Robin Levesque Integrative Paper 2009 Jun 27

A Leader’s Journey 1

Running Head: A LEADER’S JOURNEY

A Leader’s Journey: The Heart of the Matter

Robin Levesque

Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC

June 27, 2009


Abstract

Leadership is a journey. Regardless of what age it starts at, leadership, like life, is

about the journey, not the destination. People learn in different ways. The author of this

paper, a confirmed Accommodator according to The Kolb Learning Style Inventory,

concludes that for him, true learning not only occurs in the mind, it transcends to the

heart, the hands and the spirit. This paper is the tale of one man’s leadership journey

at his first Royal Roads University residence and how he learned that it’s all about

heart.

.


The purpose of this paper is to help me synthesize the key learning themes of this

term in a way that they are mine, communicable and usable in my professional context

and with my colleagues. This term refers to the first residency for the Master of Arts in

Leadership at Royal Roads University including the pre- and post-residency components

(April 20 to June 27, 2009). Ultimately, the purpose of this paper is to help me “find my

own voice” (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, pp. 57-58) (Covey, 2004, p. 5).

I started my learning journal soon after I received the textbooks for the

assigned readings in late March. This would be an important tool to help me manage

my own learning and change.

I considered two of the texts as the “bookends” to my personal leadership

journey to date. I read Leadership Challenge for the first time eight years ago after

completing a leadership program. I incorporated the five practices of “exemplary

leadership” (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, p. 14) in my own leadership challenge: model

the way; inspire a shared vision; challenge the process; enable others to act; and

encourage the heart.

I read the Fifth Discipline for the first time less than a year ago after

completing learning organization practitioner training. I added the five disciplines to

my leadership repertoire: personal mastery, shared vision, mental models, learning

teams and systems thinking.

By re-reading both textbooks prior to residence, I discovered that the

internalization of learning for me occurs when I connect the material from the head

to the heart, the hands and the spirit. “Human beings are not things needing to be


motivated and controlled; they are four dimensional – body, mind, heart and spirit”

(Covey, 2004, p. 21).

Additional required readings for residency included Overcoming the Five

Dysfunctions of a Team, Learning in Relationship, How to Observe your Group, and

Reframing Organizations.

Pe-residency also included the preparation of a personal values statement,

personal vision statement and personal leadership challenge. Students completed the

Kolb Learning Style Indicator and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator online and

posted reflections at the end of each of the five weeks.

Combined, the above preparation formed a strong foundation for my own

personal leadership and prepared me with some valuable information on how I could

expand my leadership influence and contribution to my team, groups, organization,

and communities.

As I packed my bags for the three weeks of residence in Victoria, I

formulated my priorities.

1. Invest in myself and take care of myself. These three weeks would

be an opportunity to block out the rest of my world and responsibilities

to focus on my learning, my health and my spirit. Having experienced

this kind of experiential learning before, I knew that what I got out of

the residency was a direct result of what I put into it.

2. Give and receive feedback. I was not surprised that the statement on

seeking feedback in the Leadership Challenge ranked lowest on the

Leadership Practices Inventory (LIP) from the observer’s perspective


(Kouzes and Posner, 2007, pp. 84-85). Residency would be an

important conduit to develop the habit of giving and receiving

feedback.

3. Consolidate my four personal visions into one. I had been working

on four sets of vision and value statements starting eight years ago. I

saw the first residency as an opportunity to reflect on my values in the

right place at the right time and to consolidate all four vision

statements into one.

4. Take my leadership journey to the next level. I discovered through

reflection that my leadership journey began when I was leading a team

of bingo workers at the age of 13. My “formal” journey began eight

years ago when I completed my first leadership training. This

residency would allow me to internalize my leadership learning,

knowledge and skills and to take my leadership journey to the next

level.

5. Keep building my inventory. I also wanted to use the reflection time

at residency to build on my inventory of stories, tools and pictures for

use in my own consulting practice. This enables me to help others

learn and to assist organizations develop project management maturity

and build their dream teams.

The first week started with a reception on Sunday evening including a Inner-

Outer Circle exercise with the first-year students on the inside of the circle and the

second-year students giving advice on the outside of the circle. This moment


resonated with me immediately and reminded me of Bolman and Deals’s symbolic

frame (pp. 251-308) and the importance of celebration and ritual.

This first part of Week 1 would focus on getting to know myself and personal

leadership. On Monday, we started the day off with an ice breaker that I have seen at

a party once. Who Am I? reminded me of the importance of communication,

especially paying attention, as I lost track of the responses building up who my

character was.

Faculty then gave a demonstration of the Fishbowl and the Check In. These

would prove to be valuable techniques for the balance of the residency. Our cohort

used the Fishbowl to facilitate decision making for the Leadership Challenge, which

was a case study presented to us by the Ministry of Housing and Social

Development. Most groups made extensive use of the Check In throughout the three-

week residency.

Highlights for the balance of the week as the focus shifted to relationship,

team and groups included a review of the Kolb Leaning Style Indicator (with

individual results), developing shared values and vision with fellow advisee

participants, inside out communication (including the ladder of inference and the

assertiveness wheel), Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), team effectiveness, and

emergent learning.

On the one hand it was comforting to learn that some things don’t change that

much. My learning style is still “Accommodator” after three years and still consistent

with my kinaesthetic style results from 15 years ago. On the other, I was surprised to

learn that my ENTJ MBTI from 10 years ago was now an INFP. Still, during the


scale exercise for self assessment lead by Rob Goodall, I had rated myself as an eNFj

(small e and j intended). So I knew that some of my preferences had changed over

the past decade.

Some of the most meaningful work I did in week one was consolidating and

refining my personal vision and values. I initiated my first approach to identifying

my values eight years ago based on the Leadership Challenge.

More recently, I had done some detailed visioning based and used a technique

from Time Power by Brian Tracy to write down my major definite purpose every day

for one month. In addition, I have adapted a technique from Good to Great by Jim

Collins to find the sweet spot in my own personal “Hedgehog” (Collins, 2001, pp.

94-97).

I was able to compile these four inputs into one vision statement (to help others

build their dream teams) and associated values and personal learning goals.

The latter part of week one moved onto working in teams and groups. Other

key learning included the importance of listening to all voices when conducting our

Advisee Group’s values and visioning session and recognizing when I am in the red

zone (and uncomfortable gut reaction when faced with a learning challenge). Both

lessons would be reinforced for me in a dramatic way the following week.

Week 2 started with a morning session on appreciative inquiry. I thought that

was an excellent preamble to the session I would be facilitating over the lunch hour

for the cohort’s Leadership Challenge. This would be our first opportunity to form

our own organization comprised of 35 students, which exemplified the four

organizational frames from Bolman and Deal (structural, human resource, political


and symbolic). In particular, I was able to observe the political frame firsthand as

new alliances formed to influence decision making.

I was to use a very similar technique that would incorporate tools that we

would later learn like Open Space and World Café. Unfortunately, some members

of the cohort did not feel heard during the facilitated session. As it turns out, enough

resistance prevented any of the tools to be used. Fast forward to the end of the week

for some advice from Beth Page that I could have used at the time: “People own what

they create” and “involve employees in the process”. In retrospect, I should have

engaged my fellow cohorts in designing the facilitated session over the weekend. At

the very least, I should have left the first session as wide open dialogue. I was

reminded that the facilitator does not own the agenda, the participants do.

Other key learning in Week 2 included emotional intelligence, coaching,

learning organizations, systems thinking, and organizational change. A session

facilitated by Maggi Feehan introduced me to a new communication tool, walking

onto different areas of a quadrant as one’s frame changes during story telling. The

learning carried on through the entire weekend as everyone was busy working on

their portion of the Leadership Challenge presentation.

I was part of Team 4, and our question focused on the teachings of Senge’s

the Fifth Discipline and Bolman and Deal’s Reframing Organizations. We compiled

it into a four-quadrant model (see Appendix A). Building on further readings, I have

since elaborated into a more detailed model (see Appendix B and Appendix C).

Building such models speaks to my Arranger strength theme (Buckingham and


Clifton, 2001, p. 87). This compilation can also be viewed from a systems thinking

perspective (see Appendix E).

The third week started with an introduction to a non-verbal communication

tool, the Pebble Game. Then, designated members of each Leadership Challenge

Team went through a dry run for the presentation being held the next day. The best

part of the practice run was receiving verbal feedback from Faculty, which once

implemented, would help elevate the quality of the presentation to a whole new

level.

Other key learning in this final week of residency included ethics, community

dialogue, and a sneak preview of upcoming courses.

As the week and the residency were winding down, my learning was being

stretched to a whole new level. In particular, two sessions enabled me to witness the

most honest communication and feedback ever, all in a team or group environment.

During the Leadership Challenge Team debrief on Wednesday, our Advisor

Beth Page sat in to observe. After awhile, I asked her if she had anything to share

with us. She said to ask ourselves: “What one question if answered for me today

would help me in my leadership?” She left, and we let that question sit for awhile.

When we came back to it later, the dialogue and feedback it generated from each

team member to each team member was truly constructive. I learned how trusting a

team can become in a short time given the right environment and the right mix of

people.

The second session that truly opened my eyes was the Advisee Group

Personal Leadership Challenge sharing on Thursday morning. Each participant was


asked to provide a brief overview of his or her Personal Leadership Challenge with

the rest of the group. After each participant was done, a sheet went around the table

where each of the other participants asked one coaching question. This was a

powerful communication technique that I had not seen before. The patterns that

emerged out of the questions were very enlightening. In particular, the questions that

I received for my challenge in combination with the feedback from the day before at

the Leadership Challenge Team debrief caused me to reflect.

It became apparent to me that some people saw me as less than fully engaged

or that I could bring a little more heart to the leadership table. What implications

could this have for my own team and organizational leadership? I discussed this later

with my Learning Partner and my Advisor. That evening, I wrote down four points

for myself to ponder as I progress through the rest of the program after this

residency:

• Why is it so difficult for me to show my heart and my passion?

• What can I learn from the three-day courses that I facilitate into

shorter interactions with others?

• Did I show up at this residency more as an observer than a fully

engaged participant?

• What are some instances where I do show up fully and completely?

Post residency is now in its second week. I find myself changing some of my

old behaviours. For example, I am providing co-workers feedback whenever I get a

chance. I listen twice as much as I speak. I try to show my heart and my passion, and

I rotate the chair role at our weekly team meetings. For my fellow RRU students, I


posted a Work Breakdown Structure online of the entire first residency based on my

detailed notes.

Still, I can imagine far more positive changes to myself, my relationships, the

teams and groups I work with, my organization, my communities and my universe as

I apply my learning from the past two months throughout the rest of my leadership

journey.

I am convinced more than ever that true learning not only occurs in the mind,

it transcends to the heart, the hands and the spirit. This concept is succinctly

reframed in Presence: “All learning integrates thinking and doing” (Senge,

Scharmer, Jaworski and Flowers, 2004, p. 11).


Appendix A: Slide from Leadership Challenge Team 4


Appendix B: Theoretical Patterns

A, B, C and so on refer to the theory designation. The numbers 1 to 5 represent a consistent pattern across all eight theoretical frameworks.

A. Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner

1. Model the way

2. Inspire a share vision

3. Challenge the process

4. Enable others to act

5. Encourage the heart

B. The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge

1. Personal Mastery

2. Shared Vision

3. Mental Models

4. Learning Teams

5. Systems Thinking

C. Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal

a. Human Resources Frame

b. Symbolic Frame

c. Structural Frame

d. Political Frame

D. The 8th Habit by Steven Covey

a. Modeling

b. Pathfinding

c. Aligning

d. Empowering

E. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

a. Absence of Trust

b. Inattention to Results


c. Fear of Conflict

d. Lack of Commitment

e. Avoidance of Accountability

F. Five Process Groups by Project Management Institute

a. Initiating

b. Closing

c. Planning

d. Executing

e. Monitoring and Controlling

G. Appreciative Inquiry

a. Discovery

b. Dream

c. Design

d. Destiny

H. GROW Coaching Model

a. Reality

b. Goal

c. Options

d. Will

I. DREAM MasterKey by Robin Levesque

a. Discover

b. Reach

c. Engage and Elaborate

d. Act

e. Motivate and Monitor


Appendix C: The DREAM MasterKey

3) Engage and Elaborate A. Challenge the Process B. Mental Models C. Structural Frame D. Aligning E. Fear of Conflict F. Planning G. Design H. Options

2) Reach A. Inspire a Shared Vision B. Shared Vision C. Symbolic Frame D. Pathfinding E. Inattention to Results F. Closing G. Dream H. Goal

1) Discover A. Model the Way B. Personal mastery C. Human Resources Frame D. Modeling E. Absence of Trust F. Initiating G. Discovery H. Reality

4) Act A. Enable Others to Act B. Learning Teams C. Political Frame D. Empowering E. Lack of Commitment F. Executing G. Destiny H. Will

5) Motivate and Monitor

A. Encourage the Heart B. Systems Thinking C. n/a D. n/a E. Avoidance of Accountability F. Monitoring and Controlling G. n/a H. n/a


Appendix D: A Systems Approach to Leadership


References

Kouzes, M.K. & Posner, B.Z. (2007). The leadership challenge. CA: Jossey Bass.

Covey, S.R. (2004). The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness. NY: Simon &

Schuster.

Senge, P.M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning

organization. NY: Doubleday.

Lencioni, P (2005). Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team: a field guide. CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Short, R.R (1998). Learning in relationship. WA: Learning in Action Technologies.

Dimock, H.G. and Kass, R. (2007). How to observe your group. ON: Captus Press.

Bolman, L.G. and Deal, ,T.E. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and

leadership. CA: Jossey-Bass.

Tracy, B. (2007) Time Power. NY: AMACOM.

Collins, J. (2001). Good to great. NY, HarperCollins.

Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D.O. (2001). Now, discover your strengths. NY, Simon

& Shuster.

Senge, P., Scharmer, C.O., Jaworski, J. and Flowers, B.S. (2004). Presence: Human

purpose and the field of the future. NY: Doubleday.

Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: a leadership fable. CA: Jossey-

Bass.

A guide to the project management body of knowledge (2004). PMBOK guide, - 3rd

ed. PA: Project Management Institute, Inc.

Robin Levesque Integrative Paper 2009 Jun 27

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