Philosophy & Skills of Leadership IBM Ginni Rometty
Many managers can attest to the following experience. An employee is asked to carry out a task that has enough flexibility for creative input. Rather than making their own decisions, the employee comes to the manager with an onslaught of questions, trying to pin down the exact parameters of the task. The manager becomes exasperated, wondering why the employee has to ask permission for every tiny detail.
This is not an unusual phenomenon – it can be difficult to break out of the leader-follower mindset at the workplace. Researchers find that only rare, servant leaders are able to prevent employees from being excessively reliant on their bosses, cultivating instead a staff that feels empowered and self-guided. Trust and business acumen are some of the cornerstones in building this type of work culture. We can use this wisdom to train informed and decisive teams that we can trust.
Prompt
Before beginning your paper, take the following assessment: The Leadership Legacy Assessment Test: Identifying Your Instinctive Leadership Style (Links to an external site.). The assessment is one that you can use to help determine your leadership style. Then, read this article Developing a Leadership Style (Links to an external site.). Write a 3-4 page paper on the philosophy of leadership and core leadership skills within the organization ( IBM Ginni Rometty) . Include a reflection that addresses the following questions: What is your personal leadership style?
Your Leadership Style Assessment Results
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Your assessment results show that you have the characteristics of these types of leaders:
• Ambassador – your score is 18 points out of 25
• Advocate – your score is 18 out of 25
• People Mover – your score is 18 out of 25
• Truth-Seeker – your score 18 out of 25
• Creative builder – your score is 20 out of 25
• Experienced guide – your score is 20 out of 25
See the sections below for more detail on your natural roles and some suggestions for next steps.
Ambassador
Ambassadors instinctively know how to handle a variety of situations with grace. They tend to be the people diffusing nasty situations. The ones getting involved in conflicts on behalf of broad constituencies, as opposed for their own benefit. They are apt to be persistent in a gentle way — to be persuasive and at the same time respectful.
An Ambassador, for example, might be someone who can introduce a whole host of people-assessment and development frameworks with the result that employees understand and accept the new order easily.
Advocate
Advocates instinctively act as the spokesperson in a group. They tend to be articulate, rational, logical, and persuasive. They also tend to be relentless (in the positive sense of the word), championing ideas or strategic positions. Advocates tend to use both linear and non-linear approaches when they argue a point.
Top managers who are natural Ambassadors may do very well at navigating through rough waters. But for Advocates, being in rough waters is part of the reason they revel in their work. (Many Advocates tend to see things in black and white only. Advocates very often need Ambassadors on their senior management teams — to help them temper their messages and persuade employees to “buy into†their decisions.)
People Mover
Think: Talent-spotter, career-builder, motivator, someone with parental, nurturing qualities. People Movers instinctively take the lead in building teams. They’re also instinctive mentors. They generally have large contact lists; they are always introducing new people to new ideas and new paths. They’re also generally mindful of their employees’ lives outside of work; they view performance through the larger lens of potential.
There is a certain “holiday card joy†that comes with being a People Mover; when people continue to update you on their progress because they know you’ll care, even if you have nothing in common with them and are effectively out of touch with them, you know you’re a People Mover.
Truth-Seeker
Think: fairness, good judgment, equalizer, level-headed, process-oriented, scrupulous neutrality, objectivity is the high standard. This is the only role for which there is a “prerequisite;†Truth-Seekers are unfailingly competent in their field; their competence is unquestioned.
Truth-Seekers instinctively level the playing field for those in need. They also help people understand new rules and policies. They act to preserve the integrity of processes. They try to identify the root-cause issues, or pivotal issues. They also step in to ensure the just and fair outcome if the process has failed to yield the same.
Successful individuals in the Human Resources function are generally natural Truth-Seekers. Truth-Seekers also tend to gravitate towards line-manager positions.
Creative Builder
These individuals are visionaries and entrepreneurs – they are happiest and most driven at the start of things. They instinctively: see new opportunities for new products, new companies; spot niche markets; take ideas and make them real. They’re also often “serial entrepreneurs†over time, even if they remain in one leadership post.
Creative Builders instinctively understand that building is not necessarily about invention, but about process of making an invention real. Builders are constantly energized by new ideas, yet they have the staying power to see them through to fruition.
The issue is rarely simply the idea; builders aren’t “Hey Dave, what’s your latest scheme?†people. Builders are fascinated with implementation. Real estate developers are often “builders†in this way (beyond the obvious connection); they feel most rewarded when a project gets underway, or is newly completed.
Builders sometimes get into trouble if they remain in one place for too long. There are case studies, too numerous to mention, of entrepreneurs whose legacies are negative because they became enmeshed in the day-to-day operations of the companies they created, and didn’t know when it was time to leave. Builders can successfully remain in a single leadership position only if they figure out how to feed their own need for new projects.
Here’s an equation to try on yourself if you identify with the role of builder:
Strength of belief in end result + Ability to tolerate the process = Creative Builder
Experienced Guide
The term “Experienced Guide†conjures up an image of someone very old and wrinkled, with the experience that comes with age. That’s not incorrect, but Experienced Guides don’t have to be old, or necessarily experienced. What they do have to have is an ability to listen, and to put themselves in others’ shoes. They have a way of helping people think through their own problems; they are natural therapists. Often, they are seemingly bottomless wells of information on a diverse range of topics. These are the people who can always be counted on to supply the right quotation or the right historical connection.
They are not necessarily mediators, yet the experienced guide is often the person who finds him or herself “in the middle,†with people on both sides of a conflict seeking advice. When a corporate meeting has been particularly stressful or fraught with conflict, the “post-meeting, closed-door meeting†often takes place in the Wise One’s office.
Remember the “family lawyer†of old? The person, outside of the family, who knew (and kept) all the family secrets, and was often sought for advice? The experienced guide role naturally lends itself today to the position of minister, counselor, trusted advisor.
Renato Tagiuri, emeritus professor at the Harvard Business School, noted that natural “experienced guides†are often found one level down from the top in organizations. They get their greatest satisfaction helping others get through the day and helping others see the bigger picture. They empathize.
Your Next Steps
Your natural role will give you a broad indication of the types of legacies you are building as a leader. With that natural (or “default”) role in mind, ask yourself: In what way is my leadership affecting the people who work with and for me? How do I affect the way they work, the way they think, the way they approach a task at work? How does my natural style affect their style?
Try asking these questions in a “broad strokes” kind of way, and then go back and ask them again, with particular situations in mind. Last week’s round of performance reviews, for instance, or the most recent staff meeting. How does the way in which you approach things change or steer the way in which others behave? What might you try to accentuate, by a degree or two, to help you build the kind of leadership legacy you would like to? What might you delegate a bit more, or seek other’s input (again by a degree or two)?
An enhanced understanding of your own natural orientation at work can help you calibrate your leadership, and the dynamics of your organization, more effectively.
Thank you for taking The Leadership Legacy Assessment.
What was the process you took to get to that style of leadership? Has your style changed during the past five years? If so, what has caused it to change, and how did it change? If not, what makes your style consistent?
Tasks
Describe the philosophy of leadership in the organization chosen.
Assess the core leadership skills utilized within the chosen organization.
Reflect on a personal style of leadership.
The Philosophy of Leadership
Introduction
Leadership is a multifaceted concept that is defined in many different ways. For instance, it involves influencing the activities of employees or followers into meeting common goals with a shared vision and collective efforts. On the other hand, leadership involves knowing oneself, creating a vision and communicating it to employees or followers for collective effort. Either way, the common factors that define leadership involve having a shared vision, having followers, collective actions, common goal and values to pursue, and collective efforts. A leader is different from a manager in their way of conducting their activities and leading the followers. In an organization, a leader expects that employees have the autonomy, make effective decisions, and perform their tasks without conforming to the parameters from them. Leadership involves not only managing the people and expecting results but also ensuring the personal and professional development of the employees (Swamy, 2014). This is quite different from the managers who are the exact opposite of leaders. It is simply defined as transformational and transactional forms of leadership’s styles respectively.
Leadership Philosophy
A leadership philosophy can be said to be the attitudes and beliefs that guide the behavior or actions of a leader or organization. Four main elements define leadership philosophy namely theory, attitudes, and beliefs, guiding principles and values, and finally the behaviors of the individual. The chosen organization is the IBM organization with Ginni Rometty, and from the leadership qualities outlined it is clear that the leadership philosophy used is the value-based leadership philosophy (Copeland, 2014). Value-based leadership philosophy involves aligning the organization’s goals, objectives, mission, vision, performance, rewards, and processes among others. When an organization adopts this type of leadership philosophy, they assert the employees to feel motivated by the values adopted and operate within the beliefs and values stipulated. Values are the drivers and motivators of the leadership philosophy adopted in the organization. A value-based leader will identify and know what matters to them and the organization then uses their inbuilt and learned values to drive performance and a source of motivation for the organization.
Ginni Rometty is a value-based leader who ensures that her employees are aligned and always motivated to perform highly. She has developed long-term strategic beliefs that focus on employees’ performance and development. She believes that employees should be motivated to maintain their high-quality performance. She believes that equipping the employees with the right and adequate tools will enable them to work effectively and even beliefs employees should be treated with respect in companies. Being the CEO, she believes that developing a tool that employees can use to share ideas that will improve their personal and professional lives is imperative (Husain, 2018). A value-based leader resembles a transformational leader who believes in the development and growth of the company as well as the employees.
The organization invests in taking actions and risks for the operations and performance of the organization rather than just developing goals that will not be achieved. The CEO of the organization is a risk-taker and one who invests in actions rather than just developing policies and not implementing them. For instance, she says that actions speak louder than words. The company employs a very large workforce that requires a lot of energy and strategies to maintain effectively (Husain, 2018). She believes that for value to be attained in any company there is a need to take high and calculated risks. It is essential that leaders learn to push new opportunities and exploit them with a plan. Success and growth in a company are achieved through investments and taking calculated risks.
A value-based leadership philosophy is effective in this company as it teaches and instills the workforce with the necessary core values that guide and define their behavior and attitude in the organization. Core values are essential as they have many benefits in a company; for instance, they can enable companies to increase their profits and retaining the most effective employees. This will develop an organizational culture that is value-based and that which is enduring and strong. An organization with a set of values that guide the operations and are practiced to the latter increase the accountability levels and the values strengthen the corporate culture. Moreover, a value-based culture increases the clarity roles among employees thus increased productivity, which is a long-term benefit to the company. Value-based leadership inspires trust and hard work in the company (Copeland, 2014). The trust enables employees to work in collective action that ensures their activities align with the corporate vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Value-based leadership develops a work environment with trust, open communication, and the values that guide every employee to a shared vision.
Core Leadership Skills
Some of the core leadership skills exhibited in the company include risk-taking, alignment of the workforce with the organizational goals and objectives, and action-taking. Some of the other values experienced include open communication as the leaders have open and honest communication channels with their employees. Decision-making in the company is conducted with precision and implementation of decision-making models. The CEO can make tough and quick decisions in the company and always consults other employees. The CEO and other departmental managers value consultative and group-based decision-making channels. Problem-solving in the organization is done in accordance with various problem-solving models that are accepted by all employees (Husain, 2018). Leadership in the company is achieved through the practice of the five exemplary skills namely modeling the way, having a shared vision that is communicated by the CEO, and challenging the process by the use of creative and innovative ways of completing tasks. Moreover, the leaders are at the forefront of enabling the employees to act and perform highly, and finally inspire and encourage the employees to perform.
Personal Leadership Style
From the leadership assessment test taken, I performed best within the creative builders and experienced guides leadership characteristics. Creative builders are visionaries and entrepreneurs in their mode of leadership. Other characteristics of a leader I have performed the same. From the leadership assessment test, I believe I am a visionary leader. A visionary leader will build the company and ensure creative ideas and innovations are utilized to keep the company moving and diverse. While ensuring the development of the company, the visionary leader unites the employees to work towards achieving the common goal and vision. A visionary leader is the chief organizer and uses their creative nature to keep a business moving and valuable (Manu, 2018). I am a visionary leader and a builder as I know I take risks that are calculated in the workplace, and an effective strategic business planner.
I ensure that employees in the workplace remain motivated and are always learning to use creative and innovative strategies to complete their tasks. With a shared vision, I believe that there are new opportunities that can be exploited in the workplace and lead to personal and corporate development. Other hand being a builder and an entrepreneur, I am a people’s mover. I easily build relations with employees and inspire them to work harder. To achieve a shared goal, it is essential that employees and leaders have good relations built with trust and open communication. I believe in investing in the employees as they are the drivers and motivators of success and failure in the organization. This not only makes me a visionary leader but also a transformational leader who believes in the personal development and growth of the employees.
References
Copeland, M. K. (2014). The emerging significance of values-based leadership: a literature review. International Journal of leadership Studies, Vol. 8 Iss. 2, pp: 106-135.
Husain, H. (2018, January 2018). 5 Leadership Qualities of Ginni Rometty that has Made IBM a Force to Reckon with. Retrieved from https://blog.taskque.com/ibm-force-reckon/
Manu, J. M. (2018). Are you are Visionary Leader? Researchgate, pp:50-54.
Swamy, R. N. (2014). Leadership styles. Advances In Management, Vol 7(2), pp: 57-62.
