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.
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