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Response to Jessica Laugsawatzky

Jessica articulated the definition of leadership effectively and related it to the powerful opportunities that we have everyday to influence others. I valued how she built her response by relating it to her past experiences with good leadership and contrasting it with power-driven leaders. When she points out her personal experience, it made me think of my own experiences with various styles of leadership.

While completing my undergrad, I worked as a server for a restaurant with poor leadership. The owner and a couple managers looked at workers as a means to an end; a tool that may be exposed of when needed. As a result of feeling underappreciated, good quality employees only stayed for a couple months. Turnover was enormous. In addition, moral was low and it created an overall toxic work environment. In contrast, I have also worked for a wonderful company where I felt very appreciated. It was almost as if I were part of a family and that the leader truly cared about me. This leadership style made me want to produce better work, and go above and beyond for the company. I felt that the leader truly put me first. I was unaware of what was so different about this leader until learning about servant leadership, so I really valued this activity.

I came to the leadership journey because of my deep passion for personal growth and helping others along the journey of personal growth. I think it is rewarding to have influenced and helped another individual be their best self. While I was working in the toxic environment, I had a personality clash with another server. One day, she was upset that her life was directionless. So I sat down with her and pointed out her strengths and recommended a couple books that might change her perspective. A couple of months later, she messaged me to say thank you because she had made some big changes in her life. I found this very rewarding and it inspired me to become a better leader in my own sphere of influence.

Looking forward to reading more posts from Jessica!

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Response to Jgarland

I was impacted by Jgarland’s post about Dr. Ken Blanchard. Jgarland briefly summarizes Blanchard’s main points on how leaders build trust amongst followers. Blanchard’s work is a reminder that simple actions such as listening, praising others, and being punctual, all have an impact on trust. These are behaviours that we engage in every day but, collectively, have enormous influence on our ability to lead. After reading this, I thought of trust as a bank account whereby there are debits and credit; trust can either increase or decrease with every action.

The second point that Jgarland expands on is the power of kindness. Blanchard states that leaders should lead by grace; grace trumps results. Sometimes, as leaders, we lose perspective of the larger picture because we become fixated on an intended result (i.e. profit maximization). When this occurs, people get hurt in the process as they feel as though they are being used as a means to an end. Blanchard drives home that both leaders and followers are greater than their performance.

I was very challenged by this post and by this leader. I will integrate Blanchard’s principles into my professional as well as my personal life. Furthermore, I plan to read other work by Blanchard because his philosophies resonate with my beliefs. Thank you Jgarland for introducing us to this extraordinary leader!

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Follow the Leader

Tony Robbins

According to Northouse (2018), he defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p.5). An opinion leader that I admire is Tony Robbins. His humility and compassion for people of all backgrounds, regardless of his enormous influence in he world, is refreshing. Robbins treats everyone equally with utmost respect and inspires change by calling people to serve a higher purpose. Robbins is primarily focused on giving back to others and creating an extraordinary impact in the world. He is a philanthropist, New York Times bestselling author, and motivational speaker. He primarily focuses on empowering leaders of today to create a better tomorrow. I follow Tony Robbins on both Instagram and Facebook (see below for URLs).

Beliefs on Leadership

Tony Robbins embodies servant leadership philosophies, which I find very admirable. The foundation of his success can be attributed to a commitment early on in his life whereby he chose to serve others first. According to Northouse’s exhaustive list of characters of a servant leader (2018), I believe that Robbins embodies: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, building community, and commitment to the growth of followers (p. 230). However, the two concepts that I will expand on are: giving back and continuous growth.

Robbins strongly advocates that an individual must find a higher purpose to serve that is greater than oneself. Robbins discovered his mission to alleviate world hunger over one thanksgiving where his mom did not have enough money to put a meal on the table. He was deeply impacted by this incident because a kindly neighbour dropped off a meal for thanksgiving. From that point on, he made it his mission to ensure that no kid goes hungry. Currently, Robbins has provided over 250 million meals and has made it his goal to feed over 1 billion hungry people around the globe within the next 7 years. Robbins believes that true fulfillment is only found by contribution and giving (Robbins, 2017: p.168). Robbins uses the quote by Winston Churchill in his book Unshakeable (2017); “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give” (p.168). Many leaders seek power or wealth for fulfillment and end up miserable, so Robbins strongly affirms, “success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure” (Robbins, 2017: p.168).

The second principle that Robbins explicitly advocates is continuous growth. He believes that whether it is relationships or businesses, everything must grow or it dies (Robbins, 2017: p.167). He states that it is progress, not money or status, which bring us happiness. Evidently, Robbins embodies the principle of servant leadership whereby the leader facilitates people to grow in their personal and professional lives (Northouse, 2017: p. 230).

I believe that leadership not only comes from providing goals and a plan of action for followers but also from emotionally connecting with them. People need to trust that a leader holds him or herself to a higher moral and ethical standard. They need to feel that their leader is looking out for their best interest, grounded in strong values. In addition, I strongly support Robbins’ stance on true fulfillment that leadership comes from serving a higher purpose. As a leader, I need to challenge myself to look for more ways that serve the people that I am leading. I also need to remind myself that, as a servant leader, I need to help people grow professionally as well as personally. Since I am incredibly goal-oriented, focusing on helping people with their personal growth is not something top-of-mind for me. However, it is inspiring to see someone, who impacts thousands of lives, still prioritizing followers’ growth.

Values and Ethics

In order to be a good leader, I firmly believe that an individual must have good character. Ultimately, good character reinforces trust, and trust is the foundation of leadership. Followers need to trust that their leader has their best interests at heart and will not lead them astray. They have to believe and trust in the vision. Even when things go wrong, the ethics (or character) of a leader including intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability, will keep followers committed to a goal (Northouse, 2018: p. 23). The ethics of a leader focuses on his or her virtuousness. A leader’s ethical core, implicitly or explicitly, impacts every decision a leader makes (Northouse, 2018: p. 336). As a result, if a leader does not have his or her ethics rooted in strong morals, the leadership will begin to corrode as followers begin to sense the inconsistencies and lack of integrity.

I believe that Robbins’ possesses all of the leadership key traits and principles that Northouse outlined. Robbins respects others’ perspectives, backgrounds, and unique wants and desires. He wants to serve others and help them to live an extraordinary life, having the most impact in the world. He helps build community by helping people realize that we are all on similar journeys in life and we must support and help each other. I personally value a leader who has empathy and compassion for others yet remains self-confident and self-assured in his/her ability to accomplish a goal (Northouse, 2018: p. 37). Above all else, I value Robbins’ as a leader because he sets a high moral standard for himself and abides by universal principles of justice (Northhouse, 2018: p. 338). Robbins’ travels around the world to speaking engagements and respects the viewpoints of each culture he encounters. He lives by moral standards that I respect and wish to emulate.

Advice

I think Robbins has an enormous platform that is recognized worldwide. He could use this platform to challenge more people to serve a higher purpose. Personal development not only consists of physical and emotional health but also spiritual health. If he negates this aspect, the “self” or a person’s wellbeing is not whole. Robbins is a powerful leader with huge influence, so he could challenge more people to pursue their faith and spirituality. Currently, he touches on this briefly in his books but he could have an extraordinary impact in regards to this area of personal development. Therefore, he could have massive reach across the globe due to his multiple mediums including books, seminars, and social media platforms.

Robbins, T. (2017). Unshakeable. New York. Simon & Schuster.

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications.

https://www.facebook.com/TonyRobbins/

https://www.instagram.com/tonyrobbins/

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Response to Hiromi Hasegawa

Hiromi Hasegawa went into depth explaining several leadership principles including conceptualizing, empowerment, and helping followers grow. Afterwards, he asked the question, “What kinds of business are good to have a servant leader?”

Upon careful deliberation, I came to the conclusion that many businesses and organizations can benefit from servant leadership. Whether the objective is to maximize profit or improve the social good, the vast majority of businesses can benefit from an “others first” philosophy. Some companies that embrace servant leadership include Starbucks, Nordstrom, and Marriott International (Sivasubramaniam, 2017). It is encouraging to see that not only companies that are primarily focused on helping others believe in servant leadership but also companies that have enormous pressure from shareholders to maximize shareholder value. Furthermore, these companies have the most market share in their respective industries, demonstrating that businesses can be successful by serving others first.

From my personal experience alone, I find that the employees at Starbucks and Nordstrom tend to serve me better. I have a much better experience visiting these two establishments in comparison to rivalries such as Tim Hortons or The Bay. Although it may not be the sole factor, serving employees and making them feel appreciated likely has a rippling effect into their customer service.

I appreciate this question in that it made me think of my experiences with companies that have embraced servant leadership and how they often stand out from other companies in our competitive global market. Thank you Hiromi!

 

Sivasubramaniam, J. (2017, August 22). 5 Companies that Embrace Servant      Leadership. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Retrieved from: https://ideas.bkconnection.com/five-surprising-companies-that-embrace-servant-leadership

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Blog Post 1

In Leadership (2018), Northouse defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 5). He coins this definition by incorporating five components including influence, process, power, group context, and goal attainment.

Theoretically, if a leader does not have any followers, then they are not leading anyone. Evidently, leadership and followers are not mutually exclusive. In addition, if a leader cannot influence and motivate the group and their actions, there will not be unification towards the leader’s vision. Therefore, change and movement will not be produced (Northouse, 2018: p. 12).

I like the definition that Northouse used because it illustrates the stark differences between leadership and management. Management is authoritative. It focuses primarily on organizing, planning, and controlling others to achieve a specific outcome (Northouse, 2018: p. 12). In contrast, with leadership, followers choose to follow because they believe in the leader and the leader’s vision to orchestrate change. I believe that leadership is about inspiration, whereas management is about power. Northouse also describes leadership as a process or an exchange: an interactive event between both parties (Northouse, 2018: p. 5). Conversely, management does not incorporate the dialogue and opinions of subordinates while making decisions. With management, it becomes more of an issue of power, order, and compliance.

Have you personally experienced the stark differences between a leader and a manager? How did it impact the work/change/difference that you produced?

Christina

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications.

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Blog Post 3

Servant Leadership

Greenleaf coined the term “servant leadership” to apply to a phenomenon whereby leaders put the needs of their followers above their own self- interests (Northouse, 2018: p.228). The three core principles that I hold in high regard to be an effective servant leader include prioritizing empathy, empowering followers through fostering personal and professional growth, and mastering stewardship through commitment to higher ethical standards.

Servant leadership entails that leaders be attentive and sensitive to the needs of their followers, seeing the world from their perspective. Whether it be their unique experiences or varying cultural differences, a servant leader is empathetic and strives to remove inequalities (Northouse, 2018: p.229). In addition, servant leaders hold themselves to a higher ethical standard because they understand that they accepted the responsibility to manage people and the organization to the best of their ability (Northouse, 2018: p.230). Regardless of the situation, ethical principles are not compromised to achieve a goal (Northouse, 2018: p.236). Servant leaders are also committed to the growth of their followers, intentionally empowering them “to be independent, make decisions on their own, and be self-sufficient” (Northouse, 2018: p. 237). These principles instill followers with a reassuring confidence that their leader truly cares about them as individuals, not simply as a means to end to achieve organizational goals.

I value the “others first” philosophy where the ultimate outcome is not only to help the followers and the organization but also to cultivate a positive impact in society (Northouse, 2018: p.238-239). I think that in my leadership journey it will be challenging to consistently remember to take followers’ personal matters into consideration while I am trying to accomplish specific objectives for an organization. Although a strength, I tend to be incredibly goal-oriented; however, it can be taken negatively if I am insensitive to people’s personal lives. I deeply care about helping others and accomplishing tasks, but I need to remind myself that my drive must be second to serving others. Serving my team and creating a cohesive, supportive environment will eventually lead to the desired extrinsic outcome.

How does a servant leader consistently keep serving others at the forefront of all activities and decisions without compromising commitment to organizational goals? How does a leader find this balance?

Christina

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications.

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Blog Post 2

Assigned and Emergent Leaders

According to Northouse (2018), the two common forms of leadership are assigned leadership and emergent leadership. Assigned leadership conveys that a formal position or title was given to an individual, regardless of the amount of influence he or she may have (Northouse, 2018: p. 8). In contrast, emergent leadership occurs when followers intentionally choose to be influenced by an individual, generally through an extended period of communication to build trust (Northouse, 2018: p.8).

During my undergrad in a new venture creation class, I worked with a team where we had to propose an app idea, test the market, and prepare it for market. Since I was very passionate about the project, I eventually emerged as the leader over the following weeks through daily communication with my teammates. My passion translated into being more dominant and self-confident (Northouse, 2018: p. 8). I could see the vision for our company and envision our app in the App Store. I was the big-picture person whereas my teammates focused on the details and daily tasks. This resulted in a dynamic team where we played to our each other’s strengths.

As already stated in my last blog post, management is primarily concerned with accomplishing tasks and providing consistency through a means of “planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling” (Northouse, 2018: p. 12). Managers create agendas and budgets, enforce deadlines and protocols, and provide structure and procedures. In contrast, leadership is about influencing and inspiring change by empowering followers to want to commit to a common goal (Northouse, 2018: p. 12).

In contemporary society, I believe that organizations need both management and leadership to be successful. If an organization only has management, it will become bureaucratic and lack creativity and innovation. If an organization wishes to have a competitive edge, it needs to foster creativity to differentiate itself in our global market. Conversely, if an organization only has leadership, the day-to-day processes and tasks may be misdirected, resulting in a loss of productivity, organization, and efficiency (Northouse, 2018: p. 12). Evidently, the interplay between management and leadership becomes the distinguishing feature of a successful, innovative organization in today’s globally competitive climate.

As an emergent leader, how does he or she incorporate and infuse creativity in a traditionally bureaucratic organization?

Christina

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications.