Dr. Jerry Gilbert Presentation - Office of Research and Economic

Jerome A. Gilbert, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive VP
Mississippi State University
ORED Faculty Leadership Program
List Five Characteristics of a Good Leader
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Leadership – setting a vision
for a group to follow and providing
inspiration to motivate those on a
team or in an organization.
Management – providing oversight and guidance in carrying
out a mission or plan. Follows
established policies and procedures.
A good Leader must exhibit both leadership and management skills.
A skillful leader will assemble a strong team
to help in managing the organization.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
The Call to Leadership Sometimes Comes:
►
Without administrative experience
►
Without leadership training
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Without training in conflict resolution
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Without the awareness of the cost to scholarship
►
Without a degree in Psychiatry
(Courtesy of Dr. Walt Gmelch via Peter Rabideau)
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Leadership: “The ability to persuade a group
to set aside individual preoccupations in
order to pursue a common goal.”
- Robert Hogan, U Tulsa
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Difference between: Consensus and Shared
Governance
Consensus – everyone comes to
an agreement after considerable
compromise. Sometimes this
leads to poor decisions.
Shared Governance – after open
and honest sharing of information
from everyone, a decision is made
that everyone is willing to support,
even if not everyone agrees with it.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
No Leader Can Do It Alone.
The problems are too big and the issues
are too complex to take them on alone.
This leads us to the need for:
TEAMS
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
A university faculty member or
leader will be well served to form
or be part of a team.
Academic and Research
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
► Everyone’s strengths create great
synergy.
► Creativity is enhanced when we are
exposed to different viewpoints. Better
solutions to problems are achieved.
► We don’t become insulated from the
truth or the reality of the environment.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Team members must be:
►
►
►
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Supportive of the leader.
On board with the mission.
Willing to put their own agendas aside.
Brutally honest.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
What Motivates a Team?
► Purpose
► Challenge
► Camaraderie
► Responsibility
► Growth
► Leadership
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
What Makes a Highly Successful Team?
► Strong Leadership
► Trust
► Respect
► Unity
► Complementary Skills
► Open Communication
► Lack of Selfishness
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Recent book (for me):
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Lincoln picked all three of his political rivals from the
1860 Republican Convention to be on his cabinet.
William Henry Seward,
Secretary of State
Salmon Chase,
Secretary of Treasury
Edward Bates,
Attorney General
Ironically, each was convinced of his own superiority.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Edwin Stanton became Secretary of War in 1862, replacing
Simon Cameron. He called Lincoln a “backswood bumpkin.”
He changed his mind about Lincoln, stood by him, became one
of his most loyal supporters, and was more grief stricken than
anyone at Lincoln’s assassination.
Bates
Seward
Stanton
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Chase
Lincoln’s strength of character overcame the differences and
won over the cabinet:
Integrity and honesty
Perseverance
Empathy and concern
Story-telling ability
Moral conviction
When asked by the editor of the Chicago Tribune why he
had appointed his rivals, he said:
“We needed the strongest men of the party in the cabinet.
These were the very strongest men. Then I had no right to
deprive the country of their services.”
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Another recent book (for me):
The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership
By Steven Sample, President of the
University of Southern California
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Sample describes a team as an inner circle of advisors.
He often refers to his advisors as his lieutenants.
Circle of advisors safeguard the leader against
flatterers who prey upon the leader’s natural desire
to think well of him/herself.
A leader should demand a high degree of candor
from his inner circle.
A team that becomes too narrow and ingrown is a
stumbling block to effective leadership.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Sample also has some unusual advice on decision making.
Never make a decision yourself that can be
reasonably delegated to a lieutenant.
Never make a decision today that can be
reasonably put off to tomorrow.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Creating a Winning Team
for Academics and Research
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Characteristics of good team members.
(This reflects back to the highly effective team slide)
► Highly intelligent. Pick people who are smarter than you are.
► Integrity. Pick people who are honest.
► Varied talents. Pick people who bring different skills.
► Open-minded. Pick people who are open to new ideas.
► Hard workers. Pick people who are willing to work.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
In creating an academic team:
1. Assembling your own academic staff
Associates and assistants. Professional staff.
Do not under-estimate the contributions of the lowest person
in your organization. Take no one for granted.
Do not be afraid to praise success or good work.
Make your expectations clear.
Treat everyone with respect.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
In creating an academic team:
2. Recruiting and Hiring Faculty
Many will respond to advertisements. You may want to be more
proactive.
Look for enthusiasm.
Make your expectations clear.
Remember the advantage that diversity gives you.
Don’t forget that they are simultaneously interviewing us.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
In creating an academic team:
3. Recruiting and Hiring Administrators
May not respond to advertisements. You must be proactive.
Look for vision and big-picture thinking.
Don’t make your judgment solely on a CV. Successful faculty members
do not always make successful administrators.
Remember that a big ego may get in the way of success.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
How to get faculty to work together:
•  Promote common interest.
•  Develop allegiance (discipline > dept > univ).
•  Identify mutual benefit (career advancement, cause or issue
advancement, improve teaching or scholarship, improve dept
or univ reputation, financial incentive).
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Why Build a Research Team?:
In many science fields, the day of the individual
investigator is gone.
A team approach brings expertise that one person alone cannot deliver.
The scope of problems considered can be larger and perhaps more relevant.
The potential for funding is greater (particularly when it is multi-disciplinary
or multi-institutional).
Diverse backgrounds and viewpoints bring better solutions.
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
What Team to Build?:
Capitalize on existing strengths and interests.
Consistent with the strategic research goals of the university.
One with incentives for the members.
Provide opportunities for outreach and economic development.
Area with sustainable funding.
Solve the problems of the current century: quality of life, energy, healthcare,
food, water, shelter. (See the National Academies’ Grand Challenges.)
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
In the language of Stephen Covey,
Teams allow us to think:
WIN / WIN
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Go Out and Win.
Thank You!
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”
Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 2005.
“Leadership and Management.” http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/leadership-basics.html
(accessed 5-12-10)
National Academies of Engineering Grand Challenges. http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/
Sample, Steven B. The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
“7 Traits of Highly Successful Teams.” http://ww-success.com/blog/index.php/2007/01/17/
the-seven-traits-of-highly-effective-teams/ (accessed 5-12-10)
“Team Motivation.” by Peter Grazier. http://www.teambuildinginc.com/larticle_teammotivation.htm
(accessed 5-12-10)
Dr. Jerome Gilbert – “Building Teams”