February Read/4

Title: Change Leader: Learning to Do What Matters Most

Author: Fullan, Michael

Subjects: Leadership; Organizational Change

Call Number: 658.4092 F965C 2011

ISBN: 9780470582138

Number of Pages: 172 p

Book Description:

            Michael Fullan says we have an increasing understanding of how to tackle complex change. This involves developing a new kind of leader: one who recognizes what is needed to bring about deep and lasting changes in living systems at all levels. These leaders need a deep understanding of what motivates us as human beings and how we tap into and influence other people’s self-motivation.

            In Change Leader Fullan has his focus to the core practices of leadership that are so vital for leading in today’s complex world. He reveals seven core practices for today’s leaders, all of which appear to be deceptively simple but actually get to the essence of what differentiates a powerful leader from one who is merely competent:

-Practice Drives Theory

-be Resolute

-Motivate the Masses

-Collaborate to Compete

-Learn Confidently

-Know Your Impact

-Sustain Simplexity

            Throughout the book Fullan argues that powerful leaders have built bedrocks of creditability, have learned how to identify the few things that matter most, and know how to leverage their skills in ways that benefit their entire organization. The author shows leaders how to avoid policies and strategies that focus on shallow and short-term goals and develop leadership skills for long-term success.

            With a wealth of illustrative examples from business, education, nonprofit, and government sectors Change Leader provides a much-needed leadership guide for today’s turbulent climate (from the inside of book cover).

My Read:

            “The most attractive and the best organization are those that have a reputation for developing people. By definition they have leaders who are good at their own development and establishing the environment whereby they help others learn and grow. Accomplishment can generate greater moral purpose than trying to increase moral purpose directly.” (p22) I found this paragraph most appealing and inspirational to me.

            -Practice Drives Theory: Doing is the crucible of change. The author believes that one learns through practice and expects to learn from mistakes. One has to believe that there is room for improvement in oneself and in others. Once a person experiences success and acquires sense of achievement the learning wheel is on the move.

            -Be Resolute: Act with purpose and empathy. Leaders with empathy do not see people’s behavior as necessarily fixed. Their empathy tells them that perhaps the behavior is situational: if you want to be change people’s behavior, change the situation. It’s important that the change be simple, or at least doable without complexity (p 44). Sun Tzu also states the importance of taking advantage of situation. Instead of going against the overwhelming situation, a wise person would go along with the condition and situation and, meanwhile, waiting for openness of opportunity.

            -Motivate the Masses: Experiencing is believing. The only thing that works is for people to own intrinsic motivation, and you have to get at this indirectly. Once a person is able to gain realized effectiveness the actual experience of being more effective spurs people (p 51-52). I am a self-motivated person. To me, autonomy is maturity of adulthood. If a person is capable of self-motivating, tasks could be transformed into fun and joy that drive a person to excellence and happiness.

            -Collaborate to Compete: Multiply Capacity and Win. Healthy internal competition is actually a way of knowledge, information, and resources sharing in an organization. Through collaboration, cooperation, and coordination, everyone is a winner; one gets the opportunity to grow and develop.

            -Learn confidently: Change Requires Confidence (but true confidence requires humility). Collaborative competition invites confidence and determination to achieve success. The right mindset is: to compete with self (we can do better than last year), to compete with each other (if they can do it, why can’t we?) (p97)

            -Know Your Impact: Drowning in data and Thirsty for Knowledge. Suggestions from the author: admit your mistakes, tighten the action-feedback loop, establish a climate of openness and critical feedback, focus on few core priorities and doing them well, develop and hone your skills for getting to know yourself, introduce and honor the humble checklist, and celebrate success after it happens, not before (p 134).

            -Sustain Simplexity: Just Right Simple. For instance, communicate your values and vision as simple as possible and do it frequently so people will remember. A learner is a person who 1) uses her brain, 2) foster a growth mindset, 3) is indispensable in the right way, and 4) is confident (p 112). Basically speaking, we learn to learn.

            I appreciate the author’s point that it is new experience that generates feelings and emotions. Change is a norm and a fact we face everyday. If we are able to transform a risk and challenge into an opportunity, then change is a sure way of self-growth and a chance to acquire sense of self-actualization.                 

Reference:

Walk the walk: The #1 rule for real leaders-Deutschman, A.

Where good ideas come from: The natural history of innovation-Johnson, S.

Four seasons: The story of a business philosophy-Sharp, I.

Power: Why some people have it-and others don’t-Pfeffer, J.

Management? It’s not what you think!-Mintzberg, H.

Off balance on purpose: Embrace uncertainty and create a life you love-Thurmon, D.