Interview of a Public Administrator - Mr. John J. Cahill
Interview of a Public Administrator - Mr. John J. Cahill
Introduction
In this rapidly changing global environment and global competitiveness, it has become an enormous challenge to attract and manage the human capital. For this, the services of an effective leader are of prime importance in a public organization to run the machinery of an economy smoothly. Therefore, this term paper pertains to a situation where an interview is conducted to gather leadership insights from a renowned public administrator, Mr. John J. Cahill.
What Role do Ethics Play in Good Leadership?
Stressing upon the leadership roles, Mr. John J. Cahill stated, “From politicians to bankers, the lack of ethical behavior ruined the reputation of public agencies, banks and many others. The role of ethics in leadership is that it facilitates image building among the general public. Ethical standards help the leadership to smoothly run public and private organizations. The role of ethics in leadership is that it facilitates leaders to remain mindful of laws as well as regulations while displaying integrity. In public organizations, ethics play an important role in facilitating leaders to promote and practice greater transparency in public records as well as activities. Ethics helps leaders to make sure that none of the resources and human potential gets wasted. Apart from actions on their part, ethics support leaders to understand and develop knowledge, purpose, trust and authority.”
What is Vision and how does a Leader get Followers to accept his or her Vision?
For answering this question, Mr. John J. Cahill defined vision and its importance. He responded, “A vision is any means that help focus attention on those activities and things which matter the most. It dictates what one wishes to accomplish in life and if becoming an effective leader is one of them, then, what kind of leader one wants to become. A vision is what inspires people to introduce constructive change.”
Emphasizing more on the definition of a vision, Mr. John J. Cahill mentioned, “A vision is any statement that defines what any entity stands for. This statement provides its members an inspiration and guidance to achieve organization objectives in the near future.”
When asked about how a leader may get his subordinates accept and act upon his vision, Mr. John J. Cahill shared his knowledge saying, “I hold a strong opinion that if any leader wants his people to accept his mindset, such a leader must first communicate any vision that is shared at large with everyone . A leader must be successful in incorporating dreams, hopes and aspirations of his subordinates for his vision to become acceptable to everyone. All members should be given an equal and active participation to contribute towards achievement of the shared vision. When a vision is shared, it is not only accepted by large audience but also attracts people and resources as well as the necessary confidence for withstanding hurdles and face challenges .”
When a Road Block comes up, how do you handle it?
Conclusion
After interviewing Mr. John J. Cahill, a public administrator in Clark County, it has become apparent that his leadership qualities such as listening others, understanding subordinates, being supportive, ability to influence others and share a common vision are some of the traits considered legitimate by his subordinates. Similarly, it is also learned that to remove roadblocks, leaders must focus on the positive perspective with a positive mental attitude. They must refrain emphasizing on fears, regrets and frustrations.
As far as the role of ethics is concerned, they provide a specific direction to leaders as to what is right and what should be done while leading people and influencing others. While a change is introduced, ethics play a vital role in building reputation of any entity or person and helps to ensure that none of the human as well as non-human resources are wasted. In essence, ethics concern the value and principles pursued by leaders that govern their decision making activities. In this interview, it is also learned that the ethics which leaders follow has a direct influence over morale and loyalty of members of public organizations. When they follow ethical standards, leaders are able to determine the acceptable behavior and discipline procedures for all members at different hierarchical levels.
References
Gallo, C. (2012, September 06). 7 Sure-Fire Ways Great Leaders Inspire People To Follow Them. Retrieved July 07, 2015, from Forbes Magazine: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/09/06/7-sure-fire-ways-great-leaders-inspire-people-to-follow-them/
Ovadje, F. (2014). Change Leadership in Developing Countries. Routledge.
Sevcik, R. (2011). Self-Talk at Work. Xulon Press.
