DCM2 TASK 1: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP EVALUATION MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADING PEOPLE — C200 PRFA — DCM1 COMPETENCIES

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TASK 1: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP EVALUATION MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADING PEOPLE — C200 PRFA — DCM1 COMPETENCIES

C200-Task 1

Western Governors University

C200 Task 1

Introduction

Entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.” (Rohn, n.d.). In today’s business environment, change can happen quickly, requiring strong, knowledgeable leaders to develop and guide their teams and organizations.

Today’s leaders, more than ever, need to understand their obligation to their subordinates, to influence and guide them towards achievement, and to allow them the ability to create and innove, and therefore achieve a sense of self-actualization, reaching one’s full potential.

To begin my education at Western Governors University, my first task is to take the first steps towards developing myself as a strong, knowledgeable business leader. I will begin this first task by discussing and reflecting on my top five strengths. I will then evaluate my leadership based on an academic theory of Leadership. Finally, I will discuss two goals, using the SMART approach, which will guide me as I begin my leadership development. 

                      A. Signature Themes Report

Task 1A has the student take the Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Assessment, a tool developed to help the student identify and apply a set of five top strengths, in order to become a more effective leader. The assessment evaluates the student based on 34 different strengths, contained in four domains. These four domains are: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. In this section, I will discuss my top 5 strengths, how they apply to my personality, and what they may indicate about my leadership. 

A1:REFLECTION ON CLIFTONSTRENGTHS

My first and greatest strength according to the CliftonStrengths Assessment is Responsibility, located in the Executing domain. This strength is rooted in one of my core values, “Do what you say you will do”. Responsibility is the taking of psychological ownership for anything you commit to, an urge to see something through to completion, or at least until you can delegate the responsibility to someone who is qualified. In my work, I notice my strong sense of responsibility take hold when unable to deliver an ideal solution to a stakeholder.

Instead of apologizing or rationalizing, I instead feel compelled to make some sort of restitution.

CliftonStrengths does a great job stating how I can utilize this strength as a leader by saying,

“This conscientiousness, this near obsession with doing this right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable.” 

My second greatest strength is that of Intellection. This strength, located in the Strategic Thinking domain, can be summed up in four words: I like to think. This strength boils down my introspective nature, my love for mental activity, and my ADHD diagnosis into one word. This strength has definite implications for leadership because the constant mental hum can and will search for solutions to key problems, and its possibly analyzing when it’s time for an individual, perhaps also an organization, to consider a paradigm shift. 

My third greatest strength is also in the Executing domain, and is described as

Restorative. This strength describes someone who loves to solve problems. They are energized when someone or something breaks down, and needs someone to bring it back to life. In my current position in delivery logistics, the day’s plan is constantly changing due to a dynamic work environment. I am forced to use this skill every day, in order to ensure efficiency of workflow and that all tasks are completed. My delivery drivers rely on me to help solve their problems, and to provide strong guidance. By combining my Restorative strength with my other strengths, I may be seen as a leader who can be trusted to take responsibility on complex problems, and see them through to completion.

My next strength, Analytical, is in the Strategic Thinking category. I consider this strength my inner sense of logic and rationality, my sense of objectivity. In this strength, I find my love for finding patterns and connections, my compulsion to challenge others to prove their ideas, and my relentless search to find root causes to problems. Since I am not so much of an influencer, I must rely on this strength to guide my Intellection. This strength domain, combined with a Restorative sense of Responsibility,  may be seen as being dependable for solutions and activities. 

My fifth greatest strength breaks from the Strategic Thinking and Executing theme by being in the Relationship Building domain. My attitude towards relationships is described as a Relator, or someone who gravitates towards those I already know. It is not necessarily shyness, nor being intimate with others, but rather a desire to understand others and to feel understood. This strength may be a unique one for me, as years of trauma combined with an overactive, analytical brain has made it hard for me to be emotionally intimate. However, my desire to understand others combined with compulsion to responsibly solve problems seems to compensate for this by generating a sense of trust and demonstrating high “analytical” EQ. 

B. Leadership Evaluation

Task 1B asks the student to evaluate their leadership style based upon a scholarly theory of leadership. In this task, I will accomplish this evaluation by discussing three of my strengths, three of my weaknesses and three actionable items to improve the effectiveness of my leadership. I will be using the Transformational Theory of Leadership as the basis of this discussion. 

I chose Transformational Theory for two reasons. The first, perhaps obvious, reason is because I found it deeply interesting. Bass (1999) describes the Transformational Leader moving the follower beyond immediate self-interests through idealized influence (charisma), inspiration, intellectual stimulation, or individualized consideration. This style of leadership elevates the follower’s level of maturity and ideals as well as concerns for achievement, self-actualization, and the well-being of others, the organization, and society (Bass,1999). In other words, this theory combines a people focus with a task-oriented approach. This simplification bears much resemblance to the Theory of Level 5 Leadership developed by Collins (2001). Level 5 leadership is described as a paradoxical blend of personal humility plus professional will. The leader is described as a “study in duality: modest and willful, shy and fearless” (Collins, 2001). The Level 5 leader practices personal humility by demonstrating responsibility and by relying on inspired standards, while also practicing professional will by demonstrating unwavering resolve for nothing less than greatness, while apportioning credit to others (Collins, 2001). I believe being a Level 5 leader, which I aspire to be, involves being a Transformative Leader as well. 

B1:PERSONAL LEADERSHIP STRENGTHS

I believe my three greatest strengths were truly highlighted by the CliftonStrengths assessment. Recall that my top five strengths could be broken down into three Domains. These main strengths of mine are: a sense of Restorative Responsibility, ability to Think Strategically, and ability to Relate to others. It often seems as my sense of Restorative Responsibility is the motor that drives me. It is my tendency to run towards problems, as well as where I derive my high standards and level of determination. My second strength, Strategic Thinking, is rooted in my ADHD as well as my desire for intellectual stimulation. This strength particularly drives creativity and innovation, as I rely on my colleagues for information and creative ideas, so I can synthesize them with my own. It also allows me the ability to identify and analyze others strengths and weaknesses, so they can be developed. This Strategic Thinking strength is currently being manifested in a training and reference binder for new supervisors. My strong ability to relate to others, to connect experiences and generate trust, is where I may derive my ability to inspire and influence others. At work, I find these strengths working at their best when customers call in service issues. I thrive in these situations, where I must take ownership of a problem, devise several possible solutions, and influence my subordinates in the field to correct the issue in a timely manner. 

It seems as though my strong sense of responsibility is the catalyst for my high-standards and drive, my strategic thinking provides the roadmap, and my ability to relate to others drives my ability to inspire and influence action.The sense of Restorative Responsibility demonstrates a sense of determination and sets high standards of performance. Combined with the peoplefocused aspect of being a Relator, Restorative Responsibility parallels the Charismatic and

Influential leadership aspects of a Transformative Leader, one that followers want to identify with, as described by Bass (1999). The Strategic Thinking strength relates to the concept of Intellectual Stimulation and Consideration, especially when combined with the ability to relate, by being able to identify the needs of my colleagues and subordinates, supporting their development, and using influence to drive creativity, innovative thinking, and actualization (Bass, 1999). 

B2:PERSONAL LEADERSHIP WEAKNESSES

The second part of Task 1B asks to evaluate my weaknesses as they relate to Transformational Leadership. As I think about my weaknesses, they seem to be as natural consequences of my strengths, or perhaps a parts of my strengths needing further development. While I have a strong, analytical mind, this drive to analyze and challenge is often accompanied by anxiety and worry. My sense of Restorative Responsibility means I am utterly dependable to fix problems, yet also means that I can be stubborn and take on more responsibility than I should, which causes anxiety. Perhaps most troubling is that my strong ability to relate draws me towards people I already know, often at the expense of shyness and reservedness towards new faces. This shyness can also cause anxiety. 

When discussing the weaknesses of Transformational Leaders, the literature is lacking. The literature often portrays Transformational Leadership as the most capable and successful of leaders, since it’s an amalgam of task-oriented and people-focused leadership. Seeing how my weaknesses seem like my strengths taken to the extreme, I would contend that this is how they support Bass’ (1999) Transformational Leadership Theory. These weaknesses are undeveloped aspects of my strengths that need to be accounted for and regulated, so I can become an influential, inspirational, intellectually stimulating and individually considerate leader.

 I find that Level 5 leadership comes closest to explaining my weaknesses. Collin’s (2001) theory is built on modesty, humility, and calm determination being paradoxically combined with unwavering resolve to reach the highest of standards. He describes one Level 5

CEO as, “Shy, awkward, shunning attention, but also showing iron will, determinedly redefining the firm’s core business… (Collins, 2001)”. This description seems to describe a

Transformational Leader whose influence is derived by inspired standard rather than charisma, a concern for the well-being of colleagues and the organization, and for ability to take appropriate responsibility. If this is the case, then the key to my success may be in developing my ability to channel anxiety, worry, and overthinking.

B3:RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

            The final component of Task B is to make three actionable recommendations to improve the effectiveness of my personal Leadership. My first actionable recommendation is to practice and improve my charismatic leadership. Antonakis (2012) argued that charisma, or idealized influence, is the emotional component of leadership (as cited in Northouse, 2001). Developing charisma may prove beneficial to counterbalance my natural introvertedness. My second Recommendation is to practice and improve intellectual stimulation. This can be accomplished by supporting followers as they try new approaches to organizational problems, encouraging them to think things on their own and engage in careful problem solving (Northouse, 2001). My final recommendation is to continue developing individual consideration. I can accomplish this by being a coach and advisor to my subordinates while trying to assist them in becoming fully actualized (Northouse, 2001). Accomplishing these recommendations, as well as practicing acceptance and relaxation, will prove instrumental to increasing my capabilities and confidence as an aspiring Transformational leader.

C:SMART GOALS

C1:SPECIFIC ACTIONS

The final component of Task 1, section C, involves building two short-term goals to improve my leadership. These goals should be SMART, meaning they are: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. By making these goals SMART, I am making myself responsible to my goals, as well as increasing the likelihood that I achieve them. 

My first SMART goal is to overcome shyness. To make it specific, I want to be comfortable initiating and holding live discussion with strangers. As a quantifiable and actionable measure of my ability, I will measure attainment of this goal by initiating at least 3 minutes of discussion with five different people over five days. To make this goal realistic  and time-bound, endeavor to accomplish this by January 1st, 2020. I will engage in two specific actions in pursuit of my goal. First, I will initiate a 3-5 minute (minimum) discussion with an old-friend or colleague I don’t conversate much with, no less than once per week. Second, I will attend at least one networking event, where I am required to initiate and participate in one-onone and group communication. 

My second short-term goal is to obtain my MBA by June 1st, 2020.This goal is specific for in what I wish to obtain, and can be measured by a simple “yes or no” question. I believe this goal is both attainable and realistic for the time-frame, in that I have the knowledge, ability and the academic confidence to succeed.  I believe that achievement of this goal will improve my leadership ability, by affording me opportunities for promotion or career-advancement. My supervisory capacity in my current position affords me some opportunities to practice leadership, but the only way I will truly develop into a Transformational Leader is to engage in more opportunities to lead and transform. To accomplish this goal, my first actionable task is to assign two hours of each day for study and writing, giving myself ability to learn the material. My second actionable task is to finish one class per month, which sets a timeline for successful completion of the MBA program in one year

Conclusion

The first task as an Masters of Business Administration student at WGU is to begin their path towards leadership excellence in the workplace. As we take our first steps towards knowledge and understanding, we begin to develop our strengths and develop strategies to minimize our weaknesses. By making well-considered and timely goals, we provide a path towards achievement and continued success. Thus, the leader is born. 

References

Bass, B. M. (1999). Two Decades of Research and Development in Transformational Leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8(1), 9-32. doi:10.1080/135943299398410

Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 83(7/8), 136–146. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.wgu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=heh&AN=176

02072&site=eds-live&scope=site

Gallup, I. (2019). Strengths Insight and Action-Planning. Retrieved from https://gx.gallup.com/services…

Jim Rohn. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jim_rohn_393428

Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice. SAGE Publications.169-171. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=70dLDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq

=Leadership:+Theory+and+practice&ots=Bd9p8mf1jJ&sig=I8MvbWp8siKN8MxdoFLGs 7A5xzc#v=onepage&q&f=false

TASK 1: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP EVALUATION MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADING PEOPLE — C200 PRFA — DCM1 COMPETENCIES