Self-leadership : core of competence and knowledge management

Abstract

The objective of this research was to conceptualize self-leadership in the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) as part of competence and knowledge management. Consequently, the purpose was also to increase knowledge about the fostering and importance of selfleadership as well as to facilitate improving leadership and management in the FDF.

The thesis is a content analytic and interpretative concept analysis, which is non-empirical and qualitative. According to the determined research objectives, the concepts of competence and knowledge management as well as self-leadership in the FDF were analyzed and interpreted by means of the leadership and management fourfold. The research comprised phases, which overlapped to an extent. At first, the basis for the analysis of the phenomenon was created by documentation and viewing management paradigms from the leadership and management fourfold´s perspective ranging from the early 20th century to 21st century. This was followed by analyzing and interpreting the concepts of competence and knowledge management as well as self-leadership in the FDF by means of the formed theoretical background. Before finalizing this research report, the results were summarized and conclusions made.

On the basis of this study, the notion of self-leadership has been recognized in the FDF for a couple of decades, but it has not been conceptualized by relying on examining the documentations available until now. So far, self-leadership has been referred to by using varied concepts, such as deep leadership and pedagogical leadership as well as action competence, which all are directly connected with self-leadership in that these constructs contain elements of self-leadership. When examining an individual´s competence and knowledge from the viewpoint of competence and knowledge management in the FDF, the definitions of individuals’ competence and knowledge invariably contain dimensions of abilities and action, and thus are related to the concepts of action competence and deep leadership. It can be noted that in the FDF, managing or leading oneself has been viewed an inseparable part of leadership.

The attributes of self-leadership include control, performance, aiming for fostering and enhancement, systemic, interdependent as well as physical, mental, social and ethical dimensions. Furthermore, the key close concepts include self-regulation, self-efficacy, selfcontrol and managing oneself. In the FDF, self-leadership can be defined to represent a process through which an individual controls the holistic construction of physical, mental, social and ethical features by applying cognitive and behavioral strategies in order to influence his or her thoughts and actions, enhance his or her skills and abilities, and lead himself or herself in a context-oriented way aiming to meet both individual and organizational objectives concerning tasks and aims.