This paper is intended to be a reflection of my learning experiences so far and there is no question that that the course has left a deep impact on my critical understanding of emotional intelligence, embodied presence and organizational leadership. We had clear expectations from the class and it was all well laid out in the syllabus. The recommended textbooks were very practical and had insightful experiences from great leaders – grabbing hold, strategy, culture, lessons learned and observations; explain how primal leadership can be developed through emotional intelligence- personal and social leadership competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management), six leadership styles and self-directed learning, how to discover and change organizational cultures, develop structural thinking to shape and lead people in future organizations.
The coaching emphasis was on four key areas of leadership – leading people, leading culture, leading strategy, leading external and internal networks, and leading globally.
The recommended textbooks and readings were very practical and explained the importance and application of leadership practices as they stand in the real world. Instead of dwelling into the theories and concepts with no clue about their intended application, the books explained the reading goals of each chapter, their strategic importance, techniques, best practices, various perspectives, emerging trends and challenges in a global environment. The use of real-world examples along with the case studies really closed the learning loop. The professor was very knowledgeable, highly motivated and inspiring. He was very receptive and understanding whenever you approach him with any questions or concerns. The learning aspects were unique from a traditional setting in that the students took the collective responsibility to learn by sharing their individual experiences, knowledge, skills under the expert guidance of the Professor. I really felt that this approach left memorable experiences for each of us. The class setting fostered and promoted a collective atmosphere where ideas, thoughts, criticisms, were freely exchanged leading to desired consequences. The coaching style helped us to critically reflect on the topics, engage in team coherency and facilitated mutual learning. The self-assessments, one-on-one coaching conversations, personal practice and learning log observations, and team project made us understand the EI skills, reflect on our emotional behaviors at work and in personal life, self-evaluate and share rich experiences and narratives in various contexts. The “narrative story” project made us think critically of healthcare reform, understand how disruptive innovation will bring efficiency, economy and quality. Operating as a team of three members in a group we profiled a successful and an unsuccessful health care initiative, analyzed leadership styles and their role in building motivation and dealing with culture.
Our narratives, recommendations of disruptive innovation initiatives, examples of transforming agents in three areas – business model innovation, Technology enabler and value networks coupled with narratives allowed us to see things from new viewpoints (apply Cynefin framework) , apply contexts to each issue, assimilate complex problems and address them and make use of opportunities to succeed.
But as we went along, every session turned out to be exciting, rich with individual’s experiences and critical thoughts about the topics discussed. What I felt great about the class was the constant feedback and review exercises we had and the expert facilitation by the professor.
A brief synopsis of the topics we learnt is listed below:
The first and foremost key aspect to becoming a true leader is to develop emotional intelligence – the need to be self-aware, self-regulated, socially aware and build lasting relationships. The leadership presence practices– the NANO centering practice, the 5-part centering, embodied presence and blending exercises really gave a firm footing on how to control my emotions, be attuned to my values and things I care the most, dispose of my pre-determined perceptions, listen and engage in emotionally stable behaviors.
The readings from Peter Cohan’s book on McNerney’s turnaround at Boeing and Schein’s Corporate survival guide exemplifies the importance of winning the hearts and minds with a clear vision of future success. It brings forth the leadership presence in understanding the dynamics of organization culture formation, evolution and change (transformation), prevalent values and behaviors, mission, means and measurements, strategic fit, role of leaders as change catalysts and the realities of multiculturalism – M & A, Joint Ventures and multicultural collaborations. As emerging leaders we have to be aware of new organizational characteristics – networked, flat, flexible, diverse and global.
A good leader inspires and motivates. Daniel Pink’s video clearly states how autonomy, mastery and purpose and not rewards that will lead to instilled motivation, creativity and productive outcomes. He also revealed the gradual shifting dynamics from “right brain” to “left brain” capabilities – creativity, innovation, empathy and meaning and the need for “high concept” and high touch” aptitudes – the six essential aptitude skills of design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning. Lack of cognitive and emotional abilities will lead to decision traps, (Russo & Schoemaker) and result in decline and disappearance (Collins). Snowden explains how leaders should act in unordered contexts (chaotic & complex), embrace complexity and paradox and show willingness to change leadership style. It is necessary to align intangible assets with strategy to create value and exhibit situational leadership based on task or relationship management (Blanchard)
Leadership is incomplete without building effective external networks and establishing robust internal networks. Cohan explains how McNerney approved and led a global network of suppliers to develop Boeing 787 Dreamliner, tightened operations with process improvement tools and partner with suppliers to reduce risk and accelerate time to market.
With Globalization becoming a driving force in business, no leader can afford to overlook “thinking globally” and keep pace with changing marketplace and recognize the interconnection and interdependence of people, resources, businesses, and governments. The Hay group study and presentation from Interchina consulting group exposed us to the Chinese leadership styles and understand emerging business trends in China.
Finally, all the topics we covered so far culminated in developing integrated leadership able to cultivate dynamic capabilities to deliver superior enterprise performance. David Teece in his academic publication fortifies the same by providing a framework to harness such capabilities. Lafley in his book exhorts the importance of structuring and organizing to stimulate creativity and foster innovation.
Every topic that I learnt could be related to my own work place and seem to blend in with my organizational goals I deal with on a daily basis. My practice logs are a testimony to the varied rich experiences I had drawn from the EI practices and I can truly credit my improved performance, personality and recent accomplishments to the knowledge I gained and appropriate application of it in right contexts.
I even had the opportunity to discuss my experiences with the professor to gain his expert advice and seek remedies to the problems I am facing at my work place. I was really happy with the conversation I had and planning on putting into action the valuable suggestions made by the professor. My work-place experiences dealt with most of the issues a leader would face in any diverse organization.
Overall, the course was very informative, instilled critical thinking and developed the competencies required to manage people in an effective way. Every effort must be made harness the positive behaviors of people so that they resonate in harmony with the leader’s emotions. Leaders execute a visionby motivating, guiding, inspiring, listening, persuading – and, most crucially through creating resonance and it is the hall mark of primal leadership.
