Effective Leadership Skills Caitlin Christensen, Greeley-Evans SD 6 Bre Riley, CDE School Nutrition

Outcomes Participants will: Identify their leadership style Learn effective ways to actively listen Learn about conflict resolution styles

What is Leadership?

Managing vs Leading Counting vs creating value Power vs influence Managing work vs leading people Dealing w/ complexity vs uncertainty Doing things right vs doing the right things Maintaining vs developing

Leadership Basic – ability to get things done with and through people Effective – the ability to get a growing number of things done with and through other people Exceptional – ability to initiate change with and through other people

Leadership Question your lines of reasoning; make note of how you respond to challenges Learn from your mistakes; evaluate your improvement Be open to new opportunities Celebrate your growth; plan for your continued learning

Key Skills for Leadership Broader vision Delegate

What type of leader are you? McGregor’s Management Theories

Where do you fall? Leadership Questionnaire Complete the questionnaire with your first reaction to each statement Total your score at the bottom

Description of Leadership The Leadership Style Scores Score Range Description of Leadership Leadership Theory 8 to 16 More Empowering Style Theory Y 16 to 30 Mixed Style or Transitional Style Mixture of Theory X & Y 31 to 40 More Controlling Style Theory X We will cover these theories in the following slides

Douglas McGregor’s Management Theories MIT professor Studied psychology Focus on management and motivational theory Identified two different thought processes for managers

Theory X How Managers View Employees: Do not like and do not want to work Try to escape whenever possible Dislike responsibilities Resistant to change Needs formal direction Must be persuaded, compelled, or warned with punishment to achieve organizational goals

Self Fulfilling Prophecy Poor Results from Employees Manager has Theory X Beliefs of Staff Theory X Self Fulfilling Prophecy Employee Resistance Practices Implements Controlling Practices

Theory Y: How Managers View Their Employees: Have skills and capabilities Creativity, resourcefulness, and innovative can be utilized to solve problems Perceive job as relaxing and normal

Theory Y (continued): How Managers View Their Employees: Exercise physical and mental efforts in their jobs Do not need threat coercion to work Use self-direction and self-control if dedicated and sincere to achieve organization goals Like responsibility and will actually seek it

Manager has Theory Y Beliefs About People Arrange things so individuals can achieve their own goals and happily accomplish the organization’s goals at the same time.

Effective Leadership Skill: Active Listening

Listening is not the same as hearing “The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen, just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.” Rachel Naomi Remen

Celeste Headlee - 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

Active Listening Recap Don’t multitask Set your personal opinions aside Use open ended questions Go with the flow Admit you don’t know Don’t equate experiences Avoid repeating yourself Stay out of the weeds Listen*** Be brief Don’t multitask - be present, don’t think about other stuff Set your personal opinions aside - assume you have something to learn, everyone is an expert on something Use open ended questions - who what when where how, this will ensure you get detailed responses Go w/ the flow - when thoughts enter your mind, allow them to leave your mind, if you get hung up on a thought you stop listening Admit you don’t know - err on the side of caution Don’t equate experiences - all experiences are individual, remember the conversation isn’t about you, it’s about them Avoid repeating yourself - it’s unnecessary, doesn’t add value to the conversation Stay out of the weeds - avoid too many details, not necessary, not important to the other person Listen - most important, just listen, this takes effort/energy, it’s hard for us because our mind starts running, Covey: “most people don’t listen w/ the intent to understand, we listen w/ the intent to reply” Be brief - be interested in other people and what they have to say, prepare to be amazed

Effective Leadership Skill: Conflict Resolution

Common Causes of Conflict Misunderstanding Personality clashes Competition Lack of confidence in leaders Lack of cooperation among team Differences over methods or style Low performance Value or goal differences

Destructive Conflict Diverts energy from more important issues/tasks Reduces cooperation Hurts morale

Constructive Conflict Opens up issues of importance Helps build cohesiveness as people learn more about one another Causes reassessment by promoting examination of procedures or actions Increases individual involvement

Steps for Positive Resolution Desire a solution Find a mutually beneficial resolution Believe there is more than one way Trust each other Be open-minded Commit to continual communication

Achieve Win-Win Results Gain participation from everyone involved State the reason to work on a solution Each should see problem/situation from other point of view State what you want; repeat what you hear Identify key issues Determine acceptable solution

What’s your conflict resolution style?

Conflict Resolution Styles Avoid Accommodate Compete Compromise Collaborate

Avoid Non-confrontational Postpones conflict “Let’s discuss it later.” “Let’s forget it.”

Accommodate Agreeable Cooperates even at expense of personal goals “I’m sorry. You’re right.” “Go ahead and do it your way.” “Oh, well, it is hopeless to try.”

Compete Uses power, position, personality, status to get own way Aggressive “Of course I’m right.” “Do it my way.” “It’s your mistake.”

Collaborate Looking for mutual benefits Recognizes abilities and expertise of all Works toward solution with others “Let’s share our ideas.” “We can work this out if we work together and value each other’s skills and values.”

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be thoughtful, but not lazy; Be humble, but not timid; Be proud, but not arrogant; Have humor, but without folly.” Jim Rohn

Questions?