As I reread my previous posts and this week's readings in Practicing the Art of Leadership I began to see the shadow of my leadership style. I connected with the point Dr. Pumpian made in his lecture about people claiming they could be a different type of leader in different situations. Of course, this happens. Every situation doesn't call for a blanket strategy that will solve every problem. For example, I know that when I'm working with my 3 year old she needs to have a choice A and a choice B when it comes to picking out clothing to wear. However, when it is time to clean up her toys, there is no option A or option B. The only acceptable choice is to put the toys back in their proper places. In both situations she is still accomplishing our goal, but I'm leading differently out of necessity.
When I think about how this applies to my leadership style, I acknowledge different situations require a different style of leadership. My main source for leadership, though, comes from a democratic stand point with a hint of laissez-faire. I have seen first hand how a staff responds to an authoritarian leader- on the surface it seems the organization is running well, but bubbling underneath are employees and students who feel unheard and not valued. This is not a style I'm comfortable being lead by nor leading with. I have also seen the impact of leaders who take a laissez-faire approach. This strategy works well for groups of people who are self-motivated and driven, but for the majority it is not enough structure. I believe in the power of our collective voice. I also believe that those individuals who are self-driven should be given the space to act in this way as long as it moves the group towards the goal. This is why I think a mostly democratic approach is a good fit for me. I believe that for new programs, ideas, protocols, or expectations to truly take hold they need to have buy-in from the stakeholders. Communication is key to building a relationship of trust and respect with staff members. Their voices matter and must be a part of every possible decision. I see the value in a shared leadership approach.
Resources:
Green, R. (2013). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to implementing the ISLLC standards (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.
When I think about how this applies to my leadership style, I acknowledge different situations require a different style of leadership. My main source for leadership, though, comes from a democratic stand point with a hint of laissez-faire. I have seen first hand how a staff responds to an authoritarian leader- on the surface it seems the organization is running well, but bubbling underneath are employees and students who feel unheard and not valued. This is not a style I'm comfortable being lead by nor leading with. I have also seen the impact of leaders who take a laissez-faire approach. This strategy works well for groups of people who are self-motivated and driven, but for the majority it is not enough structure. I believe in the power of our collective voice. I also believe that those individuals who are self-driven should be given the space to act in this way as long as it moves the group towards the goal. This is why I think a mostly democratic approach is a good fit for me. I believe that for new programs, ideas, protocols, or expectations to truly take hold they need to have buy-in from the stakeholders. Communication is key to building a relationship of trust and respect with staff members. Their voices matter and must be a part of every possible decision. I see the value in a shared leadership approach.
Resources:
Green, R. (2013). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to implementing the ISLLC standards (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.