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Page 3Barcelona: Grow Your Global Mindset and Prepare to Fall in Love!

Page 6August Leadership Perspectives Webinar & Job Opportunities

Page 7Method Moments: Comparitive Historical Analysis: A Research Methodology...

Page 10Featured Publication: Understanding LeadershipAn Arts and Humanities Perspective - Anu Mitra Interviews Authors Robert M. McManus and Gama Perruci

Page 17 Field Report: Leading in a Virtual World

Page 19Conference News: Changing Tides at ILA’s Women and Leadership Topical Conference

Page 21Leadership Events & Opportunities - Print, Post, & Pass It on

Page 22ILA CalendarNewsletter Ad Rates

Page 23Flyer: Leading Across Borders and Generations - Please Print & Distribute!

July2015

Inside...

This year’s call for editors for ILA’s 2017 Building Leadership Bridges (BLB) series elicited 15 strong proposals pertaining to leadership around the world. Proposals were submitted to a rigorous blind review process in which representatives of ILA’s member communities weighed if the proposal was of increasing interest, a good fit for the BLB series and ILA, appealing to an international audience, and feasible. Data was compiled and shared with reviewers who then joined together in a conference call to debate the relative merits of each proposal.

As proposals made their way through the system we knew that several of them were special and asked ourselves, “Why limit BLB 2017 to just one book?” We sent our top choices to our publisher at Emerald, John Stuart, with the question, “Could we expand the series?” After reading the proposals he came back to us with a resounding yes, commenting, “We are delighted to be able to expand Building Leadership Bridges to multiple books for 2017 and possibly beyond. The quality of the proposals received was truly outstanding and we believe that ILA members will be spoilt for choice. The cutting-edge focus of each of the books selected will continue to add to the reputation of the Series as a must-read resource for leadership scholars and practitoners worldwide.”

Therefore, it is our pleasure to announce BLB 2017’s three volumes.

• Breaking the Zero-Sum Game: Transforming Societies Through Inclusive Leadership - Editors: Aldo Boitano and Raul Lagomarsino

• Leadership Competencies for a Diverse and Global World - Editors: Jean Lau Chin, Joseph E. Trimble, and Joseph E. Garcia

• Grassroots Leadership & The Arts For Social Change - Editors: Susan J. Erenrich and Jon F. Wergin

Prior to the books being released in 2017, ILA members at the group and individual level will be able to select the one they wish to receive as a complimentary volume. Additionally, all members — including student members — will have the opportunity to purchase any of the books at a steep pre-publication member discount.

ILA Expands BLB Series for 2017

ILA MeMber ConneCtor • JuLy 2015

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Quirky, imaginative, and vibrant are commonly used to describe the city of Barcelona. Travel guides about this medieval city with a modernist personality read more like a romance novel than a visitor’s guide. For ILA members joining the annual global conference in October, be prepared to fall in love. At Thunderbird’s Najafi Global Mindset Institute, we specialize in developing cross-cultural understanding through Global Mindset development. To that end, we have put together an intriguing overview of what makes Barcelona so special. Enjoy!

A Major Economic Center in Spain and the European Union

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, following the capital Madrid. There are more than 1.6 million residents in the city proper, with an estimated 5 million living in and around the urban center. This makes it the sixth most populous city in the European Union.

It is a chief commercial and industrial center for Spain, accounting for more than a quarter of Spain’s GDP. Tourism, fashion, power resources, media, and food are central economic activities. Barcelona is also a major economic player in the region, with the fourth highest GDP in Europe and the 35th highest in the world. As Europe’s largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, it takes pride in having the largest Mediterranean port, as well. Daily port tours are available, so take advantage of a lovely cruise on the Mediterranean while you are there.

Take a virtual tour through Barcelona here with Rick Steves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI7S3mCIbgQ.

Barcelona Grow Your Global Mindset and

Prepare to Fall in Love!

Mansour Javidan and Jennie Walker, Najafi Global Mindset Institute

Unique Cultural Heritage

Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, which is a ‘nationality’ within the country of Spain. Spain is subdivided into nationalities, regions, and communities. The designation ‘nationality’ is culturally significant, as it distinguishes unique cultural communities within the country where residents identify themselves by local customs and languages. While it is governed by Spanish constitution, Catalonia also follows its own unique statutes.

The history of Barcelona has been shaped by its quest for independence and preservation of its unique cultural identity. There is a continuing movement for Catalonia’s independence from Spain, with 1.5 million Catalans peacefully marching for the cause in 2012. The movement has been ongoing since 1714 when Catalonia lost its right to self-government. Catalans suffered particularly strong oppression during the military dictatorship under General Franco in the 1930s-50s, when Catalan language and customs were forbidden even in the private sector. While formal discrimination by the Spanish government is no longer mandated, tensions remain. Modern tensions surround economic policies that require Catalonia to make large payments to the government of Spain. While Catalonia is Spain’s strongest economic region, it is burdened by debt and citizens have argued that the central government does not provide services in exchange for payments received.

If you would like to learn more about the various cultures and regions within Spain, consider reading a country overview like those offered by CultureGram: http://culturegram.stores.yahoo.net/worldspain.html.

Multiple award-winning executive educator and author, Mansour Javidan is the Executive Director of Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Mansour is Past President of the

GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) research project and most recently is co-author of Strategic Leadership Across Borders: The GLOBE Study of CEO Leadership Behavior and

Effectiveness in 24 Countries. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the ILA Board.

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Time to Learn a New Language

The official languages of the region are Catalan, Castillian, and Aranese. Catalan is the local language, which dominates official spheres such as government and academics. Since Catalonia borders France and was even ceded to France at one point in history, the Catalan language has been influenced by both Spanish and French languages. Do not mistake it for a mere dialect though. It is a proper language on its own, given its distinct sounds, lexicons, and grammar. Catalan has six recognized dialects.

Castillian is what is more commonly known as Spanish. Public places, like museums, tend to offer both Castillian and Catalan languages. Although residents often mix both of them together in what has been dubbed Cantanyol.

Aranese is a variety of the Occitan language spoken in southern France. It is an endangered language, and one you are unlikely to encounter on your visit, but it is in the process of revival in the communities where it has historically been spoken.

As with any culture, locals appreciate an effort to speak their language. Here are some common phrases in Catalan: http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/catalan.php. You can click on many of them for audio examples. To translate your own phrases of interest, this translator offers Catalan as an option and has an audio feature allowing you to hear the proper pronunciation: https://www.translate.com/.

A few examples of how Catalan differs from Castillian:

English Catalan Castillian (Spanish)

Welcome Benvinguts BienvenidosHow are you Com estás Como estásMy name is Em dic Me llamo

Architecture that Inspires Designers Around the World

Many cities take pride in their architectural distinctiveness, but Barcelona has no equals. It is the first and only city to win the Royal Gold Medal for architecture in 1999. The award is typically given to individual architects by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Barcelona also boasts the most buildings in one city in the world listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites — nine in total. Seven of the nine World Heritage sites are works by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, whose distinct style remains a source of inspiration for modern architects worldwide. According to UNESCO, a world heritage site is “a natural or man-made site, area, or structure recognized as being of outstanding international importance and therefore as deserving special protection.” All nine sites in Barcelona are built in the Modernisme style, also dubbed Catalan Art Nouveau. More than 2000 buildings of this style are registered in Catalonia.

More than 7.5 million visitors come to Barcelona each year. Take a glimpse at what makes Barcelona special in this photo gallery: http://www.aviewoncities.com/gallery/barcelona.htm. One of the most famous landmarks is La Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. It is a church that has taken more than 130 years to build and remains under construction. Its bold design draws over

Jennie Walker is the Director of Global Learning and Market Development at Najafi Global Mindset Institute. Her research and work focus on the most effective methods to develop individuals and teams for success in complex, diverse, and increasingly global environments. She has worked in adult learning and

performance since 1995, designing and facilitating talent and organizational development for many Fortune 500 companies. She has direct study and work experience in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru.

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three million visitors a year, so be prepared for long lines and purchase advance tickets if you can.

While the beauty of specific landmarks, like La Sagrada Familia, draw millions of visitors each year, the urban design of the city center is also worth a look. The city is laid out in a unique octagonal

grid designed by urban planner Ildefons Cerdà in the mid-1800s. Most corners of blocks are cut off to provide turning radius for a system of steam trams that never was installed. This gives the city a particularly open feel despite its size.

Art and Culture that Literally Reaches New Heights

For those of you who have visited other parts of Spain, you may be expecting flamenco and bullfighting on the roster of cultural activities. Not in Barcelona. While flamenco is well known in other parts of southern Spain, namely Andelucia, it is not popularly practiced in

Barcelona. As for bullfighting, you may be relieved to hear that it was officially banned in Catalonia in 2010.

So what is distinctly Catalan? Castelles! Building castelles, or human towers has been a tradition in Catalonia since the 1700s. There are competitions where towers have been formed nine stories high.

You really need to see this for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpAJ2G9KKKQ.

Barcelona has also long been an inspiration for artists and many have called the city home at some point. Resident artists have included Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali. There are permanent Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró museums there, which are worth a visit.

Great Places to Take a Stroll in Barcelona

If you only have free time for one long stroll, go to Las Ramblas. It is the most famous “street” in Barcelona, and is actually a series of five streets with shops, cafes, and street artists in the heart of the city called the Gothic Quarter due to the prevalence of medieval architecture there. The quarter developed around the old Roman city of Barcino — the birthplace of modern day Barcelona.

While October is not the best beach month due to cooler weather, you may still want to consider a stroll on the beaches of Barcelona — ranked the best beach city in the world by National Geographic. Interestingly enough, there were no beaches in Barcelona until 1992 when the city was preparing for the Olympic Games. Industries were relocated to create leisure areas for the influx of tourists.

If you are adventurous, even a little daring, you can explore the Ghost Metro Stations. These consist of 12 abandoned underground metro stations in Barcelona that can be visited on special tours and have been used in movies. Many sightings of ghosts have been claimed.

Barcelona Hotel Update

Five of ILA’s six conference hotels are sold out! The Hotel Barcelona Princess has a few rooms still available. Reserve your room today. ILA staff is searching for additional nearby hotels that can offer a discounted room block. Join ILA’s Barcelona LinkedIn group, follow #ILA2015Barcelona, or check the conference website to receive the latest information on hotel options as they become available.

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If you would like to get a sense of what it’s like to be in Barcelona before you go, consider watching a film made there. Here is a top 10 list: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/jun/21/top-10-films-on-barcelona.

Local Cuisine

Typical cuisine in Barcelona is Mediterranean in style, with fresh vegetables, fish, and seafood. Combinations of food from land and sea are popular, since the city is bound by both sea and mountains. Spanish culinary delights, such as paella, gazpacho, chorizo sausage and tapas are common menu items, as well. Please note that typically restaurants serve lunch from 14:00 - 16:00 and dinner from 21:00 - 24:00. A fun fact: the first cookbook to be written in a Roman language was written in Catalan in the 1300s.

Safety in Barcelona

Barcelona is considered one of the safest cities in the world in terms of violent crime, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2015 ranking. It does have a dubious claim to fame that you will want to be aware of though — pick pockets. They are a common concern especially in tourist areas. Crowds around street games, public transportation, and Las Ramblas are typical areas where pick pockets operate. One other thing to beware of are fake police officers (i.e. people in street clothes claiming to be police) who ask for your id or wallet. It is unlikely Spanish police will ask tourists for ID or fine them on the street. If you are in doubt, tell the person you prefer to go directly to the police station. The person will likely run away.

October Weather ForecastBarcelona has a Mediterranean climate, with the hottest months in July and August. During October, the weather tends to be comfortable — around 22 ° Celsius (71 ° Fahrenheit) — during the day, with a chill in the evenings — 13-17 ° Celsius (56-64 ° Fahrenheit).

While we cannot predict the weather, we can predict that you’ll make new professional connections, have intruiging conversations, and energize your passion for leadership at ILA Barcelona. Register Today!

Photo Credits: Human Tower, Courtesy Gustave Deghilage; Paella Courtesy Jaula DeArdilla

References

A View on Cities. Barcelona pictures. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.aviewoncities.com/gallery/barcelona.htm

Ajuntament de Barcelona. Meet Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://meet.barcelona.cat/en/home

Apartime Barcelona. 10 facts you didn’t know about Barcelona that will blow your mind. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.apartime.com/blog/culture-tourism/10-interesting-facts-about-barcelona

Barcelona.com. Barcelona city guide. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_city_guide

Barcelona.de. Information and background about Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.barcelona.de/en/barcelona-trivia-information.html

Barcelona Turisme. 100 reasons to visit Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/

Barcelona Yellow Pages and Travel Guide. Barcelona safety tips. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn-tourist/115-safety-barcelona-top-tips-pickpockets

Globotreks. 10 facts you might not know about Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.globotreks.com/destinations/10-facts-barcelona/

Iberica Travel. 25 interesting facts about Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://iberica-travel.com/en/barcelona

InvestinBarcelona.com. Invest in Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://investinbarcelona.com/economy

Nile Guide. Barcelona facts. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from https://www.nileguide.com/destination/barcelona/overview/local-info

Tourist Guide Barcelona. Barcelona tourist guide. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/

Translate.com. Catalan. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from https://www.translate.com/

Wikipedia. Barcelona. Retrieved July 13, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona

Foodies Rejoice!

Events for Barcelona Attendees

ILA’s local planning committee has organized two fantastic evening events Tues. Oct. 13 and Sat. Oct. 17. Join conference attendees at Meeatings23 in Barcelona and experience Catalan cuisine in a fun hands-on way while networking with your colleagues. Advance registration is required. Tickets range from 51 - 63,5 €.

Register at: pegbcn.com/ilaconference-barelona/

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Leader as Subject: Michel Foucault’s Last Lectures

with Nathan Harter

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

12:00- 1:00 p.m. EDT

Details: goo.gl/cLSj7DRegistration: goo.gl/wJGQCKFree for ILA Members

French scholar Michel Foucault is one of the most cited social scientists, yet only recently have his final three years of lectures been translated into English. Although an untimely illness prevented him from being able to write a book based on his research, Foucault’s work during this period is particularly interesting to those with an interest in leadership. Peering at leadership through the lens of pagan philosophers and playwrights from the first and second centuries, he discovered an emphasis on leaders becoming a Subject first — that is, an agent committed to constituting a beautiful life based on governing oneself.

Webinar participants will:

• Learn what Foucault meant by “practices of subjectivation.”• Discover how developing these practices are important to leadership and developing a person’s ability to lead others.• Explore Foucault’s understanding of power and how practices of subjectivation can help leaders extricate themselves from it

and hold it to account.

Join Nathan Harter in this Leadership Perspectives webinar as he delves into Foucault’s Last Lectures and explores their meaning for leadership.

Leadership Perspectivesthe international leadership association webinar series

Leadership Job Opportunities

Assistant Professor, Organizational LeadershipDepartment of Political Science, Criminal Justice, & Organizational Leadership, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KYClosing Date: Until FilledView Complete Description

Visiting Teaching FellowEast-West CenterHonolulu, HIClosing Date: Until FilledView Complete Description

Submit Your Listing!

Assistant/Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary LeadershipCreighton UniversityOmaha, NEClosing Date: Until FilledView Complete Description

Director of the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and TeachingNorthwestern UniversityEvanston, ILClosing Date: 10/9/2015View Complete Description

Instructor: Leadership ProgramsMontana State UniversityBozeman, MTClosing Date: Until FilledView Complete Description

ILA MeMber ConneCtor • JuLy 2015

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Comparative Historical Analysis: A Research Methodology for Understanding the Shifting, Perplexing, and Curious Field of Leadership

Method Moments

The construct of leadership has had a fascinating history. Since its early hero-based conceptualization, it has been defined by a multitude of theories, for example, person and role-based theories (e.g., traits, skills, and behaviors), situational theories (e.g., contingency and adaptation), relational theories (e.g., charismatic, transformational, and transactional), and recent emergent theories (e.g., shared, distributed, and complexity). As a field of scholarly inquiry, the leadership construct has been rethought, reformulated, and renamed probably more than any other construct in the management and organizational sciences. The interesting question is why has there been so much variation in its meaning and what are the factors that have caused such profuse changes? We suggest that comparative historical analysis can offer insights into the shifting, perplexing, and curious field of leadership. In this article, we define comparative historical analysis, review its rigor, explore how it can be used to investigate leadership, and discuss a research study in its early stages employing the methodology.

Comparative historical analysis has been used widely in sociological inquiry to explore why particular social outcomes occurred or to compare topics across different societies (Lange, 2013). In the analysis process, various source data are collected, for example: primary sources (e.g., official documents such as research studies, theoretical papers, and seminal writings), secondary sources (e.g., historical analyses conducted by other historians), and recollections (e.g., autobiographies, memoirs, and diaries of great leaders and seminal thinkers). Methods such as causal narrative, pattern matching, and process tracing are used to identify the mechanisms that have caused a particular outcome or topic to converge, diverge, and emerge. Weber used comparative historical analysis to understand how the protestant ethic influenced modern capitalism (Weber, 1930/1992), de Tocqueville used the method to explore democratic differences between the United States and Europe (de Tocqueville, 1835/2003), and Marx employed

it to investigate class conflict (Marx, 1867/2010). These early researchers pursued comparative historical analysis as a central mode of inquiry, and today the method is at the center of many social science investigations (Mahoney & Rueschemeyer, 2007).

In the field of leadership, comparative historical analysis can be used for a variety of investigative purposes. As an example, the methodology can be employed to examine why a particular leadership theory such as shared leadership emerged as a topic of research among scholars and a new leadership model for use by those leading and managing organizations. Several sources could be included in the analysis including, economic, political, social, and cultural forces, in addition to key events in various academic disciplines including sociology, psychology, anthropology, biology, and the humanities. Historical comparative analysis can also be used to examine the interaction of various leadership theories through time, to explore why the leadership construct has evolved in the way that it has, and to deliberate on what might be next in the progression of leadership.

With regard to rigor, comparative historical analysis benefits from methodological triangulation (Lange, 2013). Social science research, such as research on leadership, requires methods capable of exploring complex phenomenon in changing social situations. Comparative historical analysis combines comparative, cross-case methods of analysis (e.g. narrative comparison, statistical comparison) with within-case methods of analysis (e.g. causal analysis, pattern matching, process tracing) and can yield both generalizable and case-specific knowledge. Consequently, the methodology permits both theory generation and theory testing simultaneously (Mahoney & Rueschemeyer, 2007). Comparative and within methods are employed independently and results

David Szabla is a Visiting Professor in the Executive Leadership Program in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University.

Szabla’s research focuses on organization leadership and organizational change.

David Szabla and Paige McDonald, The George Washington University

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from each method are compared for points of convergence or divergence. The strength of the comparative, versus integrative approach, is that it can result in a wider range of insight into complex phenomena of interest. Germane to leadership, researchers could gain an understanding of specific social and historical factors that influence the development of a theory over time while simultaneously investigating application of the theory in specific situational contexts. Moreover, triangulation of methods serves as a verification process for researchers of each method used without privileging one method over another (Lange, 2013).

To begin to explore why there has been so much variation in the meaning of leadership and to ponder specific research questions to investigate, we created a map of the terrain of leadership thought that we refer to as our “leadership atlas.” Contained in an Excel spreadsheet, our leadership atlas is a collection of leadership definitions, models, and tables organized historically. The first row of our atlas includes a timeline that specifies the many conceptualizations of leadership from Carlyle’s early hereditary theory in the mid-1800s to recent complexity formulations of leadership. For each conceptualization, we charted the scholars who originated the theory and any associated research conducted to develop and test the theory. To explore the causal factors that may have stimulated the change of leadership thought through time we plotted key historical events and concepts organized by the following disciplines row by row below the leadership timeline: sociology, psychology, anthropology, management, economics, art, culture, religion, philosophy, government, politics, war, and population. The atlas provides a “bird’s eye view” of leadership theory through time along with its many probable casual factors from which to ponder multiple research questions.

One research question we are currently investigating is: What are the common factors that explain the emergence of a new conceptualization of leadership? To answer this

question, we are conducting a comparative historical analysis across trait, contingency, and complexity theories of leadership. The purpose of our study is to determine which causal factors need to be in place for a new conceptualization of leadership to emerge. To carry out our study, we are making use of Schutt’s (2006) multi-stage process for conducting systematic qualitative comparative historical studies: (1) develop the premise of the investigation and identify events and concepts that may explain the phenomena, (2) choose the case or cases to examine, (3) use within-case interpretative methods to develop a

causal narrative for each case, (4) use cross-case interpretive methods to examine similarities and differences across the cases, and (5) propose a causal explanation of the phenomena based on the information gathered.

Currently, we are in stages one and two of the research process. Our premise is that there are common causal factors that explain the rise of novel conceptualizations

of leadership. To investigate our premise, we chose three cases that exemplify unique formulations of the leadership construct: trait theory (leaders are born with certain personal characteristics), contingency theory (leadership effectiveness is contingent on the relationship between the leader’s traits and behaviors and situational factors), and complexity theory (leadership is embedded in the social interaction of multiple agents in a social system). For each of these three conceptualizations we are identifying primary and secondary sources that serve as sources of evidence for how and why a particular theory emerges and becomes part of the leadership discourse. We are identifying sources across a variety of disciplines including psychology, sociology, economics, management, anthropology, biology, and physics to gain a complex understanding of the emergence of each of the three theories (Howell & Prevenier, 2001). For example, to explore possible influences of the emergence of complexity leadership theory we are identifying primary and secondary sources dated both prior to and during the years the theory

Paige McDonald is the Director of Health Sciences Graduate Curriculum and Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Learning at The George Washington University. She currently teaches graduate courses in leadership

and leadership and change in healthcare environments. McDonald’s research interests include blended learning, adult learning, reflective practice, and course design for meta-cognition and higher levels of learning.

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became part of the leadership discourse. Examples include: empirical studies and theoretical papers on complexity leadership (primary sources); magazine articles, criticisms, commentaries, and books on the complexity sciences; and complexity leadership written by complexity and leadership scholars (secondary sources). In addition, we are examining key events in other disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, physics, etc.) to learn how various innovations may have played a role in the emergence of the theory. As we review the various materials, we are evaluating the quality of the evidence by examining the genealogy, genesis, and originality of the materials, and the authority, competence, and trustworthiness of the authors (Howell & Prevenier, 2001).

Once we have selected sources of evidence for each of the three theories, we will move on to stage three (within-case analysis) and use a causal narrative technique to explore what caused the development of each theory. A causal narrative is a sequential account, or a story, of events and processes that occurred that explain the outcome of a phenomena, in our case, the rise of a particular theory of leadership. We will examine the content, interaction, and sequencing of various events to determine the temporal ordering of causal factors contributing to the emergence of each theory. For example, when exploring the emergence of complexity theory we will carefully examine the potential events and concepts identified in the primary and secondary sources. If an explication is plausible, the event will be added to the temporal ordering of causal factors contributing to the narrative for the theory. If a causal explication cannot be determined, the event will be eliminated from the analysis. As we verify and delimit our list of potential events and develop causal explications, we will create a diagram of factors and actions that illustrate the development of the theory and write a narrative describing the causal mechanisms (Lange, 2013).

After we complete causal narratives for each of the three theories, we will use process-oriented comparisons to complete stage four (cross-case comparative analysis). Process-oriented comparisons is a form of narrative comparison that examines the causal processes of multiple cases to explore similarities and differences (Lange, 2013). Process-oriented analysis in the comparative phase of analysis compliments the causal ordering conducted in the within-case phase because both methods generate “insight into causal determinants” (Lange, p. 118) of complex phenomena. In our research we will examine the casual narrative of each case (trait, contingency, and complexity) and identify the key elements shared across all three cases.

Finally, during stage five (causal explanation of phenomena), we will develop an explication of the emergence of novel leadership theories based on the shared factors and processes identified during our process-oriented comparisons. This final stage will also include the creation of a schematic that illustrates the emergence of novel leadership theories.

In conclusion, comparative historical analysis is an effective methodology for exploring leadership theory. As Lange (2013) notes, the methodology is particularly appropriate for the study of complex phenomena because it generates both case specific and generalizable knowledge. The development of theories of leadership is indeed complex. Identifying common factors influencing the emergence of new theories requires analysis of both the development of a specific theory (within-case analysis) and analysis of common factors across multiple theories (comparative analysis). By employing complimentary within case and comparative methods, we hope to identify not only the factors contributing to the emergence of a given theory but also common factors enabling the development of new theories of leadership across time. Lastly, the use of comparative historical methodology enables us to precisely identify the factors and processes that facilitate paradigm shifts in the scientific study of leadership (Kuhn, 1962).

References

de Tocqueville, A. (1835/2003). Democracy in America. London, England: Penguin Books.

Howell, M., & Prevenier, W. (2001). From reliable sources: An introduction to historical methods. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Kuhn, T. (1962). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Lange, M. (2013). Comparative historical methods. London: SAGE Publications.

Mahoney, J., & Rueschemeyer, D. (2007). Comparative historical analysis: Achievements and agendas. In J. Mahoney & D. Rueschemeyer (Eds.), Comparative historical analysis in the social sciences. (pp. 3-38). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Marx, K. (1867/2010). Das Kapital. Seattle, WA: Pacific Publishing Studio, Inc.

Schutt, R. K. (2006). Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research. London: SAGE Publications.

Weber, M. (1930/1992). The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. New York, NY: Routledge.

Have an idea for a Method Moment? Contact ILA’s Communications

Director, Debra DeRuyver, at dderuyver@ila-net.org

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Anu: Good morning, Rob and Gama. It is a pleasure to talk with you today about your new book, Understanding Leadership: An Arts and Humanities Perspective.

Before we get into questions that pertain to your book and to the overall topic, I would like to begin by asking you to tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you came to study leadership. What were some of the defining moments — or a defining moment — that helped you figure out that the inquiry of leadership was going to be a dominant part of your life? Following from that, what inspired you to write this book?

Gama: It’s great to be here, Anu. I’m originally from Brazil and I grew up during a time of military dictatorship there in the ’60s and ’70s. I was always very intrigued by the idea of how a society structures and governs itself, and the modes of the relationship between power and authority within a leadership context.

My first introduction to leadership was actually through political science — that’s my background in terms of my graduate training. My first focus was on political leadership, but as I started to dig deeper, my questions became much larger. I thought not only about political units, but also about any kind of human relationship where groups of people come together and organize themselves in terms of leaders and followers.

For me, writing the book was a culmination of experiences working with Rob at the McDonough Center at Marietta College where we’ve been teaching the ideas in the book for several years now. We really wanted to bring all these ideas together to try to create one source that could provide the reader an entry point to all these questions. And by entry

point, I mean we are not trying to answer all the questions; we’re trying to explore the realm.

Rob: My background is a little different, in that I came to study leadership through both communication and business. My graduate training is in business and I have a PhD in communication. I also have a background in the arts, specifically theater and music, and I was very interested in how those particular art forms affect our view of what leadership is or what we believe leadership should be. To echo Gama, over this last decade or so that I’ve been working with the McDonough Center a lot of the thoughts that Gama and I present in the book developed out of our own scholarship as we prepared for and taught our classes.

Anu: Between the two of you, you have several decades of thinking on this topic. Help us to understand the advantages — and perhaps even the disadvantages — of studying leadership through the lens of the arts. Why the arts?

Gama: Well, as I mentioned earlier, my background is in the social sciences and my graduate training in political science and economics definitely had a behavioral bent, but I’ve always been intrigued by leadership from an arts and humanities perspective. In fact, the McDonough Center uses a liberal arts approach, where the arts and humanities are a major component of its curriculum. For me, the arts and the humanities provide more of the complexity and, I would say, messiness of how leadership works. Leadership cannot be reduced to a manual or a set of laws where if leaders and

by Robert M. McManus and Gama Perruci (Routledge, 2015)

Understanding LeadershipAn Arts and Humanities Perspective

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followers abide by them they will know what to do, step one, two, and three. The arts and the humanities provide an entry point to really discuss the way that individuals improvise and the way they articulate different interpretations. I think the arts and humanities make it for a richer and more engaging way of studying leadership. Rob: I’m reminded of a story we share in the book about the time we took some of our students to a prestigious conference run by a military academy in the United States. A midshipman at the conference asked one of our students, “How can you be an art major and a leadership major? What does one have to do with the other?” She very thoughtfully responded to him, saying, “You don’t understand. The way that an artist places paint on a canvas can be an act of leadership.”

I thought that was a profound statement. It really got me thinking a little bit deeper about this question of how can the arts — sculpture, plays, painting, music, etcetera — be acts of leadership or tell us something about leadership?

One of the things I think is an essential theme of our book is that the central question of leadership is about purposeful interaction. People will often ask us, what does it mean to study leadership? And I’ll say, it’s learning how a leader and a follower work together to move towards a common goal. That is part of our definition of leadership. We also talk about the different contexts, such as environmental and cultural, that affect leadership, but that idea of purposeful interaction is so important to understanding the kernel of what leadership is all about.

In terms of disadvantages, I do think that there are some when studying leadership through the lens of the arts. We have tried to address those in the book. As you know, much of the leadership literature is based in the social sciences and although we take a distinctly arts and humanities approach. We also bring in the social science literature in order to illustrate our ideas.

Anu: This might be a good place to mention the general structure of your book. It’s divided into three very distinct components that I found very useful — not only in terms of setting some parameters and context, but also in terms of creating these very fluid guideposts. The landmarks on the map are there to take us, though the arts, from one space of thinking to the other, but the open structured format keeps the conversation open and dynamic. Could you elaborate on the structure of the book?

Rob: Sure. In the first part of the book, we talk about our basic approach to leadership. We call it the “five components model.” Our definition of leadership is “a leader and a follower developing a relationship and working towards a goal within a specific environmental context that is influenced by the larger cultural values and norms.” So, in the first part of the book we break down each of those five components — the leader, the follower, the goal, the environmental context, and the cultural values and norms. We take a particular artifact — for example, a movie, a play, an historical event, a painting or other piece of art — and we use it to illustrate these different concepts. Each of the chapters in this section looks at one of those components. A recurring theme throughout the book is the continuum between the primacy of the individual and the primacy of the group or, as some people would say, a leader-centric approach versus a follower-centric approach.

In the second part of the book we look at how different cultures would view the place and position of the leader, the follower, and how people should respond to each other in that relationship. What are the moral, ethical foundations of acting in that purposeful relationship? We examine a Western perspective, a Latin American perspective, an Islamic perspective, an African perspective, a Buddhist perspective, and a Taoist perspective to see how these cultures view the leadership process.

Robert M. McManus is the McCoy Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Communication at the McDonough Leadership Center at Marietta College in Ohio. He co-edited Leading in Complex Worlds (2012, Jossey-Bass) and has served as the Chair of the Leadership Education Member Interest Group for ILA.

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In the final section of the book we come to the question of leadership for what? Using, once again, texts such as novels, sculptures, or other artistic artifacts, we look at three basic approaches: leadership to develop the self, leadership to develop others, and, leadership for the greater good.

That’s the basic structure of the book.

Gama: To add a couple of points. We start the book with a quote from John W. Gardner’s work, On Leadership, in which he says, “The first step is not action; the first step is understanding. The first question is how to think about leadership.” The title of our book, Understanding Leadership, draws from this way of thinking. A lot of times we’re inclined to go out and just do it. But our word of caution is, before you do it, try to understand it first. Before you become engaged in leadership, try to understand how leadership works. Our definition of leadership focuses on leadership as a process. It’s not about the leader or the followers; it’s about how they interact. The model that we developed is a way to help readers understand how leadership works as a process.

Anu: Gama, when you talk about process and how the various components that are part of this big thing called leadership interact with and relate to each other, I’m reminded of artistic practice. The idea of process seems to form the core of art and artistic practices.

Gama: Yes.

Anu: In thinking about the different artistic artifacts you discuss in the book, did you have a favorite object or piece that moved you enormously or moved you more than usual? Going through the book I definitely have my favorite chapters all marked out and which will now become mandatory reading for my students!

Rob: Gama is looking at me, and I’m smiling because this is just a question that we’ve asked each other. Gama, I’m interested in what you have to say too. [Laughter] For me, one of my favorite chapters is towards the end of the book, “Leadership to Develop Others.” The artifact that we used is Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” … and the Boys. For those who are not familiar with the play, it is set in South Africa during the height of Apartheid. It’s about two black South African men who work in a tearoom and act as father figures for a white South African boy. The boy’s father is very ill and his mother is busy taking care of him. Hally, the white South African boy, cannot accept the men because of the racial environment of Apartheid at the time. One of the reasons I’m drawn to this three-person play is a very personal one.

When I was a senior in college I played the role of Hally. The experience was all the more powerful because the production I appeared in opened on the day Apartheid was officially abolished in South Africa.

In the book we talk about leadership to develop others as being the “why” or the “leadership for what” question. One of the reasons I think the play is so important to leadership is because it illustrates a different kind of leadership. A black South African man gives of himself to help this white South African boy and is a leader in this young boy’s life. Yet he’s not a sung about leader. He is not Nelson Mandela. He is a quiet leader, making a difference in a boy’s life to develop him. For all of those reasons, I am particularly drawn to and moved by that play and that idea. That play has always been very special to me.

Gama: For me…. I have a hard time selecting just one that I would consider as my favorite. I have different favorites, for different reasons. For instance, the cover of the book shows a Delacroix painting, Liberty Leading the People. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a military dictatorship and for me the depiction of people rising up and fighting for their liberty is very, very subversive. It turns things upside down from the usual leader-centric renditions of leadership.

Gama Perruci is the Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center and McCoy Professor of Leadership Studies at Marietta College. He also serves as a session facilitator for the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program (RGLP) and the Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences. Perruci is a consultant for The New York Times, focusing on the newspaper’s leadership education programming (nytimesinleadership.com). He recently completed his term as ILA’s Board Chair.

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One of the advantages of using the arts and humanities to understand leadership is that they allow you to be, in a sense, subversive — to question things, to explore new areas that don’t seem to fit our traditional understanding. In the ‘60s and ‘70s a lot of artistic works were used as a form of protest. I think that is an appealing part of using the arts and the painting of Liberty Leading the People is very appealing to me from that standpoint.

But there are two others that I find appealing. One was the chapter we wrote on leadership to develop oneself. We went back and forth when we were trying to find an artifact for that chapter. We wanted something that could capture the idea of authentic leadership and ultimately we chose Dvořák’s New World Symphony. Personally, this was one of my favorites growing up. My father was a classical musician, a composer, and my mother was an artist, a painter. I grew up in an environment where music and painting were very much a part of everyday life so I was delighted we were able to find a place in the book to express that component of leadership.

My other favorite is in the last chapter, “Leadership for the Greater Good,” where we used a sculpture by Francois-Léon Sicard, The Good Samaritan. Like Liberty Leading the People it portrays a subversive idea, namely that leaders and followers are connected and part of the same process as opposed to a traditional view of the leader being above the follower and having a higher status in the relationship. Those are the pieces that really excited me when writing the book.

Rob: Out of curiosity, Anu, which one did you particularly relate to?

Anu: I had several, but the one that stood out for me above and beyond was the Sicard piece in the last chapter, “Leadership for the Greater Good.” The depiction of the interdependence, the total reliance, and the undeniable faith and trust in the others’ capacity was amazing. In traditional images of The Good Samaritan that level of interaction and engagement is much more implicit or understood. Sicard demonstrates a complex image of leadership where the Samaritan is actively engaged in the life of the traveler. The traveler’s life depends on the generosity and problem-solving ability of the Samaritan, and he expresses his reliance on him in an inextricable way. Leader and follower are intimately connected with both needing the other — this is shown in the folds of the bare skin of the two, how their bodies are woven together, how their reliance on the other is complete. The goal is to save the traveler’s life and both work toward this end with complete intentionality and focus. This is what good leadership/followership is all about! I also liked the way in which you showed how this image was very subversive in the sense that it was placed in the Tuileries, a garden in Paris that was meant for aristocratic pastimes and taking in the fresh air. In 1667, the Tuileries were open to the public and became a public space where everyone could take advantage of the green and the fresh air. This idea of the leader working toward a greater good that will have an impact on each and every person in society — irrespective of rank, or social status, or intelligence, or merit — that really spoke to me in a very profound way. My other favorite was the East Asian chapter, the one on Lao Tzu, which was brilliant.

Gama: Speaking of the East Asian chapter, one important point to note about the second part of the book is that we certainly did not mean to present an exhaustive view of a culture. These chapters are purposely intriguing.

Rob: That’s right. Obviously, you can’t say all of leadership in the Islamic world is one thing or all of leadership in Africa or in Latin America, or in any of these cultures is one thing. However, you can say that culture makes a difference on how one views what leadership is, and what leadership should be.

Gama: Right.

Rob: We purposefully tried to make it clear at the end of each of the chapters throughout the cultural section of the book that these are approaches. There are some common themes, but it’s not going to give anyone the whole picture. What it will give them is an important piece of the puzzle, namely to always ask themselves, “What is leadership in this culture?”

Anu: Yes. I think in that way you were effective in the

Anu Mitra is a faculty member in the Ed.D. program of Union Institute & University. She publishes and conducts research linking art and social justice and art and leadership development. Her workshops have been offered in a variety of forums ranging from world renowned museums to the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

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chapters that focused on the global cultures. Some of the themes of the book include the role of power and authority, the relationship of leader and follower, and the relationship of leaders to the greater good and greater goal. Let’s talk more about these.

Gama: Well, as Rob hinted at earlier, we used a continuum to discuss these issues. Imagine a continuous straight line. On one end is the leader as the most important component of the relationship between leaders and followers. On the other end, or extreme, are the followers as the most important part. In between these two extremes, then, we can talk about the variety of ways that leaders and followers organize themselves in terms of power and authority. Quite often the traditional perspective of leadership is focused on the leader-centric side. The intellectual history of the study of leadership was founded on the idea of the Great Man Theory, or the trait approach (it’s all about the leader).

What we have found through the 20th century, and certainly moving into the 21st century, is that the context has changed dramatically. Followers do have a voice in this relationship and they do have quite a bit of power to shape the relationship. Leaders who ignore that do so at their own peril. Drawing on my background in politics, we certainly have seen this shift in movements like the Arab Spring and recent changes in Latin America. We also make the point in the book that there are different realms where this is more prevalent. Certainly in business the idea that the boss has all the power and the employees are powerless has changed dramatically over the past century.

Rob: I think this is well illustrated in our chapter on followers. The artifact we examine is Arthur Miller’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. To put forward a brief summary of the play, there’s a doctor who discovers that the common bath springs the town has built are polluted. The town’s mayor tries to shut the doctor down and silence his concerns. The doctor is a follower of the mayor. He is in a position of less authority and influence than the mayor. Yet, he is also a leader, right? The line between leaders and followers is not as distinct as we sometimes would like to believe. The continuum points out the fact that we all, leaders and followers, have a responsibility to one another in the leadership process.

Anu: Talk to me about authentic leadership. In your strong chapter on this topic, we are given the mandate to really know ourselves before we can know, relationally, the people around us and our context.

Rob: Yes. One of the places we really bring out the idea of authentic leadership is the chapter on leadership from a Buddhist perspective where we look at Siddhartha, the novella by Herman Hesse. Basically, a Buddhist approach to leadership would posit that leadership is a personal journey. You have to know yourself, something which is a continual process, and reach your personal enlightenment before you can help others.

I think one of the things that we do in the book that might be a little bit different from, let’s say, a traditional theoretical text is we ask the question, “What does this look like in different cultures?” What does it mean to know oneself in an African culture? What does it mean to know oneself in a Taoist culture? Depending on the cultural context, the processes of achieving self-knowledge may be somewhat different.

The other piece that we need to address in more detail with authentic leadership — and Gama and I have talked about this a great deal — is the ethical component. It’s not only about knowing yourself and what your values are, but it’s also about asking if those values pro-social. Are those ethics for the greater good? This is an undercurrent in the book. It’s not enough to simply know one’s self and to know one’s own leadership style; that’s only a very small piece or component of the puzzle of leadership. Leadership needs to be for others, for something bigger than oneself. I would like to see the field of authentic leadership go a little bit deeper theoretically into this idea.

Anu: How might this type of leadership relate to other key leadership theories? Or are you suggesting there is a gap or space where much more work needs to be done?

Gama: The work that needs to be done is the connecting part. By separating out these components of leadership, one thing we tried to do in the book was to dive into the literature as it related to each specific component in our model (leaders, followers, goals, the environmental context, and the cultural context). For example, in the chapter about the leader, we brought in literature on the trait approach. In the chapter on the follower, we focused on the more recent literature on followership, and so forth.

What we need to do more of, in terms of the literature in the field, is spend more time looking at the interaction of these different components and how they’re dynamic within different contexts. For instance, if we’re in a crisis situation — an environment where decisions need to be made quickly — then a more leader-centric approach might be called for. In

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other non-crisis situations, the leader might play more of the role of a facilitator, helping groups develop their goals.

Anu: Let’s talk about the fact that leadership, as a social construction, might be conceived as an entity that is dominated by voices that are European, male, heterosexual, Judeo-Christian, white, and so on. How has the dominant power structure been maintained by such a construct? How does the marginal part of this construct relate to the dominant voices?

Gama: I would start by drawing us back to the notion that we present leadership as a process. That perspective opens up the opportunity to address issues of power and authority. It’s a continuum. We have a chapter in which we contrast Ayn Rand and Karl Marx. They are each at the extreme ends of a leader-centric, follower-centric continuum, and it’s fascinating how they still end up with very similar conclusions, namely that there has to be some element of power and authority in order for leadership to work. The question is: Who holds power and is it a legitimate process or is it done through coercion? Once you start debating these issues, that’s where the questions that you just posed become very relevant.

When you look at the distribution of leadership programs in the world, they’re mostly in North America and Western Europe. When I go to Brazil to lecture, there are very few leadership programs there. It’s very interesting and leads to the question: Why is it that there are so many leadership programs in one region of the world and not in another? The answer that I get in Brazil — and it goes back to its being under military dictatorship in the ’60s and ’70s — is that by asking people to take that leap and appropriate some power and authority, leadership development is seen as a subversive act in and of itself. The idea that we can educate and prepare civilians to a life of leadership was seen by the military in the ’60s and ’70s as being very, very dangerous and subversive. Depending on where you are in the continuum, then, leadership can be an instrument for social construction under which power and authority are appropriated by a certain group of individuals who use that against others.

Rob: I think that our book, in its purpose, is also subversive to the idea that leadership is entirely in the realm of one culture or one particular tradition or idea. We really look at how different cultures view leadership and how their views are thoughtful and can bring knowledge and understanding to all people. A sub-purpose of the book, I would say, is to put forward the notion that leadership is not exclusively an American phenomenon or a Western phenomenon.

Leadership is a global, human phenomenon. As such, we encourage readers to look at different cultures and learn from their wisdom and from what they have to say about leadership.

Anu: From a Western perspective, leadership development has traditionally had a very rational, scientific, and logic-based approach to solving problems in the world. But, with the changes in society and in social structures, we have gone from an industrial-based model to a knowledge-based model with an emphasis on bringing about innovation. How might your book or your notions of leadership lend themselves to this new world of ours?

Rob: Our chapter on environmental context, in which we analyze Charlie Chaplin’s film Modern Times, delves into this. Ironically, Chaplin was responding to the industrial paradigm at the time, which he saw as robbing workers of their humanity. This is actually a continual concern of people, whether they are involved in technology or they’re involved in manufacturing, or what have you. We bring the work of thinkers like Margaret Wheatley and Ron Riggio into the chapter who ask, “What is the environmental context that we are working with? How do we best lead within that context?” Leadership is complex and there are many factors that are come into play.

If you start to understand the environmental context, you can ask — from a very practical standpoint — what type of leadership is called for here? The answer may be very different from context to context. If someone tries to say, “Okay, this type of leadership is going to be effective in all cases,” they’re trying to put a square peg into a round hole. Understanding the environmental context makes a difference. The need to be adaptive and responsive to complexity is something that we emphasize in that chapter in particular.

Gama: The traditional view of leadership throughout the 20th century was the industrial model, which favored a leader-centric approach. Decision making was hierarchical and information flowed from the bottom to the top. The leader at the top would gather all of the information in order to make an informed decision. The decisions would then flow back down to the bottom. It was very rational. What we see today in a knowledge-based economy is that the volume of variables and input into an organization is enormous. The environmental context is changing so rapidly that the traditional model doesn’t work anymore because by the time the information flows up to a leader at the top to make a decision, the context has changed. Organizations in this new environment have to build structures that are a lot more

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flexible and adaptable, and allow more individuals to be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the organization.

There has been a shift in the continuum from a leader-centric approach to a more follower-centric or a group approach. For some leaders that’s very unsettling because it means a loss of authority. For other leaders, it’s very exciting because, as an environment that prizes creativity and innovation, it allows for more collaboration and for more give and take. A leader who elicits more input from his or her followers will be at an advantage in terms of the organization being competitive in this new context.

Anu: Thank you so much for that clarification. Are there any other issues that you want to bring up as it relates to our conversation in general or to your book in particular?

Rob: Anu, I think you’ve done a wonderful job of leading us through the book. I really appreciate that. Recently I was asked, “What is the takeaway from the book?” We’ve mentioned it throughout our discussion, but I’d like to further emphasize it. Leadership is not just about leaders. It is about the process of a leader and a follower working towards a goal within an environmental context that is influenced by cultural values and norms. Leadership is a complex process that is systemic. What I touch touches many people and many different environments. In a post-industrial society we have to think about those connections. Furthermore, we can’t just look at our own cultural values and norms to understand what good leadership is. Those are the main takeaways.

Anu: What’s next for both of you?

Rob: Gama and I are both working on our own projects right now. I am working on a project to further develop the link between communication studies and leadership studies. When you look at our model, the arrows that run from leader to follower go both ways. I am really interested in examining that and letting the literature from communications studies interact more with the literature from leadership studies.

Gama: I’m actually working on what I have called a prequel to this book. If you think about the image of the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutz, that image shows us a larger than life leader. A lot of students come into leadership programs thinking that leadership development is about becoming a larger than life figure and that’s how they should see or imagine themselves. That can be very discouraging to some students. As a prequel, what I ask is, “Why is it that societies do that? Why

do they create these larger than life leaders up on a pedestal? What is the purpose or social function of these larger than life leaders?” The book will try to answer those questions while taking both a global and an historical perspective.

Anu: Wonderful. I hope that in addition to the prequel, that there is a sequel in the works as well!

Gama: It could be a trilogy. [Laughter] What are you working on now, Anu?

Anu: I’m currently working on a book chapter on the artistic practices of leaders who are artists and who work in large studios. For instance, the Scandinavian artist Olafur Eliasson or Dale Chihuly or Jeff Koons work in huge workshop formats where the ideas and the design concepts come from the artist, but there are dozens of people who execute their will into action. This is not far removed from the Renaissance concept of workshops, where the master added his imprimatur, while other, often lesser, artists added the landscape, still life, animals, and so on. I’m very interested in that relationship of the artistic leader and the followers and its impact on process.

Rob: Very interesting. When it comes out, please let us know.

Anu: Thank you for taking the time today to walk us through Understanding Leadership: An Arts and Humanities Perspective. It was great meeting you over the phone and I will keep on looking for your work.

Gama: Thank you so much.

Rob: Thank you so much. It has been a delight getting to know you.

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Field Report

Leading in a Virtual World

So many of the things that human beings do — in nearly every area of life and work — are being re-thought or adjusted. Leadership work is no exception. In organizations that never close, where people all over the world are constantly connected through social media, leadership is changing. It is being enacted in time and space in ways that are continually shifting and adapting.

And all of us are caught up in this, in our organizations and communities, as private citizens, and at work. There has never been a time in human history when individuals, groups, and nations have been on the receiving end of so many acts of leadership. Some of these are accidental and unintended, the work of unthinking amateurs, but powerful nonetheless. We see images and hear words that were not aimed at us, but which move us to do things that have real impacts. Other acts of leadership are quite the opposite. They are very calculated, carefully targeted, and professionally crafted. They are deliberately designed to capture our attention and recruit our energy and commitment.

Influencing attention and energy from a distance is one of the key themes in my new book Energising Leadership published by Oxford University Press (2015). In it, I suggest that the work of leadership is to make it as easy as possible for people to commit and connect their energies to the goals of their groups, organizations, and communities.

Human energies come from the hearts, minds, bodies, imaginations, and spirit of people who draw on them to get things done that matter to them, and to their groups, organizations, and communities. Unlike other kinds of energies, human energies can’t be accessed by simply flicking a switch or turning on a tap. They have to be attracted, negotiated, and aligned. So leadership work involves mobilizing, focusing, and replenishing the energies needed to get things done, and to keep on doing for the long

haul. When it comes to organizational settings, leadership work also involves challenging and trying to change the things that block or waste these precious human energies. A lot of this leadership work happens when people are face to face. But a lot of it also happens at a distance, between people who are very far from each other. This aspect of leadership work has been with us for a long time. It became necessary as soon as organized human effort took on a scope and scale that involved work across many different sites. But today’s world brings new challenges for leadership work that happens at a distance. Many groups and organizations operate across physical, organizational, national, and cultural boundaries. They also operate across many different time zones, around the clock. Some organizations — in a very real sense — never close at the end of a day. The result is that a lot of work involves people who don’t know each other, have never met and never will, yet are engaged in time critical work that involves instant communication of ideas and data.

This is the world of virtual teams and virtual relationships, where people come together for a limited time, have never worked together before, and won’t ever be in the same room. They might even report to different people, all of whom have a different stake in the project. At the end of that project, the team members will move on to new virtual teams, with entirely new people. Until then, they have difficult work to do, must combine their efforts in a timely way, and collaborate closely on a day to day basis. They have to be able to rely on each other to get things done.

Leadership work in these contexts is still about the basics: making sure that everything is done to make it as easy as possible for people to bring their energies to the task at hand, to connect up their energies across time and space,

Nita Cherry is Professor of Leadership at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. She has over 40 years of experience as senior executive, management consultant, director, psychologist, educator, and researcher. In addition to her most recent book Energising Leadership (2015) published by Oxford University Press, she has written a book on action research and co-edited another on qualitative research practices. Her major area of interest is sustainable leadership under conditions of opportunity, pressure and uncertainty.

Nita Cherry, Swinburne University of Technology

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and to align and focus their efforts. But our understanding of how to do that is still emerging. The people involved might not have a shared practice for deciding things, or a shared culture for resolving conflict or expressing uncertainty. A virtual team might more easily fracture, wasting energy by going round in circles and doing endless reworks, or blocking energy by getting stuck and doing nothing.

In this situation, we can’t just assume that familiar techniques will work. Leadership work under these circumstances means paying extra attention to the likely points at which the energy of teams need support and then acting quickly to put that support in place. It might take the form of making virtual introductions by sharing bios. It might mean designing protocols for checking in and out of decision-processes. Or, it might even involve inventing a common language so that conversations via email or phone are as clear as they possibly can be. If people in different places and with different histories are using the same words and phrases in different ways, then the room for misunderstanding is a daily challenge. People might need a bit of training to make their assumptions or their logic transparent, and especially to share their thinking at critical times.

In virtual organizations that are always open for business, individuals often must be able to swiftly respond to emerging situations, without relying on others to approve their decision first. They need to be able to rapidly trade off time, money, and value, where value is calculated very differently

by different stakeholders. In these situations, improvisation might be the key, where people authorize themselves to create value solutions that are profitable either now or down track. The challenge for leadership is that improvisation involves a high degree of trust and confidence between everyone concerned. Leaders need to hold the line on that, so that energy is focused on the task at hand, not on second-guessing the boss.

When people are separated and under pressure to perform things that they would normally deal with easily can quickly escalate into bigger problems. In times of real crisis, a team’s confidence and energy can be compromised, so that they either over-react or don’t do enough. Their usual calibrated effort — just enough of the right thing at the right time — can be replaced with hesitancy, even avoidance. At the other extreme, it can be replaced with lots of effort pushing and pulling in different directions, with people getting in each other’s way. Leadership work at this time is about helping people to stay calm and focused. But it also means making critical connections, crossing formal organizational boundaries and hierarchies to keep people talking to each other, keeping everyone informed, and responding to every question. It might mean making much more effort in real time to talk personally to everyone.

In a world that is rapidly evolving, where organizations are networked, virtual, and borderless, leadership work needs to focus more and more on attracting, aligning, and sustaining the energies of diverse people, in new and robust ways.

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Conference News

Changing Tides at ILA’s Women and Leadership

Topical Conference

A group of 250 academics, advocates, and women leaders from 14 countries recently came together June 7-10 for the second biennial ILA Women & Leadership Affinity Group (WLAG) conference at the historic Asilomar Conference Grounds. This conference was “A wonderful opportunity to connect with scholars and practitioners who are advancing the cause of women and leadership,” according to conference attendee Wendy Rowe from Royal Roads University of Canada.

Advancing Women in Leadership: Waves of Possibilities, the conference theme, provided distinctive opportunities for learning, discussion, networking, reflection, and renewal. In addition to the keynotes and 50+ concurrent sessions, more unique options included fireside chats, roundtable discussions, reflections, yoga, and facilitated mealtime discussions. There was even a poetry reading by Barbara Mossberg, the city’s poet emerita! Communal meals, a HERS (Higher Education Resources) sponsored winetasting, picnic, and walks to the beach provided great settings for memorable networking. The first two volumes of the Women & Leadership book series were on sale for those inclined to sit next to a fireplace and read a good book. A selection of photos from the conference is available for viewing on ILA’s Flikr site.

Opportunities for learning began with the opening plenary. After warm welcomes from WLAG chair Lisa DeFrank-Cole and conference co-chair Susan Madsen, keynote speaker Betsy Myers, the Founding Director of Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business, was welcomed to the stage. Reflecting on her decades of experience and her most recent research, Myers shared a compelling exploration of the status

of women in leadership, questioned why the percentages of women in leadership roles has barely budged despite decades of work, and examined gender differences in leadership

in the workplace and popular culture. Her inspiring and provocative remarks were cited by many as one of their most memorable conference highlights. ILA members may download Betsy’s presentation slides and notes here.

On Tuesday, the keynote panel “Women and Leadership Around the World” featured panelists from multiple sectors, organizations, approaches, and countries. Deborah Holmes, Chief of Staff of the Global Fund for Women; Delphine Mugisha, Director of Training of the MS Training Center for Development Corporation; and Meena Surie Wilson, Senior Enterprise Associate with the Center for Creative Leadership–Asia Pacific, offered commonalities and contrasts on the status of women in various countries and regions, sharing organizational success stories as well as gritty challenges. While residing in just three countries — India, Tanzania, and the United States — the work of the panelists and their organizations is significant around the world. Their deep and diverse experiences enabled them to build upon each other’s remarks, often pointing out subtle yet important differences — particularly those

grounded in cultural attitudes — that must be continually addressed for progress to be made.

Wednesday’s closing session focused on reflections and next steps. Randal Joy Thompson, Chief of Party with IMPAQ International, Judith White, President and Executive Director of HERS, and WLAG chair Lisa DeFrank-Cole shared their impressions and ideas. This led to a brief overview

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of the Asilomar Declaration and Call to Action, which was created in 2013 by volunteers to capture ideas from the first WLAG conference. Small teams then spent time developing recommendations for its continued evolution and implementation. The revised Asilomar Declaration and Call to Action is currently in production and will be released in the coming weeks. The conference closed with an opportunity for attendees to briefly share a significant learning moment. Following the closing session, participants adjourned to the dining hall for one last meal together. After lunch, a post-conference workshop was held for attendees who wished to focus on applied theory building.

ILA member Paige Haber-Curran summed it up nicely: “I was incredibly inspired by the wide range of attendees representing so many different fields, industries, and sectors… everyone there was committed to advancing women and leadership. Many different perspectives and insights were shared, and I left feeling energized to continue to advance both research and practice relating to women’s leadership.”

According to attendee evaluations, 90% gained new insights or understanding and 97% made new professional connections. Carey W. Walker, Assistant Professor in the Department of Command and Leadership at the U.S. Army

Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas shared, “I must say, I was impressed by the people I met throughout the week…. My boss has tasked me to create a syllabus for a new spring elective on women and leadership in the military. A month ago, I would not have had a clue. Now, with the contacts I made [at the conference] and the voluminous references my new friends have provided me, I think I can do a credible job.” Many noted that the blend of academics, advocates, and leaders across sectors and from many cultures made the experience particularly useful and unique. A significant number of attendees mentioned that the conference setting — the beauty of the pacific coast, Asilomar’s 102 year history and stunning buildings designed by trailblazing architect Julia Morgan — created a restorative and reflective conference experience.

The evaluations and other participant feedback will be considered as the ILA staff and WLAG Executive Leadership Team discuss ideas, options, and locations for a third biennial conference in 2017. Meanwhile, everyone interested in the Women and Leadership Affinity Group is encouraged to affiliate via their ILA member profile, join its LinkedIn group, and attend its annual Women and Leadership Networking luncheon at the ILA global conference in Barcelona October 16th.

Many Thanks to our Conference Benefactor

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Leadership Events & Opportunities — Print, Post, & Pass It OnThere is so much going on in the world of leadership that ILA members are involved in! To help members connect with other members, we’ve developed this new column, “Print, Post, & Pass It On,” where members can share leadership events, opportunities, even survey requests with other members. If you have an item for inclusion please email dderuyver@ila-net.org, but please note, we do not guarantee publication of your item nor do we make any warranty regarding the items listed. Find ILA events on the following page.

Conferences, Symposia, Workshops, Etc.

Aug. 10Leadership Competencies for the 21st Century Leader, the 12th Annual C. Charles Jackson Foundation Grant Orientation and Leadership Conference, Bloomington, MN, U.S.A.

Sep. 8-10The Value of Pluralism in Advancing Management Research, Education, and Practice, British Academy of Management Conference, University of Portsmouth, U.K.

Sep. 23-26Localization vs. Globalization of Leadership and Management Development in Dynamic Societies, 23rd Annual CEEMAN conference, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Sep. 24Women into Leadership conference, London, U.K.

Oct. 1-3Leadership. Complex. World, 2015 Leadership Conference, Royal Roads University, School of Leadership Studies, Victoria, BC, Canada

Nov. 5-6Claiming Our Humanity - Managing in the Digital Age, Drucker Forum 2015, Vienna, Austria

Nov. 6Broadening Our Leadership Through Diversity, International, and Global Perspectives, 4th Annual Women Impacting Healthcare conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A., email Kerry Fierke for details.

Dec. 9-11Spaces, Constraints, Creativities: Organization and Disorganization, APROS/EGOS conference, Sydney, Australia

Dec. 13-15New Directions in Leadership Studies: Exploring the Critical Turn, 14th International Studying Leadership Conference, Lancaster University, U.K.ABSTRACT DEADLINE: SEP. 14

Jan. 5-10, 2016Managing Africa’s Future: Prospects and Challenges - 3rd Biennial Conference of the Africa Academy of Management, Nairobi, Kenya

Publication Opportunities

Sep. 15CFP: Symposium on Sustainability Leadership - The Journal of Leadership Studies

Sep. 30CFP: Neuroscience in Organizational Research, a Feature Topic in Organizational Research Methods

Dec. 1CFP: Public Leadership Across Borders and Generations in an Interconnected World - International Journal of Public Leadership

Jan. 1, 2016CFP: Bridging Leadership & Human Resource Management - Theory and Research, a special issue of Human Resource Management Review

OngoingCFP: Leadership and the Humanities Published in the spring and fall, LATH offers rigorous and well-written scholarship on leadership from the broad field of the humanities, an increasingly popular locus

for leadership studies. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged. Published articles may include studies of formal and informal leaders, followers, organizations, culture, structural perspectives, and the broader contexts within which leadership exists and plays out. But key to all published work in the journal is the humanities-based effort to understand leadership as a lived and felt human experience, not merely a social-scientific category. Submissions that highlight the diversity of leadership experiences and phenomena across gender, race, class, religion, age, and culture are encouraged. View Complete Guidelines

Other Opportunities

Become a Reviewer for Journal of Leadership Education From: Jackie Bruce, Editor

I would like to extend an invitation like to all ILA members to consider becoming a reviewer for the Journal of Leadership Education (JOLE). If you are not yet a JOLE reviewer, we would love for you to consider serving. Reviewers are appointed for one year with the option to renew their commitment. If you are not yet a reviewer, but would like to be, please email me at jole.editor@gmail.com and include in your email of interest an abbreviated CV.

Additionally, please consider turning your ILA conference submissions into JOLE manuscript submissions. Remember: we accept more than just standard research submissions and encourage you to think across your work (research, practice, service) and consider JOLE as your publication outlet.

Again, we look forward to having many of you join JOLE as manuscript reviewers and submitters, and are excited to see many of you at ILA in Barcelona!

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Upcoming ILA Events &

Important Dates

CFP closes for ILA’s 18th Annual Global Conference, The Dynamics of Inclusive Leadership

Rates:

1/4 page: $300 (non-members); $240 (members)

1/2 page: $600 (non-members); $480 (members)

full page: $1,200 (non-members); $960 (members)

Newsletter Ad Rates

Registration Rates for the 17th Annual Global Conference increase.

Register Now and Save $50!

Sep. 15

The Member Connector goes out each month to all members of the ILA. Current circulation is 2,700+ in over 70 countries. Multi-month advertising discounts are available for insertion orders of three or more months. To place an order please email Debra DeRuyver at dderuyver@ila-net.org

Save the Date!

Memories With Momentum In Leadership Development: The Case Of The Arts with Ian Sutherland12:00 - 1:00 PM EDT

Sep. 17

Feb. 1, 2016

Leading Across Borders & Generations, ILA’s 17th Annual Global Conference, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Learn More | Register Today

Oct. 14-17

Save the Date!

ILA’s 18th Annual Global Conference, The Dynamics of Inclusive LeadershipAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Nov. 2-5, 2016

Michel Foucault’s Last Lectures, a Leadership Perspectives Webinar with Nathan Harter

12:00 - 1:00 PM EDT

Learn More | Register Today

Aug. 12Nomination DeadlineWomen & Leadership Affinity Group Awards for Outstanding Practice and Outstanding Scholarship

Learn More

Aug. 14Deadline: Student Case Competition Sign-Up. Undergraduate and graduate teams from around the world compete and present posters in Barcelona. Each winning team splits $1,000 prize.

Learn More

Sep. 13

CFP opens for ILA’s 18th Annual Global Conference, The Dynamics of Inclusive Leadership

Oct. 15

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