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...