Leadership Approach and the Diamond Model Rockfish Background Thoughts I was pleased when I thought about how well last week went with the new mentoring program. The others leaders seem to be happy as well.  Josie Jasper, head of shipping, expressed as much. Josie commented that she had not known about the idea behind Flatarchies. She struggled with transition problems in her department.  She thought she might review the idea some more.    So far so good Rockfish mused.  Implied in last week’s work Rockfish noted was the important idea of a leader’s approach.  Leadership theories can help a leader begin to frame a way of thinking about leading others but leadership is far more complex.  The leader must approach leadership as an attitude if they are going to be successful.  Separate from leadership style he thought, a leader needs to define leading for one’s self.  Exposure to Clawson’s Diamond Model of Leadership will be the focus of this week’s take away. Clawson, Rockfish remembered in his book “The Three Levels of Leadership”, makes the point that leadership is an approach (point of view) whose value lies not in the position a person holds but in the attitude.  Further, a leader will never be successful if they do not manage their own energy as well as those around them. This week’s agenda will start with the idea that a leadership approach is necessary for success. THEME ONE: A leadership approach is a way of looking at the world around us. Most people when thinking of leaders focus on the idea of the CEO, people in the positions 10,000 feet up in the organization.  However, Clawson (2009) suggested that leadership is not about position but about approach.  People who inhabit positions of authority may or may not be leaders.   This week our discussion will focus on what is meant by a leadership approach and wat it is not. A leadership approach is, as Clawson (2009) suggested, a habitual way of seeing the world around us much like the answer to the glass is half-full or half empty question.  An approach to leadership may bias the way we perceive our relationships, work habits, and leadership skills. The approach of a leader is most often seen in their attitude.  So, what exactly is a leadership approach?  Well, Clawson first defined it by showing how the attitude of the leader differs from other persons in an organization.  Below is a short comparison chart that helps summarize the attitude cues of those people that may appear in an organization. Attitude Language Cues Follower What do you want me to do? Do I get more authority? Can you clear the obstacles from upstairs in getting this done? Bureaucrat That’s not my job. Have you filled out the form yet? I’ll pass that along. We’ve never done it that way before. Administrator What did we do last time? What is the rule on that? This is too different than what we have done before? Contrarian That will never work! It will take too long. Well I hate to play Devil’s Advocate... That ...

1. Leadership Approach and the Diamond Model
Rockfish Background Thoughts
I was pleased when I thought about how well last week went
with the new mentoring program. The others leaders seem to be
happy as well. Josie Jasper, head of shipping, expressed as
much. Josie commented that she had not known about the idea
behind Flatarchies. She struggled with transition problems in
her department. She thought she might review the idea some
more.
So far so good Rockfish mused. Implied in last week’s work
Rockfish noted was the important idea of a leader’s approach.
Leadership theories can help a leader begin to frame a way of
thinking about leading others but leadership is far more
complex. The leader must approach leadership as an attitude if
they are going to be successful. Separate from leadership style
he thought, a leader needs to define leading for one’s self.
Exposure to Clawson’s Diamond Model of Leadership will be
the focus of this week’s take away. Clawson, Rockfish
remembered in his book “The Three Levels of Leadership”,
makes the point that leadership is an approach (point of view)
whose value lies not in the position a person holds but in the
attitude. Further, a leader will never be successful if they do
not manage their own energy as well as those around them.
This week’s agenda will start with the idea that a leadership
approach is necessary for success.
THEME ONE: A leadership approach is a way of looking at the
world around us.
Most people when thinking of leaders focus on the idea of the
CEO, people in the positions 10,000 feet up in the organization.

2. However, Clawson (2009) suggested that leadership is not
about position but about approach. People who inhabit
positions of authority may or may not be leaders.
This week our discussion will focus on what is meant by a
leadership approach and wat it is not.
A leadership approach is, as Clawson (2009) suggested, a
habitual way of seeing the world around us much like the
answer to the glass is half-full or half empty question. An
approach to leadership may bias the way we perceive our
relationships, work habits, and leadership skills. The approach
of a leader is most often seen in their attitude. So, what exactly
is a leadership approach? Well, Clawson first defined it by
showing how the attitude of the leader differs from other
persons in an organization. Below is a short comparison chart
that helps summarize the attitude cues of those people that may
appear in an organization.
Attitude
Language Cues
Follower
What do you want me to do?
Do I get more authority?
Can you clear the obstacles from upstairs in getting this done?
Bureaucrat
That’s not my job.
Have you filled out the form yet?
I’ll pass that along.
We’ve never done it that way before.
Administrator
What did we do last time?
What is the rule on that?
This is too different than what we have done before?
Contrarian
That will never work!

3. It will take too long.
Well I hate to play Devil’s Advocate...
That is a terrible idea.
Manager
What do I have to do?
Who will get it done right?
How much time and money will it cost?
How best will it get done?
Leader
There are things to be done.
What are all the forces at play in the situation?
What action can I do that make things better?
(Source: Clawson, 2009)
Look at the differences in the perspective that each person
possesses. The leader’s approach is positive in nature and
action oriented. Leaders look for what is needed in the
organization to accomplish the vision. A leader’s approach is
not dependent on others telling them what is needed. They
instinctively look for themselves. It is proactive in nature.
Leaders always look at the big picture when they approach
decisions no matter how large or small. They look for all the
forces at play. A leader’s approach works best with an open
mind to new ideas both from inside the organization and from
the community of which it is a part. For instance, you as new
employees may see areas of improvement in the departments
that you head. You may present new ideas that are rejected.
The idea may seem feasible to you within the context of your
department, but when the idea is viewed in the context of the
complete operation of the company it may simply not work.
Continually broadening your perspective, through
communication with others and through research will make the
next proposal more effective. Knowing all the forces at play
produces effective decisions.
A leader’s approach is always future oriented. A leader must

4. anchor their approach in the vision. Looking at a problem
should always have the component question of how can the
solution benefit the company’s journey to accomplishing the
mission?
Finally, a leader’s approach does not come from his or her
authority but from their actions. The actions of a leader should
always place the benefit of the organization and its people first.
As you begin to complete the work this week, contemplate if
you have a leadership approach or are you leading from the
position you hold.
Read:
Boss, J. (2015, Feb. 17). How To Lead When You're Not A
Leader
Folkman, J. (2016, Feb. 3). 5 Attitudes That Define Great
Leaders
Attitude in Leadership: Facing Life With The Right Mind
Wolf, A. (2009, Mar 25). Leadership is an Action, Not a
Position
Ambler, G. (2013, June 14). How the Leadership Gurus Define
Leadership
THEME TWO: The Diamond Model of Leadership is the frame
for the GDD’s leadership picture because it presents a flexible
model for effective leadership.
Elements of Effective Leadership
After such an intense discussion of leadership models in week
one you must be asking yourself why now are we hearing about
the Diamond Model of Leadership if this is GDD’s model?
Well, the truth is no one leadership model works well for all
people or situations. GDD favors this model for its working
framework. Its use does not preclude the use of other models
that may be complementary to you or GDD. The reason that the
Diamond Theory is good for GDD is that it is flexible and it
emphasizes people, situations, and strategies. The model

5. combines many of the major precepts of the leadership theories
while being applicable to leaders at all levels of an
organization. The model is practical as well as theoretical. Set
up like a diamond, Clawson’s model shows how a leader
interfaces with tasks, others and the organization to lead a
group or company toward effective completion of the vision.
In the weeks to come we will exam the various aspects of the
elements of effective leadership detailed in the model, but for
now let us review the journey that an effective leader takes to
accomplish the vision.
It is important to start not with the diamond itself, but with the
backdrop upon which it sits: the business environment. As we
surmised in our discussion of the evolution of leadership
theories, an effective leader is a product of the business
landscape in which they exist; what worked in the 20th century
leader will not necessarily work in the 21st century. Today’s
business environment is characterized by fast-past change,
technological disruption, and the development of human
resources. Hence, the effective leader must master these factors
if they are going to be successful.
Clawson (2009) suggested that the way to control the
environmental factors for any business is to interface oneself,
the tasks, the organization and others. Weave these factors well
and effective leadership will produce results. The interface
works as follows.
An effective leader starts with self. The SELF in the diamond
model refers to the personal soft skills an individual possesses.
The way we think, our approach, our personality, the way we
walk, dress or speak all contribute to how well we lead others.
Understanding one’s personal characteristics suggests to others
that the journey toward a vision is worth the ride. However,
personal leadership skills are not enough. A leader must also

6. know what needs to be done to accomplish the vision.
The TASK in the model represents possible topics and projects
that must be completed to accomplish a leader’s vision. An
effective leader identifies the tasks by deciding where they wish
to place their time, talent, and energy as well as that of others
within the organization. The axis line that connects Self with
Task is the “strategic thinking process” that a leader uses to
create objectives that others will want to complete. If a leader
has created a “story” or direction of where the group is going,
then the northeast axis has been “formed”. If a leader fails to
complete the formation of the quadrant, then there is no story to
tell and therefore nowhere to lead others.
Once a leader has the direction of the “story” he must look to
OTHERS. How can I “sell” my story to others to get the tasks
done? Just as we have looked at our own personal
characteristics, it is equally important to look at those with
whom we must relate to accomplish the tasks. Each of these
people has a style, a way of thinking; an attitude. Remember
our attitude chart - how well we as leaders chose to know these
people will govern our relationship with them. The Others does
not just contain employees. It also includes stakeholders.
Okay, we have our self-description, we have our “story”, we
could sell the story to others, but things are not set yet.
Leadership is not over. We now must journey to the Southern
part of the quadrant to visit the ORGANIZATION. The best of
strategic plans and leaders can die in the organization. The
Organization circle represents all the processes and systems a
business may possess. The hiring system, the processes and the
information systems are just a few examples. This aspect also
includes the culture or atmosphere of an organization which
Clawson notes will “eat strategy for breakfast”. The north-south
axis line represents the leader’s ability to design organizations
that facilitate the implementation of the “strategic story”

7. effectively.
The southwest axis represents the relationship between members
of the organization and the organization itself. Just how
committed is an employee to the organization? The level of
commitment of an employee is comprised of how well the
employee is attached to others and the work of the organization.
To some, the commitment goes as far as the paycheck to others
it is everything. The more the leader can create commitment
among others the greater the chance the tasks will be completed
and completed well.
Finally, at the end of the journey if all the circles have been
visited successfully the leader will see RESULTS. They can be
intangible like the business reputation or concrete like customer
satisfaction and retention.
Read:
The Four Wheel Drive Diamond in the Rough Model
Morrison, J. L. (2010, Aug 7). Book review, The three levels of
leadership. Journal of Education for Business, p. 62-64.
Retrieved from EBSCO database.
References:
Clawson, J. G. (2009). Level three leadership: Getting below
the surface (4th ed.). Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education.
Learning Activity 1 Theme One: A leadership approach is a
way of looking at the world around us.
Are you a leader? The point to the quiz below is to determine if
you have a leader’s perspective in your approach to situations
and people. Take the quiz and share your ideas about the quiz
and the type of results provided. The questions asked of you
have several characteristics of a leader’s attitude that have been
researched to mark a leader rather than a follower.
Review the questions and list three characteristics the test
examined. Share examples of questions that support your

8. selections of characteristics.
Are you a Leader?
In the following quiz, you are evaluated in terms of the leader
and follower relationship. Take the quiz and then share your
thoughts on the quiz. Consider the focus of the questions and
discuss whether there are times when a leader is also a
follower? Be sure to use the course readings to support your
answers.
Are You a Leader or a Follower?
Read:
5 Reasons Leaders Become Followers
Learning Activity 2 Theme Two: The Diamond Model of
Leadership is the framework for the GDD’s leadership picture
because it presents a flexible model for effective leadership.
Compare the Diamond model with two other leadership models
and explain how the Diamond model fits the GDD leader the
best. Support your reasoning with the course readings.