A634.1.6.RB - The Buck Stops and Starts With You

Many believe that management education has contributed to the systemic failure of today's leaders. After reading the Podolny (2009) article, in your reflection blog share your thoughts on how business schools can best prepare future leaders to adopt a holistic approach to business problems and ethical dilemmas. Be sure to share benchmarks and examples of how some of the B-Schools are accomplishing this.

Joel Podolny discussed a variety of reasons why business schools today are considered to be a contributor to the systemic failure of today’s leaders.  While I have not heard much about the theory that management education has contributed to this failure, Podolny does make some interesting points worth considering.  He notes how the focus of leadership and ethics has shifted to vague understandings of what a leader is, but struggles with answering questions like “How do I want to change the world for the better?”  I tend to agree with Podolny that it is important for school to force their students to ask questions such as that one.  While I was not in a business school for my undergraduate education, I was forced to ask questions such as that one.  I attended Savannah College of Art and Design where I was studying to becoming a textile designer.  During the duration of this program I had to learn how to market and sell myself as a designer and as an individual that someone would want to work with.  When thinking about characteristics and qualities that make a strong leader and ethical individual, I think it is important to understand self-reflection and be able to recognize what types of choices you are making, whether business related or not.  SCAD did a really great job of integrating that aspect of business in a very visual way.  Now that I am at ERAU, I am able to utilize my visual understanding of what characteristics are needed to develop future leaders and blend it with critical thinking strategies that I am learning now. 

With that said, Podolny offers several tips and suggestions for business schools to help better develop ethical leaders.   The first point that really stood out for me was his point about fostering greater integration within what business schools are teaching.  Similar to what I was learning at my undergraduate school, integrating a variety of different techniques and understandings for leadership is highly important to the overall understanding of what makes a good leader.  It is important to understand not only the details, but the big picture as well and utilizing a more integrative process for teaching leadership qualities can help to express that more clearly.  To go along with integration, encouraging qualitative research is also crucial.  Bringing in professors’, who are leaders in their field of the soft skills such as leadership, values, and ethics can bring variety and differing perspectives that may be lacking in many institutes. 

While I have no doubt that business school and the education being taught could be tweaked and developed further, as most programs can, I do not necessarily believe that the buck stops at the schools.  Ethical behavior, as discussed earlier in our module, I believe, cannot fully be taught to an individual.  As Greg Burns and Jodi Cohen discuss in their article, Can you teach a person ethics?, they note a professor of ethics who believe that you cannot necessarily teach a person ethics, but can simply show them right from wrong.  It is up to the individual to take what knowledge they have in use that for the better good.   I think a lot of what Podolny discusses is valid, yet I think there are more issues that are causing the distrust than just the universities.   

Cohen, J., & Burns, G. (2006, June 7). Can you teach a person ethics? Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-06-07/news/0606070181_1_ethics-training-ethics-courses-core-values

Podolny, J. M. (2009). The Buck Stops (and Starts) at Business School. Harvard Business Review, 87(6), 62-67.

A633.9.3.RB - Polyarchy Reflections

Most organizations today, I believe, would benefit from a polyarchic structure in their management.  I think most companies recognize a need for change; however, they are unable to implement the change in a way that works for their business and their employees.  Because most business models follow the traditional style, I do not necessarily think it is redundant, but I think that type of style needs to be adapted to meet the changing world we are in today.  Especially with a newer generation that has different expectations of what a good leader is, adapting to a new structure would be highly beneficial.  This is not a structure that the change would happen over night and be successful.  It would take years to train and develop a team of leaders and managers who are capable at being successful in the implementation of this new model.  It is important to be aware and recognize that type of organization you work for and determine when, where, and how such a change would happen. 

As for my own development, I think it is important to lead by example first and foremost.  Leading by example really helps to set a tone for the type of level of work you expect.  It also highlights areas where others can reflect inward on themselves to determine where they need to improve in as well.  I also think continuing to learn from others and share information is equally as important.  Especially when moving away from an oligarchy, listening to those who are subordinates can really help you grow as a leader and learn from others.  Everyone has a different perspective to offer and I think it is important to always be listening and learning.  In my current organization that I work for, we are struggling to even be remotely polyarchic.  The best methods to achieving something like that would be to take slow steps, encouraging others to better themselves, share with others, and help in the development of everyone around them.  The biggest issue for my current job is a lack of awareness from the culture that is developing.  I believe taking small steps and understanding the area in which you thrive in can be helpful in moving up and making changes within your own organization.

A633.8.3.RB - How do Coaches Help?

Based on the readings reflect upon the statement below:

To be an executive coach, it is necessary to know that clients are the first and best experts capable of solving their own problems and achieving their own ambitions, that is precisely the main reason why clients are motivated to call on a coach. When clients bring important issues to a coach, they already made a complete inventory of their personal or professional issues and of all possible options. Clients have already tried working out their issues alone, and have not succeeded.

·       Given the statement above what is it that coaches do to provide value to their clients?

·       Why is coaching a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy? 

·       How can it make a difference in an organization?

• What does this mean to you and your organization?

Coaches are valuable to their clients because they act as a source of motivation and structure for the individual.  A lot of people need a structure in their life that reminds them of the direction they’re going and the different ways they can get there.  Coaches allow their clients to figure out how to handle problems on their own, so that in the future, they are better suited for achieving their goals. 

Coaching is a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy because it helps to develop leadership qualities by giving the individual a path or structure, and then allowing that person to embark on that alone in order to learn and grow from their experience.  Having this sort of figure in your life is beneficial because it reassures your decisions, but also gives you the opportunity to explore and develop new ideas and processes.  Once you are able to develop further as a leader, strategy becomes clearer as well because you can better assess different situations and determine the proper steps to get to your goal.

Organizations today, especially my current one, are often faced with micromanagement and over managing in general.  Employees are often capable of doing their job and have the skill and will to complete the tasks, however, we are often faced with the lack of confidence in upper management.  Having someone who is more of a coach, as opposed to a manager, would be beneficial because it provides you with opportunities to learn without feeling criticized and also helps you to develop in the direction you see fit for yourself.  Coaches can help act as a guide, but allow you the opportunity to take chances and make mistakes in order to grow.