Leadership I(2014):
er
LEADERSHIP CULTURES:
 Dependent - belief that people in authority are responsible for leadership.
 Independent - belief that leadership emerges out of individual expertise
 and ‘heroic’ action.
 Interdependent - belief that leadership is a collective activity to the benefit of
agency as a whole.

conscious and unconscious beliefs of Leaders drives decisions/behavior
 repeated behaviors become leadership practices become the patterns of
leadership Culture.

While one leadership culture may dominate, other cultures may be operating
in different divisions, functions, or groups within the organization.
Including
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
The ROLE AND VALUE
OF
SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABLILTY
Accountability Is…
A
Leader’s
Responsibility
 A path to
effectiveness
 Empowering
 Respectful
 Supportive
Accountability is
not…
A
Bad Word
 Punishment
 Demoralizing
 “Being mean”
 Uncaring
 The opposite of
“support”
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
The ROLE AND VALUE
OF
SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABLILTY
Support is not…
Support Is…






A Leader’s
Responsibility
A path to effectiveness
Good Business
Required (in some
instances)
Worth the time and
effort
Sometimes less effort
than one might think









Relinquishing Authority
A sign of weakness
Favoritism
“Illegal”
A Bad Word
Unnecessary
Unprofessional
Irrelevant
A waster of valuable time
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
Who is in the room and
Why?
Where are you on the
continuum ?
Your influences?
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
ACTIVITIES AND TOOLS FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY
 Starts
at Candidate Search
 Inerview
 Hire
 On-Boarding
 Intro/Probationary Period
 Signed, Updated, and Reviewed Job
Descriptions
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
ACTIVITIES AND TOOLS FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY
 Clear
and Updated Polies and Procedures
 Performance Evaluation Policy and
Procedures
 Follow Performance Evaluation Polices and
Procedures 
 Training Supervisors on Procedures and
Conducting Performance Evaluations
 Training Supervisors on Leadership and
Supervision (eg. HR, peer to sup)
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
ACTIVITIES AND TOOLS FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY
 Adequate
time for Orientation
 Supervision
 Regularly scheduled “check-ins”
 Progressive ( as appropriate) Disciplinary
Action
 Having the “Difficult Conversation”
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
ACTIVITIES AND TOOLS FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY
 Clear
and Updated Polies and Procedures
 Performance Evaluation Policy and
Procedures
 Follow Performance Evaluation Polices and
Procedures 
 Training Supervisors on Procedures and
Conducting Performance Evaluations
 Training Supervisors on Leadership and
Supervision (eg. HR, peer to sup)
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014












Don’t like confrontation
Things will get better...right?
It’s hard for me to
communicate with them. I
stress just thinking about it
Don’t have time to deal
with this
No one else can do what
they do…what if they quit?
fear of being sued
Not sure how to have the
conversation
Who’s going to back me
up?
Someone else will probably
address it
If I ignore it, it will go away
This could lead to a
termination. what will
people think of me?
I just need to support them
more/differently?
The Difficult
Conversation:
What makes it Difficult?
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014








Will be bad for team
morale
I’m new so need to wait
and see if it’s as bad as I
think.
We were friends/
coworkers before I
became Supervisor
They won’t like me
The stay late to help
Everyone likes them,
including me!
Her Auntie was my 4th
grade teacher!
They are overwhelmed
with changes at the
organization/
clients/donors/
stakeholders/grants/
home-life/etc. So this
isn’t a good time (and
never seems to be…)
The Difficult
Conversation: What
Makes It Difficult?
:
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014






They are friends with
a Board member
They are friends with
a donor
The last time I had
tried this, it didn’t go
well
What if they ask me
something I can’t
answer? I‘ll look lie a
bad leader.
I’m to busy/more
Important things to
do/not enough time
in the day
Their immediate
supervisor should be
doing/have done
this
The Difficult Conversation:
What Makes It Difficult?
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
Unconsciously/Counsciously
WE Bring…
THEY BRING
 Anticipation
 Assumptions
 Worry
 “attitude”
( + or -)
 Information
 solutions
I BRING
 My
expectations
 Stressors
 Understanding
 Responsibility
 Close-mindedness
 openness
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
Unconsciously/Consciously WE
Bring…
THEY BRING
I BRING
 justifications
 Values
 Knowledge
 Opportunity
 feelings
 Documentation
about
self/performance
 opportunity
 Authority
 Personal
experience
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
KULEANA
MINE
THEIRS
 INTEFRITY
 INTEGRITY
 HONESTY
 WILINGNESS
 CLARITY
 SENSE
 FAIRNESS
 OPTIONS
OF
REPSONSIBLITY
 ????
 ????
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AN
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE of
ACCOUNTABILITY (Henry Browning – Center for Creative
Leadership via Forbes.com


)
Clear roles, team leadership and individual ownership.
Ambiguity makes accountability difficult. Who’s doing
what? How will they proceed? When TEAMS are
accountable, members identify gaps, learn new roles and
processes, and ultimately build a more capable team.
A sense of ownership for team results. How does team
accountability work? Focus on team processes. How is the
team working toward goals and outcome? Are team
members effective? Do they feel 100 percent accountable
to improving the process? Each Individual feels responsible
to seek information, give and receive feedback and point
out the need for corrective action at any time.
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AN
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE of
ACCOUNTABILITY (Henry Browning – Center for Creative
Leadership via Forbes.com


)
Freedom, support and control to navigate competing
priorities. Most problems have multiple right answers, so
give people the freedom and control they need to make
decisions. Be sure people have the resources, knowledge
and assistance they need. With this approach, team
members increase their skills, confidence and ownership.
It’s not about punishment. If your goal in fostering
accountability is to know who to punish when things go
wrong or our way, we only succeed in creating fear. No
one will be willing to step up, speak out or try something
new. Once the rumor circulates that stepping out leads to
“punishment” others are skittish about taking initiative to
find solutions for fear of making a mistake.
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AN
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE of
ACCOUNTABILITY (Henry Browning – Center for Creative
Leadership via Forbes.com

)
It’s about improvement. Accountability is the
foundation for creating a learning organization. If
we want sustainability and high quality, we need
KNOW WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T – and
analyze the cause.1 thing we can do is to take a
systems approach as well as holding individuals
accountable. Work to understand what parts of
the situation have influenced the process, system,
culture or circumstances. ( people vs. systems)
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AN
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE of
ACCOUNTABILITY (Henry Browning – Center for Creative
Leadership via Forbes.com


)
The expectation of evaluation. In accountable
organizations people seek feedback because they
know it is intended to improve the process and add
to their knowledge. Use multiple forms of feedback
and evaluation to assess the health and success of a
manager, process or department. Multiple feedback
mechanisms help avoid discovering shortcomings
when it is too late.
Integrity counts. When anyone falls short, they admit
it and work to improve. Consistently falling short?
Concern needs to be addressed… perhaps has not
been adequately addressed.
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
Leader vs. Boss
Being a leader is very different than being the boss.
The boss drives the team; The leader inspires and coaches them.
The boss depends on authority; The leader on good will.
The boss evokes fear; The leader radiates love.
The boss says "I"; The leader says "We".
The boss shows who is wrong; The leader shows what is wrong.
The boss knows how it is done; The leader shows how it is done.
The boss assigns the tasks; The leader sets the pace.
The boss says, "Get here on time"; The leader gets there ahead of time.
The boss makes work drudger; The leader makes it interesting.
The boss says "GO"; The leader says "LET'S GO
The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.
The boss fixes blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.
The Boss shows who is wrong; The Leader shows what is wrong..
The Boss demands respect; Leader commands respect
The world needs leaders,
but nobody wants a boss.
Creating and Maintaining a
Supportive Environment
Servant Leadership
600 B.C., the Chinese sage Lao Tzu wrote The
Tao Te Ching, a strategic treatise on servant
leadership:
The greatest leader forgets himself
And attends to the development of others.
Good leaders support excellent workers.
Great leaders support the bottom ten percent.
Great leaders know that the diamond in the
rough is always found “in the rough.”
1977 Robert Greenleaf - “Father” of Servant
Leadership”
Creating and Maintaining a
Supportive Environment
Servant Leadership:
Essential 10 Characteristics:
 Listening
 Empathy
 Healing
 Awareness
 Persuasion
 Conceptualization
 Foresight
 Stewardship
 Commitment to the growth of others
 Building community
Visual Example of Servant
Leadership
Servant Leadership





Emphasizes collaboration, trust, empathy
Emphasizes the ethical use of power
Individual is a servant first
Makes the conscious decision to lead in order
to better serve others, not to increase our own
power
Objective is to enhance the growth of
individuals in the organization and increase
teamwork and personal involvement
Assessing Your Leadership Style
 How
did you develop that style?
 When does it work for you? When does it
seem counter-productive?
 Think of best and least effective supervisor
you’ve had and how that influences your
style?
 Is this style more similar to or more different
from your supervisor’s style?
 How does this fit with your style as a
“supervisee”?
2008 Burman and Evans 'charter' for
leaders:






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Leading by example in accordance with the organization’s
core values.
Building the trust and confidence of the people with which
they work.
Continually seeking improvement in their methods and
effectiveness.
Keeping people informed.
Being accountable for their actions and holding others
accountable for theirs.
Involving people, seeking their views, listening actively to what
they have to say and representing these views honestly.
Being clear on what is expected, and providing feedback on
progress.
Qualities of an
Outstanding Leader( Suppoert
/Accountability)



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
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Demonstrates Self-awareness
Demonstrates and supports transparency and
accountability
Continually presents messages in such a way that
the team will remain motivated, growing, and
achieving at the highest levels of performance.
Has Vision and is able to "sell" their vision and
results-orientation to everyone on the team
Demonstrates clarity, consistency and effective
communications
Takes time each day to send a congratulatory
email, in person, text, or phone message of
praise/Mahalo
Makes self-sacrifice in the interest of mission and
vision.
Qualities of an
Outstanding Leader



Displays Confidence, determination, and
persistence. (Excellent leaders need to have
a very high degree of self-confidence and
conviction because their mission usually
challenges the status quo and, therefore,
may offend those who have a stake in
preserving the established order of things e.g.
“It’s always been done this way!”.
Others see them as competent, credible, and
trustworthy.
Role-models: team members identify with the
values of role models they perceive in positive
terms.
Qualities of an
Outstanding Leader





Acts as spokespersons for their organization
Communicates expectations of high
performance from the team members and
has confidence in team member’s abilities to
meet expectations.
Practices Frame Alignment: Knows the
interests, values, and beliefs of team
members. Use these to engage members in
the goal or change.
Uses Inspirational communication including
celebrations
Makes Difficult Decisions
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
CONSIDER KAREN…
 With organization for 4 years
 3 children 2, 6, 12
 Daycare difficulty
 Confided re: divorce due to DV/IPA and concern re: 1
income
 always remembers your birthday
 Coworkers hint they are carrying some of her work due
to family concerns and legal appointments
 Not exemplary but consistent and solid work
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
Loyal to mission and good relationship with
stakeholders
Understands mission because she has been
through what Participants have been through
Before becoming her supervisor, you were
co-workers. Hung out together with other
team members
When you were promoted, gave you
beautiful card telling you how you deserved it
and how you were going to be different than
previous person who was
so strict and cold
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
 Past 6 mos., work steadily declining. Things LEFT UNDONE,
LATE PAPERWORK, MISSED APPOITMENTS, INCREASED
ERRORS, ). Community partners noticing and shedding
bad light on organization
 Recently made mistake that put grant in jeopardy. She
genuinely felt horrible and apologized profusely. Explained
was because of distraction with divorce and TRO’s for
domestic violence
 This morning, was late for appointment that resulted in
funder withdrawing funds.
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
 Support
 Accountability
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
KNOW HR
RESOURCES


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DV Leave
FMLA
Agency LWOP
EAP
MH Resources
Legal Aid, etc.
( include in Orientation)




Train Supervisors
When possible, ne
CONSISTENTLY flexible
Understanding what
support means to team
members and they
understand what it means
to you.
Couple Supportive Actions
w/ clear and documented
expectations re:
Performance
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
 Keep
up to date on
FLSA and Labor
Laws/Resources
 Document,
Document,
Document ( the
good and the
challenging)
 Reflect and Debrief





Acting from fear or love?
Remember the 100% and
50%
Be who you are but feel
free to treat yourself to a
professional stretch!
Neer forget why you are
there and the purpose fo
rwhich your oganization
exisits
forgett that employeees ae
the most vluabnle
resourcve for any
oprgsnizatioj, ad iamoknd
in the rough
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
NEVER FORGET…


EMPLOYEES ARE THE MOST VALUABLE
RESOURCE TO ANY ORGANIZATION
PAY FORWARD THE KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS,
MENTORING, AND COACHING YOU RECEIVED
( WITH DISCERNMENT)




IF YOU DIDN’T, START A NEW TRADITION
The reason you are there and why your
organization exists
Who is at the top of the Org Chart
Respectful Accountability is one of the most
support actions a leader can take.
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership Solutions, LLC
808.280.6135 ©2014
You deserve to be in your
leadership position
If you are new leader or
preparing for leadership, you
bring a valuable and fresh
perspective and you have so
many wonderful opportunities to
become the leader others want to
follow.
If you’ve been leading for a while,
we value your wisdom and
experience.
Leadership is an honor and a
privilege and you are exactly
where you need to be, doing
exactly what you need to be
doing. Embrace, Enjoy, Develop,
Grow, Share, Step Back, Step Up
Mahalo for the powerful and
positive impact you make on our
world….
Mahalo!
May you have all you need
to make it a great day!
Jani
L. Jani Sheppard ljs.Leadership
Solutions, LLC 808.280.6135 ©2014