A633.9.3.RB_MedleyKim_Polyarchy: Are You Ready for Your Fixer Upper?

Polyarchy: Are You Ready for Your Fixer Upper?

            Obolensky (2010) poses the question, “If polyarchy is fast replacing the old oligarchic assumptions, does this make these old leadership models redundant” (p. 195)? Consider the numerous television shows spanning just as many cable and satellite stations that provide viewers with the seemingly simplistic steps of restoration. Both HGTV and DIY showcase several shows designed to demonstrate how something old can be used as a foundation from which to create a new function and purpose. Fixer Upper and Flip or Flop tell the story of how two married couples, the former living in Waco, Texas and the latter residents of California, adapted when the real estate markets turned south. Many of those who shop for homes want all of the conveniences of new construction; but, often do not have the financial wherewithal. Just as Flipping homes begins with the bones of an older, traditionally constructed home and applies new construction technology and accounts for individuality through accessories such as paint colors, material selections, and specific fixtures. Similarly, older, traditional styles of leadership, “Servant Leadership… ‘Situational Leadership’ and … ‘Task-Team-Individual’ models are dusted off and freshened up by applying “Collins’ ‘Level 5 Leadership’ and Badaracco’s ‘Quiet Leadership’ (Obolensky, 2010, p. 195). Complex Adaptive Leadership provides us with the modern tools from which to modernize tried and true styles. We are able to identify and keep that which we find solid, reinforce weaker areas, and update the models to reflect individuality.

  By looking at “Figure B.1 John Adair’s Leadership Model”, and viewing the center area from Groth’s (2012) perspective, i.e., the center is one’s “core career competency”, the nucleus of leadership for anyone first requires “delivering and overdelivering… what you’ve been hired to do”. The nucleus for each of the married couples from the restoration shows is that of real estate and consistently delivering to their customers. Because both Chip and Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper, and Tarek and Christina El Moussa, Flip or Flop, had mastered their core competency, each was able to “pursue peripheral projects” (Groth, 2012). The Gaines help potential homeowners realize their designer home, on a show-string budget, and help to revitalize older neighborhoods.  The El Moussas buy distressed properties, foreclosures, short sales, and “flip” the property in order to realize a profit. While each couple had real estate experience, each was pushed “to learn something entirely new” (Groth, 2012). It is through this pursuit of outside projects and the push for new skills that a widening of the core, as shown in “Figure B.2”, is possible as knowledge expands beyond a single leader (Obolensky, 2010, p. 196).

With each house flip, there is a task at hand, with a team tasked with completing the job for an individual. When knowledge is expanded, flexibility and “cross-functional capability” are added to the dynamic of leadership (Obolensky, 2010, p. 196). Imagine older floor plans. Rooms were separated by walls. Today, open concepts are the trend. An open floor plan provides for a feeling of togetherness within a home, as opposed to separate silos. By taking down walls and reinforcing the structure with hidden support beams, families are better able to interact. In the beginning of each show, Joanna Gaines and Christina El Moussa provided the majority of the design elements for the restoration project. As each show has continued, their knowledge has been shared with Chip and Tarek such that each are now comfortable in offering design element suggestions. Much of “Adair’s Functions of Leadership” still apply with both Joanna and Christina in that because they provide the main design, each defines the task, plans, briefs, controls, supports, informs, and reviews each job site (Obolensky, 2010, p. 197). Griffin (2003) states, “people don’t check their individuality at the door”, neither do leaders (p. 113). The style often exhibited by Joanna Gaines is a country-chic while Christina El Moussa designs with modern influences. Each is suited to the customers found in Waco, Texas and Orange County, California. As polyarchic processes are applied, it’s easy to see that while the day-to-day tasks of flipping a home are carried out by the individuals from the various constructions teams; it is primarily Joanna and Christina who ensure the process of restoration (Obolensky, 2010).

            

            Once a restoration has been completed, with the exception of bedrooms and bathrooms, the interiors of homes are transformed such that where once individual boxed rooms were housed within a larger exterior boxed frame, one box, that now opens a kitchen to a dining room, family room, and living room, now stands. Likewise, where three circles, intersecting only at “The Leader”, once represented Adair’s Model, once it has been renovated and restored with polyarchic designs, the three circles are now one, indicating a flow from defining the task, planning and briefing, informing and controlling, and supporting and reviewing (Obolensky, 2010). Restoration, like leadership, is not for everyone. Each week, potential homeowners, when shown run-down and abandoned property for Fixer Upper, easily admit they cannot see what the Gaines see. They cannot see beyond the walls; yet, once the final nail is hammered, they are simply amazed how a traditional home has been transformed to meet the needs of homeowners in the 21^st century.

            

            Both Fixer Upper and Flip or Flop have provided numerous real estate agencies, designers, and contractors with a new perspective for older homes. The challenge will be the inventory of such homes. In the absence of affordable inventory, will leaders such as the Gaines and El Moussas contemplate a design that is new construction with the distressed look that provides the character of traditional construction? Resources could include identifying and employing the skills of carpenters and trades who still practice hand-craft construction and/or carpentry. Waco may provide more opportunity to rescue distressed lumber from demolition projects in order to use with new construction. California could be a source of art-deco style and provide the chance to future contractors to learn the skills of the past. Just a Buckingham (2012) tells of Ralph Gonzalez’s Best-Buy success, Chip and Joanna Gaines, along with Tarek and Christina El Moussa, found their “whistle” in the form of rea-estate restoration (p. 88). The concept of flipping a home could be taught to almost anyone; however, the practice, demonstrated by each couple, as turned into a way of life for each. The Gaines personally help first time or repeat home buyers realize their personal dream when faced with a limited budget. The El Moussas took their knowledge of the real estate market and the desire for high end finishes, and expanded their real estate business to a construction and design company. This concept may not work in an area where the housing inventory is low and household incomes are high. Perhaps in looking ahead, each construction entity should consider pursuing projects outside of the company and experimenting with new projects and concepts so that when the housing market enters a time when flipping becomes more difficult, each will be able to compensate.

            

            The beauty of polyarchy is that it helps us dust off those traditional forms of leadership and personalize them in a way we are better able to expand knowledge so the onerous responsibility that once sat squarely on the shoulders of one is now expanded and shared in a way that allows for creativity and communication to occur to insure survival of not only the organization; but, the individual seeking to become a leader. Polyarchy, like flipping houses, helps us to tear down walls, provide support beams, embrace open concepts, apply neutral tones, create functional spaces, and encourage individuality while still preserving the character of leadership models, that while distressed, provide a solid foundation from which to go forward.

References

Buckingham, M. (2012). Leadership Development In the Age of The Algorithm. Harvard

            Business Review, 90(6), 86-94.

Griffin, N.S. (2003). Personalize Your Management Development. Harvard Business Review,

            81(3), 113-119.

Groth, A. (2012, Nov. 27). Everyone Should Use Google’s Original ’70-20-10 Model’ To

            Map Out Their Career. Business Insider. Retrieved from

            http://www.businessinsider.com/kyle-westaway-how-to-manage-your-career-2012-11

Knab, E. (2016). A633.9.3.RB – Polyarchy Reflections. In MSLD 633 Assignments. Retrieved

from https://erau.instructure.com/courses/44431/assignments/683390?module_item_id=2195434

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

A633.8.3.RB_MedleyKim_Coaching: Values that Last Generations

Coaching: Values that Last Generations

          It’s perhaps one of the most memorable movie endings. Family, friends, and teammates gather to say good-bye to Gary Bertier, a T.C. Williams High School football player, brought to the forefront of American in one of my favorite movies, Remember the Titans. To this day, that closing scene brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat; but, not just because a community lost an amazing athlete; it’s what the community gained, and the difference made, through coaching by Coach Herman Boone and Coach William Yoast.

          Knab (2016) states that in order “to be an executive coach, it is necessary to know that clients are the first and best expert capable of solving their own problems and achieving their own ambitions”. Hauser (2009) explains how elements of Gestalt OSD, “Schein’s (1999) process consultation, Peterson’s (2006) five necessary conditions for change, and Block’s (1981) flawless consultation process” are foraged to provide the foundation of coaching (p. 8). Gestalt “expands, strengthens, and optimizes the coachee’s leadership capabilities” (Hauser, 2009, p. 9). Insight, motivation, and accountability support and guide coaches through questions that define a starting point, a goal, real-world function, and measurement of learning and success. By adding capabilities, coaching is able to achieve its main objective, changing behavior, by moving individual(s) “from current thinking, behaviors, and performance, to expanded thinking and enhanced performance, toward a more integrated self, sustainable development, and success” (Hauser, 2009, p. 9).

          Remember the Titans, posted by Patruno (2015), takes place in 1971, during the desegregation of the schools in the South. I well remember this time. I was in fifth grade, my parents had just purchased a home across the street from my Pine Crest Elementary School, and the school board had announced to all parents fifth and sixth graders would be bussed to a school in a neighborhood of Sanford, Florida, known as Goldsboro, and mere blocks away from a section of town I avoid to this day. The area was fraught with drug and gang violence then; and, today. The movie captures the emotions of that era. My father and his parents grew up in Virginia; so, I have that sense of history, too. Coach Herman Boone and Coach William Yoast are faced with being the first school in that Virginia district to integrate its football team. If there is one activity that brings a community together, it’s football. Although Yoast is scheduled to be the head coach, the school board brings in Boone thereby replacing a white head coach with a black head coach. To further compound the situation, Boone later learns that at the first sign of “trouble”, one lost game, he can be fired and Yoast will become the head coach (Patruno, 2015). Boone and Yoast face individual hurdles they must overcome. Boone must prove his ability as a black man, against all stereotypes; Yoast must learn he doesn’t have all of the answers and can learn from Boone.

          At the heart of coaching, according to von Hoffman (1999) “is a person’s potential” (p. 4). Coaches provide value, in this case Boone and Yoast provide value, by helping the players, and subsequently the team, “handle problems for themselves”, define issues, expected outcomes, measure results, hold each player accountable, outline the change that must occur, both individually and with the team, if success is to be achieved, commit to coach, focus on the future, and invest in each player (von Hoffman, 1999, p. 4). Players cannot communicate. Boone begins by making defensive and offensive players sit next to each other on the ride to camp, room together according to position, and sit with each player and learn about that player’s family, likes, dislikes, etc., until all players have spoken with one another (Patruno, 2015). It is during this exercise that players Gary Bertier and Julius Campbell begin to address their tensions. Bertier is upset with Campbell as he believes “God-given talent” is wasted on a player who does not care. Campbell, in a display of honest upward communication calls Bertier’s bluff. He asks why Bertier’s friend, an offensive player, refuses to block for Rev, the team’s black quarterback. He tells Bertier he has failed to leader and that his (Campbell’s) attitude is a reflection of that failed leadership (Patruno, 2015). Boone, through coaching, helps the team with “real communication”, defined by Rogers and Roethlisberger (1952) as listening with understanding, when he stops the morning jog at the edge of a field once covered in the color red, not black or white, the blood spilled by 50,000 who lost their lives in the Battle of Gettysburg. He reminds them the fight fought on that field is being fought at the camp, will be fought in the school, and will continue to present itself to these players in their lives (Patruno, 2015). Would Yoast have been able tackle the racial tensions? Would he have had the same ability to be equally tough on all of the players? We see how he coddles Petey Johnson.

          Goleman (2000) states, “Leaders set strategy, they motivate, they create a mission, they build a culture”; and, should “get results” (p. 78). Coaching is the vehicle that allows leaders to help players, teams, organizations, and in this case, communities get results. Boone’s coaching began with pre-season camp. By the time the boys return home, they have learned to live and work together. From a group of individuals, a team emerged. Boone’s coaching allows Bertier to come to him, present a problem, and when faced with Buytendijk’s (2010) “fork in the road”, Bertier chooses his team as he benches his friend, the offensive player who purposely misses a block leading to Rev’s injury (Patruno, 2015). The communication that took place within this small group, led “to greater acceptance of others by others, and to attitudes which are more positive and more problem-solving in nature” (Rogers & Roethlisberger, 1952, p. 49). Consider opening scenes of white parents and black parents seated separately in the stands. Because judgmental behavior has given way to upward communication and lateral coaching on the team, that has spread throughout the community. Following Bertier’s devastating car accident, as his mother enters the stadium, not only does she receive a standing ovation, parents are sitting together, no longer segregated (Patruno, 2015). 

          Obolensky (2010) explains coaching is a “pull” approach for leadership. Boone first establishes the strategy of “perfection” for the team. The team picks up this mantle when faced with the possibility of losing the championship. He pulled those boys toward perfection, using a dictatorial leadership style, that held each boy accountable equally, and led to more and more moments where the “clients” could solve “their own problems” (Knab, 2016). Even Lasky realizes his potential of attending college thanks to Boone’s plan for Lasky to bring his grades to him each quarter and tutoring from Rev (Patruno, 2015). Through insight, the Battle of Gettysburg, motivation, three-a-days until each player learned about each other, capabilities, Bertier and Campbell’s “left side, strong side” team leadership, real-world application, facing racial tensions of desegregation, and accountability, setting the same standard for all of the boys, Boone identified where the team was, what he wanted to do, what he would do to achieve, and measured results (Hauser, 2009).

          The movie closes with the grave yard ceremony for Bertier, ten years after the perfect season. That community, facing desegregation, slowly embraced chaos such that they were able to make black and white work every day (Patruno, 2015). Both Boone and Yoast learned from and complemented one another. Stereotypes were voiced, debunked, and eventually became something at which to laugh. More importantly, the coaching that took place then; and, that which I embrace on a regular basis, prepared those young men for the real-world and their futures. As I recall, most of those players realized college football opportunities, including Lasky. Some went on to have careers at broadcast networks and some stayed and worked for the very school system that integrated the football team and school. Coaching is a leader’s ability and passion to let go, help another realize his or her potential, and watch them achieve not only their goal; but, watch them coach the next generation.

References

AnnaMaria Patruno. (2015, Nov. 13). Remember the Titans Movie. [Video file]. Retrieved

            from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL-1_wEUjPA

Buytendijk. (2010, Sept. – Oct.). Dealing with Dilemmas: Redefining Strategy. Balanced

Scorecard Report Harvard Business Publishing and Palladium Group, Inc., 12 (5), 1-5.

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership That Gets Results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2),

78-90.

Hauser, L. (2009). Evidence-Based Coaching: A Case Study. OD Practitioner, 41(1), 8-13.

Knab, E. (2016). A633.8.3.RB – How do Coaches Help? In MSLD 633 Assignments. Retrieved

from https://erau.instructure.com/courses/44431/assignments/683372?module_item_id=2195392

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

Rogers, C.R., & Roethlisberger, F.J. (1952). Barriers and Gateways to Communication.

            Harvard Business Review, 30(4), 46-52.

Von Hoffman, C. (1999). Coaching: The Ten Killer Myths. Harvard Management Update, 4(1),

            4-5.

A633.7.3.RB_MedleyKim_Never Stop Learning

Never Stop Learning

           Once again, Obolensky (2010) challenges future leaders to develop an open mind by critiquing possible responses to possible leadership circumstances. A set of sixteen questions, designed to be completed twice, once prior to reading the chapter’s text and again upon finishing the reading, allows future leaders to identify where he or she falls with regards to “People Focus and Goal Focus” and to chart the various strategies: tell, sell involve, and devolve a leader may employ in order to transition from oligarchic ways to a path toward polyarchy (Obolensky, 2010, p. 160). Yet, this is exactly what has been taking place over the past six weeks.

            Reflective exercises provide opportunities to discern emerging viewpoints of leadership spanning several generations. The concept of working smarter not harder can be achieved through the simplicity of chaos. In order for a leader to begin to understand the basics of Complex Adaptive Leadership, according to Coutu (2000), one must be willing to peel back the levels of individual personality in order to then peel away the levels of the organization’s personality. Leaders must stop the charade that has been perpetuated since the time of Egyptian Pharaohs, “those at the top do not know the solutions to the problems faced by the organisations they lead” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 35). In order to do this, leaders must align, adapt, encourage, improve, locate and embrace the notion that while chaos initially provides for a worsening of conditions, the complicated becomes better, simplicity emerges, and an organization grows from one run like a machine to one that “runs itself” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 27). Understanding how a leader would normally approach a situation, along with an understanding of how followers see their role within the organization, is the basis of the exercise at the beginning of “Complex Adaptive Leadership in Action” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 155).

            Just as Stayer’s (1990) “attitude survey” was designed to identify “what people thought about their jobs and the company” (p. 67), Obolensky’s (2010) exercise is meant to show its participant the strategies most often relied upon, identify those not tapped as often, and provide a cause and effect when certain strategies are used more consistently than others. Initial responses revealed a balance such that “the sum of S1 and S3 is greater than the sum of S2 and S4”, indicating “too direct an approach” is being employed by the leader (Obolensky, 2010, p. 166). After reading the text, second responses still provide a balance; however, the approach becomes less direct. The implications are directly linked to that which Obolensky (2010) describes as “a steady state, a particular point - … attractor” (p. 64). Regardless of the type: point, period, or strange attractor, the flow of strategy begins with: sell, tell, devolve, and involve. A leadership approach that is too direct indicates selling needs to be improved upon in order to align with rule one, “First work on the will – so the person wants to do it” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 164). Stayer (1990) sold plant managers with the opportunity to end the practice of working weekends by allowing them to identify the efficiency problem and offer a solution. Teams, once sold on the idea of eliminating weekend work, could then be told, become involved, and Stayer (1990) could eventually step back and allow the workers to realize the cause and effect of machine downtime, their role with the operation of the machinery, find a solution, and do away with working weekends.

            Stayer’s (1990) first person, personal story provides a succinct summary for that which has been gleamed from the past six weeks. Think before you act. Ask yourself, do my actions support or undermine the vision? Yukl (2013) concludes, “Effective leadership at all levels of society and in all of our organizations is essential for coping with the growing social, economic, and environmental problems confronting the world. Learning to cope… is not a luxury but a necessity” (p. 422). “Nevertheless, much more remains to be learned”; therefore, leaders can never stop learning (Yukl, 2013, p. 422). Leadership is a constant work in progress and requires constant reflection.  

References

Coutu, D.L. (2000, Sept. – Oct.). Creating the Most Frightening Company on Earth: An

            Interview with Andy Law of St. Luke’s. Harvard Business Review, 143-150.

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

Stayer, R. (1990). How I Learned to Let My Workers Lead. Harvard Business Review, 68(6),

            66-83.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. (8^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

A633.6.4.RB_MedleyKim_A Tale of Two Troops

A Tale of Two Troops

          Yukl (2013) provides a key component of strategy is how an organization effectively competes and realizes profits. Typical organizational strategies, those reminiscent of Porter’s “deliberate strategy”, coined by Moore (2011), range from providing goods and/or services “at the lowest price”, filling a unique need in a niche market, and providing flexibility such that goods or services may be customized to meet specific needs (Yukl, 2013, p. 298). While Porter’s methods were probably used to some extent by Robert Baden-Powell, founder of a movement that would become Boy Scouts of America, scouting across the globe as relied upon Mintzberg’s approach to strategy, one that emerges (Moore, 2011). As outlined by Boy Scouts of America, BSA, (2009), the organization grew from one that sought to “help boys become young men of good character” to one that added “nature study” and “outdoor skills” (p. 60), embraced the benefits of mentoring boys from a less than advantageous childhood, and continues to expand and modify its program in order to, as Yukl (2013) states, remain competitive; and, in this case, viable.

          “The mission…is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law” (BSA, 2009, p. 15). It is troop structure that is, as Collins (1999) observes, “the crucial link between objectives and performance” (p. 72). Boy Scout Troops, as opposed to Cub Scout Packs, are designed to be boy run groups and have as their foundation the goal of what Obolensky (2010) terms as “followership maturity”, the level when the Scouts, not the adults, are “capable of taking the lead themselves and getting on with what needs to be done with minimum input needed from the ascribed leader” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 147). The concept is rather straightforward and simple in design. Boys, either entering Scouting for the first time, or crossing over from a Cub Scout Pack, enter with a “high will/low skill”; and, through a series of both individual and troop leadership opportunities, Scouts form or join patrols, seek senior patrol leadership positions, advance from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout, and may continue on as adult leaders. Departures from the planned strategy can have serious implications.

          Obolensky (2010) constructs a “vicious circle for leaders” which occurs when leaders fail to move followers from level one to level five followership (p. 152). This happens all too often in Scouting. Troop 281 in Palm Coast typifies this vicious circle because the adult leaders maintained a leadership hierarchy more consistent with that of Cub Scouts wherein the adults make most of the decisions. I have witnessed boys from this troop at district events. Whether the task was something as simple as pitching individual tents and forming the patrol lines or one a bit more challenging, such as tying a series of knots needed to construct the bridge used for crossing ceremonies, most of the Scouts could be categorized as either a Level 1 or Level 2 and their skill set became “low skill/low will” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 148). There were times I actually sat and watched as adult leaders essentially set up camp while the boys waited to be told, or given permission to do a job. The body language of these Scouts was quite telling. Their heads hung down. Their shoulders slouched. The overall energy level of the Troop and Patrols was low. Because they were not able to do that which Scouting is all about, experiencing nature, outdoors, and learning things boys love, such as chopping wood, building fires, and cooking, their followership maturity level had stymied and many lost interest over the years. A boy run organization not only provides for “lateral leadership”, as discussed in “How to Lead When You’re Not the Boss (2000), it also allows for Obolensky’s (2010) “vicious circle” to be broken and redrawn (p. 152).

          Troop 402 of Palm Coast is the opposite of Troop 281. Here, boys enter with a “high will/low skill”; but, instead of asking for advice, Senior Scout and Adult Leaders demonstrate and coach those boys so that instead of a leader becoming concerned, the leader can begin to take steps back, allow the boys to learn camping skills, and from this the boy earns his first Scout rank of Tenderfoot, increases his confidence with each rank achieved, and is able to take on more responsibility and leadership roles within his patrol and troop (Obolensky, 2010, p. 148). Instead of a “vicious circle”, Scouts climb a mountain that leads to Eagle:

Hamel (1998) suggests “the goal of strategizing” is “order without careful crafting” (p. 11). This is Scouting at its finest. Adult leaders are there to provide guidance and offer suggestions to the Senior Scout Leaders. Senior Scout Leaders help younger Scouts develop skills and knowledge. Each patrol plans, purchases food for, and cooks its own meals for camp outs. Adults help by identifying and going over basic food groups. Senior Scouts take younger Scouts shopping. They help younger Scouts compare prices and quantities. Patrol’s demonstrate independence and autonomy through separate menus. Adult leaders follow the same example. From planning a menu to planning an out-of-state trip to North Carolina, the strategy at the troop level must be designed and consistent with those from national so that the goals of Baden-Powell and others are not only achieved; but, enhanced.

          The differences between Troop 281 and 402 are like night and day. Troop 402 consistently fosters an environment from which Eagle Scouts emerge. These boys are confident. They are excited and strive diligently to achieve individual, troop, and district achievements. They seem to grow a bit taller each time they put on their uniform and stand before their Scout Master as yet another rank or merit badge is awarded. I’ve attended my own son’s Eagle Court of Honor, proudly accompanied another Scout to his Eagle Board of Review, and am awaiting two more Scouts from Troop 402 to finish their Eagle Scout Projects. Because leadership knew when to step in, stay on the sidelines, or just completely out of the way; these boys became curious, confident, and completely effective followers who now offer leadership in the way it was taught to them.

References

Boy Scouts of America. (2009). The Boy Scout Handbook. (12^th ed.). Irving:.

Collins, J. (1999). Turning Goals Into Results: The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms. Harvard

            Business Review, 77(4), 70-82.

Hamel, G. (1998, Winter98). Strategy Innovation and the Quest for Value. Sloan

            Management Review, 39 (2), 7-14.

How to lead when you're not the boss. (cover story). (2000). Harvard Management Update, 5(3),

1.

Moore, K. (2011, March 28). Porter or Mintzberg: Whose View of Strategy Is the Most

            Relevant Today? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2011/03/28/porter-or-mintzberg-whose-view-of-strategy-is-the-most-relevant-today/#5ebe90536e36

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.).  Surrey, England: Gower Publishing Limited

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. (8^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

A633.5.3.RB_MedleyKim_It's Not Just an Exercise

It’s Not Just an Exercise

            Ah, reflection. How appropriate to be tasked with reading about and viewing a video that outlines and conducts the very chaos Team A-6 faced with this week’s initial group assignment. A team, initially composed of three, is effectively formed through a virtual process and tasked with completion efforts that, as outlined by Obolensky (2008), require identifying points of reference, without revealing said points, organizing a research document that complies with established boundaries; and, then, for an added dose of real world experience, two teams are merged into one, causing each team to reassess and adjust those initial points of reference. As the week and team duties progressed, suddenly a poem from long ago came to mind, “If”, by Rudyard Kipling. Would I be able to keep my head while others lose theirs and blame me?

            Sull and Eisenhardt (2012) chronicle simple rules: align activities with objectives, adapt to local situations, encourage coordination, make better choices, locate bottlenecks, data overrides opinion, those who apply rules craft rules, and rules should be solid and evolve. These rules, when successfully applied, enable individual and teams to “complete a highly complex task” with relative ease (Obolensky, 2010, p. 96). Our team had initially agreed to have one member as a project manager. The second team had provided for rotational leadership. In an effort to assign jobs to each member, our project manager divided the assignment. For the most part, completing various sections of the research paper were standard and straight forward. Our chaotic oscillation moments, our bottleneck, came when we were charged with comparing and contrasting five organizations. Although the initial comparison chart appeared to be simple in nature, the very “number of possible solutions” reminded each of us just how complex this task was (Obolensky, 2010, p. 95). Because each “has the ability to judge distance and move accordingly” and because each member offered continuous feedback and was “able to act without having to wait for permission”, our initial strategy was able to change in response to the situation, provide clarity to ambiguous and uncertain concerns, strengthen the underlying purpose of submitting a quality project, and stay within the boundaries established by the project instructions (Obolensky, 2010, p. 98). Although a touch of Porter’s “deliberate strategy”, as outlined by Moore (2011), was presented as our plan by our project manager, survival and completion of the project required the team to embrace Mintzberg’s “emergent strategy”.

            The underlying implication of chaos is change, regardless of the amount, occurs. A story without change becomes tedious and boring and soon lulls the reader to sleep. Leaders cannot afford to be lulled to sleep. Yes, chaos means at times a situation may become worse before it gets better; but, as my husband would say, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. We see chaos in our lives on a daily basis; yet, a miraculous balance always seems to occur. From a devastating hurricane or tornado comes a rebirth in communities, one that witnesses neighbors helping neighbors and the reinvention of construction standards. Wild fires destroy thousands of acres each year; yet, new growth and better forestry management skills follow. As I write this, this country remembers the chaos from fifteen years ago and is still adjusting strategies to insure such terror is never brought to our shores again. Embracing chaos is the first step to weathering any storm, by mother-nature or that of the business world; and, those who embrace chaos and learn from it, evolve to lead another day, and keep their head a little longer.

References

Moore, K. (2011, March 28). Porter or Mintzberg: Whose View of Strategy Is the Most

            Relevant Today? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2011/03/28/porter-or-mintzberg-whose-view-of-strategy-is-the-most-relevant-today/#5ebe90536e36

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.).  Surrey, England: Gower Publishing Limited

Obolensky, N. (2008). Who Needs Leaders? [Video file]. Retrieved from             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41QKeKQ2O3E

Sull, D., & Eisenhardt, K.M. (2012). Simple Rules for a Complex World. Harvard Business

            Review, 90(9), 68-74.

A633.4.3.RB_MedleyKim_Topsy-Turvy Leadership from the Bottom-Up

Topsy-Turvy Leadership from the Bottom-Up

            Obolensky (2010), opines, leaders don’t know, know they don’t know, and can’t say they don’t know the very answers to questions needed to provide success to the organization; yet, haven’t both leaders; and, for that matter, followers known this for as long as leaders have existed? The opening salvo to Obolensky’s (2010) “Finita La Comedia – Stop Playing Charades” offers readers the challenge of considering the primary source of “solutions that actually make specific changes happen on the ground to get positive results” (p, 33). Presuming one’s initial reaction aligns with that of research results, the majority of solutions come from the bottom; and, further presuming this discovery has held true since the time of the great pharaohs, why is our long-held perspective of leadership, one that placed leaders in heroic, ivory towers of knowledge, beginning to change to one that not only removes the ornate Mardi Gras mask from our leaders; but, one that asks followers to consider their role in that which is described as “the greatest discontinuity of leadership assumption” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 19)? While venting around the workplace water cooler may provide a temporary release of frustration, little is contributed to the overall success of any organization when those at the bottom only offer criticism for those at the top; thereby leaving those in the middle left to “pull their hair out” as the great divide continues (Obolensky, 2010, p. 36). Perhaps in some sense it is the expansion of the middle, Kelley’s (1998) “effective followers”, along with an increase in technology and a decline of heroic leaders with messianic foresight that have combined to provide this paradigm shift in leadership (p. 144).

            The way in which my grandparents viewed leaders varies greatly to the way leaders are viewed by today’s generation. Watch any documentary on The History Channel and the titans of industry, Rockefeller, Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Ford are portrayed as all-knowing, all-powerful leaders who stop at nothing to gain their measure of success, increased profits. My mother was from Pennsylvania and the story of the steel mill strike that involved Carnegie’s hiring of the Pinkerton Agency to quell the worker’s uprising is legendary. Yet, through all of this, Carnegie is nowhere to be found. Carnegie and others failed to learn that which Stewart and Gallear (2014) identify as key for engaging employees, “paying attention to your people” (p. 1). My own generation was spoon-fed the concept of a career included being hired and working one’s way up the corporate ladder with the dream, in my case, of achieving a career height of becoming an executive’s assistant because I had dutifully mastered typing skills. By the way, to this day, I abhor typing. Today’s millennials are far less concerned with the typical nine to five job; instead, they seek a quality of life which is a contributing factor to the change in leadership.

            Remember the movie, Nine to Five? At the end, the audience sees the innovative ideas that have been put in place by the women of the office, portrayed by Lilly Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda, “effective followers”, who listened to the water cooler rants from the bottom; and, now proudly support Dabney Coleman’s leader character, as he explains the changes to his bosses. Flexible scheduling allowed two clerks to split their time in order to enhance each worker’s quality of life. An in-house daycare facility relieves mothers and fathers of stresses associated with childcare, thereby increasing worker productivity. Considered novel and futuristic at the time, SAS, as outlined by Fishman (1999), offers its workforce the “Good Ship Lollipop”, complete with on-site child care, unlimited sick leave, a family-oriented dine-in cafeteria, and a policy of locking the company gates after all workers have left promptly at five o’clock. Likewise, the concept of nine to five itself is giving way as demonstrated by workers in Japan who routinely find work by using today’s technology.

            Sungawa, as noted by Katayama (2008), recognized Japan’s youth, those who routinely relied upon their cell phones to plan meetings and subsequent evening activities, preferred “freedom and flexibility” rather than being tethered to a traditional job. Sungawa brought the “concept of real-time online resale” to Japan’s dwindling, traditional workforce; and, in so doing, launched the Otetsudai Network, which uses GPS to link millennials to jobs that provided them with immediate gratification, cash for a job well done, and the freedom to pursue other life goals (Katayama, 2008).

            Rather than conclude the traditional hierarchal pyramid of leadership is being turned on its head, I see a rounding, almost oval appearance as today’s concept of leadership continues to shift. Stewart and Gallear (2014) contend that before leaders can lead, they must first “lead themselves” (p. 3) This has been affirmed in countless leadership courses that recognize the graduated with honors MBA is no longer “the sine qua non”; and, more often than not, leaders are at times followers just as followers are at times leaders (Obolensky, 2010, p. 24). Those stuck in the middle, literally at their wits’ end, have, in my opinion resulted in today’s recognition for employee engagement and served as the starting point for leaders to begin to adopt the idea of humility and admitting they do not hold all of the answers. The relationship between leaders and followers has always been there. Regardless of how history recalls a general’s battlefield successes, without soldiers, without followers, how successful is that general? The dynamic, or the focus on the dynamic that has changed is it is not an either/or proposition. Either a successful career or a successful family life. Rather, it is a great career and a great family life; and, when that is married with the changing workforce, the advances in technology, and the changing view of leadership, we can begin to see the value of and the need for Yin and Yang relationship with leaders and followers and why leaders must be willing to oil, tune, grease, synchronize, and unleash the power of an engaged workforce (Stewart & Gallear, 2014).

References

Fishman, C. (1999). Sanity Inc. Fast Company. Retrieved from

            http://www.fastcompany.com/36173/sanity-inc

Katayama, L. (2008, June 4). Tokyo upstart offers freeters mobile flexibility: Otetsudai

Networks connects employers with staffing problems to aspiring workers for short-term

temping tasks with cell-phone service. The Japan Times. Retrieved from

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2008/06/04/digital/tokyo-upstart-offers-freeters-mobile-flexibility/#.V7CgrZgrKhe

Kelley, R.E. (1998). In Praise of Followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(60, 142-148.

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

Stewart, A. & Gallear, J. (2014). Employee Engagement through the lens of leadership. Insights.

Retrieved from https://www.insights.com/files/1.employee-engagement-through-the-lens-of-leadership.pdf

A633.3.3.RB_MedleyKim_Peel Away: Paradox Revealed

Peel Away: Paradox Revealed

            Obolensky (2010) defines a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) as one that is built on the foundation of “clear people processes and policies, sound and flexible information and communication technology systems, and transparent, inclusive and flexible strategy development processes” (p. 26-27). Central to the CAS concept is the team concept through which the sharing of information occurs in an open format and informal, flattened hierarchies take the place of the more traditional top-down view of management. As a result, “meeting the needs and expectations of external stakeholders” becomes the priority as opposed to “running the organisation”; and, greater “emphasis on personal responsibility” exists across all areas of the organization (Obolensky, 2010, p. 27).  As described by Coutu (2000), St. Luke’s, a London-based advertising agency, “is full of free spirits who delight in breaking rules – both as they create advertising and run their organization” (p. 143). Similarly, Hamel (2011) depicts Morning Star as “an organization that combines managerial discipline and market-centric flexibility – without bosses, titles, or promotions” (p. 49). Yet, long before examining Morning Star and its decision to turn away from traditional forms of hierarchal management; Hamel (1998) foretold, “Profound change in the competitive environment” was not only coming; but, proffered his belief, “only those companies that are capable of reinventing themselves… will be around” (p. 7).

            Both St. Luke’s and Morning Star have broken away from traditions in their respective industries. Each has been able to realize record breaking revenues. Each “pushes its people to take enormous risks”; while, at the same time creating an environment that’s safe (Coutu, 2000, p. 144). “No one has a boss” is a characteristic of each organization (Hamel, 2011, p. 51). Hamel’s (2011) description of Morning Star’s vision, creating an organization wherein teams of colleagues “will be self-managing professionals, initiating communications and the coordination of their activities with fellow colleagues, customers, suppliers, and fellow industry participants, absent directives from others” (p. 52), could easily be applied to St. Luke’s, a company “legally owned by its 115 employees”, complete with work space not defined by “signs or symbols in the office” (Coutu, 2000, p. 147). As I read about these two companies, my mind immediately returned to one of the most impressive companies I’ve read about, Whole Foods Market.

            Just as St. Luke’s and Morning Star have added new wrinkles to the advertising and tomato processing industries; Schawbel (2013) chronicles how John Mackey, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market (WFM) has introduced the concept of “conscious capitalism” to the CAS applied to the grocery industry. Long before Mackey’s concept had a practical application, his organization created an environment for its people described by Erickson and Gratton (2007) as a “signature experience” designed to recognize “different types of people will excel at different companies, and that not all workers want the same things” (p. 106). WFM began with “team-based hiring”, a process whereby a new hire’s fate is completely dependent upon the team for the particular area, such as produce. A four-week time frame passes, after which the team votes to either hire or fire the new hire. A “two-thirds” majority is needed for a new hire to be retained (Erickson & Gratton, 2007, p. 107). The team is motivated to select the person best-suited to help the team achieve its goals so that bonuses, “explicitly linked to group rather than individual performance”, may be realized (Erickson & Gratton, 2007, p. 107). From its beginning, Whole Foods Market has continued to reinvent itself to stay competitive.

            Consensus building, team hiring practices, and the company’s “heroic” principle, “to try to change and improve our world”, as reported by Fox (2011), combine to allow WFM to introduce ways to compete with its competitors’ inexpensive wines, promote and expand sustainable seafood sales, encourage locally grown agriculture products, “be good citizens in the communities”, and extend the opportunity for volunteer work to its employees and customers (p. 123). Mackey recognizes “free enterprise capitalism” as “the most powerful creative system of social cooperation and human progress ever conceived”; however, at the same time, he acknowledges this older, more accepted way of viewing capitalism must include a grounding with a “higher purpose” and a recognition of the shared global connectedness (Schawbel, 2013). Mackey’s “four key pillars” result in the same experiences described by Law of St. Luke’s and Rufer of Morning Star, “exceptional customer experiences, less turnover, lower overhead costs, higher profits, and sustained growth” (Schawbel, 2013). The key, as Hamel (1998) reminds us, is the ability to reinvent; or as with Whole Foods Market, to continue to reinvent itself to keep its competitive edge.

            So how does a company, like WFM, continue to stay atop Fortune’s top 100 list? Just as WFM introduced its sustainable seafood labeling system, designed to allow customers to know more, not less, about its seafood products; Mackey (2015) describes this same approach for organically grown food products with WFM’s “Responsibly Grown” program, launched in 2014. The scoring system uses “factors not addressed by organic standards”; which, as demonstrated by the back and forth volley of letters between growers and Whole Foods Market, is still being tweaked in order to provide all stakeholders with a clear path forward (Mackey, 2015). At the core of the new program is the ability to “trace our produce back to the farm and field where it was produced to ensure integrity for our customers and to respond effectively in the event of a problem”; however, this core principle will have significant financial implications for the farmers (Mackey, 2015). The posting of the letter from the growers, along with WFM’s responses, demonstrates the use of feedback and how it can lead to “self-correcting rather than controlled” strategy development (Obolensky, 2010, p. 29). Had Whole Foods Market had a typical managerial hierarchy in place, rather than its evolving Complex Adaptive System, the conversations witnessed and posted by Mackey (2015) may never have taken place and led to the organic farming and product awareness we now see in other grocery stores.

            For me, the overall implications of CAS are clear. It begins with a willingness to “peel away all the levels” of one’s personality; and, I would add, the willingness to peel away the personality of an organization (Coutu, 2000, p. 145). Although the idea is quite frightening, if that marries with that which is already taking place in today’s world, “a quest for meaning in life” that transcends simple dollar signs; then today’s leaders should embrace the possibilities (Coutu, 2000, p. 144).

References

Coutu, D.L. (2000, Sept. – Oct.). Creating the Most Frightening Company on Earth: An

            Interview with Andy Law of St. Luke’s. Harvard Business Review, 143-150.

Erickson, T.J., & Gratton, L. (2007, March). What It Means to Work Here. Harvard Business

            Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2007/03/what-it-means-to-work-here

Fox, J. (2011). The HBR Interview: “What Is It That Only I Can Do?”. Harvard Business

            Review, Jan.-Feb., 119-123. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-hbr-interview-       what-is-it-that-only-i-can-do

Hamel, G. (1998, Winter98). Strategy Innovation and the Quest for Value. Sloan

            Management Review, 39 (2), 7-14.

Hamel, G. (2011, Dec.). The Big Idea: First, Let’s Fire All the Managers. Harvard Business

            Review, 48-60.

Mackey, J. (2015, June 16). Clarifying the Tenets of Responsibly Grown. In Our Blog. Whole

Foods Market. Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/clarifying-tenets-responsibly-grown

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

Schawbel, D. (2013, Jan. 15). John Mackey: Why Companies Should Embrace Conscious

            Capitalism. Forbes.com. Retrieved from             http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/01/15/john-mackey-why-companies-     should-embrace-conscious-capitalism/

A633.2.3.RB_MedleyKim_Frailty Explains Complexity

Frailty Explains Complexity

            As explained in the video posted by It’s So Blatant (ISB) (2013), “mathematical concepts are often not well understood by the general public”; yet, “the image of a small, frail butterfly” and the subsequent flap of its wings in Brazil followed by a “tornado in Texas” is not only poetic; it is easier to understand. This is the very essence of that which Obolensky (2010) presents as “Lorenz’s Strange Attractor”, the underlying explanation of today’s chaos theory (p. 65). As ISB (2013) explains, Lorenz took something as complex as the atmosphere and simplified it to such a degree, the atmospheric phenomenon which Lorenz sought to study through weather simulators was reduced to a model represented by three letters: X, Y, and Z and an equation that may not reside in reality. Failing to provide a title for the presentation Lorenz would deliver in 1972; the organizer, rather than name the presentation “Deterministic Non-Periodic Flow”, the title of Lorenz’s 1963 published research, poses a question about predictability using imagery as opposed to mathematical formulas (ISB, 2013; Obolensky, 2010, p. 65).   

            Growing up in Florida presents a wonderful way to see “the butterfly effect” on a regular basis between the months of June and November, hurricane season (Obolensky, 2010, p. 65). National and local meteorologists stand before weather maps and begin to note small disturbances gathering off the north-west coast of Africa. What begins as a relatively small collection of yellow and green dots, indicating precipitation, changes on a weekly, daily, and hourly basis; and, eventually becomes the counter-clockwise rotating, massive, pinwheel shaped cloud we all recognize and know. A small tropical disturbance traverses across the Atlantic and grows to a Category 5 hurricane, complete with a name, and destroys the lives of thousands living in New Orleans, Homestead, New York, or New Jersey. Intellectually, we know the atmospheric conditions that begin, evolve, and result in a hurricane are tracked with mathematical approximations, resulting in the various paths the hurricane may take. Formulas, equations, graphs, and many variables help to explain the occurrence; but, as ISB (2013) notes, the eyes of the general public gloss over with such technical explanations. It’s easier to use the imagery of a butterfly, slowly flapping its wings off the coast of Africa, and have the flapping increase such that the butterfly transforms into the spinning image of the hurricane; or, as we see, a small group of yellow and green dots, grow and join other tropical disturbances or depressions and form the massive, easily recognizable white spinning cloud with an eye at its center. This same principle is seen in the business world, too.

            Nathan Eagle (n.d.) of txteagle, applied the benefits of falling market prices for “unlocked GSM phones” and brought about big changes in East Africa (p.1). Lower phone prices meant more folks could own phones and take advantage of its many features, including texting. Day laborers could organize through text rather than congregating throughout Nairobi awaiting daily work orders. A small change to an “SMS server application” allowed for the transfer of phone airtime; and, as a result, nurses provided blood level totals before shortages were realized (Eagle, n.d., p. 2). The ability to transfer small amounts of cell phone airtime provided an added form of currency; and, as a result, workers in East Africa can receive “an airtime transfer to their phones in lieu of a cash payment” (Eagle, n.d., p. 3). Transferring airtime led to the rise of Safaricom as “the largest bank in East Africa” (Eagle, n.d., p. 3). The greatest change brought about by Eagle’s observation of falling prices and the abilities of the mobile phone is the impact on the lives of many throughout East Africa. Translations of different languages are being translated. Citizens are able to report the news. Better surveys and market research are now available. Supplemental incomes are being earned by many which help pay utilities, put food on the table, and lead to more mobile phone ownership which leads to more paid work (Eagle, n.d.). A device typically taken for granted in the West has empowered thousands in the East. While Eagle’s achievement has had a global impact, Lorenz’s “butterfly effect” can impact local organizations, too.

            While employed as a Senior Underwriter for American Pioneer Life Insurance, in the early 1990s, a small change led to big changes with the communication process between the company and its field agents. The primary method of communication was either a written letter, or the use of a five-part NCR, hand-written form wherein the original was mailed to the writing agent and copies were mailed to hierarchal agents. Agents working with underwrites who had legible handwriting were fortunate. The NCR form listed all underwriting requirements. The underwriter was to check off the necessary medical requirements and the agent was to schedule his or her client for requirements such as medical examinations and blood work. Often times, agents could not read the handwriting; or, they would schedule and order requirements simply because they were listed; and, not required. Often times, the head of our data processing department would eat lunch in the employee break room. I was able to chat with him and he would tell me of new programs being developed. Such was the case that led to a simple five-digit computer code.

            At the time, word processing was in its infancy. We were transitioning from the Daisy-wheel typewriter to basic word processing. He not only told me about the new program, he showed me how it operated. I was able to explain to him the problems we were having in Underwriting and with agents who were ordering unnecessary requirements for which the company incurred the cost. We sat down with the NCR form. Underwriting must follow guidelines established by its reinsurers; however, when all requirements are listed on a pre-printed form, confusion and ordering unnecessary requirements follows. New business data entry already allowed for the name and address of the writing agent, along with the name of the applicant and file number to be identified. I took the NCR form, developed five-digit codes for each requirement, and by working with data processing, our new communication process began. Instead of handwriting each NCR form, the underwriter indicated necessary requirements in each case file. The underwriting assistant entered the code for the particular requirement. The computer was able to pull the writing agent’s name and address, list the applicant and file number, print only the necessary requirements and underwriting comments, and list hierarchal agents for copying purposes. We saved printing costs as NCR forms are expensive to print. We saved underwriting costs as we were no longer paying for examinations and blood work not needed. More importantly, we developed a more efficient and effective way to communicate with our field force, one soon applied to our Claims Department. The chaos of a five-part NCR form had been simplified with a five-digit computer code.

            In 2006, the Flagler County Clerk of Court provided a rather archaic way in which those seeking to participate in foreclosure sales had to understand. Customers from Jacksonville and Volusia County drove to Flagler County on an almost daily basis. Each would request stacks and stacks of existing and new foreclosure cases. Clerks had to pull the files, stay at the front counter while the files were reviewed, and then re-file the cases. Further, instructions for foreclosure sales were pre-printed and not provided unless the customer knew to ask for them. After being assigned to conduct foreclosure sales, I sought to bring order to a system that did not make sense. We were just beginning to scan documents as a part of a new records keeping process. We already had a website through which some information could be located. My simple change included posting the foreclosure sale instructions online so that potential bidders would know what to bring to a sale and the timeline that had to be followed. Additionally, customers from Jacksonville and Volusia had told me they only review the Notice of Sale, found in the case file. By posting the Notice of Sale online, they no longer had to travel and clerks no longer had to pull stacks of files, stay at the counter, and refile those same files. Finally, daily phone calls to determine the number of new foreclosure cases that had been filed were replaced by posting a list of new cases on the website. Three new tabs: Sale Information, Sale Dates, and New Cases transformed the foreclosure division of the Clerk of Court.

            As Obolensky (2010) provides, “the Law of Conservation of Energy… summarized as: the effort you put in will dictate the result you get out” enforces the notion of hard work instilled in me at a very young age; however, I believe concepts such as the “butterfly effect” and other theories that provide the foundation for adaptive, complex leadership are designed to help leaders understand an equally important concept, the idea of working smarter, not harder (p. 66). Yukl (2013) observes “large organizations… have an inertia that is difficult to overcome. People resist change that threatens their status and power, contradicts their value and beliefs, or requires learning new ways of doing things” (p. 284-85). The new changes had their chaotic moments at first; but, with patience and refining processes, customers were better served and savings were realized. Each change was very simplistic in nature; yet, each yielded big results, the epitome of a butterfly flapping its wings to bring about a tornado.

References

Eagle, N. (n.d.). txteagle: Mobile Crowdsourcing. MIT Media Laboratory and The Santa

Fe Institute. Retrieved from http://realitycommons.media.mit.edu/pdfs/hcii_txteagle.pdf

It’s So Blatant. (2013, Sept. 13). Chaos|Chapter 7: Strange Attractors – The butterfly effect.

            [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAJkLh76QnM

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. (2^nd ed.). London, UK: Gower/

            Ashgate.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. (8^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.