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The Importance of Attitudes in Leadership

Brandon Kessler Brendia Morrison Phil Bolton Virginia Leonard Jim Browning

Defining Attitude
manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc. with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind.

(Webster online dictionary, 2009)

How are attitudes formed?


Natural disposition
Formed through relationships / experiences
parents are our first teachers

(Bevilacqua, 2009)

Elements of Attitude
Individuality Background Personal Choice Thought Patterns

(Stanton et al., 2009)

Attitude Behavior

(Stanton et al., 2009)

Developing your attitude in terms of leadership:


Task orientation
Directive Attitude

Employee orientation
Supportive Attitude

(Vecchio, 1988)

(Zigarmi et al., 1986)

Developing your attitude is important!


How do you lead your group? What is your attitude to both them and the task at hand? Country Club Management Supporting Impoverished Management Delegating Team Management Coaching Authority / Obedience Management Directing

Impoverished Management (low concern for the task, low concern for people) Country Club Management (low concern for the task, high concern for the people) Authority/Obedience Management (high concern for task, low concern for people) Team Management (high concern for task, high concern for people)

(Vecchio, 1988) (Zigarmi et al., 1986)

Attitude Components and Dynamics

BELIEFS about a referent or Object ATTITUDE toward referent or object VALUES Held as important
INTENTIONS to behave

OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR

(Carter-Scott et al., 2004)

Development: Are we really who we should be?

Attitude

Knowledge

Conscience

Choices

Attitude is Everything

Attitude
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones own way.

Victor Frankl
(Carter-Scott et al., 2004)

The Right Attitude


determines how you view things. quality of your life. how you view life. how we face adversity. how face obstacles.

(Carter-Scott et al., 2004)

Attitude Facts
Estimated that Success is 80% Attitude and 20% Aptitude Positive Mental Attitude Enriches your Personal Life Your Relationships Your Career Positive Outlook the difference between enjoying what you do or simply tolerating it.

(Thomas, 1998)

Example of the Learning and Expression of Attitude toward Work and Career
Current Job with High Pay and Good Promotion Prospects
Parents Involve Child with Interesting Work Projects at Home Mother Won an Award for Helping Her Company in an Emergency

Father Was Never Late or Unnecessarily Absent From his Job

Positive Experiences With Past and Present Supervisors

Affective and Cognitive Components of the Attitudes

Strong Positive Attitudes Toward Work and Career

Help, Encouragement & Rewards From Teachers

Many Opportunities to Socialize With Successful People

(Carter-Scott et al., 2004)

Attributes of Leaders with a Positive Attitude


A person of value Creates a positive action plan to meet goals Beliefs instill these into the people around you demonstrate through action Provide intellectual nutrition and transform minds

(Harrell, 2003)

Attributes of Leaders with a Positive Attitude cont.

Be passionate about what you do The right attitude creates opportunity The right attitude motivates others Inspire others Lead yourself first

(Harrell, 2003)

Leaders Lead Themselves First


Identify your own SWOT Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threat P A T Principle of Successful Leadership Passion Approachability Thoughtfulness

(Harrell, 2003)

Leaders Lead Themselves First


Loose lead lead by example Pull leadership leading the way shows the way Avoid push leadership pushing others while you remain idle

(Harrell, 2003)

Attitude Put It Into Practice


Attitude About Yourself: Hopeful vs. Helpless Dream vs. Doubt Attitude About Others: Strengths vs. Flaws Accepting vs. Judging Attitude About the World: Opportunities vs. Problems Embracing vs. Resisting
(Ursiny et al., 2008)

10 Steps to a Positive Attitude


Keep Your Life Balanced Dont Give Up Make the Most of the Situation Engage in Positive Self-Talk Visualize Success Attack Problems Head-On Look for the Bright Side Maintain a Sense of Humor Make Work Fun Accentuate the Positives

(Fritz, 2008)

Attitude
The connection between the mind, heart, and body.

(Ursiny et al., 2008)

Impact of Attitude

Impact
Impact is Influence
Influence - to produce an effect on by imperceptible or intangible means; sway.

(American Heritage Dictionary)

Leaders as Influencers
Skilled Influencers
Help their followers transform their attitudes toward a behavior Help followers see the implications of their actions and choices Help followers become personally motivated to enact new behaviors

(Grenny et al., 2008)

Leaders as Influencers
Ineffective Influencers
Assume there is no way to change followers attitudes toward a behavior Compensate for lack of personal motivation by:
Pressuring & Forcing
Peer Pressure

Bribing and Threatening


Carrots & Sticks

(Grenny et al., 2008)

Impact
A critical part of attitude is empowerment
Equipping followers with authority and abilities

Attitude Predicates and Dictates Performance


Good Attitude = Good Performance Poor Attitude = Poor Performance

Positive Mental Attitude is Contagious Unfortunately, so is a bad attitude

(Lutz, 2005)

Impact
Attitude is often the deciding factor in new hires
An applicant who: - Gets along well with others - Handles pressure and stress - Demonstrates a pleasant personality and attitude

is more likely to do a good job than one lacking those qualities.


(Weiss, 2001)

As Albert Einstein put it: Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.

(Garrett, 2001)

Attitude Limitations

5 Crippling Habits: Are they attacking your organization?

Absence of Clear Directives Lack of Accountability Rationalizing Inferior Performance Planning in Lieu of Action Aversion to Risk and Change

(Prosen, 2006)

Communication in the Workplace


Nonverbal Communication Sends Messages Body language Facial expression Vocal intonation Everyday Attitudes, Behaviors, and Decisions What employees see
(Lee, 2008)

Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words?


Powerful communication tool Attitudes Behaviors Managers/Leaders usually do not plan for this
Missed Opportunity

Attitudes/Behaviors are displayed daily Day-to-day choices Habits Expectations and biases Hunches
(Lee, 2008)

How to Reinforce the Vision or Influence Attitude


Leadership Behaviors Visibility Personnel Choices Use of Time Presence and Accessibility

All good performance starts with clear goals. Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

(Lee, 2008)

What May Limit Your Skills?


Poor work ethic/poor quality work Unprofessional behavior Negative attitude Unwilling/unable to learn new things Lack of commitment Poor communication skills Acting arrogantly Unreceptive to feedback/unwilling to take responsibility for mistakes Lack of leadership/client service abilities
(Ivancevich, 2009)

The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right. Ken Blanchard Spencer Johnson The One Minute Leader

(Blanchard, 2007)

Changes in Attitude
From Above, Below, Sideways.

..The floggings will continue until morale improves Solution: Mutiny .Changes in Latitudes, changes in attitudes Solution: Margaritaville ..You can take this job and shove it. Solution: Lottery

(Buffett, 1977)

(Coe, 1976)

Attitude vs. Leadership Styles


Transactional
Some Perceptions.

Transformational

.we have explored

Measure of Leadership

Transactional Transformational

How you perceive yourself And How others perceive You Influence Your Behavior and the Behavior of Others

Your Effectiveness In Leadership

Attitudes
(Maxwell, 2005)

The Research
Significant amount of material on work attitudes and behaviors Many different conclusions Many different definitions of attitude
Values Attitudes Moods (VAM) Model Attitude Structure Meaning at Work numerous others.
(Olson et al., 1993) (Epps, 2003)

(George et al., 1997)

What to Change
Influences on Attitude
How you view your environment How you view the people around you How the people around you view you

Indicators:
Job Satisfaction Job Involvement Organizational Commitment
(George et al., 1997)

Attitude Change Potential


Potential for change is dependent on personality traits and baseline attitudes Ability to deal positively with change Curmudgeon Factor

(George et al., 1997)

(Epps, 2003)

Changing Attitudes
Current State
Environment Negative Influence Perception: Credibility Issues
Bad Attitudes, Not meeting Requirements -Social Loafing Practically Perfect ..in every way!

Future State
Environment Factors Negated Perceptions Corrected: Credibility Established!
Happy and Productive

(George et al., 1997) (Stevenson et al., 1964)

No Simple Answers
Attitudes are based on multidimensional, individual personalities and situations
Current environments Current organizational culture Current career point and expectations 36 Basic Values, Hundreds of Attitudes

(Rokeach, 1973)

Up Across
Down

Ideas for Change


Action
Communicate Listen Look for Obvious Cause Encourage/ Assist Change the environment Re-assign/ Remove

Indicators
Negative Attitude
Body Language/Facial Expressions Verbal Comments Social Loafing Absenteeism

Positive Attitude
Body Language/Facial Expressions Verbal Comments Communicator & Listener Commitment/Achievement Mentors and Trains
(George et al., 1997) (Stevenson et al., 1973)

Recognize & Acknowledge Challenge & Stretch Expand Responsibilities Reward & Promote Mentor Others
(Epps, 2003) (Maxwell, 2005)

5 Steps to Changing Your Attitude


Step 1: Learn More the more you know positive attitude success confidence

Step 2: Identify the Pitfalls identify unknown factors examine fears Step 3: Learn Positive Self-Talk creates self-image, level of self-esteem, self-confidence, and your attitude Step 4: Make Daily Affirmations repeat your goals daily Step 5: Surround Yourself with Positive People close your mind to negativity

(Carter-Scott et al., 2004)

Attitude Change - Summary


Attitude is Critically Important in Effective Leadership You must understand What drives attitudes on your team in order determine How you can make changes
Multitude of factors influence attitude Some people are easily influenced Some people will never change

References

Blanchard, K., (2007). Leadership smarts: Inspiration and wisdom from the heart of a leader. (1st ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: Honor Books. Buffett, J., (1977). Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. [LP], Miami, Nashville: ABC Dunhill. Buttner, E., Lowe, B., & Billings-Harris, L., (2006). The Influence of Organizational Diversity Orientation and Leader Attitude on Diversity Activities. Journal of Managerial Issues, 18 (3), 356. Carter-Scott, C., Fraser, J., Anderson, C., Bazar, T., Boucher, J., Carmichael, F., et al. (2004). Ordinary WomenExtraordinary Success. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press, Inc. Coe, D.A., (1976). Take this Job and Shove It. [Johnny Paycheck] Take this Job and Shove It [LP], Nashville: EPIC (1977). Epps, J., (2003). The Journey of Meaning at Work, Group Facilitation, 5, 17-25. Garrett, A.(2001, August). Crash Course in Leading by Example . Retrieved from http:// www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/922337/crash-course-leading-example/ George, J.M., & Jones G. R., (1997). Experiencing Work: Values, Attitudes, and Moods. Human Relations, 50, 4, 393-416. Gioia, C., Dewitt, D., & Bevilacqua, K., (2009). How Do People Develop Their Attitude? In Helium (Personal Moral & Values). Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1561123-how. Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., and Shimberg (2008).How to Have Influence. MIT Sloan Management Review, Volume 50 (No.1), pp. 47 52.

References
Groves, Kevin S. (2005). Linking Leader Skills, Follower Attitudes, and Contextual Variables via a Integrated Model of Charismatic Leadership. Journal of Management, Apr. 2005; vol. 31: pp. 255 277. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from Sage Publications. Harrell, Keith (2003). The Attitude of Leadership. Taking the Lead and Keeping It. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. influence. (n.d.). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition . Retrieved October 18, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/influence Ivancevich, S., Ivancevich, D., & Roscher, R., (2009). The first two years of employment. The CPA Journal, 79, 69-72. Lee, T., (2008). Actions speak loudly. Communication World. 25, 24-29. Lutz, C., (2005). Leading by Example. Security Management, 49(10), 44,46-47. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 915987081). Maxwell, J.C., (2005). The 360 Leader, Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization, Nashville: Nelson Business. Muehrcke, J., (2005). Five Secrets Every Leader Should Know. Nonprofit World, 23 (3), 2, 1. Olson, J.M., & Zanna, M.P., (1993). Attitudes and attitude change. Annual Review of Psychology, 44, 117-154. Prosen, B., (2006). Five crippling habits: are they attacking your organization from within? SuperVision, 67, 6-9. Rokeach, M., (1973). The nature of human values, New York: The Free Press. Russell-McCloud, P., (1999). A Is for Attitude. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Solovic, Susan Wilson (2001). The Power of Planning. In Susan Wilson Solovic, The Girls Guide to Power and Success: Power Comes from a Positive Attitude (pp. 110 111). New York, NY: American Management Association.

References
Stanton, A., Taylor, R., & Stanaland, A., (2009). An Examination of the Relationship Between Research Attitudes and Behaviors of Business School Faculty. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 13 (3), 37. Tosi, Henry L., Rizzo, John R., & Carroll, Stephen J. (1986). Attitude Formation and Dynamics. Individual Behaviour. In Henry L. Tosi, Managing Organizational Behavior: Attitude Formation. And Dynamics (pp. 123 130). Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishing Company. Ursiny, Tim, DeMoss, Gary, & Ybaben, Marc (2008). The Top Performers Guide to Attitude. Essential Skills That Put You On Top. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Inc. Vecchio, R.: Organizational Behaviour (The Dryden Press, 1988), pp 284 -317. W H Weiss. (2001, June). Attitude: A major managerial challenge. SuperVision, 62(6), 3. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 73448667). Walumbwa, Fred O., Lawler, John J., Avolio, Bruce J., Peng Wang, Kan Shi. (2005). Transformation Leadership and WorkRelated Attitudes: The Moderating Effects of Collective and Self-Efficacy Across Cultures. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, Jan 2005; vol. 11: pp. 2-16. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from Sage Publications. Zigarmi, P., Zigarmi, D., & Blanchard, K.: Leadership and the One Minute Manager (Willow Books, 1986).

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