Leadership

Asian American & Pacific Islander Advisory

Council Conference
February 15-17, 2005

Frank Clearfield, Ph.D.

Social Sciences Team Leader
USDA - Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Greensboro, NC
Outline
1. Discuss culture
and leadership
characteristics
2. Self assess your
leadership traits
3. Identify skills of
successful leaders
Goal of the workshop:
• For participants to
leave with a better
understanding of:
 leadership
 cultural influences
 Some of your personal
characteristics
Your role in this workshop:
• Be honest
• Be open
• Be polite
• Be enthusiastic
• Be engaged
My Role:
• Workshop facilitator,
serve as a guide to
assist you
• Follow adult learning
principles
• Provide you with
materials on
leadership
My Background:
• Background
• Education
• Leadership positions
Exercise – Focus on You!
My partner’s leadership
characteristics are:
• Word file
1. Culture and leadership
characteristics
U.S. Population Trends
• 10% of the U.S. population were born in a
different country & 43% of those are Latinos
• By 2020, immigrants & children of foreign or
mixed parentage will account for almost 25%
of the U.S. population
• By 2022, the minority population will be 40%
of the general population
• By 2050, Whites will be the minority
Asian American & Pacific Islander
Population
• 2000 U.S. Census
shows Asian
American/Pacific
Islander Population
equals 3.6 percent of
overall population
 NRCS Work Force, FY 2002
8,000
7,179
7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000 Male
Female
3,000 2,846

2,000

1,000 0.8%
581
379 294132 226 94
0 62 34
White Afr-Am Hispanic Asian/PI Am Ind
What is Culture?
(a) the integrated pattern of human knowledge,
belief, and behavior that depends upon man's
capacity for learning and transmitting
knowledge to succeeding generations
(b) the customary beliefs, social forms, and
material traits of a racial, religious, or social
group
(c) the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
practices that characterizes a company or
corporation
*According to Webster Dictionary
What is a Leader?
(a) person who directs a military force or unit
(b) person who has commanding authority or
influence
(c) (1) principal officer of a British political party
(2) party member chosen to manage party
activities in a legislative body
(3) such a party member presiding over the
whole legislative body when the party
constitutes a majority
(d) a first or principal performer of a group
*According to Webster Dictionary
What is Leadership?

(a) the office or position of a leader

(b) capacity to lead
(c) the act or an instance of leading

*According to Webster Dictionary

Other aspects of leadership
• Leadership is dynamic relationship
between leader and follower
• Situational leaders
• Leadership can be based on tradition
• Charismatic leadership
“Leaders are made, they are not born; and they are made
just like anything else has ever been made in this
country - by hard work.”
Vince Lombardi, football coach of the Green Bay Packers football
team.

“Good advice, whomever it comes from, depends on the

shrewdness of the prince who seeks it.”
Niccolo Machiavelli
• “According to an old story, a lord of ancient China once
asked his physician, a member of a family of healers,
which physician was the most skilled in the art. The
physician, whose name was synonymous with medical
science in China, replied, ‘My eldest brother sees the
spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so
his name does not get out of the house. My elder brother
cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his
name does not get out of the neighborhood. As for me, I
puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so
from time to time my name gets out and is heard among
the lords.’”
Thomas Cleary, translator of the book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, states this is the essence of the book.
• “TQM’s emphasis is not on how to handle crises
but how to avert them in the first place.”
Seven Quality Secrets that Will Change Your Life, by John Woods and
James Cortada

• “Leadership is a matter of intelligence,

trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and
sternness.” Sun Tzu, Art of War
“Despite an immense amount of research, managers and
researchers still know virtually nothing about the essence
of leadership, about why some people follow and others
lead. Leadership remains a mysterious chemistry;
catchall words such as charisma proclaim our
ignorance.”
Mintzberg on Management: inside our Strange World of Organizations, Henry Mintzberg,
1989
Evolving Models of Leadership*

Ancient Traditional Modern Future

Idea of Domination Influence Common Reciprocal

Leadership goals relations

Action of Commandi Motivating Creating Mutual

Leadership ng followers followers inner meaning
commitment making
Focus of Power Interperson Self Interactions
leadership al skills knowledge of group
development

* Source: Handbook of Leadership Development, Center for Creative Leadership

What is the culture of USDA in
relation to leadership?
(c) the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
practices that characterizes a company or
corporation
(Word file)
Exercise – Cultural Orientation

1. USDA culture
2. Your heritage
3. Your family culture
4. Your own values
What are some obstacles Asian Americans face in
attaining leadership positions in USDA?

• Word file
What are some obstacles minorities and women
face in attaining leadership positions?

• Prejudice
• Poor Career Opportunities
• Outsider Status
• Lack Organizational Savvy
• Comfort Dealing with One’s Own Group
• Difficult Balancing Career and Family
• Difficult Managing Multiple Identities
• Difficult To Fit In
Summary
• Population’s change
• Aspects of culture changes
• Organizational culture’s change
• Aspects of your own personal culture
change
• Concepts of leadership change
What are we looking at?
2. Self Assessments of
Leadership
 Two Instruments

(1) Leadership Assessment Instrument

(2) Dimensions of Leadership Profile
Assumptions about these instruments and
about leadership
• No right or wrong answers
• We are not all leaders nor do
we all need to be
• Some people are better at
some things than others
• Team members play
different roles
• There are multiple
dimensions of leadership
Leadership Assessment
Instrument
• Rates user on five
dimensions
• http://www.ssi.nrcs.usda.
gov/
• Internet version also
provides hyperlinks
 Books, Articles
• Leader-in-you Tapes,
NEDC, Ft Worth, TX
Leadership Dimensions
• Drive
• Emotional Intelligence
• Building Trust
• Conceptual Thinking
• Systems Thinking
 Next Instrument

Dimensions of Leadership Profile

Dimensions of Leadership Profile

• Point of View
Yourself as a leader
Someone else as a leader
Leadership needs of a situation
3. Skills of Successful
Leaders
What are some differences
between a manager and a leader?
• Word file
What are some differences
between a manager and a leader?
• Process oriented • Vision oriented
• Protects self • Protects staff
• Approaches decisions • Approaches decisions
cautiously actively
• Career oriented • Staff oriented
• Listens selectively • Listens actively
• Avoids conflict • Deals with conflict
• Unclear regarding • Trusted
trust
What are some characteristics of
leadership?
• Honest/Integrity
• Consistent
• Open
• Accountable
• Transparent
• Responsible
• Sensitive
• Connected to the Community
• Knowledge
• Wisdom
• Social Skills
Some areas we can or have
generally addressed
• Social Skills
 Listening (and questioning) skills
 Dealing with conflict
 Dealing with difficult people
 Coordinating & conducting meetings
 Forming effective teams
 Establishing trust through consistency
 Sensitivity to other cultures
 Creating teams
 Establishing networks
What are the characteristics of good
and bad listeners (questioners)?
• Word file
Running effective meetings
• Don’t have a meeting unless you have a clear goal &
agenda
• Stay on topic, reduce floor time of big talkers
• Make sure everyone participates
• Let the group step up, if they falter, offer ideas
• Don’t get hung up, table topics
• Agree by consensus (preferred) or by majority
• Listen & deal with dissenting opinions
• Quickly distribute meeting results
• Agree on action items with names and times
• Follow up on action items
Managing Conflict You’re late!

• Exercise (word
file)
Time
Sheet
Who should make up your team?

• Higher up’s (sponsors)

• Doers
• Outspoken idea people
• Good reputation
• Smart people
• Diverse folks
Summary
• We discuss culture and
related leadership
characteristics
• You assessed some of
your leadership traits
• We discussed leadership
skills such as listening,
conducting meetings,
conflict management,
and teams
Questions?
• Contact information
 336-370-3336
 frank.clearfield@gnb.
usda.gov
 http://www.ssi.nrcs.us
da.gov/
 Mahalo Nui Loa