As a Leader: Influencing Behavior in the 21st Century

Course details

Let me tell you astory. I worked for an organization that had many teams. I was fortunate enoughto work within two teams that were polar opposites; this gave me a firmunderstanding of the effects that leadership had on human behavior. Leadershipin the first team was commanding and controlling, while leadership in thesecond team was trusting and empowering. The second team could connect employeevalues to the overall objective, which in turn influenced employee attitudes,commitment, and trust. The result was higher morale, productivity, retention,and loyalty within an effective and unified team. Leadership in the second teamknew, that when you understand why people behave, you are better prepared toinfluence how people behave. The field of understanding and influencingbehaviors is called Organizational Behavior, and as a leader, it is imperativeto understand how to influence behaviors - ethically. Of course, you cancommand and control your employees, but such transactional leadership often devalueshuman potential and innovation when used exclusively. Influencing behavior inthe 21st century begins with thestudy of knowledge about your employees and the application of behavioralmodification techniques.

My name is KennethWarren and I'm an MBA student in Arlington, Virginia. I earned a Bachelor ofScience in Management after an enlistment in the United States Army and adeployment to Afghanistan. Before that, I was a in a band for nearly ten years.We toured the US, the Middle East, and Asia; performed with international actssuch as Bon Jovi and the Gin Blossoms; and were featured on TV networks such asMTV and E! Entertainment.

Because of my exposureto diverse leadership styles, I decided to utilize my management background tocreate a course that helps leaders transform their leadership position into arole that influences organizational behavior. The course material demonstratesthis through the study and application of the following behavioral elements: Ibegin with a discussion on values and personality, then I dive into theimportance of emotional intelligence. Influencing perception, attitude, andmotivation are explored. Then I talk about the behavioral effects of stress andtrust. Finally, I explain the significance of effective communication and howit can be used to ethically persuade employee behaviors. These topics arecrucial in prolonging a positive impact on your employees, and the learningobjective is to help you do that.

It doesn't matter ifyou are a new or seasoned leader - if you aren't familiar with these topics andhow you can utilize them to influence behavior, then this course is for you. Ifyou are familiar with these topics, then a new perspective may help you approachuncooperative employees with a fresh mentality.

By the end of thecourse you will be equipped to:

Influencing Behaviorin the 21st Century:

• Understand the connection between leadership and organizational behavior.

Assumptions& Values:

• Make the connection between values and behavior.
• Conduct an audit of your values.
• Connect employee values to organizational objectives.

Personality:

• Gain insight into your personality and your employees' personalities.
• Think of your personality as a brand to be managed with personality regulators.
• Implement employees according to their personality strengths, while developing weaker traits.
• Work with clashing personalities.

EmotionalIntelligence:

• Understand how leaders use Affective Events Theory.
• Learn how to mitigate emotional labor.
• Use the Emotional Intelligence Framework to improve your personal and social competence.
• Utilize empathy to solve problems and impact employee competence.

Perception:

• Understand how perceptions are formed which then reinforce and influence behaviors.
• Learn how self-perception improves impression management.
• Compare perception and reality.
• Understand how social perceptions can create stereotypes.
• Use Attribution Theory to view the world objectively.

Attitude:

• Shape the attitude-behavior link.
• Manipulate behavioral factors contributing to job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
• Consider the alignment between employees and their environment and job.
• Trigger positive attitudes with organizational justice.
• Learn how attitude contributes to absenteeism and turnover.

Motivation:

• Motivate employees with their innate needs.
• Motivate employees with their thought processes.
• Learn how to use the seven classic motivation techniques.

Stress:

• Take advantage of stress to increase morale and productivity.
• Understand role demands and how to reform them.
• Practice Corporate Athleticism.
• Experience Flow.

Trust:

• Examine how trust and credibility are earned.
• Understand the effects of high-trust organizations.
• Develop a culture of trust.
• Learn about empowerment.

Communication:

• Examine the views of communication.
• Understand how communication influences behavior.
• Outline the eight basic components of communication.
• Learn about active listening.
• Utilize body language.
• Explore the principle of self-disclosure.
• Improve your perception of your audience.
• Communicate effectively by understanding generational differences.

Persuasion:

• Differentiate between influence and persuasion.
• Learn how to use the principles and purposes of persuasion.
• Develop your charisma through the Platinum rule.
• Understand Aristotle's three elements of persuasion.
• Utilize the two rhetorical strategies of persuasion.
• Explore the appeal to emotions.
• Implement the alignment of emotional expression and emotional feeling.

If you aren'tsatisfied with the course, you have a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-backguarantee. So, if you want to know more about influencing behavior in the 21st century, take this course. I hope tochat with you in the Q&A room.

***Full course script available for download in Lecture 2***

This course isdedicated to my leadership in Nemesis Troop, 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment;Dr. Charles Thomas, Jr.; my family; and, of course, my wife, Amy.