sustainable leadership: how to lead without diminishing

Sustainable Leadership: How to Lead

Without Diminishing Influence

Jeff McClellan

Sustainability

• “One of the challenges facing humanity today is the choice between a sustainable and socially just future or maintaining the status quo. While the term sustainability is often co-opted, I have defined a sustainable society to be one that satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects for the health and well-being of self, other peoples, future generations, or the environment” (Lange, 2009, p. 193)

Entropy vs. Neg-entropy

(Kegan & Lahey, 2001; Prigogine,

1984; Richardson, 2004)

Leadership and Influence

• Leadership is a social influence process whereby an individual intentionally influences others towards the accomplishment of some end

• Implications– Leadership Influence is relational and

dependent upon the • Capacity of the leader to engage in influence

processes

• Capacity of the leader to influence the follower via relationship

• Capacity of the follower to act based on the influence of the leader

Sustainable Leadership

• Sustainable leadership

– Replenishes or at least maintains the

capacity of the leader to engage in

influence processes


capacity of the leader to influence the

follower via relationship


capacity of the follower to act based on

the influence of the leader

Relevant Leadership Concepts

• Hardiness

• Flow

• SpiritualityLeader/Follower

• Servant-Leadership

• Authentic Leadership

• CommunityRelationship

Hardiness

(Khoshaba, D. M., & Maddi, S. R. , 2005).

HardiLeaders Engage In

• Hardy or Transformational Coping as Opposed to Regressive Coping

• Giving and Receiving of Effective Social Support

• Hardy Health Practices

– Relaxation

– Nutrition

– Exercise

– Appropriate Medication

(Khoshaba & Maddi, 2005; Maddi &

Khoshaba, 2005; Maddi & Kobasa, 1984)

Stress is Negative not Positive

Relaxed State

Stressors

Strain

Burnout

Stress/Strain/Performance

Lo

w

Perf

orm

an

ce

Hig

h

Sleep Apathy Interest Active Engagement Concern Distress Breakdown

Low Level of Strain High

The Midpoint: FlowA state of consciousness characterized

by focused concentration leading to

increased, fluidity of performance, a

detached sense of self and an altered

sense of time

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, 2003)

What Flow Looks Like

How it Happens

Flow

• Human brain processes about 110 bits of information per second

• To listen to a person speaking you process about 60

• In flow your processing capabilities are loaded with the task at hand in such a way that all other awareness fades away


Flow

Lo

w

Leve

lo

f D

iffi

cu

lty

Hig

h

Low Level of Skill High

Level of focused attention, intrinsic motivation , and interest

Apathy

ArousalFlow

Control

Relaxed

ActivityBoredom/

Disinterest

Anxiety

Worry

(Adapted from Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, 2003)

Flow Requires

• High attentiveness

• Clear goals and feedback

• Skill/Challenge balance

• High sense of control

• Intrinsic motivation/interest


Spirituality:

Transcendent

and Imminent

Meaning

Getting into flow

Establish Goals with Feedback

Choose Challenging Activity

Develop skill

Learn to focus attention

Values

What is Spirituality• The ability to

find and

experience

Purpose (Transcendent

meaning)

Meaning (Immanent meaning)

Connectedness

Integrity (Wholeness of self directed

towards purpose)

(Bolman & Deal, 2001; Boyatzis & McKee,

2005; Corey, 1998; Csikszentmihalyi, 2003;

Greenleaf, 1977; Hanh, 1999; Hinckley, 2000;

Kyker, 2003; Merton, 1961; Morris, 1997;

Nachmanovitch, 1990; Palmer, 2004; Peck,

1987, 2002; Sayers, 1987; Thompson, 2000;

Tolstoy, 1978; Tutu, 1999; Warner, 2001)

Servant-Leadership

• An inside out approach

– The servant-leader is servant first—as Leo was portrayed. [Servant-leadership] begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. (Greenleaf, 1977, p. 27).

• Identity not skill

– “leadership overarches expertise” (Greenleaf, 2003, p. 41).

The Heart of a Servant-Leader“Servant-Leaders

typically have a

passionate zeal

for creating a

preferred future. . . .

What differentiates

servant-leaders from

Maniacal dictators is

their deep desire to

pursue this vision

from the basis

Of humility, empathy,

compassion, and

commitment to

Ethical behavior”

(Lad and

Luechauer,

1998, p. 64).

Commitment to the growth

of people

BuildingCommunity

Foresight

Conceptual-ization

Awareness

Healing

Listening Empathy

Stewardship

Persuasion

The Heart of a Servant-

Leader

Based on Spears, 2002

Authentic Leadership

• Understanding their purpose

• Practicing solid values-integrity

• Leading with heart

• Establishing connected relationships

• Demonstrating self-discipline

– George, 2008

Fostering Community

No Conflict

Conflict

Strain

Dissolution

Conflict Continuum

Lo

w

Perf

orm

an

ce

Hig

h

Low Level of Conflict High

Community• “If we are going to use the word

'community' meaningfully we

must restrict it to a group of

individuals who have learned

how to communicate honestly

with each other, whose

relationships go deeper than

their masks of composure, and

who have developed some

significant commitment to

„rejoice together, mourn

together,‟ and to „delight in each

other, make others‟ conditions

our own.‟” (Peck, 1987 pg. 59)

• "Only in community

can the self exercise

and fulfill its nature:

giving and taking,

listening and speaking,

being and doing. But

when community

unravels and we lose

touch with one

another, the self

atrophies and we lose

touch with ourselves

as well" (Palmer,

2004, p. 39).

Building Community

• Create a shared sense of purpose and

process through

– Fostering Dialogue

– Working through Conflict

– Encouraging “Presence” and empathy

– Building Trust

– Collaborative/synergistic work processes

(Bernthal, 2006; Bohme, 1996; Cadwell & S. E. Clapham ”. 2003; Galford & Drapeau, 2002; Gergen & Gergen, 2004;

Gerzon, 2003, 2006; Hosmer, 1995; Lyman, 2003; Maslow et al., 1998; Mezirow & Taylor, 2009; Noddings, 2002, 2003;

Palmer, 2004; Peck, 1987, 2002; Schindler & Thomas, 1993; Senge, 1990; Slote, 2007; Stone, 2002)

Interdisciplinary Exploration

• What additional concepts from your fields

contribute to sustainable leadership?

– Replenishes or at least maintains the capacity

of the leader to engage in influence

processes


of the leader to influence the follower via

relationship


of the follower to act based on the influence

of the leader

References• Bernthal, P. (2006). A survey of trust in the workplace: Executive summary. Retrieved September 26,

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