LEADERSHIP

NDEJJE UNIVERSITY

Mr. Musa Manga Nsubuga

PhD (Cand.) UK; MSc Eng. Envir. (1.1 Dist) Leeds, UK; BSc.
Const.(1.1 Hons) MAK; Dip. Arch

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND SPORTS SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Leadership
 What is leadership?
Leading people

Influencing people

Commanding people

Guiding people

Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to

accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way
that makes it more cohesive and coherent.
 Are Leaders Born or Made?
 Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire
and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good
leaders develop through a never ending process of self-
study, education, training, and experience

 Do you have some examples of good leaders?

 What qualities made them good leaders?

 Are Leaders Born or Made?
 Becoming an effective leader is not easy
 Part skill development
 Part experience
 Remember, Leadership is Action, not Position

 Power does not make you a leader...it simply

makes you the boss
 How do YOU become an effective leader?

 No “cookbook formula”
 Situational, as well as individual
 Types of Leaders
 Leader by the position achieved

 Leader by personality, charisma

 Leader by moral example

 Leader by power held

 Intellectual leader

 Leader because of ability to accomplish things

 Managers vs. Leaders
Managers Leaders

 Focus on things  Focus on people

 Do things right  Do the right things
 Plan  Inspire
 Organize  Influence
 Direct  Motivate
 Control  Build
 Follows the rules  Shape entities
Common Activities
 Planning
 Organizing
 Directing
 Controlling
 Planning
Leader
Manager  Devises strategy
 Planning
 Sets direction
 Budgeting
 Creates vision
 Sets targets

 Establishes detailed

steps
 Allocates resources
 Organizing
Manager Leader
 Creates structure  Gets people on board for

 Job descriptions strategy

 Staffing  Communication

 Hierarchy  Networks

 Delegates

 Training
 Directing Work
Manager Leader
 Empowers people
 Solves problems
 Cheerleader
 Negotiates

 Brings to consensus
 Controlling
Manager Leader
 Implements control  Motivate

systems  Inspire

 Performance measures  Gives sense of

 Identifies variances accomplishment

 Fixes variances
 Leadership Traits
 Intelligence  Personality
 More intelligent than  Verbal facility
non-leaders  Honesty
 Scholarship  Initiative
 Knowledge  Aggressive
 Being able to get  Self-confident
things done  Ambitious
 Physical  Originality
 Doesn’t see to be
 Sociability
correlated  Adaptability
 Leadership Styles
 Delegating  Selling
 Low relationship/ low  High task/high
task relationship
 Responsibility  Explain decisions

 Willing employees  Willing but unable

 Participating  Telling
 High relationship/ low  High Task/Low
task relationship
 Facilitate decisions  Provide instruction

 Able but unwilling  Closely supervise

 New Leaders Take Note
 General Advice  Challenges
 Take advantage of the  Need knowledge
transition period quickly
 Get advice and  Establish new
counsel relationships
 Show empathy to  Expectations
predecessor  Personal equilibrium
 Learn leadership
 New Leader Traps
 Not learning quickly  Captured by wrong
 Isolation people
 Know-it-all  Successor syndrome
 Keeping existing team
 Taking on too much
 Seven Basic Principles
 Have two to three years to make measurable financial and
cultural progress
 Come in knowing current strategy, goals, and challenges.
Form hypothesis on operating priorities
 Balance intense focus on priorities with flexibility on
implementation….
 Decide about new organization architecture
 Build personal credibility and momentum
 Earn right to transform entity
 Remember there is no “one” way to manage a transition
 Core Tasks
 Create Momentum
 Master technologies of
learning, visioning, and
coalition building
 Manage oneself
 Create Momentum
 Learn and know about  Foundation for change
company  Vision of how the
 Securing early wins organization will look
 Build political base to
 First set short term support change
goals  Modify culture to fit
 When achieved make vision
a big deal
 Should fit long term
strategy
 Create Momentum
 Build credibility
 Demanding but can be
satisfied
 Accessible but not too
familiar
 Focused but flexible

 Active

 Can make tough calls

but humane
 Master Technologies
 Learn from internal and external sources
 Visioning - develop strategy

 Push vs. pull tools

 What values does the strategy embrace?
 What behaviors are needed?
 Communicate the vision

 Simple text - Best channels

 Clear meaning - Do it yourself!
Enabling Technologies, con’t
 Coalition building
 Don’t ignore politics

 Technical change not

enough
 Political management isn’t
same as being political
 Prevent blocking coalitions

 Build political capital

 Manage Oneself
 Be self-aware  Types of help
 Define your leadership  Technical

style  Political
 Get advice and counsel  Personal
 Advice is from expert  Advisor traits
to leader  Competent
 Counsel is insight
 Trustworthy

 Enhance your status

How Far Can You Go?

Will depend on
leadership
principles below
 Leadership Principles
1 - Show Interest 8 - Explain Why
2 - Positive Approach 9 - Admit Mistakes
3 - Complaints 10 - Reasonable Expectations
4 - Promises 11 - Be Prompt
5 - Get the Facts 12 - Compliment
6 - Discussion Basis 13 - Prepare for Change
7 - Design an Approach
 Show Interest
 Develop a Relationship
 Frequent personal contact - LISTEN to others
 Keep an open and honest attitude
 Take time to learn & understand other people’s needs
 Sell ideas based on merit, value to others
 Never force a personal agenda
 Offer suggestions to help others solve their OWN
problems
 Positive Approach
 Consider other person’s feelings & objectives in
planning what you do/say
 Plan before you speak
 Give “benefit of the doubt”
 Avoid jumping to conclusions
 Consider other’s point of view and emotional state
 Keep negative emotion out of discussion
 Complaints/Suggestions
 View complaints not as personal criticism, but as valuable
feedback and suggestions
Not easy to do, but working relationships improved when
regularly practiced
 Address complaints quickly, Listen to whole story
 Remain composed, calm - avoid interruptions
 Show problem is understood by restating it, Ask
questions to clarify misunderstandings
 Show appreciation, and indicate what will be done
 FOLLOW UP with action
 Promises
 Make few promises, and keep them!
 Credibility lost when leadership fails to keep promises
 Ensure commitment is realistic and attainable
 Keep stakeholders informed of progress
 If situations change, and promise cannot be kept:
• Immediately contact those affected, avoid rumors
• Explain carefully and thoroughly the reasons
• Allow free feedback, consider others
• Follow up with mutually agreed corrective actions
 Get The Facts

 Examine all facets of a situation

 Evaluate evidence
 Allow everyone involved to express viewpoint
 Consider other’s rights, what’s fair
 Ignore unsubstantiated information
 Base decisions on logical thinking, not emotions
 Discussion Basis
 Keep it a business-like discussion
 Stick to the subject
 Listen respectfully
 Avoid getting hung up on personalities
 Grant that other person “may have something”
 Do not loose temper
 Plan the time and place for the discussion
 Design An Approach
 Approach appeals to other’s motivations and
emotions
 Be pleasant, remain calm
 Use questions, and listen to responses
 Observe body language, clues to
other’s feelings
 Give direct answers
 Speak in a manner the other participants
understand/relate to
 Explain Why
 Reasons why/why not
 Be truthful
 Show willingness to answer questions
 Let others “in on the know”
 Present the complete story
 Admit Mistakes
 Recognize no one is perfect
 Natural tendency is to avoid sharing or rationalizing a
mistake
 No mistakes => is employee or leader really doing anything?
At least not taking risks
 Determine who is affected by mistake, and if any corrective
action needed
 Recognize mistake was made, regardless of how discovered.
Show mistakes are learning opportunities
 Document “lessons learned” for each project
 Reasonable Expectations
 Present fair/realistic expectations
 Listen completely to any objections
 Restate objections, outlining competing positions and
underlying reasoning
 Use illustrations and examples
 Present complete picture, and rationale for subsequent
decision
 Be Prompt
 Be responsive to situations / issues
 Does not mean need to always act immediately
 Be consistent, use a structured problem solving
technique
 Base decisions on facts, if this takes time
• promptly acknowledge understanding of situation
• Let others know what is going on
• Allow others to assist, give choices of alternatives
 Always follow up!
 Compliment
 Always give recognition where deserved
 Ensure sincere and consistent
 Understand each person is an individual, tailor recognition to
be meaningful to the person
• Recognition can be simple, a note of thanks
• Decide whether best kept personal or public
 Give commendation for special accomplishments & efforts
 Do not overlook contributions, especially if others
recognition is public
 Prepare For Changes
 Prepare others in advance for changes affecting them
 Change is threatening! And a fact of modern life
 Review impending change, determine effect on others
 Determine what/how much information should be
disseminated
 Understand and explain reasons for change
 Select right time, forum for communications
 Promptly publicize news
 Listen & respond to questions, suggestions
 Teamwork Doesn’t Just Happen
 Takes time, effort to establish effective team
 Good experience gained by contributing in a volunteer professional society,
such as ASME
 Very similar to modern industry project teams
 Team leader often not “the boss”
• Project teams pulled together, cross-functional skills quickly focused on
objective
• Typical that members are on other teams (other jobs)
• Team disbanded after completion
• Leader needs to motivate and enable/empower
• Team needs to share responsibility, accountability, and recognition for
“deliverables”
 General Leadership Cycle
 Common to all leadership styles is a process
 Varies according to style, each has consistent process

PLAN

RECOGNIZE DELEGATE

FOLLOW UP
 Four Major Leadership Factors

Follower - Different people

require different styles
Leader – Know Communication –
yourself as a leader, Two-way, you must
people will decide on set the example
their own whether to
follow you
Situation -all are different,
use judgment to determine
best course of action
 The Most Important Words
 The six most important words: "I admit I made a
mistake."
 The five most important words: "You did a good job."
 The four most important words: "What is your
opinion."
 The three most important words: "If you please."
 The two most important words: "Thank you,"
 The one most important word: "We"
 The least most important word: "I"
- Author unknown
 Pick a Project – And Put Your Skills to
the Test
 COMPANY TOUR
 MONTHLY MEETING
 FIELD TRIP
 PICNIC
 PANEL DISCUSSION
 OTHERS
 Closing Comments
 Plan and Do!
 You learn from the experience
 Don’t be afraid of mistakes
 Make decisions with participation, and data
 As a leader, you have responsibilities to others
 BE DECISIVE