Making the link between the principles of effective leadership

and mediation skills?

Claire MaxwellDegree Programme Director/

Clinical Senior LecturerPost Grad Clinical Leadership

Newcastle UniversityApril 2014

IntroductionsName, role & organisationOne word to describe what

‘leadership’ means to you?

So - differing perspectives!

‘Seeing’ and ‘feeling’ leadership?

• Complex & multidimensional• Difficult to define or indeed

understand!

• Context specific• NHS, Education, Armed Forces……..

• Despite complexity – we usually know when we see it or feel it!

• Always know when its poor/ ineffective!

Main principles of effective leadership?

Principles of ‘effective’ leadership

Psychological theories view leadership as a

social influence process – influencing

followers to group goals

Business-orientated models place

emphasis on the leadership of organisational

functions

The ‘How’ & ‘What’ of LeadershipKaiser et al (2012)

Organisational ‘What’ = vision,

horizon scanning, strategy, goals,

systems, innovationInterpersonal

‘How’ = behaviour,

connection to others, emotional

intelligence, authenticity,

integrity

The ‘how and ‘what’ of leadership…

Which is the most important??

The Apple Paradox

The question of leadership!Three key questions:

1. Why should we look at leadership?

2. Why is it important?3. How does it differ to

management?

1. Why should we/you look at leadership?

(In context of HE/FE)

Why look at leadership?

Changing environment/ culture

Focus on funding/ financial issues

Competition from other

universities/colleges

International market

New business elements introduced

2. Why is it important?

Why is it important?

Survival!!

Change management

Engagement of staff

Student/learners ‘journey’

Research & teaching quality

Performance indicators

3. How does leadership differ from management?

Leaders v Managers (Bennis 1998)

ManagerHas their eye on the

bottom lineRelies on controlAdministersMaintains Has a short-range

viewAsks how and whenAccepts the status

quoDoes things right

LeaderHas a vision & their

eye on the horizon Inspire trust InnovateDevelop othersHas a long range

perspectiveAsk what and whyChallenges the status

quoDoes the right thing

The biggest difference?

Biggest difference between a leader and a manager rests on the status quo

“managers are willing to live with it and leaders are not” (Warren Bennis 1998)

Culture & Context of Education

Environment of

constant change

Significant amount of

change managem

ent

Staff coping with

change – loss and

grief

John Fisher’s Model of Transition

(2012)

Coping with workplace change

So – surely effective leaders need to have excellent mediation skills!

Leadership AND Mediation skills

Mediation AND Leadership skills

Leadership and Mediation skills

Effective Leaders need:

Strategic understanding & vision

People skills & empath

y

Authenticity &

integrity

Emotional intelligence

& influencing

skills

Excellent

communication

Change manage

ment skills AND

excellent mediation skills!

Culture of collaboration and engagement

“ like good leaders, good mediators motivate people to work through difficult problems in order to achieve particular goals”(Hoffmann 2009)

Styles of Leadership in HE/FE?

Distributed Leadership

One definition…..

“The NHS needs people to think of themselves as leaders not because they are personally exceptional, senior or inspirational to others, but because they can see what needs to be done and can work with others to do it”

(Prof Kim Turnbull James 2011)

From Heroes to Teams………

Research suggests

‘Great Man/

Heroic’ approac

h to leadersh

ip – outdated

Organisations to

survive – need more

transformational approac

hes

Leader as Coac

h

Distributed leadership

Encouraging effecti

ve ‘self-

leadership’

Effective

teamwork

How easy can that be?!

Herding Cats??

Leadership Dilemmas

Nothing is black and

white

Working in ‘grey’

Constant dilemmas/ conflicts

Need tenacity & resilience

Courage and self efficacy

Strong networks

& support

Strong networks & supportive culture

How can we ‘measure’ culture?

‘Culture Barometer’

Culture is easier to ‘smell’ than it is to measure!

Edgar Schein - Culture & Leadership

“The bottom line for leaders is that if they do not become conscious of the cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them. Cultural understanding is desirable for all of us, but it is essential to leaders if they are to lead.”

(Edgar Schein 1992)

Mediators as part of this network?

Mediators to support and challenge?

Steven Covey

Argues the single most important behaviour for maintaining successful work relationships is to: "seek to understand" before "seeking to be understood"

Self - Leadership

“Its hard to lead others if you don’t know how to lead yourself, and you cant lead yourself without the right tools!”

(Blanchard 2014)