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An Article Review of Heifetz’ and Linsky’s “Managing Yourself: A Survival Guide for Leaders”

The article by Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky on leadership asserts that leadership is not as easy as it sounds, but that is a risky mission since it necessitates the leaders to sacrifice a lot for the organization. The article also focuses on problems that leaders face and classifies them into technical and adaptive problems. Technical problems are described as difficulties that are challenging but can be solved with the existing know-how and mechanisms. However, adaptive problems are in every sense problematic, since they cannot be solved by specific mechanisms but require that the individuals in the organization alter their behavior. Adaptive challenges are caused by people themselves. The article proposes that leaders should maintain perspective while conducting business and therefore remain improvisational, they should also engage team members to work in unison rather than wading the murky waters of management alone. Leaders should also manage conflict and understand that change is imperative.

This article discusses the most critical leadership requirements that sustain leadership. The article proposes that leaders, in a hostile environment, should always “operate in and above the fray” that is, leaders should always be guided in their decision-making process by a vision, values, and a strategic plan, and these should not be affected by the activities going on. The authors state that the leader should take a moment from the hustle and bustle of the activities and go back to the drawing to check if they are on track. Leaders should also analyze their initiatives, check if they need adjustment according to today’s factors, and see how these factors will affect tomorrow’s plans. Leaders should also ensure that all teammates participate and acknowledge their responsibility as leaders.

The article was descriptive about what an adaptive leader should be, what they should strive to do, and it underscored the fact that leadership is not an easy thing, but a challenging task that needs the leader to be constantly on the ground and to adjust every situation to its particular needs. A successful leader cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach to every challenge that comes their way. The most important point that the article delivered to me was on solving adaptive problems with technical solutions. A successful leader must understand that he/she cannot solve other people’s problems throughout their career. What they should do, is to find solutions that involve the perpetrators. The leader should get to the root of the problem, then identify the perpetrators, and start the adjustment process. The leader shall undoubtedly face resistance since change is always problematic for many, but assisting the employees in a firm adapt to this change can help alleviate these problems.

The main concepts I agreed with were that all leaders should be adaptive and take adaptive solutions for their problems rather than technical ones. Technical solutions solve the problem but are only short-term solutions. I also agree that all leaders need a safe harbor, a place to anchor themselves. This is because leadership can be challenging as working with a team of different people with different personalities and channeling all their talents and skills to a common goal is difficult. However, all leaders should have a time, place, and person to vent, reflect, and renew their emotional reserves, and to recalibrate their compass. I also agreed with the fact that a leader should have the capabilities of managing conflict within the organization. He/she should anticipate conflict during changes and find ways of guiding the team members into the new setting. However, I do not agree with the concept that adaptive leadership is the only thing that makes a successful leader. A successful leader encompasses other traits that make his/her relationship with subordinates cordial but formal. Successful leaders are known to be empathetic and emotional intelligent too.

This article provides a lot of principles that can be employed in one’s professional life. First, the article candidly states that leadership is a daunting task and that one should not approach leadership without any plans. Second, the article provides advice on how to work as a group. One may feel that working alone helps you work faster and better since you do not have to get a consensus on a particular issue. However, this article explains that working with a team is advantageous since they protect you from attacks and the team can also point out flaws and challenges in a strategy or plan. The article also stipulates that working with opponents is beneficial since you learn their way of thinking and their intentions and therefore stop them from thwarting their plans. Another important principle is that the leader should also examine themselves since they are prone to human weaknesses. A leader is an ordinary mortal with weaknesses, and they need to step back and reassess their actions. Failure to do causes self-destruction. The article also emphasizes that leaders should control their hunger. One of the most common needs in management is the need for control. Leaders should surpass their need to control and ensure that they only step in when chaos is about to arise. This article is advantageous since it provides a few basics to leadership that govern the leader’s actions and their internal compass.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Heifetz, Ronald and Martin Linsky. “Managing Yourself: A Survival Guide for Leaders.” Harvard Business Review (2002): 65-74.