Transforming!: How Managers Become Leaders

By Kenneth Breaux

Transforming-How Managers Become Leaders addresses the issues pertinent to both first -time supervisors and leaders at every level. While anyone may read and gain from the content, Transforming is designed to be used as a facilitative tool by groups through the generation of discussion and creative conflict. It stresses a critical thinking approach that can be applied to leadership issues and values using narratives from the author's personal experiences and historical references. Each of the narratives is an actual event and is approached from an analytical perspective in order to build a discussion around the values and actions of leaders. The goal of the work is to articulate the differences between mere managers and those who seek to transform the workplace through leadership of human capital.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Sep 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490713670

Kenneth Breaux

Kenneth Breaux is a retired US Naval Officer who served in a variety of craft and as a Commanding Officer of Reserve Training Units. He retired with the rank of Commander. He worked as a project manager for Electronic Data Systems, and as a contract corporate training developer. He has significant experience in team building and in business analysis, operations, processes and procedures. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He also has done graduate level studies at the US Naval War College. This is his second book.

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY?

ELEMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION

THE LEADERSHIP MODEL

THE BALANCED PARADIGM

TRANSACTIONAL VS. TRANSFORMATIONAL—THE PARADIGMS COMPARED

WHY START HERE?

LEADERSHIP: ART OR SCIENCE?

CAN LEADERSHIP BE TAUGHT?

HISTORY AND SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

THE ARENA OF THE LEADER

OPEN SYSTEMS

THE ORGANIZATION AS AN OPEN SYSTEM

THE ORIGINS OF THE ORGANIZATION

CHANGE IN CONTEXT-EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT BUT LITTLE IS CHANGED

THE TUCKMAN MODEL—FORM-STORM-NORM-PERFORM

INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR MOTIVATION

OBJECTIVES

THE MILITARY MODEL

LEADERSHIP CAPITAL

MANAGING ENTRY INTO THE ORGANIZATION—(SOCIALIZATION)

LEADING CULTURAL CHANGE

PRIMARY MECHANISMS

SECONDARY MECHANISMS

NARRATIVES AND CASES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THE SECTION

FACILITATIVE PROCESS METHODOLOGY

MILITARY CASES

THE WEST POINT LEADER PLAN PROCESS

THE LEADERS THOUGHT AND ACTION PROCESS

THE NEW LEADER AUDIT

ASLEEP ON WATCH

THE GUNNY’S FIRST SALUTES

GENERAL LEE TO THE REAR

BODY COUNTS IN VIETNAM

NORMANDY 1944

HARDCORE RECONDO SIR!

SKUNKS AND SYCOPHANTS

(TO BE PRESENTED WITH RESPECT THESE)

JOHN MCCAIN IN HANOI

THE SIGNALMAN’S COURT MARTIAL

LEMAY’S GRIPE SESSIONS

WASHINGTON AT THE SECOND BATTLE OF TRENTON

THE COOPER RIVER

WASHINGTON IN THE TRENCHES

APPROACHING OKINAWA

BRIGADIER GENERAL KENNETH WALKER

CANDIDATE JONES

DOC BRYAN AND THE MAJOR

LISTENING POWER

PLANE IN THE WATER!

ROBERT E. LEE IN CHURCH

SAMPLING THE CREW’S MESS

TALKING TO THE ADMIRAL

THE SS QUALIFICATION BOOK

THE YEOMAN’S EVALUATION

THE ZONE INSPECTION

FIGHTER PILOTS AND OODA LOOPS

TWO HUNDRED BOX LUNCHES AND TWO CASES OF SCOTCH

HAVE YOU CHECKED THEIR FEET?

MANEUVERING AT HIGH SPEED

RESPECT THESE (TEACH IN TANDEM WITH MANEUVERING AT HIGH SPEED)

CROSS TRAINING AND COHESION

LUNCH WITH THE CHIEF

COLONEL STRONG VINCENT AT GETTYSBURG

NO PURPLE HEART

THE LAST PATROL

ASKING QUESTIONS IN THE RANKS

(TO BE DISCUSSED WITH COMMUNICATIONS FROM CORPORATE TO THE FIELD)

RECOVERY ELEMENT ONE—AD HOC TEAM BUILDING

THE REINVENTING LICENSE

LEMAY’S FIRST MISSION

CREW CARE—BARRACKS VS. DORMITORIES

THE CASE FOR HUMOR

HITLER, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, AND PRESENCE

HOLD ON GENERAL!

A GENERAL IN THE TENT

CHANGE OF COMMAND

BUSINESS CASES

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION—

A COMMUNICATION EXERCISE

THE LONG MEETING—USING STRUCTURE

A CIRCUIT DESIGN PROBLEM?

LATE NIGHT CALLS

MARCH TO THE SOUND OF THE CANNONS

THE NEW OPERATING ROOM NURSE

SALES QUOTAS IN A MANUFACTURING COMPANY

THE 7 AM SUPPORT CALL

WORKING BOY AND MR. JOHN SLEDGE

THE TEN AND TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT SOLUTION

THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT

FORCED RANKING

EXPENSE REPORT ISSUES

SAFETY BONUS?

MONEY BALL-CONSTRAINTS AND CREATIVITY

THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY PLAN

PENN STATE AND PATERNO

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND VISION

THE SIX WEEK ITINERARY

COMMUNICATION—FROM CORPORATE TO THE FIELD

GEORGE WASHINGTON—TRANSACTIONAL LEADER

WATER, MORE WATER!

NO SURPRISE INSPECTIONS

TOXIC OR JUST TRUTH?

AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM

COMMUNICATING DOWN INTO THE RANKS

KNOW THEIR STORY

EDUCATION

A NUN AND A BOMB

DON’T TEACH TOO FAST

NOT ENOUGH WRITE-UPS

THE AFTER PRACTICE SESSIONS

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS

THE PRACTICE INTERVIEWS

ETHICS AND LEGACY LEADERSHIP—THE SLEEPING SURGEON

LATE ARRIVALS AND SICK DAYS

KURT HAHN’S TRACK MEET

THE PHILOSOPHY CLASS VICTORY MARCH

RESOURCES FOR LEADERSHIP

MOVIES

ORATORY

WEB RESOURCES

ENDNOTES

Acclaim for Transforming

As a member of management for a Fortune 500 organization, leadership and team-building are two attributes that I am constantly striving to enhance in my role(s). By applying the principles identified in this publication, I have become more effective as a leader. The applications are beneficial to the first-time supervisor, the senior executive, and every level in between.

Michael Brooks, General Manager—

Dallas Metroplex MRF, Waste Management Inc.

In this impactful and insightful book retired U.S. Navy Commander Ken Breaux draws from his considerable military experience to bring stories of true leadership to life. Business leaders and those wishing to become business leaders will gain a valuable look into what separates true leaders who inspire from mere managers in these pages. I highly recommend this book as a teaching aid to any organization.

Don Jordan, PE—Plant Manager, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, LLC

"I’ve just had the pleasure of reading Ken Breaux’s monograph on leadership. In clear and succinct language written for a general audience, Ken artfully illustrates that leadership is a skill that can be learned and applied by everyone from day laborers to chiefs of state. In fact, through a blend of personal anecdotes and case studies of historical figures, Ken delivers a unique perspective on leadership development. The leadership lessons he learned from a co-worker he met while on a summer job as a member of a construction crew while still a teenager, resonate as strongly as lessons Ken derives from case studies highlighting leaders like General Norman Schwarzkopf and other historic figures.

Tomes on leadership fill business library bookshelves. As a rule they share the common feature of offering prescriptions for effective leadership. Ken Breaux has taken a different tack, instead of offering aphorisms and formulae, he invites readers into conversations. In providing this framework for conversations about moral, accountable, ethical leadership Ken makes an invaluable contribution to the corpus of leadership literature."

Fred Passman PhD., President, BCA Inc.

(Dr. Fred Passman is an industrial microbiologist. He has held numerous leadership positions in professional and religious communities. Dr. Passman retired from the US Navy after 31 years combined reserve and active duty service. During his Navy career he served six tours of duty as a commanding officer.)

"The subject of Leadership is a daunting, challenging and sometimes misunderstood subject or task which is totally teachable and learnable.

There is no perfect Leadership style for all the people all the time, but only a working leadership style when applied toward a targeted group of people in certain circumstances or conditions.

Ken takes a quite unique, bold and very innovative approach in providing teaching materials adapted from real stories and life experiences while allowing instructors and learners to reach their own conclusions and solutions."

Dr. Joe Hsieh, P.E. ConocoPhillips Global Projects Quality Manager and Adjunct Professor—

Houston Community College,

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Leading great talent is always a challenge for all businesses. Transforming combines practical, tested methods and philosophies with a variety of thought provoking and stimulating case studies to implement grass-roots leadership styles and techniques. Have your critical thinking skill hats on!

David S, Burr, CAPT USN (Ret.), Coordinator Airport Operations Support, United Airlines

"If people were born Leaders, the USMC could pin a bar on their collars without further ado.

While some people may possess the innate qualities of leadership acquired from family or society at large, most people are not born Leaders. Leadership is a skill that can be taught by study and practice. Indeed, it is imperative that Leaders continually hone their craft in order to maintain their edge whether it be in the marketplace or on the battlefield.

In this vein, Cdr. Kenneth Breaux, USN Ret, has written an excellent instructional text that should be on the bookshelf of every Leader. Filled with examples of real life situations, the book seeks to stimulate discussion of what a Leader might do under different situations. This book provides an excellent tool for use by those who wish to be leaders, and those seeking to develop new leaders for their organizations."

Paul Evans is a Deputy Sheriff with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department in San Diego, CA.

FOREWORD

Leadership of people is a high calling. Few have an adequate understanding of it; fewer still are able to put it into practice. It is not science, nor can one practice it as a set of mechanistic principles. It is above all, an art form, but it does have certain first principles from which we can derive its application. People, living, breathing humans, are true partners with their leaders. Authentic leaders create followers and teams that outperform others who superficially seem equal. True leaders envision people as the fuel of the enterprise. They bring its vision to life whether in a market, a battle in war, or a classroom.

Our external environment changes at a rate more rapid than any time in recorded history. Technology drives all manner of events with dizzying speed. While all these events surround and confound us, the one constant is human nature. Peoples needs and attitudes change somewhat, but the core of human nature is intact. The events in the narratives herein are as applicable now as they were 2,000 years ago. One of the great weaknesses of mankind is that we seem destined to commit the mistakes of the previous generation in our own. We should do well to remember that it is not history that repeats, but human nature, or perhaps, the history of human nature.

We choose to be leaders or managers. It is an individual choice. It requires truth and courage to be a leader. There are no substitutes for those two first principles. They enable us to become leaders in whatever arena we are in. And leadership does not require position or authority. It can be performed by persons in whatever circumstance they find themselves, in an appointed position or even a chance encounter. Leadership is a process of becoming, wherein we decide to embrace the concepts of the leader as opposed to the traditional institutional appointment. We must understand the concept of following before we can become leaders; for it is in following that we can best begin the process of understanding what constitutes a leader. It is a simple path, but one also filled with challenge. Leaders change things. They ask questions. They seek to pull, and not push. Have you ever tried to push a string?

Participating in the discussions in this volume or merely reading them will not create a leader in you. But if it awakens in readers the importance and nature of leadership and the desire to pursue them, then it has satisfied the objectives of this writer. Leaders never arrive. They are always tuning, adjusting, listening, creating, and changing the environment of their work for the better.

PREFACE

The commander must try, above all, to establish a personal and comradely contact with his men, while at the same time not giving away an inch of his authority.

General Irwin Rommel

As a young man, I made the decision during college that I would enter the Navy upon graduation in 1966. I was raised in a small town in Southwest Louisiana. My travel experience was limited. I spent twelve years in Catholic schools and there first learned about discipline and the sobering fact that all actions had consequences. My education in the Christian Brothers tradition made the military much easier. Discipline and authority were a daily experience, but never oppressive, and with those academic disciplines came a significant exposure to the teaching of virtues and respect for others.

My motives for joining the Navy were several. The flat prairie of Southwest Louisiana only encouraged my desire to see more of the world’s geography. My first visit to the Gulf of Mexico was an epiphany. Just seeing the expanse of water and knowing that by setting out on that liquid road I could find the rest of the world was inspiring. I had also had the experience of an uncle, my dad’s only brother, who had served with distinction as an infantry officer in Normandy as an example, and several other uncles who had served also.

The men who were senior Navy leaders at the time I joined had all been tested in the crucible of World War II. They were not only tested in battle, but in the practicalities of daily leadership of men. They had seen it all, from aerial combat to surface battles and submarine warfare, and there was a certain calm about them, even in the midst of dangerous operations and daily stress. But the most valuable aspect of their character was their attitude toward the men they led. These veterans walked the fine line that true leadership requires, the balance between good order and discipline and the ability to instill a paternal and protective atmosphere toward their men. They inspired us to achieve because they believed in us, and because we wished to please them. Above all, we trusted them. We learned what it was to become a follower.

This is not to say that every leader under which I served was perfect, nor was every commander an exemplary figure of leadership. The military is a cross section of any society. It contains people in the same proportions as found in society. But after a time in the ranks, there is a process which gradually finds the chaff, and for the most part, the people who really know how to lead tend to rise.

The examples of military leadership in this book come from a variety of sources. Some are from my own experiences, others from family members, and still more from reading military history. I wanted to write this account because after leaving the military I always looked for the indicators of leadership. They were not easy to find in the civilian world. The culture was strikingly different, but different in ways that the person who never served would not believe. I experienced real teamwork in the Navy, and witnessed more acts of leadership that inspired than I ever have in civilian life. To me, the quote by General Rommel epitomizes the difficulty faced by leaders. Leadership is not easy. It’s about balancing competing values while struggling to maintain the objectives of the organization, and paying attention to people and their needs.

I have not had the leadership experiences of great men. I have experienced leadership success and leadership failure. But I have been a student of leadership, and it is as a student that I was motivated to develop this teaching tool for prospective leaders.

The cases presented in this volume are predominantly military and business, and a small sampling from the education community. Discerning readers and facilitators of the process will note that the environment is less important than the universal nature of the application. Leadership, whether it takes place in the military, business, or education, possesses certain characteristics which are universal across cultures, languages, and organizations. Human nature is a universal and timeless phenomenon, and leadership addresses that quality regardless of the culture or environment.

In the typical organization, people are promoted to supervisory positions for many reasons. Rarely are those promotions made because the person is a superior leader. Often those doing the promoting have no experience in leadership themselves. It is up to the new supervisor to learn leadership on their own. The person being promoted is usually selected because they are expected to fulfill the impersonal requirements of the transactional paradigm, not the humanistic elements of the transformational paradigm. We will address the issues of leadership not through the typical platitudes but rather through action. The reader will learn how action becomes leadership when the informed and prepared leader utilizes a leadership process plan and carries it out.

Leadership will be illustrated in narratives. While these are case studies, they are focused primarily at the social level, between people and their leaders and not at the level of strategy which are the focus of most case studies. We will experience events which occurred in war and peace, business and education, and we will learn how leaders reacted in both positive and negative manners. This is not a how to lead treatise. It is an attempt to draw leaders, new and old, into a serious examination and discussion of leadership, what it is, how it works, and why we should understand its potential. We spend more time at work than with family. If we spend that time in an organization that does not value our efforts, then we work for nothing except money. We face the daunting prospect of institutions which are sick in structure and social norms. These groups range from government to small businesses and occupying places in these organizations contributes to a diminished work productivity, a hindrance to family life, and a threat to once revered institutions.

Each potential leader will examine various facets of the lessons observed in this book. Each will bring their own challenges, bias, and conclusions to the study of leadership. In the end they will hopefully apply those lessons to their own lives and work. High on the list of lessons learned should be two factors. The first is courage. As Winston Churchill observed, Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities… because it is the quality which guarantees all others. (The same quote is also attributed to Aristotle) The second is truth. Truth is always available to the leader, but not always applied. Without courage truth dies an obscure death. Truth waits, a tool with a sharp edge and a sure effect, for leaders of courage to claim it. Courage and truth are the two essential tools of the leader.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Some years ago when I first discussed the idea of this project with Dr. Tim Carroll of the University of South Carolina, he raised the question of selecting the most effective pedagogy to deliver a leadership book. It was Tim who came up with the idea of a tool based on generating discussion for participants in a group environment. I owe him greatly for that advice. Don Jordan, P.E. has been supportive of the concept since the beginning and his enthusiasm and encouragement has provided much needed morale boosts. My late friend Harry Friedman helped to refine the concept of teaching versus learning regarding leadership. Lynn McCue provided an early critical review of the material, as did Dr. Fred Passman, Dr. Joe Hsieh, David Burr and Paul Evans. Eric Kirkpatrick provided critical comments on the text development, and also created a great cover design.

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY?

Leadership is social, situational, and historical. It is social, because it defines a particular relationship between people, situational, because a person is judged by how they react in a crisis or event requiring leadership values, and historical, because while leadership is frequently recognized in an instant, it is established in retrospection.

Leadership is an often misunderstood, certainly rarely wholly understood attribute of character. As such, it is often neglected, especially in the world of business and commerce. The place where this attribute of character has traditionally been strongest has been in the military establishments of the world and in certain situations where athletes have been led by those who have this attribute. Perhaps because of this, it has acquired a certain mystical quality. As those who have served in the military dwindle in numbers, this attribute is in danger of being lost. We are losing the greatest generation, and with it, the ethos they brought back from their campaigns. And our modern athletes are largely reduced to entertainers who work for enormously high salaries. So what is leadership? How will we define it?

At the heart of any discussion of leadership lies a discussion of the transactional model or the classic management model. This is studied in basic business courses, and defines the tasks of the manager regardless of business type. The term transactional model came into use some years ago, but it is actually a very old model. Used in this sense, transactional means that there is a minimum contractual agreement between worker and corporation. Employee John Doe comes to work for the company and earns X amount of money for certain tasks A, B, C. That’s the bottom line. The transactional model has specific elements which can be organized, catalogued and measured. These are:

STAFFING/ PLANNING/ ORGANIZING/ DIRECTING/ CONTROLLING

The bottom line definition of a manager can be defined by these tasks. The person in business who aspires to simply manage is satisfied by their fulfillment of the classic roles of a manager. A manager is a business functionary, one who completes certain tasks. These tasks are well known by anyone who either takes a course in business or simply discovers them on their own. These are discrete tasks. Their completion can be measured. This fact places them in the classification of science, or perhaps accounting. Their overall effect is usually gauged by profitability and they are very specific. In the management model, the people are the means to the end, not specific elements of the model. Thus people, just like land and money, are often thought of as a renewable resource. They are renewable through termination and replacement. They are not essential to the model by any other means. Further, this model is restrictive, and highly dependent upon job descriptions. This rigidity forces the novice manager to become a sort of overseer. In this mode, young managers and old alike often see their role as enforcers. They believe it necessary to find fault with their subordinates. They become obsessed with the functions of directing and controlling. The classic management model is useful in those situations that are task oriented and highly detailed, but outside of those it can be stifling. It is useful in calibrating the organization from a financial point of view, and in fact can and should coexist with a leadership-oriented approach. To change a culture by transformational leadership, the building blocks of the transactional model must be in place and firmly established. Without the attributes of direction and control, a culture cannot be transformed.

ELEMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION

The organization too, can be defined as having structure and specific elements. These are typically three; accounting/finance and quantitative, organizational structure, and the behavioral element. Some management specialists have looked at the balance of these three. They have compared them to a three-legged stool. The balance of the enterprise is on the seat of the stool. The enterprise needs a combination of all three, in concert and cooperation with each other. If this is not present, the enterprise becomes unbalanced and weakened. Shorten or lengthen any of the legs, and bad things can happen. Too much focus on people is just as bad as too much focusing on profits. Leadership exists along a spectrum. At the far left end are the functional and mechanical principles of management, the transactional model and its tasks. At the far right end is inspirational and transformational leadership. At that end lies the emotional territory of the human spirit. Leadership lifts the spirit. It is capable