A Leader as a Strategic Mobilizer
Strategic Mobilizer - Demonstrates the ability to strategically organize oneself, others, and the essential resources towards the achievement of a clearly articulated plan.
Evidence of Knowledge Acquisition
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality” (Bennis). In order to accomplish this, effective leaders lead by example with a clear mission, vision, and values maximizing the potential, engagement, and contribution of those they lead. The MAiL program has helped me develop competence as a strategic mobilizer, and has awakened my understanding of what this means and what it looks like practically.
Leaders are visionary, looking ahead and defining for the group or organization where they are going. However, visionary ideas without strategic thinking about how to move forward, and the ability to mobilize people around the shared vision and goals, will prove a leader ineffective. Therefore, the strategic mobilizing aspect of leadership is critically important. Jim Collins (2001), in his book Good to Great, discusses many concepts that speak to this idea of being a strategic mobilizer, beginning first with focusing on getting the right people doing the right jobs for the right reasons. "The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it" (p. 41). Walter Bruckart, vice president of Circuit City during it’s good-to-great years, said, “A huge part of our transition can be attributed to our discipline in picking the right people” (Collins, 2001, p. 55). The strategic mobilizer can see others potential and knows how to best utilize them. "If you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great" (Collins, 2001, p. 42).
Collins goes on to describe ideas and strategies that set apart good-to-great companies from the others and exemplify how a strategic mobilizer should think. They had a deep understanding of what they could be the best in, what gave them greatest impact economically, and what they were passionate about. These three dimensions came to be called the three intersecting circle in the Hedgehog Concept. This simple crystalline concept was then used to frame all their decisions (Collins, 2001, p. 95). A strategic mobilizer can clearly identify these things for their organizations, and creatively involve others in crafting and activating a functional plan that lines up with the vision. Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton (2001), co-authors of Now Discover Your Strengths, give us incredible insight into understanding the role of a strategic mobilizer in their description of the “strategic” strength. Someone who is strategic is innovative, inventive and resourceful. They entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. They generate ideas quickly and can draw clever linkages between facts, events, people, problems, or solutions (p. 115).
Interpretation of Knowledge
I naturally possess some abilities in this competence, so when I entered the MAiL program, I would have rated myself as emerging (2). However, I did not have a clear understanding of what exactly this was and would not have been able to identify or articulate how this manifests itself in many areas in my life. The class LDRS 520 Understanding Vocation in a Changing World, was extremely significant in my leadership journey and helped me recognize and embrace who I am in the capacity of a strategic mobilizer. When I took the Strengths Finder Assessment (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001), I identified my top five strengths as Strategic, Belief, Woo, Communication, and Positivity. Initially, I was surprised that my top strength showed up to be Strategic, but as time went on I gained more clarity and was able see this showing up everywhere in my life, had it confirmed through personal feedback, and identified this in my personal reflection on experiences. The Stand Out Assessment also provided additional insight in this area. By defining my two strengths roles, Role 1 as Influencer and Role 2 as Provider, I gained clarity on how I make my greatest contribution, how others see me, and how I lead (Buckingham, 2011). The JPEAssessment (Human Productivity Systems, 1999-2013), was also extremely enlightening and helpful. Each of the descriptions of the personal preferences gave me incredible insights into how I function, how that might affect others that I work for or with, and how those preferences affect the satisfaction I get from my work. All of these personal assessments and reflections were incorporated into creating an extensive Vocational Profile and Plan. This helped give me great clarity, identify things about myself, and see how I can capitalize on the strength I exhibit in this competency. For LDRS 510 Creative and Collaborative Leadership, I developed a list of Ten Principles of Personal Leadership from Howard Behar’s book It’s Not About the Coffee. Understanding these principles and putting them into practice in any leadership context, will help me to lead others so I can effectively recognize potential and maximize engagement and contribution. I found these principles to be applicable in several of the compentencies, including becoming a strategic mobilizer. In order to move people toward a clear mission, vision, and values, I need to be able to see other’s potential and be personally invested. "Leading others demands the most of us. It demands all the skills of personal leadership. You have to care-like you really mean it. You have to listen for their truth. You have to be accountable to the people around you. And most of all you have to show up and be there" (Behar, 2009, p. 150).
Application of Knowledge
I have had many opportunities to utilize this new understanding and develop myself as a strategic mobilizer. There were several academic projects that contributed to my growth specifically in this competence. In the class LDRS 503 Organizational Behavior for Leaders, we were assigned a group project, where our task was to build an organization from the ground up. We had to develop the mission, purpose, strategy, goals, structure, a set of espoused values, culture, and the leadership approaches of an organization, making sure that things aligned to assure optimum functioning. We had to assess how our team worked together, and the strengths and weaknesses in our organizations. This process involved a great deal of strategic thinking in order to make sure all aspects of the organization that we designed were aligned, a skill I am sure I will utilize in the future. In my LDRS 532 Leadership Practicum class, we were able to utilize the principles from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, by designing, as a group, a Leadership Training Program. The training program my group designed incorporated four key concepts: Level 5 Leadership, First Who…Then What, The Hedgehog Concept, The Flywheel and the Doom Loop. The purpose of the training program was to help train young leaders to think more strategically as they want to move their organizations forward. These principles and this tool will be useful for me in the future in whatever context I find myself working.
I was also able to grow in and utilize this competency in my work environment. As Director of Creative Arts and Worship, I had the opportunity to produce and direct ten separate community outreach events during my time on staff at Grace Church. Most of these productions happened while I was in the leadership program. Each of these endeavors involved coming up with a vision that aligned with the overall mission of the church, communicating that vision effectively, creatively involving others in the process, motivating and mobilizing a workforce of volunteers to work in many different capacities and as a team, developing a plan, strategy, and organizational system to accomplish all the necessary tasks, and doing all this with a positive and encouraging attitude. All these things would ensure the event was of the highest quality and completed in the appropriate time frame. While on staff, I also organized a project that was initiated to streamline our set-up and tear down process. I was instrumental in organizing the tasks and the volunteers so we could effectively accomplish our goals. I was also involved in planning and organizing an outreach discussion group called Alpha, which involved recruiting, training and mobilizing leaders.
Creation of New Knowledge
There are several goals that I have that will continue my growth in this area. First I want to attend the Global Leadership Summit in August of 2015 to hear Jim Collins, one of the featured speakers this year. Within this next year, I also want to read the monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors, which was written to go hand and hand with the book Good To Great, and to address challenges faced by social sector leaders. Since my top strength is strategic, another more immediate goal is to find a job that will draw on this strength and give me opportunities to more fully realize my potential. Buckingham & Clifton (2001) encourage each of us to do this. “Look inside yourself, try to identify your strongest threads, reinforce them with practice and learning, and then either find or carve out a role that draws on these strengths every day” (p. 21). I am hoping my job search lands me in such a place.
Even though I came into the MAiL program showing some competence in this area, my studies and opportunities to apply my knowledge has significantly improved my understanding and skills. I would currently rate myself between competent and accomplished (4.5). As I move forward I look forward to the challenges and opportunities I will have as I continue to grow as a strategic mobilizer.
Evidence of Knowledge Acquisition
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality” (Bennis). In order to accomplish this, effective leaders lead by example with a clear mission, vision, and values maximizing the potential, engagement, and contribution of those they lead. The MAiL program has helped me develop competence as a strategic mobilizer, and has awakened my understanding of what this means and what it looks like practically.
Leaders are visionary, looking ahead and defining for the group or organization where they are going. However, visionary ideas without strategic thinking about how to move forward, and the ability to mobilize people around the shared vision and goals, will prove a leader ineffective. Therefore, the strategic mobilizing aspect of leadership is critically important. Jim Collins (2001), in his book Good to Great, discusses many concepts that speak to this idea of being a strategic mobilizer, beginning first with focusing on getting the right people doing the right jobs for the right reasons. "The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it" (p. 41). Walter Bruckart, vice president of Circuit City during it’s good-to-great years, said, “A huge part of our transition can be attributed to our discipline in picking the right people” (Collins, 2001, p. 55). The strategic mobilizer can see others potential and knows how to best utilize them. "If you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great" (Collins, 2001, p. 42).
Collins goes on to describe ideas and strategies that set apart good-to-great companies from the others and exemplify how a strategic mobilizer should think. They had a deep understanding of what they could be the best in, what gave them greatest impact economically, and what they were passionate about. These three dimensions came to be called the three intersecting circle in the Hedgehog Concept. This simple crystalline concept was then used to frame all their decisions (Collins, 2001, p. 95). A strategic mobilizer can clearly identify these things for their organizations, and creatively involve others in crafting and activating a functional plan that lines up with the vision. Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton (2001), co-authors of Now Discover Your Strengths, give us incredible insight into understanding the role of a strategic mobilizer in their description of the “strategic” strength. Someone who is strategic is innovative, inventive and resourceful. They entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. They generate ideas quickly and can draw clever linkages between facts, events, people, problems, or solutions (p. 115).
Interpretation of Knowledge
I naturally possess some abilities in this competence, so when I entered the MAiL program, I would have rated myself as emerging (2). However, I did not have a clear understanding of what exactly this was and would not have been able to identify or articulate how this manifests itself in many areas in my life. The class LDRS 520 Understanding Vocation in a Changing World, was extremely significant in my leadership journey and helped me recognize and embrace who I am in the capacity of a strategic mobilizer. When I took the Strengths Finder Assessment (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001), I identified my top five strengths as Strategic, Belief, Woo, Communication, and Positivity. Initially, I was surprised that my top strength showed up to be Strategic, but as time went on I gained more clarity and was able see this showing up everywhere in my life, had it confirmed through personal feedback, and identified this in my personal reflection on experiences. The Stand Out Assessment also provided additional insight in this area. By defining my two strengths roles, Role 1 as Influencer and Role 2 as Provider, I gained clarity on how I make my greatest contribution, how others see me, and how I lead (Buckingham, 2011). The JPEAssessment (Human Productivity Systems, 1999-2013), was also extremely enlightening and helpful. Each of the descriptions of the personal preferences gave me incredible insights into how I function, how that might affect others that I work for or with, and how those preferences affect the satisfaction I get from my work. All of these personal assessments and reflections were incorporated into creating an extensive Vocational Profile and Plan. This helped give me great clarity, identify things about myself, and see how I can capitalize on the strength I exhibit in this competency. For LDRS 510 Creative and Collaborative Leadership, I developed a list of Ten Principles of Personal Leadership from Howard Behar’s book It’s Not About the Coffee. Understanding these principles and putting them into practice in any leadership context, will help me to lead others so I can effectively recognize potential and maximize engagement and contribution. I found these principles to be applicable in several of the compentencies, including becoming a strategic mobilizer. In order to move people toward a clear mission, vision, and values, I need to be able to see other’s potential and be personally invested. "Leading others demands the most of us. It demands all the skills of personal leadership. You have to care-like you really mean it. You have to listen for their truth. You have to be accountable to the people around you. And most of all you have to show up and be there" (Behar, 2009, p. 150).
Application of Knowledge
I have had many opportunities to utilize this new understanding and develop myself as a strategic mobilizer. There were several academic projects that contributed to my growth specifically in this competence. In the class LDRS 503 Organizational Behavior for Leaders, we were assigned a group project, where our task was to build an organization from the ground up. We had to develop the mission, purpose, strategy, goals, structure, a set of espoused values, culture, and the leadership approaches of an organization, making sure that things aligned to assure optimum functioning. We had to assess how our team worked together, and the strengths and weaknesses in our organizations. This process involved a great deal of strategic thinking in order to make sure all aspects of the organization that we designed were aligned, a skill I am sure I will utilize in the future. In my LDRS 532 Leadership Practicum class, we were able to utilize the principles from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, by designing, as a group, a Leadership Training Program. The training program my group designed incorporated four key concepts: Level 5 Leadership, First Who…Then What, The Hedgehog Concept, The Flywheel and the Doom Loop. The purpose of the training program was to help train young leaders to think more strategically as they want to move their organizations forward. These principles and this tool will be useful for me in the future in whatever context I find myself working.
I was also able to grow in and utilize this competency in my work environment. As Director of Creative Arts and Worship, I had the opportunity to produce and direct ten separate community outreach events during my time on staff at Grace Church. Most of these productions happened while I was in the leadership program. Each of these endeavors involved coming up with a vision that aligned with the overall mission of the church, communicating that vision effectively, creatively involving others in the process, motivating and mobilizing a workforce of volunteers to work in many different capacities and as a team, developing a plan, strategy, and organizational system to accomplish all the necessary tasks, and doing all this with a positive and encouraging attitude. All these things would ensure the event was of the highest quality and completed in the appropriate time frame. While on staff, I also organized a project that was initiated to streamline our set-up and tear down process. I was instrumental in organizing the tasks and the volunteers so we could effectively accomplish our goals. I was also involved in planning and organizing an outreach discussion group called Alpha, which involved recruiting, training and mobilizing leaders.
Creation of New Knowledge
There are several goals that I have that will continue my growth in this area. First I want to attend the Global Leadership Summit in August of 2015 to hear Jim Collins, one of the featured speakers this year. Within this next year, I also want to read the monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors, which was written to go hand and hand with the book Good To Great, and to address challenges faced by social sector leaders. Since my top strength is strategic, another more immediate goal is to find a job that will draw on this strength and give me opportunities to more fully realize my potential. Buckingham & Clifton (2001) encourage each of us to do this. “Look inside yourself, try to identify your strongest threads, reinforce them with practice and learning, and then either find or carve out a role that draws on these strengths every day” (p. 21). I am hoping my job search lands me in such a place.
Even though I came into the MAiL program showing some competence in this area, my studies and opportunities to apply my knowledge has significantly improved my understanding and skills. I would currently rate myself between competent and accomplished (4.5). As I move forward I look forward to the challenges and opportunities I will have as I continue to grow as a strategic mobilizer.