A521.9.4.RB_Reflections on Leadership

Leadership that Participates

“Employing the interactive mode of leadership means engaging the world with a mind-set of active participation rather than detached observation.”

I believe that to be the best leader you have to get out from behind your desk and mingle with the people. Participating with your subordinates shows compassion and that you as their leader understand what it is like to balance life (personal life outside of work) and work (at the office). According to Denning, “when you are trying to connect with the people you lead, distancing is that last thing you need” (Denning 2011). This statement is true in that you people are connected be feelings and when they feel as though you are engaging with them they are more likely to respond positively. I am in the mindset that when I am a leader I will not only be assertive with my employees but I will also be interactive with them. I want to know what is going on and how I can help. Sending emails all day doesn’t help leaders understand what is going on around them. Leaders need to balanced and participation will help to keep them centered and focused.

Leadership that Connects

“So the interactive leader uses a story, and the responsiveness of the audience to the story is contagious.”

Connections are a part of the foundation of being a strong leader. Having the ability to be engaged with your employees is important regardless of a formal meeting or impromptu discussion. I believe if a leader can connect with their employees/subordinates then they are more likely to have a positive response employees will have stronger dedication levels to their work than those who do not have that connection. I plan to make it a point to connect with my employees as much as I can because I want there to be a level of comfort and openness between the roles of leader/manager/supervisor and the employee/subordinate.

Leadership that has Feeling

“Interactive leadership involves passion – another ingredient that is missing from the traditional mode of management.”

Feelings are a tough topic in leadership roles. Many times it is not okay to have feelings while being a leader and then other times feelings are welcomed. According to Denning, “interactive approach to leadership thrives on feelings” (Denning 2011). I feel as though it is important in leadership positions to have a balance between being emotional and not being emotional. You need to be able to show you are human without forgetting what your role is. I plan to engage in leadership that has feeling when it’s appropriate. “Interactive mode of leadership isn’t simple about being emotionally intelligent; it’s about acting with emotional intelligence” (Denning 2011).

Citation

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. (2 ed., p. 348). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

A521.8.4.RB_Making Contact

This is a wonderful topic for me in that I have NO problems talking to strangers. I can vividly remember my mother telling me when I was a child that I “didn’t have a stranger” which meant I could talk to and become friends with just about anyone. I think since birth I have always had the “gift of the gab” and I felt that communication was something I had a knack for. As early as Kindergarten I can remember getting in trouble for talking too much because I just could keep my mouth shut; if I needed to say something I just would say it and I didn’t care who was or wasn’t listening (it was my voice and I wanted to be heard).

I enjoy communicating with people and I think that is why I went to college for communications specializing in public and cultural studies. I like to learn how people communicate with each other because I find it to be an important skill if you want to succeed in a managerial or leadership role. Understanding rhetoric and how to use it effectively can set you apart from others and it can give a person a competitive advantage over the rest of their colleagues.

If someone throws me into a situation where I am surrounded by new people I am usually the first people to strike up a conversation. I don’t think people need to be shy because although I understand people will judge you, if you have confidence other people’s thoughts and judgments will not matter. To be a leader need to be able to face fears and for some that fear is talking to strangers or not working a room at all. People have to learn to relax and allow themselves to mingle with others. I find that best way to network is by going to parties or social functions and talking to people. You really never know who you will mean or what they could do for your career and vice versa.

I really couldn’t imagine not being this way or being shy. I have a tendency at times to keep things to myself but when it comes to open dialectic and conversations I am happy to jump in and contribute to the conversation. I love to ask questions and get to know people. I think that is where my need to help others comes into play. I like to think of myself as a giver and when I contribute or learn ways to help others I am the first to jump on it. I rarely find myself intimidated by people (men or women) because in my eyes we are all human, no one is perfect and we all make mistakes so no one should be put higher than the rest.

Communication is a skill, it should be nurtured and used as often as possible; this includes verbal and nonverbal communication styles.

A521.7.4.RB_Knowledge Sharing Story

I like to think of myself as a helpful person and I am always trying to find ways to share my knowledge. People often call me the “go-to person” because I can either solve the problem or I can direct you to the person who can. With that being said it can be difficult to pinpoint a really good knowledge sharing story because I tend to think that I just my daily life but I shall do my best to describe one to the best of my ability.

In the fall of 2011 I contemplated starting my Master’s degree. At that time I had looked at a few different programs and was very intrigued by the MSLD program offered at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide. This program was new and not many students (current or prospective) or staff members were aware of it. I had spoken to a coworker of mine who too was debating going back for her Master’s degree and we decided to start the program together. I knew a lot about the foundation of this program as I was a part of the committee that helped approve and lay the ground work for it although I didn’t know anything about the curriculum (nor what would be expected of the students)

When we started the program I had anticipated a good bit of writing was going to be in store but I didn’t know what the requirements would be for formatting. Luckily my Undergraduate degree was in Communications which was a very writing intensive program and I was familiar in both MLA and APA formatting. In order to ensure success for my friend who had been out of the classroom setting longer than I had been I decided it would be a good thing for her if I created APA templates. These templates would allow for her to add the content but guarantee the formatting would be correct. My knowledge of formatting helped not only my friend stay successful and competitive in the program but it also helped me to do what I love to do and that is to help other and see them succeed. Now I never helped her with the content of her work asides from proofing and editing (other things I like to do) but I was able to help her feel more comfortable getting back in the college setting. She is now more confident in her writing and formatting abilities which helps to build confidence for future classes.

Side Note: I have been working in education for almost 5 years and I understand that students are more afraid of their writing classes than some math classes and it’s not because they cannot write it’s that they cannot apply proper formatting. If I can help a student overcome their fear by providing basic formatting templates I feel I am enabling that student for success. Although I feel emphasis should be placed on execution (formatting & grammar) I think the best way to evaluate a student’s knowledge base is through their content. Retention of content should always hold precedence over formatting as education should be about the levels of absorption of the knowledge being learned.

A521.6.3.RB_High Performance Teams

What is a high performance team and what does it look like?

• A high-performance team has attributes such as

• Performance Outcomes
• Specific, shared purposes and visions
• Mutual and internal accountability
• Blurring of formal distinctions
• Coordinated and shared work roles
• Efficiency
• Extraordinarily high quality
• Creative and continuous improvement
• High credibility and trust
• Clarity of core competence

What other, more detailed attributes define a high performance team?

• High performance teams are more likely centered on one goal and are highly focused on the goal/task. It is common to see that high-performance teams will outperform other teams because of the expectations set upon them. Most high-performance teams have individuals who have the ability to interchange their roles at any given time giving the group the ability to be multidimensional.

An example of high performance team (personal example)

• I have been a part of many different types of team dynamics and high-performance teams are a part of them as well. Currently I work for a team that is constantly pushing the bar and trying to become more efficient in the high education spectrum as well as more cutting edge. Being a part of this team sub-teams have been created (or committees) to help with initiating new projects and completing new initiatives. One of those committees is the New Programs & Partnerships Committee which specializes in opening new locations and start new academic programs. This committee is overseen by the Leadership Council and a meeting administrator. Over the past year our team has successfully been able to open multiple new locations, programs and partnerships. These types of accomplishments could not take place unless high-performance attributes such as efficiency, shared work roles and internal accountability were not in place. As this committee grows we have now expanded to including a campus closure procedure which helps to regulate all of the campus closing policies. With these processes in place we are able to stay more detail oriented this in turn positively effects multiple departments.

Examine the four patterns of working together and detail one positive and one negative experience. What could you have done to influence the outcomes?

• Work Group

• Although work groups are considered a team they really are a combination of high level management who report the same director but have little to no collaboration together

• Positive - I personally have not worked in a work group but I do feel that at times those types of dynamics can be seen within the university that I work for. Although the Leadership team and council work as a unit not every aspect of their jobs overlap with every department yet they all answer to the same person.
• Negative - These types of groups can be unless in my opinion if they are not collaborating to some degree. I find it hard to work for the same organization and not to some degree have overlapping areas and or times for collaboration.

• Team  

• A team is a unit of people who work together for the betterment of the organization. A collection of people (any level can make a team).

• Positive - Teams allow for different levels of collaboration as well as provided a breakdown of the different strengths and weaknesses each person can bring to the organization
• Negative - At times teams can form too many opinions and or people will feel as though their voice isn’t being heard. When working in a team there has to areas of give and take in order to be successful.

• Community

• This is a different type of team and sometimes due to its less structured dynamic can fissile out over time.

• Positive - Allows for many people to be a part of the bigger picture. Communities are wonderful team building opportunities.
• Negative - Communities have to be maintained and if not properly nurtured can end. Everyone has to want to make the community last. Without equal participation it can and often does fail.

• Network

• A collection of people sharing the same ideas, thoughts or interests. Example; Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest.

• Positive - Allows for many people to be a part of the network and openly share ideas. Networking allows for many people to meet and mingle from all different areas of the world or intermix different industries. This is a great tool for the working man or woman.
• Negative - I find that the only negative would be the over networker in that someone who is constantly networking to meet people but not contributing the bigger picture. You have to not only meet people but also share in the network community.