My Leadership Page

I made my leadership map into sections. Each section has links to where I would most likely look for what I am interested daily. If I have time to read and relax I can go into my section where I can do research or just learn some interesting facts!

My Leadership Map

Charasmatic Leadership!

 A Charismatic Leader!!

"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on"

I was very attracted to the Charismatic Leadership Theory because I thought about just charm and personality of people. I believe that someone who is just so energetic and sends good vibes will always be followed no matter the outcome. Charismatic Leaders have this theatrical sense using metaphors, symbols, and storytelling.  Many actors, singers, and artists are known a charismatic leaders. This type of leader is well aware that they can attach a significance to a group to make them feel important and they can also speak in a one-on-one interaction.

A leader such as this is like the cheerleader that comes up to the top not because of authority but because of the way they present themselves.

I chose to to put a picture up of JFK because many political leaders are known as Charismatic Leaders. JFK had characteristics of charismatic leader. When he spoke about the goals the US should have he made us unique and proud to be American. When political leaders make their public speeches they all have different but exciting ways of getting their point across. Many leaders while running in an election use their charisma to excite their followers.

Overall, I really liked researching this theory because it also can tie with transformational theory. Both can create change within a group and it takes a charismatic leader to cope with change.

Finding Leadership

Definitely reminds me of transformational leadership. Now the fishes must figure out how to cope with change!

Feeling Leadership

As I look at this image I feel I have a better understanding of my personal leadership skills. From my first post I have definitely changed and analyzed how I really feel about leadership in me. I was very mixed up and I did not really see myself as one particular type of leader. As we have learned about different leadership theories I realized there is no TYPE of leader. Leadership can be created and anyone is capable of being a leader. The leadership theory I connected with most was Transformational Leadership.


Transformational Leadership stood out to me because I agreed that Leadership is coping with change and Managing is really focusing on delegating. Many managers are great managers because they do their job well and have effective outcomes. Yet, those same managers may not be great leaders. A person that is a great leader carries all the characteristics that is needed to basically change something and people will follow. The characteristics may have been developed or the leader already had them. I feel that when people think of leaders they think of those who have made a great contribution to a mass group of people. This theory makes me think about how I may get to be a real transformational leader. I feel there are steps to leadership. One may be a great leader with relationships but not very good at completing a goal. The person can then work on their task orientation and improve their leadership skills.

I am someone that knows I relate a lot to Path-goal theory. I really feel I should work on my relationships with others instead of just a task. In the future I hope to create some type of transformation. I want to be that leader that people can trust and feel that change will only improve the team, company, etc. One way to do this is to create a bond with my employees and then figure out if the employees understand the goal of where they are working. I hope to lead in a way were at the end of the day people are motivated to come back!

My Synthesis

I can definitely say that I have learned a lot about leadership. The midterm was a perfect way to really identify situations where leadership is seen. Watching the movie Mona Lisa Smile assisted me in identifying not only the differences in the leadership theories we have discussed but noticing the characters that may be in the background. I saw leadership in the background character and I feel this is what clarified my overall synthesis of leadership. Leadership is created and learned with the will and personality of a person. I feel that it is important to understand that a person may have the traits of a leader but they may not use them and they fall into the background. Someone that has the traits or does not but who has the will to learn and determination can be an effective leader. It is significant to understand from the theories that leadership must be effective. The path-goal theory describes a goal that must be achieved. In order to reach the goal having a relationship with the people that are helping you is important. Trust is definitely key in leadership not only with a leader and follower but trust must be within a leader.

From the first class I have definitely opened my mind about leadership. I am excited to learn about how I will develop with my skills. I am definitely task oriented and I need to work on my relationships. I really did not believe leadership could be studied or analyzed in so many ways. Transformational leadership was one my favorite theories because I understood the difference between managing and leadership. The only thing I do not agree with is the moral aspect. Although I feel people should be moral in there intentions it does not necessarily mean you are not an effective leader if you are not moral. The synthesis I created will maybe change at the end of the class. I am still a bit confused about the 360 degree behavioral based leadership and I still feel that I need to apply and research more on how to look at the theories in a situational matter. Overall, the class has definitely opened my eyes and the activity we did about combining all the theories into one paradigm was very interesting. I enjoyed it because I got to hear others opinions about how they explained the different leadership theories. This activity has left me wanting to learn more about leadership...

Mona Lisa Smile

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/100737860/htmmidtern

Transformational Leadership in Action

This video demonstrates the Motivating and Inspiring Aspect of Leadership. The coach could have easily described and made a plan about how they could win but instead used an influential person to demonstrate they were capable of anything. Just watching this video inspired me!

They don't make plans, they don't solve problems, they don't even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.

You can see the transformation of skin color not mattering anymore because that was the real struggle to surpass....

Remember the Titans - flash slideshow

JAMES McGregor Burns

Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.

-Burns

He tells it like it is

James McGregor Burns studied leadership in a different way that became Transformational. He was one of the first scholars to look at leadership through relationships and with that he embarked on his Transformational Leadership Theory. Burn's background demonstrates his credibility of reconstructing leadership theory. He received his bachelor's degree from William's College, his PhD from Harvard, and he has also attended school in London. He was very involved in out government and began his new philosophy of leadership by pointing out some great themes. Transformational Leadership looks at the difference between a manager and a leader. One important topic is that Burns began to discuss leadership instead of discussing leaders. He states that leadership is a moral endeavour not a wielding power or trying to manipulate others. Overall, Burns has written many books about leadership and his theory has been praised and discussed by many scholars. His words have definitely taken the management level into a whole new ballpark.

First day of PARTICPATING

Blanchard describes four types of situational leadership styles. There is selling, participating, delegating, and telling. All of these styles have a relation to either task or relationship oriented people.

My leader-follow story begins on my first day working at a hotel. I had never worked as a front desk agent or worked with any of the computer systems so I knew I would need help in the technical service part of this job. The first day I arrived, I was introduced to my supervisor and she would be the one showing me around and training me to start work out on the front. As we got to know each other my supervisor began explaining all the areas of the lobby and was very talkative. She asked me a lot of questions about myself and joked around. Finally during the computer learning part of the tour she sat down and tried to explain how to use the system. Unfortunately she was not actually explaining it slowly and she would just keep asking me questions about myself. She had me somewhat practice for about five minutes and if I made a mistake she would just say, "its okay" and fix it instead of me learning how to fix it. I felt that I really trusted the supervisor because she made me feel welcomed and comfortable. Yet, at the end of my shift I realized I did not how to work the computer or really know how to do all of my tasks. In this case, although having a good relationship is key in welcoming a new worker, teaching them how to do the job is also just as important.

Although I was a bit frustrated that I did not learn the technical aspect of my job, in the end, it turned out for the best. I eventually learned what I had to do and I made a great relationship with my supervisor. This was a good participating experience for me!

till next time....

Contingency vs. Situational

Contingency Model

Fiedler concentrated on traits and behaviors to figure out if someone was relationship oriented or task oriented. He uses a model of Least Preferred Coworker to describe what type of leadership motivates an individual. I like how Fiedler describes the fact that one must look at situations and determine the effectiveness. According to the article neither task or relationship orientation is preferred. Both have good uses but depending on the situation. Fiedler describes the fact that we are looking at the effectiveness of leadership in a situational manner.

Situational Model

Within the situational model we look at developing management styles. This article focuses on four types of leadership styles. They are high task- low relationship (telling), high task- high relationship (selling), low task-low relationship (delegating), and low task-high relationship (participating).  These different leadership styles depend on the readiness of a group and also the ability and willingness to accomplish a task. The leader must look at the task at hand and use the best leadership style to produce effectiveness.



Looking at Both Models
Both of these models demonstrate situational leadership. As we look at a situation we can then see if we are concerned with a task that needs to get done or the relationship between the workers, groups members, etc. Under the contingency model during a certain situation working with people one is able to identify their motivation and leadership ways. They may be annoyed by someone because they are not getting tasks done. Or it could be that the person does not have a good relationship with the rest of the team. In the situational model, this article focused on how to use your leadership skills in certain situations. Both models demonstrated the task orientation and relationship orientation but in different ways.

Me myself and Tasks!

After reading about both models I found that I am task oriented. When I thought about my least favorite person to work with I remember I did not really care to be their friend. It was a group project and I mostly cared about the person doing their work and completing the tasks. With this situation, even though I was not the leader, I was high task-low relationship.

Also, I am apart of a sorority and when I held the position of historian it was my duty to put on an event for alumni and family. The people that were helping me out I made sure they were getting their tasks done and not really worrying about our friendship. I really took it as this is business and personal will come later. In the end, the group was a bit annoyed with me because I did not see they were competent enough with tasks that I should have focused on our relationship. I should have worked in low task-high relationship and seen this more as a participating situation.

I definitely like these models because they are situational and one can learn from their mistakes and change their leadership style.

Once the Worker NOW the Boss

Currently, I see myself on the outside of a situation of an executive board shutting down the rest of the members of an organization. The board members seem to have the final word in the organization where everyone should have a voice. The new members feel that they are doing all the work and the board is reaping all the benefits.

Some of the members came to me with the issues and after discussing the many ways to approach the situation I also reminded them to remember this conversation. I told them to remember the way they felt and how frustrated they were with the executive board. I told them to remember this time because they may have that position on exec board in the future. Once they have that higher position will they act the same? Will they improve? I reminded them that they must remember how it was being new and how they felt.

This whole situation made me wonder if this happens in the industry. We discuss different types of traits, behavioral leadership, and archetypes. Yet, how will we know if a person may turn for the worst?

Situation: Your boss is mean, just tells you what to do and wants to take the credit. They may say thank you once in a while but they want to make sure you know they are the boss. The boss says this is just tough love because they want to keep you on your feet.

Then you grow into the position and you have your Boss's Job. Will you be the same? Will your aggression be taken out on the new employees?

I feel as though many people would deny saying that they would be the same, but in all actuality will they? Even though their Archetype says they are a lover...will their traits demonstrate authority and achievement orientation?

 I was once against outsourcing and finding new employees for management positions. I believed if someone  in the department had the qualifications they should be promoted. I can now understand why a new perspective could be better. 

Leadership can definitely be studied and explored by each individual person and or by others. It can be done through situations, growth, and traits. Yet, I feel that understanding situational leadership is hard but the most common.

Leadership Practices Inventory

I chose to take the Leadership Practices Inventory because I felt it was similar to the Archetype test I took. I felt that even though I may score higher within one category I could play any of the other parts in the future. It was strange to see the difference in scores between me and the person I asked to evaluate me. I actually asked two people to evaluate me in order to see if someone was just afraid to be honest. Both actually had around the same numbers so I chose the first person I had asked. The person I asked was Mayra, I asked her because I wanted someone who had seen me in leadership roles during business and on the outside. I was surprised to notice that her scores were a lot higher than mine. I guess the saying does go, "I am my worst critic."

In any case her highest score landed me in, Enable Others to Act. She explained to me that she has noticed how I now bring people together and create trust within groups. Also, that I promote communication which lacks in a lot of groups. I was really surprised because I never thought I was much of a motivator. I have very strong beliefs and sometimes it is difficult for me to understand someone else, so I usually try not to argue. It was good to hear that maybe I have changed without noticing.

My highest score to myself landed me in, Encourage the Heart. Growing up I was never really congratulated when I won awards or received high grades. I grew up in an environment where that was expected and so it was nothing when I was going above and beyond. I definitely was always looking for approval and I was not surprised to see me fall under this role. I always try to say "good job" or "thank you" when I see someone has put in work on a project, event, etc. In my eyes, I feel that acknowledging someone can make all the difference and it does create a better community. Just like we are suppose to appreciate our customer or guest, we should appreciate the people doing the work even more!

till next time...

LOST

I decided to watch Lost because I had never heard of this show and I wanted a fresh perspective. I figured if I watched a show I already knew about I would be bias. I was really impressed on the different types of leadership I saw just within the two episodes.

I saw the first Pilot episode of Lost where Jack (main character) is followed through his journey after a plane had crashed into a deserted island. During the pilot episode Jack had woken up not knowing exactly what happened but he got right to work. He was assisting anyone he could and once things calmed down he finally attended to his cut. During this time according to the LMX he was in Phase 1. Jack was a stranger to the rest of the survivors in the crash but they followed his orders nontheless. He was making a quick relationship with everyone and they trusted him. It was not until the end of the episode that he reached Phase 2. 

In the second pilot episode he had created a stronger relationship with some of the people. One in particular was Kate. The two began testing their relationship by splitting up and being able to trust each other. The second episode entailed the different backgrounds of some of the people. I could really get in depth about the leadership qualities of all the characters but I wanted to focus on Jack and Kate. The episode had fights and blame on the different characters but once their was a common goal they all seemed to focus on the good of the group. The two episodes only demonstrated Phase 1 and 2 of the LMX but as stated before I would really like to focus on Jack and Kate.

Jack is a very extrovert leader and Kate is introvert. Jack is this hero doctor and Kate is actually a prisoner that was being transported. Yet, both have a manner of getting the group to act collectively and work together. I wanted to take the test for both Jack and Kate under the MLQ (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire) and try to identify some feedback.

Jack: HIGH: builds trust, generates satisfaction, generates extra effort, rewards achievement, coaches people

Demonstrates Relationship Orented Behaviors

Kate: HIGH: generates satisfaction, is efficient, monitors mistakes, encourages innovative thinking, acts with integrity

Demonstrates Task Oriented Behaviors 

This was my take on the type of leadership I saw instilled within the two characters. 

till next time...

Leadership Character

SEEKER
- Willing to be different. try new things
- Autonomy, ambition, expanding possibilities
* Inability to commit, chronic disappointment, alienation, loneliness

JESTER
- Enjoying life and work, being here now
- Humor, life lived in the moment, exuberant joy
* Debauchery, irresponsibility, sloth, cruel jokes, con artistry


RULER
-Taking charge, being responsible, living according to your values
- Responsibility, system savvy, control, sovereignty
* Rigidity, controlling behaviors, attitude of entitlement, elitism

WARRIOR
- Learning to compete, set goals, defend oneself
- Discipline, courage, determination, skill
* Fear of impotence leading to ruthlessness, arrogance

SAGE
- Thinking clearly, critically, and formulating own opinion
- Wisdom, knowledge, skepticism, non-attachment
* Being overly critical, pomposity, lack of feeling empathy, impracticality

Questionable Leaders

If you lived in a dictatorship who would you follow?

VERSUS

Can you list Leadership Traits in both? Is it ethical to? Should Leadership and Ethical Standards be intertwined?

Traits vs Archetypes

The other day i was listening to a lecture Mark Testa was giving to the HTM 201 class. He mentioned that "People are FREAKS" and I then I thought to myself....I am definitely a freak!

I could not help myself but to imagine the way I act in front of certain people, certain situations, by myself. and just in general. In a previous post I wrote down traits I admire and how I wish I could be described as that person. In my archetype I was happy to see the characters I was described as. Then I thought about how the traits I wanted compared to my archetype. I felt like I was all over the place and I wanted it all. Then all these questions popped into my head.

Am I weird for thinking about this too much? 

Am I greedy for wanting all these nice traits?

Is my archetype telling me I actually show pitfalls?

I was definitely in FREAK mode. So I then decided to sit down and really understand trait based theory versus this PMAI test of Archetype. As I read into both, I saw how trait based theory was there to identify traits that people have when making certain choices. An Archetype is more of this character who obtains gifts and pitfalls to help create the person they are. Both are questionable and both help to evaluate leadership in different ways. 

Heath Ledger once stated, "I am and always will be an actor, I am learning how to be a star." 

This quote interprets both trait based theory and archetypes. We have a person who is honest (trait) and optimistic (trait). His character as an actor could be interpreted as a Seeker (archetype). Both types of leadership traits or archetypes intertwine with each other. In the end one is looking to self reflect and explore themselves. These leadership developments should help find the character we are looking for in ourselves and the traits we want to express. There is no right or wrong answer but a better way of understanding the journey to our own leadership development.

till next time...

My Acceptance of My Archetype

I was really open and I let myself go with this PMAI assessment. I really thought about the question being asked instead of me just going "neutral" like I usually do. I get very skeptical with these types of tests because I always wonder how a test can really evaluate someone without even getting to know the person.
As I read about archetypes I was intrigued at the fact that I could take this test and see it as a story.

I was evaluated to be

1. Seeker
2. Jester
3. Warrior
4. Ruler
5. Sage

My lowest Score

1. Innocent

I read about each archetype and how I related to each type. Then I saw a story of how each character has ruled a story in my life. Instead of labeling myself as a Seeker or Ruler, I used those terms to create my character in a story. I then thought about how the archetype of Innocent fell into my story. I realized that I once had attributes of innocence but grew out of them. Now, whenever I notice someone who has an archetype of innocence I try to change them.

I would really like to discuss my low score: My Shadow Archetype

Innocent-
Developing trust, optimism, confidence to take the journey

Pitfalls: Naive, childish dependence, denial, obliviousness

I feel growing up I was a very innocent character. My attitude consisted of optimism even when things went completely wrong. I would trust anyone and this sometimes would be my downfall. Growing up I trusted friends who got me in trouble and I took the fall for a lot of it. As I grew into a more confident person the shadow of innocence still follows me. As the youngest child, I still acquire dependence on acts I should now take in as an adult. My biggest pitfall is denial, I still have a hard time confronting the truth to myself and others. I have noticed this in myself and I have tried to improve a little at a time but I sometimes still give in to the easy way out.

I would like to share a story that has definitely expressed me being in denial. My story begins with me trusting people that I should have kept my guard up with. I allowed myself to have fun that exceeded into "too much" fun. At a bar I was overconfident that someone would take care of me if I got too out of hand. In the end I woke up to reality. All my belongings stolen, feeling sick and dizzy, and lost on a street with no help. After I found the police and spoke to my parents I felt so ashamed. I took a test to see if I had been exposed to any type of drug. I was so scared to find any results and in the end I had tested positive to being drugged. I could not bare talking to anyone about this because I knew this was my fault. There is more to the story...but like I mentioned before...I do a little at a time...

I believe that the shadow archetype follows me to remind me what I need to grow out of. The pitfalls is what I have fallen into and now I need to watch that as an adult, Innocence is not my friend.

"All things truly wicked start from Innocence"- Ernest Hemingway

Pros and Cons of Trait Based Leadership Theory

I personally love making lists.

Trait Based Leadership Theory PROS:

- Personal Qualities that promote stability in leader effectiveness
- Studies have shown that traits are significant precursors of leadership effectiveness
- Combinations of traits and attributes integrated in a conceptional meaningful way are more likely to predict leadership
-Defining extraordinary qualities in effective leaders
-Can define a leaders actions to how he/she leads in certain situations

Traits Based Leadership Theory CONS:

-Not exploring situational leadership events
-Labeling as who the leader is and not what the leader does to be effective
-The traits chosen: do they have to be ethical?
-Nature v. Nurture
-Can one become a leader without leadership traits?

"A person does not become a leader by virtue of the possession of some combination of traits."-Stogdill

Born Leader

V.

Learning to Lead

This is only the beginning...as the class continues I will add to each PRO and CON

until next time...

traits I admire

Although throughout the HTM program I have learned that leadership can be developed and learned, I have seen those who just have a presence and natural traits as leaders. Those who I have followed and admired do show similar characteristics in their way of being and acting.

Traits I admire

Honesty & Integrity

Ambition-Charisma

Achievement

Flexibility

Action Logic Traits

Alchemist: leads society wide change

Opportunist: wins anyway possible

Individualist: operates in unconventional ways

All these traits and ways of acting are similar to me. I love to imagine myself as this very outgoing, incredible, and passionate leader. I see these traits in people I hope to one day become. I guess I do not see myself ever being described as someone who has these characteristics...

"I am my hardest critic" 

In the past I believed that someone was just born with certain traits and thats what makes them a strong leader. Nature was always in the lead. I now understand that with time, nurture may exceed nature if one is able to accept change. I personally did not want to go into definition of each trait and why I admire the trait because I do not see them as individual traits. I see them as traits that can work and go together and in the end create a the leader I hope to become.

till next time...

An Opportunist? why do we label when someone can do something so amazing?

The Leader in ME

"He wasn't a bad leader because he made bad decisions; he was a bad leader because he made NO decisions."

I have definitely reflected on my leadership skills throughout my HTM program. I have seen and heard about Amazing leaders as well as Horrible ones. Yet, I find it hard at times as to what defines a bad leader and a good leader. The quote above represents the way I understand leadership. Whether I am wrong in my decisions or I made a great choice, I would like to know that I did something instead of just sit there.

My journey with leadership began during my freshman year at San Diego State. I had never heard of theory with leadership and my conception of a good leader was someone that always had the correct answer. I felt that leaders had a natural gift that could not be learned. I never saw myself as leader, but someone in the background just following orders. Throughout the program I grew into what I describe as a "mess of a leader." I do not necessarily see this in a negative context but I cannot come to a conclusion as to what traits, skills, or values create leadership. As I read the articles I kept picking different traits that defined me. I was not just the achiever, I have been the diplomat, the expert, and the individualist. My actions have conformed to the situations I have been put in. I take charge when I feel I have to but in most cases I like to be the person outside observing. My introvert attitude still lives inside me but my skills have grown to extrovert actions.

As I look at the word leadership I see a state of position where someone is ahead or above in some way. This person may not be at the top of greatness, may not have the best ethical issues, but has done something to stand out. I have yet to really understand myself as a leader but I have come to the conclusion that a leader makes a CHOICE and stands by it even when no one else does.

till next time...