MSLD 511 Module 7 Authentic Leadership

Watch the following YouTube video from Bill George. Consider George’s three points: inner work involves having real-world experience, process that experience through some type of reflection, and seek honest feedback from others. What kinds of real-world experiences have been most instructional for you? How and where do you take time to reflect? From whom can you receive honest feedback? How have these practices (or lack of them) affected your leadership abilities?

I remember my dad having a saying that he would sometimes tease people with, “Those who can do, those who can’t teach.” Although I know my dad values the teaching profession, his saying has the same core to what George expressed in regards to authentic leadership, that a leader must have experience. We can learn about leadership theories and study inspirational leaders, but unless we apply this learning in a real world setting we are not leaders, but students. Some things cannot be learned through books and research, and instead hands-on experience is the only way to gain true insight on the subject and of ourselves as leaders.

When reflecting on authentic leadership, I felt that it was almost a grassroots way of approaching leadership because it allows the individual to build themselves up as a leader overtime through their personal experience vs. looking at traits or characteristics. Authentic leadership calls for a leader to understand their purpose, follow their values or moral code, and build others up through relationships (Northouse, 2016). It seems that anyone can do this in any organization or cultural setting and be successful. However, I think the key with authentic leadership is the self-awareness that George describes. Helland and Winston (2005) say, “Authentic leaders ideally possess a deep sense of self-awareness that informs their actions. As a result, authentic leaders are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others values/moral perspectives…[and] are aware of the context in which they operate.” (p. 49-50). In other words, I think authentic leaders rely heavily on their ability to be critical thinkers and their emotional intelligence. Nosich (2012) describes critical thinkers as taking into consideration: biases, assumptions, context, facts, implications and reason when thinking to solve a problem. In order to do this however one has to be self-aware and understand their own meta-cognition (Nosich, 2012) and through this self-awareness a leader improves upon their emotional intelligence as well (Goleman, 1998).

I don’t have a defining moment that has been foundational on how I approach leadership, but I have had experiences that I wish I could have approached differently and that I have learned from. One of those examples was dealing with 2 volunteers that I honestly couldn’t stand being around and I admit were in my out-group. I found them to be extremely arrogant, rude and self-serving. I did try to work with them and find common ground and get to a place of mutual respect, but I never succeeded. Looking back, I never had a real honest conversation with them, and often chose a passive approach in dealing with them due to the fear that it would turn into an argument. I wish I would have been more firm with them, even if it meant using my contractual authority. I should have held the line as far as expectations especially when it came to how they treated other volunteers. I learned from this experience that being passive doesn’t work, and being a leader sometimes means having difficult conversations and asking people to leave for the good of the organization.

Taking time to reflect and being self-aware is a tool that I constantly use in my daily life. The philosophy of “know thyself” has been fundamental for me in growing as an individual personally and professionally. I believe that if we do not know ourselves, then we cannot truly know someone else. I feel that I am constantly a self-therapist and asking myself questions like: Why did this make me upset? Where did this feeling come from? Is this feeling justified or do I need to take a chill pill? Do I need to change something about myself? What action do I need to take? etc.. Through this self-awareness and self-analyzing I think I also grow more empathetic towards others, I can better understand why people behave the way they do, understand their motivations and as a result I can be a better leader. By knowing myself I also gain a better understanding of what my true values are. In MSLD 500 I first thought it odd when I was asked to reflect on my personal values and wondered what it had to do with Leadership. I learned very quickly that to be a good leader I have to know my own values and understand how my values will influence my decision making. This concept also reminds me of the saying, “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for everything.” In order for my values to hold true I have to stand up for them and lead by example. When I get stuck in my self-questioning I do have some key people that I go to for honest feedback. The first person is my husband. He doesn’t necessarily give me advice, but he acts as a sounding board for me to talk through my issues. I also have 3 girlfriends that I have met through previous jobs that I go to for feedback. These friends were former co-workers and I value their professionalism, honesty and integrity. I am often times my toughest critic and they help to build me up and encourage me. They also understand the need to vent, but actively avoid drama and gossip and look for solutions.

References:

Goleman, D. (2004, 01). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 82, 82-91. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/227831312?accountid=27203.

Helland, M. R., & Winston, B. E. (2005). Towards a deeper understanding of hope and leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 12(2), 42-54.

Northouse, Peter G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice 7^th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pearson.

Nosich, Gerald M. (2012). Learning to Think Things Through A guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum 4^th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.