Honing Your Leadership Effectiveness, Essay Example

Introduction

It is interesting to me, as I study leadership and consider my own abilities as a leader, to discover a reality not usually understood.  That is, leadership by definition is completely interactive.  No leader can exist independently of those whom they lead.  This then translates to the need to comprehend how processes of leadership can best happen, given the fact that it is always a function within a group.  Many theories and styles exist, and most offer unique perspectives.  The nature of leadership, however, is that it is very much character-based; we turn to the style that we believe is most right, and this in turn is a reflection of ourselves as leaders.  This being the case, and using my own evaluation as a leader, I have given significant thought to both my experiences and my beliefs regarding truly effective leadership.  As the following will reveal, I am most committed to leadership that is cooperative and participative because I feel this best generates real leadership in most circumstances, and because my own skills and nature go to this as the most effective model for myself.

Leadership Relationships

It was surprising to me to discover that my primary talent in regard to relationships in leadership goes to mentoring others.  I was not truly aware of this focus, and I believe it developed in me in an “organic” way.  As I acted as leader, it seemed natural to me to try to guide others in developing their potentials.  In plain terms, I am more than satisfied with this direction I tend to take, because it supports the ethical foundation of leading.  No matter the goal of the group, this process of educating and motivating others exists to enhance the goal, and through honest consideration of the natures of the group. There is no escaping that leadership is a process based on influence (Dungy, 2010, p. 5); this being the case, that influence should go beyond specific goals and be expressed in applying leadership as a personal and improving force.  Mentoring also “gives back” because I have found myself learning through the interactions, and what occurs is a mutual relationship in which all benefit.  I cannot emphasize enough, however, that this process validates leadership as authority, because it is then an authority in place to serve the interests of all.

The above notwithstanding, I have also become aware of a potential drawback in this area.  Because I am drawn to mentoring and building relationships on individual levels, I tend to set aside actual authority in terms of not properly delegating.  My commitment to mentoring, I think, motivates me to be less concerned with adding responsibilities to members of the group.  As I want them to grow and learn as individuals, I am hesitant to place any burdens on them which may interfere with that development.  It is ordinary for leaders to fail to delegate because they lack confidence in the abilities of their group members, and/or because they believe no member of the team can do the job properly (Lewis et al, 2006, p. 202). This is not my own perspective.  On the contrary, I hold back on delegating because I am concerned that it will impede the needs of the group members.  It may be that I am too sensitive to the stresses placed on the individuals in my care.  I have come to understand, however, that this reasoning defeats my real purpose.  The AFJROTC program, for example, is cadet-run; I must then focus on allowing cadets to assume real responsibility.  As I know from my own experience that growth occurs through challenges, I am then more obligated to assign important tasks to those under my authority.  This may be done with mentoring in place as well, as I may monitor and guide as individuals take on the duties assigned to them.  Ultimately, then, this combined approach seems like the most effective means of leading and mentoring.

Leadership Relationships in the Workplace

Multiple kinds of relationships exist in the workplace setting, and I have been fortunate in enjoying a healthy and constructive one with my own leader. We have much in common as we share military backgrounds, and he is in fact a role model for me, as he both mentors my progress and acts as my superior. At the same time, I am aware that my admiration for him sometimes interferes with how I engage with him.  Just as I must not allow my own mentoring to impede the development of my subordinates, I must be careful to not permit his guidance to prevent me from contributing and helping more. This is a relationship I then highly value, but also one which requires more effort on my part to be truly successful.

Regarding my peers, I can honestly affirm that our relationships are based on mutual respect and a strong willingness to assist one another.  We understand completely what each of us faces, and this promotes genuine cooperation and good feeling.  The same is true of my relationships with my subordinates, despite the difference in roles.  They trust that my motives go completely to their welfare and that I have a deep respect and affection for them as individuals.  At the same time, and enhancing our relationships, they know as well that I do not hold back from using discipline when needed, as they know this as well is motivated by my interest in their succeeding.

As to building relationships in the workplace in general, I am confident that I have a natural ability in this regard.  This is not arrogance; it is more that I have consistently found that being honest, open, and respectful enables solid relationships to be in place at all levels.  Networking, however, is more of a challenge for me, and primarily because it demands that I make specific efforts to engage others, rather than allow natural processes to create bonds.  Being more assertive would certainly be helpful to me, and this means that I must accept that assertiveness and aggression are two different things.  Put another way, I can be more bold in making new contacts because I know that my motivation is sincere, and in place to benefit all concerned.  Networking is by definition a form of shared support (Lawson, 2009, p. 72); each party gains through the interaction, and this is what I must bear in mind as I work on this skill.  I should as well focus on my communication, simply because networking translates to introducing new people to the ideas and efforts I feel will be of interest to them.  Expression is then as important as being approachable, and making the efforts to connect.  Given my confidence in the relationships I enjoy already, I feel these efforts will not be beyond my abilities, and will also promote my own leadership capability in general.

Empowering Other Leaders

I believe that leaders with military experience may understand empowering more fully than other types of leaders, and basically because the circumstances are often so extreme.  To begin with, my mentoring interests very much go to this kind of empowerment; only by bringing out the best in others can there be new leaders, and leadership itself becomes a shared function.  It happens exponentially, in fact, as the motivating of one individual triggers the same motivation in others.  I experienced this very dramatically in Kirkuk, in Iraq.  My men and myself were, in a word, beaten down.  The temperature was over 125 degrees, everyone was exhausted and hungry on the training mission, and we still faced the need to locate the final check point while transporting wounded soldiers.  The atmosphere was one of defeat, and the men sank to the ground, unwilling to move.  From a visceral place, I knew what had to be done, and I literally pulled a supervisor up from the ground by his collar.  Using the coarsest language, I made it clear that we had work to do, and I demanded that he find a way to make this effort.  My instinct was to create a “chain reaction,” and that is exactly what occurred.  My urgency carried directly to the man, and he was empowered by it to motivate the others as I had motivated him.  Suddenly, a defeated and weary force was united in a new drive, as each man’s sense of his duty fueled the same in the others.  This was by no means empowerment within a calm, civilized environment, but the core process was the same; it was my responsibility as leader to essentially make leaders of them all, and we achieved our goal.

Empowering other leaders also goes to other strategies.  Any leader comes face to face with conflict between subordinates; it is inevitable in the role.  It also requires, beyond anything else, two approaches.  First and foremost, it must be acknowledged as conflict, and because a leader is obligated to take on this responsibility.  There is no option of ignoring the problem, which only increases the existing tensions.  Then, listening is vital.  The more I listen to what each side of the dispute has to say, the greater my perspectives and the more they feel respected in their grievances (Stark, Flaherty, 2011, p. 187).  At the same time, if these forms of empowering the participants in a conflict fail to achieve resolution, it is also my responsibility to decide the issue.  This in turn goes to how I perceive priorities in regard to goals and relationships. If at all possible, I will work to maintain my relationships with my subordinates, because they provide the foundation for group achievement.  My military background, nonetheless, compels me to hold to goals as paramount.  If others lose sight of the reality that we are a group with a purpose, I do not have that luxury, and my leadership role demands that I make the hard choice of sacrificing relationships when necessary.

All of this may be seen as indirectly empowering others to lead.  More exactly, I would maintain my stated approaches to conflict resolution in any circumstances, and because I believe that leadership relies, beyond anything else, on core integrity.  I am there to lead, but to lead to an end, and I fail if I neglect that end goal for the sake of sparing feelings.  As long as I am respectful of others, this is my true priority, and my sense of this may well go to inspiring others.  Empowerment is far more than the ability to do a thing; it is as well about rising to new challenges and meeting them responsibly.  I value my relationships highly, as stated, but I can offer no better inspiration to others than my adherence to my fundamental principles of what leadership demands.

Preferred Leadership Style

One leadership style above all draws me and best reflects, I think, my abilities: Participative Leadership.  In my experience, this is a model that is both fully ethical and extremely pragmatic. On one level, it brings everyone into the leadership process and creates value in however they contribute.  It encourages subordinates, rather than minimizing them.  People feel valued when their input is requested, and this in turn motivates them to be more committed to the team effort (George, Sims, 2010, p. 186). On another level, this approach helps me enormously because, in plain terms, even the most informed leader cannot know everything or develop all perspectives of an issue.  It is in fact common today for organizations to train management in participative leadership techniques (Lussia, Achua, 2009, p. 75) because the interactive element enhances whatever agenda is in place.  The leader maintains control, but the information added by each individual provides the best possible platform for decision-making.

I have learned that several skills are extremely important in Participative Leadership, and communication is foremost among them.  The leader must be able to regulate the interactions, which can be challenging.  They must as well know how to accept input professionally and considerately, even when the value of the input is questionable.  This skill then goes to another, that of maintaining positive relationships with all team members.  It is in a sense a “balancing act” because the leader cannot demonstrate preferential treatment to anyone, while simultaneously making all feel appreciated.  However, and even as this is my preferred style, Participative Leadership is not suitable to all occasions.  In plain terms, it is a strategy that requires a great deal of time, and many leadership situations – as in the military – do not allow this.  I do not believe that this view goes to distancing Participative Leadership from my style as normally practiced.  Put another way, my principles remain in place always, which are the noted emphasis on goals and relationships.  When I move away from the Participative model, it is, again, only because circumstances demand that I do so. Lastly, I would add that I am constantly seeking to improve my practice of this leadership style, through attending classes and seminars, reading, and active awareness in all my leadership situations.

Backup Style

Given my thinking as stated above, it is not unexpected that my backup style of leadership goes to the Autocratic.  As noted, this is truly a backup in that I rely on it when time and/or other factors require direct leadership and fast decision-making.  The negative consequences are as well obvious; subordinates tend to feel undervalued, or perceive themselves as only instruments.  They feel more constrained, and subject to coercive power, rather than real leadership (Bass, Bass, 2009, p. 291). At the same time, and while not discounting the immense benefits of Participative Leadership, the Autocratic style allows for a more firm control over people and processes, and enables the leader to more directly move toward the goal.  In any effort, the leader is able to assess the circumstances and act with no distractions, so this model also depends upon the leader as committed and fully responsible.  It is, in a word, an extremely efficient model, even as it frustrates subordinates and denies their input.

Flexible Leadership Styles

I have a range of flexible leadership styles or, more exactly, there are elements of several that play into my leadership in general. Among these are Transitional and Transactional models, which of themselves reflect one another. The former implies a temporary approach, as in my turning to the Autocratic, because circumstances dictate. The Transactional is also situation-based, in that the leader needs to negotiate with subordinates to achieve the team goal. The reality is that all of these models are Situational, because that model is based upon leadership as changing to address unique situations (Barker, 1992, p. 9). Other theories more focus on a consistent approach, but those of a Situational character go more to urgent conditions. For example, I turn to a direct coaching method when I hire an individual who requires close supervision, and this is Situational. I apply the same model for an employee who has self-esteem issues, and a further Situational case occurs when I am compelled to delegate tasks to subordinate who may need assistance or monitoring to carry out the work.  Put another way, variations in demands creates variations in actual leadership style, which in itself promotes the leader’s commitment to the role. I will also turn to Transformational Leadership when the opportunity arises, simply because this model promotes morale and a shared vision. This is the leader who is value-driven, has a clear sense of purpose they express plainly, and who inspires as a role model (Bojeun, 2013, p. 91).  It requires intense interaction, as when, for example, I assess work done by some team members and then share it with all, to offer support for the efforts and increase the group motivation.

My flexible styles all go to the need for strategic thinking and planning, in that each demands I take in the needs of the organization, the nature and abilities of the team, and then turn to the style best suited to help us achieve the desired ends.  Beyond these skills, the styles also require that I demonstrate my commitment to the goal at all times and my investment in the group dynamic itself.  This sometimes translates to the need to find a way to make a problematic relationship work, and/or alter roles within the group without lessening morale or slighting an individual’s sense of esteem.  It is all about adapting to the specific scenario before me as leader and determining the most efficient and ethical course of action.  My skills then adapt as well, as when I communicate more aggressively in a Transformational situation.  In regard to the readiness of my team to accept any changed leadership, I face no real issues because I rely here completely on communication. I have earlier expressed the importance to me of honesty; when leadership style changes, honesty is as well a critical tool.  My people trust me to be true to their interests because I fully explain the circumstances, as when I must ask them to give more of themselves to meet an urgent need of the organization. This in turn enhances my authenticity. Beaus I am straightforward with my subordinates, they understand that I trust and value them because I would not be so forthcoming if I had reservations about them. Ultimately, integrity is what renders any leadership, or shift in leadership style, genuine and effective.

Using Power

In practical terms, my power lies in my role as instructor in a JROTC program, teaching disciple and leadership to first-year students.  As any real leader knows, however, true power is not based in such defined authority, and I generate my own through creating trust between myself and the students.  My role certainly demands that I be assertive and maintain authority over the group. At the same time, however, this is actually enhanced by being attentive to the realities and perceptions of the group. I build my influence as well by evincing support, and also through “using my power” to offer rewards or credits to those who perform exceptionally well. As discussed above, integrity is the keynote here, because I have found that, when students trust your sincerity and commitment, they are eager to be guided by you.  No single skill then applies; instead, communication, interpersonal interactions, and an awareness of all facets of the group situation enable influence and a strategic – and fair – use of leadership power.

Problems nonetheless arise and test the use of power as ethical.  In one case in my experience, my subordinates were responsible for making sure that they adhered to our organization’s Security and PCI Compliance Policy, which I had made clear to them. Weekly, I checked their reports for violations and, upon finding these, I held another meeting.  I laid out that it was absolutely necessary that their direct reports be checked at the end of each day, and that they would all be held accountable for further violations. My team object to this approach and issued complaints about it to my superior.  In retrospect, I believe I should have modified my response and taken more personal responsibility myself.  Holding daily meetings, for example, would have likely better conveyed the importance of the matter to my people, as I also should have engaged in follow-up email checks.  My error, I believe, was in not using my power most efficiently, and in assessing the nature of the problem incorrectly.

How I myself deal with those who have power over me very much depends on how they employ it.  When the use is correct and appropriate, I respond by expressing appreciation for their roles in the organization.  Importantly, and as with my own subordinates, I communicate; I listen, I voice concerns, and I make the effort to fulfill my own role through active and correct interaction.  I would add that, given any inequality of power, I also ensure that most of my communication is in writing, if only to avoid potential misunderstandings.  As to any risk of being overpowered, the same skills going to effective leadership lessen such risk.  By presenting myself as confident and capable, I do not enable any undue overpowering because my behavior indicates that it would be unacceptable to me.  This also goes to preventing others from exploiting my personal power for their own ends.  When I maintain my own integrity and act in ways fully meeting my responsibilities, I also safeguard my power.  I also feel that a proactive approach is helpful in such potentials; that is, I make the effort to learn how and why the other person is seeking my personal power, and this empowers me to disarm the situation with no offense or aggression.

Leadership Effectiveness

One think I have learned in both my experience as a leader and my study of it is that there is, simply, always room for improvement. I believe my leadership skills are strong and my motivations reflective of integrity, but I know as well that I must develop certain skills.  I have referred to listening as critical in leadership effectiveness and I do practice this, but I believe I require a stronger focus in this discipline.  I sometimes have a tendency to listen only to a point and, when I believe I have all the necessary information, act without seeking any further input.  This in turn goes to the potential for snap decisions and ill-advised judgments, and neither is acceptable in real leadership.  Moreover, I believe that listening is an art with multiple benefits.  A critical part of the effectiveness of listening, in fact, derives from demonstrating the intent to listen (Dinkmeyer, Eckstein, 1995, p. 166); this in place, the subordinate feels appreciated and more forthcoming, just as my taking the time to listen to all they need to impart provides me with more information.  Certainly, there are times when, as a leader, I must end an interaction when I perceive that it is repetitive or not relevant.  I believe, however, that I should err on the side of caution, and be more open to hearing others out in full whenever possible.  In developing this skill, I think I will vastly benefit my role as leader, and in any circumstance.
Conclusion

The more immersed I am in leadership study and actual experience, the more I realize how extremely complex the subject is.  It most certainly is far beyond authority or control, or any desire to hold power.  Real leadership must create change, and change for the good occurs only when all involved are committed to the same cause or goal.  This then involves actual relationships, and the understanding that, at any level, leadership is about communicating with others to achieve a shared ambition.  Some authority is necessary, as some situations require more Autocratic leadership.  Generally speaking, however, even such Transitional models must rely on the core principles of integrity, commitment, trust, relationships, and communication I feel I possess.  As I move forward in my leadership, and even as I develop my skills, these are the values that remain constant.

References

Barker, A. M. (1992). Transformational Nursing Leadership: A Vision for the Future. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Bass, B. M., & Bass, R. (2009).  The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Bojeun, M. C. (2013). Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Dinkmeyer, D., & Eckstein, D. (1995).  Leadership By Encouragement.  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Dungy, T. (2010).  The Mentor Leader.  Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

George, B., & Sims, P. (2010).  True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Lawson, K. (2009).  Leadership Development Basics.  Baltimore, MD: American Society for Training and Development.

Lewis, P., Goodman, S., Fandt, P., & Michlitsch, J. (2006).  Management: Challenges for Tomorrow’s Leaders. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Lussia, R., & Achua, C. (2009). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development, 4^th Ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Stark, P. B., & Flaherty, J. S.  (2011). The Competent Leader: 19 Critical Skills Any Manager or Supervisor Must Know, 3^rd Ed. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, Inc.