Case Teaching Resources FROM THE EVANS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Box 353055 · University of W ashington · Seattle W A 98195-3055 www.hallway.org
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP STYLES
Usage Note
Introduction
The eleven Leadership Stories described in this usage note are part of a collection of 33
short summaries of examples of leadership successes. The focus of these stories is to
celebrate the leadership aspect of an organization and its key employees and volunteers,
rather than looking at exemplary management techniques or other aspects of
organizational development. Each of these 5-7 page mini-cases briefly describes a
leadership challenge faced by an organization, the circumstances they addressed, and the
successful outcomes they achieved. Examining a variety of examples of leadership
strategies allows a teaching approach where several points of view can be analyzed in the
same class. Issues can be framed in more flexible and innovative ways than might
otherwise be the case.
These Leadership Stories are quite different in format and content than many case
studies. Often, case studies are considerably longer and offer greater depth into an
organization or process. The format for case studies most often includes a narrative to
engage the reader, extensive background information, and a presentation of a
fundamental dilemma that leads to a decision point. Students are then asked to analyze
the case with specific teaching objectives in mind—such as recommending next steps the
organization could take, or considering key points in the case that lead to the dilemma.
Since these Leadership Stories take a different approach, and are all representations of
best practices (rather than organizational error or indecision), how one uses them
effectively will be different. Instead of focusing on a single Leadership Story, this usage
note examines a number of the stories that represent a variety of organizations all with a
certain organizational or strategic similarity. By surveying a wide array of responses to
various leadership challenges, students can compare and contrast decisions and outcomes.
This usage note was written by Connie Chaplin and David Harrison of the Electronic Hallway at the Evans School of
Public Affairs, housed at the University of Washington. This usage note was written under the supervision of Steven
Rathgeb Smith, Faculty Director of the Electronic Hallway at the University of Washington, Evans School of Public Affairs.
The usage note is intended solely as a vehicle for classroom discussion, and is not intended to illustrate either effective or
ineffective handling of the situation described.
The Electronic Hallway is administered by the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs
(http://evans.washington.edu). This material may not be altered or copied without written permission from The Electronic
Hallway. For permission, email [email protected], or phone 206.616.8777. Electronic Hallway members are
granted copy permission for educational purposes per our Member’s Agreement (available at www.hallway.org).
This teaching resource is made available on the Electronic Hallway thanks to a partnership with the Research Center for
Leadership in Action at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
(www.wagner.nyu.edu/leadership) and funding from the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World Research
and Documentation Component (www.leadershipforchange.org).
Copyright 2009 The Electronic Hallway and the Research Center for Leadership in Action
FOR INSTRUCTOR USE ONLY. DO NOT COPY OR DISTRIBUTE.
Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
The breadth of examples that are presented in the Leadership Stories can be very useful—
exemplary groups and organizations can respond to an event or challenge in a variety of
ways. Exploring those various responses is a celebration of good people doing good
work.
Teaching Objectives: Personal Leadership Styles
Leadership can be developed and demonstrated in many different ways. Individuals are
motivated to lead for a variety of reasons. They bring with them varying approaches to
strategic thinking and planning, and varying skills to help them follow up on their
intentions. The culture and community a leader works in directly influences dimensions
of their leadership. The Leadership Stories used in this usage note highlight leadership
styles and point to examples of leaders who become the prime articulator or motivator for
a movement. These examples demonstrate ways that people can deploy, mentor, and
inspire others.
• How do leaders bring others to their side?
• What choices do they make in using their time and their skills?
• Are they focused outwardly through the development of partnerships, or inwardly
toward their individual development and that of their staff?
• How are they able to change as circumstances warrant?
• Can we add this question: How are they able to develop leadership in others?
As these Leadership Stories demonstrate, leaders also vary in how equipped they were at
the outset to become a leader. How did they add (what is meant by ‘add’ – do you mean
gain?) skills and experience? How oriented is the leader toward the organization’s longer
term goals? Is the leader a strategic thinker (able to deftly respond to immediate
challenges) and a strategic planner, who keeps the organization’s mission and goals
aligned with budget and staffing?
A Framework for Leadership
One of the more widely accepted models for assessing the institutionalizing of a
leadership-centered culture (what does this term mean? It is the first time it is referenced)
has been developed by John Kotter. Kotter maintains that in order for change to happen
successfully within an organization, there must be an active leadership process to guide
the change. He identifies eight distinct stages through which a vision for change is
translated into action (1).
Oftentimes, analysis of leadership is confused with the analysis of management. Kotter
asserts that leadership is not management–management is for complexity, leadership is
for change, management enables planning, and leadership sets direction. Management is
about organizing, leadership is about aligning.
__________
1. John P. Kotter. (1996). Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 1st edition
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
According to Kotter, the eight steps an organization must take to create a culture of
leadership include:
• Establishing a sense of urgency
• Creating powerful coalitions
• Having vision
• Communicating the vision
• Removing the obstacles to the new vision
• Planning for and creating short-term wins
• Not declaring victory too soon
• Anchoring changes in organizational culture
An Expanded Approach
To fully understand the role of leadership in these Leadership Stories, it is important to
begin with Kotter’s fundamental framework, or other ways to understand the central
approaches of a leader.
A further focus on culture and community will help the student to delve even deeper into
the aspects of leadership described in the Leadership Stories. In these stories, individuals
both demonstrate fundamental leadership skills and tailor those skills to unique cultural
and community circumstances. By richly understanding the cultural and community
context, they are able to lead in ways that would otherwise have been impossible.
The section below examines leadership in a variety of contexts by describing different
leaders and providing short summaries of their organization through the Leadership
Story. Leaders are grouped in categories that can lead to some additional provocative
classroom discussion themes, including:
• The role of professional managers as leaders
• The value of a previous connection to communities
• The role of culture
• The role of the convert
• Faith and leadership
Professional Leaders
The leaders of the New York Immigrant Coalition and AIDS Housing of Washington are
two examples of professional managers as leaders. Neither organizational director had a
cultural or community-based connection to the organizations they help lead. Rather, they
were highly skilled strategic thinkers and planners. Each carried considerable political
clout, offered personal charisma, and had leadership styles that inspired new people as
well as sustaining long-standing colleagues. In order to lead effectively, they were
required to develop an all new understanding of the communities and cultures they
served.
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
Building Black Leadership on HIV/AIDS Issues: Unleashing the Power of Existing
Communities and Organizations: Saving Our Own Lives
Black AIDS Institute (BAI)
The Black AIDS Institute focuses on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the African-American
community. BAI identifies black stakeholders and offers them strategic ways to respond
to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (a little more on Phill)
Phill Wilson, Executive Director, BAI
The African-American community has been ravaged by HIV/AIDS, but had not been
willing to be engaged. By targeting specific centers of African American culture, Phill
Wilson created a form of personal and organizational leadership that maximized success.
Role of Convert/ Personal Circumstances
Unexpected personal circumstance can be a powerful leadership driver. The role of the
convert can be extremely inspirational. The ability to say, “I did this, you can too” lends
credibility to a leader. These accidental leaders are people who are thrust into situations
and circumstances in their personal lives and decide to turn a personal matter into a
political movement. Each of the following leaders is an example of the activist leader.
One, a former drug abuser, is a powerful role model for people in similar situations. The
other, a relative of a person incarcerated under the mandatory minimum drug laws, shares
a common history with people otherwise completely unconnected to each other. In both
instances, it was necessary for the leaders to develop other leadership skills to make their
personal convictions even more resonant. (not sure I understand this sentence)
Building Justice for Immigrants and Refugees by Supporting Local Institutions and
Magnifying Their Impact: The Power of Diverse Voices
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
SEARAC offers technical assistance and coordination to increase the capacity of a
national network of 182 mutual assistance organizations. The organization formed in
1979 to serve the needs of refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia.
KaYing Yang, Former Executive Director, SEARAC
KaYing Yang was a Hmong refugee. Her leadership in SEARAC started from her direct
cultural experience as a refugee. Yang created forward-looking programs, not just a
response to a specific refugee crisis (which would change, shift, and subside). Because
she knew the importance of Mutual Aid Associations (MAAs), she immediately tapped
into the existing MAA’s, rather than create a new structure. Yang was also sensitive to
the animosities among various Southeast Asian groups and worked to create harmony.
Her belief was that “we’re bigger when we come together.” Her leadership style focused
on empowering immigrants and refugees—“you don’t speak for others, you let other
people speak for themselves”—she worked with cultures that did not have a history of
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
speaking for themselves. She did not believe in the “one group/one leader” mentality,
rather, she focused on how best to groom future leaders.
Changing Mandatory Drug Sentencing Laws on the Federal and State Levels:
Putting a Human Face on Injustice: Reversing a Political Juggernaut
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
FAMM works on the federal and state levels to reverse the politically popular trend of
mandatory minimums for drug sentences and to allow judges to have discretionary power
again. FAMM has 21 staff members, 42 volunteer coordinators in 29 states, and 30,000
members in 30 states.
Julie Stewart, President, FAMM
Julie Stewart became a leader because of the personal impact of a family member who
had been jailed under the mandatory minimums drug sentences. Prior to that experience,
Stewart had no real experience or ambition to be a leader. Her grief and anger fueled a
new movement. She had to very quickly develop strategic thinking and strategic
planning, both things she had no previous expertise in. Her personal connection to the
issue made her an effective leader for other families of people incarcerated under the
same laws—a disparate and wide-spread group of people, united by only one thing—
having a loved one in jail.
Role of Faith and Leadership
Theological guidance to address the issues of public concern is characteristic of all
religions and denominations. To use faith-based leadership to address social problems
harnesses a system and structure that is already established. Translating that leadership
into activism requires challenging ideas and beliefs that some religious followers have,
particularly the desire to avoid issues that are controversial.
Creating Supportive Housing for People Living With HIV/AIDS: Local Lessons,
National Strategies: A Place to Call Home
AIDS Housing of Washington (AHW)
The mission of AIDS Housing of Washington (AHW) is to increase and sustain housing
for people with AIDS, both locally and nationally. AHW also offers technical assistance
to other communities and is a national advocate for effective federal AIDS policy.
Betsy Lieberman, Executive Director, AHW
Like Margie McHugh, AHW’s Betsy Lieberman make her leadership possible in part by
proving herself to the community she would serve, deftly dealing with numerous disputes
surrounding AIDS policy and care. (More needs to be said here so that there is some
balance in terms of length with what is said about Margie above).
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
Community Leaders: Outsider/Insider Connection to Communities
Whether or not a leader is an integral part of a community or a relative newcomer can
play a great role in the leadership qualities they exhibit. The following two examples
highlight activist leaders trying to make a community better. One leader was an outsider,
recently relocated from another state. The other leader had lived in her community her
whole life and understood issues from an insider’s point of view. There can be
advantages to both types of leaders. The outsider often has a perspective that is not tied to
local culture or ways of doing things and can often see opportunities that have been
overlooked. The outsider often has fresh enthusiasm and energy but must develop trust
and respect which have come naturally to the insider. If this trust and respect is not
deliberately sought, it may never materialize.
Developing Leadership and Political Capacity Among Laotian Refugees: Healing a
Culture, Building a Community: The Laotian Organizing Project (LOP)
Richmond, CA is one of the most polluted cities in the United States. In 1999, there was a
major oil refinery spill. Richmond has a very large newly arrived Laotian immigrant
community. The LOP wanted the city to set up a process for Laotians to be notified in
their own language when industrial accidents occurred. LOP used this environmental
issue to do more broad-based cultural organizing.
Grace Kong, Lead Organizer, LOP
Grace Kong realized that the key to organizing around a major environmental disaster
was to overcome traditional cultural/tribal conflicts and beliefs of the Laotian
community. In this country, Laotian refugees are seen as a homogeneous group, but
refugees from Laos are come from different tribes and groups-Lao, Khmu, and Mien.
Kong also looked to younger generations to help bridge the cultural gaps and groom a
new group of leaders. Using subtle and savvy cultural understanding, Kong successfully
worked to build political and activist capacity and leadership among Laotian refugees.
How a Coalition of Immigration Groups is Advocating for Broad Social and
Political Change: The Power of Diversity
New York Immigrant Coalition (NYIC)
NYIC is a coalition of over 150 New York State-based nonprofits, including immigrant
rights advocates, immigrant community leaders, social service providers, community-
based ethnic and non-profit organizations, as well as leaders from labor, academia and
the legal professions.
Margie McHugh, Former Executive Director, NYIC
Margie McHugh was guided by the following motto: “groom leadership, share
leadership, give leadership away.” McHugh was a leader who focused on consensus and
coalition building. At NYIC, all organizations are equal, and McHugh and the board set
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
policy. McHugh had strong strategic thinking and planning skills. She intentionally
guided NYIC to create a multiple focus coalition to help ensure organizational
sustainability. By tying together the similar and separate goals of member organizations,
McHugh created a larger sense of empowerment for political change. McHugh
emphasized the commonalities among the wide array of groups, often with very different
interests.
How North Carolina’s Religious Congregations are Building a Volunteer Network
to Sustain People with HIV/AIDS: Getting to Know You: The Power of Professional
Relationships
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN)
RAIN provides volunteer training for a network of congregation-based care-giving teams
to work with people with HIV/AIDS. The mission of the organization draws on
theological imperatives and the organization works to overcome fear and judgment.
Deborah Warren, Reverend, RAIN
Deborah Warren strongly believes in the theological imperatives of all religions to help
those who are sick and, as a leader, challenged congregation members about their
attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS. She set up a structure of care teams, across religious
boundaries, to support volunteers and people living with HIV/AIDS. She founded RAIN
in response to profound lack of support by faith communities for people living with
HIV/AIDS. People in the South often turn to religion for guidance on issues. Warren
focused on the power of relationships and the support of teams, and “shared leadership.”
(shall we explain what this is in one sentence)
Organizing Communities to Protect West Virginia’s Natural Environment: A
Different Source of Power
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC)
OVEC works on a variety of environmental causes in West Virginia. The organization
began in response to an oil spill in the mid-1980’s that shut down municipal water
supplies for 200 miles along the Ohio River.
Diane Bady, Co-Founder, OVEC
Diane Bady, an environmental activist from Wisconsin, was outraged at the media’s
coverage of a major environmental disaster in West Virginia. She relocated to West
Virginia and brought media attention to the matter. West Virginians in the area were
socially and economically depressed and had no culture of activism. Bady tapped into the
discontent of residents and acted as a lightening rod. Bady immediately realized she
needed to enlist two other activists—both with closer ties to W. Virginia. Her role as an
outsider brought fresh energy and perspective to a community which, in turn, was moved
to action.
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
Revitalizing a Community Through Property Ownership: “A Place Worth Saving”
New Road Community Development Group of Exmore, Inc (NRCDG)
The residents of the New Road neighborhood of Exmore, VA, lived in substandard
housing and were neglected by the city government. The NRCDG worked to bring water
and sewer service to New Road, buy out absentee landlords who were the majority
owners in the neighborhood, offer home ownership to residents, and provide economic
opportunities and job prospects to residents.
Ruth Wise, Executive Director, NRCDG
Ruth Wise lived in the community of Exmore. Her own empowerment was emblematic
of the community’s empowerment. She was the most visible representative of a group of
community activists. She was the first to say that any perceived power she might have
had was derived from the power of the neighborhood. (again, some balance in terms of
length would be great)
Role of Culture
The culture in which a group or an organization forms is a powerful and sometimes
invisible force that has tremendous impact on leaders and leadership styles. Strong
cultural legacies exist, even within well-established groups. Oftentimes the traditional
roles of women and of the younger generation within particular tribes or subcultures can
form barriers to creating successful leadership development, requiring an extra level of
inventiveness from the leader. Language, history, immigration status, and cultural
legacies all influence the ways in which people become empowered.
Serving Connected Needs in Appalachia: Homegrown Help in Appalachia
Hazard Perry County Community Ministries (HPCCM)
Hazard Perry County Community Ministries is committed to individuals, families, and
building the community. This commitment is the driving force for the creation of quality,
innovative social services in cooperation with the whole community. HPCCM grows
civic capacity to address social problems in Appalachia.
Gerry Roll, Executive Director, HPCCM
Gerry Roll reframed issues to fit to rural circumstances, an innovative way to structure a
program. Roll immediately brought a competitor for funds into a partnership. Instead of
becoming adversaries, they became collaborators. Roll excelled as a strategic thinker and
strategic planner. She developed sophisticated program design and planning to offer a
“continuum of care” in order to grow civic capacity. Her goal was to get a rural,
disenfranchised, community (who had had all kinds of social experiments dumped on
them unsuccessfully) to believe it could solve its own problems, after decades of
outsiders making the decisions. She redefined homelessness to fit rural circumstances and
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
gave away ideas, grant application information, funding opportunities with the idea that
the more you give, the more you get.
Using a Social Entrepreneurial Model to Treat Substance Abuse: Building Citizens,
Not Just Sober Individuals
Triangle Residential Option for Substance Abusers (TROSA)
TROSA is a residential treatment center for substance abusers, which is based on a social
entrepreneurial model. It runs a moving and storage company as well as offering
comprehensive substance abuse treatment. They focus on building active, engaged
citizens, not just sober individuals.
Kevin McDonald, President, TROSA
Kevin McDonald was a drug addict who started a therapeutic residential program with a
social entrepreneurial model. As a leader within the therapeutic community of TROSA,
McDonald has added credibility because of his personal experience and as the role of the
convert. Because McDonald had gone through the process of recovery from drug
addiction, he realized the type of support and services other drug users would need. With
this personal insight, McDonald created a leadership model that has been highly
successful. Residents are mentors to newly arrived members, and each new person gets a
mentor immediately. In addition, McDonald has created an organization with a social
entrepreneur model, which appeals to the wider community, and which helps gain further
social acceptance for people recovering from drug addictions.
Summary
These Leadership Stories offer an opportunity to expand and build upon more traditional
leadership assessment frameworks. The broader context of the culture and community a
leader works in directly influences dimensions of their leadership. In addition to
evaluating a leader’s professional skills, it is essential to examine these broader aspects of
leadership. The extent to which a leader has a specific connection to a community or
culture will directly impact how that leader is regarded. Understanding and respecting
subtleties of culture, language, history, gender and generational issues can make a leader
more effective. In some cases, a leader’s credibility is bolstered by a connection to faith.
In other cases, an unintentional leader who has experienced something first-hand can
create an unlikely community and offer the most effective leadership style. Leaders who
operate within the context of culture and community, not just within an organization or
institution, are able to lead in ways that would otherwise be impossible.
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Personal Leadership Styles: Usage Note
About the Research Center for Leadership in Action
As the leadership research and development hub for the field of public service, the Research Center for Leadership
in Action fosters leadership that transforms society.
Founded in 2003 at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, a top-ranked
school for public service, the Center’s unique approach integrates research with practice, bridges individual pursuits
and collective endeavors, and connects local efforts with global trends. RCLA scholars use innovative social science
methodologies to address ambitious questions that advance big ideas in leadership.
Public service leaders rely on RCLA to create customized leadership development and capacity-building programs
that facilitate critical reflection, peer-to-peer learning and transformation at the individual, organizational and
systems levels.
RCLA collaborates with the spectrum of public service organizations, from government agencies to nonprofits and
community-based groups across the country and around the world. Partners include more than 700 social change
organizations, universities and leadership centers in the United States and abroad, local and state government
leaders, and major foundations and corporations including the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Annie E. Casey
Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, AVINA Foundation, and Accenture. Learn more at
http://www.wagner.nyu.edu/leadership.
About the Leadership for a Changing World Program
Leadership for a Changing World (LCW) is a signature program of the Ford Foundation designed to recognize,
strengthen and support social change leaders and to highlight the importance of community leadership in
improving people’s lives.
The LCW Research and Documentation Component is housed at the Research Center for Leadership in Action at
NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. LCW uses three parallel lines of inquiry
ethnography, cooperative inquiry and narrative inquiry – to explore questions related to the work of leadership.
RCLA is committed to developing participatory approaches to research and uses dialogue with LCW participants
as a core of the research process. While the award portion of the program has concluded, RCLA continues to
partner with nonprofit organizations to develop together new understandings of how social change leadership
emerges and is sustained.
Learn more about Leadership for a Changing World at http://www.leadershipforchange.org, and learn more
about the RCLA Social Change Leadership Network at
http://wagner.nyu.edu/leadership/our_work/social_change_network.php.
About the Electronic Hallway
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resource for quality teaching cases and other curriculum materials. University-level faculty and instructors
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Learn more at http://www.hallway.org.
About the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington
The Evans School of Public Affairs is the preeminent school of public policy and management in the Northwest,
ranked 14th nationally among schools of public affairs by US News & World Report. Our approach draws on the
school’s many dynamic partnerships with public, nonprofit, and private organizations and our graduates go on to
challenging positions as public officials, agency directors, policy analysts and advocates, researchers, and
nonprofit leaders and managers.
The Evans School’s degree programs include the Master of Public Administration (MPA), Executive MPA, and
Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management. Learn more at http://evans.washington.edu.
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