6semper fidelis!a recipe for leading othersAubrey Da.docx

6
semper fidelis!
a recipe for leading others
Aubrey Daniels, Ph.D.
The Army infantr y used theslogan “Follow me!” during
World War II, but history shows
us that some soldiers didn’t heed
the call. On several occasions, the
officer leading a charge was shot
in the back, and not while running
from the enemy. Apparently, the
a c t o f f o l l o w i n g c o m m a n d s
leadership, and leadership is never
b e s t o w e d b y s i m p l y g i v i n g
someone a fancy title.
The U. S. Marine Corps did and
c o n t i n u e s t o d o t h i n g s a b i t
differently. The Corps’ signature
m o t t o i s “ S e m p e r F i d e l i s , ”
meaning always faithful. The
phrase seems appropriate because
faith of the followers plays a great
role in leadership. The people I
know who have retired from the
Corps still live by its standards
and continue to identify strongly
w i t h i t s v a l u e s , a n d m o s t
e v e n t u a l l y h a v e h a d t h e i r
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e C o r p s

c o m m e m o r a t e d o n t h e i r
gravestones.
This enduring loyalty was not
b o r n e f r o m s o m e m y s t e r i o u s
cosmic interaction. The Corps
knows how to systematically create
this type of loyalty. How? First, it
strips recruits of almost ever y
positively reinforcing aspect of
their lives and then makes them
earn those reinforcers back one at
a time, all the while recognizing
progress with subtle approval and
camaraderie. By the time those
recruits graduate from Marine
basic training, they’re ready to take
on the world.
Am I suggesting this is the way
to treat employees? No, but the
Marines’ approach illustrates the
p o w e r f u l i m p a c t o f p o s i t i v e
reinforcement on behavior and its
proven effect on the elusive entity
we call loyalty. Of course, the
Corps’ method is not practical for
application in the workplace, but
neither is the bulk of existing
literature regarding leadership.
That’s because many people don’t
u n d e r s t a n d t h e w o r l d s - a p a r t
difference between a manager and
a leader – and I’m not just talking
a b o u t t h o s e a t t h e t o p o f a n
organization.

M a n a g e m e n t i s r e a l l y t h e
authority granted to someone by an
organization to use consequences.
A manager has the authority to
dish out discipline, give a raise,
promote, demote and terminate.
C o m p a n i e s m a y g r a n t t h a t
authority to everyone from team
leaders to supervisors to managers
to executives. Leadership, on the
other hand, is the authority granted
by the followers for someone to use
consequences. Organizations can
make someone a manager, but
l e a d e r s h i p m u s t b e e a r n e d .
Leadership status, then, is authority
e a r n e d a n d re f l e c t e d b y t h e
voluntary loyalties that leadership
behaviors inspire and can be found
at any level of the organization.
One might describe leadership as
the ability to motivate people to do
things in the absence of direct
contingency. In other words, a
7
leader can get people to do things
when it doesn’t seem, in the
immediate present at least, to be in
their best interest to do so. For
example, if I let you lead me, I am
willing, to a certain extent, to
subjugate myself to consequences that

you put in place.
The upside of being a leader is that
leaders, I’m convinced, receive more
reinforcement from followers than do
managers. That’s primarily because
with leadership, the followers are
voluntarily led, so naturally they feel
more positive toward the leader than
they would toward a manager. Using
this definition, anybody can be a
leader. That’s why people of ten
informally grant leadership status to
a peer. Also, if a leader is the source
of frequent, timely reinforcement for
a person or a group of people,
whatever is important to the leader is
important to them.
A big downside of being a leader is
that leaders need to encourage
behaviors that favor the strategic
direction of the company, even when
those behaviors may initially be
unpopular. Leaders have to make
decisions even when the workforce
doesn’t immediately positively
reinforce them for those decisions.
Therefore, true leaders hold steady in
difficult decisions when attaining
reinforcement is not immediate.
Leaders stick to principles and values
that may temporarily take people
where they don’t necessarily want to
go. One might compare leadership
to pulling a heavy load with a string.
If you pull too hard or too suddenly,
you’ll break the string, but if you stay

in front and pull with constancy,
eventually you can move a pretty heavy
load.
One client my company worked
with, a vice president of an energy
company, would meet with his team
at the beginning of the day and tell
them, “Here’s what we need to do
today,” and then send them on their
way. In the afternoon, he would go
out in the plant to see how they were
doing and if they were doing what
he had asked of them. Basically, he
was checking to see who had made
his priority their priority and who
had put it off, most likely saying,
“Yeah I was trying to get around to
it but didn’t have time.” If your No.
1 priority is communicated and
c a r r i e d o u t , y o u h a v e w i l l i n g
followers.
How does one acquire leadership
status? It really comes down to the
consistent pairing of antecedents
(what one says will happen) and
consequences (what does happen).
A big problem in most modern
organizations is that the pairing
b e t w e e n a n t e c e d e n t s a n d
consequences is very low from the
top down. In other words, by the
time a goal is achieved by employees
down the line, the executive who
p r o m i s e d r e c o g n i t i o n f o r t h a t
a c h i e v e m e n t m a y a l r e a d y h a v e

moved on to bigger and better
things. If such oversights occur
frequently, employees no longer
take the promises, or their need to
w o r k h a r d f o r p r o m i s e d
consequences, as seriously. This is
why creating leaders at the manager
and supervisor level is so important.
The more closely managers and
supervisors pair what they say they
will do with what they actually do,
the greater chance there is of having
willing followers at the frontline.
To e a r n l e a d e r s h i p s t a t u s , a
person must consistently pair what
is said with what is done. And, of
course, the consequences have to
be to a performer’s advantage,
which means that leaders in one
way or another have to deliver
positive reinforcement. If behavior
is driven by negative reinforcement,
as soon as an employee gets away
from you, it’s over. They’re out and
gone, and they’re never looking
back.
How do you establish yourself as
a positive reinforcer? Here are three
ways to do just that:
1. Do what you say you are going
to do. The best advice is to say less
and do more. If you are in a new
position, don’t make promises
early. Unexpected events will surely

reduce trust rather than increase it.
It is also better to announce what
y o u ’ v e d o n e r a t h e r t h a n
communicate what you intend to
do.
2. Be a student. When taking
on a new role, it’s best to spend
time learning about the followers
and what they do. It has been
discovered that the single most
important leadership behavior is
monitoring – inquiring into the
relationship between the performer
and his work. Ask, “How did you
do that?” People can always teach
y o u v a l u a b l e t h i n g s a b o u t t h e
organization.
3. Discover the positive reinforcers
of the followers. We all have our
o w n u n i q u e s e t o f p o s i t i v e
reinforcers. While you don’t need
8
to know all of the reinforcers of
those you work with, you do need
to know some. Spend time learning
what they are. If you don’t know or
aren’t sure, ask. That in and of itself
is reinforcing to some.
Ultimately, history shows us that

anybody can become a leader. If you
tell people that when they do this,
a positive consequence will happen,
and sure enough it happens, then
after a period of time, people will
trust you. People eventually learn to
h a v e f a i t h i n p e o p l e w h o
consistently do what they say. Do
what you say you will do enough
times, and people will respect you.
And will remain semper fidelis.
Here are a few ways to measure
how you are doing as a leader in
creating willing followers:
1. When you communicate a priority
to your team, check later in the day to
see how many have taken action on it,
as opposed to those who make excuses
about not having time, etc. Make sure
that you positively reinforce the actors.
2. Check to see what behaviors
followers engage in to verify if those
behaviors will address the priority. We
found in a study that when a priority
was passed down three levels, only 11
percent of supervisors actually were
w o r k i n g o n b e h a v i o r s t h a t w o u l d
accomplish what the leader needed.
3. How long does it take for followers
to take action? If the followers take more
than a week to act, you have failed to
provide proper reinforcement.

4. Make a list of all the commitments
you make in meetings and individual
conversations in order to track the
percentage of your follow-through on
what you said you would do.
5. On all commitments that take some
time to complete, make a list and post
it outside your office showing weekly
progress.
6. Check how frequently peers help
others complete their priority tasks.
7. How many suggestions do followers
make for supporting the mission, vision
and values of the leader? Some managers
set a quota for ideas per week, per
supervisor or manager. This refers to ideas
t h a t b u b b l e u p w i t h o u t a s k i n g ,
demanding or setting quotas.
Aubrey Daniels, a thought leader
and internationally recognized
expert on management, leadership,
safety and workplace issues, is
considered an authority on human
behavior in the workplace. As
founder of his consulting firm,
Aubrey Daniels International, he
and his staff help organizations
employ the timeless principles of
behavioral science to re-energize
t h e w o r k p l a c e , o p t i m i z e
performance and achieve lasting

results. Aubrey actively blogs about
performance systems, workplace
safety and management issues, is
frequently inter viewed for major
media outlets, and pens a regular
guest blog for Talent Management
Magazine.
In addition to being a highly sought
after keynote speaker at major
a s s o c i a t i o n , c o n f e r e n c e a n d
educational events, Aubrey is the
author of six best-selling books
widely recognized as international
management classics: Performance
Management: Changing Behavior
T h a t D r i v e s O r g a n i z a t i o n a l
Effectiveness, Bringing out the Best
i n Pe o p l e : H o w t o A p p l y t h e
A sto n i s h i n g Pow e r o f Po s i t i ve
Reinforcement ; Other People’s
Habits, Measure of a Leader, Oops!
13 Management Practices that
Waste Time and Money (and what
t o d o i n s t e a d ) , a n d S a f e b y
Accident? His books have been
translated into Japanese, Chinese,
Korean, Spanish and French and
have been licensed in China, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Romania
and Saudi Arabia.
Copyright of Supervision is the property of National Research
Bureau and its content may not
be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv

without the copyright holder's
express written permission. However, users may print,
download, or email articles for
individual use.
MHR 6451, Human Resource Management Methods 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Propose leadership theories that could advance employee
motivation.
Reading Assignment
The following videos and articles were mentioned in the Unit
VII Lesson and are required reading for this unit.
In order to access the following resources, click the links
below.
Please watch the video below (from 0:00 to 10:31).
Charisma on Command. (2015, January 4). Steve Jobs
leadership skills breakdown – How to motivate people
[Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLERJ5IdrA&feature=yout
u.be
To view the transcript of the video above, click here.
Daniels, A. (2014). Semper fidelis! A recipe for leading others.
Supervision, 75(9), 6-8. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://s
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=97519935&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Klindt, S. (2013, December 12). Motivation, Maslow, & movies
https://youtu.be/RfDS9r4Tz_g
Morgan, S. (2014, February 25). Ten leadership theories in five
minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/xB-
YhBbtfXE?list=PLA5PQZ0ACS4bGQIUoWn9vPlEWrHdNg5lE
Redd, K. (2014, January 13). Robert Greenleaf: The father of a
movement [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/x3xq0B1i-
rs?list=PLA5PQZ0ACS4bGQIUoWn9vPlEWrHdNg5lE

Royal Society of Arts [The RSA]. (2010, April 1). RSA
animate: Drive: The surprising truth about what
motivates us [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc
UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE
Theories of Leadership
and Employee Motivation
u.be
https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/CSU_Content/courses/Busi
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_SteveJobsLeadershipTranscr
ipt.pdf
earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=9751
9935&site=ehost-live&scope=site
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_KlindtTranscript.pdf

ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_MorganTranscript.pdf
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_ReddTranscript.pdf
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_RSATranscript.pdf
Washington, R. R. (2007). Empirical relationships between
theories of servant, transformational, and
transactional leadership. Academy of Management Annual
Meeting Proceedings, 1-6. Retrieved from
Webb, K. (2007). Motivating peak performance: Leadership
behaviors that stimulate employee motivation and
performance. Christian Higher Education, 6(1), 53-71.
Retrieved from
t=true&db=a9h&AN=23893813&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Unit Lesson
In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

College of Business – CSU. (2016, September 1). Theories of
Leadership and employee motivation [Video
file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/O45z_GFuOdI
To view the transcripts for this video, click here.
Employee Motivation
Hierarchy of needs: Whenever we think of theories involving
employee motivation, the most popular theories
and their creators come to mind: Abraham Maslow and
Frederick Herzberg. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is
the most famous example of a motivational theory in
psychology, and it reasons that people aim to meet basic
needs, but they also work continuously to meet higher needs as
well (Maslow, 1971).
In Maslow’s (1971) paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” he
posed the idea that human activities are
directed toward goal fulfillment. The five levels of need listed
below include what Maslow refers to as
deficiency needs (D-needs) because their absence of
gratification causes a shortage that motivates people to
meet these needs. Physiological needs tend to be satisfied for
most people and are found on the bottom rung
of the hierarchy; these include daily requirements such as air,
food, and water. When physiological and safety
needs are not met, they become paramount to existence
(Maslow, 1971).
When the first two levels are met, belongingness needs, such as
finding friendships, love, and family
relationships, become important. Recognition from others,
confidence, achievement, and self-esteem are

sought in the esteem needs level (Maslow, 1971). The highest
level is driven by a desire to grow personally
and to become the best human being one is capable of
becoming. In Maslow’s later years, self-actualization
expanded as he continued to study individuals who he believed
demonstrated various levels of
transcendence (Chapman, n.d.; Maslow, 1971).
According to Maslow (1971), the five levels of needs are shown
below.
-actualization: This level includes morality, creativity,
truth, meaning, wisdom, and personal
growth.
-
esteem, achievement, respect, and reputation.
receive love, friendship, and family, and it
also includes the need to belong.
medical insurance, health, and a safe
living environment.
sleep, and other factors toward
homeostasis.
For a lighter look at an application of Maslow’s theory, watch
the video below.
Klindt, S. (2013, December 12). Motivation, Maslow, & movies

earch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=2389
https://youtu.be/O45z_GFuOdI
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_TheoriesOfLeadership_Trans
cript.pdf
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_KlindtTranscript.pdf
Two-factor theory: Frederick Herzberg was a practicing
manager, a professor of management, and the
creator of the motivation hygiene theory. Herzberg is also
regarded as the father of the job enrichment

principle. Herzberg’s research identified two groups of factors
that affect motivation: hygiene factors and
motivator factors (Bolman & Deal, 1997).
A lack of hygiene factors will result in dissatisfaction.
Existence of hygiene factors must be in place for
employees to be satisfied; however, they do not inevitably lead
to motivation. True motivators include having
a sense of achievement, being given responsibility, being given
recognition, being interested in the job, and
advancing in the position and/or field. Motivators are more
powerful than hygiene factors.
For example, if an employee is being paid below the current
wage scale for his or her position, it is probable
that he or she will not be motivated until his or her rate of pay
is brought up to the fair rate of pay. However, if
the wages received by the employee are perceived as fair, and
that employee receives a pay raise, it would
not result in a lasting motivational effect. Why? According to
Herzberg, money is a hygiene or maintenance
factor—not a motivator (Bolman & Deal, 1997).
Herzberg suggested that when the hygiene factors are met—
meaning that the employee’s motivation with the
work environment is not below average—then the employer
should concentrate on acknowledging the
employee’s accomplishments and offer opportunities for the
employee to learn and advance. Hygiene factors
relate to a work environment. As described in Maslow’s theory
of the hierarchy of needs, an appropriate
working environment provides employees with basic
physiological and safety needs as well as a sense of
belonging and friendship. In this regard, Maslow and
Herzberg’s theories were similar (Kermally, 2005; Landy
& Trumbo, 1976).

Equity theory: Another theory we have already introduced
briefly in this course was John Stacey Adams’
equity theory, which focuses on the perception of fairness. Who
can forget Dr. Frans de Waal’s fairness
studies during which inequity was created between the capuchin
monkeys? It is not the reward that motivates,
but it is the perception—and not just the perception of the
reward itself; it includes a comparison of the efforts
that went into achieving the reward as well as the efforts and
rewards of others who matter.
Evolved morality includes reciprocity and fairness, empathy and
consolation, and prosocial tendencies. This
can get pretty complicated since perceptions are difficult to
predict. For example, how someone will react to a
given motivator is difficult to predict since it is based on an
inference, and the person does not have all of the
information about how others are rewarded. There may be some
who are more sensitive to equity matters
than others, and there may even be some who are willing to
overlook temporary inequities under the condition
that things are anticipated to work out in the long-term.
With so many theories and models of motivation available, is it
possible to select one that can be used for all
individuals? A review of international comparative management
conducted by Muscalu & Muntean (2013)
found that one model of motivation cannot be applied to all
individuals without taking into account each
individual’s motivation. Knowing how to correctly apply
individual and collective organizational motivation
ensures responsible engagement in fulfilling duties,
consistency, and performance by producing individual
and organizational results. Motivation is a vital component in
the process of human development as well as

the policies of human resources (HR) management.
Even today, aspects of Maslow and Herzberg’s theories of
employee motivation are often combined or reveal
themselves in results of research studies conducted. One
example can be found in the research study that is
discussed in the video indicated below.
Leadership Theories
The purpose motive that was mentioned in the video by Dan
Pink (as cited in Royal Society of Arts, 2010)
consists of challenge, mastery, and making a contribution; these
are the truths behind what motivates people
today. What, then, does an organization and its leadership need
to do to advance this type of motivation? If
this type of environment attracts and motivates the best and
brightest individuals, what type of leader is
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_RSATranscript.pdf

needed to create and sustain the atmosphere? Is there a theory
of leadership that fits well into this
environment? A quick overview of leadership theories can be
found in the video indicated below.
Morgan, S. (2014, February 25). Ten leadership theories in five
minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from
As you can surmise, not all of these theories assume that leaders
would be tolerant of employees having
autonomy, which is the desire to be self-directed or to direct
their own lives. This comes along with the
purpose motive. Perhaps we need to explore the various types of
leadership found in organizations; in some
cases, there are organizations that define themselves by their
level of leadership. That is what we hear
according to Dr. John Maxwell. Let’s explore what he has to say
about the five levels of leadership. You can
watch Dr. Maxwell present his leadership theory in the video
indicated below.
JohnMaxwellCo. (2013, September 10). John Maxwell the 5
levels of leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/aPwXeg8ThWI
To learn why it is important to create leaders at the manager
and supervisor levels, three ways you can
establish yourself as a positive reinforcer, and how to measure

just how well you are doing as a leader in
creating followers, read the following short article by Aubrey
Daniels (2014). Daniels is an internationally
known expert on leadership, management, safety, and workplace
issues, and she is considered to be an
authority on human behavior in the workplace. This article can
be accessed by clicking the link in the
reference below.
Supervision, 75(9), 6-8. Retrieved from
Studies that support leadership theories: The purpose of the
following study was to examine the impact of
leader behavior (i.e., transformational, transactional, and
laissez-faire models) on motivational levels of
employees in colleges and universities. Leadership behaviors
were reduced from nine factors to four
significant leadership variables for deliberation by leaders who
wanted to increase employee motivation
(Webb, 2007).
Retrieved from
t=true&db=a9h&AN=23893813&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Webb’s (2007) motivating peak performance study gives leaders
an advantage in knowing how to motivate
their workers. The results may give you pause to think of a few
famous leaders who may have demonstrated
some of these attributes. Watch the video below to see an
example of one such leader.
Charisma on Command. (2015, January 4). Steve Jobs
leadership skills breakdown – How to motivate people
u.be
According to Hesselbein, Goldsmith, and Beckhard (1996) in
their book titled The Leader of the Future,
leadership is a process—not a place on an organizational chart;
it is something that must be done by all. They
applaud the powerful metaphor of the leader-as-servant, as
described by Robert Greenleaf, because it
corresponds to their illustration of the future de-jobbed
organization, which is a constantly changing
environment of knowledge-based work done by cross-functional
teams rather than having the industrial
positions and jobs. This de-jobbed environment requires many
more leaders with sophisticated skills;
everyone will be a leader. Hesselbein et al. (1996) foresee the
knowledge worker being attracted to the
entrepreneurial organizations and as having the temperaments
and personal values natural to this kind of
servant leadership. They predict it is “nurture” that will create
the kinds of leaders needed in de-jobbed

ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_MorganTranscript.pdf
https://youtu.be/aPwXeg8ThWI
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_JohnMaxwellTranscript.pdf
u.be
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_SteveJobsLeadershipTranscr
ipt.pdf
organizations (Hesselbein et al., 1996).
To give you a better introduction to servant leadership, watch
the video below.
Redd, K. (2014, January 13). Robert Greenleaf: The father of a

movement [Video file]. Retrieved from
A study by Washington (2007) found that servant leadership
positively related to transformational leadership,
contingent reward leadership, and active management-by-
exception leadership as perceived by employees.
To learn more, please read the article below.
Meeting Proceedings, 1-6. Retrieved from
References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1997). Reframing organizations:
Artistry, choice, and leadership. San Francisco,
CA: Wiley.
Chapman, A. (n.d.). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Retrieved
from http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm
Supervision, 75(9), 6-8.

Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M., & Beckhard, R. (Eds.). (1996).
The leader of the future. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Kermally, S. (2005). Gurus on people management. Retrieved
from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/columbiasu/detail.action?docID=1008
8338&p00=kermally
Landy, F. J., & Trumbo, D. A. (1976). Psychology of work
behavior. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
Maslow, A. H. (1971). The farther reaches of human nature.
New York, NY: Penguin.
Muscalu, E., & Muntean, S. (2013). Motivation – A stimulating
factor for increasing human resource
management performance. Review of International Comparative
Management/Revista De
Management Comparat International, 14(2), 303-309.
Ramlall, S. (2004). A review of employee motivation theories
and their implications for employee retention
within organizations. Journal of American Academy of
Business, Cambridge, 5(1/2), 52-63.

Meeting Proceedings, 1-6.
Suggested Reading
In order to access the following resources, click the links
below.
Public service motivation is a newer theory that can affect
management practices. This article looks at this
ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_ReddTranscript.pdf

and how transformational leadership combined with public
service motivation can affect employee motivation.
Paarlberg, L.E., & Lavigna, B. (2010). Transformational
leadership and public service motivation: Driving
individual and organizational performance. Public
Administration Review, 70(5), 710-718. Retrieved
from
Learning Activities (Non-Graded)
Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in
their course of study. You do not have to
submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for
further guidance and information.
Check for Understanding: Crossword Puzzle
Click here to download a crossword puzzle that reinforces the
terms covered in this unit. You can also
complete an interactive version of this crossword puzzle by
clicking here.

ness/MHR/MHR6451/16P/UnitVII_CheckForUnderstanding_Cro
sswordPuzzle.pdf
http://play.shareapuzzle.com/55083/UnitVIICheckForUnderstan
ding.htm

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