Chapter 4Chapter 4(Dr. Fenwick W. English)(Dr. Fenwick W. English)

Individual Human Individual Human Agency and Principles Agency and Principles

of Actionof Action

Lavada Moore WaldenLavada Moore Walden

William Allan Kritsonis, PhDWilliam Allan Kritsonis, PhD

• ““The inescapable dilemma of every The inescapable dilemma of every leader is the gap between deeply held leader is the gap between deeply held personal beliefs concerning right and personal beliefs concerning right and wrong, good and evil, and the wrong, good and evil, and the requirements of working in requirements of working in environments in which these environments in which these principles become muddled in a principles become muddled in a messy world.”messy world.”

Fenwick W. EnglishFenwick W. English

OverviewOverview• Weberian principle of actionWeberian principle of action

• Gardner Cognitive Model of Gardner Cognitive Model of LeadershipLeadership

• The moral leaderThe moral leader

• The pragmatic leaderThe pragmatic leader

• The wounded leaderThe wounded leader

• “…“…leaders are fragile instruments. leaders are fragile instruments. As in classical tragedy, their very As in classical tragedy, their very virtues often contain the seeds of virtues often contain the seeds of failures and disasters; and self-failures and disasters; and self-knowledge is not generally their knowledge is not generally their strongest suit.”strongest suit.”

Carnes Lord (2003Carnes Lord (2003))

Weberian Principle Weberian Principle of Actionof Action

• Humans can become real and Humans can become real and knowable by examining their actionsknowable by examining their actions

• Four types of actionFour types of action

Type 1Type 1: : ZweckrationalitatZweckrationalitat

• Instrumental leadership; traditional Instrumental leadership; traditional educational leadership decision educational leadership decision making in which an administrator making in which an administrator anticipates the costs and benefits of anticipates the costs and benefits of reaching a desired set of goalsreaching a desired set of goals

Type 2: Type 2: WertrationalitatWertrationalitat• Decision is approached and engaged Decision is approached and engaged

to attain an ethical, aesthetic, moral, to attain an ethical, aesthetic, moral, or religious ideal or principleor religious ideal or principle

Type 3: AffectualType 3: Affectual• based purely on the emotional based purely on the emotional

response to a situationresponse to a situation

Type 4: TraditionalType 4: Traditional

• “ “Ingrained habitation” - A decision Ingrained habitation” - A decision made from following past practices made from following past practices irrespective of whether the reason irrespective of whether the reason for it is apparentfor it is apparent

The Moment of The Moment of LeadershipLeadership

• ““The first thing a leader does is situate The first thing a leader does is situate himself in a public discourse, and himself in a public discourse, and construct a narrative relating what has construct a narrative relating what has been done previously to what he been done previously to what he proposes to do in the moment at hand. proposes to do in the moment at hand. The basic parameters of the politics of The basic parameters of the politics of leadership is set here….” leadership is set here….” Scott Skowronek Scott Skowronek

The Good Ole Days –The Good Ole Days –

• Leaders must always look forwardLeaders must always look forward

• Advice in ancient timesAdvice in ancient times– Oracles or seersOracles or seers– Oracle of DelphiOracle of Delphi

Rely on core of personal values inRely on core of personal values in

present timepresent time

Consulting the Oracle of Dephi

The Gardner Cognitive The Gardner Cognitive Model of LeadershipModel of Leadership

• Leaders traffic in stories or narrativesLeaders traffic in stories or narratives

• Followers create leadersFollowers create leaders– Followers search for leadersFollowers search for leaders– Leadership is an artful and purposive Leadership is an artful and purposive

construct of a voice and a message that construct of a voice and a message that resonates with the peopleresonates with the people

– Followers are the doersFollowers are the doers

Gardner continuedGardner continued

• Leaders give voice, make sense of, Leaders give voice, make sense of, and interpret and rationalize what and interpret and rationalize what followers are perceiving and feelingfollowers are perceiving and feeling

• A common group or subgroup A common group or subgroup confront, or are surrounded by confront, or are surrounded by conditions, hardships, or deprivationsconditions, hardships, or deprivations

• Continued interaction with negativity Continued interaction with negativity creates a shared sense of communitycreates a shared sense of community

Gardner continuedGardner continued

• This creates situation in which leaders rise This creates situation in which leaders rise up and give voice to their emotions or up and give voice to their emotions or privationsprivations

• Charisma – magnetic personality; the Charisma – magnetic personality; the greatest revolutionary forcegreatest revolutionary force

• Leaders emerge to meet the needs of the Leaders emerge to meet the needs of the followers facing similar circumstancesfollowers facing similar circumstances

• Follower opinions create a “movement”Follower opinions create a “movement”

Gardner continuedGardner continued

• Leaders compete for followers by engaging in Leaders compete for followers by engaging in stories or narratives – Ex: Civil Rights Movementstories or narratives – Ex: Civil Rights Movement

• ““Born leaders” and “born followers”Born leaders” and “born followers”• Followers seek social structure, hierarchy, or Followers seek social structure, hierarchy, or

purposepurpose• Followers seek leaders to help make sense of Followers seek leaders to help make sense of

what may often appear overwhelmingwhat may often appear overwhelming• Followers require a sense of identity and missionFollowers require a sense of identity and mission• Followers need assurance that their privations are Followers need assurance that their privations are

not in vainnot in vain

Gardner continuedGardner continued

• Leaders tell “identity stories”- give Leaders tell “identity stories”- give answers to questions asked when answers to questions asked when confronting uncertainty and confronting uncertainty and ambiguityambiguity

• Stories contain symbols, signs, and Stories contain symbols, signs, and metaphors that the followers already metaphors that the followers already know and understandknow and understand

• SimpleSimple

Gardner continuedGardner continued

• Leaders must embody the beliefs Leaders must embody the beliefs they espousethey espouse

• ““When leaders ask their constituents When leaders ask their constituents to die for a certain cause, the leaders to die for a certain cause, the leaders must appear credible. Leaders must must appear credible. Leaders must convincingly embody the stories they convincingly embody the stories they tell to their audience.”tell to their audience.”

• Weber: “leadership legitimacy of those Weber: “leadership legitimacy of those leaders who have attracted followers last leaders who have attracted followers last only so long as the belief in its charismatic only so long as the belief in its charismatic inspiration remains.”inspiration remains.”

• Charisma is contradictory to requirements Charisma is contradictory to requirements of organization routinization, which is of organization routinization, which is retained by stability; rules of office with retained by stability; rules of office with predictable relationshipspredictable relationships

• Not everyone with authority is a leaderNot everyone with authority is a leader

Moral DiscourseMoral Discourse

• Written and spoken communicationWritten and spoken communication

• The character of modern leadership reveals The character of modern leadership reveals itself fully only from a vantage point beyond itself fully only from a vantage point beyond itselfitself

• Some leaders and followers see their values as Some leaders and followers see their values as fixed to standards they believe extend through fixed to standards they believe extend through time, are universal = Plato perspectivetime, are universal = Plato perspective

• Others swayed by possibilities within immediate Others swayed by possibilities within immediate political or social contexts = Sophistspolitical or social contexts = Sophists

Who the Leader IsWho the Leader Is

• Decisions comprised of two levelsDecisions comprised of two levels

1. Nature of the decision itself1. Nature of the decision itself

2. Ideas, perceptions, 2. Ideas, perceptions, assumptions, and valuesassumptions, and values

And what is important

• Leaders should have some idea of the Leaders should have some idea of the medium in which potential actions medium in which potential actions move in their heads, their hearts, and move in their heads, their hearts, and the language and culture that defines the language and culture that defines what they think and how they feel and what they think and how they feel and perceive the outside world.perceive the outside world.

• Potential decisions rest on perceptions Potential decisions rest on perceptions and judgments; value systemand judgments; value system

• Morality does not dissolve all Morality does not dissolve all disputesdisputes

• ““Common good” – focus for leader in Common good” – focus for leader in deciding competing valuesdeciding competing values

• School law relies on constitutional School law relies on constitutional interpretation – Whose common interpretation – Whose common good?good?

Sophists PerspectiveSophists Perspective

• pursuit of truth must be taken pursuit of truth must be taken without regard to moral values - we without regard to moral values - we cannot know in advance what the cannot know in advance what the truth will turn out to betruth will turn out to be

• ““common good” = many temporary common good” = many temporary arrangements worked out between arrangements worked out between conflicted elements in societyconflicted elements in society

• Protagorian leader – Abraham LincolnProtagorian leader – Abraham Lincoln

Plato’s PerspectivePlato’s Perspective

• ““common good” – based on enduring common good” – based on enduring and permanent values based on and permanent values based on disciplined thinkingdisciplined thinking

• Ideal for the unchanging lies at the Ideal for the unchanging lies at the core of Christian theologycore of Christian theology

• Ex: William Lloyd Garrison - Ex: William Lloyd Garrison - abolitionistsabolitionists

• One of the first task of leadership is to One of the first task of leadership is to maintain organizational unitymaintain organizational unity

• Leaders must observe the laws that Leaders must observe the laws that govern his or her office govern his or her office – Laws often unjust and unfairLaws often unjust and unfair– Leaders who are working to change laws must Leaders who are working to change laws must

ignore or break them in protestignore or break them in protest– If a leader belongs to an organization that If a leader belongs to an organization that

supports unjust laws, s(he) may be forced to supports unjust laws, s(he) may be forced to forfeit membership or have their cause forfeit membership or have their cause compromisedcompromised

The Wounded LeaderThe Wounded Leader

• Leadership roles often do not support, Leadership roles often do not support, confirm, or resonate with the psychic confirm, or resonate with the psychic needs of the person who become a leaderneeds of the person who become a leader

• The gap between the demand of the The gap between the demand of the organizational role and the requirements organizational role and the requirements for “dramatic effectiveness” may cause a for “dramatic effectiveness” may cause a leader to become lost and is put in a leader to become lost and is put in a position in which her moral compass has position in which her moral compass has become confused or points to a false become confused or points to a false positionposition

• The healing process for a wounded The healing process for a wounded leader begins with permitting herself leader begins with permitting herself to tell her own storyto tell her own story

• Wounding is not the sign of an inept Wounding is not the sign of an inept leaderleader- comes with territory of leadership- comes with territory of leadership

- not “if”, but “when”- not “if”, but “when” - what do you do about it- what do you do about it

The Wounding ProcessThe Wounding Process

• Time to engage in critical self-Time to engage in critical self-reflection and growthreflection and growth

• Opportunity to recast public imageOpportunity to recast public image

• Time to rethink how you can work day Time to rethink how you can work day to day within the value system in to day within the value system in which you believe and reset your which you believe and reset your moral compassmoral compass

• ““Know thyself”Know thyself”