Download Positive and Mindful Leadership in the Public Sector Sheila Barrett

Positive and Mindful Leadership in
the Public Sector
Sheila Barrett
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Leadership historically
• Throughout history leaders and leadership have
fascinated us.
• Historians, philosophers, academics and
particularly journalists are all interested in what
makes a failed and a great leader
• In the past we focussed on the leader (the
person) and now we also look at leadership (the
process)
• There is now a lot that we know about leaders
and leadership
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Leadership Today
Today leaders and leadership continue to interest us
through the media
• The state of the economy and the world
• International strife
• Rapid technological changes
• Concerns in the UK about financial irregularities and
abuses in the healthcare system
Leaders and leadership are on our minds
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Leadership Effectiveness
Despite questions as to whether it is the sole
factor of organisational success, there is now
compelling evidence that leaders and leadership
impact on:
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Culture
Climate
Employee engagement
Productivity
Customer satisfaction
The well being of the organisation and it’s members
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
What sort of leaders and leadership
do we need and want?
Increasingly there is a push for authenticity and
positivity that comes from:
• The context of rapid change and irregularity
and a desire for trust
• A recognition that command and control
styles of leadership do not work in industries
that require creativity, adaptation,
innovation and care.
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
POSITIVE LEADERSHIP (Kim Cameron 2012)
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Positive Climate
Positive Relationships
Positive Communications
Positive Meaning
Positively deviant leadership (Wooten and Cameron
2010)
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Authentic Leadership
• Self-Awareness: The degree to which the leader is
aware of; his/her strengths, limitations, how others see
him/her and how their behaviour impacts others?
• Transparency: The degree to which the leader
reinforces a level of openness with others that provides
them with an opportunity to be forthcoming with their
ideas, challenges and opinions?
• Ethical/Moral: The degree to which the leader sets a
high standard for moral and ethical conduct?
• Balanced Processing: The degree to which the leader
solicits sufficient opinions and viewpoints prior to
making important decisions? (www.mindgarden .com)
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindfulness and Leadership
Mindfulness might be a route to positive
leadership and authenticity
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindfulness and Mindlessness
In everyday language, and in its natural state,
mindfulness is an aspect of consciousness that is
associated with synonyms such as alert and
watchful (Siegel 2010) but when it is a
developed state most researchers refer to
themes related to the conscious effort of
bringing awareness, attention and acceptance to
the present moment (Kabat Zinn 2003, Brown
and Ryan 2006, Williams et al 2011).
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Leadership and Mindfulness
A causal pathway
The mindful
leader
Increased
awareness
attention and
acceptance of
self, others and
the environment
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Positive
Individual
Team and
Organisational
Outcomes
Exercise
Eating one little raisin
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindfulness
The literature has two approaches to purposely
developing mindfulness
1. Meditative approaches - through the practice
of meditation (Kabat Zinn 2003, Williams et al
2008) – the focus of current empirical research
2. Through a process of cognitive restructuring
and learning which involves attention to and
awareness of one’s own information collection
and processing in the context of social and
political influences (Langer 2000).
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindlessness
Mindlessness - . “We are frequently in error
but rarely in doubt” Ellen Langer
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindfulness Outcomes
– Mechanisms of mindfulness Singh (2006)
– Loving Kindness meditation and positive
emotions – Fredrickson (2008)
– Meditation and mental health – Williams et al
(2008)and Kuyken (2008)
– Stress reduction Kabat -Zinn (2003)
– Physiological data – Davidson (2005)
– Positive Organisational scholarship – Cameron
and Dutton (2006)
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Mindfulness and Authentic
Leadership
Less
Automaticity
Authentic Leader
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Mindfulness
Stress Reduction
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Acceptance
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Sensory
Awareness
Positive
emotions
Approaching
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
•
awareness of one’s thoughts
feelings motives and values;
unbiased processing –
acceptance of positive and
negative attributes;
behaviour – acting
according to true
preferences values and
needs rather than being
influenced by other rewards
or social acceptance;
relational orientation –
truthfulness and openness
in close relationships.
Hypotheses
Mindfulness will develop the capability of leaders
to:
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Relate authentically in the here and now
Approach rather than avoid
Stand back from reactivity and automaticity and
see an appropriate response to conflict, stress, and
problems etc
Attend to information in the present and value and
see different perspectives
Manage their own stress
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013
Thank you
Sheila Barrett New Approaches to
Leadership in the Public Sector 2013