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Introduction

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

This free course, Approaching leadership with care, explores our understanding of what it means to lead with care. It is made up of a series of six sections. Sections 1 and 2 explore why care is an essential component of effective leadership. Sections 3 and 4 invite you to reflect on your own perceptions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ leadership. Sections 5 and 6 encourage you to reflect on your own approach to leadership and how to develop your approach now and in the future, focusing on caring for yourself as well as those you lead.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K318 Leading, managing, caring.

Content warning: The course opens with a case study of the tragic and preventable death of a young man in care in a residential unit in 2013. You may find this distressing and prefer to skip over the opening quote and paragraph. However, his experience serves as a powerful reminder that a caring approach is crucial in any leadership and management role.

Learning outcomes

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

After studying this course, you should be able to:

explain why care is an essential component of effective leadership
outline the ‘Four Ps’ of leadership and relate them to real life examples
understand and reflect on the importance of informal leadership
identify how to develop your own leadership in a way which cares for you and others.

1 Why should leaders care?

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘The preventable death of Connor Sparrowhawk in July 2013 led to a number of investigations and enquiries into practice at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in whose care he died. … There was a lack of leadership, focus and sufficient time spent in the Trust on carefully reporting and investigating unexpected deaths …’

(Mazars, 2015, pp. 7–16)

Figure 1: Connor Sparrowhawk, who drowned in a bath at Slade House residential unit.

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This is a black and white photo showing the head and shoulders of a young man who is looking at the camera.

Figure 1: Connor Sparrowhawk, who drowned in a bath at Slade House residential unit.

Slade House is just one of thousands of residential homes across the UK providing personalised care to individuals with additional support needs. Such places have a duty of care to ensure residents and their families can trust them with their health and wellbeing (Peate, 2017).

However, the Mazars report into Connor’s death highlighted significant failures of leadership and management at the Trust, together with ‘missed opportunities for learning’ (Mazars, 2015, p. 17). The authors concluded that failings in leadership at Slade House were multifaceted, and that Connor’s experience may have been very different had the leadership been more effective and caring.

Consciously adopting a caring approach to managing and leading can work towards preventing such catastrophes. If, and when, they do occur a caring approach can also help to ensure that everyone learns from such events in order to avoid them happening again. This doesn’t just apply to health and social care settings though. Leadership in any context is enhanced by taking a caring approach towards the role and those for whom the leader is responsible.

1.1 What do leaders care about?

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.’

(Northouse, 2019, p. 5)

Leaders often challenge the status quo, trying to take us to new, unfamiliar – possibly even uncomfortable – places. When Martin Luther King stood in front of the crowd in Washington to deliver his now famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, he was already a prominent activist in the American civil rights movement, and he has since gone down in history as one of the men who has shaped modern America (Meacham and Rhodann, 2013). One of the reasons King was so successful was because he had a powerful vision and he energised others to join him. But did you know these words were not in his prepared speech that day? Behind the man and the speech were the words shouted out by his friend, the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson: ‘Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin’ (Jackson, 1963, quoted in Ratcliffe, 2017). Stood just metres away from him, observers have suggested it was her words which prompted King’s passionate digression from his prepared speech to talk about his ‘dream’ (Crockett, 2017).

Figure 2: Dr Martin Luther King delivers his speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963. Mahalia Jackson looks on.

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A black and white photo of a man addressing a crowd, standing on the left of the picture behind a lectern. People watch on.

Figure 2: Dr Martin Luther King delivers his speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on 28 August 1963. Mahalia Jackson ...

Following a passion can be central to effective leadership, and King inspired many to do their bit to contribute to making his vision a reality, including Mahalia, who shouted out that day. Another leader with a vision and passion for change is disability rights activist Lady Jane Campbell. When she was born in 1957 with spinal muscular atrophy, doctors gave her a year to live. Inspired by learning about the ‘social model of disability’ as a university student, she became politically active, campaigning for the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and today she is a noted leader in the disability rights movement. Campbell decided the best way to ensure her vision for legislative change would come from working within the system, and she now sits in the House of Lords.

Figure 3: ‘I feel that our movement, the disability movement, is an emancipation agenda. I see it like apartheid. It’s not just ramps and access, it’s deeply rooted in attitudes.’ (Lady Jane Campbell, quoted in Birkett, 2009)

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A woman in an automatic wheelchair sits in front of a brick wall with pot plants on a tiled floor beside her.

Figure 3: ‘I feel that our movement, the disability movement, is an emancipation agenda. I see it like apartheid. It’s not just ramps and...

Martin Luther King and Lady Jane Campbell both show how leadership is fundamentally about creating a vision and engaging others in working towards that vision (Alban-Metcalfe and Alimo-Metcalfe, 2009). They also illustrate how helpful it can be to feel passionate, and really care about the goal you are working towards.

Most organisations will have a ‘vision statement’ and the role of leaders within the organisation is to motivate their team to align themselves with it. Here the vision may not be personal, but it still serves as a core aspect of leadership and organisational success (Vito, 2019). A well-defined and well-communicated organisational vision can enhance motivation and wellbeing, leading to a sense of fulfilment, a reduction in job-related stress and a strong sense of team effectiveness (Strange and Mumford, 2005).

Activity 1 What’s your vision?

Timing: 5 minutes

Spend a few minutes thinking about where your passions lie and what you really care about. This could be in your work role or your personal life. Has this ever translated into you leading others towards a vision, either formally or informally? Would you like to develop your leadership around this vision?

Make brief notes here to record your thoughts. You will return to this in more detail later.

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The essence of leadership, therefore, is often seen as having the ability to create vision, inspiration and momentum in a group of people (Landsberg, 2002). But what sort of person is required for that and how do they set about it?

2 Who becomes a leader?

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born.’

(Warren Bennis, quoted in Burney and Matherly, 2008, p. 51)

As we have seen, many leaders – such as Martin Luther King and Lady Jane Campbell – find themselves embarking on a leadership journey as a response to personal experiences of discrimination or injustice. Others begin their journey through more traditional means of career progression, moving from the front line to management and leadership positions over time. Everyone’s journey is unique and will reflect the sort of person they are and the life experiences they have had.

Figure 4: Greta Thunberg on her school strike for climate.

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A young girl, Greta Thunberg, stands in front of a building. She is holding a large sign with the hand-painted words ‘skolstrejk för klimatet’ (‘School strike for climate’ in Swedish).

Figure 4: Greta Thunberg on her school strike for climate.

For others, their leadership journey begins in very different ways. When Greta Thunberg started her climate strike protest in August 2018 in response to the lack of action from political leaders on the global climate crisis, she wasn’t in a position of authority. She had no management responsibilities and no desire for leadership. Yet within a year, she had become the unlikely leader of a global movement. Greta cared passionately about climate change, and that passion led her on a leadership journey which was to take her right across the world and into the consciences of millions of people. She illustrates why caring is such a fundamental element of leadership and a driver for getting things done. Her concern for the planet and her care for her peers and future generations underpins her actions.

In her book, No one is too small to make a difference, Thunberg (2019) demonstrates powerful personal awareness. She is clear about her limitations in terms of authoritative position, but equally clear about where her potential power and influence does lie. Having been elevated to her unanticipated position of leadership, she uses her growing public platform to lead by example: crossing the Atlantic in a sailboat, for instance, and following a vegan diet. In this way she takes small steps towards her vision and encourages others to follow.

Activity 2 explores another example of a leadership journey emerging in unexpected ways.

Activity 2 Unlikely leaders?

Watch Video 1, which introduces José Galindez, an asylum-seeker in the UK who set up free classes to teach English in his local community:

As you watch, reflect on how people describe José and his current leadership journey:

What skills does he bring with him?
What challenges does he face?
Who helps him along the way?

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 1 Introducing José

Video 1 Introducing José

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Transcript: Video 1 Introducing José

JULIE MCKIRDY (LIBRARY SUPERVISOR, THIMBLEMAILL LIBRARY)

So José told me his story, and I loved José the minute I met him. He felt like he was my younger brother straight away.

DAVE WILLIAMS (PASTOR, BEARWOOD CHAPEL)

I think the things you realise immediately is that this is someone who’s very open. He’s very passionate.

GERARDO ARRIAGA GARCIA (VOLUNTEER ESOL TEACHER)

He’s a guy of doing things. It’s not about … He’s not a guy of just ideas and talking about the ideas. He likes getting things done.

KEVIN SADLER (SENIOR PASTOR, RAGLAN ROAD CHRISTIAN CHURCH)

There’s just something about the man that was honest, real. I guess, when you’ve been stripped of everything, you can only be real.

TEXT ON SCREEN: The Language of Collective Leadership

José and his family came to the UK to claim asylum.

Until a decision is made by the Home Office, they are not allwoed to take paid employment or claim benefits.

Their court date keeps being adjourned.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ (ASYLUM SEEKER AND ESOL CLASS FOUNDER)

The past three years, I’ve been here. It has been great. It’s a good place, even though it’s considered one of the roughest places to live. For me, it’s a safe place. I feel safe. I feel I can go here, I can go anywhere.

TEXT ON SCREEN: José set up English classes in a diverse community in the West Midlands.

He receives no funding and voluntarily runs the classes with support from the local community.

They are free and open to anyone.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

We open at 11 o’clock but I have to come and be early to set up. We are in the hub. This is the place where we actually teach the people that want to learn the language. We are in the middle of the park. This is Victoria Park. And now I have to set up one, two, three tables. We’ve got to put the chairs around.

Being an asylum seeker, it is very hard. It is complicated. It’s hard because you leave everything behind, because you need to be in a safer place. People think the worst of it – the asylum seeker, refugee, this foreigner, all these people coming. But they don’t see the problem. And the main problem is we came here looking or seeking protection.

The ESOL classes came about because we started a Bible study. And then, by November, December 2014, we have 30, 40 people in this house. I said, goodness me, where are these people coming from? Not many of them really speak the language. So I started teaching this family and their sons, teach them the language. And I was taking them to the hospital when they needed to go to the hospital. I was the translator for them in the school and the GP. So that’s how the English classes started to grow.

Then, by that time, Pastor Kevin Sadler, he took me to one of the church leader meetings in Smethwick. This is my book. This is my Bible.

KEVIN SADLER

I sensed he was a leader. And people are drawn to him because he’s not the kind of hands-off leader; he’s a hands-on leader. He’s a leader that just sees a need and will help and find others if he can’t do it himself to help them. He reproduces in others who he is. And what I’ve noticed about José is that he gets people to do things. If I go meet him and we have a coffee, I usually end up with a couple of jobs.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

He introduced me to one of the councillors, Mr Santok Singh. I told the councillor, I said, well, we have a lot of people in our house, in our dining room. We have 10, 15, 20 people and we’re teaching them English, and we need a place. And that very moment, he picked up his phone and he called Mrs Julie McKirdy.

JULIE MCKIRDY

José told me his story, about all the people he met on his journey. And they asked if they could bring their ESOL class to the library. And the rest is really history.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

We provide it free. We don’t charge. And we don’t get paid. None of the teachers get paid. People who are qualified, and people who say, well, I’m going to devote two hours on Monday and Tuesday here to help – so that’s, that’s amazing.

BOB ADAMS (VOLUNTEER ESOL TEACHER)

Well, my background is that I was a teacher. I’ve taught in primary and secondary. I come here basically because he asked me.

DAVE WILLIAMS

What motivates people to get involved in a project where there isn’t, on the surface, anything in it for them? I think a very key thing is that there’s a compelling vision. I think that’s the first thing. There’s a compelling vision of this is what we’re trying to do. José is able to help people see why something is important and vital. They see his enthusiasm for it.

GERARDO ARRIAGA GARCIA

Most of the people who go to the classes are not because they enjoy it. It’s not because they want to have fun. It’s not just because they want to learn a new language. This is people who need the classes. This is people who are in this country and who need English to communicate.

ALICE LOWE (VOLUNTEER ESOL TEACHER)

I’ll very often have people I’ve never seen before, for the very reason they only arrived in the country last week. So we have to adapt any material we do have and use experience and what we have to help the people who are there.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

There are difficulties – the lack of resources, because we don’t get funding from no one. So we are very flexible – not only myself, but we, the teachers.

GERARDO ARRIAGA GARCIA

The moment you feel that you are free to teach the way you think you should be teaching, that moment you felt it’s your class, so you take ownership and pride of what you’re doing. It doesn’t look like he would be the leader, even though he works as it, because it’s not hierarchical. It’s more like horizontal. The way he does things is giving you things, just because he believes that he can give you something.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

It’s a whole different approach. I think it’s the best way to do things, in a way that you work together with everybody, because I see their effort, I see their passion, and I see all those things they give themselves to what we do.

GERARDO ARRIAGA GARCIA

When you have something that is as collective as this, then you actually realise how much you can actually do.

DAVE WILLIAMS

You’ve seeing things happen. You’ve seeing people’s lives changed. From that, I think it follows on that, because this is inclusive, it isn’t passive. Rather than somebody saying, I’ve been taught some English or I’ve been given some advice, it means they’ve been drawn into a community. And they can start to, very quickly, find their role and their responsibility and what they can give back and what they can give on.

JOSÉ GALINDEZ

What I see or what I have seen is the integration of people who would not talk to each other in the streets. They get to know each other here. They get to start having a conversation. Where are you from? These kind of things. So it doesn’t only benefit from the language, but it benefits them to know each other. So you have people from Sudan, from Pakistan, from India, from Romania. And you have different people, and they become friends.

My plans were not to set up a church or English classes. I had more things to worry about. I had this case. Until we get a decision from Home Office, I don’t see any future, because you don’t see any future. You don’t plan. So that really drains mentally, emotionally, because this case depends, everything – our lives depend on this case.

It’s my faith that keeps me going, and the things that we do. And I think, all that is happening the church – the ESOL classes and all that stuff – it gives me something to look into, something to say, no, I have to do it, because if I don’t do it, who else is going to do it? And that gives you the strength to keep going.

TEXT ON SCREEN: José and his family are still waiting on a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.

Demand for the English language classes continues to grow.

End transcript: Video 1 Introducing José

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Video 1 Introducing José

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Discussion

José is described as ‘open’, ‘passionate’ and ‘real’, a person who people are ‘drawn to’. He voluntarily runs English language classes for the local community. He receives no funding and is not allowed to take paid employment or claim benefits while waiting for his asylum claim.

Having left everything behind himself, he is now working towards other people’s futures, even though he can’t see his own future path, as his asylum application is still on hold.

Undoubtedly, his faith will play a role in his leadership journey, but drawing on passion he sees in others is also key. The importance of his flexible and non-hierarchical approach is mentioned by others who work with him, which has the effect of drawing people into the community so they can find their passion, their role and their responsibility too. The fact that José isn’t an official leader perhaps made it easier for him and others to be pulled along by his enthusiasm. Running classes and supporting others isn’t actually his official responsibility – it sort of grew around him – and he uses his leadership to delegate roles to those who have the skills, resources or power he himself lacks.

You don’t know José’s leadership journey prior to this point. You met him when he had no formal job, no means of support, very little personal security and was fleeing persecution. Yet, even in these unlikely circumstances, he found himself with an opportunity to learn and develop as a leader, helped along by others around him who saw his potential, shared his vision and wanted to help him reach his goal. This shows that there is a lot more to leadership than the position an individual holds.

3 What makes a good or bad leader?

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader. They set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role, it’s always about the goal.

(Haisha, 2019)

Most of us have anecdotal stories about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ leaders we have come across. It might be a headteacher at school, a previous boss, a football manager, or one of the numerous political leaders we see coming in and out of office. But have you ever thought in any depth about precisely what it is that makes some leaders more successful than others? The following activity helps you to do that.

Activity 3 ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ leaders

Firstly, think of two people:

One whom you would describe as a good leader. They don’t have to hold a formal position of leadership but should be someone you believe leads people in an effective way. It could be someone you have worked with, a personal friend or a high-profile figure from history or the present day.
The other should be someone you feel lacks leadership qualities, even though they are in a position of leadership. Again, this could be someone you know personally, have heard about from a friend, or a high-profile figure.

Make brief notes which explain why you identified these particular people as leaders, and what you feel makes them a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ leader.

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Discussion

The way we judge other people’s leadership is as personal as our own approach to leadership. Some leaders adopt a particularly authoritarian style which some might admire, whereas others find it threatening. You may have chosen high-profile leaders who you feel have made a difference, and again your assessment of their style is likely to be very personal. High-profile leaders often divide opinion, and this can be in part a reflection of whether we share their vision. You may have selected much more personal examples of leaders you are familiar with, such as a friend who is an active volunteer and is always inspiring people to join their latest fundraiser, or a boss who always has time to listen to their team.

Did you mention care in your notes for the previous activity at all? Some leaders go to great lengths to demonstrate a caring approach towards others, whilst for others the pressures of leadership lead them to forget the importance of treating others with care. Were your examples in the previous activity ‘careful’ or ‘careless’ leaders?

Whilst our own preferences for leadership style and approach may vary, research suggests there are some consistent components which need to be recognised and considered.

4 The ‘four Ps’ of leadership

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

Hartley and Allison (2003), in their work exploring health and social care services, identified three different components in leadership: the person, the position and the process. Rogers and Reynolds (2003) subsequently added a fourth P to this list – purpose. Rather than focusing only on the characteristics, behaviours and skills of leaders as people and the role individuals play in shaping events, these ‘4 Ps’ of leadership stress the importance of the wider context as well.

Figure 5: In the image a person is pushing a sofa with another person on it. The person pushing the sofa seems to be the most active one, so perhaps they are in charge? But maybe the person on the sofa is giving directions and the person pushing the sofa is simply following orders?

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Person pushing other person on a sofa, surrounded by boxes.

Figure 5: In the image a person is pushing a sofa with another person on it. The person pushing the sofa seems to be the most active one,...

The attributes of person, position, process and purpose are useful when thinking critically about how leadership operates in practice, and why there is no one simple way to do leadership. They also encourage more critical thinking and dispel notions of leadership based on the characteristics of an individual apparently ‘born to lead’ (Rogers and Reynolds, 2003). Similarly, a singular emphasis on ‘position’ ignores the influence that those without formal office may exert and overemphasises the authority of high office (which does not in itself guarantee leadership). Rather, to understand how leadership operates in practice, it is more useful to think about the ways in which the characteristics of the ‘person’ and ‘position’ intersect with the ‘process’ (collaborative work with individuals, groups and organisations) and the contribution of the underlying values, vision and goals (‘purpose’) (Table 2.1). The ‘four Ps’ provide a comprehensive way of thinking about leadership in action as something which can be done in different ways depending on context.

Leadership aspect	Focus
Person (character)	The character, behaviour, skill and interpersonal style (e.g. charismatic, controlling, supportive, aloof)
Position (role)	The office held (e.g. chief executive, senior manager, activist, service user, carer)
Process (how)	How leaders work with individuals, groups and organisations to find solutions to problems
Purpose (vision)	The contribution of the underlying strategic values, vision and objective

In the next activity you will apply this framework to the leaders you identified previously.

Activity 4

In Activity 3 you identified your own examples of a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ leader. Now, using those examples, complete the following table to see how their leadership relates to the 4 Ps:

	A ‘good’ leader	A ‘bad’ leader
Your example...	1, Your response 1	2, Your response 2
Person	3, Your response 3	4, Your response 4
Position	5, Your response 5	6, Your response 6
Process	7, Your response 7	8, Your response 8
Purpose	9, Your response 9	10, Your response 10

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Discussion

Here’s an example of how one person completed the table:

	A ‘good’ leader	A ‘bad’ leader
Your example...	My choir leader	My ex-line manager
Person	She’s personable, friendly, bubbly, caring.	She came across as friendly enough at first, but I discovered she didn’t really listen to people, and didn’t seem to have very good interpersonal skills. She seemed to lack empathy.
Position	She’s in a paid position as a regional leader in a national organisation.	She started as my line manager, then became head of department and then took on a senior management role. Which on the positive side, took her away from direct day-to-day management of people!
Process	She’s very approachable and uses humour in her teaching.	She followed rules and procedures with no humanity or sense of compassion. It’s like she saw rules and the organisation, not the people who make up that organisation.
Purpose	She loves singing and music. You can see it in how passionate she is.	I’m not sure. It’s difficult to tell. She talked the organisational line, but never showed any true passion for anything. Maybe her passion was to climb the management ladder.

Having explored different examples of leadership, and how the person, their position, process and purpose all influence their approach, you are now going to consider your own capacity as a leader.

5 We are all leaders!

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

The fact that you have chosen a course on leadership suggests you may have some interest in finding out more about developing your own skills in leading others. You may already be working in a position where you are a formal leader in some capacity. Alternatively, you may not necessarily see yourself as ‘leadership material’.

Figure 6: Leading learning

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Photograph of a father and daughter cleaning a house together.

Figure 6: Leading learning

It is important to recognise, however, that wherever you are now, however experienced or inexperienced, we are all leaders in some way. We are also all always learning, even the most experienced of leaders is still learning how to be a better and more caring leader. It’s just that some are in formal management positions, whereas others are using their skills and knowledge to navigate daily living.

Activity 5 Your position as a leader

Take a moment to think about where and how you exercise leadership in your daily life. It might be helpful to think about how you think others would describe you. Then:

write a short description which aims to cover your person, position, process and purpose as a leader
reflect also on how you demonstrate care as a leader
identify an area of strength and an area you would like to develop as a leader

For example:

‘My position at work is ‘team leader’ – so I have leader in my title! As a person I always try to be inclusive and supportive, so one of my strengths is my process of involving everyone. But this also means I sometimes worry about making a decision without ensuring everyone is on board first. In a less formal role I also help to run a gardening club for youngsters on my street where I tend to be much more directive than I am at work. If I’m not, we just don’t get things done! I guess this shows I can make decisions that I believe are for the greater good without seeking agreement from everyone beforehand. The problem is I care about how others perceive me, and I want people at work to feel I care about them as well. It’s easier being more directive with youngsters but still being a caring adult – because you demonstrate that care by keeping them safe and helping them learn. So, I guess my whole purpose is underpinned by an ethic of care, which is a strength, but also something I might need to work on to develop my confidence at work.’

‘My current ‘position’ is grandmother, and I look after my grandchildren while their parents are at work. So, I’m in a position of informal leadership there and it’s all about care! I used to work in a city-centre nursery before retiring but never in a position of leadership. Looking back, I realise I probably was ‘leading’ in small ways. We were following a structure laid down from nursery management and I was following the process laid out, but I had a real passion for letting each child’s uniqueness shine through. I really cared about letting each small person find and be themselves. I guess that was my ‘purpose’! Looking after my grandkids gives me much more freedom to do what I want when I want, and I love letting them take the lead and tell me what they want to do, so the process is driven by them. But I realise as well that they’ll need to start to get ready for school routines soon, so thinking about it I probably could work a bit more of a routine into our week. Perhaps that should be a new purpose for me over the next few months – as a caring grandma I can help them ease into that next life transition.’

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The fact that you have chosen to study this course suggests that you have an interest in how we can develop more caring approaches to leadership. Approaching leadership with care includes reflecting on how we care for ourselves as well as how we care for others, you will look at this next.

5.1 What do you care about?

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.’

(Pablo Casals (2000), quoted in Lachman, 2012, p. 112).

Having spent some time thinking about how you see yourself as a leader – either formally or informally – you are now going to delve deeper into what you care about as a person and how you could develop that in current or future roles.

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Figure 7 Finding passion in varied settings

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Description from left to right. 1) Photograph of bluebells in a wood. 2) Photograph of volunteers working at a foodbank. 3) Man standing in a factory, wearing protective equipment, smiling and giving ‘thumbs up’.

Figure 7 Finding passion in varied settings

You might be passionate about the natural environment, helping out in your local community, or keeping your colleagues safe at work. A reflective understanding of self can enhance your effectiveness as a manager or leader of other people and this activity helps you to do that.

Activity 6 Developing your personal awareness

Part A

Part A contains four sets of questions which are designed to help you reflect on your current self-perception, your ideas about leadership, and your personal and professional goals.

Try to complete all the questions in one go, as that will help to focus your reflection and self-enquiry.

Answer as honestly as you can. It helps to start by just writing (or typing) as thoughts come to you. You’ll get the most honest response that way and may learn something new about yourself as a result.

1. Assessing who you are and where you are now
How does your personality affect the choices you make? What fears do you have that might hold you back?
1. Assessing who you are and where you are now 1, Your response 1
To what extent do you feel your values are reflected in your everyday choices and actions? How do these values enhance your relationships with others?
1. Assessing who you are and where you are now 2, Your response 2
What personal qualities do you have that could be usefully harnessed and developed to enhance your potential to lead and manage others, either formally or informally?
1. Assessing who you are and where you are now 3, Your response 3

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2. Assessing your personal approach
What do you consider to be your priorities in life, both personal and career wise?
2. Assessing your personal approach 1, Your response 4
How well are these priorities reflected in the choices you make?
2. Assessing your personal approach 2, Your response 5
How do you set yourself new targets to keep your interest alive and provide new challenges?
2. Assessing your personal approach 3, Your response 6
How do you nurture your relationships with the people around you?
2. Assessing your personal approach 4, Your response 7

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3. Assessing your work–life balance
How does your current work impact on your family and friends and other aspects of your non-working life? (This might be paid work, study, volunteering, or informal family/caring roles.)
3. Assessing your work–life balance 1, Your response 8
How satisfied are you with your lifestyle and time spent outside that work, for example, relaxation, socialising, hobbies, travel?
3. Assessing your work–life balance 2, Your response 9
Do you spend enough quality time with your friends and family? (If your work involves caring for family members, focus on the quality time you have with them, not just the time spent on the caring role.)
3. Assessing your work–life balance 3, Your response 10
Are you happy with the balance between your work role(s) and other aspects of your life?
3. Assessing your work–life balance 4, Your response 11

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4. Making changes
What interests and motivates you to put your best efforts into something?
4. Making changes 1, Your response 12
What has limited you from making changes in the past? Have you overcome those constraints or barriers now? If so, how?
4. Making changes 2, Your response 13
What do you most want to achieve in your personal and work life? What are your career goals?
4. Making changes 3, Your response 14
Do your goals and ambitions fit with your ethics and values? Do your career goals conflict with your personal goals or ambitions?
4. Making changes 4, Your response 15

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Part B

The next part of this activity gives you an opportunity to challenge any personal barriers to effectiveness – such as self-defeating beliefs – by creating a self-affirming statement based on your newly acquired personal awareness.

Next steps…

Now, reflect on what you have written and highlight any self-defeating beliefs you have uncovered.

Self-defeating belief(s):

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Then make a statement of positive intent of how you might use your personal strengths to counter these.

Positive statement of intent for change, i.e. what you are going to do differently:

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Part C

Finally, reflect back on the brief notes you made in Activity 1.

Can you see any potential links between what you wrote then and your answers in this activity?

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Developing your personal awareness in this way means examining aspects of yourself such as your level of self-confidence, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem. With the renewed insight you’ve gained, it can help you develop a broader, proactive approach to changes in your professional and personal life. Remember to always aim to maintain an appropriate balance, as being an effective and caring leader starts with caring for yourself.

6 Continuing your leadership journey

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘Your journey is completely yours. It is unique. Others may try to steal part of it, tell it in their words or shape it to suit them. Reality is no one can live it or own it but you. Take charge of your journey, it’s yours and yours alone!’

You’ve spent some time reflecting on your own relationship to leadership. You may feel you are already quite an experienced leader, or you may feel you haven’t even started out as a leader yet. Whatever your current position, however, leadership should be seen not as an end state but as a journey (Schaeffer, 2002).

Figure 8: Take control of your journey

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Photograph of colourful pins marking different locations on a map.

Figure 8: Take control of your journey

Historically there has been a tendency to idolise seemingly natural ‘all-round’ leaders. However, this can result in leaders who lack humanity because they fail to acknowledge their limitations and their vulnerabilities (Casserley and Megginson, 2009). It also suggests they lack the self-awareness that might come from admitting to not being completely confident in what they are doing. Instead, they go along with the myth of being the perfect and complete leader. In reality, no leader is fully complete!

‘Incomplete leaders differ from incompetent leaders in that they understand what they’re good at and what they’re not and have good judgment about how they can work with others to build on their strengths and offset their limitations.’

(Ancona et al., 2007, p. 95).

Ancona and her colleagues (2007) suggest that the idea of an all-round complete leader is a myth, and it is important instead to acknowledge that any leader will have their strengths and weaknesses. They suggest that the ‘incomplete leader’, having recognised their own strengths and weaknesses, knows when to let go, and will find other people to ‘fill the gaps’.

To help identify where any individual leader might need support, Ancona et al. (2007) identify four ‘capabilities’, in which everyone has different levels of ability:

Sense-making – constantly trying to understand the wider context
Relating – being able to build trusting relationships
Visioning – being able to create a vision and see how to get there together
Inventing – creatively adjusting and adapting as circumstances change

The four capabilities are interdependent, but no one leader will excel in them all.

This is not just about the individual feeling comfortable that they are working to their strengths; there are wider implications. If someone presses ahead in a role without the necessary skills and capabilities, there is a danger that they become an incompetent leader, which can have very real and detrimental consequences. Recognising your own limitations as a leader, and letting other people lead where appropriate are, therefore, key skills for any caring leader.

Activity 7 Recognising your own incompleteness

Part A

Where do you think your strengths lie as a leader?
In what ways are you an incomplete leader?

Using the four capabilities suggested by Ancona et al. (2007) consider where your own strengths lie and any areas in which you might need development or support. Add these to the table below.

Sense-making (understanding the context)	28, Your response 1
Relating (building trusting relationships)	29, Your response 2
Visioning (creating a compelling picture)	30, Your response 3
Inventing (developing new ways of thinking and acting)	31, Your response 4

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Part B

Reflecting on what you entered in the table, complete the following sentence:

My incompleteness does not make me incompetent because …

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Discussion

The idea of the incomplete leader draws attention to the fact that someone ‘in charge’ – formally or informally – invariably exists in relation to other people. An individual leader may have a high level of self-confidence; however, their vision will be realised much more effectively if there is also cooperation to foster a collective force with others. So, even when a clear, persuasive leader has emerged, the effect will be much more powerful if they can develop shared commitment and a vision that everyone feels a part of. A group of people working towards a particular goal can make achievements that an individual alone simply could not.

Once you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, you can see how to avoid ending up feeling ‘incompetent’ by focusing on the positives, rather than the negatives. This is why you were asked to complete the sentence, and here are some possible examples:

My incompleteness does not make me incompetent because … I might not be fully trained on the technical side yet, but I’m organised, approachable, and can think on my feet, so residents and staff always come to me when there’s a problem!
My incompleteness does not make me incompetent because … although my physical health stops me from playing football with the kids, my skill in the kitchen means I keep the whole family eating healthily on a tight budget.
My incompleteness does not make me incompetent because … although I’m not medically trained, my role on the desk in the fracture clinic team is vital in ensuring a smooth-running service for everyone.

Whatever your role, you have the power to bring the uniqueness of you to it. People most commonly give up their power by thinking they do not have any in the first place. It would have been easy for someone in José’s position, for example, to do that. Yet, even though timing and circumstances were far from perfect for him, he had a passion that was undeniably infectious for those around him, and that helped him succeed with his vision in his own way.

Conclusion

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

‘Care is our ability to provide the political, social, material, and emotional conditions that allow for the vast majority of people and living creatures on this planet to thrive – along with the planet itself.’

(The Care Collective, 2020, p. 893)

Different leaders get results in different ways, yet increasingly it is being recognised that the most effective leaders manage to combine a clear vision with a genuine capacity to care, because caring leadership recognises our mutual interdependence and vulnerability. In their Care manifesto (2020), the authors note how tragic it was that it took a pandemic to remind us just how crucial care is to the proper functioning of society. They suggest we all have a leadership role to play because of our interdependence with each other and the planet. Leaders such as Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg reflect this. As do numerous examples which spring up in response to events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the cost-of-living crisis: from volunteers collecting and delivering parcels with food and essentials, to libraries and churches opening their doors as ‘warm banks’ and internet cafes.

Developing your understanding of a caring approach to leadership is beneficial regardless of whether or not you currently hold leadership ambitions. Because being a leader is not simply about being put in a formal position of power over others. It can emerge organically simply through caring passionately enough about something which you feel can improve the life experiences of others. And everyone has some capacity to do that.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K318 Leading, managing, caring.

References

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

Alban-Metcalfe, J. and Alimo-Metcalfe, B. (2009) ‘Engaging leadership part one: competencies are like Brighton Pier’, International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 5(1), pp. 10–17.

Ancona, D., Malone, T.W., Orlikowski, W.J. and Senge, P.M. (2007) ‘In praise of the incomplete leader’, Harvard Business Review, 85(2), pp. 92–100.

Birkett, D. (2009) I’m bossy. I’m ambitious. I love ideas. And I love life. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/ society/ 2009/ jul/ 11/ lady-campbell-disability-peer (Accessed: 10 October 2019).

Burney, L.L. and Matherly, M. (2008) ‘Integrating leadership experiences into the accounting curriculum’, Management Accounting Quarterly, 10(1), pp. 51–58.

Care Collective, The (2020) The care manifesto: the politics of interdependence. London: Verso.

Casserley, T. and Megginson, D. (2009) Learning from burnout: developing sustainable leaders and avoiding career derailment. Oxford and Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Cathcart, E.B., Greenspan, M. and Quin, M. (2010) ‘The making of a nurse manager: the role of experiential learning in leadership development’, Journal of Nursing Management, 18, pp. 440–7.

Crockett, E. (2017) The woman who inspired Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Available at: https://www.vox.com/ 2016/ 1/ 18/ 10785882/ martin-luther-king-dream-mahalia-jackson (Accessed: 1 October 2019).

Haisha, L. (2019) "Great leaders don't set out to be a leader. They set out to make the difference. It is never about the role - always about the goal." Lisa Haisha. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/ pulse/ kindness-best-strategy-life-business-oleg-vishnepolsky/ (Accessed: 27 July 2023).

Hartley, J.F. and Allison, M. (2003) ‘The role of leadership in the modernization and improvement of public services’, in Reynolds, J., Henderson, J., Seden, J., Charlesworth, J. and Bullman, A. (eds) The Managing Care Reader. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 296–305.

Lachman, V.D. (2012) ‘Applying the ethics of care to your nursing practice’, MedSurg Nursing, 21(2), pp. 112–114.

Landsberg, M. (2002) The tools of leadership: vision, inspiration, momentum. London: Profile Books.

Mazars (2015) Independent review of deaths of people with a learning disability or mental health problem in contact with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust April 2011 to March 2015. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ south/ wp-content/ uploads/ sites/ 6/ 2015/ 12/ mazars-rep.pdf(Accessed: 28 January 2020).

Meacham, J. and Rhodann, M. (2013) ‘One man’, TIME Magazine, 182(9), p. 36.

Northouse, P.G. (2019) Leadership: theory and practice. 8th edn. London: Sage Publications.

Peate, I. (2017) Fundamentals of care: a textbook for health and social care assistants. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Rogers, A. and Reynolds, J. (2003) ‘Managing change’, in Seden, J. and Reynolds, J. (eds) Managing Care in Practice. London: Routledge/The Open University, pp. 83–110.

Ratcliffe, S. (ed.) (2017) Oxford essential quotations. 5th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Schaeffer, L.D. (2002) ‘The leadership journey’, Harvard Business Review, 80(10), pp. 42–47.

Sogunle, K. (2014). Love, Sex, Lies and Reality. Kemi Sogunle: United States.

Strange, J.M. and Mumford, M.D. (2005) ‘The origins of vision: effects of reflection, models, and analysis’, The Leadership Quarterly, 16(1), pp. 121–48.

Thunberg, G. (2019) No one is too small to make a difference. London: Penguin.

Vito, R. (2019) ‘Key variations in organizational culture and leadership influence: a comparison between three children’s mental health and child welfare agencies’, Children and Youth Services Review, 108, pp. 2–8.

Walther, C. (2021) ‘A model for making caring communities a reality the New Nexus of Aid post-COVID-19’, Local Development & Society, 2:2, 223-243, DOI: 10.1080/26883597.2021.1978821

Acknowledgements

The Open University — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:59:46 GMT

This free course was written by Sara MacKian.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.

The material acknowledged below is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this free course:

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