Transcript Leadership: the Global Views of Public Managers

Leadership: the Global
Views of Public Managers
Robert C. Myrtle, DPA
Director, Executive Master of Leadership
Professor of Public Administration,
Professor of Gerontology
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• What are the competencies of a highly effective
public leader from a Taiwanese perspective?
• Do public managers in Taiwan identify different
competencies of effective leaders than their
public sector counterparts in the United States?
• Which of these competencies have been
important to your success as a leader and as a
manager?
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• The goals of this presentation are:
– To describe what Taiwanese and American public
managers identify as the behaviors and characteristics
of outstanding leaders in public sector organizations.
– To compare these behaviors and characteristics with the
behaviors and characteristics identified by the largest
study of leaders world wide.
– To identify the behaviors and characteristics that all
effective leaders possess.
– To note how effective leaders adapt these to different
national contexts.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• Understanding the differences in the views of
public managers working in Taiwan and the
United States—A point of departure.
– ___ public sector managers in Taiwan and ___ public
sector manager in the United States were asked to
complete a leadership survey drawn from the GLOBE
(Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Effectiveness) study.
– These findings will be used to highlight the behaviors
and characteristics associated with highly effective
public sector leaders.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• If you were asked for your definition of
leadership, what would you say?
– Take a moment to list 3 characteristics or behaviors that you
believe are associated with highly effective public leaders.
• If you were asked “why would anyone want to be led by
you, what would you say?
– Take a moment to list 3 reasons people would give as to why
they would want to be led by you.
• We will return to these two questions after some
background on the global leadership study
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• The GLOBE Study
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Involved 170 researchers.
Took 10 years to do.
Surveyed over 17,000 managers in 62 different countries.
Examined the relationship between cultural influences,
leadership behaviors and competencies and leadership
effectiveness
– Identified 6 universally perceived leadership attributes that are
contributors to or inhibitors of outstanding leadership
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• GLOBE Core Leadership Dimensions:
– Charismatic/Value-Based: the ability to inspire, motivate and expect
high performance outcomes based on core beliefs and values.
– Team-Oriented: the emphasis placed on effective team-building and
the implementation of of common purpose among team members.
– Self-Protective: A focus on the safety and security of the manager.
– Participative: the degree to which managers involve others in the
making and implementation of decisions.
– Humane-Oriented: the degree of emphasis on supportive and
considerate behaviors.
– Autonomous: the degree to which the manager focuses on
individualistic and independent action.
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• Global Leader: One who has the skills and abilities to interact
with and manage people from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Characteristics of a global leader: Cosmopolitan, skilled at
intercultural communication, culturally sensitive, and capable
of rapid acculturation
• Global Leader Characteristics
– Knowledgeable about cultural and institutional influences on
management
– Facilitator of subordinates’ intercultural performance
– A user of cultural synergy
– A promoter and user of the growing world culture
– A commitment to continuous improvement in self-awareness and
renewal
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• How do Taiwanese and American Public Managers
compare on the GLOBE Leadership dimensions?
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• What is leadership anyhow?
• One definition of leadership is: “Leadership is involves the
creation an environment where people feel empowered to
do their best in the pursuit of important organizational
goals”.
• Effective leaders create motivational visions, collaboratively
establish challenging goals and objectives, provide the
necessary resources and support so that their team
members can excel and mentor, coach and model the
behaviors, attitudes and values that are embedded in the
vision and the goals of the organization.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• What are the characteristics of highly effective public
managers?
Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Leaders
Attributes, Qualities, Traits
Behaviors, Actions
• Has integrity
• Is positive, dynamic and
encouraging
• Authentic to their own
personality
• Takes responsibility
• Treats everyone fairly
• Admits their mistakes
• Build community
• Has a vision
• Is an excellent communicator
• Clarifies roles and
responsibilities
• Manages conflict
• Performance Oriented
• Decisive
• Develop their people
• Direct, explain,
show and teach
• Encourage, coach
• Involve, engage
• Delegate, manage
by exception
Dr. Robert C. Myrtle
University of Southern California
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• What did you identify as the factors associated with
people wanting to be led by you?
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• Most people want ~
– A leader who listens to me in an effort to understand.
– A leader who appreciates the challenges I face in doing my job.
– A leader who keeps me informed in what is happening in our unit and in the
organization at large
– A leader who sees the big picture, anticipates changes and works with us to
develop strategies to respond.
– A leader who is just, fair and does what he or she say they will do.
– A leader with passion for their job, for the people they serve and for the
employees who work for them.
– A leader who is interested in working with us to create the work unit that
others admire.
– A leader is committed to my development as a person, as an employee, as
a professional and as a civil servant.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• What contributes to the development of the global views
of public managers?
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• Global Leaders
– Have a knowledge of how their organization is impacted by the dynamics in the
global community
– Appreciates and supports cultural and gender egalitarianism.
– Skilled at intercultural communication.
– Fosters a respect for the differences in people and their cultures.
– Uses social and cultural uniquenesses to improve organizational functioning.
– Excels in the development of partnerships and interorganizational relationships
• Able to create and sustain partnerships and alliances
• Capacity to manage relationships that builds trust and understanding.
– A capacity to ensure results through shared, in contrast with hierarchical,
leadership
– Thrives in a technologically dynamic environment.
– Adjust their leadership styles to fit different situations by understanding what
local managers do to lead successfully in their own country while remaining true
to their core values as a person and as a leader.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• How can you become a better leader in a global
environment?
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Four critical building blocks
Building block 1: Knowing your self
Building block 2: Knowing your team
Building block 3: Knowing your organization
Building block 4: Knowing the world
• The Leadership Competency Profile on the following
slide might point out areas for improvement as a leader
excelling in a global environment
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views of Public Managers
Leadership Dimension
1
Awareness of trends long before they impact the organization.
2
Ability to explain organization’s purpose to a stranger.
3
Knowledge of the most important concern of each person I lead.
4
I regularly seek feedback about myself from others.
5
I spend time getting to know each person I lead.
6
I have a broad network of contacts that provides me with information on emerging trends affecting the
organization.
7
People say I am passionate when I talk to others about my organization.
8
I know my weaknesses.
9
I can explain how my organizations capabilities differ from other similar organizations.
10
I am actively working on improving one aspect of myself.
11
I know how each group in the organization affects the work of other groups.
12
I could list the top capabilities of every person I lead.
13
I scan the environment for developments that could pose a risk or threat to my organization
14
I know what people spend most of their time on.
Not a
Strength
Sufficient
A
Strength
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
• Which of the four critical building blocks are your strengths
and which might deserve development?
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Building block 1: Knowing your self (Q4, Q8 and Q10).
Building block 2: Knowing your team (Q3, Q5, Q12, and Q14).
Building block 3: Knowing your organization (Q2, Q7,Q9, and Q11).
Building block 4: Knowing the world (Q1,Q6, and Q 13).
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
Some closing thoughts on the leadership competencies of effective public managers
in a global environment.
Universal Facilitators of Leadership Effectiveness:
• Being trustworthy, just and honest.
• Having foresight and planning ahead.
• Being positive, dynamic, encouraging, motivating and building confidence in people you
lead.
Universal Impediments to Leadership Effectiveness
• Being a loner and asocial.
• Being non-cooperative and irritable.
• Being dictatorial
Culturally Contingent Influences on Leadership Effectiveness
• Being individualistic.
• Being status conscious.
• Being a risk-taker.
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
Questions?
Comments?
Reactions?
Dr Robert C. Myrtle
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
Leadership: the Global Views
of Public Managers
Thanks!