So Get Out There and DO SOMETHING!

The sense of accomplishment is unlike any other. So often I find myself doubting my abilities and that, in turn, affects why I am hesitant to make change or take risks. I wonder, has anyone reached a goal and not felt an immense feeling of satisfaction and pride after? If not, I wonder if just maybe that goal wasn't great enough or didn't push their limits and their confidence to new heights? Upon reflecting on my LPI assessment and my PMAI archetypes, I have found that I am not usually one to implement any sort of risk factor into my leadership behaviors. By "risk factor" I mean something that would take the team to new heights, but it involves change and taking a leap of faith.

Growing up I have always admired and looked up to my Dad as my hero. He is a true man of integrity, drive, and respect. He has worked his absolute hardest to support my family of six and I feel blessed to have been given the life that my Dad has provided for me. I feel as though I am very similar to my mother in relation to traits, but as for my father, I believe I model more of his behaviors. My Dad is a very loyal man and when I say that, I truly mean it. Here's some examples: he has been going to the same hairdresser (mind you, he's a guy and he only gets the standard buzz cut) for probably around 15 years now, he pretty much sticks to buying just one brand of cars for our whole family, he went to the same university for his undergrad as well as for law school, and to top it all off he worked for the same company for 25 years and now he has retired and will never work for another company again! I could go on to talk about many other aspects of his life which demonstrate his loyalty and commitment, but I won't get into too much detail... I think you probably get my point! But let's be honest, I know that his commitment is outstanding but if you dig a bit deeper, what do you realize? .... The man does NOT like change! In no way am I saying this is a bad thing but I think I can probably get a big clue as to where I've picked up on my behavioral habits from. My Dad has to think long, and hard before making any sort of decision, which I find myself doing a lot. I am thankful for the influence my Dad has been in my life and I wouldn't have asked for anything else. However, now that I am aware of his influence I will have become more self-aware in the aspect of how I can implement change and chance into my life as a leader. I know this will not come easy for me but I believe that with constant practice and by building my confidence, I will be able to ease into taking risks as a leader.

Leadership Practices Inventory

The idea of being yourself plays a large role in the Leadership Practices Inventory and how you act as a leader. The LPI asks a series of questions relating to behaviors and what you actually DO, rather than focusing on qualities or traits. I took the LPI assessment and in addition, I had my HTM mentee from last semester rate me. I developed a strong bond with my mentee and I felt as though she really got to know me and my leadership practices from our time that we spent together during the mentor/mentee process. Overall I found that our ratings were pretty similar (within 1 or 2 numbers of one another), but one stand out point to me was that I almost always scored myself lower than she did. I feel as though this is a present factor in my every day life because often times I think people see me in a different way than they actually do, and it was great to get my mentee's perspective on my leadership behaviors. I was pleased to see the areas where she ranked me highest and it was also extremely helpful for me to realize the areas where I might be lacking.... take a peek.

Strong Areas

"Treats people with dignity and respect" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating:10

"Develops cooperative relationships" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 9

"Appeals to others to share dream of the future" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 8

"Expresses confidence in people's abilities" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 9

"Follows through on promises and commitments" Mentee Rating:10 My Rating: 10

Room For Improvement

"Speaks with conviction about meaning of work" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 5

"Seeks challenging opportunities to test skills" Mentee Rating: 7 My Rating: 6

"Experiments and takes risks" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 6

"Talks about future trends influencing our work" Mentee Rating: 7 My Rating: 7

"Asks, what can we learn?" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 5

I found this instrument to be a great self-developing tool because I was able to discover the areas where I am doing well versus the areas where my mentee sees I could use some improvement in relation to my leadership. It came as no surprise to me that the areas where I scored highest were all along the lines of relationships and valuing people on my team. In contrast, the areas where I was not ranked so well related to the idea of change and more work/task oriented behaviors. I believe that if I focus on keeping my relationships strong with those I lead, I can then move on to perfecting opportunities to improve our work, etc. Now, I know this won't happen immediately but by being proactive and understanding where I should improve my leadership practices, I can only grow as a leader...

Embracing Similarities

"My ideal leader is someone who is Dedicated, Passionate, and Genuine. Leaders create changes for the good of others and not for themselves. Leaders are not selfish. Leaders take interest in their team and help them move forward. Leaders form true relationships with the people they are leading. Leaders motivate and inspire. Leaders create room for creativity. Leaders are PASSIONATE." - Giselle Miselewicz

As I read through Giselle's blog, I came across the above excerpt from her and immediately had an "ah-ha" moment. When looking to define leadership, I could have not said it better myself. Furthermore, I think it is pretty safe to say that I am in utter agreement with Giselle and her perspective as to what leadership really is. We are both individuals who truly believe in seeking the good in others and placing them and their feelings above all else. In addition, we both see the value in motivating and inspiring those on our team to do their best and strive to achieve a goal. Unselfishness is the basis of my leadership theory and I was pleased to see that Giselle values this concept as well. Leaders who are in it for themselves and for the title rarely "do good". However, take a peek at those leaders who "do good" for OTHERS and for the overall sake of attaining a goal as a team... they've got what it takes and I think it is safe to say that these individuals are unselfishly amazing.

[ referencing from http://giselle491.blogspot.com/ ]

Valuing Differences

When reflecting on the PMAI and my dominant archetypes, I found it interesting to explore my fellow classmates' blogs and discover how they scored on the assessment. After browsing Leanne's blog and learning that her two most dominant archetypes are the Jester and the Seeker, I was intrigued to dig deeper and find out more information regarding these archetypes and how they play into her life as a leader. Leanne describes in her post that she relates to the Jester archetype in many various ways. She sees herself as one who finds pleasure in humor and can be seen as a "trickster" from time to time. It is rare for someone to offend Leanne with jokes but she can understand how her clever and jester-like ways may hurt others who may not be so comfortable with this archetype. I personally cannot so much relate to the Jester archetype and could potentially see myself as one of the people that may end up being a bit sensitive to the humor. Although I cannot completely relate to the Jester, I do respect that they are able to bring a positive light and a humorous nature to sticky situations. When problems arise, I am not typically one to turn the situation into a joke and make others laugh but I think that is a beautiful quality to find in someone and I'd love to work on a team with one who has a bit of the Jester in them. It seems as though Leanne in particular knows when it's appropriate to joke around and knows when she has taken things too far with her humor, which is why I think she makes the perfect Jester. The Seeker archetype plays an active role in Leanne's life, especially right now during her senior year of college. She says that in the last few years life has become a bit bland and boring to her and thus she feels the need to explore and evaluate new options for her life. The Seeker is not afraid of change and loves adventure, which is something I would like to improve on. I love the idea of new experiences and change but I find myself fearing this at times. I've learned that I find comfort in stability and am never one to let something go in order to see what's on the other side and explore. I admire Leanne, the Seeker, because like many great leaders of our past and present, they had to change something and take a big leap of faith to get where they are today! Like the quote above says, "If you change nothing, nothing will change". Therefore, if you're unhappy with your life or finding yourself seeking the opportunity to explore something new... DO IT! Chances are you won't regret it. Thank you Leanne for inspiring me.

[ referencing from http://leannemansfieldsd.tumblr.com/ ]

Traits and PMAI

In my previous post about the trait based theory of leadership, I expressed my opinion about how I believe everyone has the capacity of being a leader and that I do not necessarily believe in the trait theory.

In relation to the PMAI, this test shows that each person has dominant archetypes, just like we all have dominant traits. These are the archetypes/traits that we see ourselves exuding most because they are what we're comfortable with and who we've grown to be ultimately. BUT Carl Jung states that we all have the capacity to play any one of these characters/archetypes at any point in the story of our lives. Just like archetypes, I believe we all have the ability to develop certain traits and lead with them given the right circumstances. As I mentioned, it may not come easy or it may not be comfortable if it's not one of your dominant traits/archetypes but it definitely is possible! With that, I hope that everyone has a more open minded view of leadership through understanding that we all have our dominant ways of which we lead, but we can demonstrate a variety of other traits/archetypes during our lifetime....

Me, Myself, & PMAI

CAREGIVER

It came as no surprise to me when I scored highest in the Caregiver archetype as I have learned over the years that I am always one to put others before myself, which I have mentioned in previous posts. The Caregiver is one who sees others with kind, compassionate, and forgiving eyes. In relationships, the Caregiver tends to act like a caring parent who creates nurturing environments where people can heal or grow. As a leader, the Caregiver has a great ability to take care of those they're leading. The Caregiver also has a natural ability to provide sound customer services, simply because they really care about others. With that, people trust the caregiver, thus making it a lot easier to work in groups with one who exhibits these traits.

I see myself portraying each and every one of these points on a regular basis. I gain happiness from being kind and generous, but one thing that with get me down is when others take advantage of me. I will give, and give, and give... just to hear a simple "thank you". However, if I give all of myself and constantly put others needs before mine, yet do not see any sort of gratitude from them, that really hurts me. In most instances thus far in my life I've been blessed to have developed relationships with individuals who appreciate me and by caring for them and being there for them, I have better learned who I am as a person and who I always will be... a Caregiver.

LOVER

The Lover is someone who is full of love for others and for life overall. They may have a knack for helping individuals and groups appreciate one another and ultimately become close. This love differs from the love of a Caregiver because the Lover views others as peers, not people in need of help. As a leader, the Lover exudes passion and charisma and helps team members to bond, so that they truly become friends. People will appreciate the Lover's friendliness, loving nature, and passion.

I believe the Lover in me comes out in the aspect of making a long-term commitment to care about others and their well-being. The Lover and the Caregiver almost go hand-in-hand in my eyes because you cannot genuinely care for someone unless you have a love for them. This love does not need to me an intimate romance, but it needs to be a true kind-hearted passion for people. I always seek the good in others and try my best to steer away from making judgements until I have walked at least a mile in their shoes. People have the most interesting lives and until you truly love and care for them, you will never realize what they've been through and why they are the way they are today. As a Lover, I rely on communication when problems arise and I always encourage others to express what is bothering them so that we can work on the problem together to restore love/friendship. Just as the archetype for the Lover states, I truly believe that many of life's problems could be solved if people just opened their hearts and loved a little more.

RULER

The Ruler steps up to the plate to take control when things are going array. This individual also takes the responsibility because they are good at putting structures, policies, and procedures in place that make things easier and ultimately more efficient. Others will appreciate the Ruler because they take charge and get things done.

In leadership scenarios I have seen myself emerge as the Ruler in subtle ways. I've learned that in group projects I somehow end up taking most of the work upon myself because I feel that it may not be done up to par if I leave the work to someone else. Also, I see myself taking responsibility in almost everything I do. I like that I have a bit of the Ruler archetype in me because I think with my other two dominant archetypes, the Caregiver, and the Lover, I need something with a bit more authority and courage when it comes to stepping up to the plate and getting things done. With the balance that I have, I am hopeful that I will not turn into a dictator or too authoritative. By modeling the behaviors I wish others to exhibit, such as love and passion, I believe that everyone will come together as a team in my leadership scenarios. In addition, I have to remind myself that I cannot make people do anything, but I can try my hardest to inspire them by sharing a worthy vision that takes each of their interests into account.

The Concept of Archetypes

When asked to take the PMAI test in order to find out about my archetypes, I thought to myself... what exactly are archetypes anyway?!

After researching and reading on the subject I learned that we all often find ourselves in roles that we didn't even choose to play. And thanks to Psychologist Carl Jung, we now know that these roles and characters are archetypes. He claims that there are many archetypes, just as there are many situations in life, which makes complete sense to me.

I found it especially interesting that each one of us is capable of playing any of the characters at any time during our lifetime. But, out of these archetypes, each of us uses a select few more frequently than others. Naturally, we develop into humans that are comfortable with stability and find ourselves "stuck in our ways" which relates to your dominant archetypes and how they are the roles that you typically find yourself using over and over again. I believe the concept of archetypes is a unique and eyeopening way to look at traits and human nature as a whole. It is great to apply this knowledge of archetypes to leadership because then you are able to identify what role those around you identify with and more importantly, the archetypes YOU relate with. In the study of leadership, having a concrete knowledge of archetypes demonstrates that we all are capable of acting out and leading in a wide variety of ways, it simply depends on the individual and which archetype they relate with more intimately. Knowing one's dominant archetypes before they take on a leadership role can give you a solid understanding of not only how they will lead and what to expect from them as a leader, but more importantly, how to approach them when problems arise, etc. Overall, the archetype concept is one of which I believe to be true and a present source in our everyday lives.

A Picture Is Worth...

One must stay focused and determined on their vision in order to reach their ultimate goal.

"Leadership is not a one-day thing. It is a constant commitment to excellence, a habit... a daily practice"

Be unique. Show the world that you're not afraid to be YOU.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader"

Leadership means interacting and building a team of people of whom you never thought you'd see yourself relating with.

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves"

Trait Based Leadership Theories: The Big Debate

The trait based leadership theory is one that has a long history and always sparks much debate. Here's my take on it...

Pros:

Traits such as drive, leadership motivation, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business illustrate that these are learned traits rather than ones we were simply born with.

The theory suggests that the individual does matter. Which is good to a certain extent because all leaders matter, but this also means that all should have an equal opportunity.

Cons:

Trait based theory states that leaders do not have to be great men or women by being intellectual geniuses to succeed, but it does state they they do need to have the "right stuff" and this stuff is not equally present in ALL people.

The theory also argues that the combinations of traits and attributes are more likely to predict leadership than additive or independent contributions of several single traits.

In conclusion I'd like to leave off with a quote from David Rooke and William R. Torbert, " Despite the undeniably crucial role of genetics, human nature is not fixed. Those who are willing to work at developing themselves and becoming more self-aware can almost certainly evolve over time into truly transformational leaders".

Traits To Admire

CONFIDENCE

In today's era, I feel as though confidence is becoming harder to come across as time passes. Society is suddenly obsessed with image and the idea of being a "perfect" human that even the most incredible individuals feel as though they are unworthy. Not only does confidence affect appearance, it also deeply affects what's underneath the skin and one's internal ability to persevere and believe in themselves. I admire these individuals of confidence because they take leadership to a whole new level. Not only do they inspire team members, they are not afraid to push limits, and most importantly... they fight for what they believe in!

HONESTY

Those who are honest are those who deserve utmost respect. Now we've all heard the quote "honesty is the best policy", but in reality, how often do people actually implement this policy, especially when it may put them in an uncomfortable situation to speak the honest truth? Living an honest and truthful life makes me feel happier and more fulfilled daily and I can imagine that only the best leaders practice honesty in whatever they do. Not only are these leaders people of whom should be respected, they should be regarded as leaders of true character and leaders to ultimately look up to.

SELFLESSNESS

In regards to leadership, I strongly believe that one must put others' feelings before themselves and truly strive to serve the team rather than simply fulfill selfish needs. If someone desires to be a leader, it should be in order to better a group of people and to inspire others to improve themselves in order to reach a common goal. I see so much beauty in people who exude selflessness and it is a trait of which I strive to implement in any leadership scenario I may be in. Not only does it bring a team together, it allows those you are leading to confide in you and admire your ways.

Leadership In My Eyes

To me, the word leadership touches pretty close to home. I've always considered myself a person of integrity and motivation, both of which are helpful when it comes to taking a stand as a leader. I've held a few leadership positions in student organizations thus far in my life and although they may seem small in nature, I have been able to learn from these experiences and take the little lessons with me into the future. One thing I've learned about myself as a leader is that I am almost always willing to put others before myself. This has been helpful in leading because I can genuinely show the people that I'm working with that I care about them and their satisfaction. So long as they see me as part of the team, and not as someone who only cares about their power and their position, the others are more willing to accept me as a leader and contribute to the common goal.

I've seen various styles of leadership and with that I believe that anyone can be a leader, given certain circumstances. Leaders are made, not born and so long as the individual is willing to work at their goal and vision, I believe that they can make a difference in others' lives, no matter how big or small. "It's never to late to be who you might have been" can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, however for me it relates to leadership because many people simply think they cannot be leaders because they have no experience, or they weren't born with specific traits. As long as the individual has a passion and is ready to learn, I have no doubt that they may develop into one of our finest leaders. Leadership is all about the willingness to stand when no one believes in you and is about showing them that you are capable of exceeding all of their expectations. Almost all great leaders have been doubted, but without taking that risk they would not be where they are today. So think about it... "It's never too late to be who you might have been."