My Introduction to Leadership
When confronted with the aspect of leadership, I always wondered what specifically made a great leader. Many times I think it is charisma, self-confidence, and the ability to observe and direct. I have never considered the concept of leadership besides the ability to take charge. However, through this course, I have learned many different concepts about leadership, as well as the evolution of my own personal concept of leadership. The leadership philosophy that I have developed through this course revolves around self-reflection, authenticity, and adaptability. I want to be able, to be honest with my own values, be transparent about those values with those around me, and be able to adapt to all situations so I can be an effective leader.
The first aspect of leadership that I have learned from this course revolves around the concept that leadership is in a constant state of evolution. A great leader does not remain stagnant with their ideals or considerations of leadership but must remain fluid and adaptable. Nobody is born with leadership qualities, it is all about environment and experiences. In this aspect, I began to understand that we as leaders should curtail our leadership techniques to our followers or peers. Not one person is the same, and the values of some will differ from others whether it is due to culture or environment. Leadership is time-specific, place-specific, and context-specific. It is through the understanding of this concept, we can truly problem-solve with concepts such as multiple-partial solutions. Due to the vast amounts of different experiences that are available to us from our fellow peers, we have different perspectives when addressing an issue. We as leaders must be understanding of the tools allowed to us rather than try to solve issues on our own. Expanding our resources by including our fellow peers and citizens allows us to redefine our concept of problem-solving, through the use of different perspectives, we can reach a solution that once did not exist.
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When I think about a great leader, one specific person comes to mind. Our previous president Barack Obama. Similar to him, I want to be able to incorporate authenticity into my leadership skills. I want to understand my own values and beliefs so I can be transparent with my peers, I can build a relationship with them, and be an effective leader. This leads to the concept of relational leadership. Relational leadership is purposeful, inclusive, empowering, ethical, and about the process. I want to be purposeful with my actions, and my goals, I want to make a commitment to affect positive change in the world and lead through that by working on a shared vision with those that surround me, so we can all have a common goal. I also want to be inclusive of all types of individuals to truly have multiple perspectives to tackle issues in different ways. Inclusion not only provides the leader with a wide variety of different tools to tackle issues but provides the leader with an opportunity to empathize and learn from those around him/her to become a better leader. Empowerment of those that surround you and follow you is a very important value. From a personal standpoint, I have been in situations where I have felt unwanted or out of place, or just an outcast. I understand the concept of lacking the empowerment to feel like I can contribute or even feel like I belong. I absolutely agree that to be a true leader, you must empower those who surround and/or follow you to show them that you care and that they deserve to be here, that they belong, and that they matter. Ethics is something that drives society through the storm of choices. To include ethics into your leadership skills is to be open about what you value and lead those around you to a state of congruency of values and actions. Last but not least, is the process. Processes are integral to relational leadership. Processes promote collaboration, reflection, feedback, civil confrontation, and community building. When pushed through processes, you begin to understand more about those around you and their ethics, goals, and aspirations. This information allows you to build relationships with them, as well as inspire them to think about their ethics, their thoughts, and their ideas. Allowing a sense of togetherness, as you and they tackle these issues together.
Another concept that I want to integrate into my leadership skills, revolves around the social change model of leadership. I believe that the Social Change Model of Leadership shows a great way to improve processes and make a difference in communities. Upon learning the assumptions that the model was built on, such as social responsibility, collaboration, processes, inclusiveness, values-based, and community involvement, I believe that the model is an excellent guide to the development of leadership that benefits society in a positive way. Not only that, the 7 C's of Leadership all involve values that I consider crucial for developing relational leadership skills, and allowing transparency for followers to understand what you stand for. The consciousness of self, the ability to understand your own values and what you stand for, so you can be true to yourself, and not to others. Congruence, adds authenticity and consistency to your plans and ideals, so people can understand your values, and see if they are like their own. This builds comradery and a sense of purpose beyond the individual. Commitment is the showing of your willingness to get things done. To be able to invest yourself into the change, to show yourself and those around you how much you value what this is. Nobody can force you to commit, but they can provide a support system so you can. Group values, the overall idealism of the group. The ability to understand what the goal is through the group, and how to effectively enact to bring positive social change. Collaboration is to work within your group to determine all possibilities, learn from the different experiences, and think of creative solutions that were not possible when you were alone. Common purpose is when you and your fellow peers begin to share similar views and goals. This is built through congruence, commitment, and the creation of group values. Over time these shared views encourage participation and collaboration. Controversy with civility, the ability to disagree without destruction. Disagreements are not avoidable, as people will always have different experiences and viewpoints. It is the goal of yourself as a leader, to encourage disagreements. However, it must be in an open and honest fashion, as they provide information that could be vital in finding the critical issues as well as the solution to the issues. All these values integrate with each other, all of which result in great leadership.
Another aspect that I want to address is the idea of change. I have come to understand myself in a different way as I continued this course. I began to see bits and pieces of myself through the course, both in positive and negative ways. The aspect of change was something that I discovered about myself that I need to improve. I realized that I actually resist change, despite understanding that it is needed for growth. I lacked self-confidence. I feared the vast unknown that was the future. I absolutely agree with a quote from the textbook “before a change effort can be realized, it is critical to make a commitment to understanding both change and the human responses to change. Too often, facilitators of change skip this important step and launch right into the action,” (Komives). Not only do we as leaders accept the facilitation of change, but also the acceptance of change from those around us. We must be able to make a smooth transition while committing to the same goals, to encourage commitment from our followers. To quote the text, “Anticipating and understanding human responses to change can lead to healthier and more meaningful processes,” (Komives).
Two action steps that I can take to develop my leadership skills involve experiences and self-reflection. I should expose myself to more experiences that involve leadership opportunities. Instead of being a spectator, I can engage to improve the shared experiences of myself and of those around me, whether it be politics or local volunteering. I can pursue an improvement in the aspect of social responsibility. The other step I can take revolves around self-reflection. I need to take the time to reflect on my own values and understand that it is okay to change. In fact, change is extremely important for growth. I need to be able to look within myself and understand what I stand for and face the issues that I may find within myself.
Works Cited
- Komives, Susan R., et al. Exploring Leadership: for College Students Who Want to Make a Difference. Jossey-Bass, 2013.
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