Academy Lecture #2

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Derek Clark: Pitiful or Powerful

The talk given by Derek Clark challenged my understanding of leadership and pushed me to look further into myself when considering how I lead. He started by telling his story of coming from a family of full of troubles to abuse to experience in the foster care system.  The struggles that he went through we terrible, and should have affected him in astronomical ways. However, instead of dwelling on the negative things he went through he allowed these experiences to transform his life into something amazing. From this I learned that with even when nothing is going right, and it feels as though everything is impossible, there is still good one can do. Being a leader is not reserved for those that have always experienced success. Instead, it may rather by suited for those that have been through struggles and pain because they know how to deal with difficult situations.

Mr. Clark proposed the idea of being able to love yourself before you can love anyone else. I think this is especially prevalent in the topic of leadership. A person should be confident in themselves before they put themselves in a place of critique and judgement. Being able to know yourself and your leadership style is essential being a great leader. Derek Clark showed this through his description of letting go of his metaphorical backpack that he was allowing to way him down. Once he was able to let go of what others thought of him and of what he thought of himself, he was able to truly succeed.

This experience has encouraged me to reflect  back on my life and find the good that came from the bad.  At times I allow myself to use my past as an excuse. Although this never fully solves the issue, or make me feel better, I still continue the cycle. Instead, I want to reflect and find my strengths and how they developed through these difficult times. The speech was very uplifting and inspired me to work harder in the future when I face issues.  I will apply many of techniques in the future and maybe even include a three work phrase to help me in the future.

Academy Lecture #1

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Academy Lecture 1: Alana Hill

The lecture given by Alana Hill that discussed the idea of diversity in leadership was thought-provoking and powerful. Many ideas she introduced showed the powerful, positive impact diversity can have in the workplace. While describing diversity as a “rainbow”, Alana noted all the colors were equal and not one was more valuable than the other. Often, I forget that leadership is not just the actions you make to lead a group, but also the people you choose to be in the group. The more diverse the group is, the more ideas and opinions there are. Having different opinions and perspectives is essential to the success of the group. The lecture taught me to look to really consider the importance of diversity in the workplace.

In terms of the relationship between personal values, integrity, and ethical leadership, I learned that they are all closely connected and dependent on one another. Taking the initiative to include a new diverse range of people is a result of an ethical leader. Always wanting to improve the group, they include everyone to achieve the best possible solution. It also taught me the importance of being honest in a workplace. Even if there is conflicting opinions, they should still be said to eradicate any possible complications.

I intend to apply Hill’s teachings to my everyday life, including my leadership skills. When forming teams I will pay specific attention that there is a wide range of people from different backgrounds. It will also help me to see the good different personality types in a work setting. Each voice as a distinct purpose that is can be constructive and beneficial for the group. Creating diversity in the workplace is essential for a happy, productive workplace.

Peer Review Feedback

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Developing this blog has been a beneficial process that has allowed to fully notice how I have evolved throughout the year. Many factors have shifted ideas and concepts in my head, to make me the person I am today. My peer reviewer noted how my original reflection was quite different when compared to my most recent reflection. They said that I seemed to be more confident in stating what I thought leadership is, and was more able to describe the reasoning behind my answer. I would agree with them when saying I have more confidence in defining leadership. This is due to my broader understanding of the subject of leadership and how it works. Through my broader understanding also came with a new opinion on leadership. Before, I thought that leadership was an abstract idea that really could not be studied or defined. However, with the time I spent reading through the book and taking time to fully question the role of leadership in my life, I soon realized that it was a very important concept. Although I have never been in any major leadership role, it is still important to understand what makes a great leader so that one can distinguish whether they are being led properly. A follower is just as expected to understand leadership as an actual leader. Without the role of a follower, a leader would then be unnecessary. Secondly, my peer reviewer said that I should broaden my knowledge of leadership even more. She noted that I seem to be “stuck” on certain aspects of leadership and placing a lot of value in certain concepts and not others. I have found this to also be true while re-reading my work. To gain an even more comprehensive understanding of leadership I should find worth and value in all the theories. Each theory has a special take on leadership that I could possibly learn from if I spent more time reviewing the section. Broadening my view of leadership should be one of the next steps that I should take when furthering my knowledge of leadership. All in all, I found this peer review very helpful and successful in the continuation of my blog. It made me question things that otherwise would have never even crossed my mind. I would have never noticed my increase in confidence without being told. By making this realization I now feel more inclined to work more to further my confidence in this subject and make even more changes. The same can be said for my lack of variety in my leadership concepts mentioned in reflection. I felt as though I was taking all the information that was being presented to me and pulling out what I thought was important. However, I was definitely ignoring some major theories of leadership that have the potential to shift and alter my entire perspective of leadership. I am very grateful for my understanding of leadership thus far and cannot wait to see how it will shift in the future.

Poem about the Reality of Leadership

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Viva la Vida
By: Coldplay
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning, I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never a honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
I found this song to accurately represent how leadership can be at times. This song speaks of a leader that loses control and then loses himself. It also mentions the struggles that can come with leading a group of people,  like the pressure and dependence on the leader. The identity of a leader can shift when struggles arise that cause a leader to question their moral and ethical standards.

 

3 Leadership Theories

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3 Leadership Theories:

  • Servant Leadership
    • Servant leadership is described as the way in which a leader gives themselves to a goal or problem. These leaders lead by serving others and donating their own time to working for the goal. The main researcher of this theory Robert Greenleaf described the ideal meaning of this theory and what it should encompus. Someone that could be considered a servant leader might have qualites such as conceptualizing, emotional healing, ethical behavior, and the ability to grow a community. These qualites make a interactive leader that works very closely with their followers. Acting with respect, they work on the same level and encourage their followers to follow their example and keep working. Servant leaders are also very aware of the effects that they have on their followers. For instance, before a leader makes a decision they think of all the possible outcomes and chooses what would be best for the goal and well being of the followers.
  • Trait Approach
    • The trait approach describes a type of leadership where leaders are distinguished with how they interact with the members in their group. With the four levels ranging from coaching to delegating, this theory follows a leader through the many stages of leadership. It also mentions the various traits that most leaders tend to contain. For example, confidence, organization, charisma, and ajustment are typical traits of leaders. These characteristics tend to help win people over and gain a personal connection with them, that in return makes them an even better leader. These traits can be both learned or born with the individual, making it different from the skills approach. The traits can be learned from life experiences and lesssons which make the traits unique to the person. This type of leadrship has now shifted it’s focus from the effects and importance of the leader to the effect that the leader will have on the group. Putting more emphasis on the followers has created the wanting for a warm interactive leader.
  • Gender Theory
    • The gender theory expresses the difficulty women have had in history with rising in positions of leadership. The funnel that limits the number of women that rise, and succeed to the top is addressed along with the many solutions that could be available. It also describes the difficulty that women have experienced when trying to find “mommy friendly” jobs that allow for maturity leave. Many companies do not hire women because of the extended time mothers have to take off work in order to properly care for their child. Although recently a change has arisen that has made this less of an issue, it should still be noted. It was also noted in the book that studies have shown that female leaders are more transformational when compared to males. Since woman better understand how to use pathos to convince their followers, they are sometimes for effective. It also noted that women have a better chance of succeeding when they have a good informal networking system. The future of women is slowing becoming brighter, and woman are increasing their presence in the leadership fields.

Chapter 14 Questions

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Chapter 15 Questions

 

  1. How do popular press authors and academic researchers differ in their reporting of gender

issues and leadership for women?

They show that they are underrepresented.

  1. Describe women’s current representation in political and corporate leadership positions.

Women’s role in current political and corporate positions is underrepresented, and not hastily growing. In the senate woman take up less than 20% and America is one of the least active to solve woman being underrepresented in the workplace. In corporate leadership positions woman are make up less than half of the jobs, and there are far more less women CEOs.

  1. Explain the organizational barriers that put women at a disadvantage for promotion,

including corporate culture and the pipeline theory.

The organizational barriers that put around woman include the idea of needing “mommy time”. In general, women have less work experience that makes them less qualified for jobs. When they do attain a job it is one that is “mommy friendly” and usually is not in a leadership position. The pipeline theory is that there is a a small amount of qualified women.

  1. Explain the results of meta-analyses on gender and leadership style.

The meta-analyses concurred that women tend to lead in a participative groups that are not more interpersonal. Women were found to be more adaptive and well rounded as leaders  when compared to men.

  1. Describe the research results of gender and transformational leadership and how these

might differ for women and men.

Women have a more transformational effect on leadership than men typically do. They also commonly practice reward based achievement.

  1. Explain research results on gender and leadership effectiveness.

Research shows that men and women are equally effective in leadership position. However, the different genders do succeed more in fields that are more gender specific. For instance, men excel more in athletic leadership positions.

  1. What reasons are offered in the chapter for men’s advantages in leadership?

Men’s advantages in leadership come from their willingness to compromise and ask for more power positions. They also do not weight the outcomes when striving to reach a power position.

  1. Explain the value of informal networks and mentoring relationships.

Informal networks can help women gain personal relationships, that will help them succeed later on. Networking allows them to meet new people that can raise their power positions.

  1. What reasons are given in the chapter for a likely future increase in the number of women

in higher leadership roles?

Research shows that women are just as capable as men, and can be more effective in certain ways. With the problem being more talked about, more women will be welcomed to leadership positions.

  1. How might gender differences in leaders’ values affect their company’s philanthropy and

sense of social responsibility?

Women tend to care more about social issues and make sure to increase a company’s philanthropy.

  1. What is intersectionality?

Research that looks at people with subordinate identities, and how they are perceived.

  1. What are strengths of research on gender dynamics in leadership?

The strengths include being able to speak more about the lack of females in leadership and support the change.

  1. What are criticisms of research on gender dynamics in leadership?

Criticisms include that not everyone want the change, and could stop the movement.

Chapter 13 Questions

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Chapter 13 Leadership Questions

 

  1. Explain the current status of research in leadership ethics.

Leadership ethics has not always been the most popular topic to research. Little study had been done until the 1996 by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. During this study they found how ethics could create a better workplace.  As a result, the interest in leadership ethics has grown now being connected to business ethics.

  1. Define ethics, including its connection to Greek philosophers.

The concept of ethics has been developed for hundreds of years. Starting with a philosophers named Aristotle and Plato. The word comes the the Greek translation ethos which can be translated to credibility or character of something. In leadership it deals with the leader’s behaviors and their virtues. The study Kohlberg’s stages of moral development provided six stages of moral development a leader can go through.

  1. Distinguish between Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development.
  • Obedience and punishment- judges actions on consequences or they will not be breaking the rules or challenging them
  • Individualism- A favor for a favor relationship.
  • Interpersonal accord and conformity- do what others want, a people pleaser
  • Maintaining social order- tries to follow the laws, and maintain what is good
  • Social contract and individual rights- working together for what is good
  • Universal principles – I act out what I truly believe in for the good of others and myself.
  1. Describe the differences between ethical egoism, utilitarianism, and altruism. Give an

example of each.

  • Egoism- goal is maximizing profits
  • Utilitarianism- create greatest good for the greatest number
  • Altruism- moral if it intrigues their personal interest
  1. Explain virtue-based theories. How do they differ from teleological and deontological

Theories?

Teleological attempt to answer the question of is right and wrong, and deontological studies the ethics of an action. While virtue based theories deal with the consequences and duties of a leader.

  1. What is meant by the dark side of leadership?

The dark side of leadership refers to leaders that only have self gain interest. They typically are very destructive and in effect hurt many people.

  1. Explain the toxic triangle. How do the three elements relate to one another?

The toxic triangle contains destructive leader, their personality traits that make them a leader.  Then the conducive environment, which is the weaken environment the leader can take advantage of. And finally the susceptible follower that either have conformers or colluders.

  1. Describe Aristotle’s ideas on the virtues of an ethical person.

Aristotle believed that a person should demonstrate courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, and honesty. He also believed that good people created a good community.

  1. Explain how the influence dimension of leadership creates an ethical responsibility. Why

is ethics central to leadership?

A leader having influence over all their followers leaves it to them to create decisions that will benefit everyone as a whole. Ethics should be central to everything, in order to ensure everyone is treated fairly.

  1. Explain the following concepts: respect for persons, holding environment, and civic

Virtue.

  • Respect for persons- leader is sensitive to a followers interest, and well being.
  • Holding environment- a healthy environment where trust and empathy are expected.
  • Civic virtue- the wanting of people to do good for the common good.

 

  1. Explain Heifetz’s perspective on helping followers confront and effect change from

Conflict.

  • He states that leaders need to mobilize people help fix tough issues. The leader then needs to create a “holding environment” for the followers.
    • Adaptive leadership
  1. Explain Burns’s perspective on ethical leadership.
  • Important for leaders to engage with the followers
    • Transformational leadership
  1. Explain Greenleaf’s perspective on ethical leadership and the concept of “servant

Leadership.”

Greenleaf noted that servant leadership has strong ethical overtones and emphasizes how leaders should interact with their followers.

  1. Describe the five principles of ethical leadership.
  • Respect others: to treat others with respect
  • Serve others: works to help others
  • Shows justice: concerned about the fairness of the followers and leaders
  • Manifest honesty: believes only good work is done through being honest.
  • Builds community: helps to build a community together.
  1. Why might ethics vary from culture to culture?

The ethics of helping others and respecting others might vary from culture to culture.

  1. How do the ethics of today’s generation of U.S. workers differ from those of prior

generations’, according to recent research?

People of today’s culture are more in tuned with themselves and less willing to make decision based on ethical morale.

  1. What are strengths of research on ethics in leadership?

The strengths include that it reaches a broad set of ideas regarding ethics. It also is considered a large part of leadership. It also highlights what is needed to be an ethical leader.

  1. What are criticisms of research on ethics in leadership?

Ethics in leadership does not have a lot of research done to validate it. Secondly, the writing done for it are just for a few people that loses credibility. Finally, there are also generational differences in the ethical perspectives.

Chapter 12 Questions

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Chapter 12 Questions

  1. What is followership?

Followership is a process in which one or more individuals join together, under the power of the another, for a common goal.This is the only real formal definition of followership since there is limited research in the field of followership.

  1. Why does followership have negative connotations?

The theory of followership typically has negative connotations because most people are raised to want to the be the leader. People want to know what people do with power, instead of how they react and follow it.  Followership also does not usually have very compelling stories to inspire others to follow.

  1. What is the ethical dimension of followership?

Followers hold the ability to follow one current power. If the action being requested is against the followers morals then it is their responsibility to push back and respond accordingly. A bad leader is only as strong as the amount of followers it has, and it is the job of a follower to recognize what is right from wrong in terms of leadership.

  1. Distinguish between role-based and relational-based perspectives of followership.
  • Role- based leadership:focuses on the roles and behaviors a follower has in their position of the hierarchical system. For example, they way someone responds to a change in power or even in a weekly meeting can be categorized as role based leadership.
  • Relational- based leadership: examines the interpersonal relationship between the followers and the leaders. It also deals with the mutual exchange of power in the leader-follower relationship. The leader accepts the amount of power to lead, and the follower accept the power to be led.
  1. What is a typology?

Typology is usually a type of chart that is composed of different categories of leadership. It’s purpose is to create an accurate class system to judge people fairly.

  1. Describe the two axes of the Zaleznik Follower Typology. What do they measure?

The axis range from passivity to activity and dominance to submission. They measure how one interacts with either leaders or subordinates. It touches on subordinates conflicts and communication breakdowns.

  1. Describe the two axes of the Kelley Follower Typology. What do they measure?

The two axes include the range of passive to active and independent (critical thinking) to dependent (uncritical thinking). This typology measures the motivation of the followers.

  1. How does Chaleff’s Follower Typology differ from Zaleznik’s and Kelley’s?

Challeff suggests that followers also serve a common purpose and directly work to accomplish the goal.He also notes that followers should be more courageous.

  1. Explain the five levels of engagement in Kellerman’s Follower Typology.
  • Isolate: detached from the group, and do not care about the leader
  • Bystander: does not participate in the conversation, or take action when necessary.
  • Participant: fully involved with the leader, and willing to stand up when something isn’t right
  • Activist: Very independent and only work for their own beliefs instead of the readers.
  • Diehard: A follower that closely follows the leader, even to a fault.
  1. Explain the relationship between the variables in Table 12.2.
  • Alienated: negative, and only think for themselves
  • Exemplary: offer criticism and work with the leader
  • Passive: look at leader for all direction
  • Conformists: trust the leader to a fault, need leader for all direction and motivation
  1. What is the “reversing the lens” approach to studying followership?

Reversing the lens suggests the theory that the followers can actually affect the leaders. Followers allow bad leaders to lead if there is not the right communication between them.

  1. How is leadership cocreated, according to Uhl-Bien and her colleagues?

Leadership is co-created by the exchange of power, and the relationship that is built. One cannot take power if others do not accept it, and the followers set limits to just how much this leader can lead.

  1. How can followers effectively challenge leaders?

Followers can challenge leaders by questioning their moral and intentions. Besides blindly following the leader, they can push the status quo and push the leader to do something greater.

  1. How does unhealthy followership occur, according to Lipman-Blumen?

Unhealthy leadership occurs when the power is not distributed correctly, or the leader does not have a goal for the common good.

Chapter 10 Questions

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Chapter 10 Questions

  1. Be able to summarize the ideas of Robert Greenleaf and the historical basis of servant

leadership. What are the unique, underlying values of his perspective?

After working at AT&T for many Robert Greenleaf devoted most of his time to learning more about servant leadership. Before all sources only described what servant leadership should ideally be,  instead of actual facts based on research. Crediting all his understanding to the novel The Journey to the East, he highlighted the need to communicate between the leader and the follower. He also describes the importance to care for those who are not as privileged  and need help that they cannot provide for themselves.

  1. How can a person be a leader and a servant at the same time?

A person can be a leader and a servant at the same time by leading through actions. A leader can show others what to do through how they act and help others. A servant can other lead purely through the authority given from a upper authority.

  1. In what ways is servant leadership like a trait?

Servant leadership is like a trait because some are born with the natural need to help others. Although it can be learned and enhanced through time, there are some people with the natural born talent to be a servant leader.

  1. How does a person become altruistic? Is this an inborn trait or a learned behavior?

I think the trait of being altruistic is both an inborn and learned over time. Although many people are born with the need to help and care for others, the way one is raised can totally alter their personality. If raised that caring for others is an unnecessary act then their need to help others will lower. If raised to cherish others and to often serve others than their need to act altruistically will lower.

  1. Distinguish between the following terms: leadership principles, leadership philosophies,

leadership approaches, leadership models, and leadership theories.

  • Leadership principles: the foundational qualities that make up a form of leadership.
  • Leadership philosophies: ways in which forms of leadership should be approached.
  • Leadership approaches: how one uses leadership and forms it with the way they lead.
  • Leadership models: different forms of leadership and the outline of how it works.
  • Leadership theories: explanations of the different approaches and how they might work when used in real life.

 

  1. How are servant leaders different from other types of leaders?

Servant leaders are different from other leaders due to their involvement in the group. They work with the followers equally to serve someone or something else.  They are totally selfless and their intentions are totally to serve others.

  1. What are the three antecedent conditions for servant leadership in the Liden et al. (2008)

model? What other conditions might you add to the list?

  • Context and culture
  • Leader attributes
  • Follower receptivity
  • I would add need for action to the list of conditions
  1. What are the five servant leader behaviors in the Liden et al. (2008) model?
  • Conceptualizing
  • Emotional Healing
  • Putting Followers first
  • Helping followers grow and succeed
  • Behaving ethically
  • Empowering
  • Creating Value for the community
  1. How might contingency theory (a leader-match theory) explain follower receptivity in the

servant leadership model?

If a leaders and follower have personalities that typically get along better then the relationship between them.

  1. According to the most recent research, what specific leader traits are important to servant

Leadership?

It is important that leaders listen to their followers and make sure that their voices are heard. It is also emphasized that they create close relationships with their followers to build a sense of trust.

  1. How does servant leadership affect workers’ performance on the job?

It creates a good work environment that encourages them to do better than they would otherwise.

  1. Explain how servant leader behaviors can create a ripple effect in followers.

Once a leader gives a positive impression of leadership it then encourages the followers to follow in suit. Followers could encourage other followers to do good in the community.

  1. How is awareness in the servant leadership approach different from emotional

intelligence, or self-awareness in the psychodynamic approach? Can you identify a person

who exemplifies this component of the model?

Awareness in an servant leader is different means that they understand the effects they have on the community around them. While being self aware means that only understand what effects them.

  1. How does servant leadership fit with the influence component of leadership?

The personal relationships that are built with in servant leadership are very close, and have the capability to influence the followers.

  1. What are the strengths and criticisms of the servant leadership approach?

The first strength is that it is very unique and put being altruistic as its main component. Then it also calls leaders and followers to be proactive. Criticisms include that it suggest good leaders must put others first, and there is debate about the need of “conceptualizing” in the behaviors.