A511.5.3.RB - Remote Transformational Leadership

Good academic research is a process. The article entitled Remote Transformational Leadership (your Supplemental Reading for this module) is an example of scholarly work done around a leadership topic. Once you have read the article, reflect on its content.

Think about the following subjects:
What was the point of the research?
What were the hypotheses?
What was the research method used?
Were the results supportive of the research goals?
Of what value was the research?

Your reflective blog should summarize the research and its results and analyze the value of the research within the context of this week's assigned materials relating to transformational leadership theory.

Before detailing the Remote Transformational Leadership study, it is important to understand the jargon association with transformational leadership. I will start with defining transformational leadership, management by exception, and laissez-faire.

According to Psychology Today, transformational leaders focus on followers, motivating them to high levels of performance, and in the process, help followers develop their own leadership potential (Riggio, 2009). Transformational leadership can be examined along five dimensions: two types of idealized influence (also known as charismatic leadership), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration (Bass, 1985). Idealized influence can be attributed (what traits are assigned to a leader) and behavioral (what one does). Inspirational motivation reflects the extent to which a leader is a cheerleader of their followers. Intellectual stimulation notes if followers are encouraged to approach problems in new ways by their leader. Individual consideration is the ability leaders have to influence the development of their followers (Lai, 2011).

Management by exception is when bosses give limited direction to employees when completing projects. A demand is made with very general concepts and the employee is left to run with their perception of what is desired (Miller, 1965). Only when there is a significant deviation of the supervisor's desires from the actual results is the employee given feedback. This style gives little coaching or support to the employee.

Laissez-faire leadership is a non-authoritarian leadership style which is similar to management by exception in that the leader gives the least possible guidance to supervisees. However, Laissez-faire leaderd believe that people excel when they are left alone to respond to their responsibilities and obligations in their own ways.

Ronald Goodnight notes in the The Economic Journal (2004):

If the leader follows the normally understood definition and standard practice of noninterference and “hands-off” when supposedly leading his or her followers, the worst form of leadership is manifested. However, when the twenty-first century properly prepares his or her followers, laissez-faire leadership emerges as the ultimate form of leading.

The goal of the Remote Transformational Leadership study was to document the perceived effects of transformational leadership, management by exception, and laissez-faire on two aspects of employee morale. The two aspects, interpersonal justice and job satisfaction, were chosen because past research showed an importance for these aspects in organizations. 

The research method used was the vignette approach. Vignettes are short scenarios or stories which participants can comment on. They can be used in qualitative or quantitative research, to explorer participant's subjective belief systems (Poulou, 2001).  As noted by the Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, vignettes can be a productive part of a researcher’s methodological tool-kit and have the potential to explore meanings and interpretations not easily accessible through other methods (Renold, 2002).

The hypothesis was that receiving the transformational leadership vignettes would be associated with high levels of interpersonal justice and job satisfaction. According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, interpersonal justice “reflects the degree to which people are treated with politeness, dignity, and respect by authorities and third parties involved in executing procedures or determining outcomes” (Colquitt at al, 2001). Job satisfaction is an employee's positive and negative feelings toward his or her work, including facets of the work environment.

The results found that interpersonal justice and supervisor satisfaction were significantly and substantially correlated. Individuals could differentiate between different leadership styles within communication, and communication containing transformational leadership messages were associated with higher levels of interpersonal justice and satisfaction compared to those based on the management by exception and laissez-faire styles.

The study is applicable because of the globalization of business. Because organizations may have workers in several parts of the world or who are out-of-office workers, the amount of time in which workers interact face-to-face is limited, and it is important that leaders understand how this changes the way that we communicate. Leadership is constantly emerging, and in order fit the needs of the current era, it is necessary to understand how to lead most effectively from afar. This research is significant and relevant in starting discussion on how to maintain productive workplaces, no matter how widespread they may be. 

However, this study is also pragmatic for communication within shorter distances. In a Forbes article by chief executive of Learning as Leadership Shayne Hughes (2012), Hughes notes that internal email is half to three quarters of all office traffic. For a week, Hughes banned the use of internet communications within the office. At first, there were a plethora of complaints from his staff. They were concerned that they would not be able to be productive. They would not be able to get urgent responses to questions. They would need to interrupt each other every 2 seconds. Hughes explains that he does not believe that e-mail is a communication tool. He says that email causes workplace tension and slows productivity in several ways. Employees waste hours of every day reading useless e-mails, only to find and respond to two or three important ones. In addition, it is a poor way to resolve tension. Supervisors are more likely to speak down to inferiors through email than they would face-to-face, which leads to a diminishing of leadership and trust. "E-mail is not the most effective way to tackle important conversations our organizations and relationships need to move forward," Hughes says. 

Within this experience, Hughes' team was able to pinpoint a few instances when email is most effective:

• Conveying simple, defined information.
• Delegating clear administrative tasks.
• Transmitting an attachment.
• Documenting or summarizing a completed conversation.

In conclusion, though being able to communicate effectively through non-face-to-face communication is a skill, it is far more challenging to master the dynamics of knowing when to shoot an email, and when to simply walk down the hall.

References

Bass, B. (1985) Leadership: good, better, best. Organizational Dynamics, 13(3), 26-40.

Colquitt, J. A., Conlon, D. E., Wesson, M. J., Porter, C. O. L. H., & Ng, K. Y. (2001). Justice at the millenium: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of organizational justice research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 425-445.

Goodnight, R. (2004). Laissez-faire leadership. The Economic Journal, 98(392), 755-771.

Hughes, Shayne. (2012.) I Banned All Internal E-Mails at My Company for a Week. Forbes. Accessed at http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/10/25/i-banned-all-internal-e-mails-at-my-company-for-a-week/

Lai, A. (2011). Transformational-Transactional Leadership Theory. Accessed at http://digitalcommons.olin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=ahs_capstone_2011

Miller, R. B. (1965). Management by exception. Personnel Journal (Pre-1986), 44(000007), 379. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/203649940?accountid=27203

Poulou, M. (2001). The role of vignettes in the research of emotional and behavioural difficulties, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 6 (1), 50-62

Renold, Emma. (2002). Using vignettes in qualitative research. Building Research Capacity, Issue 3. Accessed at http://www.tlrp.org/rcbn/capacity/Journal/issue3.pdf 

Riggio, Ronald E. (2009). Are You a Transformational Leader? Psychology Today.
Accessed at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200903/are-you-transformational-leader

A520.9.5.RB - Power

Chapter 5 of your text defines power as the "potential to influence behavior" (Whetton and Cameron, 2011, p. 286). Given this definition, develop your Blog entry using the following questions as your guide:
Are you comfortable developing sources of personal influence to gain power?
Do you embody the characteristics of likable people depicted in Table 5.4 (p. 290)?
Are you able to use influence both up and down your organization considering the information in Table 5.5 (p. 293)

As Forbes notes (2015), being likable is not a matter of being born with such skills, but by honing them; therefore, being a leader is a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ). 

We like people when we have reason to believe they will: 

• Support an open, honest, and loyal relationship. 
• Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible. 
• Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance. 
• Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them. 
• Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy or empathy. 
• Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationship.

Some of the attributes Forbes listed were in line with Whetton and Cameron's (2011, p.290):

• They Ask Questions
• They Put Away Their Phones
• They Are Genuine
• They Don’t Pass Judgment
• They Don’t Seek Attention
• They Are Consistent
• They Use Positive Body Language
• They Leave a Strong First Impression
• They Greet People by Name
• They Smile
• They Know When To Open Up
• They Know Who To Touch (and They Touch Them)
• They Balance Passion and Fun

Power is the ability to influence others’ behavior. Politics is the process of gaining and using power. Therefore, political skills are a part of power. I am not comfortable with organizational politics, so in this arena, I could do a better job of utilizing resources to gain a better understanding of how to "play the game". Table 5.5 discusses how to managing the relationship with a boss. It states that it is wise to develop and maintain a relationship that fits the needs and styles of us both; realizes mutual expectations; keeps the boss informed; is based on dependability and honesty; and, selectively uses the boss’s time and resources. I believe I am effective in utilizing the time I have with my supervisor and making sure I am using the best ways to communicate with them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I do believe we have different styles of working and communicating. For instance, I am the type of person who just comes in and asks for advice or direction, and I realize they like to converse a bit before going into business.

As far as being likable, I believe I have learned how to be friendly without delving into being considered a friends; I am someone who believes in coaching and sharing experience rather than dictating; and I believe in first, second and third impressions. I understand that working hard for a positive leader is more positive than working under someone who is oppressive and negative so I try to create a great working environment.

References

Bradberry, Travis . (2015). 13 Habits of Exceptionally Likeable People. Forbes. Accessed at http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/01/27/13-habits-of-exceptionally-likeable-people/

Cameron, S. K. & Whetten, A. D. (2011). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

A511.4.3.RB - Leadership Traits

Reflect on the week’s readings and content. In your own words, summarize key points related to managerial motivation, traits, and effectiveness. Then assess your own leadership skills, traits, and competencies. Where are you strong? How can you leverage those strengths to improve your value to organizations like your employer? How might contingency theory and situational variables assist in that process?

In McClelland's Research on Managerial Motivation, need strength was measured with a technique called the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (one of which can be taken here), which is a writing test coded by the experimenter to obtain a measure of three underlying needs: power, achievement, and affiliation. In taking the TAT, my results noted a need for achievement. The typical person generally scores between 4.5 and 8.5, with an average of 5.7. I scored an 11.7 in this category.

As someone who is very interested in getting things done well, I have a duty to creating and selling a vision. I must be able to convince others to accept the objectives I have set. I do so by emphasizing teamwork, and recognizing that when people work hard together, they can achieve great things.
I would describe myself as a participative leader, but contingency theories contend that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others (Yukl, p. 140). For instance, I cannot participate in every process I need completed. Therefore, as a part of my training, I participate a lot in the beginning, back off a bit to survey, come back in to correct, survey from the back once more, then allow a worker to do something under my supervision a few times. Then, I have them teach someone else, and watch them teach, to make sure they are teaching the action correctly. Once a person has been able to pass their information down correctly to another, I am satisfied that they know what they are doing.

The LPC contingency model describes how the situation moderates the relationship between leadership effectiveness and a trait measure called the least preferred coworker (LPC) score. In the book "Leadership: Theory and Practice," the LPC measured my score as someone who values relationships over task-completion. (Northouse, 2013) This does not mean that the job does not get done; I prefer to build relationships and teams before trying to get individuals to attempt to do work together. This team-building strategy is an ability to create a robust and compelling vision of the future, and to present this vision in a way that inspires the people I lead. From there, good use of strategic analysis techniques can help to gain the key insights needed into the environment I am operating in, and into the needs of workers and students. One of these techniques is a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a widely used tool that helps in understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or business activity. In an organization I advise, the student leaders to a pro/con evaluation with the General Assembly after all events, in which the group is asked to state one pro and one con back to back until all are exhausted. They then note these bilateral opinions, cancel out any which are direct opposites and work on continuing the pros and eliminating the cons.

With tools like these, you can explore the challenges faced and identify the options available to you. One can identify the best of these with good use of prioritization skills and appropriate decision-making techniques.

Finally, to sell a vision, you need to be able to craft a compelling and interesting story. We discussed this in MSLD 221. I use persuasion and excite can help open closed minds, so that people consider my ideas fairly. Another great way of inspiring people is to use vivid stories to explain the vision.

Major situational variables include the characteristics of followers, the nature of the work performed by the leader's unit, the type of organization, and the nature of the external environment (Yukl, p. 32).
Some other examples include:

• Physical surroundings
• Social surroundings
• Time
• Task definition

Theories that explain leadership effectiveness in terms of situational moderator variables are called contingency theories of leadership. An example or situational variables are my staff meeting. For my staff meetings, I make sure I never put them at the beginning or end of a week, as people like to go away on weekends which may extend into Monday, particularly during the summer. However, I do have issues in timing. Because out office is open for so many hours, there is always be a worker who is just getting off shift who now has to sit in a staff meeting. Plus, workers are taking classes and usually cannot make it to the office during business hours. My first choice of time would have been during the morning. This is due to the fact that a professional staff member works the front desk from 7-9 AM and I would not need to worry about people bring tired due to a long day. However, through consulting staff, I realized one of my workers has an early class, and workers would be just as tired in the anytime; they are also more likely to be late because they would be coming from bed. Having the meeting after hours also guarantees that the workers have papers and pens as well as schedules to take notes on. Involving other people in making a decision is likely to boost the quality of a decision when participants have information and knowledge lacked by the leader, and they are willing to cooperate in finding a good solution to a decision problem (Yukl, p. 135).

References

Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) Measure. Accessed at http://people.uncw.edu/nottinghamj/documents/slides6/Northouse6e%20Ch6%20ContingencyLPC%20Scale.pdf

A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

For this Reflection Blog, you will create a reflection blog focusing on Denning's Chapter 12, "A Different Kind of Leader."

In Chapter 12, Denning explicitly describes his dimensions of leadership. Reflect on those dimensions and how you expect they will impact the way you lead in the future. Include specific examples of how at least THREE of Denning's dimensions manifest in your own application of leadership.

Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul

The theme of this poem by William Ernest Henley - his most famous - is the will to survive in the face of a severe test. The process of becoming a leader is one of many challenges and few tangible rewards. It involves a circular pattern of struggling and failure to learn and achieve.

Denning’s leadership dimensions not only aid in the development of being an effective leader within a department or organization; they also apply to the locus of control within relationships between family and friends. I personally have an internal locus of control. I believe that getting what I want has little or nothing to do with luck. Success is a matter of hard work. Though I do realize that some people with power will do their damnedest to stand in people's way and to place boulders in from of them, I know that capable people who fail to become leaders have not taken advantage of all of their opportunities. Real leaders never give up and have high expectations for themselves and others.

To be positive and confident, however, does not necessarily result in an inflated ego (Denning, 2011, p. 280). “Interactive leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority” (Denning, 2011, p.271). There is no need to have a certain title in order to make an impact or to have influence. As a Area Coordinator, I do a lot of  community outreach I suppose I do not have to do; however, I believe the outreach gives me networking opportunities that greatly benefit the students. For example, my involvement with the Coordinated Community Response Team allows for me to bring non-government organizations to campus to do programming on domestic violence, sexual assault and healthy relationships. Unlike those who use their legitimate and coercive power to intimidate and silence emerging leaders, those who manage with development, support and team-building in mind use expert and referent power, as well as participative leadership. In the book Leadership in Organizations, author Gary Yukl notes:

A manager who is considerate and friendly toward people is more likely to win their friendship and loyalty. The emotional ties that are formed make it easier to gain cooperation and support from people on whom the manager must rely to get the work done. It is more satisfying to work with someone who is friendly, cooperative, and supportive than with someone who is cold and impersonal, or worse, hostile and uncooperative. (Yukl, 2010, p. 125)

StrengthsQuest is a student development and engagement program designed to help college students, as well as staff in multiple industries, achieve success in academics, career, and life. StrengthsQuest analyzes how participants can use strengths to encourage success and growth. One of my top five strengths is Ideation. The definition of ideation is to form an idea of; imagine or conceive. This strength empowers me to see multiple ways to address challenges and to find new ways to highlight the excellence of ERAU. Some of my goals as a participative leader in my position are to:

• Emphasize the "Living-Learning" philosophy by coaching Assistant Area Coordinators (Resident Assistant supervisors) to highlight education needs within the community and to train Resident Assistants to infuse entertainment into learning pursuits.
• Develop and promote more staff "team spirit" activities, as well as staff development activities. I wish to infuse passion into my workers (p. 283).
• Create more meaningful and consistent connections between ERAU RAs and similarly-leveled staff in other educational communities by planning shared programming events, encouraging staff participation in local conferences for student leaders, and work with student workers and the Diversity Advisory Board in developing and advancing the goals of inclusiveness from a diversity standpoint

Denning (2011) mentions that leadership powers are often like the skill of Judo (p. 281). “The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it” (Denning, 2011, p.270). Interactive people work with the world - an ever changing world - the truths of today will be the superstitions of tomorrow.  Allow them no permanent residence in your mind. Therefore, we should not seek solely fact, but also understanding in order to gain wisdom. As Denning states, “to be understood is to be open to understanding." This may mean that we need to come closer to our problem in order to evaluate it, find its weakness, and to use that weakness to our own advantage (Thompson, 2009). When I first came to my old place of employment, I realized that there were some preconceived notions about certain students from staff and faculty members. There was one student in particular that many seemed to believe was not going to make the cut at this institution due to the caliber of education and the need to participate in extracurriculars. The student was a racial, socio-economical and sexual orientation minority in the environment and was very defensive towards those who avoided and seemingly feared her because of her background. I knew that, in many aspects, I was a concern for others in the community as well, being from a culture that was quite different from the tradition. I decided to embrace that difference, though keeping an open mind about the new environment. “Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity” (Denning, 2011, p.270). Integrity is defined by Webster's Dictionary as a adherence to moral and ethical principles; authentic is defined as "not false or copied." It was important for me to not become overwhelmed in the conservative nature of the community. I still spoke out for progressiveness in thought, including the lessening of 'isms'; had discussions on religion, politics and diversity topics; and dealt with a fair share of prejudice for being a "Northerner" or "Yankee". However, the scope in which these topics were discussed were on a micro and macro level, which appealed to how the events of the outside world affected the relationships between students who identified with such happenings (this was a few months after the Trayvon Martin murder and during the strigng of legalizations of same-sex marriage). Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor, notes that strategic thinking has to be flexible and work at several levels, from the big picture to the and being able to move in and see smaller details. In pulling towards this student, and "zooming in"(2011) on their personality, strengths, passions and concerns, it was clear that s/he had the spirit of an activist who had been cornered by assumptions and lack of support. With the proper resources, the student was able to develop a group supporting LGBT students and directed one of the first all-day leadership conferences at the institution, focused on diversity and anti-bullying.

An example of this in my position was my role as an advisor for the Residence Hall Association. I was a member of RHA in college and I had assumed that ERAU's RHA would be as autonomous as mine was. Kathleen E. Allen, states in "Choosing the Effective Advising Style", that these stages include: Infancy, Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Maturity. In observing the leadership within RHA during August and September, the Executive Board was categorized as being within the Young Adulthood stage – the student leaders were nearing competence, and increasing in the areas of commitment and taking responsibility. However, as the outgoing Programming Chair and outgoing Business Chair cycled out of their roles, the group devolved into the Infancy stage. The student leaders left exhibited a low level of confidence, commitment, knowledge, and limited responsibility for their roles. Adjusting to such, it was necessary to take on the role similar to that of a group member – taking part in group activities like a member; or a programmer - identifying, heavily aiding in planning, and implementing programs and activities for the group.

In looking at an issue, we must make sure we are not criticizing but supporting. Judgment does not solve issues. As Denning notes, once leaders become interactive participants in leading, they are incapable of gawking. He says, "they escape from the illusion of passionless objectivity, which may aim at clarity but inevitably ends up distorting the world by stripping away the dimension of human viewpoints, emotions and goals" (2011, p. 271) He continues to notes that only those in the throes of development, tackling issues and taking risk can know success, as President Theodore Roosevelt eloquently explains in this famous speech:

It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat (Roosevelt, 1910).

As Al Gini notes, to have power is to possess the capacity to control or direct change. All forms of leadership must make use of power. The central issue of power in leadership is not will it be used? But rather will it be used wisely and well?

Denning's Dimensions:

• The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it (Denning, 2011, p.270) 
• Interactive leadership both adds and subtracts elements from the leadership palette (Denning, 2011, p.281). 
• Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity (Denning, 2011, p.270).
• Interactive leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority (Denning, 2011, p.271).
• Interactive leadership benefits from an understanding of the different narrative patterns that can be used to get things done in the world (Denning, 2011, p.271). 

References

Allen, K. (1981). Choosing the Effective Advising Style, Programming Magazine, vol. 16, no. 1.

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business  Narrative (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass

Henley, W. E. (1888). Invictus.The Poetry Foundation. Accessed at    http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182194



Moss Kanter, Rosabeth. (2011). Zooming: How Effective Leaders Adjust their Focus. Harvard Business Review. YouTube. Accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saNj6B0Vasw#t=118

Roosevelt, T. (1910). "Citizenship In A Republic". Accessed at http://www.theodore-  roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html

Thompson, George. (2009). Verbal Judo: Diffusing Conflict Through Conversation. Columbia Business    School. YouTube. Accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btBw70HAys4

Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in Organizations, 8th edition. Prentice Hall.

A521.8.4.RB - Making Contact

McKay, Davis and Fanning provide some direction for making contact with strangers. How comfortable are you striking up a conversation with someone new?. Are you able to "work a room" with ease?
In your blog, reflect on aspects of your personality and/or upbringing which make you able to relate to strangers easily—or not so easily. What lessons can you take from Chapter 14 of Messages to improve your ability to connect with others?

A few evaluations have allowed me to really explore the way I communicate with others. McKay, Davis, and Fanning note that many people have social anxiety over meeting new people (due to a fear of the unknown and anxiety over change) and suggests ways to overcome a fear of strangers when dealing with the ability to connect with others. As an ENTJ Myers-Briggs Personality type and a Woo (winning others over) and Maximizer StrengthsQuest, I am someone who is encouraged by meeting new people - it is one of my favorite things to do - and I enjoy jobs that require meeting and networking with many people. I am genuinely interested in people's ideas and thoughts. I have an enthusiastic and energetic personality and my background in Journalism gives me the ability to relate to people's mannerisms and style of talking to assure efficiency in communication.

As a Maximixer, I am not going to simply walk away after making a connection. I take their commitments very seriously when I know they are of value. I use people (in a good way) to acquire knowledge and self-growth in all aspects of life. I know there is something to learn from everyone I meet, and I want to encourage sharing of skills and experience in my coworkers and supervisees. As someone who is extremely direct and straightforward, my life is like an open book, so people tend to trust me with sensitive information. 

This helps to make me an effective leader. In Messages, it is noted that people can be influenced by habitual negative thoughts (McKay, 2009). I quell this by addressing what I may feel someone is "vibing" from me through their actions - lack of eye contact, stuttering, terseness, etc. My staff knows I care about them in a holistic manner - I am noted for having strong affections and sentimental streaks, yet I do not play favorites. My team knows they will always get honest feedback. I give what I would like to receive (2009). I am immediate in getting to them about issues and I am able to turn conflict situations into positive lessons. 

Alas, as a Maximizer, I have a difficult time scaling down projects, and I can become overwhelmed in my ideas. Students I advise note that I have extremely high standards and expectations (both a strength and a weakness) and want things to change overnight at times. I get over anger and sadness quickly and take constructive criticism well, but I do not like to be attacked. Overall I am a fair-minded and interested in doing the right thing for as many people as possible. I do not need to have my own way and appreciate when people use me and allow me to use them for support and growth.

References

McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: the Communication Skills Book (3rd edition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

A511.3.3.RB - Power and Influence

Whoever said that first impressions are the most important impression you'll ever make, and you get only one chance to make it, was half-correct; first impressions are lasting (everyone remembers the first time they met someone) but not unchangeable. People are going to decide if you're competent or not in their eyes before they know your name - statistically less than 100 milliseconds - but the experience they receive from your company after the first meeting is just a springboard for that relationship. We have the choice to realize their evaluation of their presumptions, and to either meet it, exceed it, or prove them entirely wrong, and these can occur within a positive or negative first take.

A coworker of mine, an older woman with a type-A personality, told me after a few months of working with me that at first glance, she did not believe we would get along well. She noted that I carrying myself as quite intimidating, commanding and opinionated at my interview, and she anticipated us butting heads often. Surprisingly, she believes we get along quite well because we are so headstrong and dedicated to our work, but we also care about the success of our team as a whole. She pointed our that I am a very "real" person as opposed to someone who tries to appease everyone, though she correctly thumbed my StrengthsQuest dominant personality as a "Woo" long before I took the Clifton StrengthsFinder personality test:

Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don't. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection.

However, from another lens (one of a supervisee), I initially came off as very fake. She noted that I initially seemed too happy for my attitude to be genuine, and that I consciously tried to be a friend to everyone (which is sort of what I do, as a pegged "woo"). However, after a while, she realized that I had just as many emotions as is the norm, and that my attitude was apt to the situation.

From my standpoint, I criticize myself for being "too real". I have a difficult time hiding my disenchantment for people. When someone insults or offends me, I let them know immediately. I do not go around people to get issues solved - I am pretty predictable about working my way up the ladder. I do, however, make sure I have an outline of my perspective, along with examples and supporting persons, before I move forward with any action.

Deborah Gruenfeld (2013), professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, states that most people, when preparing for a situation where they want to have influence, think about what they are going to say. Instead of thinking solely about what we are going to say, we should also think about what our body is telling people. This is because when people are forming an impression of us, what we say only accounts for seven percent of what they come away with. There is a body language of power. We learn how to show confidence, show compassion and care, and how to be intimidating, through stances, eye contact, and arm movement. In utilizing power and influence, we must be authoritative and approachable. It pays to be authoritative, as people need to know you are confident in your ability to make decisions, as well as directive and able to privilege your knowledge and experience over the knowledge and experience of others. However, being approachable balances this out - authoritative people are rarely seen as empathetic - as it shows openness and the ability to relate to others. Being able to balance both is the basis of managerial likability, which is important in being an effective leader.

Power involves the capacity of one party (the "agent") to influence another party (the "target"). An agent may have influence over a single or over multiple target persons. Power comes in many forms, yet French and Raven note them in fives specific types: reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, expert power and referent power (Yukl, 2010). Legitimate, reward and coercive power have one large setback: these positional power structures are easily abused. This abuse involves a manager believing that they are the center of everything, that they know all, and are oblivious to the indirect verbal and nonverbal feedback from employees (Messina, 2008). In the long run this type of behavior leads to the abuser feeling lonely and disconnected from others, constantly feeling the need to defend themselves from others, and employee resentment will ultimately result in opponents and competitors working to bring down the power person (McGinty, 2001).

Watts Humphrey, author of the best-selling and influential book, Managing The Software Process (1989)

and director of the Software Process Program at Carnegie Mellon noted in his failures of and early management experience, "we had to resort to power because our authority had broken down." Therefore, though power is important, to solely rely on it for influence is detrimental to the work environment and ultimately to the person. However, personal power - the ability to exert influence in an organization beyond the authority granted through position - is exuded in expert power and referential power. This type of power may include job knowledge, interpersonal skills, ability to get results, empathetic abilities, or persuasive abilities (Yukl, 2010)  So what are authoritarians doing that works?

Those in authoritative positions appear relaxed and open. They walk in long strides, taking up space and owning their presence. Because at the top of the hierarchy, they have very little to worry about; it is presumed that everyone beneath them is going to make sure that nothing bad ever happens. Fracaro calls this attitude and form of communication "Language from the Center," (2008) which involves taking the lead and projects competence and confidence, resulting in the building of trust. Their trust does not waiver in discipline or making tough decisions. They stare people down when they are addressing them, but when being addressed, may break gaze and wonder in their thoughts. They do not have to say much, but what they do say has a clear beginning and clear end point. Doing these things is a sign of dominance, and people tend to lean with the ideas of those who command themselves as the deciding factor (Gruenfeld, 2013). 

Influence in one direction tends to enhance influence in other directions (Yukl, 2010). It is intriguing to see how this plays out in a room of leaders being addressed by their own leader, then in another room where one of these leaders is heading their own group of workers. Those in approachable positions are much the opposite of those in authoritative positions. Fracaro calls this attitude and form of communication "Language from the Edge" (2008) and is collaborative and responsive in nature. Gruenfeld (2013) notes that approachable people appear small and try to minimize their imprint. They use fleeting and jerking movements when speaking to someone (but are focused on the person speaking to them), use their hands close to their faces when they speak, and glance instead of making eye contact. They smile a lot in order to make others (particularly those above them) feel comfortable. However, what may be seen as cowering, Gruenfeld believes is the basis of building rapport, as it shows that one understands their role as an inferior and the role of their superior. However, this is also used by supervisors towards supervisees when giving employees increased responsibility and latitude in how to perform their jobs, and in situations when there are concerns from inferiors. When someone who is obviously of high ranking status "plays low," as Gruenfeld calls it, their reputation is boosted, as it shows respect and acknowledges importance in the multifaceted identity of all workers. 

References

Fracaro, Kenneth E. (2008). You're a Manager, but are You a Leader? Contract Management. Accessed    at https://www.ncmahq.org/files/Articles/CM1008%20-%20Professional%20Development.pdf

Gruenfeld, Deborah. (2013). Stanford Graduate School of Business. Accessed at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdQHAeAnHmw
Humphrey, Watts (1989). Managing the Softivare Process, 1st ed.; reprinted with corrections August 1990.  Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

McGinty, Sarah. (2001). Power Talk: Using Language to Build Authority and Influence. New York, NY: Warner  Books.

Messina, James J. (2008). Eliminating Intimidation. Livestrong. Accessed at  http://www.livestrong.com/article/14742-eliminating-intimidation/

Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in Organizations, 8th edition. Prentice Hall.

A511.2.3.RB - Supportive Behavior

Take the opportunity to reflect specifically on Yukl's material on pages 63 through 72, Supportive Behavior.

Assuming that these leadership behaviors are appropriate at all levels of organizations, do you use these behaviors in your work with others? Subordinates? If so, how are they effective in producing results? If not, could they be added to your personal repertoire of leadership behaviors?

Supportive leadership helps to build and maintain effective interpersonal relationships. A manager who is considerate and friendly toward people is more likely to win their friendship and loyalty. The emotional ties that are formed make it easier to gain cooperation and support from people on whom the manager must rely to get the work done. It is more satisfying to work with someone who is friendly, cooperative, and supportive than with someone who is cold and impersonal, or worse, hostile and uncooperative. (Yukl, 2010, p. 125)

Participative leadership is a managerial style that invites input from employees on all company decisions. This occurs when staff is given pertinent information regarding company issues, and a majority vote determines the course of action the company will take. Participative leadership can sometimes be a slower form of decision-making, but it has several advantages that may make it the right managerial method some businesses.

My supervisory style is one of a participative leader. I am open-minded to input from my supervisees when making decisions and solving problems, but in most instances, retain the conclusion when choices are made. When assigning projects, I tell let my team know what to do, show them how to do it, and let them know when I want it done. I set false deadlines in order to allow time to review their products, and give feedback and aid. However, in learning more about their strengths and experiences, I have found it acceptable for my team to carry out their role with little of my input. 

My supervisees tend to be encouraged and motivated by this style of leadership, as they take advantage of my open-door tradition I do not close my door unless I am in a meeting or on a phone call. This provides maximum opportunity for communication between my staff and I. I try to avoid being a hypocrite as well. There are certain things I have found to be disturbing about past supervisors. My top peeve was a supervisor who wasted my time - they were never on time for our meetings and would go over time when I needed to be somewhere else. They would never apologize for this and would force me to waste someone elses time because they refused to reschedule. According to Michael Hyatt, author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, this is also one of the top reasons employees dislike their supervisors (2012). They call too many meetings. They are not responsive. Finally, supervisors don’t really understand the work process; they have no idea how long it takes to get the work done, and do not train for more thorough effectiveness. I understand that we hired our employees because we knew they were capable of great work; however, without performance mastery, they will have little capacity to care about what they do, who they do it with, and who they do it for (Simmons, 2010). I want group members to feel involved and relevant in the decision-making process, which is why I prefer when decisions are made through group consensus. This style of leadership often leads to more effective and accurate decisions, since no leader can be an expert in all areas. Input from group members with specialized knowledge and expertise creates a more complete basis for decision-making. I prefer to know than to assume, and I ask plenty of questions to seek clarity - I encourage the same of my supervisees and their supervisees - I want to help my coworkers fulfill their potential.

Yukl notes nine behaviors that supportive leaders actively utilize within their organizations (Yukl, 2010, p. 125). Effective support...

... shows acceptance and positive regard for others.

... is polite and considerate.
... treat each worker as an individual.

... remember important details about coworkers.
... is patient and helpful when giving instructions or explanations.
... provides support when a worker or group of workers are worried or upset.
... expresses confidence in the person when addressing difficult tasks.
... provides assistance with the work when needed.
... is willing to help with personal problems.

References

Hyatt, Michael. (2012). 4 WAYS SUPERVISORS FRUSTRATE THEIR EMPLOYEES—ARE YOU GUILTY? Your Virtual Mentor. Accessed at http://michaelhyatt.com/four-ways-supervisors-frustrate-their-employees.html

Simmons, Brett. (2010). Want Your People To Care More? Help Them Perform Better. Positive Organizational Behavior. Accessed at http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-05/want-your-people-to-care-more-help-them-perform-better/

Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in Organizations, 8th edition. Prentice Hall.

A521.7.4.RB - Knowledge Sharing Story

In your Reflection Blog, relate a knowledge sharing story from your personal experience. Be sure to describe the context of your story.

Individually and collectively, stories help us make sense of our past and understand possible futures (Sole and Wilson, 1999). Stories are about connection, compassion and giving meaning to otherwise messy lives (CNS Creative Factory, 2015). Storytelling takes hard work, and starts with listening carefully. It also involves surveying the environment around us.

In looking for a decent example about how storytelling spreads knowledge, I found a video promoting a conference that gathers top speakers and award winning storytellers to show the potential of stories in communication, education and transformation. In the advertisement for "The Power of Storytelling," the creators use the story of a fly to tell of a need for humans to incite change through storytelling. Everyone hates flies, but their existence far precedes our own. However, they do not live nearly as long as we do - an average of 60 days - so their individual impact is relatively small. They live life as individuals, joining only to mate and pass. There is a subtle question therein: How many of us are living life in such a manner? Then there is one fly who wishes to live her life differently. Instead of simply being a fly on the wall, she wants to interact, share experiences, and avoid the ill-fated death of the inevitable swatter; this is a downfall of communication through generations of ancestors. We wonder: Is she capable of changing the ways of her species, or will she die under the same circumstances of those before her? This story really resonated with me, and became the springboard for finding a story in my life that begs the same question.

American novelist Thomas Wolfe defined the American Dream as, "…to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ….the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him." My account is a discussion of how different the story of America is on paper is to actually living the American experience, a critique of the reality of this Constitutional freedom. America has never truly fulfilled these ideal qualities; it is a place full of disenfranchisement and limitations. I wrote this after entering my second year of undergraduate work and realizing how many of my childhood friends in Philadelphia would never have (or believe they had) the experience of pursuing a degree. I did not feel lucky; I felt that my friends were robbed of a promise of opportunity. Not only do I tell the story of my experience as an example of these conditions, but also of the events that occurred to families across America as a result of those in power abusing their positions and maintaining inequality and injustice.

American Dream

I never lived the American Dream
In a studio apartment, with a family of four
Floors as beds for a while, living meagerly
But it was all the same to me.
I’m talkin’ bout, ONE room
That tripled as the living, dining, and bedroom
With a kitchen and bathroom on the sides
And when you opened the four locks on the front door
You could see every worldly possession we had.
Monopoly money paid for food until mom decided
It was better to suffer than to be called a waste
And fill out welfare forms that demanded your race
When you fought for your country right after graduation
And still you cannot find a satisfying occupation.
Veteran or not, a n-word is what they see
So for years and years I kissed the ass of poverty
Now everyone wants to claim we’re in a damn recession
I guess I was the only one who grew up in depression
People makin’ half a mill need a lifeline,
And mom ain’t made half that in her lifetime
Something’s wrong, but I still stay strong
For her and my future, so yes I am pissed

When our government pisses her taxes away
To pay for shit cars made by Chevrolet
Then calls me un-American for taking Honda’s side
But I’m the only person in my whole damn fam who got a ride.
So I can’t afford a Ford and or GMC
While blue-collar workers are laid off with mouths to feed.
But I guess it’s a recession
But to my recollection, Good Will was this sweet guy my mom dated
Who use to buy me new clothes
New to me, but never new, but I never knew
I was living the Depression
Long before Gore ran for president, and a mixed man was the resident
Of that big white bank in Washington, D.C.
Concessions were never made for me when I ran out of money
What I had was all I had until the next payment came
From a side job I claimed at 12 years old
Illegal but it helped pay for the gas and the electric
Mom suspected something was up but gave no lip
Philly then was like Afghanistan without the long trip
Do what you do to survive, and I’m still alive
But seriously, back to this American Dream that went unfulfilled
I question why people would risk their lives trying to get into
The imprisonment of wishes that the USA jizzes on the face of the workers
The workers who wipe their brow with their disappointment
And hang it in with the unions, but big biz doesn’t get down
With the union folk, who only joke of better benefits
And get their jobs handed over quick to
Some third world country where people work for a dime
And we wonder why, we’re in this recession
Soon to be Depression
But it’s all the same to me.
I never lived the American Dream.

When I wrote this a few years ago, it was out of inspiration to tell my story in a way that would be interesting and impactful in a terse manner. Poetry has always been my outlet in expressing personal experience without harping on details that would either be lost on anyone who had never experienced a similar upbringing, or would be met with disbelief. It allows for a micro episode to be juxtaposed with a macro problem through then-current events that most are familiar with (for example, the auto industry bailout of GM, Ford and Chrysler cost $80 billion but moved more than half of their payroll out of the country). My goal in this story was to talk about how impoverished people are in one of the world's wealthiest countries, and to those who the government recently turned its back on to realize that they have not been forgotten by those who have been in the trenches much longer than they have. It is a call to action in showing that as the middle class falls into an economic pit, they are welcomed to join the fight alongside those they have always seen themselves as better than (Searcey, 2015).

Nancy Duarte (2010) touches on this need for collective action in her TEDx talk, The Secret Structure of Great Talks; we all have big dream, and it will involve more than ourselves to see them come to fruition. However, it can be easy to leave one's idea aside and settle for the norm. The norm is comfortable; we are creatures of habit, and we'd rather say "it is what it is" than to shout for change and be chastised (WomensMedia, 2013). We are convinced past leaders - the Xs, Kings, Anthonys and Milks - will reappear and save us. Why do we not realize that we need to save ourselves?

When sports agent Jerry McGuire was fired from his job for
spreading a manifesto for change, only one of his coworkers is
brave enough to move forward with him in his new enterprise.

People can also become overwhelmed in the stress associated with making an impact, and can feel relieved in circumventing such a large responsibility (1999). However, there is always a test that is placed in front of us, which if interpreted correctly, will show us why we must continue to fight for what we need to express to the world (CNS Creative Factory, 2015). One of my favorite writers, Langston Hughes, inspired this style of writing for my stories. In his poem "Let America Be America Again," Hughes notes that America used to be more about possibility than impossibility, but the Black experience in America was more about the latter than former (Hughes, 2004). Langston's repetition of the line, "it never was America to me," states his claim that he has never experienced freedom or equality in America. His call to action is to the successors of those who built this country to stop praising a country that does not praise them. Change must come before this is warranted, and it is up to the disenfranchised to reclaim America.

As the wayward fly teaches, we have the power to save others from tragedy. Though through our existence, we may be seen as bothersome, but our time is short to abolish the generational suffering of our people. Telling stories not only builds and incites action in communities, but finds others in similar conditions. Therefore through listening, structuring, sharing and connecting our stories (CNS Creative Factory, 2015), we can build our army to fight for the betterment of our collective, locally and nationally. 

References

CNS Creative Factory. (2015). Fly Off the Wall. Accessed at  https://www.behance.net/gallery/24618357/The-Power-of-Storytelling-Fly-Off-the-Wall\

Duarte, Nancy. (2010). The secret structure of great talks. TEDx. Accessed at  http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks

Hughes, L. (2004). Let America be America again and other poems (1st Vintage Books ed.). New York:    Vintage Books.

Searcey, D. (2015). Middle Class Shrinks Further as More Fall Out Instead of Climbing Up. The New York Times. Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/business/economy/middle-class-shrinks-further-as-more-fall-out-instead-of-climbing-up.html?_r=0

Sole, Deborah; Wilson, Daniel Gray. (1999). Training and Development, vol. 53, pp. 44-52. Accessed at  http://www.providersedge.com/docs/km_articles/Storytelling_in_Organizations.pdf

WomensMedia. (2013). Why We're So Afraid of Change -- And Why That Holds Businesses Back.  Forbes. Accessed at http://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2013/04/08/why-were-so-afraid-of-  change-and-why-that-holds-businesses-back/

A520.7.4.CM - Developmental Coaching Process

Write a blog entry on the significance, importance, and/or impact of having a coach and/or a mentor to help you in your professional journey.

When I think of a mentor or coach that has given me the support to become a better student affairs professional and a better person, I think of one particular women who has always supported my growth and development. She was my supervisor as a student worker at Ohio University. I was a Resident Assistant with the Department of Residential Housing when I met her, and her very presence was powerful. She is a tall, stocky woman with a short hair cut and hers eyes told two options of existence; she could either be the greatest soldier on your side, or a devastating woman to be at odds with.

She supervised the newest residential hall on campus, named in honor of the first Black graduate of the school's illustrious journalism program. As a minority journalism student, I was not only impressed by the story of this man (who was a founding member of one the university's historically-black fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi, and the founder of the Multicultural Genealogical Center in Ohio), but the story of the woman who managed the building bearing his name. Raised in Detroit, to say she appreciated and understood diversity is an understatement. She was very vocal about being a lesbian, being from a struggling environment, and being someone who refused to play into the tradition of ignoring privilege and blaming the oppressed. She was a leader who empowered, and it was well-known that she only wanted the best of the best RAs working with her. It was also rumored that she hand-picked candidates through a thorough investigation of not only their grades and verification of every campus involvement claim, but their social media presence, and campus and community reputation from faculty, staff, students and anyone else she could get a word or two from. It would seem that whatever tactics she used worked; only those with RAs with the best grades, who exemplified profound leadership and wanted a challenged worked for her. She was know to kick ass and take names with the students who were silly enough to put their hall residency status on the line, clean house within staff if necessary, and build the best, most cohesive teams throughout the 16 or so RA staffs throughout the campus' three residential greens. RAs in this hall were supported by each other, their boss, and appreciated and respected by their students. They were present in all campus-wide activities with their staff, even if it had nothing to do with work. I wanted that type of experience, and though I loved my supervisor at the time, I knew working for this woman would strengthen me as a student leader.

Hauser (2009) discusses in Evidence-Based Coaching the executive coaching system, which is used to expand, strengthen, and optimize the coachee’s leadership capabilities, competencies, and confidence within organizational context. It has three main components: insight, the understanding of one’s developmental needs; motivation, the willingness to invest the time and energy required for needed self-development; and accountability, the internal and external mechanisms monitoring change and providing meaningful consequences. As someone from a similar upbringing, I realized during my first year of college that though I held a high level of resilience but I had a hard time picking my battles. I needed to have someone who I could toss around my life's goals with. My first year at Ohio University as an out-of state student within several niche populations made me the target of a lot of prejudice. There were constant attacks on my intelligence - assumptions of why I qualified for a full-ride, and anger at the institution's recruitment of minority students and the support of first-generation college students were communicated often - and I considered leaving the University quite often. Furthermore, students at the institution were generally ignorant of their insensitive actions (there were several racially-discriminatory social activities, such as a rather infamous "I Have a Dreamsicle" party on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend, in which white students donned blackface). Whereas in an urban environment, it is normal to lash out, my inability to do so caused me to bottle up a lot of anger. Though I had become involved in organizations that gave me the power to address such events, inside I felt inferior because it was seemingly a never-ending process of protecting my identity. I never felt like I had someone I could talk to honestly about the events, take those experiences and formulate them into a professional lifelong mission statement. I was not sure if I could keep my passions under control as I went into the professional world. 

My supervisor, who our staff called "Boss Lady," was a woman of passions. She and I would talk every week at our one-on-ones about how to use my Resident Assistant job to release stress and display my passions. Through passive and active programming, recruiting my residents to go to organizational meetings with me, and putting my life story out on the table, I was able to show who I was without feeling like a defender of every group I represented. She supplied me with books and articles to review and tie them into our conversations. She had a great thumb on the campus environment and helped to connect me with professors and students who were talking about the things I talked about, and always assured that I would converse with those who had diverse thoughts. A Forbes article titled The Impact of Mentors notes an important aspect of leadership: Focus on the stuff that makes a difference (Portnoy, 2012). I came to her with the challenge of teaching me professional resilience. She could have solely focused on developing my ability to formally dispute with others and defend my passions, but she was quite direct in noting that, at some point, my beliefs will undoubtedly be wrong. She challenged me to befriend those who she knew I would not see eye to eye with on every topic, but coached me to see value in perspectives different than my own. This is how she created great teams. I appreciated how attentive she was to every staff member, making us all feel like we had a bond with her that was unique and unspoken. There was never a need to compete for her admiration. Her leadership style throughout the staff was one of a developer. She saw no individual as fully formed; I believe she saw her staff as great, but also as a constant work in progress, alive with possibilities. Students drew toward her just as much as she did them, for this very reason. Her mission was to help us experience success through challenging us to do more than the minimum, to do it exceptionally, and to enjoy the extra time and effort. There is a process to seeing people change, and she was patient but took very few excuses; however, she celebrated our little steps in the right direction.

Director and actor Tyler Perry wrote, “what I've found about it is that there are some folks you can talk to until you're blue in the face--they're never going to get it and they're never going to change. But every once in a while, you'll run into someone who is eager to listen, eager to learn, and willing to try new things. Those are the people we need to reach. We have a responsibility as parents, older people, teachers, people in the neighborhood to recognize that.” Mentoring is the ability to listen more than speak, yet still aid people to solving their own problems. This is even more necessary in the workplace, as the average worker spends thirty-two percent of their total waking hours during the average working lifetime of forty-six years. Why not be the best person one can be by being a lifelong learner about everyone's favorite topic - themselves? Emelo notes in his study of virtual mentorship, that eighty-eight percent of business-provided mentoring users agreed that their productivity increased due to mentoring, and 97 percent of users who spent at least one hour per month on mentoring were satisfied with their experience (Emelio, 2011). Since her and my eventual departure from the University, she has still been a resource for professional development; through social media and random phone calls of highlights and challenges, I feel like she is always inspiring me, though we live thousands of miles apart.

It was because of her influence that I began to realize - as a third-year journalism student - that I wanted to impact student leaders as a career. I did not want to simply report on the happenings of the world; I wanted to make them happen. Though I continue to write and have a desire to work within the news industry, my mission statement is to assure that the leaders of tomorrow's wide expanse of industries will be scrubbed of their social prejudices before having the money and title to perpetuate -isms, and to make progressing equality for all a lifeline goal. I believe that working in higher education gives me the opportunity to do this.

References

Emelo, R. (2011). CREATING A NEW mindset: Guidelines for mentorship in today's workplace. T + D,    65(1), 44-49. Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/846785033?accountid=27203
Hauser, L. (2009). Evidence-based coaching: A case study. OD Practitioner, 41(1), 8-13. Accessed  at http://www.coachfederation.org/files/includes/docs/149-ODP-Hauser-Rev2-Final.pdf

Portnoy, Eli. (2012). The Impact of Mentors. Forbes. Accessed at  http://www.forbes.com/sites/eliportnoy/2012/08/17/the-impact-of-mentors/

A511.1.3.RB - Leadership vs. Management

The simple question "Why"? relates to cause and "Greater Goal."
Think about a leader who has inspired you. Was the person inspiring as an individual, or did you respond more to the cause to which the person enlisted you?
This week’s module was essentially an introduction to leadership along with discussion of the concepts of leadership and management. You may have noticed where they are the same and where are they different. Be that as it may, one of the roles of a manager is understood to involve the exercise of leadership.
For this reflective analysis, please continue that thought process and create a submission that encapsulates content from the module as well as your own thoughts on the issue of the intersection of leadership/management. You may approach this discussion from any angle. One might be simply to define managerial work and then analyze how leadership is a part of that. Perhaps you would prefer to examine Mintzberg’s various managerial roles and analyze how the leader role is either integral to or is not related to the remaining nine roles.
When planning this submission, you might also think about the video of Simon Sinek's TEDx talk and the “why” of leadership. Why does Southwest Airlines exist? Does the slogan “Freedom to Fly" make sense? This is what Herb Kelleher “sold” and SWA leadership still sells to its employees! What “cause” made his employees come to work every day, especially in the early days of the airline when they were paid substantially less than similar employees at other airlines. Is this “why” of leadership something that should be considered within the discussion of managerial work?

Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary (Murray, n/d).
The words leadership and management have different definitions. Leadership is the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group. Management is the person or persons controlling and directing the affairs of a business, institution, etc (Dictionary.com). People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe (Sinek, 2009).
The manager maintains; the leader develops. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust (Murray, n/d).
There are leaders with a strong moral compass, who focus on the needs of their followers rather than their own self-interest. But does being such a leader actually pay off?

My old supervisor was someone who was supremely hard working. Everything she did was for the purpose of bettering society, the people she worked with and herself, in that order.She was passionate about diversity issues, particularly women's and LGBT rights. She was not simply a social media activist, "liking" pages on Facebook and signing online petitions. She was a letter-writer, caller, marcher, donor and teacher on these issues. She molded her work group around activism and encouraged, as well as participated in, community service and philanthropy initiatives. She challenged her staff to think, "What do I care about? What do I want to change?" She then asked us what we were doing to emphasize those interests. Did we simply believe it, or did we work for the progress of our ideals?
Servant leaders focus their attention on the long-term prosperity of the firm and the development
of their employees. In doing so, servant leaders basically activate a process of reciprocation in which
employees respond by performing better, not only individually but especially on behalf of the firm as a whole.
Caring about the organization’s success rather than his or her own, valuing honesty more than profits, and emphasizing the need to give back to the community are inspiring to individuals. Why? People want to be useful. They enjoy missions. Most do not want to do themselves, but giving them a mission is doing a part of their work for them. It's a convenience to hop on a bandwagon. 

But, as Simon Sinek notes, you must declare your mission. If you don't know why you do what you do, and people respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get people to vote for you, or buy something from you, or, more importantly, be loyal and want to be a part of what it is that you do?

We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves.


Refeences

Dictionary.com. Accessed at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/management?s=t

Hess, Edward D. (2013). Servant leadership: A path to high performance. The Washington Post. Accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/servant-leadership-a-path-to-high-performance/2013/04/26/435e58b2-a7b8-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

Murray, Alan. (n/d). What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership? The Wall Street Journal. Accessed at http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/

Sinek, Simon. (2009). How great leaders inspire action. TEDx. Accessed at http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action/transcript?language=en#t-587000

A520.6.5.RB: Team Roles

Write a blog entry on task-facilitating and relationship-building roles. In your blog, reflect upon your understanding of how these roles enhance team performance.

• Consider how you generally relate as a team-member.
• Do you actively engage your team to accomplish its mission?
• Do you work to improve the team cohesion and collaboration?

In any team, there are various roles for people to play a part.  People are the elements that make up a team, and the diversity among people is probably the single greatest reason why teams are so complex. Some people are leaders, some are followers, and some move between these roles. Two such teams roles are Task-facilitating and Relationship-building roles. Task-facilitating roles include:

• disseminating information,
• asking for clarifications, and
• directing members' efforts back to the task.

Building good relationships promotes team success (Cameron & Whetten, 2011, p. 514). Members do this by:

• crediting other's ideas and efforts,
• mediating conflicts, and
• challenging inappropriate exchanges.

These roles assist in unifying the team mentally and emotionally. Encouragement is important, whether you are a team leader or a fellow team member. As a team leader, I challenge myself to be clear and consistent about what I would like my team to achieve. As a task-facilitator, I give clear directions. I seek discussions involving thought from all members, and I respect their thoughts and encourage others to do so. Research on catastrophic group decisions has identified a distinctive pattern in the teams that have made poor decisions. One of the pitfalls of those groups is censorship of dissent. If team members pressure themselves or each other to suppress dissenting opinions in order to maintain harmony, the diversity of members' insights is wasted.  Effective team leaders understand that a moderate amount of task-focused conflict is constructive.  If their teams are not debating issues, effective team leaders promote debate by playing the role of devil's advocate. The shared goal must be the goal of everyone (Cameron & Whetten, 2011, p. 512). I also debrief with my team so we can learn to improve our weaknesses or celebrate the good techniques implemented by the team. 

Team cohesive and collaboration lead to effective team and results. My organization consistently holds events were staff and faculty can celebrate our achievements and socialize; we have monthly service excellence award ceremonies where we can nominate each other for exceptional work. We also have quarterly socials that usually have a cause tied to them - our Work Environment Quality Council is about to host a Fiesta Pot Luck, and a few months ago several staff members came together to throw a fundraiser for an injure international student.

I am a learning through experience and teamwork. It really strengthens ties between those with similar passions and people tend to be open to sharing about their personal lives and influences when they are working on topics they care about.

References

Cameron, S. K. & Whetten, A. D. (2011). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

A521.6.3.RB - High Performance Teams

Based on this week's readings from the Denning text, identify the elements of high-performance teams and apply them to teams with whom you have worked in your organization. Next, Identify the importance of shared values and discuss the influence of shared values on your team's performance. Finally, examine the four patterns of working together and detail one positive and one negative experience. What could you have done to influence the outcomes?

High Performance Teams are...

Self-Directed

High Performance Team Members are self-directed. If the team is to be managed, management must be careful to focus the team on "what" needs to be achieved. As the Adviser for the Embry-Riddle Residence Hall Association, I am able to guide student leaders and aid them in leading others. Recently, the organization decided they wanted to be seen as service leaders, and have been able to develop several community service projects – our group has served hours at the local zoo, donated more than 1000 cans of food to two local food banks and made blankets for Project Linus, an organization that donates hand-made blankets for critically ill children.

Encompass a Shared Vision

All team members share and support a common vision that the team is working towards. Team members are highly focused on attaining objectives, usually because membership is appointed by the organization. High Performance Teams have developed a vision that brings real meaning to the work that is being performed. The vision describes a future state that team members find personally appealing and exciting. Teams need a winning vision, just as much as individuals have; when these are aligned, High Performance Teams are built. As a University community, ERAU endorses the core values of diversity, mutual respect, integrity, collegiality, academic freedom, stewardship, service, safety, and student success. Two of my deepest passions are diversity and service, which is why I enjoy working at this institution.

Time-Oriented

Focusing from what is to be done instead of holding endless discussions is the best approach to solving the problem. Deadlines do not need to be met immediately; they can be as much as a year away. However, 90 to 120 day or even shorter time-frames are more desirable and achievable by high performance teams.

Communication

The team makes extra-ordinary efforts to make certain everyone on the team understands the plan and progress towards its completion. An old military saying is that there are always 10 percent of the people who do not get the word. A High Performance Team recognizes this phenomenon and uses all communication vehicles available to get new information to every team member. They also pursue information themselves to make sure they have the most recent news. Within my Department, most of the team focuses of keeping open communication with each other - open doors, open minds and open mouths - which is why we rarely deal with the repercussions of miscommunication.

Involve Everyone

Team members work to make sure every member of the team is involved - like a well-oiled machine, High Performance Teams know there are no useless parts. This is siliar to the dynamics of a community. Every team member has a unique insight or contribution they can make towards team goal achievement which is why they must all contribute for the team to achieve full success.

Reviews Quality

The team stops at appropriate times to check the quality of its recent work. This is done to determine where the process could be improved and what learning can be shared with other team members. However, HPTs celebrate over new team learning or insights, and may celebrate the completion of a small task.

Care About Member and Team Growth

It is the responsibility of each and every High Performance Team member to search out and discover the capabilities of all the other team members. High Performance Teams take the time to celebrate small victories toward goal achievement.

Denning notes that the four patterns of working together are work groups, teams, communities and networks. Work groups have similar work tasks and report to the same supervisor. A benefit of a work group is that Teams consist of those who have clearly defined responsibilities, no decision making power, high degree of interaction among its member. Communities are self organized amd share responsibilities, common interests and values. Networks involve many people most have never met face-to-face, but share an interest in organizations and interests.

References

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River,

   New Jersey: Pearson Education.