Clawson's diamond model of leadership

Leadership Approach and the Diamond Model

Rockfish Background Thoughts

I was pleased when I thought about how well last week went with the new mentoring program. The others leaders seem to be happy as well. Josie Jasper, head of shipping, expressed as much. Josie commented that she had not known about the idea behind Flatarchies. She struggled with transition problems in her department. She thought she might review the idea some more.

So far so good Rockfish mused. Implied in last week’s work Rockfish noted was the important idea of a leader’s approach. Leadership theories can help a leader begin to frame a way of thinking about leading others but leadership is far more complex. The leader must approach leadership as an attitude if they are going to be successful. Separate from leadership style he thought, a leader needs to define leading for one’s self. Exposure to Clawson’s Diamond Model of Leadership will be the focus of this week’s take away. Clawson, Rockfish remembered in his book “The Three Levels of Leadership”, makes the point that leadership is an approach (point of view) whose value lies not in the position a person holds but in the attitude. Further, a leader will never be successful if they do not manage their own energy as well as those around them.

This week’s agenda will start with the idea that a leadership approach is necessary for success.

THEME ONE: A leadership approach is a way of looking at the world around us.

Most people when thinking of leaders focus on the idea of the CEO, people in the positions 10,000 feet up in the organization. However, Clawson (2009) suggested that leadership is not about position but about approach. People who inhabit positions of authority may or may not be leaders.

This week our discussion will focus on what is meant by a leadership approach and wat it is not.

A leadership approach is, as Clawson (2009) suggested, a habitual way of seeing the world around us much like the answer to the glass is half-full or half empty question. An approach to leadership may bias the way we perceive our relationships, work habits, and leadership skills. The approach of a leader is most often seen in their attitude. So, what exactly is a leadership approach? Well, Clawson first defined it by showing how the attitude of the leader differs from other persons in an organization. Below is a short comparison chart that helps summarize the attitude cues of those people that may appear in an organization.

Attitude

Language Cues

Follower

What do you want me to do?

Do I get more authority?

Can you clear the obstacles from upstairs in getting this done?

Bureaucrat

That’s not my job.

Have you filled out the form yet?

I’ll pass that along.

We’ve never done it that way before.

Administrator

What did we do last time?

What is the rule on that?

This is too different than what we have done before?

Contrarian

That will never work!

It will take too long.

Well I hate to play Devil’s Advocate...

That is a terrible idea.

Manager

What do I have to do?

Who will get it done right?

How much time and money will it cost?

How best will it get done?

Leader

There are things to be done.

What are all the forces at play in the situation?

What action can I do that make things better?

(Source: Clawson, 2009)

Look at the differences in the perspective that each person possesses. The leader’s approach is positive in nature and action oriented. Leaders look for what is needed in the organization to accomplish the vision. A leader’s approach is not dependent on others telling them what is needed. They instinctively look for themselves. It is proactive in nature.

Leaders always look at the big picture when they approach decisions no matter how large or small. They look for all the forces at play. A leader’s approach works best with an open mind to new ideas both from inside the organization and from the community of which it is a part. For instance, you as new employees may see areas of improvement in the departments that you head. You may present new ideas that are rejected. The idea may seem feasible to you within the context of your department, but when the idea is viewed in the context of the complete operation of the company it may simply not work. Continually broadening your perspective, through communication with others and through research will make the next proposal more effective. Knowing all the forces at play produces effective decisions.

A leader’s approach is always future oriented. A leader must anchor their approach in the vision. Looking at a problem should always have the component question of how can the solution benefit the company’s journey to accomplishing the mission?

Finally, a leader’s approach does not come from his or her authority but from their actions. The actions of a leader should always place the benefit of the organization and its people first.

As you begin to complete the work this week, contemplate if you have a leadership approach or are you leading from the position you hold.

Read:

Boss, J. (2015, Feb. 17). How To Lead When You're Not A Leader

Folkman, J. (2016, Feb. 3). 5 Attitudes That Define Great Leaders

Attitude in Leadership: Facing Life With The Right Mind

Wolf, A. (2009, Mar 25). Leadership is an Action, Not a Position

Ambler, G. (2013, June 14). How the Leadership Gurus Define Leadership

THEME TWO: The Diamond Model of Leadership is the frame for the GDD’s leadership picture because it presents a flexible model for effective leadership.

Elements of Effective Leadership

After such an intense discussion of leadership models in week one you must be asking yourself why now are we hearing about the Diamond Model of Leadership if this is GDD’s model? Well, the truth is no one leadership model works well for all people or situations. GDD favors this model for its working framework. Its use does not preclude the use of other models that may be complementary to you or GDD. The reason that the Diamond Theory is good for GDD is that it is flexible and it emphasizes people, situations, and strategies. The model combines many of the major precepts of the leadership theories while being applicable to leaders at all levels of an organization. The model is practical as well as theoretical. Set up like a diamond, Clawson’s model shows how a leader interfaces with tasks, others and the organization to lead a group or company toward effective completion of the vision.

In the weeks to come we will exam the various aspects of the elements of effective leadership detailed in the model, but for now let us review the journey that an effective leader takes to accomplish the vision.

It is important to start not with the diamond itself, but with the backdrop upon which it sits: the business environment. As we surmised in our discussion of the evolution of leadership theories, an effective leader is a product of the business landscape in which they exist; what worked in the 20th century leader will not necessarily work in the 21st century. Today’s business environment is characterized by fast-past change, technological disruption, and the development of human resources. Hence, the effective leader must master these factors if they are going to be successful.

Clawson (2009) suggested that the way to control the environmental factors for any business is to interface one\self, the tasks, the organization and others. Weave these factors well and effective leadership will produce results. The interface works as follows.

An effective leader starts with self. The SELF in the diamond model refers to the personal soft skills an individual possesses. The way we think, our approach, our personality, the way we walk, dress or speak all contribute to how well we lead others. Understanding one’s personal characteristics suggests to others that the journey toward a vision is worth the ride. However, personal leadership skills are not enough. A leader must also know what needs to be done to accomplish the vision.

The TASK in the model represents possible topics and projects that must be completed to accomplish a leader’s vision. An effective leader identifies the tasks by deciding where they wish to place their time, talent, and energy as well as that of others within the organization. The axis line that connects Self with Task is the “strategic thinking process” that a leader uses to create objectives that others will want to complete. If a leader has created a “story” or direction of where the group is going, then the northeast axis has been “formed”. If a leader fails to complete the formation of the quadrant, then there is no story to tell and therefore nowhere to lead others.

Once a leader has the direction of the “story” he must look to OTHERS. How can I “sell” my story to others to get the tasks done? Just as we have looked at our own personal characteristics, it is equally important to look at those with whom we must relate to accomplish the tasks. Each of these people has a style, a way of thinking; an attitude. Remember our attitude chart - how well we as leaders chose to know these people will govern our relationship with them. The Others does not just contain employees. It also includes stakeholders.

Okay, we have our self-description, we have our “story”, we could sell the story to others, but things are not set yet. Leadership is not over. We now must journey to the Southern part of the quadrant to visit the ORGANIZATION. The best of strategic plans and leaders can die in the organization. The Organization circle represents all the processes and systems a business may possess. The hiring system, the processes and the information systems are just a few examples. This aspect also includes the culture or atmosphere of an organization which Clawson notes will “eat strategy for breakfast”. The north-south axis line represents the leader’s ability to design organizations that facilitate the implementation of the “strategic story” effectively.

The southwest axis represents the relationship between members of the organization and the organization itself. Just how committed is an employee to the organization? The level of commitment of an employee is comprised of how well the employee is attached to others and the work of the organization. To some, the commitment goes as far as the paycheck to others it is everything. The more the leader can create commitment among others the greater the chance the tasks will be completed and completed well.

Finally, at the end of the journey if all the circles have been visited successfully the leader will see RESULTS. They can be intangible like the business reputation or concrete like customer satisfaction and retention.

Read:

The Four Wheel Drive Diamond in the Rough Model

Morrison, J. L. (2010, Aug 7). Book review, The three levels of leadership. Journal of Education for Business, p. 62-64. Retrieved from EBSCO database.

References:

Clawson, J. G. (2009). Level three leadership: Getting below the surface (4th ed.). Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education.

Learning Activity 1 Theme One: A leadership approach is a way of looking at the world around us.

Are you a leader? The point to the quiz below is to determine if you have a leader’s perspective in your approach to situations and people. Take the quiz and share your ideas about the quiz and the type of results provided. The questions asked of you have several characteristics of a leader’s attitude that have been researched to mark a leader rather than a follower.

Review the questions and list three characteristics the test examined. Share examples of questions that support your selections of characteristics.

Are you a Leader?

In the following quiz, you are evaluated in terms of the leader and follower relationship. Take the quiz and then share your thoughts on the quiz. Consider the focus of the questions and discuss whether there are times when a leader is also a follower? Be sure to use the course readings to support your answers.

Are You a Leader or a Follower?

Read:

5 Reasons Leaders Become Followers

Learning Activity 2 Theme Two: The Diamond Model of Leadership is the framework for the GDD’s leadership picture because it presents a flexible model for effective leadership.

Compare the Diamond model with two other leadership models and explain how the Diamond model fits the GDD leader the best. Support your reasoning with the course readings.