Title: Leadership in Victim Services Series: National Victim Assistance Academy Advanced Topic Series Authors/Editors: Anita Drummond, Carroll Ellis, Melissa Hook, Morna Murray, and Anne Seymour for the National Victim Assistance Academy. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, in conjunction with Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR), California State University-Fresno, National Crime Victims' Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, University of New Haven, and Washburn University Published: June 2002 Subject: Organizational leadership 152 pages 352, 256 bytes ---------------------------- Appendices, figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file(s) available from this Web site. ---------------------------- Table of Contents Chapter 1. Principles of Leadership o Introduction o Leadership and Management o Origin of Leadership Qualities o Leadership is a Work in Progress o Core Leadership Strategies o Servant Leadership o Conclusion o References Chapter 2. Integrity and Ethics in Leadership o Introduction o Applying Ethics in Leadership Roles o Ethical Behavior as a Theme in the Organization o Personal Leadership Values o Applying Personal Values in a Leadership Role o Challenges to Ethical Leadership o Leadership, Relationship, and Unity of Purpose o Conclusion o References o Additional Reading Chapter 3. Essential Skills for Leaders: Creative Problem Solving o Introduction o Qualities of Good Problem Solvers o Problems as Opportunities o Effective and Ongoing Communication o The Benefits of Learning and Using a More Cooperative Style: The Seven Challenges to Cooperative Communication Skills o Accessing Creative Problem-solving Potential o Dealing with the Challenge of "Staff Infection" o Early Detection, Identification, and Prevention of Potential Problems o When Problems Are Out of Control o Conclusion o References o Additional Reading Chapter 4. Essential Skills for Leaders: Collaboration and Team Building o Introduction to Working Relationships o Distinguishing Features of Cooperation, Coordination, and Collaboration o Beyond Traditional Collaboration o Collaborating for Victims' Rights and Services o Challenges to Successful Working Relationships o Collaboration: A Checklist for Success o Leadership and Team Building o When Are Teams Needed? o When Are Teams Not Needed? o The Lifecycle of a Team Effort o Characteristics of High Performing Teams o Characteristics of a Strong Team Leader o Characteristics of High Performing Team Members o Virtual Teams o Conclusion o References o Additional Reading Chapter 5. Essential Skills for Leaders: Facilitation of Change o Introduction o Change as a Driving Force for Victims' Rights and Services o General Assumptions about Change o Guiding Principles for Facilitating Change o Factors Affecting Change o Threats to Change o Resistance to Change o Typical Early Reactions to Change o The Strong Change Agent o The Tipping Point o Change Facilitation Techniques and Tools o The Challenge of Change for the Future of the Victims' Rights Discipline o Respect For The Past, Vision For The Future o Conclusion o References o Additional Reading ---------------------------- Appendices are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file(s) available from this Web site. ---------------------------- This project was supported by Grant Number 95-MU-GX-K002(S-5) awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs coordinates the activities of the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ---------------------------- Chapter 1. Principles of Leadership Abstract The discipline of victims' rights and services has benefited from strong leadership over the past thirty years--from victims who have experienced tremendous personal tragedy; from service providers who have effected significant changes in laws and polices to benefit victims; and from local, state, and federal government officials who have made victims' rights and services a priority. This chapter offers a broad overview of styles, qualities, and processes, and provides concrete examples of leaders in America who have overcome considerable obstacles to make a difference in the world. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this chapter, students will understand the following concepts: o The origin of leadership qualities and common myths about leadership. o How one's past experiences contribute to the ongoing and dynamic process of becoming a leader. o Core leadership strategies for victim assistance and justice organizations. Introduction The study of leadership is recent. Only in the last fifteen years have organizational theorists closely examined qualities of leadership as distinct from qualities of management. Yet throughout history individuals whose actions and accomplishments have inspired people to live honorably, to persevere in personal quests, and to treat others with dignity and respect have been revered. In 1978, James MacGregor Burns, one of the first major theorists on leadership, wrote: "Leadership is leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations--the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations--of both leaders and followers. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders see and act on their own and their followers' values and motivations." (Phillips, citing Burns, 1992, 3) The role of the modern leader has evolved into a process that involves clearly-defined tangible skills and attributes. The requirements for effective leadership in victim services are developing as rapidly as the discipline itself. In addition to providing leadership in a variety of direct victim assistance programs, victim advocates are heading teams in Attorneys General's offices, police departments, prosecutors' offices, and departments of probation and parole. Victim advocates convey their passion and dedication to helping victims to these colleagues--some of whom may have little understanding of the cause, may be apathetic towards the mission, or may be nonbelievers. The challenges to a new leader are great. A leader entering into an established workplace environment may have to adapt considerably while building the necessary trust to lead co-workers. On the other hand, a leader joining a "work-in-progress" can influence the development of programs and the quality of working relationships. The leader may have attained the leadership role through promotion, in effect, taking the wheel and learning to drive the machine that s/he has already fueled with his/her labor. For those who aspire to become leaders, much can be done to prepare. While this chapter cites examples of leadership in victim services, it primarily examines leadership from "the outside," i.e., leadership in its broadest sense. What are some classic leadership styles? What is the difference between leadership and management? Are leaders born or do they have the necessary qualities within them just waiting to be developed? What are the basic skills and strategies that individuals can develop to improve leadership abilities? Most of the examples come from the corporate world, the organizational model which has been the focus of most leadership research and where the greatest amount of change has taken place. Much of leadership styles in business directly applies to leadership styles in victim services. And although the focus of turning a profit is not central to victim services, having adequate funds to effectively run and expand the organization is as central to victim services as it is to the private sector. The ideas of modern theorists on leadership roles and the writings of inspiring leaders like Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are cited. The stories of people currently in leadership roles are told, and what guides them, empowers them, and sustains them is discussed. Courage, self-awareness, a clear mission, the ability to relate and communicate with co-workers, conviction, "grace under fire," and passion for their job all are qualities that effective leaders cultivate. Victim advocates come to their jobs with the passion and conviction necessary to light a fire in any organization. This manual provides the tools and strategies that can channel passion, develop skills, and help find the leader within whom others will wish to follow. Leadership and Management This manual focuses upon leadership and the ways that leaders develop their own capacity for leadership from within; it does not focus upon day-to-day management of organizations and resources. Effective management is, of course, critical to the successful functioning of any entity; however, the focus here is upon how true leadership is the hub of the wheel around which all other operational tasks depend. During the last five years, studies on leadership increasingly moved away from the more management-oriented models that had been followed in many public and private sector organizations because these models failed to supply the answers to what made leaders effective. As Robert Danzig writes in The Leader Within You: . . . many of us have had the feeling of leaving the table a little bit hungry; the "management meal" we've been served has not quite hits the spot with its limited menu of retrenchment and competitive down-sizing. It is so palpable that people are hungering to see the ingredients of leadership join us at the table. (2000, xxv) Because of the challenges faced as the millennium approached, many observers noted that there has been an extraordinary focus upon the science of management, e.g., the task-specific and goal-oriented actions taken by organizations to achieve their objectives in an increasingly complex and competitive world. What is missing from this picture is the larger and overarching role that leadership plays. An organization may have a poor geographical location, or it may not be utilizing its resources most effectively. These are pieces of a larger whole that can be fixed. However, without the vision of true and effective leadership, an organization is most assuredly doomed to function at a lower level than it could or perhaps even to fail. This is not to minimize the importance of management; indeed, effective management is integral and crucial to the daily operation of all organizations. Again, the distinction is between the roles of managers and leaders: Management is an essential fundamental requirement of the operation of all civil society, including business, health care, arts, and educational institutions. We cannot deliver 10 million Hearst newspapers to readers each week without a carefully calibrated and managed process. Management is of the utmost importance. However, when separating the two like strands of a rope wound tightly together, the discreet elements suggest that management is about today and leadership is about tomorrow. Management is a series of learned attributes; leadership relied on inherent capabilities. Management is about process; leadership illuminates vision and promise. Put another way, all leaders are also managers of others. But not all managers exercise the qualities of leadership (Danzig 2000, xxvi, emphasis added). As research for their book, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, two respected authors on leadership, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, conducted interviews with ninety prominent leaders--sixty were successful chief executive officers, and thirty were outstanding leaders from the public sector. These extensive interviews were designed to capture what it was that propelled these individuals to their positions of leadership, and how they construed their own roles as leaders. The interviews were conducted like exploratory dialogues in which the subjects of the interviews joined the authors in investigating the true nature of leaders and leadership. Among other things, the authors concluded from these interviews that these very effective leaders viewed management and leadership as profoundly different: They viewed themselves as leaders, not managers. This is to say that they concerned themselves with their organizations' basic purposes and general direction. Their perspective was "vision-oriented." They did not spend their time on the "how tos," the proverbial "nuts and bolts," but rather with the paradigms of actions, with "doing the right thing." (1997, 20) So the question is how does one access one's own qualities of leadership? If the word "genius" is replaced with "leadership," dance pioneer Martha Graham's familiar saying is appropriate: "Everyone is born with genius, but most people lose it after fifteen minutes." (Danzig 2000, xxvi). The key, according to many leading leadership theorists today, is knowing oneself. It is in getting to know oneself, one's strengths, one's weakness, that the individual unlocks his/her potential for true leadership of others. As Danzig puts it, "the ability to know oneself so well you send out an inspirational beam just like a lighthouse." (Ibid.) Bennis and Nanus make a keen distinction in saying that leaders "manage themselves" and in so doing, are able to access their ability to lead others (1997, 18). Origin of Leadership Qualities ARE PEOPLE BORN LEADERS? How often has it been said that someone is a "born leader"? Typically, it has been assumed that if leadership "talents" did not attract the attention of family, teachers, and peers during the adolescent phase of life, then the individual is simply an "average" person who has to work hard to do well. It is taken for granted that those individuals who had leadership roles and made a splash with whatever they did would succeed throughout their lives. Many remarkable leaders appear to have been born with amazing talent, yet others overcame enormous difficulties before they took on leadership positions. An in-depth look at the lives of some of the greatest leaders reveals evolution of character and self-awareness, development of skills, and assimilation of knowledge gained from challenging experiences--both successes and failures--that combined to form their personalities. Was Abraham Lincoln a born leader or an incredible self-starter? Lincoln taught himself to read by the firelight at night. His mother died when he was nine, and while he did form a close, loving relationship with his stepmother, his father was an abusive and hostile personality who offered no support or guidance. Although by nature Lincoln was a self-taught person, it was in law school that he acquired the writing skills to express himself and his beliefs to others. During his political career, he learned to persuade, direct, and motivate. The renowned wit and ability to tell stories that he developed later helped him become an effective communicator with his constituents. His qualities of honesty, integrity, empathy for the common man, and devotion to the rights of individuals appear to have evolved out of his childhood experiences (Phillips 1992, 4-6). Lincoln may have been born with a remarkable talent for leadership, but he worked diligently throughout his life to acquire and refine the skills that helped him to lead during a period of intense national crisis. There is an ongoing and lively discussion among leadership theorists that decries the concept of "born leader." Heifetz (1994, 20) claims that "it fosters self- delusion and irresponsibility." McCall of the University of California's Marshall School of Business also challenges the belief that extraordinary people accomplish exceptional things solely due to innate talent. Borrowing Tom Wolfe's term the "right stuff"--used to describe the talent of successful fighter pilots (Wolfe 1974)--McCall takes issue with the assumption of "innate talent" commonly used in leadership selection and development programs in the corporate world. Typically, organizations spot the obvious stars early and give them added responsibility and attention, while overlooking those individuals whose skills are less evident even though they may have greater long-term leadership potential. McCall believes that "executive leaders are both born and made, but mostly made . . . executives do learn, grow, and change over time." (McCall 1998, 4) In discussing the "heroic nature of accomplishment," McCall cites the qualities of resourcefulness, risk-taking, courage, readiness to take action, flexibility, perseverance, creativity, and ability to inspire others. He points out that initially these competencies can only be inferred and are contingent on continued achievement. The "right stuff" can be determined only after remarkable performances have been achieved. In fact, "the right stuff is whatever it needs to be to explain a result." (Ibid., 7) McCall believes that the use of the "right stuff" concept in leadership selection has several unintended consequences when leaders both succeed and fail. With each new success, a leader chosen for having the "right stuff" may feel more powerful; each victory adding to the "siren song of invincibility." (Ibid., 8) The author cites numerous examples of executives who performed leadership roles in major companies with extraordinary success, but whose mythic arrogance and attitude of invulnerability contributed to their eventual downfall. Such high achievers define themselves as "special," leading in some cases to an attitude that other people are unnecessary. They ignore advice and cease to value the input of their colleagues. When inevitably they fail (because errors are unavoidable), the problem lies not in the error, but in the initial assumption of their innate talent. A failure is treated as a proof of inadequacy or absence of talent rather than an opportunity for learning. "Fear of being found out causes them to attempt to hide their stumbles, not to take the risk of stumbling, or to blame their errors on something or someone else, all of which eliminates learning." (Ibid., 9) What bearing does the "right stuff" assumption have on the individual's efforts to become a leader? If s/he is one of the chosen few with extraordinary innate talent, s/he is may already be moving down the road to success, encountering the joys and pitfalls that power engenders. S/he may have inherently understood McCall's message: Don't rest on your laurels . . . An individual may be a born leader, but if s/he is going to successfully meet the new challenges a changing world presents, s/he clearly has to work hard to develop and refine his/her skills. On the other hand, an individual may have innate talent that has gone unnoticed. His/her progress may have been derailed by unfortunate circumstances. S/he may simply desire greater challenges in the workplace, and the possibility of moving forward requires the assumption of leadership responsibilities. How does the individual rise to the occasion? Being pro-active and taking charge of his/her development provides competence and confidence so that when the opportunity for leadership presents itself, s/he will be able to assume it wholeheartedly. Wherever someone is on the leadership continuum, much can be done to help oneself to adapt to new situations, be resilient, learn new skills, find the courage to take risks, and stay true to oneself and one's values. DISPELLING COMMON MYTHS OF LEADERSHIP In their book, Bennis and Nanus (1997) discuss several common myths about leadership that have taken root in society and are, in fact, counterproductive and discouraging to potential leaders. These myths are: Myth 1: Leadership is a rare skill. Everyone possesses qualities of leadership and leadership opportunities abound; they do not exist just at the tops of organizations. People excel at leadership in the areas that are closest to their truest aspirations and dreams. A clerk at the local supermarket may be the leader of a community mediation group. A taxi driver may be the director of a local theater company. The truth of this myth is that leadership opportunities are everywhere and within the grasp of most people. Myth 2: Leaders are born, not made. This myth has already been discussed, but it is worth repeating in view of the attention that has been focused upon this question in leadership studies and theory. There are many qualities that may be inherent that can assist in one's process of becoming a leader. But most of what goes into being a true leader is learned along the way. Books and mentors are crucial to the learning process, but the process itself can be compared to learning to become a good spouse or parent--the most important lessons are learned in the experience of being exactly that. Myth 3: Leaders are charismatic. While it is true that there have been truly charismatic leaders who had unique powers to influence and communicate in an almost spellbinding way, e.g., Churchill or Kennedy, there are many more leaders who are quite ordinary in their everyday leadership roles. It can be argued that charisma is a result of effective leadership; not the other way around. For those relatively few leaders who possess an abundance of natural charisma, it simply enhances their connection to and ability to influence others around them. Myth 4: Leadership exists only at the top of an organization. While leaders at the top of an organization may get more public attention, this does not diminish the truly heroic "ordinary" leaders at other levels. In fact, the larger the organization, the more leadership roles it is likely to have. Increasingly, organizations are moving toward team building and "intrapreneurship"--the creation of smaller autonomous units within a larger organization. Opportunities for leadership abound on a daily basis on all levels of an organization, for example, assisting a co-worker with a problem that threatens to mushroom into a larger one. Leadership is not confined to those who are the defined "managers" and "leaders." Myth 5: The leader controls, directs, prods, manipulates. This myth is potentially the most damaging of all. As stated by Bennis and Nanus, "Leadership is not so much the exercise of power, but the empowerment of others." (p. 209). Traditional models of leadership, based on the older autocratic management theories of leadership, have proven to be ineffective and destructive. True leaders lead through inspiration rather than through orders, through empowerment of others to achieve their true potential rather than by manipulating and scaring them into compliance with the leader's view of how things should be done. A quote from Carlo Maria Giulini, former conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic is fitting: "what matters most is human contact, that the great mystery of music making is that it requires real friendship among those who work together." (Ibid.) The friendship described is not about the leader being "buddies" with those s/he leads and works with, but rather about understanding others' perspectives and utilizing his/her own talents to allow others' true potential and abilities to unfold. Myth 6: The leader's sole job is to increase shareholder value. Whether discussing corporations or service organizations, the bottom line of financial responsibility is always there. While victim service providers may not be concerned with turning a profit, leaders in victim services must be concerned with acquiring and maintaining adequate funding to do their jobs. This need can compete with the energy a leader needs for visionary planning and maximizing the potential of the organization. While the leader must keep the necessities and requirements of effective management at the top of his/her priorities, it should be done in such a way that it does not become the overriding concern of the organization and its constituency. Again, good management is a requirement, not a goal in and of itself. Leadership is a Work in Progress Like McCall, many of the new thinkers on leadership look at the life experiences of respected leaders for clues about the origins of their abilities: home, education, relatives, friends, work, peers, environments, and any special hardships or disabilities. Reflecting upon his career, recently retired newspaper publisher Robert Danzig looked back upon childhood, school, college, and early work experience for the source of knowledge and skills that shaped both his workplace relationships and his performance as a leader (Danzig 2000, xix). "All are stepping stones to help us cross the water ways of life," he writes. [A]ll of us have leadership powers [within us] which allow us to lead our lives in a more effective and satisfying way . . . Once identified and activated, these freshly honed characteristics within our individual acorn can result in our becoming leaders, and will dramatically change the kind of people we are." (Ibid., xx) Character and abilities--including talent for leadership--reflect one's life-long experiences. For better or worse, qualities ingrained in one's personality may result from the influence of family, mentors, and employers. Positive qualities should be nurtured and cultivated; negative qualities should be identified and objectively reckoned with so that they are no longer harmful. Leadership requires courage. COURAGE The stories of past courage . . . can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man [or woman] must look into his [her] soul." -- John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage If there is one human quality essential for leadership, it is courage--not just the courage to face adversity, but the courage to look inside and face up to weaknesses. Without delving into theories of succession planning (the systematic assessment process that an organization develops to identify key jobs to be filled and the best qualified candidates), it is useful to note that many of the people responsible for the development of new leaders within their organizations cite the qualities of courage and risk-taking as being the inevitable missing ingredients in new candidates. One national association director, who has served in leadership roles throughout his criminal justice career, reports that "it has been hard to identify people who will stick their necks out and take the leadership opportunity offered to them. Leaders must have courage and I don't believe that you can teach it. . . . The real challenge is to face the shortcomings that one has as an individual and overcome them--at least in the leadership role--to be a better leader. The challenge is to speak when you don't know how, to take risks, and to face the losses and the mistakes that you inevitably make." (Wicklund 8 January 2001) TAKING RISKS, EXPOSURE TO CRITICISM, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE Out of fear or self-doubt, people often make choices that work against their own growth. Listed below are five common reasons why a talented individual does not assume new challenges and move forward in the job (Danzig 2000, xiv). This individual-- o Continues to use existing strengths to achieve quick, dramatic results rather than learning new skills that take longer to develop and may produce poor results in the short term. o Is more inclined to dwell on compliments (i.e., s/he is really good at his/her job) than to examine weaknesses. o Rarely seeks out negative information about him/herself from colleagues and superiors, especially if the organization offers little opportunity for formal evaluation. o Likes being rewarded for achievements and steers away from development projects that are amorphous and do not offer "concrete business results." o Feels a risk in leaving what s/he does well to attempt to master something new. These are normal human responses to challenging situations. Avoiding extra work and responsibility when one is busy, and not wanting to be exposed to new risks that increase the possibility of failure, are reasonable positions. When seeking to develop leadership skills and acquire greater responsibility in the organization, it is helpful for the individual to understand what s/he shies away from, and determine and assess his/her patterns of behavior. One of the first steps in developing a leadership "mind" is increasing self-awareness. SELF-AWARENESS We are not our feelings. We are not our moods. We are not even our thoughts. The fact that we can think about these things separates us from them . . . Self- awareness enables us to--stand apart and examine even the way we "see" ourselves--our self paradigm, the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness. --Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Covey takes the position that until we understand how we see others and ourselves through our own personal set of filters, we are unable to understand others--how they see and feel about themselves and their world. As a result, when we attempt to view them objectively, we are really just projecting our intentions and our point of view on to their behavior. Conversely, they do the same to us. Both our personal potential and our ability to relate to others are limited. We can, however, examine our paradigms to determine when they are reality-based and when they are a function of conditioning (Covey 1989, 67). The "social mirror" is Covey's term for the vision that we have of ourselves as reflected by the opinions, perceptions, and conditioning of others. He stresses that the reflection we see of ourselves is just as unreliable as our view of others because it is likely a projection of their concerns and character weaknesses. We should first acknowledge the existence of "conditioning" and then try to see to what extent we are influenced (and limited) by it in our own world view and choices (Ibid.). Covey cites such limiting factors as genetic or inherited influences, psychic influences such as parents and childhood experiences, and environmental influences that can be everything from a difficult boss to the national economic situation. He makes the important point that through greater self-awareness we can free ourselves of limiting influences. If we seek self-knowledge and understanding of our conditioning, we can be free to choose our responses. "With our imagination we can create our minds beyond our present reality. . . . With our conscience and deep awareness of right and wrong, of the principles that govern our behavior . . . we can determine the degree to which our thoughts and actions are in harmony with them." With independent will we have the "ability to act based on our self-awareness, free of other influences." (Ibid., 70) Why is self-knowledge important? Until the individual knows who s/he really is and his/her motivations, s/he will be unable to relate openly with co-workers. As a result, they will be unable to trust and follow the individual. People trust what is real. The second challenge is to know one's weaknesses and effectively address them. USING LESSONS OF PAST EXPERIENCE TO INFORM AND INVIGORATE LEADERSHIP: FAMILY, MENTORS, AND CAREER There is a wondrous value in pausing to contemplate that which has crossed our paths. --Thomas Merton Psychologists and management educators Mackoff and Wenet conducted a series of interviews with sixty-five leaders representing a wide range of organizations--government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, victim service providers, Native American nations, and inner-city schools--to gauge how their life experiences informed their approach to leadership. They found that leaders participating in the study all had reflected deeply on their pasts as part of their quest for self-knowledge. They translated the meaning of important events and relationships in their lives into consistent thought patterns to direct the way they thought about and reacted to complex and challenging situations. The patterns can be divided into five mental disciplines that have proved central to their successful careers. They developed: o The capacity to examine and appraise their own behavior and impact on others. o The strategy of interpreting negative events with a resilient inner narrative and response. o The practice of setting aside assumptions, reversing roles, and learning from every person in the organization. o The ability to trust, value, and speak from their own experience. o The craft of counterpoint, that is, restoring perspective and renewing resources (Mackoff and Wenet 2001, 1-2). Many effective leaders draw on past experiences--in families, education, work, and key events in their lives--to develop the mental disciplines that are the basis of their inner authority. In the Mackoff-Wenet study, many participating leaders described the influences of their family and family-related experiences that formed and reinforced their core values. Conviction. Ruth Simmons, president of Smith College, is the first African- American woman to head a major college (Ibid.). The daughter of a Texas sharecropper and the youngest of a family of twelve, she credits her family for instilling in her values that she draws upon in her leadership role. From her mother, a domestic worker who took great pride in cleaning well, she learned how to stay focused and committed to her work. "I developed my own conviction about always doing work with great care and seeing every job through." (Ibid., 1) Enduring core values. Simmons tells how her mother gathered the twelve siblings around the kitchen table and taught them about their forebears--how they evolved as people and their contribution to the community. "There was always a moral attached to the story, offering insight into human frailty and what can happen when people lose sight of their values. . . . My mother built structure in these lessons about life, and I learned some basic values in dealing with human beings. I spend a lot of time thinking about whether I live up to these models." (Ibid., 187-188) Consistency and loyalty. His father's chronic emphysema forced Chief Executive Officer and President of CIT Financial Group Al Gamper to drop out of college in his sophomore year to support his family (Ibid., 18). He combined a day job at Manufacturer's Hanover Trust with night school for four years so that he could take care of the needs of his parents and brother and complete his education. The impact on his family of his father's inability to work, and the lack of a safety net in company benefits, instilled in Gamper a powerful commitment to give job security to his employees and to build an organization that provides good benefits. He has done so, and whenever the company went through hard times and it was suggested that employee benefits might be reduced, he adamantly refused and found other ways to cut costs. He also formed and funded the CIT Foundation to help employees in trouble. Providing an umbrella for the special needs of employees, the Foundation has "sent terminally ill children to camp, helped divorced mothers pay their mortgages, and covered the costs of funerals." (Ibid.) Understanding community and relationships. The value of community and contributing to its well-being were driving forces in Japanese-American Beckie Masaki's family throughout her childhood. The Executive Director of the Asian Women's Shelter in San Francisco remembers that the entire Japanese neighborhood, from the very young to the very old, hung out in her family's Sacramento fish market. Her parents put a high value on investing in community relationships and in not allowing small things that were negative to destroy the social fabric. Her commitment to helping Asian women deal with domestic violence is motivated by a belief that whether or not we experience violence in our own lives, we must become part of the solution for those who do. "It may not be happening to me as an individual but because it is part of the community that I belong to, it is as if it is happening to me." (Ibid., 23) Inner authority and critical thinking. Knowledge of her parents' internment during the Second World War provided Masaki with another important insight that informs her role as a leader in providing services to victims of domestic violence. Her parent's internment, which she learned of in high school, did not fit in with "what she knew about them as good citizens and good people... It was the beginning of my thinking critically about injustice in our society. So much of our schooling is based on mainstream culture. It doesn't relate to my experiences as a person of color. It was the roots of my seeing that I needed to have bicultural lenses--to learn not to swallow things whole." (Ibid., 71) As a result, when Masaki was working at a large domestic violence shelter in San Francisco and inquired about the absence of Asian women, she was told that domestic violence was not a problem in the Asian community. At the time, she had no statistics to refute the statement, but her intuition and her direct experience told her that it was incorrect and motivated her to start the country's first shelter for Asian women (Ibid.). One of Masaki's fundamental principles of leadership is that "[w]e don't allow the status quo or conventional pressure to create our organization...We must question the truth of the conventional perspective to create a truly good fit for our organization." (Ibid., 72) REMEMBERING MENTORS AND ROLE MODELS Sometimes it is the people whom one meets on life's journey who have an enormous impact on character, self-confidence, and life choices. These people see the individual in a different light and perhaps recognize a potential or a longing that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Hearst newspaper publisher Robert Danzig lost his parents from divorce and disease at an early age and thus grew up in five different foster homes. He spent his early years "surviving, getting through life and learning how to adjust to constantly changing conditions." However, from his first job at seventeen as an office clerk on a newspaper, he encountered several mentors who guided, inspired, and taught him values that have served him throughout his career. He learned the importance of treating clients well and taking risks from his first boss at the Albany Times; maintaining high standards from the chairman of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center; and the power of innovation from the head of Gannett Corporation. "Each of us have been inspired by leaders who have motivated us to move with enthusiasm on the pathways we have chosen to pursue . . . They touch our spirit with the richness of their message and help us absorb the shocks on the roads ahead. They appreciate the individual and acknowledge that each possesses worth and counts." (Danzig 2000, 45) A great tribute to leadership role models is Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning account of eight courageous U.S. Senators who, at times of national crisis, took unpopular positions against their own constituencies and political parties for the greater good. Kennedy wrote the book during his term as U.S. Senator after experiencing the dilemmas members of Congress face trying to act morally and represent voters when it is often necessary to compromise. While the situations he discusses are limited to the political arena, the themes of moral courage and "grace under fire" are relevant in all leadership roles: Leaders continually compromise. Kennedy stressed three major points in discussing the Senators: o "We prefer praise to abuse and popularity to contempt. The path of the conscientious insurgent is a lonely one." o The desire to be re-elected is normal. "It should not automatically be assumed that this is a wholly selfish motive." o "The third and most significant source of pressures which discourages political courage in the conscientious . . . is the pressure of the constituency, the interest groups, the organized letter writers, the economic blocs, and even the average voter. To cope with such pressures, to defy them or even to satisfy them is a formidable task." (Kennedy 2000, 4-9) A leader may be challenged on a daily basis to reconcile the desires to be liked, keep the job, and make everyone happy with finding a way to solve problems courageously and correctly. In his concluding thoughts Kennedy writes, "A man [or woman] does what he must--in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures--and that is the basis of all human morality." (Ibid., 225) Core Leadership Strategies Once the individual has taken a look at him/herself and his/her motivations and has reflected on his/her life and the influences that have made him/her who s/he is, s/he will have a better sense of personal goals and the kind of leadership s/he can offer. Whether entering an established organization with an existing hierarchy, a predictable work environment with set protocols for providing services, or a start-up effort, there are choices the individual can make and actions s/he can take that will affect how the organization will evolve under his/her stewardship. MISSION STATEMENTS An organizational mission statement creates in people's hearts and minds a frame of reference, a set of criteria or guidelines, by which they will govern themselves. They don't need someone else directing, controlling, criticizing, or taking cheap shots. They have bought into the changeless core of what the organization is all about. --Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People The creation of a mission statement is an integral component of Covey's second habit of highly effective people, Begin with the End in Mind. As Covey describes it, all things are created twice--first mentally, and second, physically. Creation of a mental vision and purpose for a project, be it an individual, family, or organizational undertaking, is essential to achieving and accomplishing that undertaking. Covey (1999) states: A mission statement is the highest form of mental creation for an individual, a family, or an organization. It is the primary decision because it governs all other decisions. Creating a culture behind a shared mission, vision, and values is the essence of leadership. A mission statement that is created by the group who works together helps in establishing the shared visions and values that are essential elements of healthy organizations. Critical to the creation of any group mission statement is input from all participants. The key is to harmonize individual values with the values of the group so that people work together for a common purpose. Ideally the creation of an organization's mission statement occurs in the following sequence of activities: o Input is requested from all members of the organization. o A preliminary mission statement is drafted. o The draft is passed around for feedback. o The mission statement is revised and finalized. o The mission statement is posted. o The mission statement comes under regular review and can be modified to accommodate the changing needs of the group (Covey 1989, 138). Following the creation of the organization's mission statement, it can sometimes be effective to invite every department in an organization to generate its own mission statement that describes the core values and goals of the unit. What results is a wheel, with the organization's mission statement with its common goals at the hub and the departmental statements forming the spokes. Covey tells the story of a hotel chain that offered excellent and consistent customer service at levels so impressive that he inquired of the top management how they were able to accomplish this feat in such a large organization. He learned that the overall mission statement was "Uncompromising personalized service." Each hotel had then developed a mission statement that suited its distinct environment and business climate and, within each of the hotel departments, specific mission statements had also been developed (Ibid., 139-140). Every mission statement spelled out: o What the employees stood for. o How they related to the customers. o How they related to each other. The time spent, the sincerity and patience of the groups who worked together to resolve their differences, and the efforts to align the systems and structures within the organizations helped to arrive at a set of shared values that generated tremendous energy and enthusiasm. Both performance and company loyalty improved dramatically. The staff felt involved. They cared about the company, and they trusted the leadership who trusted them to participate in the process. Numerous organizations are developing mission statements these days, but how many include their entire staff in the formation of the core values? Often they don't even think of it. The director of a leading criminal justice organization specializing in research and technical assistance was approached by one of the largest probation departments to bring its managers up to date on promising policies and practices being developed as models at the national level. The client planned to send forty-five managers for training and technical assistance in areas such as enhancing victim services, intervening in family violence, and management of sex offenders in the community. It was to be a sizable contract. The client agency listed the development of a mission statement as the first item on its agenda, a plan so "out of sync" with the potential contractor's own leadership philosophy that he initially refused to include the task on the program and almost lost the contract. He objected to the fact that forty-five managers would be determining the mission of the entire agency. A firm believer in full staff participation in the writing of an organization's mission, the contractor eventually convinced the agency that it would be wiser to teach the managers the "process"--how to conduct the creation of a new mission statement--so that they could return to their agency and carry the process out with the participation of all of their co-workers (Wicklund 8 January 2001). EMPLOYEE CORE VALUES: SETTING STANDARDS Morningstar is a financial services company that has prospered and grown exponentially in the last decade, monitoring mutual fund growth under the leadership of Joe Mansueto, its founder and chairman. Co-workers consider him an empowering leader whom they profoundly trust and he in turn trusts them to work at their full potential (Haasnoot 2000, 10). Morningstar employees generally agree with the statement that "You are allowed to take risks and go with your judgments, because you know if you are wrong you will disappoint Joe, but your job is not in jeopardy." (Ibid., 16) In his book, The New Wisdom of Business, Haasnoot quotes Mansueto on the subject of trust and autonomy in the workplace: I like to give people a wide area to maneuver by giving them general goals and guidelines and letting them figure out how to do it. I certainly do not want to micromanage people. I think people want room to express their own creativity and to do something their way. I certainly don't have the ideas to solve all of these problems. If people are looking to me to solve all the problems, then we are both in trouble. (Ibid., 17) Giving co-workers as much freedom as they need to feel creative and to find their own ways of meeting the challenges posed by the company is an increasingly popular leadership approach. If this approach is chosen, however, it is the responsibility of the leader to work out performance and ethical guidelines with the staff so that everyone understands the standards they should maintain. Furthermore, it should be made clear to the staff that included in the freedom offered is the responsibility to maintain those standards with diligence. Mansueto and his staff developed a handbook that provides guidelines on ethical behavior, standards of interaction with clients, the type of work environment they want to foster, the obligations of the company to maintain it, and the obligations of the staff to respect it. The following is an excerpt from the Morningstar Financial Services Employee Handbook: o People should have a consistently positive experience with Morningstar. o Be consistent. It is not enough for a person to experience excellent service only once. o Even bozos deserve the best. o Be sincere. o Be willing to go the extra mile. o Say yes. Our standard response should be yes, but if for some reason we cannot honor the request, don't just say no. o Under promise, over deliver. o Little things do mean a lot. o You are Morningstar. o To create great products we need great people. o People who can manage themselves and their workloads and can take initiative can do the most for Morningstar. o The environment here should only fuel your enthusiasm and passion for what we are trying to achieve. If you see something that can be improved, please let your manager know, or go ahead and correct it. o Morningstar should offer a creative environment that lets people think broadly and question current practices. o We expect everyone at Morningstar to behave with the highest ethical standards. o If you enjoy your work, it should be fun. We owe it to ourselves to find ways to make this experience a positive one for everyone. o It's hard to create great products if you are stressed out--so be good to yourself. Find ways to ease the tension and stress of daily work. Go out for a short walk, listen to some favorite music, take the time to eat a good meal, or do some reading in our library. (Ibid., 21) These excerpts clearly demonstrate the respect accorded staff and customers alike, as well as concern for staff well-being and expectations about ethical behavior. Morningstar leader Mansueto is an extraordinary example of a leader who knows how to both communicate positive and high expectations and do everything possible to facilitate the willingness and capability of his staff to live up to his standards. COPING ENVIRONMENTS VS. LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Understanding the leader's role requires consideration of the type of working environment that the individual is in charge of and the type of working environment that s/he wants to create. Generally work environments can be divided into two types: coping environments and learning environments. Individuals who work in coping environments are expected to be responders. They plan for what is ahead and adapt the workplace for the changes that they will need to make to stay abreast of the times. Coping environments involve benchmarking: monitoring the achievements of other similar organizations to establish the highest current standard and ensuring that the organization maintains that standard. Coping environments tend to be manager-focused. Most traditional corporations operate this way as do many agencies in criminal and juvenile justice. A concept defined in the early 1990s in The Fifth Discipline (Senge 1990) and The Learning Company (Pedler, Burgoyne, and Boydell 1997), learning environments are dedicated to the generation of new ideas and the creation of a culture of expanded thinking. For example, Morningstar can be considered a learning environment as are most of the software and Internet companies that have developed in the last decade. Senge describes a learning organization as "an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future" (McCall, citing Senge, 1998, 187). The leaders are stewards, designers, and teachers. A leader in probation and parole management describes himself as a leader in a learning environment. His job is to remove the impediments that block the paths his co-workers are pursuing in their research and development of new programs. I am the guy with the machete cutting the swath through the jungle so that the staff don't have to duck the branches. At the same time, I am the guy with the shovel who walks behind the elephant in the parade and scoops up the "poop." In other words, I am responsible and take the blame for what goes and grows wrong under my charge (Wicklund, 8 January 2001). Haasnoot cites six characteristics of a learning company: o It has a commitment to continuous learning. o It has in place processes to create, capture, and share knowledge with people who have a need to know. o It as a system of critical and systemic thinking in place. o It creates a culture that values, respects, and rewards learning. o It is willing to experiment and be flexible with what it does learn. o It is people-focused and people benefit from the process (Haasnoot 2000, 40). One leader in probation services for the state of Colorado is responsible for statewide probation standards and policy development. He works hard to create a learning environment and relies upon his staff to think expansively. His stewardship approach has been to carefully evaluate staff performance and progress every year and remove impediments whenever possible. If they need funding resources, legislative support, or legal authority to move forward, it is his job to secure it. The office staff comprises self-directed work teams made up of individuals with different skills. There are no unit supervisors. He asks that people think for themselves and not come to him for problem solving. The principle of his hiring approach is "there is no place on the staff for soldiers, only leaders." (Fogg 8 January 2001) Whatever environment--coping or learning--the team functions in, the leader must consider which environment is better suited to the goals of the organization. S/he should also value the co-workers' well-being. A leader needs to create a culture that recognizes and rewards innovation--an environment in which people can grow and improve their skills and one that allows them to take risks and make mistakes. COMPETITION VS. COOPERATION Much of the recent leadership writing on competition versus cooperation comes out strongly on the side of cooperation. Abraham Maslow writes in Maslow on Management that "enlightened economics must assume good will among all members of the organization rather than rivalry or jealously." (Haasnoot, quoting Maslow, 2000, 61) Some of the underlying beliefs about the importance of cooperation, as opposed to competition, in the work place are that it creates unity, loyalty, and good will. It also fosters creativity and builds self-esteem among participants. Haasnoot writes that "when true cooperation is in place there is usually a common purpose, coordination, and meeting of diverse minds, and people fully leverage their skills." (2000, 75) Doug Walker, founder of a thriving software company, has tried to create a corporate culture where respect and trust foster collaboration among an egalitarian group of people. "Collaboration intrinsically involves open, constructive sharing." He goes on to say that there are no quotas and no rules. "We use a system here that is principle-based instead of rule-based. Respect and trust guide us through the process." (Haasnoot, quoting Walker, 2000, 56- 58) He readily admits that this approach works because the company takes incredible care in hiring people who can work in this environment. An average of fifteen hours is spent interviewing anyone before s/he is hired--enough time to feel confident that the newcomer can thrive in a "principle-based" system. Critics of competition in the workplace believe that it creates both unnecessary anxiety and unnecessary levels of aggression. They deny that it produces better results because greater efforts are made to attack the opposition's weaknesses than are made to develop one's own strengths. Competition creates losers even though they may have done an excellent job. On the other hand, since time immemorial, competition has been a motivating factor for individuals to increase performance and achieve excellence. It is hard to judge if the traditional beliefs about competition ever apply in the workplace: competition builds character and self-esteem, is fun, is instinctive, produces better results, and leads to innovation. A little insight into how competition operates in the organization, however, will help a leader to understand workplace dynamics. Some people are competitive by nature and by habit, and the leader should understand how they are motivated. Whether a leader chooses to introduce competition to the organization or eliminate it depends on many considerations. Creating an atmosphere of cooperation is essential to a healthy working environment. Whether a certain amount of competition can be sustained is specific to the environment and the job descriptions. Modern leadership theorists generally view fostering competition in a negative light. There are other negative tools that leaders bring to bear on their co- workers that can produce results in the short term but, in the long term, breed discontent and distrust. Closed-book management. When people receive regular feedback that enables them to know how they are doing in their job and how the company is doing, they feel more involved and more secure. The opposite is also true. Staff who are kept in the dark about the quality of their performance and the health of their company feel manipulated, detached, and insecure. Leadership by fear. Machiavelli wrote that if "one's country is threatened, there should fall no consideration whatsoever of either just or unjust, kind or cruel, praiseworthy or ignominious . . . The people must fear their leaders, but they must believe in the goodness of their leaders." (Ledeen 1999, 117-118) It is surprising how many modern leaders cite Machiavelli's philosophy for effective leadership as their guide to maintaining power and domination. In the short term, such treatment perhaps makes people feel secure in the sense that it appeals to their desire to have a patriarch or a matriarch but, in the long term, it makes them dependent, angry, and distrustful. Coercion? Or take the time to persuade. For a leader to compel people to do things by the use of his/her power as a leader is ill-advised when s/he can take the time to befriend them, communicate with them, and explain to them why s/he is taking an unpopular decision. Abraham Lincoln said that when a leader begins to coerce his followers, he is essentially abandoning leadership and embracing dictatorship. When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion should ever be adopted. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. On the contrary, assume to dictate to his judgement, or to command his action, or to mark him as one to be shunned and despised, he will retreat into himself, close all avenues to his head, and his heart; and tho' your cause be the naked truth itself . . . you shall no more be able to reach him, than to penetrate the hard shell of a tortoise with a rye straw. (Phillips 1992, 41) THE WIN/WIN PARADIGM Probably the strategy that has received the most attention in Covey's theories on leadership is the Win/Win paradigm. In this model, the goal of any interaction between individuals, in families, and in organizations--both internally and externally--is the creation of win/win solutions. Covey explains that our focus in every human interaction should be on "producing personal and organizational excellence by developing information and reward systems, which reinforce the value of cooperation." (Covey 1989, 206) To operate with the Win/Win paradigm means that one is in a frame of mind and heart "that seeks mutual benefit in all situations." The belief inherent in the concept is that there is plenty for everybody, that one person's success is not achieved at the expense or the exclusion of the success of others, and if it is a "No Win" situation, then it should be avoided. Arriving at a win/win solution requires trust in the good intentions of the parties, openness in the sharing of information, and honesty in all dealings. By arriving at an understanding of the needs and realities of both parties, the process promotes the creation of solutions that are mutually beneficial. Covey points out that this kind of exchange provides "tremendous emotional freedom and harmony in family and work relationships. In the business world it promotes the kind of creative and cost-saving collaborations between organizations that are becoming a necessity in the modern world (Ibid., 207-214). Covey also stresses the importance of "No Deal" in the win/win model. "Anything less than Win/Win in an interdependent reality is a poor second best that will have impact in the long-term relationship. The cost of that impact needs to be carefully considered." (Ibid., 214) An analysis of win/win in successful interpersonal relationships can be looked at from the points of view of (1) the characters of the participants, (2) their relationships, and (3) the agreements that they make. Necessary qualities of character are self-awareness, imagination, conscience, independent thinking, courage, and an understanding of one's innermost values. In the relationship there must be mutual learning, influence, benefits, and commitment to the win/win outcome. This relationship will not diminish the issues to be resolved but will replace the negative energy generated by the conflict with positive, cooperative energy focused on understanding the problem and finding a mutually beneficial solution (Ibid., 216-222). Finally, win/win agreements can cover many types of interaction: between employers and employees, between independent people working together on projects, between companies and suppliers, and between companies and their clients. Win/win agreements are a means to clarify expectations of any group working together for a common or an interdependent effort. In win/win agreements, the following elements are made explicit: o Results desired. o Guidelines within which the results are accomplished. o Resources available for the effort: human, financial, technical, and organizational. o Accountability: standards of performance, time frame, and method of evaluation. o Consequences: What happens as a result of the evaluations (Ibid, 223-244). Covey writes of a four-step process to help people develop a win/win approach to negotiations and problem solving: o See the problem from the other point of view. Understand and give expression to the needs and concerns of the other party. o Identify the key issues and concerns. o Determine what results would constitute a fully acceptable solution. o Identify possible new options to achieve those results (Ibid.). MOVING BEYOND ADVERSITY: THE NATURE OF OPTIMISM As a leader during a time of change, I think it is my obligation to first quickly deal with my own predictable emotional cycle. Then it is my job to help people move through their feelings and to understand that we are all totally in control of how we react to major changes that we don't agree with or didn't engineer. --Phyllis Campbell, President, U.S. Bank of Washington (Mackoff and Wenet 2001, 116) How a leader responds to adversity and how s/he frames a difficult or threatening situation to co-workers has a great deal to do with how well s/he will be able to respond. Major General John Stanford used to say, "leadership is not a role but a point of view." (Mackoff and Wenet 2001, 122) The greater the fear component and the negative energy attached to any problem, the harder it is to view it objectively and respond to it efficiently. Another Stanfordism is that "[w]hen leaders choose to live in the world of "yes," they can turn adversity into an event of knowing." (Ibid.) Leadership theorists define the reframing of negative events in a positive light as a positive explanatory style. Many effective leaders practice this approach quite naturally. ---------------------------- Figure 1 is not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file(s) available from this Web site. ---------------------------- A typical reaction to a problem that has been created is to ponder certain questions, such as: how long will it last; how will the leader be affected by it; and who is to blame (and the leader is to blame). Using a negative explanatory style, a leader responds that it is always happening; that it will ruin the company; and that it is all his/her fault. Imposing the discipline of the positive explanatory style is to answer the questions truthfully but in a way that is more objective. The leader takes the long view on the time frame, having the expectation that with enough time, the situation will work out or be solved; confines the problem to the specific circumstance it relates to; and takes realistic responsibility for the problem or error, in the context of previous accomplishments (Danzig 2000, 79-82; Mackoff and Wenet 2001, 112-122). Maj Gen John Stanford was hired as the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, having had little experience in the field of education. There was opposition to his hiring. Colleagues in the field advised him that he had been hired as token minority and could expect to be fired rather quickly. While he took care not to personalize the threats and assumed his duties with great enthusiasm, he found the job at hand to be daunting. The poor condition of the school district was detrimental to the quality of education they were able to provide to the children. The adversity centered on school management and dwelled on class size, teacher-principal conflicts, and department heads competing for dwindling dollars. No one had time to think about the students (Mackoff and Wenet 2001). Applying positive explanatory techniques, Stanford decided to reframe school problems and set new goals that addressed the needs of the students and their achievements. He created a successful plan with a slogan that became a rallying point for all the participants and allowed them to set aside their complaints and bickering--"Victory in the classroom." The plan created an academic achievement plan for the students and a contract with a "trust agreement" for the teachers to deal with school budgets and staffing weighted towards student needs. Teachers and administrators were reminded of why they had chosen teaching in the first place and the plan helped them to renew their personal missions to teach (Ibid.). POSITIVE ENERGY Since leaders continually interact with other people, their co-workers look to them to be positive, good humored, and cheerful. Leaders must find a way to effectively manage their own fears and emotions. In his darkest moments during the Civil War, when his generals were failing to carry out orders and he was angry and frustrated, Lincoln wrote scathing letters--which he never sent--to expend his negative energy. He was very careful not to let minor differences and personal preferences affect his mood while working with others. With regard to quarreling over insignificant matters, he once advised a military officer, "Better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting a fight. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite." (Phillips 1992, 82) A leader should consider mood maintenance as part of the job. Everyone is entitled to his/her moods, but if the leader can find an innocuous outlet for his/her negative energy--writing, vigorous exercise, meditation, etc.-- co-workers will find refuge in the leader's equanimity. OPTIMISM Conveying optimism is an essential skill for any effective leader. An optimistic state of mind is attainable with practice. Among the Cherokee Indian Nation leaders, for example, there is a prayer that is offered at the beginning of meetings that is a plea for a positive framework. Participants are asked to dispel negative thoughts in order to make space for positive and creative ones. "Being of good mind" in fact is a general practice among the Cherokee that is used to create positive energy. In dispelling negative energy, they reflect on problems in a bigger context, and try to observe the connection between negative events and the universe (Mackoff and Wenet 2001, 104). Chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller first learned "being of good mind" when her family was moved by the Indian Affairs Relocation Program from the woods in Oklahoma to central San Francisco. Rather than dwell on the injustice and the discomfort her family felt at leaving their friends and their lovely home in the woods, her parents focused on what the city had to offer to them: electricity, inside plumbing, central heating, good schools, and job opportunities, all of which they had previously lacked. It was true that they felt they had been wronged but they chose not to be dragged down by their own negativity that would prevent them from seeing the benefits of their new life. When the previous chief retired, Mankiller accepted the challenge to run for chief of the Nation. Many Cherokee were angry that a woman wanted to assume leadership. She received harassing phone calls and other forms of intimidation, including death threats. She believed that gender was a nonsensical issue in the election and that she would lose the election if she allowed herself to dwell on it. Mankiller admits that sometimes there is very little upside to a negative situation, in which case the best one can do is reflect on what s/he learned (Ibid., 103-105). She has found throughout her career as a leader that "being of good mind" has been an essential practice--a simple prayer that rids the mind of negative thoughts, improving energy and heightening creative thought processes. PASSION FOR WORK In discussions of leadership, the term "charisma" has been given a number of different but overlapping meanings: a leader's magical qualities; an emotional bond between leader and led; dependence on a father [mother] figure by the masses; popular assumptions that a leader is powerful, omniscient, and virtuous; imputation of enormous supernatural powers to a leader; and simply popular support for a leader that verges on love (Phillips, citing Burns, 1992, 77). The leadership attributes that best evoke the adjective of "charismatic" are the clear communication of mission and the passion felt for work. Passion and conviction have great and energizing power that can stimulate co-workers and inspire them to help achieve the goal. "Passion ignites a contagious optimism." (Danzig, quoting Stanford, 2000, 82) Unquestionably, survival and excellence in the field of victim services are clear indications of the passion an individual feels for helping victims and seeing justice served. In the process of acquiring greater leadership skills, the individual needs to look inward to better understand self, motivations, and passion. In so doing, s/he improves interpersonal skills and acquires practical skills that make him/her a more adept and confident leader. Servant Leadership Today there is a growing voice in modern leadership theory, and a shift in emphasis from financial capital to human capital as a source of organizational success. The concept of servant leadership (as defined by leadership theorist Robert Greenleaf 1977) is at the heart of this transformation, and elements of this theory abound in current leadership models. The point of departure for the servant-as-leader paradigm is that enlightened leadership puts serving others-- employees, customers, and community--as the number one priority. Furthermore, strong servant leaders focus on means and attitudes as well as outcomes. They see choices, have the willingness to make the right choices (based on values like respect, caring, and competence), and take responsibility to stay their course (Spears 2001). Greenleaf attributed the foundation of servant leadership to Journey to the East, a work by Hermann Hesse (1956). This book is an autobiographical account of the narrator's journey toward enlightenment, wherein he is accompanied by his faithful servant, Leo. Throughout the arduous journey, the narrator and his companions are assaulted by all kinds of disasters and hardships. Leo, by his spirit and warmth and gentle service, is able to sustain the travelers through these challenges. Then Leo is lost. The effect on the travelers is extreme; they end up wandering for years, and the narrator nearly dies. Finally, the narrator finds Leo, and is taken to the society he has been seeking--there, he discovers that Leo, his trusted and loyal servant, is actually the leader of the enlightened society. According to Greenleaf (1977), the key elements of servant leadership are: o Listening receptively to what others have to say. o Accepting others and having empathy for them. o Having foresight and intuition. o Being aware and perceptive. o Having highly developed powers of persuasion. o Having an ability to conceptualize and to communicate concepts. o Having an ability to exert a healing influence upon individuals and institutions. o Building community in the workplace. o Practicing the art of contemplation. o Recognizing that servant leadership begins with the desire to change oneself. While theorists and researchers often take great care to avoid the injection of morality into organizational theory, Greenleaf affirmatively states that it is the very moral underpinnings of leaders who choose to serve that prevents the typical corruption so often seen in hierarchies of power. Many leading writers on leadership echo this "new" approach to leadership. John C. Maxwell cites "servanthood" as one of the twenty-one indispensable qualities of a leader and cites five qualities of the true servant leader: 1. Puts others ahead of his/her own agenda. 2. Possesses the confidence to serve. 3. Initiates service to others. 4. Is not position-conscious. 5. Serves out of love (Maxwell 1999, 136-37). This challenging approach to leadership creates more questions than answers. It is not the embodiment of a simple formula that can be objectively applied for specific results. The exercise of servant leadership is as individual and varied as there are individuals and organizations. Yet the basic premise remains steadfast and unchanged--leadership in the name of true service to those led. In his book Synchronicity: The Inner Path to Leadership (1998), Joseph Jaworski takes the concept of servant leadership one step further in describing the true servant leader as one who makes the choice to serve life. In his introduction to Synchronicity, Peter Senge, a renowned authority on leadership and organizational theory, describes Jaworski's work as making a profound connection between the world of hierarchical power that is quickly disappearing and the newly emerging scheme of shared power, vast networks, and self- managed teams. Senge cites Jaworski's assertion that: . . . in a deep sense, my capacity as a leader comes from my choice to allow life to unfold through me. This choice results in a type of leadership that we've known very rarely, or that we associate exclusively with extraordinary individuals like Ghandi or King. In fact, this domain of leadership is available to us all, and may indeed be crucial for our future . . . That is the real gift of leadership. It's not about positional power; it's not about accomplishments; it's ultimately not even about what we do. Leadership is about creating a domain in which human beings continually deepen their understanding of reality and become more capable of participating in the world. Ultimately, leadership is about creating new realities (Jaworski 1998, 2-3). The concept of servant leadership draws upon all the qualities discussed in this chapter, and carries the need to know oneself to its highest level of potential. In knowing one's own capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses, one prepares oneself for the most effective and constructive leadership possible. Conclusion The many examples of leadership highlighted in this chapter offer both inspiration and insights into what makes an individual an effective leader. One's past experiences--both personal and professional--contribute significantly to leadership attitude, style, and strategies. While there is no "one" style of leadership that emerges as preferential, there are many components of different leadership styles addressed in this chapter that offer strong guidance for creating a self-style of leadership that is comfortable, creative, and effective. Key among research espoused by prominent leadership theorists is the need for leaders to know and understand their own strengths and weaknesses. The next chapter examines personal stories and historical illustrations of a quality absolutely essential to knowledge of oneself and one's true capacity for leadership--the possession and exercise of integrity. References Bennis, W., and B. Nanus. 1997. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge. New York: HarperCollins. Burns, J. M. 1978. Leadership. In D. Phillips. 1992. Lincoln on Leadership. New York: Warner Books. Danzig, R. J. 2000. The Leader Within You. Hollywood FL: Frederick Fell Publishers. Covey, S. 1989. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Simon & Schuster. Covey, S. 1999. Living the 7 Habits. New York: Simon & Schuster. Fogg, V. 8 January 2001. Personal communication with author. Greenleaf, R. K. 1977. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New York: Paulist Press. Haasnoot, R. 2000. The New World of Business: 9 Guiding Principles from Today's Leaders. Chicago: Dearborn. Heifetz, R. 1994. Leadership Without Easy Answers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Hesse, H. 1956. Journey to the East. Translated by H. Rosner. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Jaworski, J. 1998. Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Kennedy, J. F. 2000. Profiles in Courage, perennial edition. New York: Harper Collins. Ledeen, M. 1999. Machiavelli on Modern Leadership. New York: St. Marten's Griffin. McCall, M. 1998. High Flyers: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Mackoff, B., and G. Wenet. 2001. The Inner Work of Leaders: Leadership as a Habit of Mind. New York: Amacom. Maxwell, J. C. 1999. The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers. Pedlar, M., J. Burgoyne, and T. Boydell. 1997. The Learning Company. New York: McGraw Hill. Phillips, D. 1992. Lincoln on Leadership. New York: Warner Books. Senge, P. 1990. The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday. Spears, L. C. 2001. Servant Leadership: Quest for Caring Leadership. As viewed 21 January 2001 on the Robert Greenleaf Web site . Wicklund, C. 8 January 2001. Personal communication with author. Wolfe, T. The Right Stuff. 1979. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. In McCall, M. 1998. High Flyers: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press. ---------------------------- Chapter 2. Integrity and Ethics in Leadership Abstract The test of a true leader is his/her capacity to adhere to a strong foundation of ethics, articulate them as standards for colleagues and staff, and "practice what s/he preaches" by example on a daily basis. Personal leadership values form this ethical foundation, and are based upon past life experiences and current work processes that seek to improve rights and services for victims of crime. Ethical behavior reflects a sense of self-respect that translates into respect for others in all encounters. The process of living one's personal values in a leadership role requires being in touch with one's inner world of purpose, dreams, principles, aspirations, and ethics, which in the end gives meaning to one's life. The application of a leadership lifestyle is challenging and requires total commitment to the concept of integrity. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this chapter, students will understand the following concepts: o The various themes of ethics in leadership roles. o Ethical behavior as an organizational theme and how to measure one's own ethical principals and behaviors. o Personal leadership values that promote ethics and integrity and how to apply them in a leadership role. o Challenges to ethical leadership and strategies for facing such challenges. o The essential role of ethics and integrity in conveying a "unity of purpose" for an organization. Introduction The greatest leaders of history, regardless of their age, gender, race, or platform, all share one quality in common--absolute commitment to the principles they serve. Integrity in leadership is a quality that cannot be contrived and, in turn, is unmistakably apparent when a leader is truly committed to the cause s/he serves. Consider the words of Nelson Mandela, arguably one of today's most revered and honored world leaders, a man who emerged from twenty-six years as a political prisoner to be hailed as the triumphant leader and hero of a new South African democracy by allies and former enemies alike. In 1963, as he faced, before a British court in the strict apartheid regime of South Africa, charges of government sabotage which carried a possible death sentence by hanging, he made what many consider to be the most effective political speech of his career, detailing his efforts on behalf of democracy and freedom. In his authorized biography on Mandela, Anthony Sampson quotes a powerful portion of Mandela's speech in the following descriptive narrative: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities." He paused and looked at the judge: "It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve." Then, dropping his voice, he concluded: "But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." (Sampson 1999, 192) Mandela had dedicated his entire adult life to the struggle for freedom and democracy for the black Africans. His long ordeal as a political prisoner of the South African regime had barely begun. His lawyers, in every attempt to spare him the death penalty, initially begged him to leave out the statement "it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Mandela refused to leave out these words, finally agreeing only to insert the phrase, "if needs be." (Ibid., 191). While leaders are rarely called upon to risk their own lives for the integrity of the causes they serve, it is this kind of unwavering and heartfelt commitment that can propel men and women into positions of great leadership. Often magnificent displays of integrity are recognized only with hindsight, after the drama and tension surrounding a situation have subsided and the atmosphere has cleared sufficiently so that the nature and intent of the act and the opposition to it are manifest. It requires great courage in periods of adversity and dramatic change for leaders to conduct themselves ethically. They are often alone, misunderstood, and under fire for taking on powerful opponents or for struggling to change the status quo. Subtle acts of integrity go unnoticed and thus unappreciated. Yet without a leader's constant adherence to the precious core values that underwrite the entity that s/he represents, an organization's well-being can rapidly deteriorate. Ethical conduct in leadership and trusting relationships among the participants--be they a company, a victim services agency, a political constituency, or a family--are prerequisites for healthy environments. George Norris, whom John F. Kennedy memorialized in Profiles in Courage, was the freshman Senator from Nebraska who took on the Senate and President Wilson in 1917 to resist the United States' entry into the Great War in Europe. He led a small but committed opposition to the Armed Ship Bill that would have authorized the arming of American merchant ships in the war zone. Norris believed that Wilson was pandering to the munitions business that was seeking military protection for their commercial shipments to Europe, and that it would encourage German attacks and push the country into the war unnecessarily. Importantly, passage of the Bill would also have set a precedent for transferring the authority to declare war that resides with the Congress to the President, which is in violation of the laws of our nation (Kennedy 2000, 174-178). Although a three-day filibuster prevented the passage of the Bill, President Wilson managed to arm the ships and "let lose a scathing indictment of the little group of willful men who had rendered the great government of the United States helpless and contemptible." Norris came under brutal attack from his peers and constituency; his unpopularity soared; and he expected to be recalled to his state at any moment. He kept his office by explaining the simple truths of his argument while making personal appearances throughout the country. Even though the nation soon entered the war, in hindsight Norris was honored for his integrity and deemed a hero for his opposition to the Bill (Kennedy 2000, 178- 191). Norris' commitment to the principles upon which he staked his political career is memorialized in the following quote: I would rather go down to my political grave with a clear conscience than ride the chariot of victory as a Congressional stool pigeon, the slave, the servant, or the vassal of any man, whether he be the owner or manager of a legislative menagerie or the ruler of a great nation . . . I would rather lie in the silent grave remembered by both friends and enemies as one who remained true to his faith and who never faltered in what he believed to be his duty. (Kennedy 2000) As a service-based field, integrity in leadership is crucial in the victims' rights discipline. The efforts of victim advocates in the last thirty years to get the nation to focus on the plight of crime victims in the criminal and juvenile justice systems has been a battle in which the exercise of integrity has been essential. Securing the passage of laws that mandate victims' rights has required that the principles of justice to victims become established components of criminal and constitutional law. It is an ongoing process. Caring for victims and seeing that their rights are honored and justice is served is, by definition, "ethical behavior." Victim services is a dynamic, exacting, and developing profession that both compels and consumes those who have made it their profession. It spans local, state, and federal criminal justice systems and allied professionals, and sweeps across every aspect of daily life. Victim service professionals deal daily with traumatized people who but for giant strides made by the victims' rights discipline would be unattended or poorly served. What crime victims need, want, and are entitled to receive has been learned out of necessity and in a relatively short period. The knowledge has come as a result of increasing collaboration between policy-driven systems and individual crusaders for crime victims. Ethical and uncompromising leadership across the wide spectrum of victim concerns and issues has been a powerful catalyst in the development of comprehensive services currently available to victims, and such leadership is essential for further progress. Integrity, that unwavering commitment to purpose, has been responsible for the many gains made in the effort to gain recognition and rights for victims. Integrity in leadership, then, is nonnegotiable. To be effective, a leader must understand and embrace a strong set of ethics, communicate them as a valued standard to co-workers, and live by them. Integrity is the cornerstone on which trusting relationships are built and from which all honest consensus is created. This chapter defines elements of integrity and discusses how these elements are essential to effective and authentic leadership in any field and specifically in victim services. In what ways does a profession that deals largely with human emotions affect the nature of leadership? The chapter will look at ownership and the different kinds of boundaries that are relevant to leadership in victim services. Finally, it will discuss integrity, both practically and philosophically, in human relationships and in leadership roles. Applying Ethics in Leadership Roles Ethics is a way of teaching you how to live as though you were one with the other. --Joseph Campbell Ethical behavior often has a great deal to do with reconciling interests: the moral principles behind the choices one must make are often in conflict; choosing one option over the other requires critical analysis and deliberation. Recognizing an ethical problem within a complex set of circumstances is a test of one's ability to reason moral issues. Often, making moral choices in a family situation is clearer and more straightforward than making moral choices in professional life where the positive and negative repercussions of an ethical choice may occur at a greater distance from the decision maker and have little direct impact on him/her. In the corporate world, leaders frequently find themselves caught between their professional duties and general morality. Do their actions serve the good of the staff? Do their actions serve the good of the community-at- large? Those whose task it is to watch over the general well-being often see their mission as a career; at the center of which their own person occupies pride of place. Under such conditions, it's difficult for them to disregard the immediate term--especially their own popularity--and consider what would be best for everyone's good in the long term (Ricard and Revel 1998, 195). Making ethical choices requires a clear idea of one's moral mandate and the ability to critically analyze choices to determine how they stand up to principle. Although there are many approaches to making ethical choices, all basically reflect on good and evil and whether or not an action taken will be harmful to someone or something. The long-term positive results of a decision emphasizes its validity. Some of the different (and sometimes contradictory) choices are: o The categorical imperative: Always act so as to treat others as an end and never only as a means. o Be courageous but not rash, liberal but not stingy, righteously indignant but not malicious. Have pride but not vanity. o Take account of the preferences and interests of all those affected to bring about the greatest net satisfaction of preferences. o Resist what appears to be good in the short run for what appears to be really good in the long run. CLASSICAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES Arriving at moral decisions (or in some cases, the most moral decision possible in a circumstance) is about asking the right questions. Socially responsible business ethics attempt to apply classical ethical principles to modern business practices by proposing the questions below. The ten principles illustrated are tests to determine whether a decision can be considered ethical. It is recommended that seven out of ten be satisfied before a decision is made and the consideration should be for the long-term good: 1. Is the action contemplated in the long-term self interest of yourself and/or of the organization to which you belong? 2. Is the action contemplated honest, open and truthful? Is it one that you would not mind being widely reported to the media? 3. Is the action contemplated kind and does it build a sense of community, a sense of all working together toward a commonly accepted goal? 4. Is the action contemplated in violation of any laws (as the law represents the minimum moral standard in society)? 5. Does the action contemplated result in the lesser harm for society of which you are a part? 6. Is the action contemplated something you would like to see others take when faced with a similar dilemma? 7. Does the action contemplated abridge any agreed upon and accepted rights of others? 8. Does the action contemplated seek to maximize profits subject to legal and market restraints? 9. Is the action contemplated one that harms the least among us in any way? 10. Does the action contemplated interfere with the right of all of us for self- development and self-fulfillment? (Eighinger 1998) Further, the elements to consider when faced with an ethical decision are: o What are the ethical issues in this case? o Whose rights are involved? o What are the social justice issues? o What solution strategies are available? How does the strategy measure: --reduction of harm? --maximization of benefit? --respect of rights? --fair treatment of all parties involved? o What are the potential consequences of solution strategies? Who will be most affected by the choices? Are there unintentional consequences that have not been considered? Will the positive outcome outweigh the negative ones? (Ibid.) It is clear that leaders must consider a multiplicity of issues and concerns in making consistently ethical decisions and in developing a code of ethical behavior for their organizations. It is the leader's role to set a clear and uniform example of ethical behavior and to articulate specific expectations and goals so that ethical behavior becomes an integral theme of the organization. LEADERSHIP AND TRUST True leaders gain the trust of those they lead. While it is difficult to define exactly what trust is and what it means to those who follow a particular leader, we certainly know when it is present and when it is not. We know that it involves predictability, consistency, clarity of communication and purpose, and that it is essential to the maintenance of good leaders. The establishment and maintenance of trust allows leaders to guide and shape an organization through good as well as difficult times. A strong foundation of trust sustains an organization or any group through challenging obstacles so that the proper care and time can be taken to find the right solutions. Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith, in their book, Learning to Lead (1997), describe four qualities of leadership that, when practiced, create and engender trust. They are vision, empathy, consistency, and integrity. The authors, through their extensive research on leaders, argue that a leader who is trusted demonstrates these four characteristics: o The leaders has a vision for the organization that is clear, attractive, and attainable. We tend to trust leaders who create inspiring visions. The leader's vision functions as a context that provides shared beliefs and a common organizational purpose with which we can identify and feel that we belong. The leader involves us in the visions, empowers us to create it, and communicates the shared vision so that we integrate it into our lives. o The leader has unconditional empathy for those who live in the organization. We tend to trust leaders who can walk in our shoes and are able to let us know that although they may have a different point of view, they are able to see the world as we see it and understand the sense we make of it. o The leader's positions are consistent. We tend to trust leaders when we know where they stand in relation to the organization and how they position the organization relative to the environment. We understand how our leaders' positions evolved and know that they are willing to reconsider them in the face of new evidence. o The leader's integrity is unquestionable. We tend to trust leaders who stand for a higher moral order and who demonstrate their ethical commitments through actions that we can observe. Leaders uphold a standard of ethics and call themselves and others to account for deviations from this moral code. It is helpful to consider these four qualities as we consider the importance of trust and integrity in leadership. Oftentimes, as we reflect on leaders in our past and present that have influenced us and/or continue to play an important role in our lives, we see these qualities in action. This is more fully explored in the learning exercise contained in Appendix B-3, Qualities of Leadership. Ethical Behavior as a Theme in the Organization We should therefore examine whether we should act in this way or not as not only now but at all times. --Plato When the ethical behavior within an organization is suspect or there is an atmosphere of apathy and a need for a strong ethical code to serve as a positive motivating factor for all employees, the effort to establish the ethical code begins with the leader of the organization. The motivation starts at the top. The National Institute of Ethics reports that leaders who encourage staff to maintain a high level of ethical behavior and to maximize their potential inherently do the following: o Convey a sincere interest in others. o Satisfy the needs of subordinates. o Develop an organizational commitment. o Are honest and open in dealings with fellow employees. o Allow co-workers to play an active role in decision making. o Provide challenges and responsibilities for staff. o Convey trust and understanding. o Assist in personal development (Trautman 1998, 41). ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE ASSESSMENT The National Institute of Ethics has developed for law enforcement a series of training tools and manuals to determine what policies, procedures, or practices within an organization need to be added or revised to ensure integrity and ethics in the workplace. Two different surveys are conducted--one with staff and one with management. To encourage staff to speak openly, the surveys are sealed upon completion. Staff are requested to frankly disclose their criticisms about the level of ethics in the workplace, from the top down, and to give suggestions for improvements. General survey questions that apply to criminal justice (and that also apply to victim service providers) are meant to provoke a discussion about the level of ethics in the organization and what would enhance them: What are the greatest needs in relation to ethics? Do unethical acts occur in the organization? What are the strengths in relation to ethics? How can they address the weak areas? (Ibid., 53). Completion of the surveys allows the staff and leadership to examine and express their ideas, expectations, and shortcomings without risking job security. Once ethics become a central theme of the organization, the group as a whole can decide if they would benefit from ethics training. ETHICS ASSURANCE COUNCIL AND ETHICS TEAMS The National Institute of Ethics also proposes the creation of Ethics Assurance Councils for all kinds of organizations to bring staff together to share ideas, suggestions, and critical information while organizing and directing the effort to make ethics a focal point of the workplace. Councils can identify and resolve any unavoidable ethics-related problems that arise in the workplace as a result of company protocol or policy (Ibid.). In a similar vein, co-workers who form Ethics Teams can work together to improve each other's ethical decision-making skills. They can coach each other and staff on solving problems, providing resources, and offering objective feedback. The following are questions used in the National Institute of Ethics Self- Evaluation: o How do I decide ethical dilemmas? o Do I have set ethical beliefs or standards? o If so, do I live by these beliefs or standards? o How often have I done things that I am ashamed of? o How often have I done things that I am proud of? o Do I admit my mistakes? o What do I do to correct mistakes that I make? o Do I often put the well-being of others ahead of mine? o Do I follow the golden rule? o Am I honest? o Do people respect my integrity? o List the three best things that have ever happened to me. o What is the most dishonest thing I have ever done? o Did I ever rectify the situation? o What is the most honest thing that I have ever done? (Trautman 1998, 87) Personal Leadership Values Victim service professionals hold the public trust as surely as do other public servants such as prosecutors, law enforcement, and the judiciary. Victims of crime trust and rely that professionals will adhere to a code of conduct based upon established principles and values. That code of conduct must also require service delivery to be appropriate and of the highest quality in technique and nature. The leader establishes a code of conduct and decision making that s/he adheres to with complete integrity. Integrity is individuals conducting themselves by a code or standard of moral virtue, which prevents untoward behavior in thought, word, or deed. The key to integrity is consistent and unwavering commitment to a standard of principles or virtues. One of the challenges facing victim services is a lack of clearly agreed upon standards and credentials by which the quality and ethics of services offered by both individuals and programs can be objectively measured. This is not a reflection of dissension within the field, but rather an indication of the maturation and growth that has led to an increasing need for the articulation and creation of a common set of values. The diversity of service professionals within the field makes this a complex and complicated process that requires deep consideration and skilled consensus-building. The process has already begun-- several states have developed certification processes and the Office for Victims of Crime has funded a national project that will culminate in recommendations (gathered from a diverse, national advisory board, as well as from grassroots populations throughout the country) regarding individual, program, and ethics standards. The lack of uniformity in credentialing is a challenge to public recognition of the standards upon which victim service practitioners and programs operate. Therefore, it is incumbent upon leaders to clearly articulate the values and principles that form the cornerstone of their provision of victim services. The individual articulation of these principles and values will guide and shape the overall articulation of standards. What are some of the virtues by which integrity in victim services leadership should be measured? The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you--Then, it will be true. --Langston Hughes in Theme for English B The greatest rewards come only from the greatest commitment. --Arlen Blum, Mountain Climber, Leader American Women's Himalayan Expedition o Commitment. The first virtue of integrity is commitment to a purpose. It is absolute dedication to accomplishing a worthy goal. Commitment is unwavering and uncompromising. It endures doubt, blame, and rejection. Emotional attachment or passion, which is often ignored, begins with commitment and is a function of commitment. Leaders believe--through their own vision of lofty ideals--that they can make a difference. They embrace a goal, and expect and hope that others will devote their lives to the achievement of that goal. Leaders must be willing (in their passion for the purpose) to ensure that others also have a stake in creating and owning the possibility of the purpose. o Trust. Without trust, effective leadership is impossible. As a virtue, trust refers to loyalty and truthfulness. When leaders demonstrate that they are consistent in their actions, they create a relationship of safety and engender trust from others- -trust that situations and events will be handled in accordance with principled standards. The often cited example of "going to the well with someone in the dark of night" captures the core of trust. Trust means knowing that one is in safe hands even under perilous conditions. Integrity in leadership engenders that kind of assurance. Leaders in victim services must not only establish trusting relationships with staff; they must also serve as teachers to the staff who may not yet be adept at forming trusting relationships with the victims they serve. o Wisdom. Daniel Payne said, "Wisdom is the gift, the endowments to know how to use power. Knowledge is only an instrument in the hand of wisdom." (Johnson 1995) Integrity in leadership requires the ability to use the power of wisdom in positive ways to strengthen people, systems, and institutions. Wisdom allows a leader to predict, distinguish, and discern conflicts, actions, and situations. It clears the vision to see beyond the immediate--to take into account the past, present, and future. Wisdom is the virtue that drives integrity. o Responsibility. A sense of responsibility which comes with power is the rarest of things. This virtue allows that leaders will step up to the line, take on the mantle, and demonstrate reliability. Responsibility means modeling a standard of excellence to which others can aspire. Responsibility must be embodied and actual. Victim service professionals are faced daily with the overwhelming responsibility of caring for people during critical periods in their lives. The "responsibility" aspect of their work includes treating every client as a unique individual, whose pain and suffering deserves a consistent, quality response. o Courage. One isn't necessary born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We cannot be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest. Victim service professionals need courage to confront the overwhelming issues in a field that hinges on life and death. They are also sometimes called upon to confront allied justice professionals about issues that affect the fair and respectful treatment of victims. o Competency. Knowledge is not power, it is potential power that becomes real through use. People with integrity are honest enough to acknowledge when they do not know something. At the same time, they bring a level of proficiency to their work which includes expertise in leadership skills. Leaders will challenge, inspire, and enable others through competent measures, as a function of their integrity. They will always lead by example. o Sensitivity. Sensitivity is a powerful source for helping others to feel strong. The victim services field is founded on the principle of empowerment. Integrity is based upon the ability to sense, consider, and regard the feelings and needs of others. Respect for others gives rise to the ability to be sensitive to others. Respect for the human condition should permeate one's standard of conduct. What seems to be most natural for professionals in victim services can sometimes become a "lost art" when one surrenders to isolation, loses touch with others, and focuses only on him/herself. Leadership is not an independent activity, but one that relies on relationships between people. o Justice. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an escapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. We associate justice with entitlement-- giving an individual what s/he is due. Justice is that and more. It is also a virtue of integrity, which permits a range of acknowledgment, consideration, attention, and redress to the needs of individuals that may not fit the definition of what is "strictly owed." This virtue takes patience, foresight, flexibility, and an understanding heart. o Servitude. "Real leaders are humble servants and not power-hungry tyrants. This concept proposes that greatness is achieved only through humility. Leaders with integrity refute the idea of superiority through position. Rather, they engage in helping and enabling others to have the leeway and the tools that they need for success--recognizing that the success of others is a positive reflection on them. Servitude means refusing to act with pretense, arrogance, or self- importance; it also means making the welfare of people and organizations-- rather than power and prestige for one's own gain--a priority. o Self-respect. Joan Didion, in her essay "On Self-respect," says that to have the sense of one's own intrinsic worth is potentially to have everything: the ability to discriminate, to love, and to remain indifferent. To lack it is to be locked within oneself, paradoxically incapable of either love or indifference (Didion 1968). These nine virtues comprise minimum requirements for integrity. They require diligent pursuit, which in turn requires strength, time, and the will to persevere. Can integrity be taught or measured? Integrity develops out of repeated confirmation of self-worth and determination. Integrity is measured by one's actions. In essence, people with integrity are able to successfully integrate these virtues and others into their daily transactions. They live the precepts of honesty, reliability, resourcefulness, and concern and consideration for others. They inspire and challenge others to greater levels. They refuse to demand loyalty, yet are grateful for loyalty when inevitably, it comes. Finally, integrity accepts individual differences--both the frailties and strengths--which are by- products of the human condition. Applying Personal Values in a Leadership Role As the field of victim services matures, so does the need for leadership training and education. Having been integrated into police departments, prosecutor and court offices, probation and parole agencies, and hospitals, direct service professionals are being catapulted into positions of power in these bureaucratic institutions where established supervisors have had the benefit of years of leadership training and practical experience. Many victim service providers have been ground-level employees who were never exposed to leadership training. Now occupying positions of authority, but without the support or funding to acquire training, they may have a tremendous need for training in basic leadership qualities and strategies. Preliminary advice to victim service professionals who find themselves overwhelmed with the leadership position they have assumed includes the following: o Learn not only about things to be done, but also about how to do them. o Learn to accept the new role and function as an equal with other leaders in the hierarchy of agencies and institutions. Embrace the total organization--not just the segment that provides victim services. Relate every conceivable aspect of the organization to the activities of victim services. o Seek to understand the policies and politics that drive the operation of the organization, and find constructive ways to contribute to both. o Learn from the experiences--both negative and positive--of colleagues in all divisions of the organization. o Understand the importance of continuing education and training. o And finally . . . believe in yourself. It is also important to recognize that personal values among victim-serving professionals vary significantly. While the diversity of beliefs should be viewed as an asset, it can also present challenges to professionals who are "set in their ways." A strong leader encourages and even thrives on diversity in values and beliefs of professional colleagues and staff. The varying perspectives often bring new, innovative approaches to victim services. They help victim service organizations to more appropriately "mirror" the diversity of the clients they serve. Perhaps most significantly, diversity in values and beliefs ultimately improves the quality and scope of victim and justice-related services. MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY IN INTEGRITY AND ETHICS We are all faced with many instances in which we are challenged to put our most dearly held beliefs and values into action. Sometimes there is a gap between what a leader believes is right and the action that s/he takes. This has been referred to as the "integrity gap." Having the courage and commitment to stand up for what we believe in when the time comes to do so is a common and recurring challenge for all human beings (Bennis and Goldsmith 1997, 139). Bennis and Goldsmith (1997) cite a study by authors Everett, Mack, and Oresick that analyzes the pressures upon corporate executives in maintaining ethical values while working to increase profitability of their corporations. One finding was that the executives fell generally into two types of categories: (1) "principled risk takers" and (2) "conventional decision makers" (Ibid., 139). The executives in the study fell generally into one of these two categories, and the differences were seen in the following three areas: 1. Self-Consistency: Wholeness or Compartmentalization. Did individuals see life as an integrated whole in which their beliefs applied to work as well as to church groups, volunteer organizations, and values at home? 2. Personal Efficacy: High or Limited Sense of Agency. Did individuals have a sense of power and control in their work life so that they believed they could take action to express their values? 3. Scope of Awareness: Global or Circumscribed. Did individuals see themselves as global citizens with responsibilities that are larger than their own corner of the world? (Ibid.) It is a rare person who is solely a "principled risk taker" or "conventional decision maker." Most of us are combinations of both. Analyzing and reflecting upon the issues raised by the above three qualities is extremely helpful in determining our own capacities for leadership and for withstanding the pressures that oftentimes come with positions of leadership, e.g., pressures to conform, to take the easy way out, to keep everyone happy, to do things the same way they've always been done, or to not "make waves." Maintaining one's personal values and morals consistently and congruently throughout one's personal and professional lives is no easy task--like everything discussed in this manual, it is a long and highly personal journey. Appendix B-4 contains an interactive learning exercise designed to assist in analyzing one's own potential gaps in integrity. Challenges to Ethical Leadership The beginning of this chapter addressed the high price of integrity in leadership: learning it and constantly reinforcing its practice. Sometimes the best lessons are learned through failure and mistakes. As the old saying goes, that which does not destroy me, makes me stronger. Success can be measured by the ability to overcome obstacles. Put another way, success can be measured by one's ability to avoid the mistakes that others have made along the way. In order to gain some insight into problems that are common to victim service professionals, the following scenarios present examples of possible ethical quandaries. ADAPTING TO CHANGE AND REMAINING RESILIENT: THE AGE/EXPERIENCE FACTOR Lauren has been involved in the victim's movement for over twenty years. She remembers a time when the word "struggle" applied to the recognition of victims and their rights, the acquisition of resources for victims, funding for programs, and even respect and salaries for professionals in the field. Lauren cherishes her journey in all of these instances, which in some way defines her purpose in life. Her motivation has always been her passion to reach out and help victims; her commitment has often driven her to live her job 24/7. The organization for which she has been the director for twenty years has grown from a staff of three to a staff of eighteen. One of the major contributing factors to the dynamics of the workplace environment is the age and level of experience of the victim advocates, and how each generation's motivations and core values shift dramatically from one age group to another. Lauren lives by a traditional work ethic. Her primary motivation is to give back and to serve--to do good for others. She works hard at her job to serve victims to the greatest degree possible, and if that involves overtime and home phone calls, so be it. When her staff jumped from three to eighteen people, the first difference she noted between her motivation and that of her new staff (who were generally age thirty and younger) was an apparent lack of shared commitment. They wanted to work a nine-to-five job, and they wanted independence and responsibility assigned to them immediately without regard for learning and earning the work experience. They were fearless but seemed to demonstrate less passion for serving victims than their more senior counterparts. Lauren was frustrated because she did not view them as serious in their quest to serve victims and witnesses of crime in the same passionate sense that she applied to her life's work. An added dynamic of the extremes in age/experience within Lauren's office was a generation disparity. Older, more traditional staff, who entered the field of victim services with considerable experience in related fields, sometimes expressed feeling insecure and inadequate among the younger, more aggressive staff who have not had the years of experience but nevertheless are charged with more responsibility in the work environment. The older individuals, new to Victim Services, were often trained by first-line supervisors who in some instances could be as much as twenty-five years younger than the trainee, and the dynamics of the training were hampered because of such an age/experience differential. Specifically, Lauren was concerned about the discomfort of a newcomer, a therapist who joined her staff. She brought with her years of training and experience with clients in crisis. After learning from the young trainer about the speed and efficiency required in dealing with the great number of victims who require speedy referrals and case processing, the therapist (who is fifty-six years old) felt that she was being asked to ignore her victim counseling skills to help streamline office protocols. Not only did this newcomer resent the lack of recognition of her experience in helping those in need, she also felt that the younger staff members did not respect her as an individual. Issues to consider: o In a discipline where people often deal with high tensity emotional experiences, how does this example demonstrate a common theme in the workplace? Why is this situation an ethical quandary for Lauren? o What type of serious long-term damage can result from allowing a situation of this nature to go unchecked? Tolerance, as a virtue of integrity, might allow Lauren to connect/communicate/understand her younger, less experienced staff. In what ways can she expand her own perspective by broadening her lens? o While part of the problem with the new therapist may be related to the therapist's dislike of her subordinate position to a young trainer, Lauren must deal with the essential issue of her employee's self-respect as well as the fundamental well-being of the organization. Lauren may need to reassure the therapist that she was hired precisely because of her experience as a therapist. How can Lauren help the therapist to frame the responsibilities of her new job in such a way that she will employ those skills, improve and expand them, and pass them on to others? Lauren's challenge as a leader is to recognize that she cannot impose her work ethic on others, a critical factor in the leader/follower relationship. How much is too much in that relationship? Lauren as a leader must be capable of supporting all of her staff to do very good work on their own terms. The ultimate challenge, however, is to make the trials of others easier to bear. Current leadership theorists have examined with great interest how sensitivity to generational differences is becoming a factor in motivating staff to improve their performance. Essex and Kusy (1999) write that: For generation X (born from 1964 through 1975), growing up with computers and MTV and being the first generation of latchkey kids, it's no surprise that they are not used to being closely supervised. While loyal to a profession or a cause, they are not necessarily loyal to an organization, having witnessed the downsizing of many baby boomers. They may want rewards based on performance, not longevity or degrees, and don't understand why they should be required to work their way up if they have the necessary skills now. As Xers enter the workforce, leaders of all generations will need to understand how best to lead and retain them because this is the thinnest labor pool in recent times. According to Essex and Kusy (1999), baby boomers (those born from 1946 to 1963) typically demonstrate stronger work ethics and company loyalty. They are more open to talking through issues at length with supervisors, brainstorming with colleagues, and working in team efforts. They have a clear sense of the importance of career building and establishing an income base. The oldest work pool for organizations is made up of people born between 1925 and 1945 who share traditional work ethics, value loyalty and stability, and demonstrate respect for authority. "They bring a strong work ethic, a wealth of life and work experience, as well as commitment to the organizations fortunate enough to have captured their wisdom." (Ibid., 20) Drawing upon three generations of workers who have powerfully different motivations requires that leaders cease to even consider that what they want-- and how they want to achieve it--is transferable. For example, the current rule for dealing with generation Xers is to stop "squeezing them for motivation and commitment." They can be excellent at their job if one remembers that "play and work go hand in hand." To GenXers, "there is life after work" (Ibid.). Baby boomers have other needs. They are more organizationally loyal and relate profoundly to their work even if they don't like their job. A key motivation to a baby boomer is having adequate opportunities for advancement and participation in key organizational decisions. Essex and Kusy (1999) suggest that boomers need help in stretching their talent, but they also tend to work excessively. "To avoid mid-career burn-out, provide boomers with the self-actualizing experiences for which they hunger." Allow them opportunities to be creative. Give them mobility and offer them sabbaticals. Essex and Kusy (1999) point out that it is common among older workers with traditional work ethics to feel that what they have accomplished in their careers is not being held in as high esteem as it should be. It is important that their abilities be recognized. Under skillful leadership, they oftentimes become the office "sages" to whom younger staff turn for a wide range of advice about challenges in victim services, as well as general life situations. OWNERSHIP: THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAR AND HEALTHY BOUNDARIES People drawn to the field of victim services are often passionate about crime victims and their issues. Victim service providers, as pioneers and crusaders for victim justice, work tirelessly to ensure that crime victims are afforded rights and services. Crime victims and providers enter into a close relationship characterized by the victim's dependency on the service provider. When service providers become so involved with their clients that they become reliant upon their relationship with their clients to address their own needs, this behavior represents a compromise of ethical standards of professionalism. It is necessary to recognize the importance of-- o Understanding that the "need to be needed" is potentially harmful to clients as well as staff. o Separating from one's work and finding a balance between work and other aspects of one's life. Just as there are addictions to drugs, alcohol, and sex, there are addictions to "being needed by others." o Finding resources to support one's mental health--a mentor, therapist, friend, hobby, family, exercise, spiritual leader, or a combination. o Understanding the tremendous impact that a leader's behavior may have upon clients and their families. Kathy is a victim service provider in a law enforcement agency. Throughout her years of working victim cases, she has developed close relationships with many homicide survivors, and is deeply aware of the importance of not cultivating a dependence that some survivors may develop during their interactions with key players within the criminal justice process. Those interactions may be with victim service providers, prosecutors, police detectives, or other agents. Kathy observed a phenomenon among some female homicide family survivors that she realized could create a serious problem for them. They have a tendency to become completely reliant and dependent on the male detectives investigating the homicide. It is difficult to assess how much of the dependency is the result of the need for victims to be in touch with every bit of information specific to their cases, the all-consuming aspects of homicide, or possible issues associated with the investigators' needs beyond professional accomplishment. Whatever the reason and extent of these sometimes involved and intense associations, the end of the investigation often results in the end of the relationship and can have devastating effects on the grieving survivor. Kathy believed her duty was to take a stand on helping investigators to recognize the important influence they have on victims. The climate of her agency would not permit an open discussion of the situation without jeopardizing her job and the working relationships she had spent so many years developing. Issues to consider: o Kathy may need to establish a policy of meeting with all female homicide family survivors early in the investigation. This process could help educate victims further regarding their right to information, not as a component of their relationship with the investigator, but as a full-scale right required by law. o Kathy may consult with local mental health professionals familiar with this type of dependent response in victims to develop the most effective means of communicating with the victims whom she considered vulnerable. One option may be to develop a training for law enforcement that will assist them in explaining the sort of unusual emotional responses that victims might have in dealing with their loss, i.e., excess alcohol or other drug use; excess medication; and falling in love with an inappropriate person who may be helping them deal with the crime. Kathy communicated this message throughout the staff, and it has been assimilated without causing any harm or creating animosity among co- workers, investigators, or detectives. SEARCHING FOR APPROVAL IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES: FAILURE TO STRIVE FOR WHOLESOME RELATIONSHIPS WITH SELF AND OTHERS In his "Rules" adapted from his autobiography, My American Journey, Colin Powell (1995) indicates that one should never let ego get so close to one's position that when the position goes, one's ego goes with it. It is a mistake to be guided by one's own need for ego fulfillment in leadership situations. Leaders sometimes find that they are driven by a need to have employees like them, include them in their lives, and identify with them beyond the dictates of the job. These struggling leaders fail to recognize their inner world. They cannot draw a distinction between their own personal needs and the professionalism required for the work environment. Ethical behavior allows that distinction. Relationships must start with the leader's concept of self and move on to relationships with others. These relationships must be meaningful, empowering, and reciprocal in nature, and must reflect a broader view of respect than one's inherent due. The broad view is the infusion of respect throughout every encountered situation. Rather than look for adoration from followers, real leaders search instead for respect through mutual relationships. Leaders must create a valuing culture in the workplace where relationships are built on appreciation--rather than on tolerance--and all are made to feel an equal part of the whole. Beth and her co-worker Vickie had worked together in establishing a unique program response to victims of sexual assault. The two colleagues considered themselves crusaders in providing quality service for specific types of crimes. They spent long grueling hours planning and implementing their program. The hours together created a bond that carried over into their personal lives. The two received public acclaim for their contributions to the field and as a consequence, a grant provided the opportunity to hire more staff and Beth was promoted into the position of director of the program. Vickie did not resent the promotion. However, their close friendship proved to be a problem for the newly hired staff, to the extent that Beth experienced major difficulties in retaining staff, based on accusations of favoritism, failure to include total staff in various projects, and a distorted assumption of project ownership. Issues to consider: o Prior to the expansion of the program and her promotion, Beth's relationship with Vickie was typical of those shared by colleagues in the workplace environment. When the promotion and staff adjustments changed this, Beth failed to make the appropriate corresponding adjustment. o What did Beth need to know and understand about her role as a leader? What ethical issues were apparent in her behavior? Could Vickie have helped Beth in modifying their relationship? o Could Beth also have been struggling with some ego-related issues surrounding her special work with sexual assault victims? Could she have been possessive of the program and her relationship with Vickie and unwilling t