Leadership Examine
Prompt: What is the essence of what you have learned about yourself as a leader in this course and how will you apply it to your life?
When I look back at this class and all the things I’ve learned a few things come to mind. Several things have been confirmed in me, and a few more things, which have always irritated me, I now know why. In my look back I’d like to touch upon three points that, for me, I believe will bring together what I will be taking away from this class. Frist I’d like to look at the differences between leaders and managers and where I see myself fitting it. Next I’ll look at Pseudo leaders, and how those who pretend to be leaders, really piss me off. Finally I’ll look at what I believe true leaders are, and how they should operate. Lets begin!
Looking back to my leadership philosophy project when I took you to in Coeur d’Alene, the last section of Motivated Role you’ll remember the Manager at the right of the spectrum. There are those who are made for being a manager, but that doesn’t make them a leader. I am NOT a manager, I’ve done it before and have no desire to crack the whip and make sure people are doing what they are supposed to do. This takes too much energy and I have no patience for it. I want to make people better. In most operations, the manager’s job is to keep the ship going like a well-oiled machine and not to rock the boat. I am not satisfied with the status quo, I thrive when I’m able to come along side someone and brainstorm, dialogue and talk things through so that people can find better, more productive ways to do things. When people around me thrive, and I have a part, I thrive and have a sense of worth.
When looking at the styles of leadership we learned about this semester, I view my passion of leadership to be grounded in transformational leadership. Finally, if transformational leadership were the tool I use to lead, I would say that my motivation and reason why I want to lead is my desire to change the world. I know that social change takes time, but there’s so much that I feel needs to be done, that we must start somewhere.
Moving on to my second point, the thing that I probably wrestled with the most in this class was what I would consider Pseudo Leadership. There are those who may be great managers or even just want to be in control, that doesn’t make them leaders. The problem, there are times when you need managers and there are times when you need a leader, expecting a manager to fill this role (and vice-versa) doesn’t work. Managers don’t always know how to lead and when they’re expected to, it can be disastrous. I know a guy who is truly a manager, but has been given a position of leadership and is truly having a hard time leading. When ever some come to his and wants something changed or to do something different that what he wants to do, his response is, “lets meet in the middle.” Great, now we both lose, this is not a good solution.
Positional Power is another form of leadership that we covered in class that drove me up a wall. Just because you have been given power because of your title, or have manipulated you way to the top of an organization, doesn’t make you a leader. All this means is you are power hungry and want to be in charge. I’ve worked for these people before and it was miserable. It’s what Pedagogy talked about, those in power decide who they want to empower, and in return those who have been given power oppress even more than the original oppressor.
As I continue my rant against poor leaders, there’s one last part of this that I want to touch upon. I wasn’t a fan of the Continuum of Leadership; the reason I feel this way is because it ranges from Autocratic “leadership” to Laissez-Faire “leadership”. I feel that this is more of a form of management, not leadership. These are types of behavioral management styles, not leadership.
Finally I would like to share my views of what a leader really is. I believe a leader is a motivator and a visionary. Leaders can’t be leaders unless they have followers. I believe that the “first follower” is the most important thing to the person seeking to be a leader. Having the first follower allows the leader to partner with someone to grow the vision and bring more people on board. It’s at this point that the leader can, while leading and growing the vision and goal, start to invest in those who are being apart of the group. This for me is the best part of being a leader, to have the opportunity to invest in the lives of people and help make them better people. In my leadership philosophy, I don’t have to be the top-dog, and I don’t believe that all leaders need to be the top-dog in order to be leaders. Let’s have the mentality that we want everyone who wants to own a part of the vision, have a part of the vision to own. Being willing to empower others to greatness is, in my opinion, the most powerful thing we can do.
In conclusion, I want to have a part of the vision to own, so that I’m validated. I want to speak into people’s lives and help them to be all that they were created, and have been wired for. I don’t have to be #1, I’m perfectly happy being the first follower and doing my part. Together, we can all thrive!