Leadership

PSYCH 485 blog

Transformational Leadership Could Help With The Coast Guard’s Retention Dilemma

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One of the realities of serving in the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) that I had to come to grips with relatively quickly was how many citizens knew nothing about our existence or what it was that we do for the nation. Even more frustrating to me was the sheer number of people who knew we existed, but did not know that it was one of the, then five or now six, branches of the armed services (i.e., the military). I guess I should not have been surprised given how small our ranch of service is in comparison to the more recognizable ones. According to the CG the service employs 42,000 active duty members, 7,000 reservists, and 8,700 civilians totaling 57,700 paid members (U. S. Coast Guard, n.d.). These people fill positions that span the world over, not just the United States. By contrast, the New York Police Department (New York Police Department, n.d.) employs 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilians, totaling 55,000 employers. The difference here is that while NYPD is only responsible for providing services to the 5 boroughs of New York City (NYC), the USCG by contrast is spread thin over the whole of the nation and its territories, as well as positions in globally like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As a result, any issues with recruitment and retention can have a hug impact on the Coast Guard’s (CG) ability meet operational expectations; a reality that began in 2018 and as of today within the service has resulted in massive realignment of fleet and the shuttering of some of its units (Campos, 2023).

Figuring out what can be done about this has been the current Commandant’s $50,000 question. In some ways, the CG has begun to address one of the issues, recruitment, by offering larger signing bonuses, shortening initial contracts to two years, bringing in more recruiters, and raising the maximum age for enlistment. In the short term, this should help stabilize recruitment issues and shorten the recruitment gap that has been building since 2018. The question, however, becomes the issue of getting newly recruited Coasties to choose to stay in the organization for another tour of duty, or preferably turn the experience into a twenty year career once their initial enlistments come to an end. Unfortunately, the increased cost of living, difficulty in finding housing, and less appealing retirement system have made it difficult to keep experienced Coasties from leaving and finding more appealing and financially lucrative employment in the private sector. In many cases, other federal agencies poach Coast Guardsmen directly from the service. Finally, there has also been a large generational shift within our country and the way we see our role in it. I have young men and women who I supervised, that were not alive during 9/11, they do not share the same sense of collective patriotism the attacks inspired in many millennials who joined in droves after the incident. More than two decades later, those same millennials are now retiring out of the service.

This is where Transformational Leadership may be able to help solve some of this dilemma. Northouse (2021) explains that Transformational Leadership “is a process that changes and transforms people… [and] is concerned with the emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals… [and] involves an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them” (p. 344). Unlike transactional leadership, that “focus[es] on the exchange that occurs between leaders and their followers” (Northouse, 2021, p. 345), transformational leadership fosters a desire from followers to rise beyond the baseline expectation of performance and do more. Not because there is more to be earned, but because of the sense of value they have been inspired to see in their organization’s mission or goals (Northouse, 2021).

This will require a fundamental shift in the approach to leadership that historically most military leaders organizationally grew up in. There were transformational leaders and figures in the military before now, but an organizational adoption of the method in conjunction with the existing SLII model already used in the CG, needs to also address the sensibilities and societal expectations of the next generation, especially if they hope to inspire them to stay in the CG. My experience with Generation Z, both as a father to a teen and supervisor to the several, is that the overtly harsh authoritarian approach common in the military does not tend to work with building rapport. In Kouzes and Posner’s transformational leadership model, consisting of five fundamental practices, provides a good road map for the adopting Transformational Leadership; model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart (Northouse, 2021). It is less authoritarian, encourages the fostering of leader/follower relationships, requires follower empowerment, and accountability by leaders (Northouse, 2021).

Given the lapse of tangible appeal the CG has to offer members to stay in the organization, a transformational leadership approach would seem to me as a cost effective way to train existing leaders to inspire young Coasties to stay enlisted. Not only would it be more cost effective, but the CG already has a foot in the door where it concerns service and patriotism to the nation. A good transformational leader can help bridge the gap between a young service member’s individualistic aspirations toward service to the nation by highlighting the already existing value we provide the country. From personal experience, the most satisfying aspects of my career as been every life saved as a result of my actions during search and rescue operations, or now as I have been personally involved in the environmental response operations cleaning and restoring affected sites after oil or other hazardous material discharges. A good transformational leader would help a follower see the value their job, and the service that job provides the nation through the USCG.

With recruitment and retention down, the Coast Guard has a lot of work ahead of itself to recruit and retain qualified and highly motivated men and women (Campos, 2023). While there are strategies in place to recruit new Coasties, appealing to them to stay beyond an initial enlistment has a number of disadvantages making retention more difficult than in years past. Teaching and adopting a transformational leadership approach within Coast Guard leadership could be an effective solution to the retention dilemma due to its potential to inspire more from followers than they may be compensated for, because it helps followers to embrace and adopt the values of the service as their own. And hopefully, stay in the service to become transformational leaders themselves.

References

Campos, R. (2023, May 16). Housing Hearing Uncovers Concerning Recruitment and Retention Trends in the Coast Guard. Retrieved from Military Officers Association of America: https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2023-news-articles/advocacy/house-hearing-coast-guard-recruiting/

New York Police Department. (n.d.). About NYPD. Retrieved March 27, 2024, from New York Police Department: https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/about-nypd/about-nypd-landing.page

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

S. Coast Guard. (n.d.). Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, U. S. Coast Guard. Retrieved March 27, 2024, from United State Coast Guard: https://www.uscg.mil/Biographies/Display/Article/3048180/admiral-linda-l-fagan/

 

Spilling the Beans on Howard Schultz’s Leadership Style Approach: Relational Behavior

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As a college student working into the wee hours of the night has become a common theme for me and for many other students who decide to put themselves through the torture of hardcore studying. We, college students, have found many ways to keep ourselves awake, from toothpicks in our eyes (okay, that is a bit exaggerated!) to energy drinks or even brewing and drinking tubs of ground coffee. There is never a short supply of ideas or methods that have been used to keep us hammering away through the night. One beverage that has helped keep me wired during the night has been a sugar-packed and greatly caffeinated drink from Starbucks called the white chocolate mocha. This particular drink already comes with 2 shots of espresso, but its full effect (in my case) cannot be felt unless that third extra shot of espresso is added to the drink. That is right; my $5 coffee needs to come with that extra kick! Unfortunately, that extra kick is full of regret when it wears off and when I can no longer greet Abraham Lincoln as I open my wallet.

White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks. Image Credit: Ericka – flickr

So, I find myself wondering why I and many others remain entrapped in this relationship with Starbucks? That is, why do I always keep coming back for more? I believe that it could because of the welcoming environment and positive interactions I experience each time I step into a Starbucks shop. Much credit for this environment existing in these coffee shops can be given to the type of transformational leadership that Howard Schultz modeled during his tenure as Starbucks’ CEO from 1986 to 2000 and 2008 to 2017.

Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz Talks to the Media. Image Credit: Richard Eriksson – flickr

Early on, Schultz understood the importance of recognizing his followers as “partners” (Loudenback, 2015). This understanding helped Schultz skillfully develop relationships with his followers and strengthen the engagement processes between his role as a leader and his “partners'” role as followers (Northouse, 2019). Furthermore, he believed that empowering his followers (i.e., partners) helped foster an environment where they were free to share ideas and concerns without chastisement from leadership. This display of leadership behavior is indicative of the relationship behavior Schultz chose to exhibit through his leadership style approach as Starbucks’ CEO (Northouse, 2019).

The leadership approach called “Style Approach” (or “Behavioral Approach”) comprises two types of behaviors known as “task approach” and “relationship behaviors” (Northouse, 2019). Although both behaviors are important when examining the Style Approach, Schultz has placed much of his leadership focus on this particular approach’s relationship behavior.    

The relationship behavior that drives Schultz’s leadership style approach is attributed to a personal life experience that impacted him at a young age. Schultz’s father was injured when Schultz was a kid. As a result, Schultz’s father lost his job, financially impacting Schutz’s family (Biel, 2018). The hardships that followed from this event compelled Schultz to remain cognizant of Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid® factor of “concern for people” and motivated him to put his followers’ needs first (Northouse, 2019). As Soni (2020) noted, “Schultz maintained the pecking order: partners, customers, and shareholders” (para. 3). Schultz’s hierarchy of importance, although quite unorthodox (in that customer always comes first), emphasized the significant value that Schultz placed on his followers (Northouse, 2019).

Supporting his followers’ ambitions and desires was a primary priority of Schultz’s, which is another component that fulfills the “concern for people” factor (Northouse, 2019). He advocated for and established several financial assistance programs (e.g., college pay, health insurance, stock purchase programs) for all his partners or employees (Biel, 2018). He supported the hiring of veterans and refugees, and he participated in open forums held for Starbucks employees that allowed them to share their views on race relations and further discuss this particular topic with Schultz (Weisul, 2015). Again, this active engagement with his employees that Shultz adopted was an example of his effort to promote effective social interactions through the relationship behavior he demonstrated in his leadership (Northouse, 2019).

Another relationship behavior that Shultz did not shy away from was his complete honesty and candor with problems faced by Starbucks (Northouse, 2019). During the Great Recession of 2008, Starbucks took a major hit on its sales, and Schultz responded with changes that impacted many stores and employees. He was advised against being transparent about the company’s health and sharing details about store closures, as this would most likely harm employee morale for those still employed (Valet, 2019). Despite the pushback he received from his management teams, he remained faithful to his obligations as a 9,9 leader (focused on team relationships) and recognized that he had an obligation to disclose the obstacles faced by the company, provide direction for the company’s future, and preserve his employees’ trust that the decisions made by leadership in response to the circumstances would benefit the entire organization (Northouse, 2019).

“How could I ask something of them if they didn’t have the total picture, the total understanding of what the situation was and how dire it was? I knew instinctively that I needed to share with them 100% of the truth.” – Howard Schultz, Howard Schultz Teaches You How To Be A Leader In A Crisis

Howard Schultz’s leadership behavior has continued to make news even after stepping down as Starbucks’ CEO. In 2020, Schultz and other chefs and foundations took action by providing some funds to families in the restaurant business facing financial distress from COVID-19 (Guarente, 2020). Even though much of the relationship behavior components examined by researchers cover the interactions that occur within an organization (Northouse, 2019), Schultz has proven that these same behaviors surpass the workplace’s boundaries. Part of meeting Blake and Mouton’s “concern for people” requires special attention to individuals’ needs (Northouse, 2019). Schultz’s initiative to provide monetary support for other restaurant workers in his community showed his effort to alleviate the stresses that came with the situation everyone was experiencing (Northouse, 2019).

Since 1986, Schultz has exemplified great leadership with his leadership style approach, specifically with his relationship behavior. He has treated his employees with respect, listened to their concerns, and tried to respond to their needs. This is not to say that he has always achieved meeting his partners’ or employees’ expectations. However, he has always tried to empathize with their situations and foster an environment where employees can feel acknowledged (Valet, 2019). There may be other elements or leadership approaches that have contributed to his success as a leader. However, his relationship behavior has shown to be monumental when further examining his leadership style.

References:

Biel, J. (2018). 2 Leadership Traits Howard Schultz Used To Grow His Brand. In Grow Wire. Retrieved from https://www.growwire.com/howard-schultz-leadership-style

Ericka. (2013). White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlovesfuni2/8849437477/in/photolist-etZFse-PuXPC4-fPLEEy-7JWLsK-dpm7NW-9Afcjt-57krwG-zSQUc-4me7mo-Am3oih-nYosFr-6yTCxK-6PLtGp-63uGMg-97D5n4-aENZvk-9wkcEo-aTa5SF-21xqpDk-5KXo9G-9gMcsN-zPjRPt-farBgx-daxan4-7eDdoJ-aEjFZG-63TodK-farBrv-5BtSNa-ejPSt-iG99pZ-ejPHj-bUeSoG-dc7rmx-iaa1Z3-884mUK-4EcQo1-ak9BMX-8cteUM-7wCwk4-5N4T1u-pESKg4-azMZxn-btqzUK-riDxsp-wcS3X-aTa6hv-5FG2c3-8UXXXp-8c44Zv

Eriksson, R. (2007). Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz Talks to the Media [Photograph]. In flickr. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/sillygwailo/407257955/in/photolist-BZiAT-23U3mNR-2evsR9i-2d7Ge7R-23U3CZD-QKb3dn-rMApQo-2eqRsPy-SnmeKN-SnmGVQ-2d7G7qe-SnkAVL-2dpr1P1-C1hYz-2evsTrV-2eqRpXw-9GmHb6-2d7GoMn-2evt6Kx-2evtadz-2dprhh5-23U3G8x-2evtcNK-23U3H2r-2dprrgs-2eqREku-2dprnYf-QKbhp8-23U3QGr-Snm9gm-2eqRYsG-23U3Zd4-23U3XFg-2eqRZuS-SnmfBC-2d7GWqT-SnmFSh-2d7GX4g-2eqS9iy-2d7GXDz-QKbNDg-2eqS5Mf-2dpsaFC-2dprZLh-QKbFF8-23U4nak-2dpsbxY-2d7H7UP-2d7H5Pr-2dprXAW

Guarente, G. (2020). Howard Schultz and Seattle Nonprofits Launch Fund to Give Immediate Cash to Laid Off Restaurant Workers. In Eater Seattle. Retrieved from https://seattle.eater.com/2020/4/6/21209333/the-plate-fund-500-dollars-cash-to-restaurant-workers-seattle-king-county

Loudenback, T. (2015). The incredible rags-to-riches story of Starbucks billionaire Howard Schultz. In Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/howard-schultz-profile-2015-10

Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Soni, P. (2020). Entrepreneurial Lessons From Howard Schultz and Starbucks: How To Tide Over Recession With Reinvigoration. In Entrepreneur India. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/351856

Valet, V. (2019). Howard Schultz Teaches You How To Be A Leader In A Crisis. In Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/vickyvalet/2019/01/24/howard-schultz-teaches-you-how-to-be-a-leader-in-a-crisis/?sh=7826ae033da7

Weisul, K. (2015). Starbucks’s Howard Schultz Goes Where CEOs Fear to Tread: Race Relations. In Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-race-relations.html

Next Level Leadership

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Are there different levels of leadership success? When considering leadership outcomes there must be. Leaders of different companies in the same industry have different results all the time. Of course, we can analyze success in different areas like profit margin or employee retention rates but let’s keep it simple and use overall effectiveness. There are plenty of companies that sell the same product but have different financial outcomes. Should we attribute these occurrences to luck or leadership? You may be thinking, “well one company may have a better marketing department, or better customer service, etc., etc.”.; but isn’t it the leader of that company who holds ultimate responsibility. This post intends to offer the “why” for different levels of leadership and then explain the “how” in taking leadership to a higher level of success. (Although, this premise can be used in leadership outside of business, I will be focusing on business leadership in this discussion).

In explaining “why” I believe there are different levels of leadership success, I will start by simply pointing out the differing effectiveness levels of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership. “Transformational leadership is a better predictor of organizational effectiveness than transactional or laissez-faire leadership” (Williams, 2018, Less. 10). Does organizational effectiveness translate to revenue earning effectiveness? I think it does, ceteris paribus. Using earnings as our measure, I think it is fair to say that transformational leadership is most effective, transactional leadership follows, and least effective is laissez-faire leadership. We have 3 levels already! To reinforce my point; Lowe, Kroeck, and Sivasubramaniam (1996) “found that people who exhibited transformational leadership were perceived to be more effective leaders with better work outcomes than those who exhibited only transactional leadership” (Northouse, 2016, pg. 116). It is how the leader behaves that changes the level of leadership effectiveness. “Transformational leadership behavior that elicits second-order changes in employee efforts is more highly associated with effectiveness than the traditional first order changes resulting from transactional behaviors. (Lowe, Kroeck, and Sivasubramaniam, 1996, pg. 420).

Explaining every leadership theory that suggests why leadership has levels of success is beyond the scope of this blog. I’m merely scratching the surface to show that different levels of leadership effectiveness exist. Effectiveness promotes success. And success is measured in levels. I’ll offer one more connection that has its roots in the skills approach: social intelligence. “Successful leaders have as individual characteristics two components of social intelligence, social perceptiveness and behavioral flexibility” (Zaccaro et al., 1991, pg. 317). It is proposed that leaders with advanced skill in these two characteristics (of social intelligence) will be more effective in leadership. This theory holds the potential of many levels of leadership success.

Now on to the “how.” How can a leader elevate to a higher level of success? If you’ve read this far, the answer should be apparent—focus on the “why.” My argument is that if an individual learns the exact reasons that one leader functions on a higher level than another, than it simply follows to develop in those reasons to raise that level. The “why” is peppered throughout all the leadership theories and the “how” is to internalize and develop. “Patterns of abilities, motives and personality characteristics associated with higher skill and knowledge levels are positively related to leader performance” (Mumford, Zaccaro, Connelly, et al., 2000, pg. 159). I’m convinced leadership can be learned and developed. “Leadership development address observable, conscious, and rational phenomena” (Northouse, 2016, pg. 296). Developing an individual’s leadership leads to next level leadership.

In conclusion, knowing “why” certain skills, behaviors, situations, relationships, etc., work in leadership is what I propose is the most important factor in leadership success. “And it’s those who start with ‘why’ that have the ability to inspire those around them or find others who inspire them” (Sinek, 2009, 17:40).

 

References

Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic review of the MLQ literature. Leadership Quarterly, 7(3), 385–425.

Mumford, M. D., Zaccaro, S. J., Connelly, M. S., & Marks, M. A. (2000). Leadership skills: Conclusions and future directions. Leadership Quarterly, 11(1), 155–170.

Northouse, Peter. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Sinek, Simon. 2009, Sept. TEDtalks. How great leaders inspire action. Retrieved at https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

Williams, Jason. (2018). Pennsylvania State University. Lesson 10: Transformational Leadership. A Model of Transformational Leadership – Research. Retrieved at https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1940315/modules/items/24597570

Zaccaro, S. J., Gilbert, J., Thor, K. K., & Mumford, M. D. (1991). Leadership and social intelligence: Linking social perceptiveness and behavioral flexibility to leader effectiveness. Leadership Quarterly, 2, 317–331.

 

Sports and Transformation Leadership

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From the ripe old age of 5 my life has revolved around sports.  Having a grandfather who coached baseball and taught high school biology, both for over 35 years instilled in me the importance of continuously learning and teaching others along the way.  As I matured and my skills improved, I found myself helping anyone who ever had questions whether it was helping critique a batting stance, improving a fellow javelin thrower’s technique, or adjusting a peewee quarterback’s grip on the football.  All of these experiences have prepared me to take on a transformation leadership style when managing others.  As mentioned in Northouse (2013), “transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people.  It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals”.  Being able to make a connection with your followers in both the workplace and perhaps when coaching a little league baseball team takes the utmost attention to how you interact with those who are looking to you for guidance.  Since the main principal surrounding transformation leadership is being “concerned with improving the performance of followers and developing followers to their fullest potential” (Avolio, 1999.  Northouse, 2013.), I believe those who participate in any type of team environment when growing up, and are leaders in that environment, have an advantage for when it comes time to be a leader in the workplace.

Taking into account the work ethic that is obtained from being a driven athlete, regardless of the level of competition, the development of values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals almost happen on their own.  This correlates right along with what (Avolio 1999) states in Northouse (2013).  When one finally finds themselves in a leadership role, all those years of developing transformational leadership traits finally comes full circle.  In the workplace, followers will take your lead as a leader and transform to mirror your actions and demeanor.  By being a positive role model for your team of followers, it will not only benefit you by having a more reliable and responsible team to manage, but it will better the organization by bringing a new found sense of direction.

The following video depicts transformation leadership in two different forms.  First it is seen in the coach pushing one of his players to reach his “fullest potential”.  Second there is the player, who shows transformation leadership through “leading by example” after his coach challenges him.  Although the coaching strategy is rather extreme for a work place situation, it is still a good example in my mind of how we as leaders can transform our followers to reach their fullest potential by digging down deep inside of themselves.

https://youtu.be/TrZHqZwXr-U

References:

Avolio, B.(1999) .Full Leadership Development: Building the Vital Forces in Organization. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Northouse, P.G. (2013).  Leadership: Theory and Practice.  Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

YouTube: Transformational Leadership Example (video).  https://youtu.be/TrZHqZwXr-U

 

President Bill Clinton – Transformational Leader

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clinton.jpg

A transformational leader is defined as a process that changes and transforms people by appealing to their followers’ values and create a connection between the groups.  Some of the characteristics of a transformational leader are rhetorical skills, personalized leadership, and charisma (Northouse, 2013).  Rhetorical skills are the ability to share the vision of what the world could be with your followers.  The ability to grow strong bonds and understanding emotional cues from followers is personalized leadership.  A charismatic leader wants to influence their followers achieve the goals of the team or even the country (Northouse, 2013).

In May of 1993, President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at the United States Military Academy’s (West Point) graduation.  I had the opportunity and privilege to be in the audience to listen to his speech.  Clinton exemplified the image of a transformational leader at that specific moment in time.

The rhetorical skill occurred when President Clinton stated that the best of the best will be protecting our country, although he hoped it would not be necessary.  Clinton had the desire for the world to be peaceful but he knew about the world’s problems.  The personalizing of the speech occurred when President Clinton addressed both the West Point graduates and the audience members.  He appreciated the hard work and many hours the graduates completed in order to become commissioned officers in the US Army.  President Clinton did not forget about the audience.  He addressed the hopes and fears of parents, siblings, and significant others.  Although most everyone was proud of the graduates, we knew that a world crisis could put their loved ones in harm’s way.

I generally have a short attention span and can begin to daydream: however, President Bill Clinton was one of the most charismatic speakers that I have ever listened to.  Clinton has the intangible “it” factor.  I felt as if he was speaking directly to me even with 1000s of people in the audience.  I felt the power and confidence and radiating off of President Clinton.

A transformational leader, including President Clinton, tries to ensure a better future for their followers by sharing the vision of what the world could be.

Northouse, P. (2013).  Leadership: Theory and Practice.  Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

 

 

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