Introduction
The purpose of this narrative is to define what kind of leader I am based on my persona assessment of my strengths, weaknesses, visions and capabilities. To understand the type of leader I am, please allow me to share how I define leadership. Leadership can be philosophical, psychological or sociological. The textbook definition of what a leader is provided by Reh (2013) and he says that at the most fundamental level a leader is simply someone who leads other men and women to do a task. The main difference that a leader has over others is that he has a vision, a drive, a commitment and the necessary skills that are required for completing an objective (Reh, 2013). The vision that a leader must have is really an idea of how to approach a certain objective or issue. A leader is someone who attacks that issue or implements a work program to reach that objective with lazer-like focus and determination.
As a leader I think that I am very much innovative and I liken myself to men who have contributed positively to our country. One of the leaders in America is Thomas Edison (that I recently saw in History Channel’s Innovators: The Men Who Built America) and he said that lighting a candle is not the solution but finding a way to end the darkness is. That’s vision from a leader (History Channel, 2013). Vision is just the half of it, a leader must have the drive to finish the job using his skills.
- Autocratic or authoritarian leadership – these are leaders that provide clear expectations from his constituents meaning they know exactly what is required to be done and how it should be done by whom. Because of this clarity of vision, an authoritarian leader does not need to consult with any other person for decision making. One of the drawbacks of this type of leadership is that there is very little creativity resulting from the decisions made by an autocratic leader. This style is also prone to abuse, as demonstrated by countries having dictators as country leaders. However, it is important to note that when decisions have to be made soon rather than later, this type of leadership style is most effective.
- Democratic leadership – this corresponds to an effective leadership style that offers guidance to constituents and participates in group-led decision making. Although this leadership style makes the group less productive, the quality of decisions are often higher and better since there is a consultative process that leads to a decision that benefits the entire group (Cherry, 2013)
- Delegative leadership – also known as the Laissez-Faire leadership, this type is the least productive since this gives the group all the decision making duties and does not offer any guidance. There is very little room for “leadership” this way (Lewin, Lippit, & White, 1939).
Using this stratification, I believe I am the authoritarian type. I have a very clear vision of how tasks should be done and I believe that because of the clarity of the vision, I can be very precise and efficient.
My values are also very unique in that I believe that there are some things that a leader must permit to happen and some that must absolutely be taken into full control.
I believe in daring to disagree. Socrates the famous Greek philosopher said that people should think for themselves. I find this very relevant because people have been known to “sleepwalk” through life, living each day automatically and not being able to think, much less do things for themselves. However, like everything in life, this freedom has to be made in moderation because daring to disagree, even with conventional truths or common place laws is particularly dangerous or stupid. But for leaders, challenging the convention in terms of how business processes are conducted is a good practice to consider.
I believe in seeking fulfillment. According to Aristotle, men are naturally social, just and seekers of happiness. To a leader, fulfillment must be the completion of a certain job or task within the boundaries provided for in working on that task. I believe that I am and can be an exemplary role model. According to the Greek educator Plutarch, leaders must be person that people can imitate. People are social in nature and what they see is what they will do. So the point is to be a good role model that others can follow.
I am very resilient. According to Epictetus who was a slave in Rome believed that while some things are within our control, most things are not. And often we fail to see a desired outcome because of the uncontrollable factors. According to Epictetus, it is best to have a strong will and to continue soldiering on, which is a trait that leaders must possess. I also believe in keeping track of progress. This is a teaching of Rufus, who said that as one practices how to be ethical, he has to measure by being one. In modern day organizations, we have corporate social responsibilities to measure how ethical our actual conduct is. Individuals should be encouraged to do the same.
My leadership strategy is very situational in nature. I believe that a leader truly emerges when circumstances require an individual to outperform himself and stand up to the challenges and needs of the time. One such time that a leader emerges is during the process of change. Leaders emerge, according based on their individual strengths and based on the needs of their teams. In a study conducted by Daniel Goleman (2000), on leadership, a 3-year study that interviewed 3,000 managers of mid-level position throughout the United States showed that there is a linkage between leadership, leadership styles and the corporate environment. In that study, 30% of the profitability of the company is dependent on the leadership style of management. The study also revealed the types of leaders that emerge in that kind of organization. These are:
- The pace-setter – this type of leader needs quick results and gets them since his team is already highly motivated.
- The affiliate - this type of leader sets the emotional bonds that make the team work. This type works best when trust is needed to be rebuilt in a team.
- The coach – this type of leader sets the personal goals and objectives of his team for them to perform in the future. This type works best when continuity is needed in an organization.
- The coercive – this type of leader requires immediate compliance with his plans and goals. This type is best suited for times when the organization is in crisis (for instance bankruptcy or a takeover) because of its problem-solving nature.
- The democratic – this type of leader builds consensus through participative management. This type is suited for the build-up phase of an organization, where ideas and commitment from everyone is necessary.
I also think that when leaders manage change for example within an organization, not all leadership types are applicable. Despite this fact, I believe that taking a more authoritative stance always yields positive results because people respond to strong management. I also know that there are a lot of skills required for managing people but not a lot of people realize that leadership requires these skills. According to Chamorro-Premuzic (2013), many of the people we believe are leaders are actually people with severe personality disorders. He enumerates them as narcissist like Steve Jobs or Vladimir Putin, histrionic such as Richard Branson, and Machiavellian such as politicians we see on television . These people stand out and are not representative of the other millions of “leaders” who exhibit no personality disorders of any sort. He also points out that some leaders fail because many organizations are designed to fail and that success is an exception, not a rule. Therefore effective and successful leadership is more of a happy coincidence rather than a pure, absolute, and dependable science.
As a leader I think that the way to motivate subordinates must is to create that will for them to do work. I understand that a subordinate will not do anything that would be meaningful and useful to the organization if he is not willing to do work in this manner. As a matter of fact, even if a subordinate receives information or detailed instructions, it is not assured that the person will follow this instruction in a way that it leads to the desired effect. Thus willingness and productivity define the true meaning of motivation in this regard. As a leader I must know what motivates my people including their personal goals, the professional goals and the environment that they work in. If a manager has this kind of information and then crafts the motivational tools he needs to effect positive change to his subordinates then he would have utilized his human resources effectively and efficiently. The first clear step in the motivational process is the understanding of what deficiencies lay in a person and what actions are needed by that person to fulfil that deficiency. If a person can identify his needs, what these needs are driven by and what actions he can take to address those needs, the first step in the entire process of motivating the individual is found. I think that I am very good at recognizing what kind of motivation a person needs and from that recognition comes charisma. I know that this is something I can learn and apply well at a workplace setting and even in a school setting I believe that understanding our partners and knowing their perspectives is essential for getting good grades.
Works Cited
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