Chapter XIII: Leadership Does Not Permit the Demise of Organizational Members
Recap Significance of Traits
All of the traits and styles and considerations of a leader chronicled herein is for the purpose of getting things done through people. Getting things done efficiently as possible and at the same time being effective with people. A significant concern in creating the vision for any organization is the understanding of contemporary workforces, and providing an essential environment to complete the mission. The established goal cannot happen without critically analyzing the needs and capacities required by future leaders. Specifically, this requires aligning the willing and able leader to assume an increasing weight of the responsibility for performance and growth. I am securely embedded to the constructivist theory. These theorist’s believe there exist multiple reality rather than a single true reality as proposed in the positivist ontology. Proponents of constructivism emphasize the lived experience in contrast to theory verification (Ponterotto, 2005). A person’s past may very well be their exercise in the future.
Transformational Leadership (TFL) equates to an ethical sound decision making process that resolves conflict through interaction and input from members; aside from the fact that mobilizing, influencing, and motivating members in a new environment is critical it is also distressing for people to go through it, so rather than leaders attempting to provide answers they must be prepared to stimulate the membership (Heifetz & Laurie, 1998). Conflict has many definitions dependent upon the context of the author, but more so it is a process in human nature, a product, neither good nor bad; however serving essential interpersonal and organizational purposes (Ortmeier & Meese, 2010).
Therefore, the idea of keeping your eye on the ball today while gazing downfield at tomorrow is reduced to the playing field of ethics and a communication process. The TFL is acutely aware of the context of the communication and the ability to be a good listener. The listener may receive information from public meetings, internal methods (formal/informal), technology, social processes both organizationally and external to the organization, and more importantly from research, capacity building and practice (Senge, 1999). The TFL tasks every member to create an atmosphere of learning in an environment of change.
One experiment that I can speak to with personal knowledge is a longitudinal study by Dr. William Tafoya, S.A., FBI Instructor for Futures Issues at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. The study was of the “The Future of Policing,” a Delphi study methodology seeking from cutting-edge police administrators, scholars and legal experts a series of forecasts of the future of policing.” The final list consisted of twenty-five events with anticipated date range of when to expect its’ occurrence such as, but not limited to: immigration issues, white-collar theft, violence that will pale in comparison to that witnessed in the 1960s, and language/diversity concerns, etc. Albeit I was not in the original study, I was in Dr. Tafoya’s final Futures class in 1991 at which time the same experiment was run through 250 NA students and over 200 new FBI Agent recruits in differing stages of training. Dr. Tafoya ran the same experiment with similar results from the majority of his Futures Issues classes; but it was his final class that had 100% survey return and was of contemporary leaders in law enforcement throughout the world as well as from the United States.
The Delphi method for purposes within this discussion was in keeping with the capacity building, practice, and research as cited above. The study clearly indicated forecasted events, which held true to initial respondents forecast, but also did not overlook what was important at the time.
History will also play a role in leadership development of vision, which is heavily situated in an ethical realm of forecasting. The events of 9/11 changed the way we conduct ourselves in the United States from business to immigration to law enforcement to political agendas. Post 9/11 era have also witnessed hundreds of new criminal investigations relative to freezing assets of Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), while most Americans will assert these are victories in the war against terror, others will see this as an erosion of individual liberties (Aziz, 2003). Although most critics of the USA Patriot Act, which has expanded Presidential Authority in the war against, they will agree to the objectives of terror prevention (Aziz, 2003). The question therefore is: Does the end justify the means?
The two basic types of ethical systems are deontological ethical system-intent of the act will determine whether an act was good or bad and teleological ethical system which judges the outcome of the act or end justifies the means (Pollock, 2010). Jim Jones, Charlie Manson, and Hitler were effective leaders, but for all the wrong reasons. They were influential and dominated their membership (Ciulla, 1995). Defined under a morally bankrupt leadership style these were both leaders, perhaps each possessed traits and qualities that great leaders had in common, albeit they seized power for immoral purpose (Ciulla, 1995). First, they believed that the end justified the means; Second, they had contempt for peace; and third, their influence was in the form of propaganda embracing total distortion of reality (Gardner, 1990).
This provides an example of a leader’s power and authority being neutral. The authority can be used for positive or negative purpose. The critics of a charismatic leadership style will often cite these two examples as a significant danger. Hitler was of the teleological view; the end justified the means and was willing to sacrifice all German people to save his own portrait in history. Hitler is the antithesis of the definition of character. Character is about performing good deeds rather than harm to others whether the harm is intentional or not (Zigarmi et. al, 2005). Although Hitler possessed many of the traits that you may recognize in respected leaders, his motives were ill conceived. Leaders that are ethically centered are able to influence members to achieve the goals and vision of the organization, but do so with benevolent intent rather than malignant malfeasance.
The main goal of the leader of any organization is to influence the membership to achieve goals and eventually attain the vision of the organization. The TFL is viewed as an ethical leader. This means that which is morally good or considered morally right. Contrasting the two ethical concepts, the teleological leadership ethics are a leader’s action with no intrinsic moral status whereas deontological leadership ethics considers leaders actions to have intrinsic moral status (Kanugo, 2001).
There is no promise that conflict will not arise from the ashes of today as leaders develop the vision of tomorrow. However, I say with reasonable empirical knowledge that ethics and conflict resolution through excellent communication styles using the transformational leadership style creating the atmosphere of change, learning, and capacity building will enlighten most to the needs of the organizational future. Why have we reiterated these salient points? Well, because the leader/member attitudes may provide avenues for growth or permitting personnel to die on the vine.
Burnout Is a Symptom of the Job; Not the Cause
Dying is often tranquil, but is repeatedly painful for those left to grasp onto fond memories to ease the pain of loved ones. Life is akin to a wave beating against the shoreline; it is a soft argument against the world providing a snapshot of just what frail mortals we are, and what a short time we have on earth. When the wave rescinds to the seas, we are gone and a memory is left. Hopefully, a memory so strong that one can reach, almost touch, and relinquishing that pain to a revived commitment to life. Memories will eventually clamber to outdo the pain being replaced with the appreciation for having had an occasion to be among loving heroes and the opportunity to help craft and grow others. I will think of my mother, father, brothers, aunts, uncles, and mentors everyday as these waves coax my mind to embrace only the sweetest thoughts of life and strengthens my resolve to be my very best each day.
The problem with dying is it is not restricted to those mortal souls that have departed this earth. The demise of our work force occurs daily amongst members. Not unlike leadership trainers I have been acquainted, I do not subscribe the theory of burnout resulting from employment. Burnout is about an attitude. The parent, teacher, coach, law enforcement official, or agency head can play a substantial role in attitude modification. To some this means punitive measures, to some it means a change of task, and to some it may mean coaching or training to amend performance.
Job Enrichment v. Job Enlargement
Job enrichment is a motivational builder and job enlargement is fatigue bearing job satisfaction killer. Job enrichment may include items for the worker such as autonomy, greater responsibility, increased training, job sharing, job rotation, while at the same time providing larger member personal accountability. Job enrichment may lead to greater job satisfaction for the majority of the work force. The benefits to the organization include better productivity, recruitment, and retention of highly trained members. Critics may emphasize concerns of those that do not fall within the motivation sequence. They may feel as left out, unimportant, or overlooked. Job enrichment is not for every personality, but equity is. Equity may simply mean that everyone has the same opportunity. Members will be motivated through differing factors.
Hopefully by now, we have settled on the fact that one size does not fit all. Leadership is maintenance heavy requiring individualized programs to meet the demands of employee and organization.
http://work.chron.com/meaning-job-enrichment-5481.html
Job enlargement is simply piling on. Generally, the go to person in the association that a leader can rely upon to get things done usually gets the added job functions. These add-ons are not normally listed in the job description. In most cases, the head of the group unwittingly piles on the unsuspecting worker out of knowledge the task will get done. This act on the part of the taskmaster creates work place fatigue for the loyalist, while creating an atmosphere of dwindling employees that are not growing as a result.
http://www.differencebetween.net/business/difference-between-job-enlargement-and-job-enrichment/
If ability is what you’re capable of doing, motivation is the determinate in what you will do, and then attitude determines how well you will do it. I found the above image that follows my theory of “Burnout.” The important point here to begin with is Burnout has never been created by the job, it is an attitude. Generally yours!
I concur with many of the associated links to the term “Burnout” that is related to the work atmosphere. Although in my experience work items such as work overload, stress, and member stagnation may be categorized through four phases. The above chart is similar to my experiences, but I choose the following: Enthusiasm, Stagnation, Frustration, and Resignation. All of which either something personnel and group may benefit from or can be diverted from, or may not be fatal in all situations.
Enthusiasm – Love of the Job!
Enthusiasm is an emotion, a spirit that may be masked at the same time by a lack of understanding or knowledge of what the job is all about. In the realm of policing enthusiasm is a love for the job (not unlike most jobs). The rookie begins in a very competitive field, they have to dig and scrape to get from a list of hundreds to many thousand candidates to the final selection field. In other words they kill to get here. They love the people they work with, no work shift is too difficult and often love of the job may be sacrificed in family balance. The first day getting ready for the very first shift, the recruit may find him/herself in front of the mirror, in uniform, with shiny buttons and badges, drawing on him/herself in the mirror. May even be blurting out quotes from Dirty Harry. They have been purposely put on this earth to cure the ills of the world.
This feeling can never fade, could it? Does this sound remotely familiar in your vocation? How about it Mr./Ms. teacher, coach, or professor? Have the bright shiny faces before you that you thought were here to learn, your way, begun to tarnish your enthusiastic outlook? Have you ever looked up the definition of job? Perhaps, this may shed some light on the topic.
From the Hebrew name אּיֹוב†(‘Iyyov) which means “persecuted, hated.” In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful (https://www.behindthename.com/name/job).
Does this mean that the employee must endure hardship and remain faithful to the employer? Highly unlikely, remember today’s employee will no longer tolerate autocratic leadership. A better correlation between employer and employee is that the job is a formal obligation between the two. Generally, for some form of remuneration. The employer maintains the control of the organization, but must provide an environment to train and grow the employee (Archer, Borthwick, Travers, & Ruschena, 2017).
What is essential during a hire situation is for the member coming on board to understand the requirements of the opportunity. These include tasks, time frames, issues to address, ability to prioritize, skills ability to complete assignments, and flexibility on the organization and member’s part. This demands honesty by both parties. Obviously, the new member gained the hiring agents attention, however, there may have existed confusion over ability or commitment. Initial clarity of speech is required at this juncture and becomes of greater importance as the relationship builds.
Training is paramount in developing members. Members want to be the best that they can be in today’s workforce. Being the best that you can be does not necessarily require promotions. Being the best pertains to being provided the right atmosphere to grow and learn, gaining new skills and training, having some say in the job, and the fact that the employment opportunity means something.
I was a police trainer during my career. Normally due to limited resources in departments, training was usually limited to only the mandated topics. One program of interest to veteran officers was the Highway Drug Interdiction Course (HDIC). I was part of the train, the trainer program, and taught the course. This was a positive training course designed to define how to and what to do. Positive training is defined as what to do, what one can do rather than the negative training concept. The negative training concept is based on negative instruction such as, do not do this or you will get in trouble. The HDIC was designed to look past a traffic ticket and look for indicators of criminal conduct. The HDIC breathed new life into some old timers that never made as much as a marijuana arrest. It provided an avenue to renew confidence in how to perform your duty. This type of course broke the chain of stagnation for some officers that were simply marking time until an official retirement date came along.
As a police administrator, the one portion of a budget that was a coveted was the training segment. Even during periods of cut-back management the training budget was sacred. Read the Psychology Today article in the following link to understand Stagnation.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201101/when-is-it-time-quit-your-job
Stagnation
Stagnation is a state of non-movement. A stand-still for a period of time. For instance, economic stagnation is:
“A prolonged period of little or no growth in an economy. Economic growth of less than 2 to 3% annually is considered stagnation, and it is highlighted by periods of high unemployment and involuntary part-time employment.” (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stagnation.asp.).
In a work setting stagnation may be as simple as just getting along. As a personal experience I have witnessed in the policing field the enthusiasm brought into the work environment may be as short as 3-5 years. How did this enthusiasm decline in such a short period of time? Why has a young person that went through hell to achieve this position (exams, background investigation, polygraph, recruit training, and probation) begin their retirement before their 20th anniversary?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the average contemporary worker remains at any one employment for a period of 4.4 years (Aug 14, 2012). More current data provided in a longitudinal study by BLS shows baby boomers through now will have approximately 11.7 jobs between the age of 18-48 (Jul 20, 2017). This study identifies boomers as born between 1957 and 1962. Boomers are typically identified as born from 1945-1962.
The first link is a reference guide on crafting a suitable career in the Harvard Business Review and the latter two listed links provide Bureau of Labor Statistics material to support the preceding.
https://hbr.org/2013/07/craft-a-sustainable-career
https://www.bls.gov/nls/nlsfaqs.htm#anch43
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/nlsoy.nr0.htm
Bureaucracy of Policing
Stagnation may be caused from different aspects of the job and the employee. The lack of anonymity, misuse of personnel, lack of challenge in the tasks, or an inherent dislike for the job or thought to be a pass through job (a job until a better one comes along). Regarding the police profession, I offer an explanation. This is what I refer to as the Bureaucracy of Policing. Accept this explanation with you as the person that has gone nameless herein.
One evening after a hard night of studying at college, you and a couple of friends go to the local college hang out to wind down. After a few alcoholic de-winders you strike up a conversation about an upcoming civil service exam for the local police department that is in the near future. How would anyone ever want that job? Well, after a few more de-winders and based on a dare from your friends, you have filled out an application for the exam and even paid the entrance fee. Your recent past assertions that policing is an unfit task for intelligent mortals turn to bravado of how you could do the job with no problem.
You paid your money so might as well take the test, probably won’t do that well anyways because you do not have any real knowledge of police work. To your surprise the exam is basic knowledge and some real critical thinking episodes. You passed! Now what? Well, might as well take the physical agility test, you’re in pretty good shape. You passed! Now what? You are notified of your standing on a civil service list and you complete the very lengthy application. Who would hire me? I don’t really want to be a cop. You get called for an interview, now what? Who would ever hire me after that ordeal? You are offered the job! Now what?
Well, I really have a lot of college loans so maybe I will try this gig for a few years and then get a real job. You complete the six month police academy, six month Field Training Program and walla, I am a cop, I mean you’re a cop. Your first day on duty, it is now you that is standing in front of the mirror, drawing your gun, shining your badge, rubbing your shoes on the back of your pant leg, swearing to cure the ills of the world. Here is what you didn’t count on. You’re no longer one of them, you’re one of us!
What does that mean? Well, you used to have happy hour whenever you want. You had large circles of friends. They now look at you differently and won’t even waive to you when you are on duty, at least not with all their fingers. Your new friends are all dressed in blue and walk, talk, and euphonize all that don’t look like them, talk like you and importantly they don’t think like you. Who are they? They don’t understand what it is like to be a cop, they’re one of them, not one of us.
You are a rookie, so you go to the real shift, 11p-7a or 12a-8a. That is where crime fighters are found. That is where they need guys/gals like you. The public wants me there between them and creeps, crooks, and crazy people. Real cops work this shift, the rest of the boys in blue are not one of us; they are one of them. Before you know it there is a significant other in your life and that person is really tired of going to bed at night and watch you go out the door to work. OOOPs, children may be in your life and they have their own schedule. Why do I try so hard, they don’t understand, they’re not one of us, they’re one of them. My family should understand me, not make me go to a human shift. They couldn’t understand, they are one of them, not one of us.
So my friend, an opening come along for the 3p-11p shift. You probably don’t have enough seniority to get it but, what the heck, applying will at least get my family off my back. I tried. You got it! What now? You’re going to the afternoon shift. Your sergeants and fellow platoon officers look at you differently now; you hear snickering when your back is turned. What’s the matter, too good to be a real cop? Transferring to the kiddy shift. They don’t do police work there. They are glorified crossing guards. They don’t use all their fingers to wave to you anymore. You’re not one of us, you’re one of them. The same thing happens when an opportunity arrives to go to the day shift. Why do you want to go there, Ass Kisser, want to be around the brass? You’re not one of us, you’re one of them.
You now have an opportunity to become a detective. What! Why do you want to be one of them, they don’t do police work, they silo all information and constantly take from patrol officers and give nothing back. They just want to wear different clothes and get their names in the media. They’re not one of us, they’re one of them. Rumors float about the department about you. Here he goes again, the old lateral dropkick, can’t hold a real job. Real cops wear uniforms and work shifts, not like those pencil pushers. Look out, you are now eligible for promotional exams.
Similar exams that got you into this rat race now are about to provide new horizons. You take the promotional exams with little expectations as more seasoned veterans will probably get it. I’ll take them and shut my family up. They don’t understand me or my work. You got it! Sergeant, what now? Well, a new sergeant, where does the sergeant go? Midnights that’s where. Hey great, these guys will be happy to see me, they will welcome me back with open arms, it will be great to get back. You’re not one of us, you’re one of them. You now have to go to all the old hiding places and get the shift working. You have to give direction where it was once easier to receive the direction. You’re not one of us, you’re one of them. You have to provide evaluations for the very same guys/gals that you used to think were so funny the way they busted your old sergeant.
Family does not like going to bed at night and watching you go to work. I took the exams and got promoted, what do they expect? More lateral movement; you are doing great. More promotional exams. Might as well take them nobody loves me; everyone is biting me in the butt. You passed! Detour, in the next promotion you are going to the Professional Standards Unit (Internal Affairs) affectionally referred to as the “Rat Squad,” I.A. (Intellectual Atrophy), needless to say, you’re not one of us; you’re one of them. You are no longer good enough to arrest thugs, mugs, creeps, crooks, and crazy people, you now arrest cops. What happened to you?
All the time you had to fight the old gang, you have been divided by rank, units, squads, platoons, details, task-force, and by time, shifts, or special details. None of which made communications easy, innovation, creativity, and imagination was wasted on nary wells, old guard, etc.
Your promotions don’t stop there, you find yourself walking into the Chief’s Chair after a series of promotions and petty back stabbing. Suddenly, you now understand the phrase, it’s lonely at the top. You have been able to transcend the doubters, those who never really understood you, or really cared about you. Leadership; Really? Who has the time for leadership?
What has transpired? This story, with you in the lead role, has taken a perfectly sound, reasonable civilian, squeezed him/her through the bureaucratic maze of policing and throughout this metamorphosis has emerged a tired, soulless, perhaps distraught individual that was once idealistic, enthusiastic, and energetic person. Well, the good news is that most that enter this profession, want to. Second, this depiction is not restricted to the police profession. Third, the portrayal is probably somewhat dated, but still there exist remnants that would add to stagnation as well as frustration in an organization.
The real question that bears citation is how you would prevent something like this from happening in your organization. Hopefully, previous links may aid you in your research to support your hypothesis surrounding Burnout.
Frustration
My next descriptor of Burnout is frustration. Simply, am I the only one working around here? Members of an organization will keep track of how a leader deals with one person over another. Members have their own score card. “Organizational justice is an employee’s perception and judgement of employer’s treatment in the context of fairness or justice. The resulting actions to influence the employee-employer relationship is also a part of organizational justice.”
(https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/ch02.htm).
A major obstacle for all leaders, parents, coaches, teachers, etc. is to establish exactly what equity means to the leader and then conveying that to the members. Now allow me to provide an example of dealing with frustration in my classes. I let them know on the first day the important ground rules.
First, I will offend them, and intentionally so. This is not to anger the student instead to acclimate them to the world as it really is. This is not a video game with do-overs. I do this to get their personal intellectual juices flowing, not mine. I will not spoon feed information to them, you ain’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy!
Second, I treat all students the same, they are all on equal footing with me, and they are all my favorite D+ students. I will do everything in my power to help them learn, demonstrate new ways of learning and from more than one discipline, but I won’t do it for them.
Third, you can hate me, dislike me or love me, I don’t care. You can dislike my teaching style, I don’t care. You see in the male life (sorry ladies) there comes a point when his ego is much smaller than is his prostate and all else is unimportant. The point is you have to deal with me if you need this class, because I am the only one teaching it. I am the only game in town. I advise them that the only way to discuss the underbelly of our society is to be frank, blunt, and direct. Euphemisms are for the other professors, not me. I do not coddle, but I love them dearly.
I can’t make them good, they are already good, they have their butts in those seats in front of me. I can only hope to make them better each and every time we meet. That is in class, in the hallway, in my office. If they want to impress me, read, submit, and learn, avoid manipulation, I am too old and my ego is too rusty. So you can hate me, but you are going to have to trust me to help get you over the finish line and I have to respect you and you have to respect me, not love me. I humbly submit, most of my student evaluations at semester end reflect an appreciation for my style.
Fourth, they must write out a course evaluation (different from the college evaluation on a Scantron sheet) what they liked, disliked, if I were successful in offending them, what were course take-a-ways, and what they would like to see differently. I advise them that the course material and presentations are based on their predecessors and they will now help craft the next class. Why, because their opinion counts and is listened to by this old curmudgeon (an ill- tempered, difficult, cantankerous person).
I share these with my Department Chair. Be prepared to accept the criticisms as well as the good. They are anonymous and because we do all work electronically and is submitted electronically in Blackboard, I have no idea what student handwriting looks like. Tell me what I need to hear, not necessarily what I want to hear. It has to be frank, from the heart, and succinct. Unlike some high office holders, narcissistic behaviors have no place in a leadership role.
My point to the reader here is when everything you do at work becomes average, shake it up. Find new life in communicating electronically, factually, using research material and not simply Wikipedia. Take a look at the last time you have been considered for a job promotion, and when you begin to ask yourself who the hell is listening to me? Shake it up. When was the last time you took a new course or attended a conference because you wanted to go? I have made Blackboard in the classroom a way of life.
I don’t give many multiple guess exams, primarily students have to research and write, yes at the undergraduate level. Why wait until they get to graduate level work to learn how to write, and at that point they wonder why no one ever showed them how to do this stuff. My second class of each semester is taking students to the library so staff can provide them with electronic scholarly research. Most exams are research documents.
I have them submit their obituaries in the first week of class relative to the theory of the class and then resubmit their obituaries at the end of the semester. The point, shake it up, if you are having fun, chances are it may be fun for your underlings. Early on in my leadership career I had a theory relative to the grumbling over my policy. Quit, die, or get over it. It didn’t work and how wrong was I. I changed rapidly toward making members part of the decision making from the ground up.
Resignation
Often leaders as well as followers find themselves anchored in an old soft deeply worn pair of comfortable slippers. The last thing in the world they want to do is shed the old for the new. Any policy change may result in comments such as let the next guy do it, why change everything is going smoothly, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, or why is it every time a new guy comes in they want to change everything?
Why do members dwell on the unpleasant, better yet, why do leaders permit them to dwell on the things they didn’t do effectively? Members get to this phase and simply get tired of complaining. This job isn’t worth getting sick over. It isn’t worth getting out of bed in the morning to come into this place. Anything sound familiar? Probably from the mouth of babes.
Leaders and members get to a point and they simply resign. Unfortunately, more and more this is occurring at the wrong end of the employment spectrum. It is becoming more defined in the first 3-5 years of employment and not necessarily at the opposite end closer to a retirement date. This is referred to as retiring in place.
Is something missing form your current career? Shake it up, get back into the game and rejuvenate yourself, re-establish yourself, don’t rest on past laurels, find that course or conference that gets your blood flowing again. After all you were more than anxious to get into the racket, so what happened?
Attitude happened, all bad attitude, not mine yours. Leader and follower are responsible for this dilemma. So fix it. This requires truth, integrity, character, intellect, and espirit de corps. Recall if you would, attitude is how well you will do something. What is it that could bring back the old you? As a leader you have to ask those very questions and not fear the answer sought. “Tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.”