Leadership theory
From your experiences and observations at this point in your life or career, what do you consider to be absolutely essential to effective leadership?
At this point in my life, I consider knowledge, effective communication, and discipline to be among the most essential characteristics of effective leadership. Knowledge, to me, is an important factor when leading people. It is impossible to fulfill any set of responsibilities, much less lead someone, without any knowledge. In the relationship between leader and follower, the leader holds this title because of a knowledge that helps others. I identify knowledge as two applicable areas: there is knowledge based upon experience and knowledge based upon data. These two areas can both stand-alone or overlap when necessary. Consider this, a lead programmer for a software company must know how to write code in the proper computer language so that she can create a program. That same lead programmer will have to use her knowledge of code to both inform and evaluate a group of programmers who look to her for leadership. Say one of the programmers who needs help has all of the same information but runs into a problem consistently, the lead programmer is likely to call upon her experiences in similar situations to advise her team member. Without knowledge, we cannot effectively fulfill our responsibilities. It is one thing to have knowledge, but quite another to be able to communicate that knowledge.
Another essential trait of effective leadership is effective communication. Without the ability to effectively communicate, it is easy to see how the very best of intentions don’t always yield positive results. What I mean to say is that a leader may know exactly what needs to be done but cannot convey this information to a group of followers if she cannot communicate. Therefore, confusion ensues and the group of followers work towards an unclear goal built upon unclear guidelines. It would be like me asking you to build something that answers math equations. You would probably build me a calculator right? Well, what if you hand me that calculator you’ve worked weeks on and I tell you that it needed to be built for the visual and hearing impaired? I bet you would be pretty upset because I failed to communicate the proper information to you. Another note on communication, it is not always what you say that makes you a good leader. The way in which you say something and the manner in which you express yourself should be tailored to the people you lead. It may not be appropriate to use excessive foul language during a research symposium, but it may be more acceptable to drop F bombs during a NFL practice (I use HBO’s Hard Knocks as my example). Knowing when and how to communicate is an important element of leadership that requires discipline.
Discipline is another essential characteristic of effective leadership. When I think of discipline, I not only think of it as an exercise of restraint, but I also view it as the ability to consistently model behavior that yields continual positive results. When leading a team of people, it is important that the team can have confidence in you. If a group of followers has a wavering confidence in their leader, then the overall effectiveness of leadership is diminished. When I think of some of the more influential leaders I’ve encountered, I would say that they all had a sense of discipline that let me know that their actions were a direct representation of their values and character. I believe that discipline leads to respect and a leader who is respected by her followers has a deeper impact through their leadership.
Who and which experiences (positive or negative) have most influenced your thoughts about leadership and how you go about leading others?
Among the ones that I’ve had, my experience in the Peace Corps serves both a positive and negative experiences that influenced, and continues to influence, my thoughts about leadership and how I go about leading others. I had such a defining experience in the Peace Corps. Serving abroad was a lifelong dream of mine and the fact that I obtained that dream was very fulfilling. Everything about service in the Peace Corps appealed to my personality because it involved serving others, responsibility, and community development. Experiencing the third world as I did gave me a different perspective on my priorities and a refined view of my place in the world. I left Cameroon feeling like I knew so little and knowing that I felt strongly about the well being of the human condition. My service in the Peace Corps ended tragically when a close friend of mine was sexually assaulted on Christmas Eve in 2011. The aftermath of the incident lead to a number of volunteers being shipped home. This time in my life crushed my positive outlook on the world and my belief that I could help everyone. I look back at myself during this time and see a naïve person blind to the harsh realities in life. In terms of how this affected my leadership style, I would say that I became less reliant on my energy when leading others and more dependent upon my knowledge. Where I wanted to lead in the past, I now purposely avoided these positions at all costs. I felt like I was not capable to lead anyone because I was so torn up in my own life.
What do you consider your current strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
My current weaknesses as a leader include, but are not limited to, a lack of attention to detail, over commitment, and lack of follow through. I tend to take on too many projects at the same time and get overwhelmed. My current strengths as a leader include my work ethic, positivity, and social intelligence. I believe that I have a responsibility to brighten the lives of others and will work hard to see that I make a difference in the communities I serve.
What is your current knowledge of foundational leadership theories, and to what extent are you familiar with the leadership research in sport?
I’ll be honest and say that I went ahead and looked up foundational leadership theories when I read the question. I can’t say that I have much formal knowledge of foundational leadership theories. However, I can resonate with each of the theories I read about online and am confident I will learn more through this course.
My familiarity with leadership research in sport is limited to USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program. USA Hockey identifies three types of coach/leadership styles when it comes to ice hockey: autocratic, laissez faire, and democratic. Each style has strengths and weaknesses that impact the overall experience of a team or followers.
What are the contemporary areas of leadership study that interest you most?
I can’t say that I am incredibly knowledgeable of contemporary areas of leadership style at this time. After a small amount of research, the area of Functional Leadership Theory interests me most. I have always felt that our actions must be customized to fit within the acceptable social norms of a given situation. When applied to leadership, a leader must identify the personalities of followers and identify a common goal to maximize effectiveness in specific situations. In short, a leader must adapt her leadership style to fit the group.
Three Notable Concepts
Charismatic Leadership Theory
This leadership theory suggests that an individual’s charisma and energy can be the only factors needed to attract followership. As opposed to the other leadership theories where results are factored in, this theory suggests that people associate specific emotions or personal interactions with leadership. I have experienced this leadership style first hand as I often use my charisma to motivate and lead others. Building off of my experiences, I would say that leadership built solely upon charisma is not enough to effectively lead. Once the excitement and energy from your charisma dies down, the group needs direction in order to maintain purpose. In my current work place, our executive director is very charismatic and is open with her views on the different happenings within the organization. The thing that makes her effective is not her charisma, but her ability to channel that energy into communicating the needs of the organization. As a result, I feel both motivated and directed as I execute the daily tasks she assigns.
Trait Theory
This theory suggests that leaders carry a mix of both unique and similar traits that enable them to be effective as leaders. It is because of these characteristics that someone is a leader and would, otherwise, not be a leader if they were void of certain characteristics. In my current workplace, I can identify different characteristics within each of my co-workers. While some of these traits are the same and some are different, it is interesting how I don’t view all of my co-workers as leaders. I’m not sure if I have this view because of a hierarchy in the organization or if there is indeed a set of characteristics that differentiate these people. I look at the Director and see confidence, charisma, experience, and authenticity as effective leadership traits that work for her. Then I look at another co-worker and see graciousness, humility, a willingness to learn, and compassion but do not view her as a leader. Both of these people have very admirable qualities but may not be always seen as a leader.
Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership
This comparison interests me because I view the Transformational Theory as leadership and the Transactional Theory as management. The Transformational Theory focuses on the development of followers in response to interaction with a leader. The Transactional Theory focuses on a relationship based upon incentive. I would say that Transformational Leadership is concerned with how you get to your destination and that Transactional Leadership is concerned with whether or not you get there at all. In my current workplace we are finishing up the registration process for our recreation program, which serves over 1,000 families. Our director is focused more on the finishing our work as opposed to routinely identifying how our work will add to the development of the organization as a whole. I think that I am increasingly more motivated when I understand how my work will make a difference. I understand that things need to get done, but I could argue that there are better uses of my time if all I’m doing is crossing things off of a checklist.
