Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Rice University Athletics

Student-Athlete Development



Leadership Development Program
Developing Leaders in Sports and in Life
Delivered by Mike Van Hoozer
(Sponsored by Athenian Consulting Group)


Session 4: Challenge the Process
Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.


Session 4:
Challenge the Process


5 Practices of Great Leaders:
(based upon the book The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner)

1. Model the Way

2. Inspire a Shared Vision

3. Challenge the Process

4. Enable Others to Act

5. Encourage the Heart

Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Excellent Leaders Worksheet


Leader Action/Impact

























Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Challenge the Process

When great leaders describe a memorable leadership moment, they always talk about a
change or positive impact that they and their team brought about. Many leaders use
terms like inspiring, challenging, exciting, adventurous, rewarding, and energizing to
describe a time when they were at their best. They dont use words like boring, dull, and
apathetic. Challenging the process is about bringing positive change and innovation in
the right way and at the right time. It is not change for changes sake, and it does not
involve destroying processes, systems, and routines that work effectively. True leaders
know how to distinguish when a change needs to take place and how to implement and
impact that change. Challenge the Process involves the following principles and
techniques:


Questioning the status quo.

Asking the right questions.

Identifying core issues.

Managing conflict and working effectively with different leadership styles.

Conquering limiting beliefs.

Creating breakthrough moments.

Being a part of the solution not the problem.

Managing and enabling positive change.

Leading people through the change.







Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Case Study Exercise #1

You are part of a team of managers for a consulting company and have been with this
company for about 5 years. During that time, you have been involved with client
projects, recruiting new hires, and mentoring first year consultants and have developed a
context for some of the strengths of the culture as well as some areas for improvements.
The strengths include:

Incredibly talented people to work with
A strong sense of mission, vision, and core values
Exciting and interesting client projects
Outstanding training opportunities

Through your observations, experiences, and discussions with 1-4 year consultants, you
have identified the following issues:

A need for work/life balance
A desire for leadership training which is only being offered for the senior
executives
A need for more feedback (positive and constructive) on a consistent basis
regarding performance
A disconnect between how someone does on a project and their potential for
promotion
A lack of use of social media and online tools to connect and create
communities of practice amongst offices to share information and
collaborate
A tension between the different generations in the workforce that has led to
negative generalizations and some distrust

You have a meeting scheduled with the managing partner of your office to discuss some
of these issues. He does not know what you are going to talk about.

Key Question:

What will you and your team do to challenge the process and impact change for the
greater good of the people and the organization? Be sure to identify the core issue or
issues, not just the symptoms, as well as key solutions to the problem. Also, be sure to
discuss how you will communicate your ideas to the managing partner to gain his
sponsorship.


Copyright 2005, Van Hoozer & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Case Study Exercise #2

You are on a team that is in the middle of their season. So far, there have been some
good performances as well as some lackluster efforts that resulted in losses. It is a
critical time for you and for the rest of your teammates. There has been some negative
sentiment in the locker room regarding the outlook for the future. Also, there has been
some finger pointing and blaming going on between some of your teammates.

While you are not the captain of the team, your coach and a lot of your teammates look to
you as a leader on the team.

Key Question:

What can you do to impact the situation for the greater good of your team and your
season?