LeaderSHAPE

LeaderSHAPE Suzana Abd Latif

ii LeaderSHAPE Suzana Abd Latif Edited by, Suzana Abd Latif Gu Saw Lan, Phd Logeswari Uthama Puthran, Phd

iii Graphics designed by, Suhaila Che Noh, Phd Acknowledgements Bismillahirrahmannirrahim… In the name of Allah SWT, the Most Compassionate, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful, who has bestowed upon me the strength, health and perseverance to complete the writing of this book. First and foremost, I would like to thank the top management, especially Dr. Joohari Ariffin, the Director of Institut Aminuddin Baki Northern Branch (IABCU) who has been supportive of the writing endeavours of the lecturers in IABCU. I am also truly grateful to my Head of Department, Mohd Shukri Md Jaafar, for all the support, and words of encouragement that have guided me through the completion of this book. My gratitude extends also to the Head of Department, Department of Documentation, Publication and Promotion, Azman bin Abdan and his team members, Dr Zulhilmi Haron and Jamal Ishak for making this book a dream come true. The commitment given to publish this book and see the light of day is greatly appreciated. To my amazing colleagues, Dr Gu Saw Lan, Dr Suhaila Che Noh and Dr Logeswari Uthama Puthran, thank you for taking the time to help me in the completion of this book. The feedback given helped to ensure that the writing was aligned, though I had sincerely thought that the edits would never end. I am truly grateful and thank all of you for the unique role that you played in the completion of this book, especially in your attention to detail and the eye for excellence. I would also like to thank each one of my colleagues in IABCU, whose names I could not possibly mention here, as they are many, for giving me the push that I need to make this writing something that is worth the effort. By that measure, I hope to be as productive as can be for the benefit of all despite the challenges abound. Finally, I would like to thank my family for their unwavering love, support, patience and encouragement that has provided me with the strength I needed to complete this book. Peace, Love, and Blessings to you all! Suzana Abd Latif

iv Foreword Assalammualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to Suzana Abd Latif from Institut Aminuddin Baki Northern Branch on the successful completion of her effort – i.e a book entitled LeaderSHAPE. I am indeed pleased to have the opportunity to provide a foreword for this new book on leadership development. This attempt in writing mirrors a strong perseverance and reflects a strong desire on her part to continuously expand on her capacities and capabilities as well as her potential for personal and professional growth. Substantially, the effort made echoes our strong commitment to continuously enriching our everexpanding collection of academic literature, especially in the area of leadership development. This book is indeed an engaging text to read as she draws and synthesizes discourses from a wide range of local and international research and literature that informs much of the thoughts widely spread throughout the book. Much of the insightful information will undoubtedly enable readers to gain insight and understanding about the essential elements needed to shape their leadership behaviors, thoughts, emotions and attitude. I strongly believe that this is a book that one will enjoy reading as it is intended as a reference point for scholars, educational leaders and practitioners and is likely to be particularly helpful for the latter groups as the approach is rather straightforward. To this end, it is my sincere hope that this book will gain much recognition from both local and international readers. Director Institut Aminuddin Baki Ministry of Education, Malaysia

v Foreword Assalammualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to Suzana Abd Latif on the writing of the book entitled “LeaderSHAPE”. I believe, within the educational setting or in any other career for that matter, the transition to leadership roles can be an uphill journey. Along the way, I believe, you may have asked yourselves some of these pervasive questions: How do I lift myself up from the operational to the strategic? How am I to provide visionary leadership? How can I inspire and lead change in my organisation? If your questions are the same as these, then, this book I believe is written for you. The LeaderSHAPE framework as explained in the book is beneficial as it illustrates how we can create impact as leaders in many different circumstances, especially in facing the challenges in a VUCA environment. While there are many conceptions of leadership, one thing that we need to be cognizant of is the fact that we need to realize our identity, roles and functions as defined through team and organizational setting. We need to realize that we achieve our organizational goals through a collaborative effort of our team members. Hence, the author makes the important point that leadership is not a uni-dimensional phenomenon. As a matter of fact, it is seen as both a practical and a theoretical concept. For that reason, it is intended as a reference point for scholars, educational leaders, practitioners and students interested to undertand more about leadership and its manifestations. It is my strong belief that this book will open our way of thinking and see how leadership should be practiced. For that reason, I am hopeful that this book will gain much recognition from both local and international audiences. With that, once again, Congratulations! Director Institut Aminuddin Baki Northern Branch Ministry of Education, Malaysia

vi Preface Leadership, both as a concept as well as practices, continues to grasp the attention of many, be it among the leaders themselves, aspiring or would-be leaders as well as scholars, practitioners, and even students interested in understanding how a person becomes a great leader. While some may argue that great leaders are born, there are still those who believe that these so-called traits could be emulated if one understands the motivation and intention behind a leader’s behavior, be it in making good judgment, providing clear direction, finding practical solutions or making hard decisions. Regardless of the circumstances, as leaders, we will become highly motivated with clear intention when there is an inner drive that directs our pursuit of being a better person or a better leader. In other words, the more we are in tune with ourselves, the more we realize that there is a crucial need to become better at leading ourselves as well as others. When we are aware of our own set of beliefs, needs, desires, limitations, expectations, etc., the more we can self-evaluate and reflect on our experiences. This will consequently lead to better leadership behavior as leadership is an improvisational and developmental process. It is not a static construct and hence, leadership development implies the notion of improvement, growth and change. Nevertheless, like many other phenomena, leadership is complex and multifaceted, so no one theory can explain the leadership behaviors, skills and attitudes as well as the conditions that foster its development. It obviously points to the process of transition from one stage of leadership capability to another in order to become better at leading in varied circumstances. Having said this however, it is not an attempt to depart from the existing way of thinking which sees leadership development as a holistic affair, but rather in helping to see how as leaders, we could further enhance our leadership repertoire as we continue to grow and develop, both within personal and professional realm. As leadership entails personal and professional growth, leadership development is best when it is self-taught. In fact, as advocated by Bennis and Goldsmith (1997), it is crucial for us to discover our own passion and desire and to use them to attain the intended goals. Therefore, it becomes more important for us to actively and continuously grow beyond our present capacities and capabilities in order to be effective. We need to be aware of our own capacity and capability in relation to others as well as the organization in order to be able to perform effectively in various roles and functions within various contexts that we are in. Undoubtedly, as leaders, we need to

vii be able to adapt ourselves and our practices to suit the contexts of need and to address complex changes and challenges in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. This is so as the environment that surrounds the educational organization is, to say the least, in a continual state of change. Recognizing that there is indeed a need to enhance our leadership repertoire is a strong enough basis for developing our leadership practices that suit the context of demand. As leadership entails the maintaining of relationships between various stakeholders, it points to the importance of our role as leaders in ensuring a productive and conducive organizational environment that promotes dynamic engagement among members of the organization. It is through leadership that individual needs and interests are tied to team’s and organizational purposes. In fact, many are of the view that our beliefs, attitudes and dispositions may either become a unifying force or a cause for disgruntlement in the organization. For that reason, we need to be able to self-evaluate and self-monitor what is the impact of our current preferences on our leadership practices in various leadership tasks and hence, to self-regulate our behaviour to suit the contexts and needs. Apparently, in challenging times, both leaders and followers need to become engaged and dedicated, as well as persistent and capable of working through setbacks and disruptions. On the part of the followers, for instance, they hope for passionate leaders who can take actions despite fears of the unknown and not let limiting belief to be a hindrance from pursuing their common shared goals. They want leaders who are emotionally mature and make them feel valued and respected so that together they can become stewards of the organization’s vision, mission and values. They value leaders who embody self-governance so that personal gains do not take precedence over organizational aims. This is indeed the pinnacle of leadership that we should strive to attain in order to extend our influence on our subordinates or team members. As stressed by Kouzes and Posner (1993, p. 35), “Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow”. Therefore, for us to be able to have a meaningful impact on our subordinates or team members, we need to realize that there are certain leadership characteristics or behaviors that the subordinates or followers find more appealing and highly motivating. Their readiness to follow our lead or stewardship depends largely on how they see us as their organizational leaders. Thus, by being more conscious of the effect that we may or may not have on other people, we would be able to shape and reshape our leadership behavior or practices that will eventually lead to better

viii relationships with our subordinates or team members. This in turn will lead to better organizational outcomes. Hence, the LeaderSHAPE framework as put forward in this book attempts to illustrate the leadership qualities that are essential for better leadership behavior that will lead to better leader effectiveness. This book, therefore, seeks to build a platform of discourse, informed by research and scholarly articles, theories as well as models, on which to articulate the qualities that will lead to leader effectiveness. Nevertheless, our pursuit in this book is somewhat radical- i.e to challenge all of us to explore our own current way of thinking and doing things that inevitably stifles the progressive nature of our organization. Whilst it may be an empowering step to better ourselves as leaders, it nevertheless brought a clear challenge – how should we grow and develop ourselves in order to become effective in whatever undertakings we are involved in. Clearly, this provides the need to reflect and look deeper into our own attributes in order to shape the right leadership behavior that goes well with the others in the organization. Such is the original inspiration for the writing of this book- to share some simple but meaningful ways in which we can develop ourselves as leaders. Nevertheless, the ideas put forward in this book are intended as guides rather than solutions of prescriptive nature to the many leadership experiences that we may encounter, be it in the personal, social or organizational spheres. In truth, this book focuses squarely on the promotion of conducive environmental and organizational support for employee engagement to flourish within and among members of professional learning communities in an educational organization. This is so as employees who find the organizational environment to be conducive and match their expectations often thrive and strive to perform beyond expectation. Still, it is hoped that the discussions and illustrations throughout the book are sufficient to raise awareness among us as leaders about the qualities that need to be developed in order to lead effectively. Only then could we inspire a dynamic engagement among other members in the organization and promote a conducive culture for it to prevail in our organization. In this book, therefore, we attempt to integrate many intellectual strands concerning the topics of discussion readily available and proceed to illustrate them in manners of everyday understanding so that the theories could be meaningfully transferred to concrete experiences. As such, it is designed to be self-reflective and thought-provoking. It aims to encourage the reexamination of ourselves and our roles, tasks and functions within an organizational setting. It is structured in such a way that ultimately we would begin to sincerely ask ourselves this pervasive question: “What leadership is

ix actually about?”. Thus, the book attempts to offer some provocative answers that would act as a catalyst towards the shaping and reshaping of our leadership behaviors. Having said that, this is a book that could be read by just anyone who is interested in understanding how to become better in whatever undertakings that they are involved in. Those who find their lives, situations, actions, feelings or thoughts parallel to the descriptions as illustrated in this book would find solace in realizing that their predicament is not unique and that many are facing the same dilemma. Undoubtedly, it is also beneficial to scholars, professional colleagues and students attempting to understand and describe as best as possible the what and what-nots of leadership and leadership development. As such, the book is structured to reflect the dynamic perspectives of leadership that inform much of the discussions in this book.

x Table of Contents Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................... iii Foreword...................................................................................................................................................... iv Foreword....................................................................................................................................................... v Preface ......................................................................................................................................................... vi PART ONE......................................................................................................................................................1 Leadership - An overview..............................................................................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................2 Leadership : Its conception and evolution 5 A leadership story- identity, role and function.......................................................................................10 Leadership development – a continuous process ..................................................................................17 Leadership Practices - the part and parcel of being a leader .................................................................23 # Leadership Practice 1 – Enhancing dynamic employee engagement .............................................24 # Leadership Practice 2 – Balancing the acts in a world of paradox...................................................28 # Leadership Practice 3 – Sustaining the values of the organization..................................................31 # Leadership Practice 4 – Empowering oneself to become life-long learner.....................................34 # Leadership Practice 5 – Sharing for powerful leadership ................................................................37 PART TWO...................................................................................................................................................40 LeaderSHAPE - The framework ...................................................................................................................40 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................41 LeaderSHAPE - The framework ...............................................................................................................43 Savviness ...........................45 Humility...................................................................................................................................................50 Achievement-orientation 56 Professional-conscience..........................................................................................................................62 Emotional Mastery..................................................................................................................................67 PART THREE –............................................................................................................................................711 LeaderSHAPE Enhanced............................................................................................................................711 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................722 Have a Positive Outlook ........................................................................................................................744

xi Engage in Reflective Thinking ...............................................................................................................777 Embrace mindfulness............................................................................................................................811 Be culturally competent........................................................................................................................855 CONCLUSION 88 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................93

PART ONE Leadership - An overview

2 “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Introduction In a book simply entitled “LeaderSHAPE “, it is natural to expect that the book will begin with a clear overview of LeaderSHAPE that would gradually progress into procedural thinking of leadership practices in subsequent chapters and finally to tie it down with the notion of leader effectiveness – consequential to organizational success. Contradictorily, however, rather than following this widely accepted straightforward natural pathways, the approach taken in this book is rather liberal and reversal by making the notion of leadership practices as the point of departure that sets the context for much of what follows in the book. Nonetheless, the title of this book is driven by the desire to illustrate a set of aspirations aimed to provide some insights on how as leaders, we could and should shape our leadership practices accordingly in order to be able to lead effectively. Leadership, while widely acclaimed as encompassing power and influence, is not an end. It should not be. In fact, this is crucial to be viewed as such in today’s challenging disruptive times since we could not possibly single-handedly maneuver our organization towards success. Often, it may be a turning point in many facets of our life as a leader. The expectations, responsibilities, accountability that come with being a leader may at some points be too overwhelming to bear for some. Still, there are those who welcome these challenges and strive to do their best in performing their roles and carrying out their functions as leaders. Perhaps, we are among these people. Therefore, it is crucial that we know how to use power and influence at our disposal by balancing these two paradoxical tensions in working towards change and organizational improvement. Obviously, as leaders, we can and do make a difference by influencing how work is being or should be carried out in the organization. We make a difference by identifying the potential and supporting the development of our people and encouraging a dynamic engagement among them. In doing so, we re-energize our people and our organization in embracing changes and challenges, especially in facing the disruptions in a VUCA world. Undoubtedly, we make meaningful transformation when we successfully bring various stakeholders to be on the same page with regards to the organizational goals. In addition, we make significant contributions when we understand the motivation and the expectations of the people, we are accountable to. By and

3 large, leadership is the backbone of a team or an organization as well as the predictor to organizational effectiveness. After all, it is still a widely accepted notion that a leader ‘does the right things’. It is not surprising therefore that this understanding may become the deciding factor in determining the course of direction that we attempt to take as leaders. Furthermore, leadership does not exist in a vacuum but derives its meaning from a social process involving interactions between us and our subordinates or team members. Therefore, it is no exaggeration in saying that we need to be humbled by the fact that we accomplish work through others. It is especially so in today’s increasingly dynamic, turbulent and complex environments. Hence, the more we are aware of our roles and identity within an organizational structure, the more we can understand the need for leader effectiveness as we confront endless challenges in our effort to attain our organizational aims. In this regard, Ng (2017) views leadership as a cultivated art that begins with self-leadership. This echoes the belief put forward by Furtner, Baldegger and Rauthmann (2013, p.436), that “one must lead oneself before being able to lead others”. That said, the ability to maintain the right perspective in relation to the actions we partake in as leaders in our organization is, to say the least, critical, especially in maintaining a good reputation. This is so, as we are expected to initiate the action by communicating the policies and organizational plans and provide guidance on how the organizational tasks should be carried out. Yet, as claimed by Rima (2000), we often overlook the biggest leadership challenge we will ever face – i.e. the development of ourselves, in our quest to become better leaders. This is to say that in most instances, we ourselves may be the critical factor that leads to our own leadership derailment or failure. Hence, the challenge in becoming an effective leader comes from knowing that as leaders, we are mostly needed to make meaningful impact and produce expected organizational outcomes despite the unexpected environmental or organizational changes. Interestingly, Gentry, Eckert, Stawiski and Zhao (2014.p.3), in their studies on the main challenges that leaders around the world face have identified six main categories that comprise more than half of all challenges- i.e i) developing organizational effectiveness, ii) inspiring others, iii) developing employees, iv) leading team, v) guiding change and vi) managing internal stakeholders and politics. Obviously, this points to the crucial need for us to develop ourselves and understand our roles and identities as well as of others and our surroundings and what matters most to our stakeholders or for our organizational effectiveness.

4 As difficult as the challenges are for us, we nevertheless need to prepare ourselves in order to be able to face today’s workforce in a VUCA landscape. We need to be cognizant of the fact that leading a team is challenging, what’s more with leading the whole organization. Therefore, we need to be observant of the ways that will enable us to engage our team members or subordinates to generate positive organizational outcomes. As highlighted by Keating and Heslin (2015), to have employees who would commit fully to their work and perform well in the workplace in today’s disruptive times, is indeed a challenge. It is crucial therefore, that we shape and reshape our leadership practices to meet the demands of today’s changing social and organizational landscape. After all, as leaders, we can make or break the organization through our leadership practices - i.e through our mindset, emotional state, behaviours, attitude as well as in our ability to learn and innovate. For that matter, we need to reflect on the contributions that our team members have put into executing the organizational tasks to achieve the organizational goals. In fact, understanding their capacities and capabilities in achieving the organizational aims as well as ours is crucial in ensuring organizational effectiveness. As noted by Carasco-Saul, Kim and Kim (2015), leadership significantly points to our ability to inspire and affect the motivation or competence of our subordinates or team members to achieve common goals. Similarly, as stressed by ZahedBabelan et.al. (2019), within a school context, leadership plays an important role in enhancing teachers’ work engagement. This is especially crucial since Raina and Khatri (2015, p. 286), claimed that “[a]lmost all studies done on teachers indicate that there is an increasing trend of absenteeism, turnover intention and early retirement of teachers which depicts their disengaged state”. In hindsight therefore, our practice of leadership should focus on the betterment or improvement of the individuals, the team/s and the organization through the enhancement of employee engagement as engaged employees are important assets in the organization (Gabčanová, 2011). Over the years, undoubtedly, we have accustomed ourselves to some of the basic notions of leadership and how it has been theoretically constructed based on different schools of thought. This has provided us with some theoretical knowledge regarding leadership and the understanding of how best for us to shape our leadership behaviour. Suffice to say, at this point, an overview of leadership (Figure 1.1) will offer some understanding of what the notion of leadership is, how it is conceptualized and practiced in different contexts.

5 Figure 1.1- An overview of leadership After all, as leaders, we operate in a specific context with different circumstances. This is to say that much of what has been said about leadership points to it as the product and outcome of its era and hence, will generate its meanings from different people in different settings. Nevertheless, what is certain is that it needs to be continuously developed to ensure effective leadership practices. The understanding of our core responsibilities within a variety of settings will enable us to successfully set the right direction for performance that is instrumental in bringing about positive changes to the organization. In sum, an overview of leadership will help us to focus on the salient aspects that we need to be aware of as leaders. Leadership : Its conception and evolution First and foremost, an understanding of leadership and how it is defined is of utmost importance in helping to comprehend how it implicates the right attitude and behaviors of leaders as well as of other people in and outside the organization. Obviously, throughout the years, leadership has been defined differently by different people stemming from traits-based behavioral, situational, functional and psychological perspectives within various contexts. As such, some may look at leadership as the act of the people in the organization to set and achieve challenging aims, to take quick and decisive decisions when needed, to inspire others to perform at their very best, to set the culture of the organization, to build relationships and many other more. In general, many are of the view that leadership should not be regarded as a privileged position or having an

6 important title but rather as the ability to influence other people to do what they might not otherwise do and while at it, to enjoy doing it. This is so as leadership allows all people regardless of their position in the organization to help their colleagues or team members to follow their lead to higher morale and better outcomes for their organization. In this regard, leadership is seen as an investment on the part of the leader in developing their subordinates or team members. Some people stepped up into the position very naturally and well, while some others, after some time, have been exposed to be not suitable or cut out for the challenging role. Of this, Bennis (1989), in his book entitled ‘On Becoming a Leader’, when attempting to conceptualize the notion of leadership, briefly notes that “to an extent, leadership is like beauty, hard to define, but you know it when you see it” (p.1). Such an elusive concept of leadership that to a certain extent some people are uncomfortable talking about it. Perhaps, the context in which it is experienced will help to determine its actual meaning and reference. Therefore, at this juncture, it might be interesting to delve into some of the definitions, concepts and views of leadership (as shown in Table 1), as it evolved throughout the years, which has further taken greater importance in today’s increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous globalized world. In fact, as pointed out by Weller and Weller (2002, p. 1), the various perspectives on leadership have led to the examination of multiple variables such as “the concept and use of power, traits of effective leaders, environmental and personal contingencies, leadership styles and leadership theories and models…with no conclusive findings exists as to what constitutes effective leadership”. These leadership concepts or views are the emergence of different leadership theories espoused by different people in different planes of experience. Table 1.1 Definitions/concepts/views of leadership No. Theorists/Scholars/Writers Definitions/Concepts/Views 1 Stogdill, 1948; Locke, 1991. qualities of a leader, skills and values are important for successful leadership. 2 Eisenhower,1954. the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

7 No. Theorists/Scholars/Writers Definitions/Concepts/Views 3 Burns, 1978. a process in which leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation which creates significant change in the life of people and organizations. 4 Bass and Stogdill ((1990), cited in Culp III and Cox, 1997 as the focus of group processes, as personality and its effects, as the art of inducing compliance, as the exercise of influence, as a group act of behaviours, as a form of persuasion, as a power relationship, as an instrument of goal achievement, as an effect of interaction, as a differentiated role, the initiation of maintaining structure. 5 Goleman, 1995 a leaders’ ability to perceive, identify, understand and manage emotions in self and followers 6 Kouzer & Posner ,1995 emphasized the importance of exemplary leadership for producing the leader-follower trust 7 Selznik, 1997 leadership needs to be creative in order to renew enterprise in times of uncertainty and change. 8 Yukl,2002 involves the process of influencing others to do what needs to be done in an effective manner and facilitating them to accomplish the shared objectives. 9 London & Maurer,2004 leadership development requires self-insight to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses and organizational requirements and to set goals for development. 10 Daft, 2005 leadership outcomes depend on the styles and qualities of leaders, and followers, and the environmental conditions of the organization 11 Hogg, 2007 a group process in which leaders construct and communicate people’s identity as group members—their social identity 12 Abu-Tineh, Khasawneh, & Omary, 2009 leadership provides the catalyst for reform and restructuring efforts. 13 Blanchard, 2010 the capacity to influence others by unleashing their power and potential to impact the greater good.

8 No. Theorists/Scholars/Writers Definitions/Concepts/Views 14 Adam, 2011 a mix of definable skills and personal qualities that is difficult to train. 15 Pinnow, 2011 effective leadership is the ability to effectively manage the relationship of the self, the subordinates and the organization. 16 Şen, & Eren 2012 a process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done effectively, and facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish the shared vision of an organization 17 Taylor,2012. leadership is the craft of working with other humans to get things done. 18 Şen, Kabak, & Yangınlar, 2013. a process of developing shared vision, analyzing the internal and external environment, designing and implementing strategies for solving problems and satisfying followers’ needs 19 Sarver & Miller, 2014 leadership is about responsibility and proper management of the human and material resources to bring change and enable progress. 20 Hao, & Yazdanifard, 2015 Leaders are the ones who control and take charge of the operation of an organization and good leaders can set optimistic goals and objectives while steering the operation of the company towards those goals through effective strategies. 21 Browning, 2018. leadership is the process of influence and is most often referenced in relationship to serving, motivating, and empowering others. 22 Andreu, Sweet & Carter, 2020. Leadership is about challenging the status quo and pursuing change in response to dynamic environments Nonetheless, they point to similar significant points of understanding whereby it postulates that good leadership or effective leaders is instrumental in ensuring the accomplishment of collective goals. In other words, to incite a certain level of higher levels of teamwork or group cohesiveness

9 is dependent upon effective leadership. Suffice to say, as leaders, we are put in an important position to effect active engagement and commitment among our subordinates or team members. Hence, the conception of leadership, obviously has progressed over the past decades, but different principles derived from various schools of thoughts- i.e, great-man, trait-based, behavioural, transactional, transformational, personal-situational, contingency, interactionexpectation, humanistic, exchange and various combinations of these theories, to say the least, have added to the richness of discussion of this social phenomenon. In fact, these leadership theories, to a certain extent, have had a major impact on how we think we should behave as leaders. As such, it is not surprising to find that different leadership philosophies espouse various attributes that are essential for successful leadership endeavours and organizational competence that consequently give birth to various leadership types. Among the leadership types that have emerged are charismatic leadership, situational leadership, transformational leadership and transactional leadership. They describe the kind of behaviours that we need to adopt as leaders to achieve certain goals or the various settings that we need to be aware of in shaping our behaviours in order to influence the organizational outcomes. Apart from that, there are also other leadership theories which are consequential to the emergence of various leadership models. Among them are educational leadership, instructional leadership, distributive leadership - as well as those which are entity-focused such as self-leadership, team leadership and organizational leadership, which have not failed to grasp the attention of many. What these models do is to help us develop a mindset or a paradigm that serves as guidance as to the areas of focus within our organizational make up that we need to tend to as leaders. Still, regardless of which leadership models that we choose, our ability to examine ourselves objectively and to look for salient aspects to improve ourselves is to say the least, of utmost importance. In fact, some are of the view that if we are true to ourselves, we should be forthright with our own self as leaders and what we represent. In addition, the environmental elements in today’s modern context – i.e volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) - which are seen to have crucial impacts on an organization’s sustainable success bring about various forms of leadership models based on certain orientation or principles to be emulated. Not surprisingly therefore, we would come across leadership models such as moral leadership, authentic leadership, servant leadership, entrepreneurial leadership, resilient leadership, versatile leadership, agile leadership, innovative leadership, responsible leadership, digital leadership and many other more in our attempt to understand this phenomenon

10 in its situational context. In fact, these new leadership paradigms, as claimed by Culp III and Cox (1997), are needed for us to deal with the more challenging and modern societies. They are of the belief that, “societal evolution affects both personal and public perception of leaders and leadership styles” and “the accessibility to information and technology by the world’s population has the potential to necessitate the alteration of leadership styles and roles “(p. 4). Therefore, it is of no surprise to find that the interest in leadership as well as in leadership development continues to spark and prevail which are consequential to the new birth of alternative leadership paradigms to suit today’s complex and modern contexts. Still, what is important for us to understand is that certain leadership styles can be effective in some situations while at other times the same leadership techniques will not necessarily work. This is to say that in any situation, we need to know which leadership style fits our personality and our situation best. Thus, it is not wrong to say that everyone has leadership potential within them, and understanding these concepts of leadership will help us to evaluate and maximize our own leadership capability. As clearly noted by Cizek (1999), the fundamental for successful implementation of organizational success is often dependent on how different leaders at different levels perceive the meanings and opportunities of their roles in maximizing its potential benefit. In sum, leadership as a concept has the potential to change our perceptions or views on how best to behave as a leader based on the expectations as well as the circumstances. Therefore, to become an effective leader, we need to become actively engaged in personal self-change in order to enhance our work relations and organizational life. Indeed, leadership within an organizational sphere is a concept that calls for widespread team and organizational implementation although it might be tempting to see it as just one of the many skills that need to be individually developed and demonstrated. In truth, leadership and the mindset, attitude, behaviour and emotional state that come with it will be at the center of our leadership practices and experiences. For that reason, we need to embrace our identity, role and function as a leader. A leadership story- identity, role and function We may have heard some inspirational stories of great men and women who did great things in their lives, fulfilling their destiny and becoming wellknown to the world. While some may not be regarded as leaders, still their achievements are more than enough to keep us in awe. As such, great leaders such as Alexander the Great were known to conquer the world in

11 his times, while Genghis Khan ravaged most of it. Some other ordinary people like Mother Theresa aided and comforted thousands in Calcutta who were abandoned by society, while Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Mahatma Ghandi, with his own set of beliefs, courageously and successfully led India’s non-violence movement for the civil rights of Indians. These are some of the stories that we may have heard or read about that to some extent influence our perception of what leadership should be and how leaders should lead. Whether it is good or bad leadership, it makes us believe that some people are just born into the leadership role and excellently grow into it despite the trials and tribulations. Nevertheless, the important elements of leadership as observed in these stories is the interplay between motives and values that elevate these self-actualizing individuals to be efficacious. There is indeed a motivating underlying paradigm that led to these successful endeavours - the alignment of practices, principles and values and the readiness to accept the challenge regardless of the disheartening situations. In other words, our natural inclination- be it positive or negative, may be the determining factor of our leadership behaviours. In fact, this knowledge of ourselves may determine to what extent we will feed it to further develop our capabilities as leaders. As such, the intrinsic security that comes with knowing what factors trigger the best or the worst in ourselves may indeed be instrumental in regulating our leadership behaviours. For that matter, our wisdom of ourselves should not be restrained by the socio-organizational environment that we are situated in, for us to proactively lead ourselves and make significant self-development advances. That said, being in difficult circumstances can change our perspectives and how we respond to them. In this regard, our perspective can be said to reflect our values. It is important for us to live our values as they will define who and what we are and be aware of our identity, roles and functions as leaders and how best to contribute to the success of our team and organization. As leaders, we are responsible for our own actions and in how we create new circumstances for the betterment of our team or organization. It is the initiative that we take to make things happen for our team or organization that is more crucial and is deeply felt by our subordinates or team members. Since, as leaders, we do not wait for things to happen or for others to do things for us. We take the lead and work on the things that obviously can make a positive difference to our team or organization. That is how we build our identity, assuming our roles and performing our functions as leaders.

12 Perhaps, at this juncture, it is best for us to ponder over this leadership story (Table 1.2):- Table 1.2 - A leadership story Adapted from : “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” (Covey, S. 2004) What we can deduce from the story is that our effectiveness as leaders is not regarded from our individual performance or potentials but more importantly from how effectively we perform our roles and functions towards the success or betterment of our team or organization. As can be inferred from the story, the ‘North Star’ is the goal that everyone and every team in the organization should aim to achieve. As such, it is upon our intrinsic value and sense of responsibility that as leaders, the actions that we take reflect our care and thoughts about others and the organization and hence, to provide the necessary guidance for the achievement of organizational aims. This should be so as according to Kotter (1988: 25, p.26), effective leadership is: “the process of creating a vision of the future that takes into account the legitimate long term interests of the parties involved in that activity; of developing a rational strategy for moving forward that vision; of enlisting the support of the key power centers whose cooperation, compliance, or teamwork is necessary to produce that movement; and of A group of workers and their leaders are set a task of clearing a road through a dense jungle on a remote island to get to the coast where an estuary provides a perfect site for a port. The leaders organize the labour into efficient units and monitor the distribution and use of capital assets – progress is excellent. The leaders continue to monitor and evaluate progress, making adjustments along the way to ensure the progress is maintained and efficiency increased wherever possible. Then, one day amidst all the hustle and bustle and activity, one person climbs up a nearby tree.The person surveys the scene from the top of the tree. And shouts down to the assembled group below…“Wrong Way!”

13 motivating highly that core group of people whose actions are central to implementing the strategy”. Thus, the kind of a single action by one person as illustrated at the end of the story speaks volume of our identity as a leader. The sense of purpose as inferred from the story should be the key reference point in our decision making and problem-solving practices. Taking the story as our learning point, we might need to place ourselves as the workers in the story in order to empathize their feeling of disappointment when they finally realize that all their effort amounts to nothing as the actions taken do not lead to the attainment of the organizational goal. Imagine as well, the waste of organizational resources - time, money and energy. That said, we do not merely display our skills and knowledge just for the sake of proving our worth and efficiency with no regards to the successful and meaningful attainment of the organizational goals. The salient point of learning that can be deduced from the story is that as leaders, we need “to take the lead”. Although we may not have the formally designated leadership role, we can still express our concern or insights regarding certain matters of crucial interest merely for the benefit of our organization. Being aware of this commitment generally makes us realize our identity, as leaders, in and of the organization. Suffice it to say, within an organizational structure, there are of course, wide varieties of leadership qualities that each and every one of us may have. In this sense, it is obvious that leadership does not rely on position alone, and for that, we may need to seek and encourage leadership from the others in our team or organization - a case of distributed leadership (see Spillane, 2006; Harris, 2008; Leithwood et al., 2009). Of utmost importance, nevertheless, according to Hersey and Blanchard (1988), is for us to understand the situation that we are in, adapt our behaviour and resources to meet the current needs while engaging in meaningful communication with our people in an acceptable, relatable and convincing manner. This is to say that our identity as a leader and the roles and functions we play and perform cannot be divorced from the performance of our subordinates or team members as a collective element in the organization. For that matter, the context in which leadership is practiced within the organizational setting can act as the guiding principle in expressing our thoughts and views regarding matters of shared concern. In fact, without proper contextualization, the emphasis on effective leadership can lead to serious misunderstandings - of our identity, roles and functions. Of course, depending on whether we share a common set of values and perspectives with that of our subordinates or team members, there would be times when we may not have a harmonious relationship with our subordinates or team members. Therefore, we need to constantly re-

14 evaluate our values, determine our purpose and discover what really matters to us as well as to our subordinates or team members since reality best accurately determines how we should act in varied emerging circumstances. As can be deduced from the story earlier, as leaders, we need to have high moral and ethical values to do the right thing by putting the interest of others and the organization above ours since this will determine to what extent our subordinates and team members will follow our lead. In fact, some of them may choose to first observe what we do in order to determine for themselves whether we are credible as well as reliable to be followed. This undeniably points to the need for us to cultivate a strong identity and ability to perform our roles and functions as determined within the organizational setting. As leadership is a crucial element in directing the functions of management, it is beneficial at this point to illustrate the differences between identity, roles and functions of a leader as they are defined in various ways by different people (see Figure 1.2). Nevertheless, these different aspects are integral to who we are as leaders. Therefore, having a solid foundation from which to base our decisions and actions as leaders is crucial. This is so as there are demands of the organization that need to be fulfilled through our actions as well as through the engagement and commitment of our subordinates or team members. Suffice to say, by and large, for our organization to succeed we need our team members or subordinates to play their roles and functions as engaged employees committed to the successful attainment of the organizational goals. Apparently, whether we are on the top tier of the leadership ladder, in the middle or at the bottom, we need subordinates or team members who are proactively motivated to execute their tasks, and not merely tag along mindlessly without much effort on their part. We need those who believe in the organizational vision and mission and who would stretch themselves further in order to achieve greater organizational goals. For that matter, we need subordinates or team members who could see their roles and function as situated within a larger structure and would avoid working in silos if that will benefit the organization less. We need subordinates who have true motivation, who would not be easily influenced by external expectations or limitations.

15 Figure 1.2 - Identity, role and function Yet, as claimed by Suda (2013. p.3): “Research conducted in the past decade has shown that employee engagement has declined significantly in most industries, with some research citing as few as 29% of employees being actively engaged in their jobs. Various research studies have shown that the following factors influence employee engagement: Employers’ commitment to and concern for employee welfare; employee perceptions of job importance; clarity of job expectations; career advancement opportunities; regular dialogue with superiors; quality of working relationships with coworkers and superiors; perceptions of the ethos and values of the organization; and employee rewards and recognition”. While many researchers agree that it is important for our subordinates or team members to have enthusiasm for the work they do, they are also of the view that it is equally important for us to play a significant role in ensuring that our subordinates are highly engaged in their tasks. For that reason, we might need to embrace a more progressive perspective regarding our ability to influence “employee wellbeing and job satisfaction, which in turn positively stimulates labor productivity” (Gigauri, 2021, p.3). This is to say that as we take the leadership role in our organization, our position is indeed defined by the tasks and responsibilities we must perform in

16 relationship with others in the organization. Perhaps, it is timely that we reflect on our leadership identity, roles and functions in our attempt to find new ways on how to become effective in managing, supporting and influencing our subordinates or team members - i.e today’s workforce which consists of the millennials and the iGeneration. Besides, it has been increasingly perceived that today’s young workforce may to a certain extent, impact the culture, norms and values of the organization, and as such, “may be a boon or a bane’ to the organization (Bragas, Bragas & Soliman (2022, p. 55). This is indeed so as their expectations in their work, their leaders and their organization differ from the previous generations and so is their sense of empowerment. With regards to this, Weller and Weller (2002, p.2), contend that “leaders are the product of their times, their environments, their offices, their followers, their values, their personality traits and their conceptualization of leadership”. This significantly points to the importance of our own sense of awareness on the perceptions of our subordinates on our leadership practices. Not surprisingly therefore, many (e.g Welsch, 2011; Zahed-Babelan et. al, 2019), begin to stress on the importance of employee engagement as a vital element that may affect organizational effectiveness. In other words, our leadership behaviours or attributes are seen as instrumental for employee engagement to materialize - directly or indirectly. It is imperative, therefore, for us to be able to enlist our subordinates’ or team members’ “willingness to cooperate in working toward the accomplishment of the mission, to demonstrate a high degree of teamwork and to build cohesion among the organization members” ( Suda, 2013.p.3). After all, this is an era dominated by knowledge workers who according to Jia-Jun and Hua-Ming (2022), value career growth more and whose engagement is crucial as they become an ‘important pillar’ of our organization. Quite notably, they “are bringing with them leadership trends that will shape the future of organizational leadership” (Petrucci and Rivera, 2018.p.53). Yet, as knowledgeable and competent as they are, they are still in need of exhortation as well as exemplification on how best to function effectively within an organizational setting. Hence, we need to become the role model that our younger subordinates or team members will look up to and find the support that they need to enhance their engagement and commitment. In a nutshell, devoting time to think about ourselves as leaders and to seek clarity on our identity, roles and functions in order to chart a new path towards our own leadership development, is to say the least, crucial. In doing this, we will be able to identify the right capacities and capabilities needed in order to ensure our organization can perform as desired. For this reason, we need to

17 embrace and understand the concept of professional development as a continuous process of learning to become better at what and how we think, do, feel and behave – i.e manifested through our leadership behaviours. Hence, cultivating a penchant for continuous learning is imperative. Leadership development – a continuous process As many would attest, an organization is only as strong as the personnel with which it is made. People make the organization. We are the people. As such, the importance of leadership development can never be overstated. While Bolden (2005) asserts that there are some contentious issues regarding the training of leaders, the fact remains that as leaders, we need to develop ourselves and be developed in order to become effective in our leadership endeavours. It is crucial for us, therefore, to have a personal and professional drive-in order to stay current, relevant and effective in today’s VUCA environment. As succinctly pointed out by Adams (2011), as leaders, “we would do well to commit to continued growth as leaders, as a never-ending quest” (p. 443). For this reason, we must have the willingness to go through changes and transform ourselves to suit the context of need. That said, paying heed to the expectation of today’s workforce solely reflects our awareness of how our own self-development is crucial in shaping and stimulating our subordinates’ engagement. As a matter of fact, Bolden (2006, p. 4) stresses that “self-awareness is key to being able to manage oneself and choose behaviours which will encourage certain behaviours from followers, resulting in effective leadership performance”. In fact, our awareness of our strengths and limitations may have significant implications to our state of emotional being - i.e we may feel inferior or superior depending on how we see ourselves as leaders. Of utmost importance, nevertheless, is for us to truly assess ourselves - i.e of our strengths and weaknesses. This is crucially so as we need to know how to leverage our strengths so that our limitations look insignificant. Still, if we can identify our weaknesses and work around them, they will not become the obstacles that will hold us back from attaining great things for ourselves, our team and the organization. In fact, it will contribute to our personal growth and strengthen the confidence that we need to lead our subordinates or team members. Interestingly, this raises an important question – what are the attributes, skills and behaviours that we may need to embody, develop and demonstrate to strengthen our influence, build good rapport and develop engaging connections. In other words, how should we, as a leader, behave -

18 emotionally, intellectually, attitudinally? How can we effectively influence the thoughts, behavior and attitude of others and harness successful joint efforts? How can we get other people to do something they may not otherwise do in normal circumstances and to enjoy doing it? Understanding the motivation behind these behaviours, may in fact, help us to develop and shape our leadership practices in order to lead effectively. Interestingly, the vast literature on leadership written by various authors or researchers stipulates that there are many ways that leaders are expected to behave, be it within the organizational settings or social ones. In the political realm or corporate world, for example, effective leaders are often described as having certain charisma or distinct characteristics or unique behaviors that easily draw other people towards them or conversely, drive them away. They are frequently said to embody the most perfect behavior an effective leader is expected to behave or exemplify. In most instances, they only have themselves as the best examples of effective leadership and for that they need to be able to make an impact on the people they lead. Suffice to say, only leaders themselves know why they behave in the way they are seen to behave by others - i.e they are conscious of the effects of their behaviours on others. As leaders, we affect the organization, the subordinates and the people we encounter in the course of our work through our thinking, behavior, attitude and emotion and vice versa. It reflects a reciprocal obligation and commitment - as espoused by the leader-member relationship theory. For this reason, having well-groomed and well established subordinates from diverse backgrounds is obviously an advantage to us as we can also learn from them - as they do from us. Thus, allowing an open platform for the sharing of multiple ideas and varied inputs will further contribute to the understanding of our subordinates’ perspectives and paradigms - which will consequently contribute to the success of our group and the organization. This, of course, is contingent on how we see learning should be and who we should be learning from. A shift in paradigm may be necessary for productive collaboration to materialize since dogmatism, according to Martin, Staggers and Anderson (2011), will make us less willing to consider other people’s perception, especially that of our subordinates who differ from us. As such, leadership development also entails developing and maintaining positive and productive relationships with others. It is indeed crucial for us to maintain a constructive team cohesiveness for it could lead to mutual benefits and productive organizational outcomes. Essentially, as proposed by Mabey and Caird (1999), the effective functioning of a team depends largely on the harmonious interaction of the leader and his/her subordinates or team members through a

19 ‘synergistic threshold’. In this sense, the ability to understand other people with regards to their motivation, working preference, as well as their willingness to cooperate is by far a mark of an effective leader. Adjusting our behaviours therefore, undoubtedly necessitates positive relationships with our subordinates. Making them feel empowered and motivated will encourage them to maximize their efforts towards the achievement of a common goal. For this, we might need to brush up on our skills and knowledge for effective teamwork. In addition, our development as leaders also needs to take into consideration the values and cultures of our organization. As pointed out by Schein (1985, cited in Hasler, 2005, p.996), decades ago, yet still has its relevance in contextual meaning in today’s modern organization: “A deeper understanding of cultural issues in organizations is necessary not only to decipher what goes on in them but, even more important, to identify what may be the priority issues for leaders and leadership. Organizational cultures are created by leaders, and one of the most decisive functions of leadership may well be the creation, the management, and--if and when that may become necessary--the destruction of culture. Culture and leadership, when one examines them closely, are two sides of the same coin, and neither can really be understood by itself. In fact, there is a possibility-- underemphasized in leadership research--that the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture and that the unique talent of leaders is their ability to work with culture”. As it is a widely accepted notion that there is a ‘no one size fits all’ approach that should be employed when it comes to leadership development, Iwowo (2012,205), is of the view that leadership development should be aimed at bringing benefits not just to oneself but also to others as well as to the organization. This is so as leadership is socially and contextually constructed (Iwowo, 2016), and as such our development as a leader should be seen in relation to the community we belong to and the culture that shapes it. In a similar vein, Vroom (2007, p.17) simply notes that “[l]eadership depends on the situation”. As such, we need to be truthful to ourselves as to the behaviours, norms and perspectives that we have accustomed ourselves to which may be outdated or counter-productive to the goals that we want to achieve. In order to develop ourselves, therefore, we may need to be able to embrace new thinking, adopt new culture and manifest different behaviours so as not to appear to be out of time or out of context - which render ourselves as irrelevant, insignificant and unrelatable.

20 Given the importance of leadership in the organization, the purpose of our leadership development, therefore, should focus on the best practices that suit the socio-organizational contextual needs as well as the cultural contingencies. As highlighted by Schein (1985), these cultural values may have been largely formed and established through past leadership practices. As such, the culture and values that define the services rendered, sets the context for how things are done in the organization - i.e the way to solve problems, how well the subordinates or team members should perform their job, how successful should they be in executing their tasks, etc. - and make up the personality of the organization. Thus, being aware of this fact is crucial as challenges in today’s disruptive environment can occur at anytime and anywhere, either internally or externally. This is because we need to recognize the situational needs and adapt our thinking, feeling and behavior to suit the situation and the people we encounter. That said, we need to be able to respond to these challenges with a high level of resilience, confidence, intelligence and expertise. Nevertheless, it is important to note at this juncture that organizational culture is not fluid and hence difficult to change as it represents the image of the organization that everybody has accustomed themselves to. For that reason, we need to continuously educate ourselves and keep on our toes regarding our own leadership development. In fact, we need to be cognizant of the fact that knowledge about leadership is not absolute but may take on new meaning in different contexts or times or with different people. This significantly points to the notion that leadership development is a process of continuous learning, unlearning and relearning. It is especially so in the current contemporary context where leadership is seen as the practice of a group of people rather than the work of an individual leader situated within an organization. Suffice to say, the modern organization, by its very nature, is more complex and hence, many begin to acknowledge that leadership practices need to be distributed among other members in the organization - giving rise to the notion of distributed leadership. Furthermore, past stability and normalcy may become an obsolescence in today’s disruptively changing world, and hence, requires a change of paradigm where leadership development is concerned. This is to say that as leaders, we need to realize that our strengths in the past may not be so in the present situation as the current environment may require a different leadership behavior to be employed in order to succeed in executing new challenging tasks. This inevitably points to the importance of continuously developing ourselves as leaders in our attempt to meet the demands of today’s challenging times. Since leadership development is a continuous process - a learning journey that we embark upon -, it is indeed important for us to be aware of our own

21 assumptions and perceptions regarding leadership development. Being conscious of the fundamental aspects of development is instrumental as it would further motivate us to selfenhance our leadership repertoire. Having said that, it is crucial that we proactively engage ourselves in our own leadership development in order to be able to perform effectively in various leadership endeavours. Apparently, there will always be new paths to explore, new heights to climb, new tasks to accomplish, new relationships to bond with, new deals to establish and so on, so much so, that developing ourselves as leaders becomes mandatory. In fact, new work structures entail new identity to adopt, new responsibility and accountability to be answered to, new roles to play and new attitudinal behavior to display in order to render ourselves as effective leaders in varied demanding situations. In this regard, McDermott, Kidney and Flood,(2011), assert that we should actively engage in self-reflection in order to develop as a whole person since a leader’s selfdevelopment, as pointed out by Karp and Helga (2009), is an on-going process of creating and recreating his or her leadership self. Leadership development, therefore, is the practice of consciously shaping and reshaping ourselves and our teams for the betterment of our organization (Figure 1.3). As many would agree, we need to continuously develop in order to tap into the power of individuals and teams as the challenges that we face in today’s disruptive world are broad-reaching. We need to develop individually and collectively so that the leadership endeavours we are involved in will yield the expected results. We need to continually learn and lead in order to succesfully drive the accomplishment of our team and the success of our organization. As succintly pointed out by Kets de Vries and Korotov (2010, p. 3), “In the organizational world, effective leadership and organizational success are closely intertwined with no organization stronger than the quality of its leadership”. As such, our identity as effective leaders are contingent upon how capable we are in managing our organization to face current challenges or transforming our organization to embrace future trends.

22 Figure 1.3 - The development of self, team and organization In relation to this, Hamlin (2022, p.1) is of the view that: “[G]rowing as a leader starts with our own personal growth, to enable us to care for people we lead, and encourage them to be the best they can be. It is those people to whom we will pass the baton when we are done, because while we may be changemakers, we are but temporary guardians of our professional vision”. Undisputedly, a successful organization is said to achieve its objectives and satisfy its social responsibilities depends to a large extent on its leaders. Without effective leadership that could garner active contributions from the team members, organizations are likely to flounder. Without doubt, the ongoing changes and challenges whereby we, as leaders, need to constantly adapt ourselves as the situations warrant requires a set of attributes and behaviours that are constructive as well as productive. The most salient precept to understanding this challenging endeavor would be to understand the context of use, or situations or the environment in which effective leadership needs to be employed. The belief embraced here is that an initial understanding of leadership and leader effectiveness would act as a catharsis for our own selfreflection and self-examining practices. Hence, it is through this thinking paradigm that we should shape our actions that could further enhance our leadership effectiveness. It springs from the premise that to be an effective leader, we need to be aware of the need to employ different kinds of thinking and ways of doing that are appropriate in various leadership situations. In fact, there is a compelling need, as attested by

23 many, for us to navigate our organizations effectively and “behave in new ways consistent with a finite, complex, uncertain, changing, collaborative, connected, and caring world” (Throop & Mayberry, 2017, p. 222), in order to become more agile and responsive to the volatile environments. As such, knowing how to play an integral role in shaping our leadership behavior that suits the context of need is indeed crucial for us to thrive and accomplish and not merely to survive in today’s VUCA environment. This means we need to question ourselves time and again of our own vulnerabilities as well as our own leadership practices since it is through our competence and effectiveness that we could bring meaningful impact. Leadership Practices - the part and parcel of being a leader As leaders, how do we lead our subordinates or team members towards achieving the organizational goals? What is expected of us, as leaders? How can we ensure that the organizational goals are internalized by our subordinates? Without doubt, the demand for effective leadership never ceases to grow as it is the primary driver for growth, development and innovation in any organization. In fact, it is basically impossible for our organization to continue to grow with the times without effective leadership on our part. Perhaps, it is crucial to note an important point stressed by Kooskora (2012, p.28), who posits that “the practice of leadership should aim to guide and look after the interests of people, organizations and countries, and transform the mission of the organization to seek the good of one’s constituents as its responsibility”. As a matter of fact, the list may be endless as to what is expected of leaders, which is largely dependent on the context of need. Clarity of purpose is therefore essential. Within the perimeter of this book, however, some of the salient leadership practices are identified and are shown as in Figure 1.4.

24 Figure 1.4 : The practices of leadership # Leadership Practice 1 – Enhancing dynamic employee engagement Of the multitude of things that could be done better, one thing stood out as the most critical act that would create the greatest impact on the organization- i.e the dynamic engagement of the members of the organization - of which sustainable engagement, according to Schwarts (2012), will ensure that our subordinates will bring their talent and skill to their best performance in the workplace. In a similar vein, Modi and Pillai (2022, p.647), also stressed that “[e[ngaged employees care about their work and about the performance of the company, and feel that their efforts make a difference”. In fact, Salanova, Agut and Peiró (2005) and Patro (2013), have succinctly pointed out the fact that employee engagement is the prerequisite to a more significant contribution that will result in organization’s productivity and successful outcomes. In this regard, for the purpose of understanding, the relationship between effective leadership, engaged workforce and organizational performance and outcomes can be illustrated as in Figure 1.5

25 Figure 1.5 - The relationship between effective leadership, engaged workforce and organizational outcomes For that reason, it becomes even more crucial that during disruptive times we can actively engage and motivate our subordinates so that they will put forward their best performance in achieving organizational goals. In other words, to ensure constant pursuit of excellence, we need to reflect and be cognizant of our leadership effectiveness in influencing the desired behavior of our subordinates or team members. This is so as according to Anitha (2014) in her study regarding the antecedents of employee engagement and job satisfaction, effective leadership is found to be one of the key factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Suffice it to say, effective leadership is what a positive and productive working environment is based on. Therefore, as leaders, we need to enhance our attentiveness to the people we are leading. It is the cornerstone for leading an organization. That said, employee engagement as initially defined by Kahn (1990), revolves around the “harnessing of organization member’s selves to their work roles: in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, emotionally and mentally during role performances” (Shokunbi, 2016, p. 128). While Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova ((2006), cited in Park et al., 2018, p.1), defined it as “a positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption”. On a similar note, Muchiri, Cooksey and Walumbwa (2012, p. 663), claim that “a reliable indicator of leadership effectiveness is the performance of the workgroup or organization”. As such, in any organization, either in private or public spheres, people are its most important asset as they are the ones who keep the

26 organization together and who strive towards achieving common organizational goals - i.e an important source of organisational competitiveness (Salanova & Schaufeli 2008). Nevertheless, as succinctly pointed out by Patro (2013, p.1), “[e]ngagement comes about when enough people care about doing a good job and care about what the organization is trying to achieve and how it goes about doing it”. In this sense, employee involvement, as described by Kahn (1990), refers to employee’s behavior and attitude towards organizational tasks. As such, they will either positively bring themselves to produce or negatively detach themselves from the organizational tasks. Therefore, empowering our subordinates for them to be dynamically engaged team members in providing excellent services, is to say the least, essential. This is so as leadership is often regarded as a social process – i.e its meaning is constructed in the context of human interactions. As human beings, we are not static entities or isolated from our context but rooted in dynamic and interwoven social and organizational realities. This is to say that as human beings, we form our own perceptions, actions, interactions, and meaning making as we experience them. Therefore, knowing and understanding what makes our subordinates to be highly motivated in carrying out their tasks with satisfying experiences would be the first important step to take. On the contrary, when these subordinates are not clear of the expectations required of them and do not feel appreciated in terms of their knowledge, skill and expertise, their morale will decline and consequently will not perform well or deliver exceptional services for the benefit of the organization. Hence, it is crucial for us to acknowledge the fact that greater confidence and high morale on the part of the subordinates will subsequently result in a productive working atmosphere in the organization. Therefore, it is important for the organization in achieving its organizational goals to set through the organization's mission, whereby employees can understand what must be done to improve the organizational outcomes. Without doubt, highly engaged subordinates or teams would openly and honestly voice their ideas and opinions, which will lead to greater diversity of views and more innovative ideas. Nevertheless, this can only happen in an environment of trust and mutual respect as “the foundation of a great workplace is created by organizational credibility, respect and fairness, which form the foundation of trust” (Mineo, 2014, p.1). As further expressed by Mineo (ibid), “[w]hen a leader speaks it is important to be able to have confidence in the honesty, truthfulness, and sincerity of the words”. In fact, as posited by Norman, Avolio and Luthans (2010), we need to realize that leadership does not exist independently from the perceptions of our subordinates or

27 team members. Thus, often, the questions that our subordinates would ask themselves of their leaders are whether they can trust their leaders or whether their leaders really care about them or whether their leaders are really committed to excellence. As such, winning the trust and confidence of our subordinates and alleviating their fears are things that we should work on to be able to exert our influence on them. Of utmost importance, nevertheless, is not to regard leadership as an exercise of legitimate power using directive or authority but rather as an attempt to build meaningful and productive relationships with our subordinates or team members. Obviously, as stressed by Blattner and Walter (2015), when our subordinates or team members are engaged, productivity and performance will improve because they will become more motivated to contribute to the organization’s success and more willing to put in extra effort to attain organizational goals. As such, we need to be aware that as leaders, what we think, feel, say and do will have a profound impact on our subordinates’ level of satisfaction, enthusiasm for their work, and commitment to go beyond their job descriptions. In other words, we need to be cognizant of the impact of our own behavior, as our attitude and behavior will to a certain extent determine whether we will have either an engaged or disengaged workforce. For that reason, we need to get to know the members of the organization as different individuals in the organization who may have different motivations or goals for joining the organization. It is imperative that we try to find how we could capitalize on the capacities and capabilities of the members of the organization and suit them to the organizational goals. Rather than focusing on their shortfall, shift our attention to the contributions that they could give to the organization. This may in fact bridge the gap between our subordinates and team members. We need to create an environment where our subordinates are empowered to work towards the achievement of organizational aims. As success may mean different things to different individuals, we may need to put them on the same page about the common goals. In other words, there should be an alignment between the objectives of the individuals with that of the organization. This significantly points to our leadership effectiveness in motivating our subordinates to contribute to the best of their ability for organizational purposes. Apart from that, it also becomes crucial to understand the problems and complaints of our subordinates. In this sense, engagement should center on the mutually beneficial relationship between us and our subordinates. With regards to this, we should also have a complete view of their needs and aspirations. This is especially important in times of rapid changes and

28 uncertainties. Interestingly, past research as highlighted by Martin et al. (2016), have demonstrated that leader-member relationship (LMX) is correlated to several important outcomes for employees where members who receive more support, perform at a higher level and show positive work attitudes. In contrast, Leakey (2012).and Yun, Cox and Sims (2017) highlight the fact that subordinates or team members will become more frustrated and unmotivated when they must adhere to strict guidelines on how to carry out their tasks. In fact, a study done by Riffat-unNisaAwan and Bigger (2013), reveals that directive leadership behavior results in low job satisfaction, of which Hemakumara (2012) succinctly noted as the main reason for poor performance in organizational development, decision making and organizational responses. While we may not be in direct opposition with our subordinates, there are times that we may be in a relationship of tension due to the various contextual elements that we, as leaders, interact with. Often, our subordinates' assessment of us as their leaders are said to be driven by the extent to which we can gain their confidence through our communications, actions and decisions. Having said that, our accountability and integrity towards our responsibility itself would bring some sense of influence that will help build a congenial environment in the organization. As such, we need to formulate a work environment that will enhance job satisfaction and organizational productivity. As more and more work is carried out by teams of people working together towards a common goal, it is imperative that we are able to direct, guide and motivate them towards achieving organizational success. # Leadership Practice 2 – Balancing the acts in a world of paradox In their book titled “The Balanced Leadership Framework: Connecting Vision with Action”, Waters and Cameron (2007) clearly note that : “Highly successful principals strike an appropriate balance between answering questions with asking them, between stepping up and taking charge with stepping back and letting others lead, between pushing people and systems with supporting them, and between speaking and listening.” (p.19). In a similar note, Martin ((2009, p.10), postulates that : “Brilliant leaders excel at integrative thinking. They can hold two, opposing ideas in their minds at once. Then, rather than settling for choice A or B they forge an innovative ‘third way’ that contains elements of both but improves on each”.

29 Indeed, these competing demands are already pervading in organizations. Interestingly, Lewis, Andriopoulus and Smith (2014, p.58), contend that “(i)n hypercompetitive environments, organizational survival depends on strategic agility- flexible, mindful responses to constantly changing environments''. This is so as “(l)eadership entails the ability to identify and leverage opportunities and threats, and to exploit internal and external competencies'” (Lewis et al. 2014, pp 58-59). This undeniably points to the fact that we live in a world of paradox where contradictory, yet interrelated elements coexist. Suffice to say, as leaders, we need to have the competency to effectively deal with these tensions as they occur within the organizational sphere. Our leadership focus, therefore, is to be able to balance our roles as agents of stability as well as leaders of change. i.e to work harder at articulating the basis of reform and at creating interest among our subordinates in engaging in organizational tasks. Inevitably, this points to the importance for us to synchronize our long-term aspirations with shortterm achievements or cutting costs of operation with demands of innovation or thinking globally while acting locally or achieving our organizational goals with that of social aims. This is to say that we need to be able to focus our attention on long-term results while concomitantly achieving small, short-term wins. As such, deciding on what is salient, analyzing the interconnectedness between various factors, examining the seriousness of a problem or situation undeniably calls for the ability to integrate our thinking. For the purpose of clarity, Martin (2009, p.6-8) in his book, ‘The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win through Integrative Thinking’, succinctly defines integrative thinking as the skill with which “thinkers hold two opposing ideas in a fruitful tension” and “to use that tension to think through to a new or superior idea”. As such, it is a habit of thought that we, as leaders, should strive to develop. Understandably, to be able to hold two opposing ideas in our mind in order to come up with the third way is, nevertheless, not an easy feat. Therefore, we need to consciously attempt to challenge our dogmatic ways of thinking and doing things in order to improve the success of the transformation of our organization, our teams and ourselves. For that matter, we might need to become an expert as well as a generalist both at the same time by developing and applying the appropriate leadership capabilities as and when needed. In fact, as postulated by Weber and Weber (2002, p.2), as leaders, we are “the prime movers, who allow others to achieve common goals and who unite others for a common purpose. [We] command yet [we] serve [our] followers”. Suffice it to note, within the organizational setting, we are often asked to fulfill many and varied responsibilities that are important in the smooth running of the organization as well as in the successful attainment of the organizational goals.

30 As we strive to thrive in constant change and unpredictability, we may undoubtedly face various challenges, pressures, conflicts and dilemmas. At times, we might need to perform unfamiliar functions or to make unpopular decisions in order to successfully perform our tasks in order to achieve our organizational goals. In doing so, we might need to change our current perspective to another emergent one which is quite foreign or alien and might pose a challenge to us. While we may have the need for consistency, we need to realize that the context that shapes our reality will define its needs. This is to say that while we may agree for our subordinates or team to have the autonomy, they need in executing their tasks, there may also be instances where we need to monitor and guide them in fear of derailment and nonconformity. Of utmost importance, nevertheless, as claimed by Bolden, Witzel and Linacre (2016, p.2), is for us to view “these paradoxical tendencies as opportunities to be embraced rather than problems to be solved” in order to lead well in todays’ VUCA environment. Undeniably, leadership practices have evolved and so is the leadership landscape. Leadership practices have become complex, complicated and multi-faceted. Thus, taking a uni-dimensional perspective (i.e. an either/or approach) in understanding and responding to varied leadership needs would not go well in certain circumstances. Suffice it to say, a fixed single-minded perspective can hamper the development of organizational learning and adaptation and lead our subordinates or team members to grapple with confusion. It is crucial that we be tactful in balancing these paradoxes of tensions to the best of our ability as leaders. This is so, as “managing paradox requires a creative, both/and approach that leverages the benefits of each side separately, while also tapping into their synergistic potential” (Smith & Lewis, 2014, p.62). For that, we need to enhance our level of agility, adaptability and versatility to cope with the increasingly frequent changes and uncertainties. In other words, we need to be able to develop leadership capabilities that will help us “to engage in competing strategic demands - honoring stability while seeking change, demanding strong commitments while driving flexibility, and encouraging individual leadership contributions while expecting teamwork” (Smith, Andriopoulus & Lewis, 2014, p.59). We need to be strategically agile in order to flexibly and quickly respond to the dynamic VUCA environment. This is so, as leadership is not a uni-dimensional phenomenon and so are the demands and expectations that come with it. However, we do not need to jeopardize the stability and harmony of the organization in our attempt to embrace change. Rather, we should make change as the strategic approach to our organizational improvement since the primary goal in organizational change is to increase organizational effectiveness and minimize negative consequences.

31 Still, if the opposite occurs, then, we need to be able to adjust to a different approach and not be bogged down by unnecessary constraints which will result in subordinates’ complacency and organizational stagnation. For that matter, we need to be able to work with rather than against these paradoxes. Building our capabilities in integrative thinking is essential although it might make us feel uncomfortable and insecure at times. As a matter of fact, this may become a learning experience that we will find useful in executing our leadership tasks, especially in leveraging the best solutions to the ongoing organizational challenges. Indeed, we may learn to create possibilities for novel situations while at the same time enhancing and strengthening the existing productive and constructive structures or processes. That said, the more we can understand and accept these conflicting demands as natural occurrences in today’s changing world, the more we are able to adopt and apply integrative thinking in our leadership practices and the more we become effective leaders. # Leadership Practice 3 – Sustaining the values of the organization Values are at the heart of an organization. They are the compass that guides the behaviours of the members of the organization towards achieving organizational excellence as they “describe what is important to the organization” (Ferguson & Milliman, 2008, p.439). They are the distinguishing factors that differentiate how work is done in the organization and how relationships are built on. As defined by Speculand and Chaudhary (2008), values are “the collective set of behaviours that an organization feels as important for its success and cannot be compromised upon” (p.3). Therefore, in this sense, it can be said that values permeate the organizational atmosphere and create a strong sense of either ‘belonging’ or ‘non-belonging’ among its members. This is so as values relate to identification, social relationships and matters of importance. For that reason, we should see ourselves as the champion of healthy organizational values that serve both the mutual interest of the workforce and the organization. In this regard, the more we understand the role values play in the organization the more we can prepare ourselves to meet the demands of the organization and strive to create a positive culture for higher quality of worklife. Thus, the importance of values and its crucial impact on leadership effectiveness can never be overrated. In fact, “(c)ore values have been viewed as one important way that both private and public sector institutions can improve organizational effectiveness and enhance employee

32 attitudes and behaviours” (Ferguson & Milliman, 2008, p. 439). This is so as “(v)alues are immensely substantial with regard to influencing organizational dynamics” (Chusmir and Parker (1991), cited in Ertosun & Adiguzel, 2018, p.51). Kouzes and Posner ((2003) as cited in Ferguson & Milliman, 2008, p.440), even posit that, “(v)alues enable people to know in their own minds what to do and what not to do. When values are clear, they do not have to rely upon direction from someone in authority”. In a similar vein, Collin and Porras ((1994) as cited in Ferguson & Milliman, 2008, p.440), determined that the fundamental element of the high performing companies was, “. . . a core ideology—core values and sense of purpose beyond just making money – that guides and inspires people throughout the organization and remains relatively stable for long periods of time”. Nevertheless, as much as values influence organizational successful performance and effectiveness, they are also at risk of being neglected or overstepped. This is unsurprising, as a meaningless and hollow set of values can neither relate well with our subordinates or team members and nor do they paint the right image for the organization. As bluntly pointed out by Lencioni (2002, p. 113), “(e)mpty values statements create cynical and dispirited employees, alienate customers, and undermine managerial credibility”, since they fail to dictate to the members of the organization the crucial actions that need to be taken for the organization to succeed. This is to say that when our organizational values seem not to be authentic or relatable, our subordinates or team members may ignore, resist, or manipulate them which can lead to negative organizational outcomes. Therefore, while it is important to identify the right values that resonate with the organization, it is also of utmost importance that we inculcate these values and live them through our leadership practices. Aligning the organizational values with our own actions is, therefore, mandatory. We need to recognize the fact that developing our own self-efficacy and self-awareness in relation to our organizational values is crucial in order to harness the potential that reside in ourselves, our teams and our organization. We need to realize that we owe moral imperatives to ourselves, others and the organization and that our leadership practices need to enhance these moral obligations. Hence, if we base our self-awareness on our organizational values and the need to act in such a way that reflects our core principles, we will effectively self-monitor and self-regulate ourselves and be generally unaffected by social or group pressures. That said, there should be a balance between exemplifying the said virtues and seeking optimal organizational outcomes. For that matter, it is important for us, as leaders, to ensure that the organizational values are being upheld and directly translated into the right organizational behaviours.

33 As a matter of fact, holding to these values will enable us to balance conflicting expectations and foresee the consequences of our actions on the performance of our team or the organization. For that matter, we need to constantly review our organizational values as well as our practices and the extent to which we comply with them. This is so, as our subordinates or team members may expect us to live the organizational values in all matters concerning the organization. While we may need to establish our own personal standards, it is imperative that we compare these standards with those of our organization in order to enhance organizational performance. Therefore, we need to have an accurate understanding of our competencies as well as of others in the team or organization. Encouragement and constructive feedback should be given to enhance the positive inculcation of organizational values. We need to help our subordinates or team members to better understand the importance of organizational values and how these values should be translated in their daily work. When our subordinates or team members have a sense of personal responsibility for upholding the organizational values, they will operate with a clear sense of purpose. In fact, when they view their functions and roles as correlating with that of the organizational values, they will become more committed and engaged in their organizational tasks. With regards to leader effectiveness, Caldwell, Hayes and Long (2010), are of the view that “leaders in today’s world face the challenge of earning the trust and commitment of organizational members if they expect to guide their companies to success in a highly competitive global context” (p. 497). Thus, it is not surprising that James Carlopio ((2002), cited in Caldwel et al. 2010, p.497), observed that ‘‘(t)oday’s leaders must resist the powerful temptation of self-interest and must be motivated by broader values and principles ‘based on a morally established duty owed and a fiduciary obligation”. That said, in today’s challenging VUCA environment, the importance of understanding the relationships between leadership practices and the organizational values that promote the right organizational culture, undoubtedly, has become increasingly important. In sum, we need to be congruent in aligning our behaviours with the organizational values as well as with what we espoused. After all, as leaders, we are the embodiment of great human beings - socially, intellectually, physically and emotionally. As such, the values of our organization become the underlying principles for our leadership practices and the context in which we think, act, and make decisions. These values give meaning to our leadership practices and become the drivers for achieving organizational effectiveness, especially in difficult times. We need to constantly ask ourselves the reason why we are in the organization and what it represents and aspires to be.

34 We need to own, live and communicate these values to our subordinates or team members in order to engage them in meaningful practices. This is so, as our subordinates need to feel like they belong to something they value — which is empowering in itself. Only then can we focus the direction of our leadership practices towards the sustainable performance of our organization. # Leadership Practice 4 – Empowering oneself to become life-long learner Our capability as a leader lies not only in our ability to make hard decisions or solve difficult problems but to also continuously learn and develop. As the organization grows, so do we as leaders, and vice versa. In fact, Marquardt (2000, p. 233), posits that “(t)o be successful in the new global environment, twenty first century leaders must increase their ability to function in seven key roles, namely, as a systems thinker, change agent, innovator, servant, polychronic coordinator, teacher-mentor and visionary”. He further asserts that “(l)eadership styles and skills that may have worked in a more stable, predictable environment of the twentieth century will be inadequate in this new era of uncertainty and rapid change, where we can hardly define the problem, much less engineer possible solutions'' (Marquardt, 2000, p.233). This is so as the landscape of today’s workplace is significantly changing and so are the skills and competencies that need to be acquired. In fact, the speed of both the pace and the scope of ongoing change points to the need for the enrichment of new kinds of learning that will further enhance our sense of professionalism. It is indeed a fundamental challenge for us as leaders to keep learning, unlearning and relearning. Profound changes in demography, continued innovation in technology, mobile workforce and social changes require a crucial aptitude for learning. Therefore, we need to be open and most adaptable to changes as well as proactively make changes when or if necessary. Undoubtedly, learning will help to open possibilities for thinking about things in various ways and not to get stuck with the things we only know and feel comfortable with which will limit our opportunities. In order to do this, we need to ensure that our passion for learning is not lost along the way. Thus, in a changing environment, it is crucial that we first change our old ways of thinking or doing things which may have become obsolete with time. As highlighted by Mikkelsen and Jarche ((2015), cited in Caves, 2018, p. 22), "(i)n a time where the half-life of any skill is about five years, leaders bear a responsibility to renew their perspective in order to secure the relevance of their organization". However, we are often afraid of new ideas and worry about the impact of change

35 on our current state of well-being and hence, would avoid venturing into new things and taking risks. We contemplate on doing new things as we might have to struggle to work through it. Yet, learning what is current and relevant to our tasks by challenging old paradigms will enable us to succeed in an uncertain and unpredictable environment. As such, learning to let go of our old ways of thinking will need some courage on our part as it is never easy to challenge what we have accustomed ourselves to. It is crucial, therefore, to be cognizant of the fact that the path to new learning experiences begins with a thorough understanding of ourselves, our preferences and our ability to work with and influence others. Suffice it to say, committing ourselves to lifelong learning is imperative in order for us to provide excellent leadership practices. As claimed by Caves (2018, p.22), “(l)ifelong learners lead organizations by demonstrating their capacity to incorporate habits that can drive their followers to achieve the goals of the organization”. In other words, this highlights the importance for us to learn new skills and gain different competencies in order to lead diverse teams in various organizational endeavours. In a similar vein, to be able to provide guidance and direction to our subordinates or team members and make them see how the internal and external environment may and could impact the organization. Likewise, we also need to be able to unlock and encourage creativity in and among our subordinates or team members to stimulate and enhance learning for innovative practices for the sustainability of our organization. Therefore, making allowance for our subordinates to make mistakes, learn and grow will foster a positive and encouraging environment for them to engage in lifelong learning as well. For that matter, we need to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable circumstances as it is through learning new skills and competencies that we may in fact, be more willing to embrace risk-taking practices and challenge the status quo for the betterment of our organization. Our subordinates and team members may become more engaged in executing the organizational tasks due to our ability to keep up with challenges of changing times. By the same token, new insights may make us realize that at times conventional wisdom can be the cause of our leadership and organizational dysfunction. As such, engaging ourselves in lifelong learning will be beneficial as it will increase our leadership self-efficacy. Through lifelong learning, our beliefs of our own ability will change and so will others too. In this regard, we increase our self-efficacy by constantly learning about key elements of our roles and functions – both within our organizations and with other stakeholders.

36 Undoubtedly, the multiple levels of leadership experiences that we encounter will provide us with valuable insights regarding opportunities for organizational improvement and on how best to cater for the downsides. We will learn to cope better when challenges arise and when we encounter pushback since overcoming obstacles is part and parcel of being a leader. Although we might at times be overwhelmed with the demands of leadership tasks, continuous learning will encourage us to take on expanded responsibilities with our subordinates or team members. In fact, we will be more appreciative of our learning experiences with our subordinates or team members regardless of the outcomes. As such, the more we succeed in an area that we perceive as challenging, the more confident we will be in future success, and the lower the negative impact of failure will be. Although we may need a different amount of time to develop personal mastery, if we foster the learning experiences, our team and organization will benefit in the long run as we are able to align our vision with reality. Given that learning is critical for the success of our organization and that as leaders we need to be able to “see where the organization can grow and develop” (Caves,2018, p.22), it is worth noting, that the learning experiences in our workplace are influenced by the culture of our organization. That said, it is crucial for us to attempt to improve on our learning experiences daily - i.e to learn, unlearn and relearn to encourage vicarious learning. This is so as the knowledge that we gain every day will help to broaden our horizons which allows for the experimentation of new ideas and thoughts. Yet, as it is easy to be influenced by the success or failure of others in our organization, we need remind ourselves to encourage positive behaviours by looking at failures as learning opportunities rather than mistakes to be reprimanded. In this way, we could encourage organizational learning and hence, to learn from these vicarious experiences. As such, the transfer of knowledge in our organization would flourish and continue to grow even if the proponents of the knowledge are no longer in the organization. As proposed by Oragwu and Nwabueze (2015), “[o]rganizational learning is a process of developing new knowledge to create a potential change for organizational improvement … [as it] injects new ideas…. for the achievement of organizational goals.”. Therefore, creating a productive and supportive platform for organizational learning to occur is crucial in order to establish what pivotal steps are needed to achieve success. As such, we need to be able to identify the learning gaps and be actively involved in the learning activities that will enhance our leadership practices. In this regard, growth is not just seen as continuous but also cyclical in nature since there are bound to be developmental gaps in between progresses of our leadership

37 development. These gaps act as impetus for us to better ourselves by critically evaluating both failures and achievements. In sum, our growth as a leader is a continuous process that involves constant checking and monitoring of our leadership and learning practices. For that reason, we need to ensure that we have the right kind of stimulation and opportunities to enhance our capacities and capabilities. In order to achieve this, we need to be open to new experiences to develop ourselves so that we are able to guide our teams and further steer the organization towards progression. # Leadership Practice 5 – Sharing for powerful leadership In today’s fast-changing and disruptive environment, leadership matters most. In fact, leadership is the only constant aspect within our work lives that does play a role when it comes to addressing a challenge which we had not anticipated. In relation to this, theorists in various fields of study would agree that for a company or organization to survive they need effective leadership to successfully steer the organization. This, nevertheless, can pose a challenging task to us, as leaders, in today’s VUCA environment to understand all its ramifications by ourselves. As claimed by O’Toole, Galbraith and Lawler ((2002), cited in Kocolowski, 2010, p, 22), “Frequently, organizations learn the hard way that no one individual can save a company from mediocre performance—and no one individual, no matter how gifted a leader, can be ‘right’ all the time”. Thus, relying on simple notions of ‘top-down and command-and-control leadership’, according to Pearce (2007), is no longer viable in today’s challenging and complex environment of which, Kocolowski (2010), proposes that leadership be shared for organizational effectiveness. This means that as leaders, we must create an environment of empowerment and shared leadership to enable better decision-making processes and accountability within and across organizations. In fact, new types of leadership (e.g shared leadership, distributive leadership, collective leadership, team leadership) have emerged as a style that potentially fits the demands of this new challenging environment, both within public and private spheres. Nevertheless, it may be a challenge to implement such leadership in our organizations, since, according to O’Toole et.al., ((2002) cited in Kolowski,2010, p.22) “[f]or most people…. leadership is obviously and manifestly an individual trait and activity…. [so much so that] [t]he identities of [the organization] are often viewed as mere reflections of the personalities of their leaders”.