TEF ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME TRAINING

BY

TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

ADVANCED COURSES: MODULE 1

TOPIC: LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS GROWTH

STRATEGIES

1|Page
 TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGE
MODULE 1.1 - PERSONAL LEADERSHIP 3
Sub Module 1.1.1 Overview and Concept of Personal Leadership 3
Sub Module 1.1.2 Entrepreneurship Leadership 4
Sub Module 1.1.3 Building Personal Leadership Plan 4-5
Sub Module 1.1.4 Effects and Benefits of Personal Leadership Plan 5
MODULE 1.2 - TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS 5
Sub Module 1.2.1The concept of Team Leadership 5-8
Sub Module 1.2.2 Analysis of Top Leadership Skills 8-10
Sub Module 1.2.3 Analysis and sharing of Top Leadership Experience 10
Sub Module 1.2.4 Feedback Mechanism and its positive impact in Leadership 11-12
MODULE 1.3 - UNDERSTANDING STRATEGIC FORMULATION & IMPLEMENTATION 12
Sub Module 1.3.1 The Concept of Strategy formulation and Implementation 12
Sub Module1.3.2 Distinct Features of Strategy Formulation & Strategy Implementation 13
Sub Module 1.3.3 Strategic Planning Process 13-14
Sub Module 1.3.4 Strategic Management Process 14-15
Sub Module 1.3.5 Strategy Implementation Model 15
Module 1.4 - CRITICAL THINKING & CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUES 16
Sub Module 1.4.1 Conceptualization of Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving Techniques 16-17
Sub Module 1.4.2 Stages and Models of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) 17
Sub Module 1.4.3 Why is critical thinking important? 17-18
Sub Module 1.4.4 Characteristics and Skills of Critical Thinkers 18-19
Sub Module 1.4.5 Obstacles to Creative Thinking and How to Overcome Them 20
LEADING WITH INNOVATION AND CHANGE 20
Sub Module 1.5.1 Overview of Leading with Innovation 20-21
Sub Module 1.5.2 Role of Innovation in Change Management 21-22
Sub Module 1.5.3 Guiding Principles for Change 22-24
Sub Module 1.5.4 Competencies required for Innovation and Change 24-25
RESOURCES 25-27

2|Page
 LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
MODULE 1.1 - PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
SUB MODULE 1.1.1 - OVERVIEW AND CONCEPT OF PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

Overview
Although it may be difficult to precisely define leadership given different perspectives to the
concept, it is important to have a better understanding of what it means and learn how to
become a leader or a more effective leader. To begin with, a leader is someone who has
developed a group of followers. These followers have found something in that leader that
encourages them to "get hitched and follow he or she." People tend to be attracted to
leaders whose values are similar to their own.

A more encompassing perception of a leader is offered by Sorensen, A. and Epps, R. 1996,

as a forceful and dynamic personality who leads from the front; an architect and
implementer of strategy; a mediator in conflict situations; an integrator who assures the
climate of the organization; a person able to motivate subordinates and who, by persuasion,
compulsion or example to others; succeeds in getting others to follow the leader's wishes.

Concept of Personal Leadership

Personal leadership is the ability to develop and utilize your positive leadership traits to guide
the direction of your life instead of letting time and chance determine your course. Personal
leadership can begin when you decide to be your life coach and live by a personal mission
statement that reflects your values and life goals. While you might think of a leader as an
experienced executive with a corner office, the reality is that successful organizations rely on
employees who demonstrate strong leadership skills regardless of their job title or length of
tenure and positions. If you are looking to enhance your leadership capacity, one important
strategy for guiding your growth is to create a personal leadership development plan.

Personal Development Matrix

3|Page
SUB MODULE 1.1.2 - ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERSHIP

Haven defined the concept of personal leadership, let's discuss leadership and
entrepreneurship qualities.

Managers need to have both leadership and entrepreneurship qualities to be successful. At

this point, the concept of entrepreneurial leadership emerges. Entrepreneurial leadership is a
new and modern type of leadership that is a combination of leadership qualities and soft skills
of entrepreneurship. Besides, entrepreneurial leadership is creating new products, new
processes and expansion of opportunities in existing businesses, working in social institutions
and dealing with ignored social issues, participating in social and political movements,
contributing to the change of current services and policies implemented by civil society
organizations and governments.

Thus, Entrepreneurial leadership is defined as affecting and directing the performance of

employees toward the achievement of organizational objectives that involve recognizing
and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities.

Example is team captain, who captain's the team, participate skillfully to the work of the
team, plays administrative role in the field of play, and lead the team to success. It is an
important phenomenon for the development of entrepreneurial leadership in business
management.

SUB MODULE 1.1.3 - BUILDING PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PLAN

After you have given some thought to your long-term leadership goals and qualities, you'd
like to improve by creating your leadership development plan. Some people may use a
spreadsheet; others may prefer a chart. No matter the format, there are several key things
that every personal leadership development plan should include: They are;

• Core Skills to Master - Leaders have many job responsibilities that are specific to a role
as a supervisor. These can include running meetings, providing feedback, sharing
information in front of groups, and making personnel decisions. Identify the skills that
align with your leadership development goals but are not part of your existing job
responsibilities. Look for both internal and external sources, and resources that will help
you build these skills.

• Experience Gaps to Close - In addition to tactical skills, there are several strategic
responsibilities that a leader can expect to take on. These can include starting a new
project, turning around a project that is not doing well, managing larger and more
mission-critical projects, and managing a crisis. It's important to identify these key tasks
that align with your goals and develop a plan to gain the necessary experience.

• New Relationships to Build - As a leader, you interact with a variety of stakeholders

regularly. Many are within your organization and include department heads, front-line
employees, and managers with different skill sets. Others are outside your organization

4|Page
 and ranges from customers and suppliers to board members and other members of
the business community. As you build a leadership development plan, identify the
stakeholders with whom you'd like to have a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship
and reach out to start the conversation.

• Specific Tasks to Delegate - Effective leaders strike a balance between day-to-day

tasks and long-term responsibilities. They focus on the work that is most closely aligned
with their expertise and trust others within the organization, ensuring that projects are
not delayed and that employees remain engaged. List the activities that are critical
to professional development within your role, along with the activities that others are
capable of completing themselves.

• Key Action Items to Complete - As noted, the specifics of a leadership development

plan should include strengths and potential areas of improvement. Action items could
include meeting with a mentor or manager, reading a book on leadership,
completing a leadership assessment, or identifying training or educational
opportunities.

SUB MODULE 1.1.4 - EFFECTS AND BENEFITS OF PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PLAN

Leaders are assessed not only on their success but also on the success of their teams. Your
leadership development plan should list the critical indicators of success for leaders and their
teams, which include but are not limited to the following:
• Improving the quality of work
• Improving teamwork and morale
• Increasing delegation of responsibility
• Strategic planning and preparation
• Continuous learning for you and your team
• Recognizing the team's contributions

MODULE 1.2 - TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS

SUB MODULE 1.2.1 - THE CONCEPT OF TEAM LEADERSHIP

A team leader is someone who provides guidance, instruction, direction and leadership to a
group of individuals (the team) to achieve a key result or group of aligned results. ... When a
team leader motivates a team, group members can function in a goal-oriented manner. The
chief purpose of a leadership team is to bring together senior leaders of diverse functions to
solve shared problems and ensure aligned action and collective responsibility for the
organization's performance.

While the ability to maintain good interpersonal relationships shouldn't be dismissed, a leader
needs to build a team that can consistently perform, execute flawlessly and attain goals.

5|Page
They need to create a team that can earn the respect of the organization, take responsibility
and learn from mistakes.

5 Ways High Performing Team

For better understanding, let us discuss the common roles and responsibilities of team leaders
along with examples of specific traits and qualities that make them successful.

Team leader responsibilities

Responsibilities of a team leader include decision-making, coaching, mentoring, developing
the team's skills and managing conflict. Learning these important team leader skills is an
ongoing process that requires regular practice and use. Here are five important
responsibilities of a team leader:
• Coach team members - An effective team leader coaches' member on achieving
goals and developing necessary skills that get results. Coaching involves developing
team members' performance, offering feedback and demonstrating the desired skills
and expected work ethics. A coach-style team leader works alongside its members to
develop their skills.

Example: Irene is a member of the sales team and during weekly one-on-one
meetings with each of the individual team members, Ferdinand discusses areas of
improvement while also demonstrating effective leadership characteristics. Ferdinand
identifies that Irene needs help to meet sales quotas. Irene and Ferdinand go through
each step of the sales process and determine which points are the most difficult for
her. They collaboratively come up with alternative ways to complete these steps in an
attempt to improve Irene's sales numbers.

6|Page
 • Develop team strengths and improve weaknesses - It is also the responsibility of the
team leader to identify the team's strengths and weaknesses. By determining which
team member excels at which task, you can delegate the required tasks to the
appropriate person. It's also helpful to determine areas of opportunity and the
appropriate steps to improve on them.

Example: Carol, is in charge of planning the upcoming fundraiser. She considers the
strengths of each team member. She uses these strengths to delegate each of the
required tasks. Raymond is aware that Jennifer struggles with budgeting. She also
knows that Jennifer has requested the ability to develop this skill, so Carol assigns the
task to her along with Raymond, who excels at budgeting.

• Identify team goals and evaluate team progress - To measure team success, it's
important to identify what success means. Evaluating goals and determining how the
team will measure success can prevent miscommunication. This also gives team
members a clear understanding of what they are expected to complete. Setting clear
team goals and evaluating progress along the way allows teams to work
collaboratively.

Example: Your organization's management tasked Leonard with leading a team of

top salespersons to create a new training program for onboarding. The main goal of
the team is to create a training for new employees that will teach them necessary
sales skills. The team identified a shared goal of completing the project. However,
Leonard also identified individual course completions and the creation of sales
training manuals as goals. She set deadlines for each aspect of the project and
assigned individual tasks, so each team member had a clear understanding of what
they were expected to do and when.

• Resolve conflict - Because teams are made up of different personalities, work traits
and motivations, conflict can sometimes occur. The team leader is responsible for
preventing conflict where possible and resolving it when it does arise. By setting
ground rules and assigning tasks, you can prevent many sources of conflict. If you
notice conflict, it is best to resolve it before it escalates. Conferring with the members
as a team can allow everyone to come up with a solution that works for both sides.

Example: Amanda was beginning to feel like the delegated workload was uneven.
She claimed that Rose had the easier tasks and would often make comments during
sales meetings. Instead of taking up valuable team meeting time to discuss this
conflict, Eric arranged a different meeting with each individual and then one
together. This method allowed the team leader to understand each individual's
concerns while encouraging communication to come up with an agreed goal.

• Organize team initiatives - Organization is necessary when multiple team members

are working on a single goal. Individual projects, goals, communications and
important documents should remain clear and accessible. It is the responsibility of the

7|Page
 team leader to organize team meetings, topics of discussion and the progress toward
the goal.

Example: Nina uses her strong organizational skills when managing her team. She gives
team members enough notice for upcoming sales meetings. She prepares for each
meeting by creating an outline of the most important topics to discuss. During the
meeting, Nina closely follows this outline, keeping everyone on topic and completing
all of the necessary talking points.

SUB MODULE 1.2.2 - ANALYSIS OF TOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS

As a leader, you can't force people to work harder; to be effective, you can only align your
team's efforts and work smarter and together.

The qualities of an effective team leader can be broken into the following, in addition to the
example in the above chart.

• Be Committed - Take time with your employees - Collaboration makes a great leader.
Effective internal communication helps to ensure that all members of the organization
are working collaboratively towards a common goal. The key word is “collaboration.”
While a lot of team members may know what their job description is, they must also
understand why their work matters to the company. That is the reason why they must
share their work and ideas with co-workers and managers.

• Be Productive; Encourage debates but keep them productive - As an effective team

leader, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing your employees wholeheartedly
discussing the product or service you provide. The tricky part is to understand whether

8|Page
 it will lead to a productive discussion or unnecessary tension in the workforce. A team
leaders' job is to encourage proactive debates, but they need to be kept as
professional & productive as possible.
• Be Analytical; Tests your ideas (are they contested, or have you hired a herd of sheep)-
As a leader, if your employees are not contesting your ideas, even bad ones get
passed straight through, to the building phase. So, test it out: next meeting, have a
ridiculous proposition, that is backed by some shady data. If it sticks & people start
applauding it – congratulations, you have a room full of people who are willing to do
nonsense, just to avoid confronting you.

• Be Respectful; Respect time & privacy- Good team leadership means making sure
that you have a complete overview of what people are doing. The best way to do it
is to change your company culture to be as transparent as it can be. Doing so requires
a change of culture and may even require new software for help. Here we will go
over a few things that you should start doing.

• Communicate Clearly- And track what matters – When the book, "Measure What
Matters" was published in 2017, it became an instant bestseller and a true model for
the future world of management. John Doerr 2017, the author of "Measure What
Matters" is rightfully considered one of the most influential people for the Objectives
and Key Results (OKRs) methodology. He is the one who initially introduced the idea
to the young founders of Google. Their success story has turned OKRs into a well-known
goal-setting methodology.

The five-point OKR System:

• Delegate Clearly; But Do Not micromanage - It's gruesome working under a

micromanager. Everybody knows that. But in more cases than not, managers and
effective team leaders don't take note that they are doing it. So, if you see any of
these 5 common symptoms piling up on your daily routine change it! They do more
harm than good!

• Be Creative; And don't let everyday task kill it for your team - Think about a place
where creativity is encouraged and nurtured. Did you think of a drama class, a
theatre, or maybe the kindergarten? All those places come to mind easily, but I'm
willing to bet there's one place that didn't, and that's the workplace. Creativity and
creative thinking in the workplace are crucial for both individuals and team.

9|Page
 • Be Decisive; And kill off any procrastination – Quick decisions that kill procrastination
are essential in the workplace.

• Be Trustworthy; And build trust within your team - Developing a strong and successful
relationship within an organization involves several key qualities. One of these qualities
is trust. Building trust takes time and effort. And once it's gained, you can lose it within
a split second.

SUB MODULE 1.2.3 - SHARING OF TOP LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Let us share the experience of General Omar Bradley 1971, generally acknowledged as one
of the U. S. Army's finest leaders, who summed up his leadership: As Case study of note.

General Omar Bradley 1971 opined that "The test of a leader lies in the reaction and response
of his followers". He should not have to impose authority. Bossiness in itself never made a
leader. He must make his influence felt by example and the instilling of confidence in his
followers. The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led." General
Bradley's eloquent statement has framed the development of basic definition of leadership:
a leader uses knowledge, skills and relationships to motivate, encourage, and mentor others
in the achievement of common goals.

His leadership philosophy is based upon collective life experiences, observations, successes,
and failures. He views leadership as a journey taken together by leaders and followers to a
common destination. He believes great leaders establish a plan, a map to help them
organize and ensure they have an appropriate and effective team in place, clearly
communicate the plan, and lead their followers to the destination. Effective leaders define
and refine their missions consistently and continuously communicate with followers the
objectives and milestones required to achieve success, for it is essential for a team to not only
understand where the organization is and where it needs to go, but also how it will get there.

He said and I quote, "It is not sufficient for a leader to merely determine a destination and the
route upon which the group will travel; he must also enable others to follow by according
them with respect and providing training and education, resources, encouragement, and
guidance as required. To lead the mission to a fruitful conclusion, a leader must establish
priorities and utilize the talents, creativity, resources, and energy of his followers, generally
imperfect individuals, and empower them to rise to and occasionally beyond their previously
assumed potential."

General Omar Bradley believes that as the leader, he is accountable to bring the team to
success; their failures are his failures. The questions he asks in those circumstances are: what
went wrong? How do we fix this and get back on course? How can we avoid recurring or
similar errors in the future? In asking those questions, you must seek input from diverse sources,
listen when others speak, and remember that not all communication is expressed verbally or
in writing.

10 | P a g e
SUB MODULE 1.2.4 - FEEDBACK MECHANISM & ITS POSITIVE IMPACT IN LEADERSHIP

A feedback loop is essentially a reoccurring loop to analyze the quality of work that is being
done and to uncover the solutions to continue to improve. It should not be viewed as
negative reinforcement as part of the loop is the positive actions that are being performed.
Leadership feedback is a self-sustaining process meaning that it is designed with everything
needed for productivity, a positive to enhance the good, and provide solutions to rectify the
areas needed to be improved.

When it comes to performance and our actions, how do we know what is and what is not
effective? Simple, feedback! It is sometimes hard for leaders to accept the fact that they
need feedback just as much as everyone else. As a leader, you are expected to deliver
value to your organization, and when a tactic or strategy isn't working it is essential that you
know what isn't working so you can make the appropriate adjustments.

Simple Feedback Loop

Providing effective feedback is critical to maintaining a capable workforce. A main

component of the feedback process is acquiring accurate information to fuel feedback
decisions. Obtaining relevant data and feedback from credible sources as well as enhancing
the validity of the feedback by gathering information from multiple sources is critical to this
process.

Sources of Feedback in the Workplace

Managers seeking to improve the feedback process must first develop a comprehensive
understanding of the sources of feedback. There are 5 main sources of feedback in
businesses. Each source of feedback can provide a different perspective on performance
and can be a valuable component of the feedback process.

11 | P a g e
 • Customers - Customers can be the most important source of feedback. Companies
should solicit feedback from customers about individual, team, group and
management performance.

• Objective data - Statistically, KPIs and real-time data should all be used to provide
objective feedback to an employee.

• Supervisors, managers and team leaders - Leaders typically are a rich source of
feedback. They are experienced and have specialized knowledge of the tasks their
subordinates are performing.
• Peers - Co-workers performing similar jobs can have a better understanding of their
peer's performance than supervisors and upper management. They can also provide
a different perspective for the feedback process.
• Subordinates - "Upward feedback" is the method of allowing subordinates to provide
feedback about manager's style and performance. Upward feedback has a positive
impact on the performance of low to moderate performers.

MODULE 1.3 - UNDERSTANDING STRATEGIC FORMULATION &

IMPLEMENTATION
SUB MODULE 1.3.1 - THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Formulation and Strategy Implementation are the two most important phases of strategic
management process. Strategy Formulation means crafting a combination of strategies and
picking out the best one to achieve the organizational goals and objectives and thereby
reaching the vision of the organization. It involves several steps which are performed in
chronological order.

On the other hand, Strategy Implementation refers to the execution of the opted strategy,
i.e. it converts the chosen strategy into action, for the realization of organizational goals and
objectives. There are many management opinions, who often juxtapose the two terms. But
there exists a fine line of differences between strategy formulation and strategy
implementation, which will be further explained in this lecture.

Following are the main steps in implementing a strategy:

• Developing an organization having potential of carrying out strategy successfully.
• Disbursement of abundant resources to strategy-essential activities.
• Creating strategy-encouraging policies.
• Employing best policies and programs for constant improvement.
• Linking reward structure to accomplishment of results.
• Making use of strategic leadership.

12 | P a g e
SUB MODULE 1.3.2 - DISTINCT FEATURES OF STRATEGY FORMULATION & STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTATION

Strategy Formulation Vs Strategy Implementation (Comparison Chart)

BASIS FOR STRATEGY FORMULATION STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

COMPARISON

Meaning Strategy Formulation refers to the Strategy Implementation

preparation of a well thought strategy, means to bring the formulated
that helps in the achievement of strategy into action.
organizational goals.

Concept Placement of forces before action takes Managing forces at the time of
place. strategy execution.

Process type Logical Operational

Emphasis on Effectiveness Efficiency

Responsibility Top Management Functional Management

Orientation Planning Execution

Activity type Entrepreneurial Administrative

Requirement of Analytical skills Leadership skills

SUB MODULE 1.3.3 - STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

Strategic planning is defined as “the process by which an organisation envisions its future and
develops the necessary procedures and operations to achieve the future. It requires the clear
setting of goals and objectives which provide the organisation with its core priorities and a
set of guidelines for virtually all day-to-day managerial decisions”.

13 | P a g e
This is the creation of new business strategies in either a formal or informal setting

• Creating a vision
• -Preparing a mission statement
• - Setting objectives and goals
• Carrying out SWOT Analysis
• - Formulating strategies
• - Designing tactics or action plans
• - Evaluating process and taking corrective
action. This is monitoring process
• - Measuring results or outcomes

SUB MODULE 1.3.4 - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Strategic management is a continuous process that appraises the business and industries in
which the organization is involved; appraises its competitors; and fixes goals to meet all the
present and future competitor’s and then reassesses each strategy.

Strategic management process has following four steps:

• Environmental Scanning- Environmental scanning refers to a process of collecting,

scrutinizing and providing information for strategic purposes. It helps in analyzing the
internal and external factors influencing an organization.

14 | P a g e
 • Strategy Formulation- Strategy formulation is the process of deciding best course of
action for accomplishing organizational objectives and, hence achieving
organizational purpose.

• Strategy Implementation- Strategy implementation implies making the strategy work

as intended or putting the organization’s chosen strategy into action. Strategy
implementation includes designing the organization’s structure, distributing resources,
developing decision making process, and managing human resources.

• Strategy Evaluation- Strategy evaluation is the final step of strategy management

process. The key strategy evaluation activities are: appraising internal and external
factors that are the root of present strategies, measuring performance, and taking
remedial / corrective actions.

Components of Strategic Management Process

SUB MODULE 1.3.5 - STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION MODEL

It includes directing the ongoing strategy so that it can work in an efficient manner and taking
corrective measures to improve its performance time to time, to reach the targeted results.
The following activities are involved in it:

15 | P a g e
MODULE 1.4 - CRITICAL THINKING & CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
TECHNIQUES

SUB MODULE 1.4.1 – CONCEPTUALIZATION OF CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM-SOLVING

TECHNIQUES

An overview of the subject matter could translate Critical thinking as an intellectually

disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing,
and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience,
reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary
form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity,
accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth,
breadth, and fairness.

Conceptualization of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest
level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think critically consistently attempt to live
rationally, reasonably, empathically. They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature
of human thinking when left unchecked. They strive to diminish the power of their egocentric
and sociocentric tendencies. They use the intellectual tools that critical thinking offers –
concepts and principles that enable them to analyze, assess, and improve thinking. They work

16 | P a g e
diligently to develop the intellectual virtues of intellectual integrity, intellectual humility,
intellectual civility, intellectual empathy, intellectual sense of justice and confidence in
reason.

They avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues and strive to appropriately
consider the rights and needs of relevant others. They recognize the complexities in
developing as thinkers and commit themselves to life-long practice toward self-improvement.

SUB MODULE 1.4.2 - STAGES AND MODELS OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING (CPS)

Let us discuss briefly the important stages and models that can stimulate your creative
problem-solving skills.

SUB MODULE 1.4.3 - WHY IS CRITICAL THINKING IMPORTANT?

Why is critical thinking important in business? Business leaders take major actions every day,
from hiring and firing to reviewing financial earnings reports, participating in board meetings
and handling public relations crises. These are the precise areas in which critical thinking
comes into play, as business leaders use this skill to make tough decisions, such as letting an
employee go or issuing a press release when scandal threatens to tarnish a company's
reputation.

17 | P a g e
The Role of Critical Thinking in Business
When applying critical thinking in business, a leader must use logic to identify, understand,
analyze and solve problems. This requires patience and practice. The successful application
of critical thinking often results in more efficient work processes.

The following three examples help answer why critical thinking is important in business;

• Improve communication strategies - Communicating with different types of people

requires defining the needs of the target audience, which demands critical thinking.
For example, if a company is being bought out by a competitor, the CEO must
consider how this will impact everyone, from low-level employees to investors, and
determine what messages to convey to each party. Acting quickly is essential, as he
or she should be the first to give the employees the news to maintain their trust.

• Support smooth operations - Maintaining daily operations in an ever-changing

environment requires constant critical thinking. For example, if the power goes out at
a restaurant and there is no emergency generator, the manager must decide not only
what to do with the customers and staff but how to salvage refrigerated food. The
quicker the manager acts, the more likely he or she can salvage the situation.

• Streamline product development. A product development role requires multiple

decisions to ensure efficacy, marketability and safety. For instance, if a company is
marketing a new kitchen gadget, designing it in a certain way would make it look
more appealing, but that design could also make it more difficult to use. Should the
company prioritize function or fashion? The sooner it reaches a decision, the sooner
production can begin. "In each of these examples, critical thinking directly impacts
efficiency in the workplace".

SUB MODULE 1.4.4 - CHARACTERISTICS AND SKILLS OF CRITICAL THINKERS

Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Marie Curie, Sigmund Freud are few critical thinkers who have
shaped our modern lives. Critical thinkers think clearly and rationally and make logical
connections between ideas. They are crucial to exploring and understanding the world we
live in.

If you're hoping to reach your full potential and make your mark on the world, cultivate the
following characteristics of critical thinkers.

• Observation - Observation is one of the earliest critical thinking skills we learn as

children, it's our ability to perceive and understand the world around us. Careful
observation includes our ability to document details, and to collect data through our
senses.
• Curiosity - Curiosity is a core trait of many successful leaders. Being inherently inquisitive
and interested in the world and people around you are hallmark of leaders who are
critical thinkers.

18 | P a g e
 • Objectivity - Good critical thinkers can stay as objective as possible when looking at
information or a situation. They focus on facts, and the scientific evaluation of the
Information at hand. Objective thinkers seek to keep their emotions (and those of
others) from affecting their judgment.

• Introspection - This is the art of being aware of your thinking, or, to put it another way,
thinking about how you think about things. Critical thinkers need introspection so
they're aware of their degree of alertness and attentiveness, as well as their biases.

• Analytical thinking - The best analytical thinking are also critical thinkers, and vice
versa. The ability to analyze information is key when looking at any almost anything,
whether it is a contract, report, business model or even a relationship.
• Identifying biases - Critical thinkers challenge themselves to identify the evidence that
forms their beliefs and assess whether or not those sources are credible. Doing this
helps you understand your own biases and question your preconceived notions.

• Determining relevance - One of the most difficult parts of thinking critically is figuring
out what information is the most relevant, meaningful and important for your
consideration. In many scenarios, you'll be presented with information that may seem
valuable, but it may turn out to be only a minor data point to consider. Consider if a
source of information is logically relevant to the issue being discussed.

• Willing to challenge the status quo. - Critical thinking means questioning long-
established business practices and refusing to adhere to traditional methods simply
because that's the way it's always been done. Critical thinkers are looking for smart,
thoughtful answers and methods that take into account all the current and relevant
information and practices available. Their willingness to challenge the status quo may
seem controversial, but it's an essential part of the creative and innovative mind of a
critical thinker.

• Open-mindedness - Being able to step back from a situation and not become
embroiled helps critical thinkers see the broader view. Critical thinkers avoid launching
into a frenzied argument or taking sides, they want to hear all perspectives. Critical
thinkers don't jump to conclusions. They approach a question or situation with an open
mind and embrace other opinions and views.

• Effective communicators - In many cases, problems with communication are based

on an inability to think critically about a situation or see it from different perspectives.
Effective communication starts with a clear thought process. Critical thinking is the tool
we use to coherently build our thoughts and express them.

• Active listeners - Critical thinkers don't just want to get their point across to others; they
are also careful to engage in active listening and hear others' points of view. Instead
of being a passive listener during a conversation or discussion, they actively try to
participate.

19 | P a g e
SUB MODULE 1.4.5 - OBSTACLES TO CREATIVE THINKING AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

Have you ever felt blocked and uncreative or feel like you can't solve even a simple problem?
You have amazing creative talent and skills you just have to learn how to unlock your abilities.
There are six major obstacles to creative thinking that could be preventing you from learning
how to improve your problem-solving skills for business success.

If you fail to recognize any of them, they could be holding you back. They are:

• Lack of Direction from Yourself or Others - The first obstacle to creative thinking is the
lack of clear goals and objectives, written down, accompanied by detailed, written
plans of action.
• Being Afraid of Failure - The second major obstacle to creative thinking is the fear of
failure or loss. It is the fear of being wrong, of making a mistake, or of losing money or
time.
• Being Afraid of Rejection - The third major obstacle to creative thinking is the fear of
criticism, or the fear of ridicule, scorn or rejection. It is the fear of sounding dumb or
looking foolish.

• Never Changing or Adapting to the Situation - A major obstacle to creative thinking is

called "homeostasis." This is a deep subconscious desire to remain consistent with what
you have done or said in the past. It is the fear of doing or saying something new or
different from what you did before. This homeostatic impulse holds people back from
becoming all they are capable of becoming and from achieving success.

• Not Thinking Proactively - The fifth obstacle to creative thinking for success is passivity.
If you do not continually stimulate your mind with new ideas and information, it loses
its vitality and energy, very much like a muscle that is not exercised. Instead of thinking
proactively and creatively, you're thinking becomes passive and automatic.

• You Rationalize and Never Improve - The sixth obstacle to creative thinking is
rationalizing. We know that human beings are rational creatures, but what does that
mean? Whatever you decide to do, or not do, you very quickly come up with a good
reason for your decision. By constantly rationalizing your decisions, you cannot learn
to improve performance.

MODULE 1.5 - LEADING WITH INNOVATION AND CHANGE

SUB MODULE 1.5.1 - OVERVIEW OF LEADING WITH INNOVATION

In today's constantly changing world, change and innovation play an extremely important
role within any organization. New technologies like faster software and hardware and
improved manufacturing systems are increasing production and changing the way we do
business across the globe. Newly advancing markets such as China and India are becoming
more and more capitalistic, opening the door for corporations to come and do business.

20 | P a g e
There are multiple elements when dealing with innovation and change within an
organization. The first element is how an organization can change successfully which consists
of the steps that are needed and the process that makes change happen.

The next element is technological change, which is how organizations adapt and implement
new technology. From new technology, organizations come up with our next element, new
products and services. As these organizations become larger and larger there is the need for
strategy and structure change as well as cultural changes. These two elements often go hand
in hand and can be some of the most difficult to change.

Innovative Approaches Driven by New Firms and Gradually Being Adopted by Traditional
Firms

SUB MODULE 1.5.2 - ROLE OF INNOVATION IN CHANGE MANAGEMENT

There are five key factors when looking at what is necessary for successful change.

• The first is ideas - To bring about change you need to have a new idea or thought.
Creativity, innovation and outside-the-box thinking play a huge role here. Often some
of the best ideas can come from the least likely places. "High levels of collaboration
promote innovation, as it encourages a free flow of ideas among people who must
work together to discover new solutions to problems."

• The second factor is need - There must be a perceived need for change. Constantly
changing structures, strategies, or culture can be a bad thing if overused. If a specific
change is going to take place, there needs to be an identifiable reason to make that

21 | P a g e
 specific change necessary. On the other hand, an organization that fails to realize the
need for change is doomed for failure.
• The third factor is adoption - After the new ideas have been thought of on how to
change and there is a perceived need for that change, a new idea is chosen. Now
that an idea has been chosen it is time to put that idea into practice. This brings us to
our next factor, implementation. Implementing strategic change is one of the most
important undertakings of an organization. Successful implementation of strategic
change can reinvigorate a business, but failure can lead to catastrophic
consequences.
• The final factor is resources - Through human energy and activity the idea is
implemented and kept alive. People are the most important resource and the
essential contributors to successful change, without them, change cannot happen.
Your employees must be thoroughly trained and understand what is being changed
and why.

Game changers are constantly disrupting industries leaving traditional

firms with no choice than to innovate or seize to exist.

SUB MODULE 1.5.3 - GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CHANGE

• Lead with the culture - Lou Gerstner, who as chief executive of IBM led one of the most
successful business transformations in history, said the most important lesson he learned
from the experience was that "culture is everything." Businesspeople today understand

22 | P a g e
 this. Skilled change managers make the most of their company's existing culture. Why
would this be true, given the widespread recognition of culture's importance? Perhaps
it's because change management designers view their company's culture as the
legacy of a past from which they want to move on. "It is a known fact that Culture eat
strategy for breakfast".

• Start at the top - Although it's important to engage employees at every level, all
successful change management initiatives start at the top, with a committed and
well-aligned group of executives strongly supported by the CEO. This alignment can't
be taken for granted. Rather, work must be done in advance to ensure that everyone
agrees about the case for the change and the particulars for implementing it.

• Involve every layer - Strategic planners often fail to take into account the extent to
which midlevel and frontline people can make or break a change initiative. The path
of rolling out change is immeasurably smoother if these people are tapped early for
input on issues that will affect their jobs. Frontline people tend to be rich repositories of
knowledge about where potential glitches may occur, what technical and logistical
issues need to be addressed, and how customers may react to changes.

Example; IBM recognized the need for such an approach in 2003, when rolling out a
new initiative on culture. The leadership team had met intensively to develop clear
definitions of the cultural traits the organization would require going forward. They,
then declared a "values jam," a website set up for a 72-hour period, where anyone in
the company could post comments, responses, suggestions, and concerns. Leaders
then made key changes based on the feedback they received and communicated
clearly how the input they'd received was being incorporated.

• Make the rational and emotional case together - Leaders will often make the case for
major change on the sole basis of strategic business objectives such as "we will enter
new markets," or "we will grow 20 percent a year for the next three years." Such
objectives are fine as far as they go, but they rarely reach people emotionally in a
way that ensures genuine commitment to the cause. Human beings respond to calls
to action that engage their hearts as well as their minds, making them feel as if they're
part of something consequential.

• Act your way into new thinking - Many change initiatives seem to assume that people
will begin to shift their behaviors once formal elements like directives and incentives
have been put in place. People who work together on cross-functional teams will start
collaborating because the lines on the chart show they are supposed to do so.
Managers will become clear communicators because they have a mandate to
deliver a message about the new strategy. Yet lines on a chart and bold statements
of intent have only so much impact. Start by defining a critical few behaviors that will
be essential to the success of the initiative.

• Engage, engage and engage - Leaders often make the mistake of imagining that if
they convey a strong message of change at the start of an initiative, people will

23 | P a g e
 understand what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Powerful and
sustained change requires constant communication, not only throughout the rollout
but after the major elements of the plan are in place.

• Lead outside the lines - Change has the best chance of cascading through an
organization when everyone with authority and influence is involved. In addition to
those who hold formal positions of power, the company's recognized leaders: this
group includes people whose power is more informal and is related to their expertise,
to the breadth of their network, or to personal qualities that engender trust. They might
include a well-respected field supervisor, an innovative project manager, or a
receptionist who's been at the firm for 25 years.

• Leverage formal and informal solutions - Persuading people to change their behavior
won't suffice for transformation unless formal elements such as structure, reward
systems, ways of operating, training, and development are redesigned to support
them. Even when the formal elements needed for change are present, the
established culture can undermine them if people revert to long held but unconscious
ways of behaving. This is why formal and informal solutions must work together.

Example, a top-tier technology company was trying to inculcate a more customer-

centric mind-set after a decade focused on relentlessly cutting costs. Survey
diagnostics revealed significant customer dissatisfaction with the quality of the
company's products, which were too often released into the marketplace with
significant flaws. A set of new procedures was put in place along with metrics to
identify gaps in product development, process quality controls, and cross-teaming at
the front lines.

• Assess and adapt – Studies have revealed that many organizations involved in
transformation efforts fail to measure their success before moving on. Leaders are so
eager to claim victory that they don't take the time to find out what's working and
what's not, and to adjust their next steps accordingly.

SUB MODULE 1.5.4 - COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR INNOVATION AND CHANGE

Organizational innovation refers to new modalities by which work can be organized and
achieved within companies, businesses, firms and enterprises to foster and promote
competitive advantage. It involves organizations, groups, and people in managing work
processes in such areas as customer relationships, employee performance, and retention and
knowledge management. Accordingly, workplace innovation is a bundle of practices and
programs involving changes in the business structure, in the human resources management,
in the relationships with customers and suppliers, and/or in the work environment itself.

Some of the characteristics that authors suggest that people working in innovation teams
should have are the following;

24 | P a g e
 • An entrepreneurial mindset- so that people involved in innovation teams take
responsibility for and are proactive toward what they are supposed to do;

• Solid communication skills - which means being able to combine listening and
speaking skills, so that people involved in innovation teams can share and compare
ideas.

• Ability to understand - technical requirements which are not simple and reduce them
into easier elements so that the different members involved in the innovation team
can better manage them.

• Skills for building and maintaining relationships - to stimulate cooperation among

people even in the presence of different personal characteristics.

• Curiosity - as spontaneous desire to learn things of different kind and to integrate them
to meet or sustain the strategic targets of innovation.

• Holistic point of view - the ability to interpret the organizational culture which can
influence the fact the innovation moves forward.

• Psychological and relational characteristics - psychological point of view, innovating

in teams means sharing risks and rewards with others and this implies trusting the other
members and collaborating with them. This is not always an easy thing to achieve, as
trust and collaboration are among those psychological and relational characteristics
that need proper training to be developed.

Conclusion

There is no single "best way" to lead, and there is substantial repetitive advice offered by vast
armies of leadership consultants. In the end, however, each leader must develop his or her
style, based upon values, experiences, and mission to formulate leadership skills that build on
the foundation of his or her existing strengths.

RESOURCES

STAGE MODULE TOPIC

ADVANCED MODULE 1 LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES

COURSES
RESOURCES FOR MODULE 1

Exercise 1 Thinking Creatively

Your work group or the organization as a whole should meet for an hour or so
and take on a challenging topic of relevance to the organization, such as
identifying new business prospects for the community. The goal is to
collaboratively generate creative ideas rather than rehashing the current
approaches. This is a brainstorming session where each person tries to build on

25 | P a g e
 the ideas of another person in a group process. These ideas are not to be
evaluated for their merit, but explored as new possibilities that haven’t been
tried by the organization,

Exercise 2 Change Management

With your staff, choose one major socioeconomic change occurring in your
community or region. Have a dialogue about that change to ensure that
everyone is in agreement about the nature and significance of that change.
Then have a dialogue about the implications of that particular change on the
functioning and direction of your organization, and how the organization itself
might have to change to deal more effectively with that external change.

Exercise 3 Explain these Leadership Concepts; Strategy, Policy Formulation,

Accountability, Transparency and Responsibility to Shareholders and share
your explanations/thought with a mentor.

Exercise 4 Explore and explain how you can use each of the four steps of the CPS
Learner's Model to generate innovative ideas and solutions. Discuss outcome
with your Management team and report back to a mentor.

Exercise 5 What are the significance of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) methodology
and how successfully have you implemented same in your organization both
as a leader or an entrepreneur.

Exercise 6 Describe how the interlinks of Strategy implementation model leads to

organizational success. Evaluate the outcome and discuss with a mentor

Case Study 1 In August 2017, the Board of ABC Company approved a short-tenured $20
million project estimated to achieve a 40% return. The proposal had suffered a
6-month delay in its approval process; It suffered additional 5-month delay in
the course of implementation. The project flopped resulting in $5 million loss.
This was attributed to the following:
1. The MD lacked relevant technical skill;
2. A non-executive director who was involved in the project implementation
is suspected to have benefitted excessively;
3. The product of the project missed its season.
Required:
a. Analyze the case to ascertain what went wrong;
b. What lessons should be learnt to avoid reoccurrence?

Case Study 2 The modern era trade could be called the ‘warfare’ of businesspeople as they
maneuver for increased revenues on the battlefield of commerce. Winning the
business war could depend upon many factors such as, focus in creating a
plan, flexibility, good people with skills and equipment, and a good leader with
abilities to motivate and manage people.

26 | P a g e
 Napoleon Bonaparte used these factors to win his battles. Napoleon's 'La
Grande Armee' (French word for ‘Big Army’ or ‘The Great Army’) achieved an
advantage over their enemies following Napoleon’s flanking strategy, first
mover advantage and by living off the land. However, Napoleon also faced
failures in some of his wars and downfall in later stage of life. The case
correlates Napoleon’s warfare strategies with modern era business situations.
The achievements and failures of Napoleon provide several insights to
corporate strategists. Several parallels could be drawn from Napoleon’s life by
today’s managers.
The case highlights Napoleon’s strategic leadership skills through which he
transformed his weak army into a brave one. It also discusses how Napoleon
used flanking strategy to surprise the enemy; how he made Innovations and
got first mover advantage and his supply chain management skills. Besides, the
case also highlights the insights that Napoleon’s failures provide to managers.
Linking the Napoleonic warfare strategies vis-a-vis modern era Strategic
Leadership
To discuss the concept of strategic leadership
To analyze innovation strategies and first mover advantage
To understand flanking movements and offensive strategy

Further Reading • https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2018/01/20/why-

Link leaders-need-to-embrace-employee-motivation/#1acbe6ab1272

• Building Organizational Leadership Capacity, Authored by: David R.

Kolzow, PhD

• www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2016/10/28/- what-
makes-a-leadership-development-strategy-successful.

27 | P a g e