Braveheart Freedom Speech

The Father of Leadership

James Macgregor Burns is better known as the Father of Leadership for his works and his philosophy that sparked a revolution in leadership theories. Prior to Macgregor Burns, leadership theories were primarily viewed as trait studies or behavioral motives through the actions that bold men took. James views the most essential elements of leadership as power and purpose and states that we are to view these elements as the basis of leadership and are not put an over- emphasis on power. His main theme of his philosophy was the idea of bringing leaders together as collaborators to work towards a mutual benefit. James looks to inspire others through transformational leadership so that they will rise to higher levels of motivation and work towards leading mutually held goals.

Striving to Find the Perfect Match

Blanchard's model describes low supportive and low directive behavior as "delegating", high supportive and low directive behavior as "supporting", high directive and high supportive behavior as "coaching", and finally high directive and low supporting behavior as "directing". In this Situational Model of Leadership, each leadership situation is categorized into one of the four sections I just referenced. For the most part, this model works as a great reference and serves true in the majority of situations. However, if the leader and the follower are not cohesive and not on the same page, then this model will not serve it's correct purpose.

I was elected to serve on the Executive Board of my sorority for the 2009-2010 year along with 8 other of my peers. I held the position of the VP of Event Planning and I worked very close along side with our Chapter President. In the years past that I had been in the sorority, our President had always been a year older than all of the other Executive Board members; however, the year I was serving on the board, our President was in the same grade and the same age as the rest of us. For the given circumstances, I thought she served as a great leader but looking back on it I would categorize her as a "supporting" leader. She was our "friend" and this is exactly how she treated us... with respect, kindness, love, and support. Of course our executive team loved this and appreciated her desire to always be there for us but at the same time, something was lacking. In almost every instance I can remember, she did not know what to do when something went array. I can even remember a few times where she asked me what to do and told me to go do something about the situation at hand. Now, I understand I was in a leadership role just like she was, but as the President you step into a higher authority and people look to you during times of trouble. With her lack of competence to accomplish many tasks and be the leader when we needed her most, my view of her as a leader quickly turned. I still respected her and admired her loving support but I knew she had to realize that she was indeed the President and it was her role to be there as a directive, more authoritative leader from time to time. Her "matching" with the situation was that she genuinely cared for us so this gave us the confidence we needed in certain times when she was not able to step up and take control. However, her "mismatch" was the role she was in because as the President it is your ultimate duty and responsibility to oversee all chapter functions and be there as the guiding force for everyone. She could not take on this role in any situation as she was too timid and thus looked to other people to serve as this leader.

I learned from this situation and my experience serving on the executive board exactly what situational leadership means. I think our President did an outstanding job of uniting our chapter and making everyone feel as though they were important. Not only was she kind-hearted, but through her inability to step up as the leader in task situations, we were all able to find that in ourselves and serve as that leader in her absence. Through this situation I have become more task oriented with time and have learned when to introduce the authoritative side of Nikki. I will admit, I'm still more on the relationship end of the spectrum but I believe I am finding my way to a balance where I can introduce task and directive behaviors into certain situations.

Taking a Dive into "Theory"

The concept of situational leadership is one that I've found I can really relate to and appreciate as both a leader and a follower. In the article "High Task-Low Realtionship Management" I was able to discover exactly what situational leadership entails and how important it is to understand when in a leadership role. Situational leadership values using one's natural management style while also utilizing the styles that fit the situation at that moment in time. The four types of leadership beahvior styles in situational leadership are as follows:

• high task-low relationship (telling)
• high task- high relationship (selling)
• low task-high relationship (participating)
• low task-low relatoinship (delegating)

Task relates to the duties and responsibilites of an individual or a group, including telling people what to do, how to do it, when, and where. On the contrary, the relationship behavior is the extent to which the leader provides encouragement, listens, and coaches. Keeping the situational factor in mind these task and relationship behaviors are best exhibited only in the correct circumstances. This depends on the "readiness level" of group members which is the extent to which a staff member has the ability, willingess, and confidence to accomplish a specific task. By evaluating my leadership theory thus far, I'd say it's pretty safe to admit that I would fit under the "participating" leadership behavior style in most all circumstances. As I've made apparent, I'm one to put people and their feelings before my own and in this instance, even before the task at hand. I believe that by giving people confidence and encouraging them with kindness and motivation, they then will be able to master the task at hand and know that I will be there as their leader to support them whole heartedly. However, I am finding out that this style of leadership behavior is not favorable in every situation. If my team was in a time of crisis, there would need to be a focus on task and getting the job at hand done, rather than simply making everyone feel loved. A leader of whom I believe exhibits the "selling" behavior very well is my advisor for the SDSU Ambassadors organization on campus. Her name is Ashley and she is an SDSU Alumni and former Ambassador. Ashley is really great at advising us as student Ambassadors because she not only has formed a relationship with each one of us, she also knows the appropriate time to step into the authoritative role and get things accomplished. Somehow Ashley always found the perfect balance for this through her behaviors and made us all feel as though we could trust her as a friend and as a leader. There were times when I saw Ashley step into the "telling" behavior such as at New Student Orientation. Ashley was very busy during this time so she would simply tell us what needed to be done, focus on the task at hand, and ensure that everything was completed properly. In this situation I feel as though "telling" behavior was what should have been used anyways because she was dealing with so much at once, if she started to focus on the relationships then she may have become distracted.

I found the Fiedler contingency model to resemble the idea of situational leadership, in fact I believe that the contingency model and situational leadership go hand in hand. They complement each other through the use of one's leadership style and the situational favourableness. Fiedler's "least preferred co-worker" (LPC) serves as an instrument for measuring one's leadership orientation. According to Fiedler, both low-LPC (task oriented) and high-LPC (relationship-oriented) leaders can be effective if their leadership orientation fits the situation. Here you see how situational leadership behaviors mesh together with Fiedler's contingency theory and situational favourableness. The model suggests that improving effectiveness requires changing the situation to FIT THE LEADER. If there is a "mismatch" in the situation and the leader's natural personality there will most likely be a "mismatch" in the leadership and the ability to lead effectively. I can agree with Fiedler's model in that it is of utmost importance to have a good "fit" between the leader and the situation itself. The question is, how to we ensure that we are able to be the ideal leader in a variety of situations? Is this something we can develop? Or do we have to change ourselves in order to behave in a way that may not come natural to us but may be the "right fit" for the specific situation? My ideal goal is to find the perfect match where I can be who I truly am and do what I love in those situations which will allow me to do so.

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/ ]