Enhancing Organizational Leadership Practice
Our new book – Enhancing Organisational Leadership Practice: Western and Eastern Interventions – proposes a set of frameworks, presented to redress problematic issues surrounding questionable practices amongst organisational leaders in modern organisations.
The book proposes an approach which is based on the need for increased attention towards the quality of the human element in organisation leadership roles Moreover, the perspective taken directs attention towards how those in organisation leadership roles reflect capabilities to address the various borders one confronts; not simply geographic or cultural. Of particular importance are ‘borders of the mind.’
Consequently, how those in organisation leadership roles appropriately address the thinking-behaviour duality is, in our view, tied inextricably to their mindset – more specifically, how their mindset is employed to address and redress their relationship responsibilities.
A Chaoyue Bianjie [超越边界] perspective is taken, which acknowledges that organisational leaders will confront various borders in their every-day organisational lives, e.g., geographic, cultural, etc., but most importantly their mindset: how they choose to think and then behave towards the various issues and challenges with which they are confronted.
Consequently, traditional practices and requirements tied to governance, such as due diligence and duty of care towards financial capital management and shareholder issues, needs an enhanced approach. Such an approach includes paying attention to the quality of human capital within each organisation. In this this respect, an investment focus by organisational leaders is needed vis-à-vis the human element, a perspective which needs to operate in balance with an organisational leader’s traditional governance and duty of care responsibilities vis-à-vis financial capital.
Such a view challenges those in organisational leadership roles to ensure that the most appropriate people are in positions of leadership, and have the human capital profile to support their responsibilities and to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, vis-à-vis their relationship responsibilities.
Consequently, within such a context, various borders (in whatever form) must be addressed appropriately, i.e., towards relationship responsibilities [Diagram 1].
Their Organisation [Mission – Objectives – Strategies – Operational Practice];
Their Multistakeholders [Shareholders, Staff, and Externals of various types]; and,
Their Ecosystems [Cultural, Environmental, and Governance issues].
To address this key perspective, Chaoyue Bianjie [超越边界] can assist, especially through what the authors have identified as five mindsets. The five can be found in the full book, but are listed below:
(1) Situation-Transformation Decision-Making;
(2) Ambicultural Learning Agility;
(3) Multistakeholder and Ecosystem Transactions [what and how issues];
(4) Multistakeholder and Ecosystem Interactions [with whom and where]; and,
(5) Human Capital Investment.
Given the problematic examples of organisational leadership practice outlined in our book, each mindset appears to be downplayed, misunderstood, or simply ignored when organisational leadership relationship responsibilities are addressed.
Consequently, each organisational leader requires the human capital profile quality to support effective situation analysis, to transform their organisation’s objectives, strategies, and operational practices [when and where necessary] and enable effective adjustment and adaptation to situational circumstances – also, to support their own adjustment and adaptation to new circumstances, as well as their organisation’s staff. Mindset provides an integral component of this process.
The process incorporates an important element tied to a key focus of this book, i.e., to the concept of balance. More specifically, to support an effective balance between thinking and behaviour, which is reflected in our book through the thinking-behaviour duality.
The notion of ambiculturalism (Chen, 2010) is introduced – that is, what can be learnt from different cultural contexts, then transferred to enhance an organisation and the organisation’s human capital, such that relationship responsibilities can be appropriately addressed. Key Eastern philosophies, Taoism and Confucianism, have each been employed in our book to support to address what Western organisations might learn from different cultural contexts, whilst also enhancing balance amongst their relationship responsibilities.
Xianglin Ma has made a critical contribution to this book through her explanations of such important Eastern philosophies, particularly the employment of Yin [阴]-Yang [阳] within the context of the proposed frameworks, which seek to address the increasing need for balance in the relationship responsibilities of organisational leaders when dealing with diverse circumstances.
Six frames are proposed in our book. Each incorporates elements of Western literature, as well as Eastern philosophies, thereby achieving a further sense of balance between different perspectives. Some differ from the ways in which organisational leadership practice is usually addressed.
Each element highlighted through six diagrams in our book addresses issues which organisational leaders need to include in their thinking, and their subsequent behaviour. Consequently, the six diagrams reflect the ‘thinking-behaviour duality’ and the need for balance and simultaneous attention to dual elements. Such a process permits an organisational leader to hold seemingly conflicting ideas at the same time, regarding the same issue, and in different locations, to explore how organisational leaders need to proceed in supporting their organisation’s intentions and activities. Chaoyue Bianjie [超越边界] assists in this process.
The term organisational leadership is also employed, as distinct from leadership alone. Why? Like borders, leadership can be addressed in a number of contexts, and is reflected in our book through the application of elements highlighted in the six diagrams. Nevertheless, focusing on a mindset approach, as distinct from skills, is critical to enhancing organisational leadership practice and its associated relationship responsibilities.
The term organisation is also employed, rather than business or corporation. In this sense, organisational leadership practice is addressed based on what is deemed to be relevant to organisations in general, i.e., issues which are not tied to any particular organisation type, i.e., public, private, community, even charity. Such a focus gains support from ‘ideation’ (Csikszentmihalyi, 1991; Basadur, 2004; and Stiller, 2009); and forms a core component of how the proposed frameworks were designed, especially in seeking new ways to address ongoing problems. In this sense, ‘ideation’ plays a key role in supporting enhanced organisational leadership practice.
The six diagrams incorporate what the extant literature has offered on organisational leadership, which is now offered in this book in a different way; a way which the authors believe is necessary in order to present an informed pathway to enhanced organisational leadership practice. That is, a duality of responsibilities exists; first towards multistakeholders and then to the ecosystem. Each must be addressed with equally positive attention.
The perspectives highlighted across the six frameworks are recommended to organisational leaders to assist in securing ‘valued approaches’ and ‘beneficial outcomes’ (the authors’ terms) within the context of how the thinking-behaviour duality impacts their relationship responsibilities. Such a view reflects how organisational cultures impact what happens between organisations. For example; how such Western values as trust, respect, integrity, inclusion and, synergy; and such Eastern (Confucian) virtues as Ren [仁] (Benevolence), Yi [义] (righteousness), Li [礼] (rites), Zhi [智] (wisdom) and Xin [信] (Honesty) (Yen Ooi, 2022: 13-20) impact simultaneously.
Consequently, Chaoyue Bianjie [超越边界] provides the scope to enhance how organisational leaders need to address the thinking-behaviour duality. Consequently, the potential exists for enhanced connections, creative methods, and respectful processes, which can enhance recovering, refreshing, and ultimately reconnecting with what were important and meaningful relations between two key nations.
This, therefore, highlights the real potential for win-win solutions, and not continuing to reflect lose-lose, or win-lose circumstances, which too often occur. For example, Diagram 5, highlights where adjustment is needed, such that potentially rigid and confrontational practices are not developed (practices which reflect poor thinking; i.e., dysfunctional Yin (阴) & Yang (阳)).
For example, sometimes failures occur in organisational relationships, when only short-term profit is sought. This is seen as excess Yang (阳). Hence, should the rules of Tao (道), i.e., harmonious Yin (阴) & Yang (阳) fail to be applied, enhanced relations within and amongst an organisation’s relationship responsibilities may not occur. Consequently, valued approaches and beneficial outcomes may be difficult, if not impossible, to design and apply, and sustainable benefits for all will not be secured.
Critically, underpinning the frameworks is the need for an appropriate investment approach towards human capital, i.e., to secure the necessary expertise, experiences, and personal attributes amongst the core leadership team and organisational staff in general. Without an appropriate human capital profile, effective application of the thinking-behaviour duality will likely be compromised. Consequently, what is willingly included, or capable of being included in the thinking of organisational leaders, or what such people choose to leave out, or even fail to consider in the first place, i.e., what is dismissed, may dramatically impact relationships amongst multistakeholders and ecosystems.
Nevertheless, close attention to personal attributes is an issue which usually fails to grab the close attention of those in senior decision-making roles, when HR matters are on the radar. This may be due to the potential esoteric nature of personal attributes; equally, it may be due to a poor perception on the part of core organisational leadership teams regarding the importance of effective attention to the quality of the human element. Consequently, organisational leaders are potentially neglecting their core responsibility to enhance their organisations by failing to acknowledge the critical role that organisational leaders have in enhancing their relationship responsibilities.
To support the human element, a Human Capital Investment [HCI] perspective is employed in this book, as a proposed alternate to human resource management. Critically, HCI places the quality of the human element on the same plain as the financial capital element. Awareness of such concerns forms an integral component in supporting due diligence by enhancing the human element, through paying appropriate attention to the thinking-behaviour duality, which organisational leaders need to address to enhance their decision-making [thinking] and their decision execution [behaviour] and is reflected in the importance organisational leaders place in the elements they choose to address.
The perspectives presented in our book attempt to reframe organisational leadership practice through a new set of frameworks; each explains and guides a means to how organisational leadership practice can be more appropriately addressed, and which supports and enhances an organisational leader’s relationship responsibilities in and across a diverse range of organisational types, situations, and circumstances.
Importantly, the perspectives in this book require an integrated approach based on multiple challenges. Each is detailed in the various chapters. Nevertheless, a single focus which highlights Xn steps to achieve effective organisational leadership will not shine the required light. Consequently, a key intention of this book is to present a set of frameworks which are designed to inform, enhance, and integrate organisational leadership practice by enhancing thinking and behaviour through an investment in the human element of organisations.
The process reflects the thinking necessary to effectively develop objectives, strategies and operational practices which are appropriate and suitable for the situation experienced – i.e., to clearly address the relationship responsibilities inherent within each situation, and then to employ the necessary behaviour to transform the organisation as required, within the context of the situation and relationship responsibilities. Such foci require a well-focused human capital profile, not simply for organisational leaders, in order to appropriately address their relationship responsibilities; but critically, for the organisation as a whole, such that objectives, strategies and operational practices can be dealt with within the context of supporting ‘valued approaches’ and ‘beneficial outcomes’ (the authors’ terms) for all concerned. Such circumstances clearly require support from an organisational culture which values such an approach, including the due diligence and the duty of care necessary towards enhancing the human element.
Critically, our book offers frameworks for organisational leaders to apply a situation-transformation perspective when addressing their organisation’s needs. Organisational leaders must also seek to transform themselves in the process – that is, an effective behavioural response to any situation cannot appropriately occur without ensuring that the thinking has been effective in the first place. This reflects the need for organisational leaders to ensure their due diligence towards the quality of investment in the human element in their respective organisations. Rubbish In – Rubbish Out is so very true.
Finally, if a person cannot think appropriately in the first place, that person will not be in a position to establish an appropriate behavioural repertoire. Consequently, organisational leaders cannot simply rely on traditional approaches, because a particular approach happened to work in the past; or another organisation employs it; or even if it is the ‘flavour of the month’. The thinking-behaviour duality becomes central to such change.
Alan Fish has been involved in human resource management in both professional and academic roles for nearly 50 years. He retired from full time academic involvement in 2012, as Professor of Human Resource Management at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Since retiring from fulltime employment, Alan has held various international honorary appointments in Australia, England, China, and Malaysia. Prior to his academic career, Alan worked in the private sector in various HR roles for 15 years. Alan’s PhD is in international human resource management, awarded by the Graduate School of Business at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Xianglin Ma is currently a PhD candidate of the College of Business, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Xianglin is Associate Researcher, Director-General Assistant, and Director of the Institute of Public Management and Department of International Exchange and Cooperation at the Modern Management Centre, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Xianglin’s academic interests lie in combining western management theories with Chinese philosophy and management practices.
Enhancing Organisational