UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Influence Tactics Used By Leaders Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 2. Identify influence tactics used by leaders. 2.1. Describe methods used by leaders to improve employee performance. Reading Assignment Chapter 5: Leadership Mind and Emotion Chapter 6: Courage and Moral Leadership Unit Lesson This unit covers different tactics leaders use to influence their followers. Coverage will include emotional intelligence (EQ), ethical leadership, moral development, and servant leadership. For leaders to survive and influence their followers in today's complex world, they must not only lead from their head but also their heart to give individuals a sense of meaning and purpose. Leaders should be alert to their own mental model and forego any blocks that may constrain their understanding at all times. Daft (2015) shares four key areas relevant to expanding and developing a leader's mind: 1. 2. 3. 4. independent thinking (mindfulness), open-mindedness, systems thinking, and personal mastery. Research indicates that \"emotion, more than cognitive ability, drives our thinking and decision making\" (Daft, 2015, p. 146). Leaders must understand that individuals have both positive and negative emotions, each affecting the organization as well as the leader's behavior effects. Emotional intelligence (EQ) describes \"a person's abilities to perceive, identify, understand, and successfully manage emotions in self and others\" (Daft, 2015, p. 146). The components of EQ are listed below. Self-awareness: understanding how your emotions affect others Self-management: the ability to control one's own emotions Social awareness: an understanding of others Relationship management: an understanding of how to connect and build healthy relationships with others Leaders use EQ as a means of motivation, growth, development, and expanding their own mind and heart through repetition and conscious usage. Everyday leaders juggle multiple roles and are primarily responsible for the ethical climate in their organization. With the competitive pressures that leaders face, there are potential pressures every day to meet short-term goals with inaccurate numbers so the organization will look good. Unfortunately, this type of climate often results in scrutiny and corruptness. With all the temptation, it is important to note that the leader's (ethical) behavior is the primary driver that sets the tone for the organization. Employees will likely MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 1 follow the steps of their leader and intake their behavior as a normal practice. UNIT Professional growth and x STUDY GUIDE development often depends upon the daily mentorship displayed. Title In addition to being ethical, leaders should act like moral leaders. Organizations should not assume their existence is to just make a profit; instead, there should be some focus on serving the general welfare of employees and customers. Most organizations have a code of ethics that employees are expected to uphold. Whether or not your organization has a code of ethics, here are a few behavioral traits that leaders can follow to build a moral leadership environment: Articulate and uphold high moral principles. Be honest with yourself and others. Develop a backboneshow zero tolerance for ethical violations. Do the right thing in both private and professional lifeeven if no one is looking. (Daft, 2015, p. 172) Moral leadership \"distinguishes right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest the good, and the right conduct in achieving goals and fulfilling purpose\" (Daft, 2015, p. 174). Individuals and leaders typically know right from wrong, but how does one act upon their choice of acknowledgement? One answer to this question is the level of moral development. There are three levels of personal moral development: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. At the preconventional level \"individuals are egocentric and concerned with receiving external rewards and avoiding punishments\" (Daft, 2015, p. 174). At the conventional level \"people learn to conform to the expectations of good behavior as defined by colleagues, family, friends, and society\" (Daft, 2015, p. 174). Most leaders operate at this level. At the postconventional level, often referred to as the principled level, \"leaders are guided by an internalized set of principles universally recognized as just and right\" (Daft, 2015, p. 174). Individuals will often disobey rules and violate principles at this level. Regardless of the level, individuals typically want leaders that are honest, that are trustworthy, and that demonstrate the importance of serving others, serving society, and stewardship. The four principles that framework stewardshipas outlined by Daft (2015) are as follows: 1. Adopt a partnership mindset. 2. Give decision making power and the authority to act to those closest to the work and the customer. 3. Tie rewards to contributions rather than formal positions. 4. Expect core work teams to build the organization. (p. 177) Servant leadership takes things one step further. \"Servant leaders transcend self-interest to serve the needs of others, help others grow and develop, and provide opportunity for others to gain materially and emotionally\" (Daft, 2015, p. 177). Servant leaders become selfless and place the needs of the team and organization above self-interests. This involves placing an importance on service, listening to others, being trustworthy, and helping others become whole. The servant leader's top priority is service to employees, customers, shareholders, and the general public. Leadership flows out of the act of service because it enables other people to grow and become all they are capable of being (Fuhrmann, n.d.). References Daft, R. L. (2015). The leadership experience (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Fuhrmann, R. (n.d.). What is servant leadership? Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financialcareers/10/servant-leadership.asp MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 2 Suggested Reading UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title The following articles provide some insightful details on emotional intelligence, personal development and servant leadership. Hess, E. (2013, April 28). Servant leadership: A path to high performance. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/servant-leadership-a-path-to-highperformance/2013/04/26/435e58b2-a7b8-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html Schawbel, D. (2011). Daniel Goleman on leadership and the power of emotional intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2011/09/15/daniel-goleman-on-leadership-andthe-power-of-emotional-intelligence/ Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Practice the Processes: Leader's Self-Insight As you work through the material for this unit, consider completing the following activities titled \"Leader's SelfInsight\" to enhance your understanding of the chapter materials: Chapter 5: 5.1 (p. 143) 5.2 (p. 153) 5.3 (p. 154) Chapter 6: 6.1 (p. 171) 6.2 (p. 179) 6.3 (p. 183) Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to complete or submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 3