Prof. Shen has been active in finance and leadership for many years and he holds various licenses, doctorates and degrees from around the world.

GAFM ® Certifications are globally recognized and structured on accredited standards. In the USA most certifications are offered to graduates of exams and courses of ACBSP and AACSB nationally accredited business schools.  Read the certification requirements.

 The GAFM confers board certifications and designations in management consulting, financial analysis, risk management, management accounting, project management, economics, leadership, trust and estates, asset management, portfolio management and wealth management.

The GAFM offers 3 certification paths: 1) By Exam 2) By Specialized Course Training 3) By Taking courses and diplomas at accredited business schools and law schools.  For the last 20 years, GAFM and AAFM has stated that applicants for GAFM Certifications  www.GAFM.org  should meet the requirements of: Experience, Education, Ethics, Continuing Education and Assessment.  While major education platforms such as: Coursera, Udemy, EdX and FutureLearn host hundreds of thousands of courses and attendance certificate programs, the accredited GAFM strictly offers Board Certifications to graduates of accredited & qualifying assessments, courses and degrees.

The GAFM International Board of Standards and it’s related accreditation, education, and diplomatic agreements, have been listed, disclosed or in alliances with various famous organizations.

1. GAFM and AAFM are in Articulation Alliance with Nationally Accredited Business Schools  Programs – Over 800 USA Accredited Business schools offer courses, programs, and exams that count for GAFM certifications. [SEE www.gafm.org/ACBSP.pdf
2. GAFM has: TUV Europe & Italy Accreditation – The GAFM/AAPM International Board of Standards has accreditation from the TUV in Europe
3. TUV Accreditation – European Accreditation Not Subject to BREXIT – TUV is one of the oldest accreditation agencies in the world.
4. GAFM  Body is  ISO 29990 Certified – GAFM/AAPM are ISO Certified for Training. The First USA Certification body to achieve this Accreditation  
5. GAFM is ISO 9001 Certified – GAFM IBS Board of Standards is ISO Certified for Quality Standards. 
6. GAFM is in Alliance with the CHEA Council of Higher Education Quality Group – The GAFM ® Board of Standards is a founding member of the quality assurance standards memorandum of the CHEA International Quality Group. http://www.gafm.org/CHEA.pdf 
7. GAFM – Arab League & Academy Recognition – The Arab Academy belonging to the Arab League directly recognizes the Certifications of GAFM and AAPM in a diplomatic agreement.  – See Agreement with Arab Academy and GAFM
8. GAFM Certification Body has dedicated USA Accredited Law School Programs – Wealth Management Certification – ABA Recognized Law School since 2008
9. UAE Accredited – Certifications Registered and accredited through the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of the UAE 2019
10. EU Accredited through ACCREDIA in Italy by virtue of TUV Accreditation.
11. GAFM has new accord with Les Ingénieurs Professionnels de France

The GAFM is based in the USA and subject to the venue and laws of the Federal Courts of the EDLA Louisiana.  The GAFM and related companies offer over 10 Board Certifications as seen in the FINRA education descriptions. GAFM operates in over 40 countries with members in over 150 nations and GAFM has offered over 100 specialized “Certification Training Courses” in areas of finance, management, and related business disciplines. 

GAFM offers various types of business credentials:

1. To become Credentialed and Board Certified as a Financial Analyst
2. To become Chartered and Board Certified as a Project Manager
3. To become Board Certified and Chartered as a Financial Planner
4. To become Chartered and Board Certified as a Management Consultant
5. To become Board Certified as a Management Accountant
6. To become Chartered and Board Certified as an Economist
7. To become Chartered and Board Certified in Marketing
8. To become Chartered and Board Certified in Management
9. To become Chartered and Board Certified in Leadership

To Apply, Go to www.GAFM.com or simply email your CV to info@gafm.com

George Mentz is the General Counsel for GAFM and AAFM and stated, “We were the first to integrate accredited business school exams and courses as the Platinum Standard of credentialing education as a pathway for certifications, charters, and designations.”  “While most certification programs do not require a college education, we were the first in the USA to require and accredited degree for civilian certification applicants. Even Comcast and NBC recently publicized our Accreditation and ISO Certifications on television news for millions to see.

Professor and Attorney George Mentz to serve as Commissioner for White House Scholars Program

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., October 17, 2019 (NewYorkGazette.com) - President Donald Trump announced that George Mentz has been named to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, a who’s who of distinguished education thought-leaders charged with selecting and honoring the brightest and best youth with an annual award.

George Mentz, Esq. holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), an MBA degree, and an International Law Graduate Certificate and he has been an educational executive, teacher, and eLearning pioneer for almost 20 years. Mentz presently is CEO for the Global Academy of Finance and Management®, which is the first body in the USA to be TUV Accredited and ISO 29990 Certified for education standards, and Mentz also works for Texas A&M Law School Graduate programs as a faculty member.

Mentz is a pioneer in corporate certification training and e-learning. Mentz has been one of the most prolific professors who has taught well over 250 college and graduate business and law courses in  last 20 years at accredited institutions. He has worked in a variety of civilian, charitable, and professorial capacities, and he has been an advisor to:  CEO's, companies, institutions, NGO's, officials & charities.

“I am blessed and honored to be able to provide this public service  because of the role that Presidential Commissioners play in the development of future leaders, which is the golden key to our nation’s innovation and competitiveness,” Mentz said.

The White House Commission is a group of eminent private citizens appointed by the President to honor national scholarship. Commissioners are selected from across the country, representing the fields of education, medicine, law, social services, & business.

Mentz is originally from Louisiana and has been a Colorado resident for over 10 years. Counselor Mentz graduated from law school after attending Loyola Law School in New Orleans and William & Mary Law School international law programs, and Mentz also holds an MBA from Loyola Business School along with a CILS Graduate Certificate in International Legal Studies. Mentz was chairman and founder of the Tax and Estate Planning Law Review.

In the past, Mentz engaged: research, study, law and MBA programs in Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain. Mentz served as an Economic Advisor to the Trump Campaign Colorado and served as a volunteer economist for the Department of Labor BLS  to help workers find job information during the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.

Mentz is an international IBA award winning author and two-time award-winning professor for excellence in teaching and the first lawyer in the USA to be credentialed in international law, financial consulting, investment advisor law, and management consulting.  

Mentz has authored and edited over 50 books, manuals, and audiobooks and  has provided educational opportunities and scholarships to the least fortunate people in the USA, and worldwide.  Mentz is also a proud American of European, Sicilian, Hispanic, and various other ancestry.

Counselor Mentz has served on advisory boards of the Global Finance Forum in Switzerland, Royal Society of Fellows,  World E-Commerce Forum UK, ICE Institute for Credentialing Excellence, various educational bodies, universities, & addiction treatment centers. Mentz and his educational efforts have been quoted or seen in The Wall Street Journal, El Norte Mexico, The Hindu India, Financial Times in Asia, China Daily, Arab Times, The Denver Post and others. 

The Wall Street Journal in 2004 featured Mentz’s work with educational certification standards and, in 2010, the WSJ luminary Jason Zweig quoted George Mentz and his work with the nation's top double-accredited business schools. Justin Wingerter at The Denver Post recently noted that Mentz advocates the integration of accredited degree college exams and courses as a path to certification and professional designations. Mentz has said, “Most reporters and some educators are confused about integrating accredited institutional courses, exams and degrees as a path to credentialing. While the certification body offers no post-secondary diploma or certificate, it does offer professional development, designations and certifications under various Supreme Court decisions and U.S. 'professional development rules.'” 

“Mentz says, “Anyone can go online and find that our educational efforts are  TUV-accredited & ISO 29990 certified for training. Our Academy was the first to have direct legal agreements in 2004 with the ACBSP for certification standards, and we even had mutual public recognition with the AACSB Accreditation Agency since 2003.” Thus, Mentz said, “Everyone, as per our public credentialing requirements, must take accredited program courses and assessment to be certified, along with having the experience, and agree to ethics and continuing education guidelines.” Thus, only the most deserving applicants can achieve recognition. For example, if anyone enrolls in business schools at Yale, Harvard, CU or CSU, they can take the exams, business courses and specializations to become “educationally qualified” and “assessment qualified” for certification.  Mentz negotiated legal agreements with the CFA and CFP organizations. Mentz says that his organizations requires express consent before anyone can be listed as a global advisor.

George Mentz plans on working further with universities, schools, e-Learning and MOOC leaders such as ACBSP programs, AACSB programs, EdX, Coursera, FutureLearn, Udemy and Google Education to promote accredited courses & diploma programs as a direct path to certification. Mentz plans to continue helping students globally to achieve meaningful skills and education.

Media Contact - New York Gazette
email: info@newyorkgazette.com 
Phone USA - 877-588-2698

The TUV reaccredited the GAFM IBS Board of Standards through 2020.

CEO George Mentz said, "The GAFM and IBS International Board of Standards has accomplished the biggest international accreditation recognition of any USA company operating worldwide.

The TUV is a EU recognized Accreditation Agency.

George Mentz and the Mentz Law Firm handled the management consulting on this ISO Certification process.

ISO 29990 is the first training standards accreditation credited by the ISO.

The GAFM and AAPM thanks Dr. Enrico Salvagni and the TUV team for their help in the recertification and reaccreditation processes.

Our ACBSP/GAFM Alliance: Leverage Your ACBSP Membership into Something More

In 1996, CEOs, executives, professors, and industry experts from around the world formed the Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM). Much like ACBSP, our organization seeks to raise education standards and ethics in business and management. Because of our shared focus, ACBSP and the GAFM certifying body have created a
partnership that automatically sanctions your program for board certification, and we encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.

Dr. George Mentz, CEO for the GAFM, commented that: “GAFM’s Certification Program is a stamp of excellence for your students and alumni. It shows that your business programs provide the top standards needed for students to compete for jobs with recognized certification to earn professional careers in management.” Dr. Mentz also noted that your students can earn a certification relevant to their business major—a real board certification backed by European TUV and ISO education standards and global educational quality standards.

Students can apply directly through GAFM.com for certification under the ACBSP Exemption as long as they have a 3.0 or higher GPA and a concentration of four or more courses related to the certification they are seeking. Business school professors from ACBSP-accredited programs may also nominate new students directly to GAFM.
Like other certification bodies, the ACBSP school can use the GAFM Quality Standards logo on their websites and brochures and Certified Students can be verified on the GAFM website.

Our Top Certifications for your Graduates:

• AFA Accredited Financial Analyst®
(4+ Finance Courses)
• ChE Chartered Economist®
(4+ Economics Courses)
• AMC Accredited Management Consultant®
(4+ Management Courses)
• CWM Chartered Wealth Manager®
(4+ Financial Planning Courses)
• MFP Master Financial Planner®
(4+ Financial Planning Courses)
• CMA Certified Marketing Analyst
(4+ Marketing Courses)
• AMA Accredited Management Accountant®
(4+ Accounting Courses)
• CRA Certified Risk Analyst®
(4+ Risk/Insurance Courses)

After becoming Board Certified, graduates of ACBSP-accredited programs can better compete for jobs and promotion globally with a professional designation. All qualified students can earn certification eligibility by directly finishing four or more courses and exams at your ACBSP accredited institution rather than taking outsourced
computerized quizzes at testing centers. Graduates of ACBSP courses may apply for
certification directly at www.gafm.com or send their résumé to info@gafm.org.
Business schools may join the Chapter Recognition for free and receive your Certification Program Seal of Approval: Contact: accreditation@gafm.org &
http://www.GAFM.com

*ACBSP has an articulation agreement of standards shown here: http://gafm.org/ACBSP.pdf  The GAFM International Board of Standards is in standards alliance with the CHEA Quality Group, ACBSP, and accredited by the TUV in Europe.
GAFM is the 1st in the USA to be ISO Certified for Trainingunder 29990 Standards. The GAFM has members in over 150 nations. GAFM is a Charter Member of the CHEA Quality GroupStandards Memorandum. .

Graduates of the Wealth Management programs at the esteemed Hong Kong Open University are now eligible for the  GAFM globally recognized credential of:  CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®

The GAFM is TUV Accredited in Europe and ISO 29990 Certified and ISO 9001 Certified.

CEO George Mentz says, "We have offered the CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®  in China since 2003 and have graduated several thousand CWM's in China over the last 15 years."

The GAFM's CWM is listed in the FINRA directory of the USA and the Investopedia.

1)     Certification  in Cost Control & Management

15 - 18 April 2019

Sheraton Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®, CPDGlobal Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM),Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

2)     Chartered Financial Manager (ChFM)

28 April - 02 May 2019

Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

3)     Certification in  Payroll Management

28 April - 01 May 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

View Details

4)     Certification  in International Financial Reporting (Cert IFR)

28 April - 02 May 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

5)     Certification  in Improving Credit Management & Collections

28 April - 01 May 2019

Novotel World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

6)     Certification in Financial Risk Management

17 - 20 June 2019

Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

7)     Certification for IFRS 9 & Expected Credit Loss

18 - 20 June 2019

Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

View Details

8)     Certification for: Value Added Tax (VAT) in the GCC

07 - 10 July 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

9)     Certification for: Budgeting & Forecasting for Non-Finance Managers

23 - 25 July 2019

Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

10)Certification in Financial Analysis

14 - 17 October 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

11) Certification in Cash Flow Management

20 - 23 October 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

View Details

12)  Certified Credit Analyst (CCA)

20 - 24 October 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

View Details

13) Certification  in Financial Control

11 - 14 November 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Intermediate & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

14) Certification in Credit in Risk Modelling

17 - 20 November 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Advanced

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

View Details

15)  Certification in IFRS - International Financial Reporting Standards

09 - 12 December 2019

Dubai, UAE

CERTIFICATION EDUCATION PARTNER - GLOBAL ACADEMY OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT  ®Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM)

Level : Essentials & Certification Program

https://www.informa-mea.com/training/finance/

For 10+ years, ACBSP and GAFM have benefited from a mutual articulation alliance. ACBSP and the GAFM International Board of Standards have an agreement that includes, among other things:

• Any qualified graduate or faculty member of an ACBSP accredited business program is eligible to apply for certification in any GAFM Certification Program as a pre-qualified candidate.  Because graduates have already taken many relevant exams from an accredited institution, you can receive an exam waiver.

1.    Software - Use the most reliable CPA or Tax Software.

2.    Records - Consolidate and separate your online or hard copy records. Download year end files while they are available.

3.    Income - Strategically defer income.

4.    E-File - The USA and some Countries allow for a free e-Filing of your taxes online.

5.    State Issues - Because some states have high taxes, consider tailoring your income, entities or donations to be effective for that state.

6.    Consider paying bills now to obtain more deductions for  this year.

7.    Gifting - Take advantage of annual exclusion gifts to fund college for loved ones or make gifts of stock or cash loved ones.

8.    Charity  - Do some extra charitable giving to causes that inspire you.

9.    Pre-Pay for your advertising now for 2019 to capture expenses?

10. Get your health care coverage and plan in place before year end.

11. Sell investments with losses and sell winning investments if possible to balance the sale to create no taxes. Remember, long term losses offset long term gains.

12. Maximize your retirement plan contributions. Example: USA, the maximum amount of money allowed to put in your retirement accounts is ($18,500 for 2018, $24,500 if you are age 50 or over).

13. Take your required minimum distributions (RMDs), Thus, start making regular minimum distributions from your traditional IRA by April 1st following the year in which you reach age 70 ½.

14. Engage in tax loss analysis, documentation or harvesting if allowable.

15. Flexible spending accounts - money that goes into the account for medical related bills avoids both income and Social Security taxes. You may have use it or lose it rules, thus spend on medical before Jan 1st or call your office to make sure your plan carries over the money to next year for a grace period.

16. Tax Prep Help - If you have trouble with filing, go to your local tax preparation office and ask for help. Usually the fee is small and they can get your refund fast.

** Many tips taken direct from the IRS website.  Consult with a licensed professional before making any important decision.

American Academy of Financial Management

Here are the SOME FREE Project Management and Business Management  Online Courses.

1. Intro to PM https://www.udemy.com/project-management/
2. Basics of PM  https://www.udemy.com/productmanagement101
3. Operations Management https://www.udemy.com/operations-management/
4. Quality Management Essentials https://www.udemy.com/quality-essentials/
5. Time Management https://www.udemy.com/productivity-mastery-time-management-for-entrepreneurs/
6. Change Management https://www.udemy.com/the-essential-guide-for-change-management/
7. Marketing https://www.udemy.com/micro-mba-for-kidsmarketing-basics-with-erik-and-susan/

Barron’s recently reported that large bank profits may increase 40% due to the Fed’s interest rate hikes.

Further, 40% of the holdings of companies like Berkshire Hathaway are said to be financial-related stocks. Therefore, many may benefit from this new stream of gains, or increased interest and dividends.

Additionally, a key expense of doing business is the cost of inventories not yet sold. Companies may need to pay interest on any of the inventory that is not selling. This affects primarily small business as big sellers such as Amazon and others do not hold the inventory.

In contrast, the FAANG stock losses and the tech FANG-over has begun. Big tech will still make plenty of money, but much of the tech industry’s budget will be consumed by paying interest on debt much like city, state and federal governments, the Street.com reported.

The main reason for normalizing interest rates is probably based on the Fed’s desire to shore up the financial sector’s sustainability.

Here Are Key Takeaways for the Month of November:

• With 44 million Americans having student loan debt, lenders are well positioned to make more money but there would be less disposable income for working families in 2019.
• There is also $9 trillion in corporate debt where everyone will be required to pay a higher rate of interest on borrowing or issuing bonds, CNBC reported.
• Oil costs shot downward from around $74 down to about $52 per barrel while gold and silver prices remain relatively low.
• President Donald Trump and Republicans won more seats in the US Senate but lost the House of Representatives. Thus, there may be two years of governmental gridlock, but the December House session may produce some bills to go to the Senate next year before Republicans are ousted from power.
• Goldman Sachs said it is selling some positions and going to cash for their clients.
• Some overseas markets are down for the year. China down 22% and Germany down 13%, Mexico down 15%, Korea down 16%. Thus, some international markets may be a good investment for 2019.
• When interest rates are raised, stock markets have gone down 80% of the time. The markets have gone down 5% or more in the 16 rate increase cycles since World War II.

In one of my previous articles, I stated that there must be a happy medium, or a middle way, to implementing Fed interest rates when the economy is doing well. After the biggest market crash in history in 2000, we have learned that cranking up Fed rates too high can blow up an economy.

Based on all of this analysis, if the Fed hikes rates again, then Goldman Sachs is 100% correct that smart investors or potential retirees should consider selling stocks and going to a larger position of cash as a big correction can come.

People Who Will Make More Money:

1. Big banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo).
2. Credit card companies.
3. Student loan providers.
4. Broker dealers and margin loan lenders (SCH Schwab, Ameritrade).
5. Insurance companies.
6. Mortgage lenders.
7. CD holders and those utilizing fixed income investments.

People Who Will Earn Less Money Due to Higher Interest Rates

1. Investors and retirees.
2. Companies with high cost inventory like automakers, John Deere, etc.
3. High tech start-ups that need capital.
4. Adjustable loan holders.
5. Those with credit card debt and student loans.
6. Bond holders.
7. Companies holding $9 trillion of corporate debt.

The objective of this summary is to illustrate the key issues of the month and help investors to see the big picture. Using these pieces of a financial puzzle, you may be able to better maneuver the investing world and better communicate with your advisers.

George Mentz JD MBA CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ® is a licensed attorney and CEO of GAFM ® global education, which is an ISO 29990 Certified professional development company operating in over 50 nations. Mentz is an award winning author and advisory board member to several companies around the world in education, charities, and crypto currency.

It seems that the global e-commerce has fully matured and companies on the World Wide Web are also maturing in nations around the world, one by one.

It has taken over 20 years for internet use and functionality to go truly global. I still remember teaching internet technologies in the late 1990s and discussing the potential growth and demographics of internet use. Also, I can remember watching CNBC in 1997-8 and they were talking about the internet stock’s PE ratios being too high or stratospheric.

Back in the mid 1990s, they had a list of the top California internet companies. If you had bought 100 shares of each of these 20 internet stocks in January 1997, you would be rich. You could have done it with $50,000 and probably have several million today. The birth of the mobile devices and hand-held proliferation globally has been a big assist in e-commerce growth also along with the expanded cellular networks.

I can distinctly remember when some of the first internet stocks such as Yahoo were added to the S&P 500. There was an amazing run up in volume and price upon the listing of a stock to the indexes. However, we all also memorialize the bubble, burst and the pain of 2000-2001. If you had bought the leaders in 1997, about one-half of these speculative stocks would be broke or bankrupt, but the winners would have shot up in price or split so many times, that the long term gains would be almost unimaginable. Examples are Amazon (AMZN) and eBay (EBAY).

Much of the internet growth hype and projections of the '90s was based on demographics and internet usage. The predicted increases in e-business was fantastic.

We need only to look at the internet funds of the late 1990s to see the run up. Moreover, the S&P was overweighed in tech in the late '90s which also over affected losses for 401(k) holders in the internet bubble of 2000. If you analyze early ETF style tech funds or indexes, we see that the funds invested in the biggest market cap stocks in the internet sector. However, the problem with this is that the initial inclusion of stocks was based on initial value and hype and not fundamentals. In contrast, the new winners in the 21st Century are usually basing their forecasts on the number of users and growth which can be monetized in both services and advertising.

In the end, there are winners and losers. Internet companies with traffic, eyeballs, solutions, and customers seem to drive potential profits. If any analyst looks at reports from companies such as ALEXA.com, you may see the ranking of the websites and what companies are getting the most internet traffic in the world. This is why potential valuations of some new companies is so huge because the web traffic, users and brand is big on a regional and global scale whereas the USA is only 3.5-4% of global population.

In the last 20 years, there have some been clear victories by web companies. Take a deep breath and think of these sectors: travel, education, jobs, auctions, gaming, networking, service providers etc. Amazon (AMZN), Priceline (PCLN), Jobs & Recruiting, Internet Education such as DeVry and so forth. Please keep in mind that indirect government subsidies can make or break some internet companies such as University of Phoenix or DeVry University, but it seems that the Trump administration is investing in online education again for the disabled, elderly, and stay at home parents. What about Google (GOOG) and Facebook (FB). These valuations are truly amazing. Also, we now see the winners diversifying into many other areas. Remember, 90% or more of Google revenue is or was from advertising up until recently.

The Global Translation

The big winners in the U.S. can translate to winners globally in other countries with key demographics. Research stock price movements for Baidu, Inc. (BIDU), the Chinese internet search king over the last 15 years or MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI), which is the eBay of Latin America. 

With a billion or more people in each major region such as India, Arabia, Asia and with a large Spanish speaking population worldwide, there is vast potential with internet stocks that are traded on the US and global markets.

Interestingly, many of the leading offshore internet stocks from countries outside of the U.S. are listed on the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchanges. Thus, we can all invest in this expansive, global internet gold-rush. Even if you can't buy a stock that you want on the U.S. exchange, there are many ETFs and funds that may hold (highly sought after) offshore-company stock inside of their fund.

The U.S. had low interest rates for the last 9 years. The Federal Reserve has now raised rates a few times. Will this slow down investment? Will small startups continue to be able to borrow money at a reasonable cost?

That will be for the future to decide. With the stock market at all time highs, unemployment at 65 year lows, and interest rates moving up, there could be a slowing of the U.S. market indexes going forward for a few years rather than a correction.

However, if rates are raised any higher, the probability of a correction goes up quickly based on what we have seen in the past because disposable income for all workers and investors is reduced with higher interest rates on credit cards, mortgages, school loans, inventory and the like.

In the end, global internet and tech stock prices are looking attractive again in many sectors such as Russia, Brazil, China and India and even in other places such as Arabia and Africa.

George Mentz JD MBA CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ® is a licensed attorney and CEO of GAFM ® global education, which is an ISO 29990 Certified professional development company operating in over 50 nations. Mentz is an award winning author and advisory board member to several companies around the world in education, charities, and crypto currency. https://www.newsmax.com/finance/insiders/georgementz/id-555/

The Arab Academy officially recognizes the credentials and certifications of the GAFM, AAFM and AAPM.  These certifications are conferred to graduates of top Arab Academy programs.

The GAFM, AAFM and AAPM recognize the Arab Academy degrees and diplomas. These diplomas are pathways to certification, charter and designations conferred by the Global Academy.

CEO and Gen. Counsel Dr/Jur. George Mentz stated that, "This is another amazing diplomatic alliance created by our leaders."

Dr. Hodieb and Dr. Mentz worked diligently to make this agreement a reality.This alliance is particularly helpful for holders of our credentials in the over 20 Arab Nations.

http://gafm.com * http://gafm.org *  http://certifiedprojectmanager.org 

** Accreditation - Our GAFM ® Certification Board is TUV Accredited and ISO 9001 Certified for Quality and ISO 29990 Certified for Educational Standards.  Approved Sanctioned by the Arab Academy for over 20 Arab Nations. In academic alliance with the ACBSP National Business Accreditation Agency for Certification Standards worldwide.  The GAFM ® Board of Standards is a founding member of the quality assurance standards memorandum of the CHEA International Quality Group.

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Sept. 19, 2018 

Training and Development

By: Henry Oh, PhD, MPM, CLC, FAAPM, FRSB, FACSc

The effectiveness of an academic leader greatly influences the quality of education, which directly impacts the learning outcomes of the students. Universities, colleges, high schools and elementary schools are led and managed by different ranks of academic leaders.  The success of an education institution depends upon qualified and adequately trained academic leaders who have the qualities, knowledge and skills to provide guidance to their people, and to motivate them to work towards attaining the mission, vision and goals of the college or university (Cohen and Brawer, 2008, p. 151).

Education institutions are expected to produce graduates whose skills and competencies can meet the needs of the communities that they served.  This expectation is confirmed by this statement, “The relationship between effective leadership and the ability of higher education to meet the needs of business and industry successfully has never been more clearly understood [or discussed] than it is today (as cited in Smith and Hughey, 2006, p. 162). People in the community observe how these education institutions are operated by these academic leaders, and how competent the “finished products” or graduates are, once they join the workforce.

An organization needs effective leadership and good management to survive—that is, people who can deal with the day-to-day functions, activities, and routines.  Otherwise, an organization may start falling apart from its structure without being noticed or observed early in its course by its people.  It’s only after a year or two that poor leadership takes a toll on the organization when trends or events catch up with the organization.

In academia, the effectiveness and success of leadership in education have been affected by various factors for a long time.  This is a major issue that the education community has not been able to adequately address as it should have.  Studies show that many colleges and universities don’t have adequate or effective leadership training programs, while others assume that individuals, who are being considered for promotion to the next higher position, can learn academic leadership on-the-job. This section will present the different categories of crisis and challenges in academic leadership that include: inadequate leadership preparation and training, ineffective leadership, lack of interest and motivation, overwhelming workload, increased responsibilities, resignation, and retirement. All these factors can severely affect the organizational structure of an education institution.

An essay on “What are the most important issues confronting higher ed?” specifically mentioned the need for improving the training of academic administrative leadership. It stated that, “We take smart academics who know virtually nothing about administration and put them in charge of multimillion-dollar operations with almost no preparation.  We should be able to do better than learning by making mistakes” (Strikwerda, 2015).

When the leadership position requires dealing with management of resources especially allocating funds, the seriousness of the responsibility is a critical issue that can cause the organization to fail because of poor preparation and training. 

A survey conducted in April 2010, that was participated by over 150 managers and senior officers in higher education stated the following:

“The findings emphasize the extent to which higher education is under-prepared for                    replacing a rapidly retiring leadership. Perhaps the starkest finding from our survey, 48                     percent of respondents graded their institution very poorly when assessing the level of                  commitment they felt their institution has toward their development as a leader”              (Academic Impressions, 2011).

Organizations or institutions have a greater responsibility in providing adequate leadership preparation and training if they are to maintain stability, continuity and improvement in their operations. The survey shows how private and public institutions failed in their commitment to develop or nurture their next generation of leaders (Academic Impressions, 2011).

Some colleges have employed academic leaders whose background or experience was not in academia as noted in the following:

“Still, we should be concerned that a growing number of colleges are being led by people who have never had direct experience in the heart of the enterprise as faculty members, department chairs, deans, or provosts. If the number continues to increase, the risk is that higher education will become an industry that is led by people who do not truly understand it, who view it as a commodity to be traded, a production problem to be solved efficiently, or a brand to be marketed” (Ekman, 2010, p. 2).

            Education institutions that provide the foundations of learning such as elementary and high schools have not been spared of the challenges affecting leadership, as noted in the following:

“Among the reasons cited for a lack of proficiency and emphasis on instructional                                     leadership in schools is a lack of comprehensive training.  A deficit of time for                              executing instructional activities, unrealistic community expectations and a glut of               paperwork were also cited as reasons for the shortfall” (Mauricio, 2013).

            Another leadership crisis that has been affecting education has been the poor preparation for replacements of academic leaders when they resign or retire, or when their goals, priorities and situations changed. The education community has not properly addressed this issue, as stated in the article, “The Leadership Vacuum in Higher Education,” published by The Washington Post:

“While succession planning is a cornerstone of business leadership, it is anathema in                   academia. It is rare indeed for department heads, deans, provosts or university                                  presidents to groom potential successors. When someone does step down, either                       expectedly or unexpectedly, an outside search is usually conducted and it is often at                        least a year before a permanent successor is in place” (Portney, 2011).

In the article, “Producing Academic Leaders,” published by Inside Higher Ed, it indicated that “21 percent of CAOs (Chief Academic Officers) leave their position within the first year and 47 percent within their second-fifth year…But the even more important implication of this trend is that many colleges and universities may soon be hard pressed to attract talented faculty members to positions of academic leadership” (Pierce, 2011).

In another study, it stated that the average tenure is just 2.8 years for community college presidents, as reported by the League for Innovation in the Community College Trends Report in 2015 (Amit Mrig 2017).

According to Ekman (2010), “College leadership is nearing a tipping point. Recent reports by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Council of Education indicate that fewer chief academic officers- the traditional pools of future college presidents- are now willing to be candidates for presidencies than in the past.”

A very important element that has been affecting the crisis in academic leadership is the lack of “calling” or vocation.  The motivation to serve as an academic leader must be a burning desire coming primarily from the individual.  No amount of training, preparation or external influence by peers or senior administration, could “create” a true academic leader unless it comes from within the individual.  According to Ben Cook (2012), “A study by Exeter University has highlighted the phenomenon of the ‘reluctant leader’ in higher education where academics take over the leadership of a faculty, for example, out of a sense of obligation, rather than because they think they are the ‘right person for the job or have a desire to do it.” (emphasis added).

Education institutions face challenges in attracting talented faculty members to become academic leaders (Pierce, 2011). Many Chief Academic Officers are not interested in becoming presidents (Pierce, 2011).  Ekman (2010) reported that “Service as department chair or as an assistant dean is seen as an additional chore, to be rotated among reluctant (emphasis added) department colleagues. A specific example of inadequate leadership preparation and training has also been emphasized in the following:

“The challenge of being a new, inexperienced chair is further exacerbated by the lack                 of training available once one finds him/herself in this role…Academic department                chairs are often unprepared for the complexity and diversity of the roles and                                    responsibilities of the position.  While there is literature that identifies the needs                and issues facing department chairs in general, there is minimal literature that                                     explores these issues for the field of occupational therapy” (Kearney, 2014).

Health professionals hired to teach in health science programs are usually expected to have sufficient clinical experience in their specialty.  However, those promoted into senior leadership positions such as program directors or department chairs assume the position without management and leadership training or prior administrative experience. 

In her research study on “A Study of Leadership Behaviors among Chairpersons in Allied Health Programs,” Deborah Firestone (2009) commented that “Chairpersons in the various allied health programs find themselves operating in an environment in which they face tremendous challenges and demands.  These surroundings call for leadership that is capable of responding to an external environment that is constantly changing.”

A research study on the “Perspectives on Healthcare Leader and Leadership Development” expressed the following:

“While mandates for outcome improvements have arisen from government, regulatory              and accrediting bodies, no comprehensive restructure of leadership systems and                                processes within healthcare have been developed.  Much like industry, leadership is                        still seen as a role rather than a process that can be facilitated and extended                                    beyond the administrative hierarchy” (Scott, 2010).

Slavkin (2010) reiterated that leadership is “urgently needed to envision the future, to reallocate resources, to monitor progress using information technology, and to engender both evidence-based as well as outcome-based health care for all Americans.” He further stressed the importance of incorporating leadership and management training in the academic health science programs:

“Academic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health professions will                   be required to meet the rapidly changing needs of the larger culturally diverse                                    society through major revisions of their academic programs, as well as the design                        and implementation of integrated education, research, and clinical research and                                 services” (Slavkin, 2010).

Strategies for Leadership Training and Development

            The crises and challenges affecting academic leadership have become more pronounced in recent years.  Many organizations and education institutions have started to address these issues.  Several recommendations or strategies on academic leadership preparation, training and development are discussed below.

A very important characteristic brought about by James Pence (2003) in his article, “Dean’s Dilemmas: Practicing Academic Leadership” is the commitment, vocation or “calling” that a potential academic leader must possess. Organizations or education institutions must be able to identify true calling for leadership from among its candidates for deanship, department chairs, program directors, chief academic officers, and other leadership positions.

            Once a true calling or commitment is identified from a potential leader, the next step is to explore what major skills or competencies would be required for the specific position.  Every organization or education institution has different needs or priorities that they require from the different ranks of leadership.  Recommendations from experts have been based on research studies. 

Amit Mrig (2017) in “Four Stats That Will Impact Higher Ed in 2017,” emphasized that:

“Developing your next generation of leaders requires a strategic approach and is essential to the future health and competitiveness of your institution. To build an effective talent bench             and ensure adequate leadership capacity to meet future challenges, every institution will need to address four questions: What skill sets will our future leaders need? How do we identify the staff within our organization who already exemplify these skills? What programs and practices will assist us in developing these leadership skills in our staff? How do we systematize our leadership development efforts across all divisions and at all levels of our institution?”

David Mauricio (2016) identified a list of skills for principals that can be useful as a guideline or starting point when considering creating a leadership development program for instructional effectiveness:

1.      Effective use of resources- the principal must be ready to provide specific resources to benefit the staff; they should also clearly recognize that teachers thrive on being appreciated and acknowledged for good performance.

2.      Communication skills- must be able to communicate their beliefs pertaining to education, the conviction that every student  is capable of learning; an inspire trust, spark motivation, and empower teachers and students

3.      Serving as an instructional resource- principals are sources of current trends in education, issues and current events related to curriculum, effective assessment, and pedagogical strategies.

4.      Being visible and accessible- visible presence in the school; modeling behaviors of learning, focusing on learning objectives, and leading by example.

In higher education, Puzziferro (2012) provided the following recommendations on the future role of leadership:

1.      Leaders must focus on the interdisciplinary nature of learning and create integrated, authentic learning experiences that aren’t narrow in scope and skill.  Receiving a higher education that prepares a well-rounded mind and training for a successful career go hand in hand- they are not mutually exclusive.

2.      Today’s leaders must have the skills not only to motivate change, but also to eloquently articulate it for diverse audiences.  This requires that leaders have an authentic and consistent relationship with stakeholders.

3.      Today’s leaders must be fluent in many technologies- specifically, the application of these technologies to learning, but don’t let technology be a distraction from learning.

4.      Today’s leaders must maintain the focus on creativity. Creativity and innovation are the foundation of higher education. This means confronting tradition, but maintaining the synergistic connections between knowledge, experience, creativity and careers.

5.      Today’s educational leaders must be fluent in regulatory rules, legal interpretations and compliance (Puzziferro, 2012)

The academic leaders must have an interdisciplinary approach, be able to motivate change, be innovative, be competent in learning technology, and have a sound knowledge of regulations in education, compliance with accreditation and legal aspects of education and employment practices.

A list of job knowledge for department chairs that could be covered in an academic leadership orientation is provided below as recommended by Pierce (2011):

1.      The institution’s mission and its strategic priorities.

2.      The budgeting process (including the major drivers on the budget) and the role department chairs in the budgeting process. Chairs often need to make cuts rather than to ask for new resources and to do so in the context of institutional rather than departmental needs and priorities.

3.      The current state of admissions and retention, including information about how chairs and their faculty colleagues can assist in these two critical areas.

4.      Ways that the institution seeks to integrate the curriculum and co-curricular programs.

5.      How the student affairs staff can provide support to the chairs, members of the faculty and students

6.      Information about fund-raising goals, particularly those that relate to the academic programs.

Another specific example of an academic leadership training program would be the one employed in occupational therapy:

“As a profession, the occupational therapy community may want to consider issues related to academic leadership and ways in which the professional community could work with new department chairs and interested faculty in order to provide development and mentorship.  This could be accomplished through workshops and trainings, research to both identify and address needs, mentoring relationships, inclusion of relevant content in post professional occupational doctoral programs, and other strategies.” (Kearny, 2014).

With the growing number of academic leadership training and development programs, the broader range of responsibilities need to be carefully considered when developing the structure or content of these programs (Pate and Angell, 2013).  Many new academic leaders or managers learn on-the-job from other academic leaders, or directly from the leader whom one is replacing. However, one important aspect of the learning process must also consider engaging the faculty when developing a leadership training program.  According to Pate and Angell (2013), “Allowing faculty to have a role, or at least a voice, in the preparation of our future academic leaders could provide valuable insight for an academic leader’s efforts to align the work of the institution with the work of faculty.”

Some of these new leaders may already have the skills and experience from their previous position.  However, they may face new issues and challenges where their previous leadership competencies and experience would not be adequate to deal with the magnitude or complexity of the problems, and their inability to handle or manage an increase in workload and responsibilities.

Individuals who move a step higher in their position experience new responsibilities that can put them in a complicated situation, especially when making critical decisions.  Some of them may become overwhelmed with their new responsibilities while at the same time are expected to continue some of their old tasks. Many faculty members, who move to a higher position of responsibility, continue their research work in addition to their teaching load (Gmelch, 2013).  Similarly, Pierce (2011) made the following comments:

“Most chief academic officers come from the faculty, having come up through the                      faculty ranks, only to discover that their new roles require them not only to make                        judgments about their colleagues in terms of tenure and promotion but often to make                 difficult budgetary decisions, including perhaps laying off faculty and staff members           alike.” (2011, p. 3).

Whether the cause is inadequate preparation, lack of training and experience, or an increase in workload that can compromise leadership effectiveness, one extremely important element that needs to be considered is the interest, desire or motivation of the individual to serve in a leadership capacity.  Does the individual have a “calling” or a vocation to serve as an academic leader?  Is the individual aware of the complexities and demands of the role as an academic leader?

            Having a true “calling” or vocation is an important quality or trait that an academic leader must possess. Self-reflection of one’s personal goals, abilities and traits, and the desire to serve in academic leadership could be a strong motivator for an individual to seriously and effectively learn the practice of academic leadership through training and development, and be committed to pursue such role later on.

References:

Bush, Tony. Theories of Educational Leadership and Management. California: Sage, 2011.

Carlson, Julie. The Qualitative Report. Sept. 5, 2010. 13 March 2013

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR15-5/carlson.pdf

Cascio, Wayne. Leadership Succession: How to Avoid a Crisis. June 2011. 21 June 2017.

< http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/leadership-succession-how-to-avoid-a-crisis/>

Coleman, Marianne and Peter Earley. Leadership and Management in Education. New York:      Oxford University Press, 2005.

Cook, Ben. Leadership is Part of Academic Work: Talent Development in Universities. November            6, 2012. 15 April 2017. <https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education         network/blog/2012/nov/06/academic-leadership-talent-management-programme>

Creswell, John. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches.         California: Sage, 2011.

Developing Academic Leaders. American Council on Education. 2002.  15 April 2017.             <http://paid.uci.edu/Developing%20Aca%20Leaders.pdf>

Dickson, Donna, et al. Academic Leadership Development. The Wallace Center at RIT. 2013.

Ekman, Richard. The Imminent Crisis in College Leadership. The Chronicle of Higher Education.             September 19, 2010. 30 March 2017.  <http://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Imminent-      Crisis-in-College/124513>

Firestone, Deborah.  A Study of Leadership Behaviors among Chairpersons in Allied Health

Programs. Journal of Allied Health: Vol. 39, Number 1, Spring 2010.

Flaherty, Colleen. New Study Suggests Training for Department Chairs is Woefully Inadequate at

Most Institutions. Dec. 2016.  23 April 2017.

<http://aalgroup.org/AAL_newsArticle.cfm?id=201>

Gentry, William, Paige Logan and Scott Tonidandel. Understanding the Leadership Challenges of            First-Time Managers. Center       for Creative Leadership. 2014.

Gillespie et al. A Guide to Faculty Development.  Massachusetts: Anker Publishing Co., Inc., 2002

Gmelch, Walter. The Development of Campus Academic Leaders. International Journal of           Leadership and Change: 2013; Vol. 1, Issue 1.

Groves, Kevin. Integrating Leadership Development and Succession Planning Best Practices.

March 2006. 21 June 2017. < http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/about/people/faculty/ appliedresearch/content/groves3.pdf>

Hockaday, Jeff, and Donald Puyear. Community College Leadership in the New Millenium. 16     June 2017. <http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/pastprojects/          Pages/ccleadershipnewmillenium.aspx>

Kearny, Pamalyn. Challenges of the Academic Department Chair in Occupational Therapy. April             13, 2014. 31 March 2017.          <http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheory/Kearney721Sp06.html>

Leadership Development Strategies. 14 June 2017.

< http://www.insala.com/leadership-development-strategies/>

Lunenburg, Fred and Ornstein, Allan. Educational Administration. California: Wadsworth             Thompson Learning, 2000.

Mauricio, David. Four Instructional Leadership Skills Principals Need. Educational Leadership.     January 6, 2016. 16 April 2017. <http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/ed

leadership/four-instructional-leadership-skills-principals-need/>

Mrig, Amit. Four Stats That will Impact Higher Ed in 2017.  Academic Impressions. March 8,       2017. 09 April 2017. http://www.academicimpressions.com/news/four-stats-will-impact-            higher-ed-2017

Northhouse, Peter. Leadership Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage, 2016.

Pate, Juston and Lance Angell. Factors Community College Faculty Consider Important to            Academic Leadership. Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice: June           2013; Vol. 2, Issue 1.

Pence, James. Deans’ Dilemmas: Practicing Academic Leadership. Association of American

Colleges and Universities. Fall 2003. 22 March 2017. https://www.aacu.org/publications-            research/periodicals/deans-dilemmas-practicing-academic-leadership

Pierce, Susan R. Producing Academic Leaders. Inside Higher Ed: January 2011. 08 September 2018.

< https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2011/01/26/producing-academic-leaders>

Portney, Paul. The Leadership Vacuum in Higher Education. The Washington Post. October 31,   2011. 22 March 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/the-         leadership-vacuum-in-higher             education/2011/10/31

Post, Jennifer. 11 Ways to Define Leadership. Business New Daily Contributor. March 29, 2017.

Preparing Faculty for Academic Management. Creating Academic Leaders at Cal: Leadership

Development Program. January 2007.

Puzziferro, Maria. The Future of Higher Education: The Role of Leadership. May 20, 2012. 16      April 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-puzziferro/leadership-      advice_b_1367791.html>

Rethinking Higher Education's Leadership Crisis. Academic Impressions. June 6, 2011. 09 April    2017.  <https://www.academicimpressions.com/news/rethinking-higher-educations-      leadership-crisis>

Roberts, Cynthia. Developing Future Leaders: The Role of Reflection in the Classroom. Journal of            Leadership Education: 2008; Vol. 7, Issue 1.

Scott, Elaine. Perspective on Healthcare Leader and Leadership. July 2010.  23 Feb. 2013             <www.allclinicians.org/files/u1/PerspectivesonHlthcare...>

Shults, Christopher. The Critical Impact of Impending Retirements on Community College           Leadership. American Association of Community Colleges; Leadership Series No. 1. 2001

Slavkin, Harold.  Leadership for Health Care in the 21^st Century: A Personal Perspective.  Journal            of Healthcare Leadership: 2010: 2 35-41.

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strategies/>

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< https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/10/23/what-are most-important-issues confronting-higher-ed-essay>

Henry Oh, PhD, MPM, CLC

Introduction

The existence of numerous leadership theories can sometimes be too complex.  Many articles and research papers have been written about leadership theories, styles and practices.  Most of these papers have focused on the applications of leadership in business, politics and education.  Academic papers on clinical leadership have been written mostly for nursing, medicine and public health. This paper presents five (5) of the leadership theories and their applications in allied health. The discussion describes how the Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, Path-Goal Theory, Transactional Theory, Transformational Theory and Servant Leadership Theory, apply to clinical and organizational settings.

Many leaders possess a diversity of skills, competencies or characteristics (Gardner, 2000). There are individuals who are primarily leaders but may also possess managerial skills, while there are individuals who are primarily managers but may also exhibit some leadership qualities. There is also a group of individuals who strongly possess both leadership and managerial qualities.

A clear distinction should be made between a leader and a manager. Generally, leaders influence their followers to pursue specific goals, while managers direct their staff members to complete tasks.

Curt Richardson (2013) differentiates leaders and managers as follows:

Leaders have a unique ability to rally employees around a vision. Because their belief in the vision is so strong, employees will naturally want to follow them. Leaders also tend to be willing to take risks in pursuit of the vision.

Managers, on the other hand, are more adept at executing the vision in a very systemic way and directing employees on how to do so. They can see all of the intricate moving parts and understand how to make them harmonize. Managers are usually very risk-adverse.

Donna Flagg (2016) further describes the differences between a manager and a leader in the following:

Managing requires getting work done.  It requires the management of people and day-to-day organization of logistics, communication, workflow and tasks.  It is making sure that things run smoothly in the same way that moving parts of a machine work together to create a functional whole.

Leading, on the other hand, is about inspiration, having a mission, envisioning a future and being able to communicate it in a way that motivates other people to believe in a purpose – and participate in it. Implicitly, workplace leaders have followers.  Managers technically, don’t.  Not necessarily.

Many research studies have been conducted on several widely popular leadership theories:  Great Man Theory, Trait Theory, Contingency Theories, Behavioral Theories, Transactional Theory, and Transformational Theory. 

Several modifications or sub-categories came forth from these theories.  For example, associated theories that have been developed from the Contingency Theories include: Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, Path-Goal Theory, Cognitive Resource Theory, and Strategic Contingency Theory (http://www.leadership-central.com/leadership-theories.html).

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory in Clinical Practice

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory is one of the leadership theories that have been widely studied by scholars. It is the result of more than 30 years of study by Fred Fiedler and his associates (Kreitner and Cassidy, 2004). 

The Fiedler’s Contingency Theory is situational in nature since “He (Fiedler) showed for example that a leader who is more directive and focused on achieving targets might be a better leader in an unfavorable situation” (Coleman and Earley, 2005).

According to Fiedler’s Contingency Theory:

Effective leadership depends not only on the style of leading but on the control over a situation. There needs to be good leader-member relations, task with clear goals and procedures, and the ability for the leader to mete out rewards and punishments (http://www.leadership-central.com/fiedler's-contingency-theory.html).

Clinical situations where Fiedler’s Contingency Theory would apply:

·        Leading a code blue team in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to ensure that established guidelines are followed

·        Supervising laboratory personnel in performing laboratory procedures to ensure a timely report and accuracy of laboratory results

·        Directing and coordinating an emergency response team during trauma or disaster

·        Directing and coordinating the daily operations in a complex medical office

Working in a clinical setting can be stressful and overwhelming especially during emergencies, when there is a high volume of workload, and complicated further with staff shortage.  A manager or supervisor must take the lead to identify priorities, assign workload, find resources, and keep the situation under control.  The leader can effectively monitor the needs of the unit or department when the situation is under control.  

First and foremost, the safety of the patients is the goal. When patient safety is compromised, the leader needs to correct the situation.  A compromised situation can include equipment malfunction, shortage of supplies, error in the procedure, incompetence of staff, inefficient operations system, delays, late reports, and conflicts.  Any of these situations is critical to patient care. Fiedler’s Contingency Theory emphasizes control over situation, and tasks with clear goals and procedures.  This theory appropriately applies to leadership in clinical practice.

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory and Authoritarian Leadership Theory

Leadership in the workplace involves various styles along a continuum. The continuum ranges from a highly authoritarian leadership role style, in which the leader makes all decisions and tells followers what to do, to a highly democratic leadership style, in which the leader and followers discuss problems and jointly make decisions that affect their work.  The style that is most effective depends on the nature of the situation and the needs and characteristics of the followers. 

In stressful work situations that require rapid and highly efficient job performance, productivity and satisfaction are more likely to be maintained under authoritarian leadership.  Employees recognize that the nature of their work does not allow time for a participative approach.  For example, firefighters must respond to a fire alarm immediately and follow the directions of their chief. They do not have time to hold a committee meeting to determine the best way to deal with the fire.

Transactional and Transformational Leadership in the Clinical Setting

It is essential that anyone, whose goal is to become a manager in a medical office or department, or a leader in a clinical division that oversees several departments, know the differences between the transactional and transformational leadership styles.  To be effective in meeting the goals of a department or division, and in leading a team of healthcare staff, an individual needs to figure out which leadership style works in the best interest of the department, the division and the subordinate employees.

Transactional leadership refers to leading an organization where tasks must get accomplished through transactions such as “rewards and punishments.”  “It is transaction in the form of reciprocity, the idea that the relationship between leader and followers develops from the exchange of reward, such as performance-based pay, bonuses, promotion, recognition, and praise, in return for work well done” (Kippenberger, 2002).

In the clinical setting, “rewards” may include weekends off, more day shifts than night shifts, reimbursements for membership fees, attendance at seminars, continuing education, complimentary meals, promotion, salary increase and other incentives. In contrast, “punishments” mean no incentives earned. It is entirely based on transaction conducted between a manager and staff members.  The clinical manager is primarily concerned with the daily operations of the department. 

Schultz and Schultz (2006) describe transactional leadership as follows:

Transactional leaders focus on increasing the efficiency of established routines and procedures and are more concerned with following        existing rules than with making changes to the structure of the organization.

Transformational leadership involves influence by a leader on subordinates, but the effect of the influence is to empower subordinates who also become leaders in the process of transforming the organization (Muchinsky, 1997).

According to Kippenberger (2002):

Transformational leadership, on the other hand, is more about hearts and minds empowering people rather than using rewards to control them.  Because transformation means change, such leadership is seen as releasing people to learn, to seek change and improvement.  So it is based on trust on the part of the leader and understanding, skill, dedication and commitment on the part of the followers.

Transactional leadership is best suited for supervisors and middle managers who run the daily operations of the department.  They are responsible for the smooth operations of the departments.  Laboratory managers, shift supervisors and section heads are examples of transactional leaders who ensure that laboratory staff members perform their duties and responsibilities in the processing of specimens and reporting of laboratory results in a timely manner. 

Laboratory managers are also transformational leaders who develop strategic plans and visions to lead the department into a higher level of complexity in laboratory diagnostics and technological advancement. Division managers are those individuals who oversee two (2) or more allied health departments that may include laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, and other related units.  Division managers need to be strong transformational leaders who can empower their subordinates to improve further the quality of service of their departments, as well as their own professional development.

David Ingram (2017) describes in a more practical way both transactional and transformational leadership styles below:

A transactional leader generally does not look ahead in strategically guiding an organization to a position of market leadership; instead, these managers are solely concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly today. A transformational leader goes beyond managing day-to-day operations and crafts strategies for taking his company, department or work team to the next level of performance and success.            

Path-Goal Theory and Servant Leadership Theory in Organizations

Path-Goal Theory is a derivative of expectancy theory where followers would be motivated if they feel competent, if their efforts are rewarded, and if their work is valued or appreciated (Northhouse, 2016). Path-goal theory assumes that effective leaders can enhance employee motivation by clarifying work goals; having meaningful reward with goal attainment; and guidance on how goals and rewards can be attained.  Basically it means that leaders should motivate their followers by providing clear goals and guidance on how to achieve them. The key here is motivation.

An important aspect in the application of the Path-Goal Theory is identifying the needs of the followers or subordinates.  As Northhouse (2016) pointed out, “…followers who have strong needs for affiliation prefer supportive leadership because friendly and concerned leadership is a source of satisfaction. For followers who are dogmatic and authoritarian and have to work in uncertain situations, path-goal theory suggests directive leadership because it provides psychological structure and task clarity.” 

Servant leadership originated from Robert Greenleaf in 1970 when he introduced the empowerment movement (Kippenberger, 2002). The individual practicing servant leadership develops the followers’ full potential by providing a comfortable environment where they feel free and so they can accomplish better.  The servant leader puts the needs and concerns of other people first to help them grow, improve and work towards their goals. The servant leader’s approach is to serve others first.  Servant leadership is effective when the leader has a strong motivation and deeply interested in helping others or followers who are open and receptive (Northouse, 2016). Followers achieve greater self-actualization.  Maslow’s Humanistic Learning Theory puts self-actualization in the highest Hierarchy of Needs (Bastable et al., 2011).

Organizations, associations, societies and other groups would benefit from the principles of Path-Goal Theory and Servant Leadership Theory.

The Future of Organizational Leadership

The success and continuity of an organization depends on the effectiveness of succession planning and the availability of highly-motivated individuals interested to lead the organization.

Every organization must have a leadership development plan in place to ensure the continuity and smooth operations of its divisions or departments.  According to Cascio (2011), “Research shows that planning for leadership succession should be part and parcel of the way a company is managed. Grooming potential leaders is a process that takes years…The best organizations are consciously strategic in their leadership planning.”

The most common challenge to succession planning is retirement or resignation of a leader without anyone better prepared and trained to step in.  As Groves (2006) adds, “US workforce statistics suggest that succession planning poses an incredible challenge as the baby boomer generation retires and far fewer college-educated workers are prepared to replace them.” 

To help individuals who have the potentials to become future leaders, training and mentoring are integral or essential to effectively develop the next generation of leaders. The younger generation should be provided with the tools and resources that would give them exposure to leadership theories, styles and practices, and encourage them to move toward those models suitable for them.

References:

Bastable, Susan, et. al. Health Professional As Educator.  Massachusetts: Jones and Barlett

Learning, 2011.

Cascio, Wayne. Leadership Succession: How to Avoid a Crisis. June 2011. 21 June 2017.

< http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/leadership-succession-how-to-avoid-a-crisis/>

Coleman, Marianne and Peter Earley. Leadership and Management in Education. New York:    Oxford University Press, 2005.

Curt, Richardson, Are you a Leader or a Manager? There’s a Difference. June 2013. 19 February

2018. < https://www.inc.com/curt-richardson/are-you-a-leader-or-a-manager-theres-a-difference.html>

Dubrin, Andrew. Essentials of Management. Ohio: South Western Cengage Learning, 2009.

Flagg, Donna. The Difference Between Managers and Leaders. Psychology Today. August 2016.

February 19, 2018. < https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/office-diaries/201608/the-difference-between-managers-and-leaders>

Gardner, John. On Leadership. New York: The Free Press, 1990.

Groves, Kevin. Integrating Leadership Development and Succession Planning Best Practices.

March 2006. 21 June 2017. < http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/about/people/faculty/ appliedresearch/content/groves3.pdf>

Ingram, David. Transformational Leadership Vs. Transactional Leadership Definition. 19 February

2018. <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-leadership-vs-transactional-

leadership-definition-13834.html> 

Kippenberger, Tony. Leadership Styles. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing, 2002.

Kreitner, Robert and Carlene Cassidy. Management. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning,

2008.

Leadership Theories. February 19, 2018. <http://www.leadership-central.com/leadership-       

theories.html>

Muchinsky, Paul. Psychology Applied to Work. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1997.

Northhouse, Peter. Leadership Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage, 2016.

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As a student of wealth management and the economy, I am concerned with typical historical government intervention of the past.

Because the present administration is enacting strong policies in key areas of: trade, taxation, competitiveness, and lending rates, this economy has a chance to stabilize for long-term growth.

Maybe we can learn from the mistakes of the recent past.

It seems that preceding the last few bull markets, the U.S. government embraced efficient government tactics of: lower rates of lending, lower taxes and lower regulations.

During Presidents Reagan and with GHW Bush, things were going well, but it seemed that the government intervened with either more taxes, deregulation, savings and loan problems, higher rates of lending, and more regulatory burdens which slowed the economy down.

Remember that there were low rates of lending before Clinton came into office in 1993 which spurred the investment into jobs, the Internet and other things. There were also low rates of lending after the Internet Bubble Burst in 2000 and later in the first few years of President George W. Bush.

I have often wondered if there exists a "middle way" where taxes and lending were at an ideal level of sustainability and growth which also supports jobs and a robust government.

My point is this, I believe we are living that point right now. Therefore, there must be an optimum point where taxes, lending and regulation are low enough to sustain a growing economy and a country that can be competitive in the global marketplace.

If the Federal Reserve raises rates another quarter percent, it may take the momentum out from our economy if the rates go up 1% or more, it may dismantle the market energy.

As for lending, 30 year fixed mortgage rates just jumped from an approximate average of 4% to 4.5 %. If that number goes any higher, the housing lending market will slow considerably unless the Trump administration can ease some of the Dodd-Frank litmus tests & algorithms used by banks to lend money to the millions of workers whose incomes are not on W-2 pay stubs.

Remember there must be a sweet spot for lending. I would guess that 5% or lower on 30 Year mortgages, and less than 7.5% or lower on margin lending for brokerage accounts.

Still, with rates higher, the cost of running government skyrockets to pay the interest in the debt. Thus, lower Fed rates means more money for running government too. In theory, if President Barack Obama had normal interest rates during his administration, the national debt would be as high as 30 trillion.

As for taxes, the new Trump income tax rates will help the middle class have more disposable income, but any “individual mandate Obama taxes” or higher prices of gas at the pump can rob many Americans and businesses of what little they can save.

The corporate tax and small business tax relief, will create more jobs, more disposable income on the local level and will boost spending.

However, if lending rates for business loans, auto loans and margin lending loans go up, this well create less investing and spending.

The genius of essay writing is when the author can explain something at a third-grade level. Thus, if the U.S. becomes a safe-haven for global business with lower taxes, low sovereign risk, and lower regulations; then, the “American Safe Haven” will attract more customers and businesses that want to live here, hire here, do business here, and be here.

So, is the solution as simple as lower rates, less regulation and lower taxes? Well, if you apply the fair tax, fair lending, and fair regulation logic to Wal-Mart and Amazon, then supply side economics is fact and not theory if you assume that the competition has higher taxes, costs and regulatory burdens like Sears or Borders Books.

Again, the key words are productivity and sustainability. You want workers and businesses to be making money and paying taxes, otherwise the government will have too many unfunded liabilities. Moreover, you want government to be lean and agile to keep up with the times.

My wish here is for the Federal Reserve to take a few years off. I would also want Congress to keep federal taxes low and the president to keep regulations fair.

As we have seen in Europe and Asia, and Arabia, successful businesses and people go to where they will have the best government services, best jobs, lower taxes, and the least regulatory burdens. Keep in mind, there are over 50 other American countries and dependent territories outside of the USA and over 100 nations and 5 billion people in Eurasia who want to keep their money and businesses based in a reasonably safe zone.

Also, when your government has so many hidden taxes, it can destabilize business, spending and investing. For example, if you are in New York or California, you could sell a small business and get stuck with a 8-9% state tax, a 3.8% Obamacare Medicare Tax and another.9% Obamacare surcharge. Thus, there can be extra 13-14% tax on your capital gain income or this may also apply to your regular income. Therefore, from a city, state and federal standpoint, there are still several destabilizing factors which can inhibit the economy and hurt workers and retirees.

In the end, we must have a smart government. If we don’t, you end up with all of the rich people and rich companies moving their money and investments elsewhere. In contrast, if you have strong policies, you can recruit and retain excellent people, jobs, businesses and investment from around the world while mitigating unfair trade.

Let's keep America competitive, efficient and sustainable and economic maintain strength during peacetime.

George Mentz JD MBA CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ® is a licensed attorney and CEO of GAFM ® global education, which is an ISO 29990 Certified professional development company operating in over 50 nations. Mentz is an award winning author and advisory board member to several companies around the world in education, charities, and crypto currency.

Dr. Mentz has stated that, "The GAFM is the 1st certification body in the USA to achieve and maintain ISO 29990 Training Certification and TUV Accreditation."