Strengthening your Leadership Practice William Pullen Introduction A
- Slides: 10
Strengthening your Leadership Practice William Pullen
Introduction � A way to think about yourself as a public servant. � A way to think about yourself as a leader. � A developmental framework. � A way to track your progress. � A roadmap for the journey ahead.
Idea #1: The Deal � In the beginning, a call to serve. A choice to serve the public. Joining the public service. � Over time, a deep emotional bond develops with the idea of public service and the experience of serving the public in an institutional/organizational setting. � The bond includes hopes, aspirations and expectations at each end You: fulfillment of a vocation, personal growth, professional accomplishments in serving the public. Institution: fearless advice and loyal implementation. Principled public service. Execution. � Over time, it becomes an implicit bargain - a Deal - between you and the public service. � Good deals are in some form of equilibrium based on self-interest, the realization of mutual benefits, and some degree of stability. � Bad deals are unbalanced, malformed, and volatile. Some degree of co-dependency exists. � What’s your Deal? How is it evolving? � This program is an opportunity to reflect on your deal and strengthen it.
The Deal Changes � The Deal is dynamic, not static. As society, institutions, organizations and individuals change, so does the deal. � In a perfect world, the Deal is understood, flexible, evolutionary and mutually supportive. � Events like downsizing/transformation breach existing Deals. They no longer exist. � There always consequences. Trust is the first casualty, followed by engagement. � The hard part of change management is rebuilding the Deal and enabling transition to the new one. � The care and maintenance of the Deal ought to be a priority for leaders. � If you don’t lead the way, someone else will and it may not be in a direction you want.
What can I do with this? � Reflect on your Deal Where/when was your basic deal established? What was it? What is it now? How do you feel about it? Can your Deal carry you going forward? � Strive to strengthen your end of the Deal � Manage expectations. Build adaptability and resilience. Strive for balance. Strengthen boundaries. Create a place of greater safety for yourself. Build an independent professional identity with a strong leadership practice. Use the deal to onboard new hires/transfers/promotions Don’t leave the formation of a new Deal to chance. It is an opportunity. Have “a chat about the Deal” as a way to on-board and enable engagement. Use the Chat to get your vision, values and expectations on the table.
Idea #2: The Leadership Practice � Idea: As a professional in engineering, medicine, or law has a professional practice, so those who lead at senior levels have a leadership practice. � Practice = a metaphor for a leadership repertoire. � Describes your personal and unique bundle of knowledge, skills, perspectives, and experiences. It accumulates during your service and defines a unique leadership style. � A leadership practice rests on a foundation that includes the Deal. � May help to establish someone’s distinct identity as a leader. � A leadership practice is a personal professional asset. The quality of the asset – the practice’s fitness for use - influences how effectively leaders may perform in different situations. � If carefully developed, a leadership practice may carry a person across the arc of a successful career.
What can I do with this? � A response to “what’s in it for me? ” Strengthen your deal. Grow your practice. � A way to ground access learning by making it tangible and personal. � A durable career platform to position you for future success. � A useful focal point for performance conversations. � A place to think about ethos and the moral obligations of a leader in public service. � A holding place for a professional identity independent of an organization. � A way to strengthen, re-balance and/or re-align your Deal.
Practice Dimensions & Elements � Ethos Includes ADM Leadership Competencies � Experience Personal Values History Public Service Ethos Awareness Identity & Character Breadth of Perspective Comfort & Confidence Point of View � Competence � Energy Knowledge Courage Skill Adaptability & Resilience Innovation Optimism Relationships & Network Passion
Expectations � Prepare two 750 -word (approx. ) Leadership Practice Reflections Reflection #1 due by Base Camp Reflection #2 due before Module #8 � Consult the handout material for guidance on writing Reflections. � Ask for help. We are happy to provide initial comments on a draft. � Consider a second set of eyes to validate your self-assessment. � Send the documents by email to Julie Chabot (julie. chabot@uottawa. ca). She will hold them in confidence. � Detailed written feedback will be provided. Additional one-to-one available.
Writing a Reflection � Tell us your leadership story: Who you are and where you are (Current experience) Where you have come from (Past Experience) What you have learned about yourself so far (Experience) What you can do with what you’ve got (Competence) What’s missing from the bucket/toolbox (Competence) What you believe in and how you feel about it (Ethos) What keeps you awake at night (Ethos) What gives you energy/what drains you (Energy) How much gas you have in the tank (Energy) What you aspire to/hope to achieve in the program (Goals)
