A511.9.3.RB - Course Reflections Clark_A

     After exploring several different definitions of leadership in the assigned readings during the first module of the MSLD 511 Organizational Leadership course, my personal definition for leadership was as follows:

Leadership is a group of individuals responsible for effectively directing and delivering information, knowledge and methods to others in an effort to motivate others to perform efficiently and suitably to reach the desired goals to fulfill the corporate vision.

     After reviewing the leadership concepts presented the following weeks of this course I would change this definition to also include an individual leader as well.  Yes, leadership can be a group of peoples within an organization however; the behavior studies conducted by researchers in leadership are centered on the individual leader and their traits and characteristics.  Several of the leadership approaches reviewed requires that an individual takes an assessment or questionnaire in order to measure the effectiveness of style of the participant.

     Learning about these leadership theories in this course has informed my view of leadership.  Leadership as a process involves leaders as well as followers (Northouse, 2016).  The issues that are important to followers must also be addressed and are just as important the issues that concern leaders.  The leadership processes discussed in this course present ways to improve these interactions and also can easily be utilized to improve leadership in real situations.    

     I have found that my personal leadership style is a combination of most if not all of the leadership approaches we reviewed during this course.  Being a new leader within my organization it is important for me to identify the leadership style that works for me and my followers.  In the future I can see myself striving to be an authentic and transformational leader.   It is my goal to have a positive impact on the people I encounter someday.  This can be accomplished by leading self-first and keeping the needs of my followers in mind in my decision making.  I will keep working toward my goals in order to reach my full leasdership potential no matter how long it takes. 

Reference

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: theory and practice 7th ed. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

A511.7.3.RB - Inner Work for Authentic Leadership Clark_Adenia

Inner Work for Authentic Leadership

     In his YouTube video title Inner work for Authentic Leadership, Bill George discusses the inner work that is necessary in order for leaders to gain self-awareness.  It is important for a leader to practice their preferred method in order to reflect on the real world experiences they encounter and also seek honest feedback from those they trust (Goleman, 2012).  As for me, I find that the real-world experiences which most individual would normally perceive as negative, unfortunate situations were the most instructional for me and resulted in my professional and personal growth and maturity. 

     While trying to find my balance between working to gain lucrative income to support my son and meeting a longing desire to make a difference in my community my path to stability was a long and arduous to say the least.  I chose to follow a lifelong dream to become an educator after working in the insurance industry for ten years with a Fortune 500 company.  The company prided themselves as the number one insurer in the country and one of the largest worldwide. 

     My position with this company was monotonous and stressful and I had lost satisfaction in what I was doing to earn a living day in and day out.  I knew I had to make a change.  The catalyst to me working towards my dream to becoming an educator was an office move (which increase my drive time by fifteen minutes in traffic) and a difficult team manager who believed in micro-managing and public disciplining her team members.  The extended drive in traffic and the team manager's management style made it difficult for me to enjoy my job.  No sooner than my next performance review where I received a number of unexpected satisfactory ratings I knew a change would come soon since had been preparing myself for my career change. 

     It was one week later when I accepted my first teaching assignment which was a temporary assignment in the middle of the school year.  Most of my associates, friends and family thought that I was crazy for making this change and leaving my “good job” with the insurance company however, I knew that the time had come for change and my faith will be rewarded in the long run.  I knew this because I take the time to reflect, pray and mediate on the things that concern me and the desires of my heart.

     I have a morning and evening routine whereby I recall the major issues and successes of the current moments in all aspects of my life however, I often reflect on certain situations throughout the day as they arise.  I ask myself how did my actions contribute to the situation and how else could I have responded to the situation.  I pray and mediate to seek guidance and peace in any situation of discord involving myself, my coworkers, family and friends.  I take these moments seriously and do not limit myself to any boundaries or locations. For example, when I am having a rough morning I often visit a park and have lunch by the ocean and clear my mind and enjoy my surroundings.  When situations arise where I feel I need the opinion of another and honest feedback tend to go to my best friend since she knows me best and has no problem letting me know when I have contributed to the problem or reacted to the situation rather than responding the issue at hand.

     I feel that I have grown to be a fair, non-judgmental, authentic and effective leader because I reflect, pray and mediate on the events in my private and professional life which enable me to stay humble and genuine in my approach with my team.  I believe that every situation which I encounter was meant to happen and the end result should be recoded as a lesson learned rather good, bad or indifferent.  This way when (not if) I encounter the same situation in the future I then have a reference of how to (or how not to) respond to the situation. 

     In order to be a leader one must be able to influence others to trust you enough to lead them to complete a common goal (Northouse, 2016).  How can a leader expect to successfully lead others, and  gain their trust and respect along the way; if the same leader is not able to rationalize their own thoughts and feelings regarding the events surrounding his or her self? 

References

Northouse, P. (2016) Leadership theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Goleman, D. (2012, November).  Harvard's Bill George: Inner work for authentic leadership.  Retrieved May 7, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmPu2LQ84ts.

A511.6.3.RB - A Leader From the Past Clark A

     I have had a number of leaders in my life but only a few of them had qualities of a transformational leader.  According to Bass and Steidlmeier,” Transformational leadership contains four components: charisma or idealized influence (attributed or behavioral), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (1999).”  The leader which exhibited the qualities of a transformational leader and left a lasting impression on my life is my belated pastor, Bishop Dwight Parrett.  Being of sound moral character Bishop Parrett was like a father to me and many other that were a part of his congregation.  He was very motivating and inspirational and somehow managed to give individualized consideration to his members, making us all feel special in his sight. 

     While away from home for the first time attending college I would write my pastor to check in and keep him informed of my progress, my challenges and successes.  Not one letter went unanswered!  He would provide me with scriptures that would uplift my spirits and once even sent me a care package to nourish my sweet tooth!  I was very excited to receive the care package from my pastor along with a number of letters from many of my church family members.  I would often brag about him to my friends as he motivated me to do my best and inspired me to always do more and complete all task with a spirit of excellence. 

     He would share stories about his childhood with the congregation during his sermons that would inspire the young and the young at heart to work harder, be better and give back.  Whenever we will have community service events my pastor would lead the team and be the first to volunteer to help out.  While working on the renovation of an old Winn Dixie grocery store to become our new church my pastor lead the men of the church throughout the project.   He not only talked the talk but he walked the walk.  It was easy to identify with his charismatic nature and often times I would seek to emulate his behavior and continence when facing an issue as followers like to emulate transformational leaders (Bass & Steidlmier, 1999). 

     I was transformed by the Bishop Parrett’s leadership in various ways and aspects of my life.  From the young age of twelve he challenged me to excel in school and extra-curricular activities.  In my teenage years he instilled in me the importance of giving back and being prepared to answer the call be going above and beyond the call.  In my young adult years he supported me and reminded me that my best is good enough and to spread my wings and soar like an eagle.  Bishop Parrett is no longer with me here physically, as he transitioned into the afterlife thirteen years ago however, the effects of his leadership has had a lasting effect on my life and I am a better person and leader because of him.

Reference

Bass, B. and Steidlmeir, P. (1999). Ethics, character and authentic transformational leadership behavior. Leadership Quarterly. 10(2), pg. 181-217 Retrieved from: https://erau.instructure.com/courses/60631/files/10825962/download?wrap=1.

A511.5.3.RB - Mid-Term Reflection Clark, Adenia

     In the TED Talks video, Lead like the Great Conductors, Itay Talfgam gave an excellent presentation as to about leadership by analyzing the conducting style of four different orchestra conductors.  Personally I was captivated by the Talfgam’s personality and synergy he reflected during the presentation.  He as able to engage the audience and his ideas were presented with ease and very clear and concise.  Talgam described four distinctly different leadership styles that are priarily based on relationships and later highlighting the conducting style of Carlos Kleiber.

     I would interpret Talgam’s ideas as quick nuggets noting the “do’s and the don’ts” when leading a team.  The attributes I noted which would be considered “the don’ts” were outlined by Talgam after the review of the conducting style of Richard of Muti, Richard Strauss and Herbert Van Karajan.

     Muti’s leadership style was found to be excessively commanding and controlling.  Strauss’s style of leadership seemed to be on the passive aggressive side whereby the orchestra did really rely on him to direct them as they knew to stick to the sheet music as presented.  These conductors or leaders which exhibit this type of leadership behavior will fall in the category of being transactional leaders.  Transactional leaders are not versatile in that they do not individualize the needs of their followers no focus on personal development (Northouse, 2016).  They are simply task oriented and simply do what they have to do to get the job done and the expectation is that their followers will perform accordingly (Northouse, 2016).  I consider this type of leadership approach to be a don't because the followers are not receiving or growing in the process.

Van Karajan’s style came across as being nonchalant because he has very little communication with the orchestra.  In the clip that was shown he had his eyes closed the whole time while conducting the orchestra.  This forced the players to rely on one another for direction.  This type of leadership style (or non-leadership style) where the leader is too relaxed is considered non-transactional and is defined as laissez-faire leadership (Northouse, 2016).  The laissez-faire leader has a hands off approach where there may be little communication or feedback given to the followers and no interest in the development of the followers or the team as a unit (Northouse, 2016).  The laissez-faire approach to leadership is a big don't because it is simply not leadership at all. 

There are several parallels between Talgam ideas about how conductors lead and what I know about leadership up to the mid-term of this course.  These parallels were presented by Talgam, during his highlights commending the conducting styles of Carlos Kleiber.  During his presentation Talgam, provided the audience with videos of multiple performances by Kleiber displaying his versatility in leadership styles.  Kleiber makes sure to set the tone of the atmosphere which he is performing in by showing emotions.  In the first clip it was obvious that he was happy doing what he does leading his orchestra. This reflected in the orchestra’s performance and the vibes spilled over to the audience and they began to get involved by clapping along to the beat of the music.  Kleiber’s conducts with a process in a professional manner but yet is able to exert high energy and emotion while giving feedback to specific sections of the orchestra while directing.  This type of leadership motivates his team as they are receiving just enough feedback and control of their craft.  It’s a form of two way communication between leader and follower.

It is clear that Kleiber practices the transformational leadership style as he is able to exhibit the ability to influence, motivate, stimulate and individualize has feedback to this team.  Transformational leadership is not only concerned with completing the task at hand.  Transformational leadership also focuses on improving follower performance and giving them a platform to reach their full potential.  The "do" on the list is the transformational leadership approach which is an effective leadership style which can be successfully utilized in various leader/follower platforms.  

References

Northouse, P. (2016) Leadership theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Talgam, I. (2009, October). Transcript of "Lead like the great conductors" Retrieved April 23, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors/transcript?language=en.

A511.4.3.RB - Locus of Control

     I completed the assessment, Rotter's Locus of Control Scale in order to determine whether or not my Locus of Control (LOC) is external or internally driven.  According to Rotter, “the concept of LOC can be defined as a general expectation related to the idea that reward and punishment can be controlled by the people themselves or by some external factors (1966)”.  I received a score of forty-five percent which is on the low end of the rating scale, so therefore it was determined that I have an internal LOC.  Within the realm of organizational leadership people with an internal LOC look for a leadership perception so that they can actively participate in the decision-making process (Hamedoğlu, Kantor & Gülay, 2012).  Upon review of that description I will conclude that the assessment results were accurate in my case. 

     Possessing an internal LOC affects my leadership behavior in many different ways.  Since I do take personal responsibility for the tasks assigned to my team I often take on the major aspects of the project and delegate the simpler task to the team members.  In this type of instance I present a more directive leadership behavior.  Although, I must add that as a leader I direct the team while also being supportive and participative in the process.  Often times, I chose to handle more complex issues that may occur during the day to day tasks in an effort to prevent team members from being overwhelmed with time consuming issues they may not be comfortable handling. 

     I am very flexible when adapting to the leadership style of others.  Since I whole heartedly believe that keeping a positive outlook, having good communication and adaptability skills will present one as a good follower and leader.   Research has found that people with an internal LOC use more effective tactics when dealing with managers when compared to those with an external LOC and they use more task-oriented strategies which allow them to cope with managers with various leadership styles (Hamedoğlu, Kantor & Gülay, 2012). 

     I will have to agree with the results of the LOC assessment because the characteristics attributed to a person who has internal LOC coincides with my personal beliefs, attributes and responses to leadership.  This assessment was very simple and the results were informative and self-reflective.  Therefore is was not a bunch of poppycock in my case! J

References

Hamedoğlu, M. A., Kantor, J., & Gülay, E. (2012, October 08). The Effect of Locus of Control and Culture on Leader Preferences. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.acarindex.com/dosyalar/makale/acarindex-1423904309.

Rotter, J.B. (1966)."Generalized Expectancies Of Internal Versus External Control Of Reinforcements". Psychological Monographs80  (whole no. 609).

A511.3.3.RB - Directive and Supportive Behaviors

One of the most recognizable approaches to leadership is situational leadership (Northouse, 2016).  According to Blanchard (2008), situational leadership is approached by conducting different variances of directive and supportive behaviors.  Directive behaviors are classified by the extent to which a leader engages in one-way communication by communicating roles, duties, deadlines and performance reviews (Blanchard, 2008).  Supportive behaviors are classified by the extent to which a leader engages in two-way communication which includes listening as well as providing support, interaction, encouragement and ultimately involving others in decision making (Blanchard, 2008).  Upon reflecting on my roles as a parent and leader within the organization which I am employed I can relate to exhibiting both the directive and supportive behavioral approach to my leadership style.

     Being a single mother of a male child was not a simplistic task for a young first time mother.  I had to rely on the child rearing style which my mother used to effectively raise me.  My direct approach to childrearing entailed me requiring my son to follow a list of house rules and expectations.  His duties as a team member in our home where outlined as well as his responsibilities as a student.  Upon successful completion of his chores and home learning assignments he was rewarded with free time where he was allowed to read for pleasure, watch television or play video games.  Clearly, there is no question that my approach to leadership in the parental role would be considered to be a directive behavior however, I provided a high level of support to my son to enhance his ability to meet the goals and expectations which were set for him to achieve. 

     Blanchard describes this type of directive behavior as coaching since it incorporates a highly directive and highly supportive behavior (Blanchard, 2008).  As a parent I feel it is important to provide direction for your children, also to allow them to have input in certain situations and to consider their feelings without detriment to the standards that have been set.   This provided a foundation for which to build my sons confidence and self- esteem in an effort to motivate him to become a productive member of society.  While facilitating a directive approach to parental leadership was appropriate for my household it is not the style of leadership which I exhibit while working in my leadership position within the organization which I am employed.    

     As a director of procurement at the fourth largest school district in the nation I must be versatile in my leadership approach.  I find that my situational leadership approach is conducted by attributing a style that reflects a supportive behavior.  I actively listen to the members of my team and stakeholders in order to make decisions regarding processes, solicitations and procedures.  I support and encourage the staff to meet project deadlines however, I do not micro-manage because that can cause frustration and distrust within the team and myself.   The staff members within our department are independent and encouraged to perform tasks on their own.  I often  recognize the team members for their accomplishments and successes individually and collectively.   

      Blanchard, describes this type of behavior to be highly supportive and low directive whereby the role of the leader is to actively listen, facilitate problem solving and decision making (2008).  As a leader in my department I feel it is important to lead by example, also to welcome two-way communication while actively listening to the concerns and ideas of the team.  I often ask questions to gain clarity of the specific situations that may be at hand but, I also encourage the team members solve their own problems within the scope of the policies and procedures they were trained to use. 

References

Blanchard, Ken., (2008). Situational leadership: adapting your style to their development.      Leadership Excellence. May, (p. 19).

Northouse, Peter G., (2015). Leadership: theory and practice, 7th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.