Tag Archives: Leadership and Adversity

Leadership

Leadership Attributes, Leadership Traits, and Transformational Leadership Research

My doctoral dissertation leadership research primarily focused on the impact and relationship between leadership and adversity. However, a material additional component of my leadership was to evoke from the sixteen prominent leader’s descriptions their concepts of leadership, as well as their styles of leadership, including transformational leadership.

The sixteen prominent leader / research participants each had their own unique life journey in dealing with adversity and then working to become a successful and accomplished leader. One common theme is that obstacles or adversity in the early lives of the participants, such as the loss of a parent, poverty, discrimination, or even being a Holocaust victim, was not the seminal or most important event in their lives. They each grew through the experiences that came with increasing responsibilities in their careers, or through significant career changes. Successfully overcoming the obstacles in their adult lives helped them to grow. The encouragement, guidance, and examples from mentors played a significant part in their lives.

My in depth Doctoral dissertation research into leadership and adversity has shown me that a mentor, especially a servant-leader mentor, can teach a person how to overcome the obstacles and adversities of life. Enlightened mentors or servant-leader mentors are a classic example of someone who uses transformation leadership techniques and skills in the life.

The leader I interviewed commented on the importance of being the enlightened and caring mentor can guide from their own personal experiences with adversity. They are some who has been there and has successfully overcome the difficult problem or major adversity. In some cases, mentors may teach mentees which way to go based on their experience of taking a wrong path and having learned a better way. The mentor may have experienced and overcome some other, even more horrendous, difficulty in his or her life’s journey that could inspire the mentee to higher heights.

The sixteen prominent leaders that I personally interviewed identified nine important qualities of a leader. Many of these leadership traits, including though usually associated with transformational leadership, are found in the lst from my leadership research:

1. Honesty or integrity
2. A high level of people skills
3. Initiative, assertiveness, drive, or determination
4. Excellent communication skills or willingness to speak up, take a position, or take charge
5. Vision (being forward-looking)
6. Desire or passion to lead and inspire
7. Positive attitude and self-confidence; charisma
8. Knowledge of the business and/or group task at hand; competence
9. The ability to overcome adversity or obstacles

The sixteen prominent leaders that I interviewed for my Doctoral dissertation research into leadership and adversity specifically identified an additional four important qualities that are not commonly found in the academic leadership literature.
10. Being a Servant-Leader, serving people, and especially being humble
11. Having both religious faith and strong family ties
12. Framing or recognizing the worst adversity as an opportunity
13. Having a mentor or mentors in their development as leaders (Haller, 2008, pp. 116-117)

Several of my leadership research participants acknowledged the refining nature of adversity, but it was not really a “transformational leadership traits,” but rather a comment on their experience with overcoming adversity, obstacles, abuse, discrimination, death of a parent, or in one case the Nazi Holocaust.

Leadership Attributes or Traits, and Transformational Leadership
I have found from my personal leadership experience and my doctoral research in the area of leadership foundations, that transformational leadership especially important in the “real application” of leadership. Starting back in the 1980s there was a resurgence of researchers updating the academic literature with their findings, repackaging, and comments leadership trait theory. Many of the leadership scholars focused there framing on leadership traits in the context of discussing transformational leadership.

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Leadership

Leadership and Adversity – Are Leaders Made Or Are Leaders Born? A Definitive Answer to the Question

The great debate for the last century has been over whether “leaders are born, or leaders are made.” There have been are biographies, books and articles, and more recently movies and television coverage about good and bad leadership. The media has provided insights into the lives of leaders, how they led, what their successes and failure were, and how some overcame obstacles or dealt with adversity. These early influences laid the foundation for the admiration of those who succeeded despite having to overcome obstacles, tragedy, or adversity. A combination of externice senior leadership experience and strong business background all led me to write this article on the topic, are Leaders Made or Born?

The leadership research specifically focused defining leadership and on the way certain events, obstacles, or adversity affected and shaped prominent leaders. This is a hermeneutic phenomenological investigation that concentrated on the lived experiences of sixteen prominent leaders, all of whom overcame adversity and grew as leaders in the process. I sought from the these sixteen leaders their deepest thoughts, true stories, and their real-life examples.

The research interview questions were designed to draw out the participants’ experiences on a range of interests. I encouraged the sixteen prominent leaders that I personally interviewed to identify the most important events in their lives. I asked them specifically to share the effects of the events, obstacle, or adversity in their youth and adult lives that shaped them. They were called upon reveal the resources within themselves that they drew upon to overcome obstacles. Finally, I questioned them as to whether their experiences with overcoming adversity in any way impacted their development, specifically their development as a leader.

This leadership research probed just how events, obstacles, or adversity shaped the sixteen prominent leaders. Ascertaining the respective participants’ mental model was an important step, but it does not alone answer the question of “what makes a leader.”

The concept of shaping leaders may be described as analogous to the refining of metals to remove impurities, a process requiring great heat and great stress on the raw material. The literature is replete with stories of individuals who have been shaped into great leaders after having been subjected to the refining fires of what I call the “crucible of adversity.”

The follow information from major leadership scholars and best selling author for the interested reader that seems to back my position and conclusion: Leaderare made, not born.

The Leaders Are Born versus Leaders Are Made Controversy Literature review summary:

Professor John W. Gardner, agreed emphatically with me that leaders are not born. In his well received book entitled “On Leadership” he totally agreed with my conclusion that Leaders are Made.

Gardner’s response to the question of whether Leaders are Born was clear, direct and totally unequivocal: “Nonsense!”

John Gardner, addressed the underlying issus of Nature versus Nurture is foundational to the question are Leaders made, or are leaders born. He was candid, direct and well documented in his arguments and eveident that Leaders are not born, but made.

The conclusion that Leaders are Made and that Leaders are Not Born is also support by two well respected academic leadership scholars, and best selling authors: University of Southern California, Marshall Graduate School of Business, Professor Dr. Warren Bennis, and Harvard University Graduate School of Business Professor (Emeritus) Dr. John Kotter. Bennis and Kotter have both agreed with me and they have both made similar comments that they believed that leaders are made not born.

Professor James Kouzes, in his peer debriefing of this leadership and adversity research findings and conclusions that when he indicted to me agreement with my finding that leaders view challenges as opportunities. Jim Kouzes offered this specific comment on my findings from my leadership research, which was part of my Doctoral dissertation on leadership.

Professor Kouzes comment below is part of his academic scholarly peer debriefing of my leadership dissertation research. He made the following comment on one of my leadership research finding on the importance of overcoming adversity, or major challenges, in the shaping and development of prominent leaders: “Challenge/adversity was and is part of every case we have gathered on personal best leadership experiences.”

In addition to Professor Kouzes review of this leadership and adversity research, this research got an academic peer debriefing from noted leadership scholar and multiple time best selling author, Harvard University, Graduate School of Business Professor Emeritus Dr. John Kotter. Professor Kotter specifically mentioned during our interview the quote by Nietzsche, that which does not kill you makes you stronger. He have found that idea has a lot of merit and that theme resounded throughout all sixteen interviews with the prominent leaders on how they overcame adversity, it’s impact on their becoming a successful leader, and what events specifically helped to made them a Leader.

Dr. Kotter commented on the findings from the leadrship research that overcoming adversity had impact of the shaping and development of prominent leaders, to which he said: “It’s a classic insight that seems to have much validity.”

He mentioned that he had written a biography on Konosuke Matsushita, the very successful Japanese Entrepreneur. While Matsushita’s name my not be well-known in the United States, everyone is certainly familiar with the product lines he has created, such as: Panasonic, JVC, Quaser, National, Technics.

Konosuke Matsushita is a real national hero in Japan. Matsushita has a heart warming life story, which is truly incredible. His story of success is really all about his dealing with major hardships and overcoming adversity. Dr. Kotter summed up his story about Konosuke Matsushita, with the comment: “His many problems didn’t drive him down. They lifted him up.” Kotter then summed up his thoughts on this aspect with the comment that he thought the importance of overcoming adversity or hardships “is very important.”

My selected comments from two of the five academic peer debriefings, by two major leadership scholars, Dr. John Kotter and Professor James Kouzes, have provided solid their party support for my information and arguments in this article.

Leaders are Made, not born!

Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.

Chief Enlightenment Officer

The Leadership Success Institute

http://www.TheLeadershipSuccessInstitute.com

HowardEdwardHallerPhD@gmail.com

Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D., is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, successful serial intrapreneur, seasoned senior corporate executive, university professor, university board trustee, former university board president, academic scholar, an award winning published author, screenwriter (Member, WGAw), and Professional Speaker (Member of NSA) delivering Keynote Speeches and Seminars on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship, Servant-Leadership, Leadership and Adversity, and Innovation.

The sixteen prominent leaders who overcame adversity interviewed included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, Jack Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, J. Terrence Lanni, Dr. John Malone, Angelo Mozilo, Larry Pino, Dr. Nido Qubein, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow (Ret.), Dr. John Sperling, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.

Five well respected leadership scholars reviewed Dr. Hallers research findings: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Professor James Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.

Dr. Haller is the Chief Enlightenment Officer of The Leadership Success Institute and Founder/CEO of the Entrepreneurial Success Boot Camp.

Dr. Haller is the author of two books: “Leadership and Adversity” 2008 & Intrapreneurship Secrets” 2009, both published by VDM Verlag Dr Muller AG & CoKG.

[http://www.leadershipandadversity.com]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr_Howard_Edward_Haller/25413

 

Leadership

Leadership and Adversity – The Real Story and Truth About the Value of Leadership Trait Theory

I will make the case that Leadership traits exist, and admit that the situation faced may call from different traits or different application, or combinations of traits. Some scholars discount the value of traits in leaders, or their impact on individuals becoming successful and effective leaders. My published leadership and adversity Doctoral research documents the value of leadership traits for the sixteen prominent leaders that I personally interviewed who all overcame adversity and became successful leaders, in spite of their adversities, included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, Jack Canfield, William Draper III, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Mark Victor Hansen, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, J. Terrence Lanni, Dr. John Malone, Angelo Mozilo, Larry Pino, Dr. Nido Qubein, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow, Dr. John Sperling, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.

My leadership and adversity research has been peer debriefed, reviewed and agreed with by five internationally known, well respected leadership scholars, and best-selling authors: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Dr. John Kotter, Professor Jim Kouzes, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.

My Doctoral dissertation research revealed that sixteen prominent leaders specifically indentified as number of leadership traits that they believed were important in becoming a leader. My research revealed that, honesty and integrity were high on their lists of the essential qualities of a leader. The sixteen prominent leaders and research participants shared an emphasis on the willingness to serve those they lead and to be a humble servant-leader.

Under the umbrella of leadership traits, the notion of the importance of servant leadership and being a Humble Servant Leader (from my leadership research) is repeated here because it remained a strong theme in the sixteen prominent leaders’ interviews. The sixteen prominent leaders I interviewed all talked about the importance of caring about people and listening to their needs. The participants emphasized that having clear and consistent communication and willingness to share their vision, their objectives, and the tone of the journey was essential to their success as leaders. They believe that having a complete and deep understanding of the business was needed to lead and succeed. They were quick to repeat the need to be able to cope with adversity ‘head-on,’ overcome obstacles, and view challenges as opportunities.

The question is: Are leadership traits real or a myth? Dozens of leadership authors (even some well-known leadership scholars), and no I am not going the specifically identify them by name, as it may cause some embarrassment, has specifically claimed that “leadership trait theory is dead,” “leadership trait theory is out of step with the mainstream of current academic scholars thoughts in the field of leadership,” or “recent leadership research by noted scholars disagree with the concept there are traits of leaders.”

I found that the source of the misinformation stems around an article by Stogdill which is frequently misquoted or misinterpreted. Many leadership writers, even some leadership scholars, misquoted or misunderstood the article. But they have commented on his now sixty year old article from his review and findings from various trait studies, relying on a prior interpretation, instead going back the primary document. He is often cited as finding them contradictory or inconclusive. Several authors have also stated that the well-respected late Professor Stogdill could not find a reliable and coherent pattern in the 120 trait studies he initially reviewed.

I re-read the entire 1948 article by Stogdill, and he never made the statements that were attributed to him regarding his alleged opinion that Leadership Trait Theory is false or not true. I personally and professional do not believe that that leadership theory is false or dead.

I will proceed to counter and document the false information, or misinformation, that leadership traits are untrue or invalid. Stogdill in his reporting of his leadership research, just instead used the term Leadership Factors instead of Leadership Traits. In the original article which was published in a 1948 issue of the Journal of Psychology, Stogdill discussed in detail the results of his leadership foundation literature review and study, in which he found and published that certain factors (or traits) which have been associated with leadership could all probably be classified under the general headings of capacity, achievement, responsibility, participation, status, and situation..

Of particular note, what Stogdill’s calls his Situational Factor (Situational Leadership Trait) is very similar or comparable to the underpinnings of leadership philosophies such as servant-leadership, principle-centered leadership, or even transformation leadership. He explicated in detail the meaning of each factor, using terms or adjectives for his sub-factors that others might call Leadership Traits.

Stogdill, discussed what other leadership scholar have before and since called Traits, but he re-categorized them and called “factors” He instead as argued that the five individual Factors” with “sub-factors, existed, but that there was a sixth factor which was the specific situation itself.

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