1. Linda Helm, MSW, PhD, LISW-S Richard Boettcher, MSW, PhD, LISW-S
Leadership Styles and Personality Qualities of the NSWM’s Monday Morning Managers
Paper Presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the Network for Social Work Management
June 15, 2017
Linda Helm, MSW, PhD, LISW-S Richard Boettcher, MSW, PhD, LISW-S
This paper is a draft and not intended, in its present form, for duplication or publication. However, permission to cite or quote from its contents is freely given by the authors

2. Purpose of Study
To determine:
1.To explore the leadership styles of Social Work managers as lived by NSWM Monday Morning Managers
2. To identify the personality
qualities and career pathways of
the NSWM MMM’s
3. To stimulate dialogue about the
conclusions of the study in relation
to social work education and practice

3. Demographic and Descriptive Features of the Survey Sample
Study Universe 99 Surveys sent July/14 - April/17
69.8% Sample Return
Mean Age= 45.6 years
Mean Management Experience= 14.8 years
Study Universe: 99 MMM’s from July, 2014 –April, 2017, less 6 invalid addresses. U = 93
Survey Sample: from March15 to April 15, 65 surveys returned by = 69.8% sample
Mean age and management exp.= 45.6 and Gender: 60% female; 40% male

4. Demographic and Descriptive Features of the Survey Sample
Subjects hold 81 degrees: BSW (6); MSW (42); PhD in SW( 13); PhD other (8)MBA(1);MPA ( 2)
MPH (1);MS in Org Psych(1) ; MS in Psych. (1)
Professional licenses :38 of 65(58.4%)

5. Demographic and Descriptive Features of the Survey Sample
Positions: CEO( 19) Exec. level (11); Mid. Man.(17); Line sup. (6) Trainer, educator, consultant(7) Retired /not specified(4)

6. Demographic and Descriptive Features of the Survey Sample
Agencies: Pub.(14);Private(21); Ed. Inst.(13) For-Profit(13) Not specified(1)

7. MMM’s tend to be middle aged,
Demographic and Descriptive Features of the Survey Sample
MMM’s tend to be middle aged,
well educated, female, high level, and experienced managers
Findings consistent with 2016 study in terms of age, education, experience, gender, for-profit positions (18%)

8. Community Collaboration
Educational Preparation for Management
Did your education prepare you in some specific way for social service management?
YES (74%)
MSW Management Track
MSW Content
*Supports NSWM Management Certificate Competencies
MPA
PhD 19
Leadership
Resource Management
Strategic Management
Community Collaboration
Relationship Skills 1 8 6 3
Did Your education prepare you in some specific way for social service management?
74% said “yes”; 23% said “no”. Of the 45 “yes”
19 specified “MSW Management Track
26 Other Affirmers specified MSW content, e.g.
Leadership (8) Resource Man.(6) Strat.Man(6)
Comm. Collab. (3); Relationship Skills (3). Supports NSWM Man. Certificate Curric. Areas
Other degree: MPA (1) PhD(1

9. Paths to Management Subjects Paths to Management (n=65) Frequency %
Social Work Degree Direct Service
First Management 32
52.5
Non-Social Work Degree Direct Service 9
14.8
Social Work Degree Management 14 23
Non- Social Work Degree Management 2
3.2
Management Social Work Degree 3
4.9
Indeterminate 1
1.6
Total
(26% -Directly into Management/ 24% in first study) 61
100
Paths to Management
N %
SW degree--DS—Man
Non SW--DS--Man
SW degree---Man
Non SW---Man
Man prior to SW degree
Indeterminate
Total
26% went directly into management ( 24% in first study based on content analysis)

10. Perceived Leadership Styles
Personal- Leads with passion for mission, vision, creativity, trust, efficiency
Organizational- Leads by building alliances, shared decision making, collaboration
Combination of personal and organizational
“You need both.”
“Must manage both work and people, not one or the other.”
“Lead by personal actions and help staff build consistently excellent service systems.”
Per5ceived Leadership Styles
11( 18%) focus mainly on leading by their personal qualities such as their passion for mission, vision, creativity, trust, efficiency
18(30%) focus mainly on organizational culture, building alliances, shared decision making and collaboration
32(52%)combine personal and organizational
“ You need both”; “Must manage both work and people, not one or the other”; “ Lead by personal actions and help staff build consistently excellent service systems”

11. Favored Approaches to Motivating Staff
  Favored Approaches to Motivating Staff (n=59)
Frequency %
Primarily through Personal Interaction %
Praise, Recognition, Brainstorming
Collaboratively, Positive Affirmation
Primarily through Structural Arrangements %
Focus on Team to support each other, Focus on
Individualized Professional Development,
Empower staff to work independently, Create
Monitoring and Communication Systems
to Support Self-Motivation
Both %
Favored Approaches to Motivating Staff
40 (68%) mainly seek to motivate staff through personal interactions using praise, recognition, positive affirmation and collaboration
10( 17%) rely mainly on structural arrangements such as team building , professional development, and systems to support self-motivation.
9(15%) use some of both

12. Mentors who Guided Subjects to Leadership Roles
(85%)
No Mentors
9 (15%)
Sources of Professional Mentors Frequency %
Work Related Supervisor
College Professor  
College Field Instructor  
Work Related Colleague
Mentors
49( 85%) acknowledge having professional mentors who have guided them into leadership positions. 9(15%) say “none”
Sources of Professional Mentors:
Work-related supervisor 39; Work-related colleague 29; College professor 20; Field instructor at internship 17( some indicated more than one mentor source)Predominance of work as source for mentors consistent with first study.

13. Networking Networking is extremely or very important to career
(74%)
Benefits of Networking
Secure new position
32 responses
Develop network of colleagues
44 responses
Aided with organizational challenges
34 responses
“Brought me new consulting work”
“Supported me emotionally”
“Got referrals”
“Not having a network has resulted in isolation and financial instability at times”
Networking
43 (74%) indicate that networking was extremely or very important to their careers.
Benefits include: (multiple responses)
Helped me secure a new position (32)
Developed a network of colleagues (44)
Aided me with organizational challenges (34)
Other: “Brought me new consulting work”; “Supported me emotionally”; “Got referrals”
“Not having a network has resulted in isolation and financial instability at times”.

14. Over the past 3 decades research psychologists have concluded that 5 personality traits are highly correlated with successful leadership known as:
The 5-factor model
Over the past 3 decades research psychologists have concluded that 5 personality traits are highly correlated with successful leadership on the part of supervisors and managers, viz.:
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional stability
Openness to New Experience
Known as the “big Five”

15. Personality
Extroversion: A tendency to seek stimulation and to enjoy the company of other people. This reflects a dimension ranging from energetic, enthusiastic, sociable, and talkative at one end, to retiring, sober, reserved, silent, and cautious on the other. (i.e., introversion). Agreeableness: A tendency to be compassionate toward others. This dimension ranges from good-natured, cooperative, trusting, and helpful at one end, to irritable, suspicious, and uncooperative at the other. Conscientiousness: A tendency to show self-discipline, to strive for competence and achievement. This dimension ranges from well organized, careful, self-disciplined, responsible, and precise at one end, to disorganized, impulsive, careless, and undependable at the other. Emotional Stability: A tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily. This dimension ranges from poised, calm, composed, and not hypochondriacal at one end, to nervous, anxious, high-strung, and hypochondriacal at the other. Openness to experience: A tendency to enjoy new experiences and new ideas. This dimension ranges from imaginative, witty, and having broad interests at one end, to down-to-earth, simple and having narrow interests at the other.

16. Correlations of the Big Five
Strongly related to work performance in multiple occupations
Leaders in commerce, business, manufacturing, medical administration, education, law, etc. score high in extraversion, openness to new experience, agreeableness and willingness to trust others.
No formal research on social service leaders/managers until this study
Respondents to the present survey completed the Ten Item Personality Inventory, a measure of the “Big 5”
Correlations of the Big Five
Strongly related to work performance in many different occupations
Leaders in commerce,business,manufacturing, medical administration, education, law, etc. , score high in extraversion, openness to new experience, agreeableness and willingness to trust others.
No formal research on social service leaders/managers until this study
Respondents to the present survey completed the Ten Item Personality Inventory, a measure of the “Big 5”

17. Results of the Ten Item Personality Measure of the“BIG 5” Model
Ten Item Personality Measure of the Big Five Factors
Extraversion
Introverts (<4)
“Swingers”- 16 (4s)
Extraverts – 35 (>4)
Mean= 4.59
TIPI Mean
4.44
Agreeableness
(<4) 55
(4.50-7)
Mean= 5.3
5.23
Conscientiousness 6
(<4) 35
(4) 14
(>4)
Mean= 4.14
5.4
Emotional Stability 3 52
Mean= 5.7
4.83
Openness
Mean= 5.76
5.38
*Score Averages from TIPI authors
Results of the TIPI 7 Point ScaleExtraversion: 4 introverts (<4), 16 “swingers”(4’s); 35 extraverts , ( i.e. > 4) Mean 4.59
Agreeableness: 5 below 4; 55 from
Mean: 5.3
Conscientiousness: 6 below 4; 35 at 4; 14>4.
Mean:4.14
Emotional stability: 3 below 4; 52 >4 Mean=5.7
Openness: All 4 or greater. Mean 5.76

18. The Blake and Moulton Managerial Grid Explained
Respondents rate themselves on 18 items designed to measure proclivity of subject to attend to two dimensions of management: attention to people and attention to task.
The Grid has 4 distinct styles of leadership:
Impoverished style(low on people and on task)
Country Club style(high on people, low on task)
Authoritarian style or Task Master ( low on people and high on task
Team Leader style( high on attending to both people and top task)
The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid Explained
Respondents rate themselves on 18 items designed measure proclivity of subject to attend to two dimensions of management: attention to people and attention to task.
The Grid has 4 distinct styles of leadership: the Impoverished style(low on people and on task) the Country Club style(high on people, low on task); Authoritarian style or Task Master ( low on people and high on task; The Team Leader style( high on attending to both people and top task)

19. Results of The Blake and Moulton Managerial Grid Measurements-Consistent with Self-perception of Leadership Style/ Both Personal & Organizational
n=51
n=1
n=0
n=4
N=0

20. Conclusions and Implications for Education and Practice
First 100 MMM’s tend to be middle aged, female, educationally prepared, high level and experienced managers (next 100?)
75% of the MMMs report they were prepared for leadership/management roles by their SW curricula, either by a management track or by subjects infused in their curricula. Schools should pay attention to this finding.
Most MMM’s (66%) did direct service before management. A significant # (26% of sample) went directly into management after SW degree with no direct service work Schools, are you listening?
Conclusions and Implications for Education and Practice
First 100 MMM’s tend to be middle aged, female, educationally prepared, high level and experienced managers (next 100?)
75% of the MMMs report they were prepared for leadership/management roles by their SW curricula, either by a management track or by subjects infused in their curricula. Schools should pay attention to this finding.
Most MMM’s (66%) did direct service before management. A significant # (26% of sample) went directly into management after SW degree with no direct service work Schools, are you listening?

21. More Conclusions
Most MMM’s had mentors who steered them into management.
Mentors come from the workplace, the educational institution, and field placements
Mentors also come from networking.
Networking has been extremely important to the careers of the MMM’s and should be emphasized in Social Work programs.
More Conclusions
Most MMM’s had mentors who steered them into management.
Mentors come from the workplace, the educational institution, and field placements
Mentors also come from networking.
Networking has been extremely important to the careers of the MMM’s and should be emphasized in Social Work programs.

22. Still More Conclusions
MMM’s score well on the 5 Factor Model. They are predominantly extraverts (though not exclusively). Perhaps they are not well suited for the role of therapist? If schools of SW offered stronger management tracks, would extraverts enroll in greater #’s?
MMM’s tend to be “Team Leaders” on the B/M scale. As leaders they attend to both people and tasks. .
More Conclusions
Most MMM’s had mentors who steered them into management.
Mentors come from the workplace, the educational institution, and field placements
Mentors also come from networking.
Networking has been extremely important to the careers of the MMM’s and should be emphasized in Social Work programs.

23. Advice from MMMs . Advice from the MMM’s was offered in 4 areas:
Professional development: have a mentor; find a good mentor network; work the network; read on management; take classes.
Leadership processes: watch leaders you admire; develop a vision for your leadership; get comfortable with money, and budgets; keep learning.
Just do it!: you can learn by doing it. Persevere and go for it; You can learn along the way.
Personal qualities to cultivate: follow your passions; be open and embrace change; operate with integrity and be nice to others; be persistent. Amen! .
Advice from the MMM’s was offered in 4 areas:
Professional development: have a mentor; find a good mentor network; work the network; read on management; take classes.
Leadership processes: watch leaders you admire; develop a vision for your leadership; get comfortable with money, and budgets; keep learning.
Just do it!: you can learn by doing it. persevere and go for it; You can learn along the way.
Personal qualities to cultivate: follow your passions; be open and embrace change; operate with integrity and be nice to others; be persistent. Amen!

24. Any Comments, Questions, Thoughts?
Thank You
Any Comments, Questions, Thoughts?