The Balance Theory: An Approach To Organizational Leadership

By Daisy Rodriguez

T h i s b o o k i s b a s e d o n t h e B a l a n c e T h e o r y d e v e l o p e d b y t h e a u t h o r t h a t i d e n t i f i e s t h e f i v e  c r i t i c a l e l e m e n t s n e c e s s a r y f o r h u m a n

s u r v i v a l : a d a p t a t i o n , e q u i l i b r i u m , h o m e o s t a s i s ,  n e e d s , a n d h e

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daisy Rodriguez Books
• Release date: Mar 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781735897639

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Daisy Magalit Rodriguez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-7358976-2-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7358976-3-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number 2020919374

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

DEDICATION

To my God, the Creator from whom all living things sprung and to whom we will all return, I owe all my insights to write this book.

To my loving family – my daughter Robyn, my son Reuben, and all my grandchildren – you have been the constant in my life, my Zone of Equilibrium where I find the greatest self-fulfillment.

To my numerous friends in the nursing profession, and others who have touched my life in one way or another, you are part of the village that made me who I am.

To organizational leaders, may you follow the path of fairness, justice, and compassion for the people in your employ. Perhaps Balanced Leadership will be a guide that may lead you to a brighter future for your company.

Daisy Magalit Rodriguez, Author

Contents

Preface

1. The Balance Theory

2. Organizations as Organisms

3. Balance Elements in Organizations

4. Environment and Organizations

5. Implications on Leadership Behavior

6. Leadership: Science and Art

7. Balanced Leadership

Afterword: Challenges for Leaders

Notes

General References

Diagrams

1. Balance Concept Map

2. Man as an Open System

3. Balance Elements & Influencing Factors in Survival

4. Health-Illness Balance Continuum

PREFACE

This book is based on the Balance Theory conceived in the first and second published versions of my books on balance where a more detailed explanation of the theory was elucidated. Initially conceived simply as a concept, it has become clearer that balance is not merely a concept but a theory with all the related sciences supporting its existence in all areas of life. As explained in the two books, balance is universal – it exists in all areas of human existence. The five elements of balance are necessary for survival of humans as living beings on this planet. This is the commonality of the human race. Despite differences in race, gender, culture, social stature or culture, we are all basically made up of the same biological structure, respond to the same needs, affected by our internal and external environments, and have longings and emotions that only humans possess. We all move along the same health and illness continuum, affected by both positive and negative factors, and survive and thrive according to our own behaviors and choices as human beings. Balance is the great equalizer.

A book on organizational leadership is not novel. There are many excellent books on organizational leadership that are available in the market. But what makes this approach unique in my mind, is the idea that organizational leadership can be based on balance. Although balance is a common term in everyday language, it is not usually applied to leadership in organizations. But the balance concept is applicable in any area of human endeavor and leadership is a major factor in modern life. Man could not exist in modern society without the social, financial, and political structures that man built for his own advantage; businesses could not have flourished without leaders or managers; governments could not have survived without some form of leadership, and organizations could not have been able to achieve their goals and objectives without their leaders.

But what is an organization but composed of a group of people, sharing some commonalities but outwardly also different in many ways? The underlying commonality of people regardless of who they are, where they are and what they are, is the fact that people are fundamentally biologic beings, sharing some characteristics, needs, and instincts that belonged to their distant ancestors. The instinct of self-preservation, of the need to survive is the basic ingredient that made human beings continue to exist since time immemorial. Survival is the primal need of all living beings. This instinct is present in all human beings today.

The biologic human being’s primal instinct is to survive the moment a baby reflexively takes that first breath upon birth. This is their first impulse to survive. Survival is supported by the five elements of balance: adaptation, equilibrium, homeostasis, needs, and health. Absence or inadequacy of any of these elements places humans in a state of imbalance. Continued imbalance without the necessary adjustments eventually leads to death. It is as simple as that. This is illustrated in the Health-Illness Continuum Diagram where positive and negative forces tug-and-pull each other in opposite directions. A state of optimum health is achieved when positive forces neutralize negative forces to reach a Zone of Equilibrium, a state where the highest level of wellness and balance is achieved according to how individuals define it. Getting to the Zone of Equilibrium requires balance -seeking behaviors by going through the different stages of behavior in the Behavior Pyramid.

Organizations can only reflect the behavior of the people who lead it, manage it and work in it. People respond to the changes in their external environment and make adjustments whenever needed. This response is in terms of how they make changes in their organization in order to adapt to these changes, whatever they may be – social, political, economic, business, cultural, or physical surroundings. They also respond to changes in their internal environment – the behavior of people within their organization, their organizational capacity, resources, cultural background, demographics, work habits, and skills. This behavior is consistent with the concept of Man as an Open System, based on the System theory explained in the Balance Theory. This system is not simply the sum of its parts but the combination of these inputs and outputs produce an integrated system that is a product of the synergy of all its elements.

Much like a biologic organism, organizations survive and thrive or die a natural death depending on how their leaders manage their organizations. A state of balance, prosperity, stability, and success can be achieved if leaders are able to manage the organization like a