Leadership in a Culturally Diverse Environment 2nd Senior Management Conference Thaba Nchu, Free Sta

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Leadershipin a Culturally Diverse
Environment2nd Senior Management
ConferenceThaba Nchu, Free State Province29 -
31 August 2006

• John E. Saunders, CAE, Executive Director
• National Forum for Black Public Administrators
• Washington, DC
• www.nfbpa.org

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National Forum for Black Public Administrators

• The National Forum for Black Public
  Administrators (NFBPA) is the professional
  membership organization dedicated to the
  advancement of Black leadership in the public
  sector. Founded in 1983, the NFBPA membership
  includes managers and executives in virtually all
  disciplines represented in state and local
  governments. With more than 2700 members
  representing over 350 jurisdictions NFBPA is the
  nations premier association of Black public
  leadership with a proud reputation for
  strengthening the capacity of state and local
  government managers in a multitude of disciplines
  through intensive training, professional
  development programs, and a powerful network of
  Black public leadership. From its inception, the
  mission of the NFBPA has been three-fold
• To increase the number of African Americans
  appointed to executive positions in municipal,
  county and state governments
•  
• To enhance the managerial capacity of African
  American administrators in public service
  agencies and
•  
• To groom younger, emerging black administrators
  for the challenges of public service executive
  roles and career in the years ahead.
•  

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National Forum for Black Public Administrators

• The Executive Leadership Institute
• Designed to meet the needs of experienced mangers
  and administrators aspiring to achieve executive
  positions
• The Mentor Program
• Designed to positively impact the professional
  development of emerging public administrators and
  create a pipeline of future public managers and
  executives.

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Executive Leadership Institute

• An eight month training institute dedicated to
  grooming African American managers for the rigors
  of executive positions in public service
  organizations.
• A unique training approach offering a curriculum
  with both academic-based theory and
  practitioner-based experience in partnership with
  leading universities and cities across the nation.

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Executive Leadership InstituteCurriculum Topic
Areas

• Strategic Visioning for Public Organizations
• Decision Making Communication
• Policy Development Analysis
• Problem Solving
• Leadership and Partnership Building
• Ethics
• Human Resource Mgmt./Organizational Development
• Budgeting and Public Finance
• Resource Development Allocation
• Technology Management
• Professional Career Development Coaching

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Executive Leadership InstituteProgram Details

• Eight university-based skill development training
  sessions in eight different cities.
• Interaction with leading local government
  executives.
• Skill building through individual research
  projects.
• Professional career development and executive
  coaching

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The Mentor Program

• A program designed to positively impact the
  professional development of emerging public
  administrators.
• An intensive eight month initiative with a
  two-fold focus.
• Skills building with specialized workshops
  offered during two group meetings.
• Informal interaction between mentors and protégés
  throughout the program period

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The Mentor ProgramSkills Building

• Skills Building
• Strategic Career Planning
• Communication Skills
• Networking
• Social Responsibility
• One-on-One Interaction
• Mentor/Protégé Matching
• Continuous interaction and learning

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The Mentor Program Benefits

• Unique access to and opportunity to interact with
  a prominent local government executive
  one-to-one.
• Opportunity to develop a strategic career plan
  with assistance of a successful executive.
• Heightened awareness of career opportunities in
  the public sector.

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A Word About Leadership

• Leadership Competencies
• Leading Change
• Leading People
• Results Driven
• Business Acumen
• Building Coalitions / Communications

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Leading Change

• Continual Learning
• Creativity and Innovation
• External Awareness
• Flexibility
• Resilience
• Service Motivation
• Strategic Thinking
• Vision

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Leading People

• Conflict Management
• Leveraging Diversity
• Integrity/Honesty
• Team Building

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Results Driven

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Entrepreneurship
• Problem Solving
• Technical Capability

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Business Acumen

• Financial Management
• Human Resource Management
• Technology Management

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Building Coalitions/Communications

• Influencing/Negotiating
• Interpersonal Skills
• Oral Communications
• Partnering
• Political Savvy
• Written Communication

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Xhee Ixhara Xhee

• (Unity in Diversity)

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Xhee Ixhara Xhee (Unity in Diversity)

• Understand that a diverse workforce and
  cross-cultural contacts will increase the
  organizations efficiency.
• Recognize both the new learning opportunities
  as well as the challenges that occur from
  different perspectives within the organization.
• Encourage openness and trust.
• Organizational culture should make each
  individual team member feel valued and important.
  

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Xhee Ixhara Xhee (Unity in Diversity)

• Understand that diverse interaction gives rise to
  shared interests
• A commitment to diversity and valuing its
  benefits responds to the highest ethical
  standards in public service.
• The action of valuing diversity responds to the
  essence of a true democracy.

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Diversity Leadership

• The leader must demonstrate a commitment to
  diversity by valuing diversity in all that he or
  she does
• On other words if you dont walk the talk the
  talk is meaningless.
• The slightest slip empowers those who want to
  create wedges between diverse populations.

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Leading People Leveraging Diversity

• Recruits, develops, and retains a diverse high
  quality workforce in an equitable manner.
• Leads and manages an inclusive workplace that
  maximizes the talents of each person to achieve
  sound business results.
• Respects, understands, values and seeks out
  individual differences to achieve the vision and
  mission of the organization.
• Develops and uses measures and rewards to hold
  self and others accountable for achieving results
  that embody the principles of diversity.

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Diversity/Cultural Awareness Benefits

• Attracting open-minded and bright employees
• Creating intellectual synergy
• Increasing group dynamics
• Getting the edge over competitors
• Increased productivity
• Combines social and cultural with economic
  aspects of your work

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Great Leaders Lousy Leaders

• Think of two people for whom you have worked.

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The Phone Call, The Question

• What qualities do each possess that would cause
  you either to follow him or her where he or she
  is going or to turn away from him or her without
  looking back?

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First Impression

• Demonstrates what experienced people look for in
  a leader. The most frequently identified
  competencies are
• Vision
• Communications Skill
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility

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A Deeper Look

• Humility
• Courage Moral Personal
• Caring
• Integrity
• Perseverance
• CHARACTER

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Us and Them Conversation

• "She talks a good game, but doesn't walk it."
• "He never listens to anyone. He thinks he knows
  everything."
• "In two years, I've never seen him come out of
  his throne room to talk to people except when
  there's a problem."
• "She will never accept responsibility for a screw
  upespecially publicly. It's always someone
  else's fault unless we have a success, then it's
  all her doing."
• "Things go into his office for a decision, but
  unless he knows his boss agrees, it just sits on
  the desk for months until there's a crisis. He
  just won't cross his boss even if it's the right
  thing to do."
• "I had hoped things would change around here, but
  even though our core values look nice on the
  wall, they've become a bad joke around here."

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Great Leaders Know How To Lead Other Leaders

• Take a moment to think of the chief executives
  for whom you've worked.
• What impact did those leaders have on their
  senior management team?
• Were those top managers inspired to achieve
  ambitious goals because of their leaders'
  influence?
• Were they more productive?
• Did they have a clear understanding of their own
  unique talents?
• What observable, positive difference, if any, did
  the chief executives ultimately have on the
  leaders they led?

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• Nearly all men can stand the test of adversity.
  But if you really want to test a mans character,
  give him power.
• A. Lincoln

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CHARACTER

• The very paradox that Lincoln understood so well
  was this -- Developing character in leaders that
  will withstand the crucible of acquired power
  over others--whether as a a senior executive, or
  a cabinet official - is the central, root issue
  to address. This "character gap" remains both the
  most discussed and yet least acted upon
  leadership challenge in public service today.

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The Public Manager

• A servant leader explores three courses
  essential to learning to lead
• reflective work that results in a guiding life
  purpose or mission
• learning from the life and experiences of
  mentors
• and being part of a community of practice that
  learns together and holds each other accountable.
  

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The Public Servant

• Do you measure up?

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Thank you and good luck with your leadership
journey

• Leadership is the Way Forward
• jsaunders_at_nfbpa.org
• www.nfbpa.org