This module has enhanced the capacity of my leadership understanding and increased my MBA potential in many fundamental manners. Cunliffe (2004, pp. 408) illustrates that the element of management education reaches far beyond the job and into every facet of professional life. With a focus on lessons presented during this course, this essay will examine and delineate the instruments that will aid in furthering my leadership goals.
Beginning with an analysis of the changing perspectives inherent within the position of leadership, this essay will develop a base understanding of the styles possible. Following this section with an examination of how these principals have been found within my own life will serve to cement the core lessons. Finally, this essay will produce results that will support the presence of critical evaluation and a strong perception of continuous questioning of previous assumptions.
In the end, this essay will have examined past influence, present impact and future potential with the clear goal of establishing a high grade of understanding that will enable a profound moment of personal and professional development.
Perspectives of Leadership
The core lesson presented during this module was the various relationships that followers have with the leadership. As Cunliffe (2004, pp. 409) argues, the perception of social reality is subject to individual interpretation. This factor teaches that each situation is unique and must be addressed in an individual manner. It is through the process of educating ourselves that new concepts are integrated and applied in order to impact current situations (Cunliffe 2004, pp. 409). Alongside the base component of increased leverage through knowledge, this fundamental factor will enable me to approach each opportunity during my studies and beyond with a clear perception not based on prior assumptions.
This initial lesson is repeated in Jackson and Parry’s (2011, pp. 66) argument that effective leadership studies should be founded on a much more developed sense of the individual follower. Implementing a base policy founded on broad assumptions will only serve to alienate a substantial swath of any following. This fact will make any project much more difficult to implement.
The delineation of the roles of followers has served to demonstrate the broad potential that must be considered alongside any application of theory. With the roles as divergent as followers as recipients, moderators, substitutes, constructors or leaders there is a critical placement for each individual in an effective program (Jackson and Parry 2011, pp. 48). Alongside the more traditional interpretation of followers being the recipients of instruction from the leadership, a more evolved view as moderator position has been created. A fundamental point of learning occurred as I reflected on many of my early employment positions that I held, growing up, that had a lot of the management detailing work, with no room for change. During this period, the presence of a strong leadership position was defined by the following of standards in order to achieve a corporate or set goal. While I found this to be effective, this view was limited in its application potential.
Leadership, in each unique situation has the potential to be both very bad and very good (Jackson and Parry 2011, pp. 7). This is a lesson that will serve to illuminate many companies that operate across the world. Illustrations that include negative leaders such as Charles Manson and David Koresh or conversely great leaders such as Winston Churchill, clearly demonstrate the wide gulf of potential that exists in the leadership arena. My own experience has shown that a great concept that is successful in the hands of many others has the potential to fail without an effective form of leadership. Despite the possibilities of the initial concept, with no infrastructure present, no reflective leadership to sustain the project through development and marketing, the ability to meet any goals successfully will be put in severe jeopardy (Gray 2004, p. 495). This lesson will shape my MBA studies in every aspect.
Leadership Philosophy
This module has demonstrated that fundamental to the development of leaders in a modern world is the introduction of a perception of higher purpose among the leadership. Effective leadership in times of crisis can be profoundly impacted by the presence of a ‘higher’ calling (Fairhurst 2007, pp. 159). The example of leadership demonstrated by the American New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 demonstrates the fundamental advantages that can come from connecting with the emotional centre of a situation. Alongside the assumption of power and prestige must be the capacity to understand the population, lacking this ability will hinder any outreach or understanding (Fairhurst 2007, pp. 159). In a personal capacity, I employ this approach in my efforts to communicate with my charges at work. This has taught me that understanding and consideration produce a much better result than constant hounding. On every level in my professional life, the ability to demonstrate empathy enhances my ability to effectively communicate.
Evolving, dynamic business theory has developed an emerging form of leadership labelled ‘ethical leadership’ (Jackson and Parry 2011, p. 115). The sustained lack of highly trusted leadership in modern times has led to the recognition for a renewed approach to responsible leadership behaviour. Leadership is very much like parenting in that the person in control has an innate responsibility to those in their charge. Jackson and Parry (2011, pp. 115) argue that good leadership will in fact ‘trickle down’ to the entirety of the structure. This approach illustrates that, on every level there is a need for a form of honest, effective communication that resides within an environment of trust. Assuming these facets are present without taking the initiative to explore and verify them will result in a critical underestimation of the company’s capacity to sustain positive relations. This emergence of ethical and responsible leadership goes hand in hand with a sense of fairness within the infrastructure of any organization (Jackson and Parry 2011, pp. 116). It is my goal to develop a balanced and thoughtful communication approach with the capability to be fair and just in the application of both reward and punishment.
As Sinclair and Lips-Wiersma (2010, pp. 211) demonstrate, the prior generations assumption that it is the sole responsibility of the leadership to instil a sense of morality and efficient behaviour is not enough. It requires the combined components of the entire company to institute any real form of effective management. This recognition reflects that it is not about leadership changing people as much as finding a means to work with them towards a common goal. However, the question of where to meet in the efforts to attain balance requires considered study.
In Conclusion
This module in leadership has enhanced my understanding of the intrinsic qualities that are necessary to attain my MBA. Illustrating the wide variety of approaches allows for a real comparison of both expectations and results which will aid in determining which method to implement in any given scenario. It is the lesson of interaction and unique approach that will aid me most in my continued studies and beyond.
In the end, the capacity to evaluate a situation and apply a new and dynamic solution will enhance my potential and as a consequence, provide opportunities. Assumptions based on the experience of previous generations must be viewed with both an open mind and a critical nature. With the international world coming together to form a global community the opportunity for growth will go to those that have the ability to adapt.
References
Cunliffe, A. 2004. On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner. The Journal of Management Education, 28 (4), pp.407-425. Available at: http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/lpu?title=Journal+of+Management+Education&volume=28&issue=4&spage=407&date=2004 [Accessed: 4 Jun 2013].
Fairhurst, G. 2007. Discursive leadership. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. pp. 1-300.
Gray, D. 2004. Facilitating Management Learning Developing Critical Reflection Through Reflective Tools. Management Learning, 38 (5), pp.495-517.
Jackson, B. and Parry, K. 2011. A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying leadership. Los Angeles: SAGE. pp. 1-300.
Sinclair , A. and Lips-Wiersma, M. 2010. Leadership for the Disillusioned: Moving beyond Myths and Heroes to Leading that Liberates. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion , 5 (2), pp.211-215.
