MSLD 511 Module 1 Two-Way Street

Think about a leader you have worked for, whom you have influenced. In what ways did you influence the leader? How did the relationship develop? What was one important way in which you were impacted by your relationship with that leader?

This question at first was a little tricky for me because I was looking for a major defining moment that I could pinpoint how I influenced a leader I worked for. However, as I reflect further on the meaning of influence I realized that influence usually takes time to develop and may not have a single defining moment of when that influence started or ended.

A leader that I influenced was when I worked at the USO. To provide some background I worked with the center supervisor in charge of the USO at the BWI airport. Her name was Midge and she was a retired command sergeant major and former drill sergeant. She was only about 5’1”, but was a force to be reckoned with. On my first day on the job she was very direct in her communication with me and I remember she pointed out the cleaning lady and told me, “That’s Ms. Ruby and if you are mean to Ms. Ruby I will fire you.” Needless to say I was a little worried about how well I could work with Midge knowing that she had used the word “fire” on my first day on the job. After some reflection though I realized two things about Midge: 1.) You earned Midge’s respect, 2.) Midge cared about those around her at all levels and was deeply loyal to those around her. My first month on the job I intentionally laid low and learned as much as I could about my job and made sure everything was done correctly the way she had shown me. After that month I started to point out ways that I could streamline some processes, or take items off of her plate. At first, she only took baby steps with me, but I was persistent in asking her for advice to show that I wanted to learn from her and that I trusted her judgment. Fast-forward 12 months; Midge was also actively seeking me out for my opinions towards an issue and was giving me projects with very little over site or direction. If I made a mistake she didn’t dwell on the negative, instead she would ask what I learned from the mistake and how I was going to move forward. I really valued this trait in her because I was given the benefit of the doubt that I was able to solve my own problems and learn from them vs. being told what to do. Through my intentional building of trust with Midge we were able to work together more effectively and our working relationship was much more of a give and take leader follower relationship.

If someone was to ask me if Midge was a manager or a follower according to Zaleznik (1977) in that first month I would have said that Midge was a manager due to her authoritarian style. However, as I got to know and observe Midge more I realized that she was a leader and I looked up to her. Although Midge was a more authoritarian leader she was successful in her leadership abilities due to her loyalty and integrity. Midge was an ideal example of a leader who builds “credibility and trust with the followers through interaction and feedback to and with the followers that shapes the follower’s values, attitudes, and behaviors towards risk, failure, and success. (Winston & Patterson, 2006, p. 8). This was very impactful for me because it was the first time in my professional career where I saw a leader who exhibited such high standards for themselves with regards to integrity. I learned from her tenacity and determination. She was not afraid of her own power, or the power of others. As the TedTalk Lollipop video (Dudly, 2010)  described, I have the tendency to see leaders as something greater than myself with almost mythical qualities. As a result, I can feel that leadership is unattainable in certain situations. Midge was the catalyst in breaking down this stereotype for me. She showed me that leadership was not always assigned as, but is also emergent as Northouse (2016) describes. To this day I still ask myself, “What Would Midge Do?” The answer to this question is usually to: do the right thing even if it is difficult, and to set the example higher than those around you.

Dudly, Drew. (2010, October 7). TedxToronto, Leading with Lollipops. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=hVCBrkrFrBE&vl=en.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice 7th ed. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Winston, B. E., & Patterson, K. (2006). An Integrative Definition of Leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 1(2), 1-61. Retrieved February 15, 2018, from file:///C:/Users/Kyle/Downloads/winston_patterson_2006.pdf.

Zaleznik, A. (1977). Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, 67-78. Retrieved February 15, 2018, from file:///C:/Users/Kyle/Downloads/Zaleznik_1977%20(1).pdf.