To my horror I realized recently that I haven't posted to this site in months...not weeks, but MONTHS. This is awful, but it made me start thinking about time and how we use it. Social work and social work education are cultures of the busy--somehow having too much work and being too busy seem to be signs of virtue or value.
But what this does is take away from our time for introspection, something essential for a social work leader. We need to give ourselves permission for time to think, to be creative, to just be. I'm as guilty of this as anyone I know, and it's a goal of mine to change that.
I found a wonderful quote that helps me with this, and I share it with you:
"To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times."
Thomas Merton
Peace, all
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, November 22, 2010
Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
Really interesting article on emotional intelligence and leadership from the Center for Community Leadership.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
by Anne Lezak
"Throughout history and in cultures everywhere, the leader in any human group has been the one to whom others look for assurance and clarity when facing uncertainty or threat, or when there's a job to be done. The leader acts as the group's emotional guide."
- Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, & Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, 2004, Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA
In the book Primal Leadership, the authors build on Goleman's ground-breaking work on emotional intelligence, demonstrating the key role emotional intelligence plays in leadership. According to Goleman and colleagues, leaders can increase their emotional intelligence and thereby improve their leadership effectiveness.
The leader's style is "contagious" – he or she sets the emotional tone of the group that either makes people want to come along and work towards common goals, or pushes them away and causes discomfort and uncertainty. The best leaders build resonance with their teams; they are in tune with the group's emotions and needs and are able to drive emotions positively, to bring out the best in everyone. Such leaders lead with empathy, enthusiasm, and conviction.
This doesn't mean that leaders ignore difficult situations or shrink from conflict. Rather, they are aware of their own emotional reactions to situations, and of the impact this has on those who look to them for cues. They learn to manage their emotions in ways that inspire confidence and help move people ahead. Whether they are giving good news or bad, their responses are genuine and are in sync with what the individual or group to whom they're relating is feeling.
Becoming a more effective leader means attending to the four dimensions of emotional intelligence:
• Self-awareness: Recognizing one's own emotions and appreciating the impact they have on others; maintaining an honest understanding of your strengths and limitations; and experiencing clarity in your values and goals. Self-awareness is key to that "gut-level" intuition that we can't quite explain, but that we learn to trust.
• Self-management: The ability to control and direct one's emotions in ways that are helpful and positive, including under stressful situations. From Primal Leadership, p. 47: "By staying in control of their feelings and impulses, [leaders] craft an environment of trust, comfort, and fairness." Leaders with strong self-management skills are able to adapt their leadership styles to match different situations, and maintain an upbeat, can-do attitude under pressure, both calming and energizing those around them.
• Social awareness: The ability to empathize; being attuned to how others feel and what response will help them overcome their fears, bring them along, and bring out the best in them. This applies both on an individual and group level; leaders with high social awareness can sense organizational tensions, changes, and needs. Social awareness enables leaders to build resonant and lasting relationships with followers, client, and stakeholders.
• Relationship management: Bringing together self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness to "inspire and move people with a compelling vision (Primal Leadership, P.51)." This speaks to Goleman's definition of leadership: The art of getting things done through other people. Successful leaders use their emotional intelligence to influence and guide others; establish strong networks; and build the trust and energy that enables them to lead in new directions and be catalysts for positive change.
Questions to Consider
1) Can you think of times when your leadership style was "contagious" in a way that helped a group gain confidence to move forward or tackle tough challenges?
2) How well do you trust your own intuition to tell you when something "just doesn't feel right"? When in a leadership role, have you ever ignored this warning signal and regretted it?
3) Are you able to recognize your own emotional state in times of stress? Could you do better at channeling your emotions in ways that are helpful to those you lead?
4) To what extent does the relationship between highly developed emotional intelligence and strong leadership skills make sense to you?
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
by Anne Lezak
"Throughout history and in cultures everywhere, the leader in any human group has been the one to whom others look for assurance and clarity when facing uncertainty or threat, or when there's a job to be done. The leader acts as the group's emotional guide."
- Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, & Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, 2004, Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA
In the book Primal Leadership, the authors build on Goleman's ground-breaking work on emotional intelligence, demonstrating the key role emotional intelligence plays in leadership. According to Goleman and colleagues, leaders can increase their emotional intelligence and thereby improve their leadership effectiveness.
The leader's style is "contagious" – he or she sets the emotional tone of the group that either makes people want to come along and work towards common goals, or pushes them away and causes discomfort and uncertainty. The best leaders build resonance with their teams; they are in tune with the group's emotions and needs and are able to drive emotions positively, to bring out the best in everyone. Such leaders lead with empathy, enthusiasm, and conviction.
This doesn't mean that leaders ignore difficult situations or shrink from conflict. Rather, they are aware of their own emotional reactions to situations, and of the impact this has on those who look to them for cues. They learn to manage their emotions in ways that inspire confidence and help move people ahead. Whether they are giving good news or bad, their responses are genuine and are in sync with what the individual or group to whom they're relating is feeling.
Becoming a more effective leader means attending to the four dimensions of emotional intelligence:
• Self-awareness: Recognizing one's own emotions and appreciating the impact they have on others; maintaining an honest understanding of your strengths and limitations; and experiencing clarity in your values and goals. Self-awareness is key to that "gut-level" intuition that we can't quite explain, but that we learn to trust.
• Self-management: The ability to control and direct one's emotions in ways that are helpful and positive, including under stressful situations. From Primal Leadership, p. 47: "By staying in control of their feelings and impulses, [leaders] craft an environment of trust, comfort, and fairness." Leaders with strong self-management skills are able to adapt their leadership styles to match different situations, and maintain an upbeat, can-do attitude under pressure, both calming and energizing those around them.
• Social awareness: The ability to empathize; being attuned to how others feel and what response will help them overcome their fears, bring them along, and bring out the best in them. This applies both on an individual and group level; leaders with high social awareness can sense organizational tensions, changes, and needs. Social awareness enables leaders to build resonant and lasting relationships with followers, client, and stakeholders.
• Relationship management: Bringing together self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness to "inspire and move people with a compelling vision (Primal Leadership, P.51)." This speaks to Goleman's definition of leadership: The art of getting things done through other people. Successful leaders use their emotional intelligence to influence and guide others; establish strong networks; and build the trust and energy that enables them to lead in new directions and be catalysts for positive change.
Questions to Consider
1) Can you think of times when your leadership style was "contagious" in a way that helped a group gain confidence to move forward or tackle tough challenges?
2) How well do you trust your own intuition to tell you when something "just doesn't feel right"? When in a leadership role, have you ever ignored this warning signal and regretted it?
3) Are you able to recognize your own emotional state in times of stress? Could you do better at channeling your emotions in ways that are helpful to those you lead?
4) To what extent does the relationship between highly developed emotional intelligence and strong leadership skills make sense to you?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A great way to exercise a little social work leadership is to write a letter to the editor. These are simple and powerful statements that let you share your view on an important issue--in a way that portrays the social work perspective. Remember to identify yourself as a social worker when you write.
Here are some examples from our students [please note I'm supporting their effort and don't necessarily endorse everything in the content]. To see them you'll need to use Explorer (wont' work with Mozilla).
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/opinion/l24voting.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/republican_congress_would_not_help_the_needy
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/21/752434/sensitivity-check.html
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/coples_tweet_out_of_line_with_thorps_message
Here are some examples from our students [please note I'm supporting their effort and don't necessarily endorse everything in the content]. To see them you'll need to use Explorer (wont' work with Mozilla).
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/opinion/l24voting.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/republican_congress_would_not_help_the_needy
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/21/752434/sensitivity-check.html
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-daniel-velez-october-19-2010-1.2373663
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2010/10/coples_tweet_out_of_line_with_thorps_message
Friday, October 1, 2010
Advocacy versus Stridency
Lately I've noticed a number of people who seem to think that being a good leader and advocating for oneself or others equates with being verbally abusive, strident, and simply rude. I know that there are times that the gloves have to come off, and we have to truly fight for what we believe in as leaders. However, I don't think this should be the first tactic we take. As social workers, engaging in verbal exchanges that are hurtful to others, that burn bridges and ruin social capital, and that are, frankly, not often effective, are NOT good leadership. We are supposed to believe in the importance of human relationship, of respect and dignity of the individual. Yelling and demanding aren't exactly syntonic with these values.
I hope that students and professionals will realize that leadership is more than shouting "I demand what I deserve!!" every time something doesn't go the way we think it should. A spirit of inquiry, sitting down and saying "Can we talk about this? I'm seeing things differently that you seem to be." are more likely to get results and more likely to communicate respect and professionalism.
Strategic, not strident. Effective, not abusive. Engaging, not antagonistic. Leadership that effects change without sacrificing our values.
I hope that students and professionals will realize that leadership is more than shouting "I demand what I deserve!!" every time something doesn't go the way we think it should. A spirit of inquiry, sitting down and saying "Can we talk about this? I'm seeing things differently that you seem to be." are more likely to get results and more likely to communicate respect and professionalism.
Strategic, not strident. Effective, not abusive. Engaging, not antagonistic. Leadership that effects change without sacrificing our values.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 15 through October 14 is Hispanic Heritage month. UNC will be having a number of events. Check them out at http://clc.unc.edu/hhm2010.html
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Social Work--the easy career? NOT!
Sigh.. it happened again. Today's Washington Post has an article by their Career Coach Marshall Brown (http://views.washingtonpost.com/on-success/career-coach/2010/09/how_to_reinvent_your_career.html). In abbreviated form, it goes like this:
"Question:
I am seriously considering "reinventing" myself. I was just laid off and I thought that I might as well do it now. I wonder if I can make a fresh start without having to start over, but how?
Answer:
I am a firm believer that it is NEVER too late. So, the good news is, you can. Here are some tips that I hope will help you: [a number of tips omitted here to save space]
Transferable Skills
Instead of starting something entirely new, you can start by building on what you already know and have done. From accountant, try a transition into financial planning; from teacher, try moving into social work; from real estate, maybe consider becoming a tour guide. The same skills that served you in the past can work for you now."
Lovely idea, but it implies that this transfer can happen without additional education. As social work leaders we need to bust this myth that social work requires a basic education and a good heart. We are a profession with a body of knowledge and educational standards from accredited schools of social work, and shouldn't let ourselves be sold short. Social work is not an easy career--it requires education and training and hard work. It also happens to be an incredibly rewarding career. Let's make sure people know both these facts.
"Question:
I am seriously considering "reinventing" myself. I was just laid off and I thought that I might as well do it now. I wonder if I can make a fresh start without having to start over, but how?
Answer:
I am a firm believer that it is NEVER too late. So, the good news is, you can. Here are some tips that I hope will help you: [a number of tips omitted here to save space]
Transferable Skills
Instead of starting something entirely new, you can start by building on what you already know and have done. From accountant, try a transition into financial planning; from teacher, try moving into social work; from real estate, maybe consider becoming a tour guide. The same skills that served you in the past can work for you now."
Lovely idea, but it implies that this transfer can happen without additional education. As social work leaders we need to bust this myth that social work requires a basic education and a good heart. We are a profession with a body of knowledge and educational standards from accredited schools of social work, and shouldn't let ourselves be sold short. Social work is not an easy career--it requires education and training and hard work. It also happens to be an incredibly rewarding career. Let's make sure people know both these facts.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Welcome
Copy of part of the welcome comments to incoming MSW students
I’d like to add my welcome to our Dean’s …we’re very excited to have you here with us. Dean Richman congratulated you on being chosen and choosing UNC. I’d like to add another congratulations to that…congratulations for choosing the profession of social work.
I know I’m biased, but you have chosen the best, most flexible, most satisfying career there is. You’re entering a profession where you will do things that matter. You will make a difference and make change in the world.
I hope you’re aware that you’re also joining a profession that has a long history of leaders who have stepped forward to speak truth to power, even when that was risky, and to fight for social justice.
Think about it...In the profession of social work you’re joining people like:
• Jane Addams, founder of the settlement house Hull House, and Mary Richmond, who developed social casework
• Lugenia Burns Hope, who in the Progressive Era spent her life improving the community through a network of Southern African American women’s clubs—AND who helped found the first African American school of social work @ Clark Atlanta
• Harry Hopkins, who ran the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for FDR, and Francis Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and 1st woman cabinetmember
• Leah Katherine Hicks Manning, who helped developed the Indian Child Welfare Act
• Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, who has worked tirelessly to increase the Latino presence in social work
• and our own recently deceased John Turner, former Tuskeegee airman, former dean of Case Western’s SSW and former dean of our SSW…and the “turner” in “Tate, Turner, Kuralt” building that houses us.
These people, and countless others, make a path through history to now…and to you.So welcome to your new profession, and to your place in social work. We can hardly wait to see the amazing things you’re going to do.
I’d like to add my welcome to our Dean’s …we’re very excited to have you here with us. Dean Richman congratulated you on being chosen and choosing UNC. I’d like to add another congratulations to that…congratulations for choosing the profession of social work.
I know I’m biased, but you have chosen the best, most flexible, most satisfying career there is. You’re entering a profession where you will do things that matter. You will make a difference and make change in the world.
I hope you’re aware that you’re also joining a profession that has a long history of leaders who have stepped forward to speak truth to power, even when that was risky, and to fight for social justice.
Think about it...In the profession of social work you’re joining people like:
• Jane Addams, founder of the settlement house Hull House, and Mary Richmond, who developed social casework
• Lugenia Burns Hope, who in the Progressive Era spent her life improving the community through a network of Southern African American women’s clubs—AND who helped found the first African American school of social work @ Clark Atlanta
• Harry Hopkins, who ran the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for FDR, and Francis Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and 1st woman cabinetmember
• Leah Katherine Hicks Manning, who helped developed the Indian Child Welfare Act
• Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, who has worked tirelessly to increase the Latino presence in social work
• and our own recently deceased John Turner, former Tuskeegee airman, former dean of Case Western’s SSW and former dean of our SSW…and the “turner” in “Tate, Turner, Kuralt” building that houses us.
These people, and countless others, make a path through history to now…and to you.So welcome to your new profession, and to your place in social work. We can hardly wait to see the amazing things you’re going to do.
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