Mis-management Styles

I recently read "Management and Mis-Management Styles" by Ichak Adizes. This is the second book in a trilogy of books that deal with roles and styles in the workplace. This one focuses on elaboration of the dysfunctional effects of mis-management. The five mis-management styles are:

• Lone Ranger


• Bureaucrat


• Arsonist


• SuperFollower


• Deadwood

Lone Ranger is a negative expression of a Producer personality. A Producer is someone who gets things done and does not like to waste time discussing alternatives and long range plans. When this personality is in a management position and has no other complementary skills of administration, entrepreneurial or integration the Lone Ranger pattern is manifested. The Lone Ranger will not take time for necessary meetings or giving appropriate instructions to subordinates. She does not have time for strategic discussions. He just wants to get things done since there is SO much to do. This can have the effect of inconsistent and inadequate communication and delegation throughout the organization.

The Bureaucrat loves systems and processes. Since, unlike the Administrator, the Bureaucrat has no complementary skills of Producing, Entrepreneurship or Integration, the result is an emphasis on form over function. As long as everything is accounted for and there is a rule for every situation the Bureaucrat believes things are running smoothly. Never mind that the organization's creativity has died a slow death and the rules and regulations are keeping people from making creative decisions required by new information or situations.

The Arsonist is an Entrepreneur gone wild. There are so many ideas and opportunities. We have to chase all of them. We need to be working on more things... FASTER!! Can we get "someone" to start on this great new idea I had this past weekend? Never mind that we are knee deep trying to get the current release finished. Wait, maybe we can add this into the current release. It should only take "a couple of weeks" to get it done. I already thought it through over the weekend. Depending on how distorted the Arsonist's time multiplier is, it could really take 2 months or longer to actually get the work done. So, the release, which was barely on schedule is now delayed indefinitely.

The SuperFollower is a negative expression of an Integrator. Typically an Integrator is the one component (in addition to at least one more) that is necessary for a leader to possess. But a SuperFollower has no other competency beyond the desire that "everyone just get along". He has no agenda of his own, no initiatives to drive and does not want to make decisions. He is always searching for consensus and wanting "everyone" to agree before a decision can be made.

Deadwood has zero competency in Production, Administration, Entrepreneurship or Integration. He is there until the lights are turned off. With no ability to push for completion, setup organizational systems, initiate creative ideas or integrate the enterprise, he is the obvious target for layoffs. However, in some organizations, Deadwood can survive for years.

Radical Management

I just finished the book "A Leader's Guide to Radical Management". This book argues for expanding and implementing iterative and transparent management techniques across the entire organization. So, it is one of any number of methodologies and philosophies that argue for proliferating the principles of contemporary software development techniques found in Agile Scrum to a broader application.

If you are familiar with Agile/Scrum, much of the "radical" techniques will be very familiar. This is especially true about the long list of practices that are suggested at the end of each chapter. Nothing really new here.

The main premise of the book is about identifying clients and focusing on pleasing them. Clients do not have to be external customers but are also internal groups or departments that consume the output of another group or team.

There is lots of good wisdom about team leadership, transparency and client-focused operational techniques that is communicated through anecdotal stories throughout.

Overall a decent read, more interesting if you are not at all familiar with the concepts.

Laws of Leadership

I recently read John Maxwell's "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". The book does a good job of laying out categories of leadership traits and supplying one or two narrative stories as examples for each one. Also, each chapter (which is a leadership law) includes introspective and actionable exercises at the end of each chapter. Some notable "laws" include:

• Law of the Lid - everyone has some degree of natural leadership talent (their lid) - the higher the lid the higher the potential
• Law of Influence - Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less
• Law of Connection - Connecting with your people is important
• Law of Intuition - Sense of timing is critical
• Law of the Picture - Lead by example - people do what they see
• Law of Momentum - Strike while the iron is hot
• Law of Buy-in - Working lone wolf style does not work

It's definitely worth a good read and use for reference from time to time.

The Ideal Executive

Recently I read this book by Adizes. It was so relevant to me that I devoured it in a few hours on my Kindle. I found out about the book by visiting the Adizes Institute web site while I was pursuing information about Life Cycles of Organizations. There was a wealth of material there about organizational theory and wisdom about many topics in the blog. Adizes is an internationally known leadership and management consultant and his insight, clarity and spiritual strength shine thought in all his writings.

The title of the book, The Ideal Executive, is a teaser, since the point of the book is that there is no such thing. Everyone tends to have strengths in different areas and weaknesses in others and no matter how much training and rounding, we all have styles that revolve around 1 or 2 basic types. Adizes system is PAEI (Producer, Administrator, Entrepreneur, Integrator).

The premise is that all types of personality expression within an organization can be boiled down to those 4 types. Most people are strong in at least one of those types. For example, a strong worker bee who has no interest in management or leadership roles would be coded Paei. Or even more uni-dimensional coding of P---, where dashes represent close to zero ability in the dashed areas. Just as this kind of narrow human being is more fantasy than reality, the opposite coding of PAEI where someone is strong in all 4 areas is equally mythical. Therefore, the Ideal Executive does not exist.

Leadership requires excellence in at least 2 areas and adequate competence in the others. For example, a coding for a very strong leader is paEI. This means excellent Entrepreneurial skills and Integration skills, competent in producing (execution) and administration. Someone with a dash in any of the four areas is lacking significant skills that will produce a leader/manager. A leader cannot be completely missing any of the 4 without the organization suffering in some way.

For each of these positive types, there are opposite dysfunctional expressions. For each type these are:

• Producer - Lone Wolf (does not communicate or get buy-in from superiors, peers and direct reports - acts unilaterally)
• Administrator - Bureaucrat (too mega-focused on how things are done rather than what gets done)
• Entrepreneur - Arsonist (Starts too many projects - keeps team spread too thin and de-focused)
• Integrator - Super Follower (Cannot make decisions without consulting and getting consensus to a fault)

I found this personality framework very easy to remember and identify within the organization. A careful reading and study of the material in this book significantly helps you understand sources of conflict and ways to communicate with personality combinations that may create conflict with each other.

12 Powers

Overview
The Twelve Powers are an organization of spiritual strengths that can be enhanced by a connection with the Source. All humans inherently have these powers but use of them in the realm of sense consciousness may distort their power for selfish gain. Using them from a higher level of consciousness enhances personal well-being and can raise the collective consciousness of groups in which we may participate.

The Twelve Powers as discussed here are a Unity New Thought formulation presented by Charles Fillmore. However, they have similarities to collections of 12 in other traditions such as the 12 Chakras and the Kabala 12 Steps. For Unity, the 12 Powers are linked directly with the Christian tradition through metaphysical interpretation of the 12 disciples in the New Testament. Each disciple represents one of the 12 Powers in a metaphorical sense.

The 12 Powers can also be viewed as leadership traits. Books such as John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and other leadership books and studies frequently describe some number of traits of leadership. Most of these can be mapped into one of the 12 Powers. Since I have recently read a few leadership books, I will relate each Power to leadership traits, roles and psychological profiles. This will help connect the dots from the more abstract 12 Powers presentation to other more concrete formulations.

Other systems that I will reference as each Power is described include a system of organizational theory (Adizes 4 primary roles of an organization as defined in “the Ideal Executive” (PAEI)) and a psychological system (Riso/Hudson’s “Personality Types” that are based on the 9 types of the Enneagram, a tool for self-discovery).

One thing that is interesting to note is the way that the 12 Powers delineate between the higher consciousness expression of a Power and the lower sense consciousness expression. Sense consciousness expression can result in holding things back and creating problems in the manifest world, whereas higher consciousness expressions create positive results and advance environments forward. The same is true of the organizational and psychological systems I will reference.

The Enneagram describes levels of development within a personality type that range from super functional (Level 1) to completely dysfunctional (Level 9). The further one progresses up the levels of development toward Level 1 the less selfish, more self-actualizing a personality becomes. The further down the levels toward Level 9 the more selfish, more self-destructive the personality types become. The Adizes Organizational Roles Theory supports the same notion as shown below:

• Producer (positive, functional) vs. Lone Wolf (negative, dysfunctional)
• Administrator (positive, functional) vs. Bureaucrat (negative, dysfunctional)
• Entrepreneur (positive, functional) vs. Arsonist (negative, dysfunctional)
• Integrator (positive, functional) vs. Super Follower (negative, dysfunctional)

12 Powers
Love
Love functions to harmonize, unify and attract. In personal relationships, this creates an environment of peace and good feeling in relationships. In leadership this power manifests in a leader’s ability to truly care about the people being led so that they take the time to understand individual stories, hopes and dreams.

In Adizes leadership roles, this Power is best reflected in the Type I (Integrator). In the Enneagram this power is best reflected in Type 2 (The Helper) for empathy and Type 9 (The Peacemaker) for coordination and conflict resolution. Maxwell’s Leadership Laws touch on this through the Law of Connection where leaders that can touch emotions have more success than leaders who cannot.

Imagination
Imagination provides the ability to image, conceptualize and envision. Leadership requires imagination to create a vision of the future for an organization or team. In the Adizes system this Power is best represented by the Type E (Entrepreneur). In the Enneagram, this Power might best be represented by Type 5 (The Investigator) or Type 4 (The Individualist).

Power
Power provides the ability to master, dominate and control. In the Adizes system this Power is represented again by the Type E (Entrepreneur) or possibly the Type P (Producer). In the Enneagram, this Power is represented by Type 3 (The Motivator) and Type 8 (The Leader). Maxwell’s Law of Influence relates to this Power by insisting that the true measure of leadership is influence.

Judgment
Judgment is the ability to evaluate, discern, be wise and appraise. It includes wisdom and knowledge. This Power is reflected by the Adizes Type I (Integrator), who brings disparate organizational groups together and facilitates constructive conflict resolution. The Enneagram type that best represents this Power is Type 1 (The Reformer). At lower levels of functionality, Judgment can devolve into being Judgmental.

Understanding
Understanding is the ability to know and perceive. This is our intellectual faculty. In the Adizes world, this Power is best shown by Type E (Entrepreneur) and Type P (Producer). In the Enneagram, the closest personality type is Type 5 (The Investigator).

Zeal
Zeal is the ability to start, motivate, be passionate and be enthusiastic. In the Adizes world, this is typically the Type E (Entrepreneur) who is very passionate and excited about new ideas and possibilities and communicates enthusiasm to the people in the environment. The Enneagram personality is Type 7 (The Enthusiast) who is passionate about trying new things and experiences.

Elimination
Elimination is the ability to release, remove and denounce stale and non-useful behavior patterns in our lives. This Power relates to leadership in the sense that a leader must continually move forward and allow criticisms and failures to fade into the past and become part of experience that improves future endeavors. This is the power to move on and not be paralyzed by mistakes or misfortune.

Faith
Faith is the ability to believe and intuit. It is the ability to move forward and act as if it is impossible to fail. In John Maxwell’s 21 Leadership Laws, this Power relates to the Law of Victory, the Law of Intuition and the Law of Timing. Leaders find a way for the team to win and never give up.

Life
Life is the ability to energize, vitalize and enliven. It is expressed in Maxwell’s leadership laws as the Law of Empowerment, the Law of Magnetism and the Law of Connection. Leaders instill a sense of energy and urgency into the group.

Order
Order is the ability to organize sequence and adjust. In organizational theory this is represented first and foremost by a Type A (Administrator) and secondarily by Type I (Integrator). In terms of leadership laws this is represented by Maxwell’s Law of Priorities.

Will
Will is the ability to choose and decide. This Power keeps us from getting mired in analysis paralysis. After enough analysis, finally it is time to act and the Power of Will provides that for us. In organizational theory, the Type P (Producer) is the most closely connected with the Will to act. In Enneagram personality types, the Type 8 (The Leader) and Type 3 (The Motivator) are the most willful of the group.

Strength
Strength is the power to endure, stay the course, be persistent, persevere and be stable. It relates to Maxwell’s Law of Solid Ground for a leader to build trust as the foundation of leadership. A leader needs a rock solid foundation so that followers will respect and trust his positions.

Holding a Space

How do we hold a space to allow reality to emerge?

The first part of holding a space is sensing that a particular type of communication needs to occur. This might include any number of types of communication such as creative (visioning, brainstorming), administrative (status), integrative (goal setting), productivity (operational), governance (process) or even emotional venting (sometimes we just need to let people get frustrations out in the open). Sensing which type of communication is needed drives the kind of communication space and time that is needed. How many people? Which people? How long? What is the agenda?

Depending on the type of communication, the content of the discussion will tend toward either more structured (administrative, integrative, operational) or less structured (visioning, brainstorming, venting). Generally the less structured the conversation, the larger the sociological space that is needed to allow ideas to emerge. More structured conversations can typically be more controlled, but there should always be an underlying principle of space and timing so that unexpected refinements have the opportunity to present themselves.


Part of the concept of holding a space is to allow creation to happen vs. forcing a particular pattern into existence - a co-creative process instead of an ego-based approach. We may perceive a new situation as a repeat of past experiences. We may want to force this new situation into the same pattern as some specific or synthesized prior experience. What we do not realize is that each new situation is unique. It has emerged in a new time, space and with different subjects and objects. Forcing an old pattern on a new situation may be a well-intentioned desire to make things come out "right", but too much control may kill the possibility of a new or better manifestation.

We may struggle allowing moments of silence when we are in leadership positions. Many times we are doing much of the talking when our groups or teams are assembled. We give status, updates and articulate goals. If we ask a question and see blank stares or too many moments of silence, we may jump to fill in the void with further clarifications or persuasive words. In doing so we may intercept the emergence of ideas that were in the process of baking into existence. This may derail a crucial comment from a colleague.

Some personality types are more suited to holding a space for idea emergence than others. Obviously, listeners are more comfortable with space and synthesis than talkers who may monopolize the conversation and may wish to enforce particular implementations and outcomes on the environment.

Leadership and Virtue

Leadership seems to be more about the quality of being rather than the ability to give orders or boss people around. Great leaders blend general virtues into a strong individualism that permeates their thoughts, actions and results. Becoming a leader is, in a sense, becoming self-actualized and expressing that self-actualization in the medium of inspiring others to do their best; or better. If a leader is actualizing along a spectrum of virtue, her results tend toward the positive. If he is actualizing along a spectrum of vice, his results will tend toward the negative. At least positive and negative from our limited perspectives.

What are some characteristics of leaders? Here is one list: Judgement, Justice, Decisiveness, Initiative, Dependability, Tact, Integrity, Endurance, Bearing, Unselfishness, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, Enthusiasm.

There are many other lists of virtues including the 7 Heavenly virtues and the Knightly virtues. A cursory overview shows there is definitely quite a bit of overlap.

To be a good leader (not an evil leader), is to be consistent with virtue expressed along an idiosyncratic path toward self-actualization. Being, then becoming, never arriving.