Phoenix Leadership for Business: An Executive’s Strategy for Relevance and Resilience

209 Pages·2018·2.992 MB·English

by  Valentina Gokenbach

Phoenix Leadership for
Business
An Executive’s Strategy for
Relevance and Resilience

Phoenix Leadership for
Business
An Executive’s Strategy for
Relevance and Resilience
By
Val Gokenbach, DM, RN, MBA, RWJF, NEA‑BC
Foreword by Dr. Jean Ann Larson, FACHE, LFHIMSS, FIISE, OCC
A PRODUCTIVITY PRESS BOOK
First edition published in 2019
by Routledge/Productivity Press
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2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK
© 2019 by Val Gokenbach
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Gokenbach, Valentina, author.
Title: Phoenix leadership for business : an executive’s strategy for
relevance and resilience / Valentina Gokenbach.
Description: 1 Edition. | New York : Taylor & Francis, [2019] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018031771 (print) | LCCN 2018035045 (ebook) | ISBN
9781351008327 (e-Book) | ISBN 9781138542617 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Leadership. | Interpersonal relations. | Self-confidence. | Personnel management.
Classification: LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | LCC HD57.7 .G645 2019 (print) | DDC 658.4/092–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018031771
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
No successful leader excels on their own, but rather with the
support and coaching of caring mentors. I have had many mentors
throughout my career who have helped me grow and succeed.
I dedicate this book to all of my amazing mentors. I love and
appreciate you all for helping me get to where I am now.

Contents
Foreword ...................................................................................................xv
Author ......................................................................................................xix
1 Status of Organizational Leadership in the United States ...........1
Leadership: An Awesome Responsibility ...................................................1
Concept of a Plane Crash ...........................................................................2
Leadership Is the Answer to Quality, Safety and Effectiveness ................3
Are Leaders Born or Made? ........................................................................5
Difference between Leadership and Management ....................................5
Evolution of Leadership Theory .................................................................6
Industrial Revolution ...............................................................................6
Human Resource Era ..............................................................................7
Leadership Approaches ...............................................................................7
Autocratic/Authoritarian ..........................................................................7
Democratic/Egalitarian............................................................................8
Transactional ...........................................................................................8
Contingency Theory................................................................................9
Followership ............................................................................................9
Servant ...................................................................................................10
Coaching ................................................................................................10
Transformational ...................................................................................11
Organizational and Personal Effects of Ineffective Leadership ...............12
Causes of Ineffective Leadership ..............................................................13
Inexperience ..........................................................................................13
Lack of Knowledge of Self ....................................................................13
Complacency .........................................................................................13
Resistance to Change ............................................................................14
Ego Issues ..............................................................................................14
Inability to Communicate a Vision .......................................................14
vii
viii ◾ Contents
Ineffective Responses to Challenges.....................................................14
Inability to Read the Political Landscape .............................................15
Case for the Phoenix Leader ....................................................................15
Application to Practice ..............................................................................16
2 The Phoenix Leader ...................................................................17
Story of the Phoenix .................................................................................17
Classic Arabian Phoenix .......................................................................18
The Bennu .............................................................................................18
Fenghuang .............................................................................................18
Hou-Ou..................................................................................................18
Native American Thunderbird ..............................................................19
Characteristics of the Phoenix ..................................................................19
Attributes of the Phoenix Leader..............................................................19
Strong Sense of Self ..............................................................................19
Effective Interpersonal Relationships ...................................................20
Ability to Build an Empowered Workforce ..........................................20
Innovative ..............................................................................................20
Resilience ...............................................................................................20
Reason for becoming a Phoenix Leader ..................................................21
Relevance ...............................................................................................22
Resilience ...............................................................................................22
Personal Growth and Success ...............................................................23
Contribution to Great Work ..................................................................23
3 Attributes of the Phoenix Leader, a Strong Sense of Self .........25
Values ........................................................................................................25
Where Do Values Come From? .................................................................26
Alignment of Values and Behaviors .........................................................27
Finding Your Personal Values: An Exercise .............................................28
Values-Based Leadership ..........................................................................30
Authenticity Defined .................................................................................30
Hollis’s 10 Steps to Authenticity................................................................31
Authentic Leadership ................................................................................33
All about Ego ............................................................................................34
Ego Defined ...........................................................................................34
Superego ................................................................................................34
Id ............................................................................................................34
Ego .........................................................................................................35
Contents ◾ ix
Ego as the Enemy .....................................................................................36
Common Ego Traps to Avoid ...................................................................36
Application to Practice ..............................................................................38
4 Attributes of the Phoenix Leader: Effective Interpersonal
Relationships .............................................................................41
Emotional Intelligence Defined ................................................................41
The Story of Nikki ................................................................................42
Emotional Intelligence, the Science ..........................................................44
First Brain ..............................................................................................44
Emotional Brain ....................................................................................44
Rational Brain ........................................................................................45
Value to Leadership...................................................................................45
Emotional Intelligence and the Phoenix Leader ......................................46
Social Intelligence Defined .......................................................................46
Social Intelligence, the Science .................................................................46
Value to Leadership...................................................................................48
Social Intelligence and the Phoenix Leader .............................................51
Strong Communication Skills ....................................................................51
Attention Span ...........................................................................................52
Types of Learners ......................................................................................53
Tactile Learners .....................................................................................53
Audio Learners ......................................................................................54
Visual Learners ......................................................................................54
Communication Expectations of Various Generations ............................54
Silent Generation ...................................................................................55
Baby Boomers .......................................................................................55
Generation X .........................................................................................56
Generation Y .........................................................................................56
Putting It All Together ...........................................................................57
Communication Infrastructure .................................................................57
Objectives of a Communication Plan ...................................................57
Flow of Information ..............................................................................58
Information Distillation .........................................................................58
Information Drift ...................................................................................60
Gossip ....................................................................................................60
Chain of Command ...............................................................................61
Communication Standards ....................................................................61