What Leaders Really Do . . .

Article by John P. Kotter, HBR

Presentation by Josiah Neal • Alex McDermott • Franklin Powell

Rob McRae • Michael Nicholas • Gill Perez

OverviewO Leadership is different from

management

O A balance is needed

O Strong leadership + Strong Management = Success!

Management and Leadership

O Both systems of action involve deciding:O What needs to be doneO Creating groups of people that can

accomplish an agendaO Ensuring people do their job

O Each systems accomplishes these three tasks in different ways

Management . . .O Management is about coping with

complexityO Planning and BudgetingO Organizing and StaffingO Controlling and Problem Solving

Vs. LeadershipO Leadership is about coping with

changeO Setting a DirectionO Aligning PeopleO Motivating and Inspiring

Setting a Direction . . .O Creates visions/strategiesO Not planningO Strategic thinkersO Inductive (Patterns, relationships to

explain)O Make ideas better

Vs. Planning and Budgeting

O Management processO Obsolete (Long/Short term)O BurdensomeO UnexpectedO Combo is Best bet

O Vision provides constraintsO Reality check on direction setting

O Essential vs. irrelevant

Organizing and Staffing . . .

O Organization – linkage/interdependenceO Challenge for change as one

O Alignment problemO Managers organize

O To achieve precision and efficiencyO Requires complex decisions

O Suitable staffing, training, communicate plans, authority, etc.

Vs. Aligning PeopleO Communication problem – not design problemO Involves talking to many people

O Bosses to peers, peers to bossesO Even suppliers and customers

O Anyone who can help vision and strategiesO Credibility needed to carry vision to

employeesO Leads to Empowerment at all levels

O Have same targetO Lower-level can initiate actions

Motivating People Vs. Controlling and Problem Solving

O Change is the key function of LeadershipO Creating Change

O Control mechanismsO Systems and structuresO Basic Human needsO Networks of informal relationshipsO Communication

Creating a Culture of Leadership

O How a Business Develops Leader-ManagersO Recruiting with leadership potentialO Managing career patterns

O Early CareerO Significant challenges early in career teach about

the difficulty in leading and its potential for producing change.

O Late CareerO Broadening roles for different displays of leadershipO Relationships built create strong informal networks

needed to support leadership initiatives

Corporate Leadership Culture

O DecentralizationO Identification

O Making lower level employees visible to senior management

O RewardsO Creates a culture

where people value strong leadership and strive to create it.