Managing Physical Education, Fitness, and Sports Programs

The Nature of Leadership and Management

Administration and Management are used synonymous

l   Administration often used to describe the management functions in government and schools

l   Management often used to describe the management function in business and industry

Leadership

l   Aspect of Administration and Management

l   Ability to lead

l   Show the way, direct the course, by going before or going along with

l   To conduct or guide

l   To direct, as by persuasion or influence, to a course of action or thought

All managers and administrators are leaders but not all leaders are managers or administrators

Types of Leaders

l   Charismatic – can be an influential force in the organization because people informally endow them with leadership power.

l   Charisma may come from charm, wealth, wit, appearance, intelligence, appearance, or a combination

l   Positional leaders need to recognize that some in their group may be charismatic

Types of Leaders

l   Positional – is placed in a power position as the result of an election or appointment

l   Examples: 

   Line-level worker promoted to supervisor or foreman

   Prince inherits the throne a king or queen

Administration/Management

l   The act of arranging and organizing materials and conditions so that the goals and purposes of an organization may be achieved

l   An art and a science

l   Leading and working with people, planning for and providing resources, and the organizing and controlling the resources toward the desired outcome

As an Art

l   Requires the exercise of intuitive faculties that cannot be learned solely by study.

l   They can be improved by studying and employing a system of principles and methods. 

As a Science

l   Social science

l   System of concepts, premises, principles, and expert opinions used to relate to people in order to achieve organizational goals

l   Logical reasoning and analytical methods for problem solving

Why study Administration?

l   To gain a theoretical foundation

l   To acquire leadership skills required in Entry-level positions

l   To improve as a participant in the group process

l   To manage your personal life

Leadership Opportunities in Activity-Based Programs

l   School Systems:  Directors, Chairs, Coaches

l   Health and Fitness Industry:  Entrepreneurs, CEOs, Fitness Directors, Strength and Conditioning Coaches

l   Sports:  (Clubs, Professional) Business managers, Promoters, Coaches, Personnel

Power, Authority, and The Director

l   Power and Authority are essential

l   A director without authority is only a record keeper and a messenger between the organization and one who holds authority

Nature of Power and Authority

l   Authority is defined as the right to control the use of resources, to set program direction, and to enforce established policies and regulations of the organization

l   Director gains authority by the process of delegation

Example of Delegation

l   Legislature

l   Board of Education

l   Superintendent

l   Principle

l   Physical Education and Athletic Directors

Power

l   The ability or official capacity to exercise control or authority

   Director should have control over personnel, program, and facilities that constitute the full scope of administration

   The greater the director’s ability to satisfy the needs and desires of others, the more power he or she has

   Power may come from position, or from a following

   The director’s influence downward is proportional to his or her influence upward

   Power and authority cannot be delegated, but the right to assume power and authority can be:  it takes action on the part of the director to use the power available

Ethics in Administration

l   Ethics are principle of right and wrong in conduct

   Includes duties, obligations, rights, and responsibilities

   In decision making, words like ought, should, fair, unfair are used

   Ethics is applied to professional conduct, whereas morality is applied to personal conduct

l   Ethics are based on legal requirements, moral requirements, and social/cultural considerations.

Why is it important to be ethical?

l   People need to know what to expect when confronted with a specific set of factors.

l   Individuals, organizations, and societies must behave ethically to  bring order and consistency to situations.

Why do we regularly read  and hear of unethical behavior by officials, leaders, and sports figures?

l   People confronted with ambiguous situations

l   When an organization has no clearly defined standard of conduct or clearly stated expectations

l   Organizations are developing codes of ethics which guide all activities carried out by employees.

Principles and Guidelines concerning ethics

l   Example:  Northrop Corporation’s code of ethics.

   “…every individual is responsible for both the integrity and the consequences of his or her actions.”  (principle)

   “Employees will not use company information, property, or services for personal gain: the unauthorized removal of company materials, supplies, or equipment is prohibited  (guideline)

Communicate the Standards of Conduct

l   Written code of ethics

l   Nurturing ethical behavior in the environment of the organization

l   By example:  Ethical behavior begins on top

Resource over which the Director has power

l   Knowledge

   Of the future concerning program budget, facilities and equipment changes, hiring, cutbacks, priorities, etc.

   Do not blame an individual for bad times; give credit to subordinates for the good things that happen to the organization

Budget

l   Allocation of funds concerns every employee

l   Director has responsibility to share funds equitably

l   Those affected should have input in establishing guidelines for resource allocation

l   May reward some for greater responsibility, productivity, etc.

Task Assignments

l   Productive employees should be rewarded with prime assignments

l   Non-preferred tasks should not be assigned in a vindictive spirit

l   Inform why assignments were given

l   A tool for encouragement and discouragement

Defense

l   Defender of the organizational unit

l   Represents the consensus of the department members

l   Supports the personal aspirations of the individuals as long as they do not diverge from the objectives of the organization

   Objective (def): being the aim or goal

l   Director is in a position to know what is best for the department; if unselfish

Communication

l   Communicate to the outside world through newspapers, alumni, professional organizations, school and business leaders, and central administrators

l   Voice of the organizational entity who gives advice, provides information, and influences others.

Committee Appointments

l   Places people on important committees, usually those people who represent the views of the director

l   Adversaries given non-influential committees

Leadership Styles

Authoritarian Style of Management

l   Have the initial and final voice in all decision making

l   Have absolute authority and power

l   Their rule can be either oppressive or benevolent

Oppressive dictator

l   Very little if any consultation with this type of dictator

l   Rigid chain of command

l   Subordinates are to do as they are told without objection; otherwise they are removed from the organization

l   Surrounds self with “Yea”-sayers

l   Opinions and participation of the majority relative to rule or governance are not sought nor tolerated

Benevolent dictator

l   Similar to the oppressive dictator in that strict obedience to rules and policies is expected

l   Opinions of a very few are sought

l   People in organization are treated as children

l   There is a sincere concern for the welfare of the subordinates in the organizational unit

Participatory Style of Management

l   This style is the American way

l   It is democratic in nature

l   Requires more effort from each individual in the group

l   It is slower and more inefficient; especially when the organization becomes larger

l   Managers must motivate their subordinates to participate fully by doing homework before casting their input into the decision making process

Role of Director in Participatory Management

l    Director must make it clear that he or she is the decision-maker of the unit.

l    Must see that every member has the opportunity to participate in the process of making and revising policies

l    Involve every person in the decision making who will be affected by the decision

l    A member who doesn’t participate fails to input their ideas, but the final decision rests with the director

 

l   One person must make the decision because of accountability; a vote of the majority will make it difficult to have someone claim responsibility

l   A considerate leader who is devoted to the welfare of the employees will have an effective group

l   An effective staff will establish worthy goals, and encouraged and assisted in meeting those goals.

Reasons why Participatory Management is recommended

l   Members of an organization more readily accept decisions

l   Creativity and initiative are enhanced

l   Program continuity is maintained

l   It is compatible with the freedom of living in America

 

Anarchic Style of Management

l   Characterized by leaderless management

l   Means absence of any form of authority; typified by disorder and confusion

l   Laissez-faire: the policy or practice of letting people act without interference or direction

l   “I just hire good people and then get out of their way and don’t interfere.”

l   Coordinate effort by a group of people cannot occur without someone leading.

What is Servant-Leadership?

l   Servant-Leadership is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions. 

l   Servant-leaders may or may not hold formal leadership positions.

l   Servant-leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment

l   Robert Greenleaf, the man who coined the phrase, described servant-leadership in this way.
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.  Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.  He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.  For such it will be a later choice to serve – after leadership is established.  The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types.  Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

l    The difference manifest itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.  The best test, and difficult to administer , is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not be further deprived?”
 Taken from the Servant As Leader published by Robert Greenleaf in 1970

Jesus’ Leadership Style

l   John 13: 3-8;12-17 

 Larry Spears, the CEO of the Greenleaf Center, describes servant-leadership in this way.

l     “As we near the end of the twentieth century, we are beginning to see that traditional autocratic and hierarchical modes of leadership are slowly yielding to a newer model – one that attempts to simultaneously enhance the personal growth of workers and improve the quality and caring of our many institutions through a combination of teamwork and community, personal involvement in decision making, and ethical and caring behavior.  This emerging approach to leadership and service is called servant-leadership." Taken from the Introduction to Reflections on Leadership published by John Wiley in 1995.

Guidelines for managerial decisions and actions

l   Statements that offer the decision-maker direction:

   Principles

   Policies

   Standards or benchmarks

   Procedures

   Rules

Principles

l   Generalizations or hypotheses that have been tested for accuracy and appear to be true in reflecting or explaining reality

l   A fundamental truth, law, doctrine, or motivating force, upon which others are based

l   A rule of conduct

Example of a Principle:

l   Everyone affected by a decision should have an opportunity for involvement in making the decision

 

Policies

l   Are statements that guide or channel thinking and action in decision making based on hypotheses, principles, truths, facts, expert opinion.

l   Wise, expedient, or prudent conduct or management

l   A principle, plan, or course of action, as pursued by a government, organization, individual, etc.

Example of a Policy:

l   No employee shall accept any gift or money from a merchant or supplier at any time except for token gifts of nominal or minimal value

Standards or Benchmarks

l   A requirement of some degree or level of excellence or attainment

l   A normal or acceptable level of quality or performance

l   Not as stable as a principle, and subject to frequent change

l   Benchmark: a requirement of some degree or level of excellence or attainment more specific than a standard.

Example of a Standard:

l   Applicants for the advertised position must have a bachelor’s degree

Example of a Benchmark:

l   Applicants for the advertised position must have a bachelor’s degree in corporate fitness

 

Procedures

l   Methods or techniques for conducting activities, and describe the exact manner in which a certain activity must be accomplished.

Example of a Procedure:

l   When an applicant for an advertised position is received, a letter of acknowledgement is sent to the applicant.

Rules

l   An authoritative directive regarding conduct or procedure

l   Established by the local organizational unit

l   More subject to change

Example of a Rule:

l   On the baseball field there will be no pepper games in front of  the seating areas

Guideline

l   A standard or principle by which to make a judgment or determine a policy or course of action