Category: Unit 10

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Course Reflections – Unit 10, Learning Activity 1

Although it has only been ten weeks, the impact of this course and what I have learned is significant. It has hopefully built a strong foundation as I move forward through the rest of the courses for this MA Lead program, which I’m doing with great excitement and anticipation.

In terms of specific learning, there are two which will be specific for me in terms of how I lead within my own context. First, to remember that transformational leadership on its own has a dark side which can lead to disastrous consequences (Northouse, 2018). The importance is to take this into account in combination with the heart of servant leadership. This hybrid form of transformational servant leadership gives so much new language to me as a leader who desires to lead effectively as part of an organization with clearly defined mission, vision, and values while also desiring to serve and impact those around me who are under my leadership. Transformational servant leadership can now become a framework for self-evaluation of my own leadership.

Second, the personal leadership challenge for me as I journey through this course and this program is to grow in empathy, in the other-focused side of my leadership. My desire is to help those I lead to understand emotionally that I believe in them, trust them, and want the best for them. Although this quote was from a unit on the course focused on women in leadership, the impact for me is profound. Inclusion is related not only to gender but to every person who I lead, every person who comes across my way. As I strive to be a more effective, more empathetic leader, this reminder to celebrate the uniqueness and belonging of each person is very helpful for me in my own leadership.

This quote from Nugent & Travis (2016) summarizes what I hope to bring to those I lead:

Employees reported feeling included when they experienced both:
• A sense of uniqueness—that they are recognized and valued for their specific attributes and contributions.
• A sense of belonging—that they are welcomed and valued as part of their workgroups and among their colleagues.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Nugent, J., Pollack, A. & Travis, D. (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf

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Response to Ryan Morrow’s Leadership Story

Leadership Story

Ryan, from listening to your short story on leadership it is no surprise that you are well-liked and respected by your students. I appreciated your reflections on leadership, especially your own awareness of where you feel you would bring the most impact in terms of teaching effectiveness in different age groups.

Your story about Jon and his struggles in the classroom that you definitely care about your students, want them to succeed, and hope for them to become well-rounded people who do more than just get good grades in your class. The fact that you have conversations with you students to the point where you know their family situation and what they do in their time away from the classroom shows a real desire to impact each student individually and do more than just teach them the required material.

How you saw Jon thrive in a situation outside of the classroom was obviously quite eye-opening for you. As a leader, I know how it feels to see someone you had underestimated or written off perform in a way that you just didn’t think was possible. Because Jon was in this environment that was familiar to him, he had his moment to shine and was able to encourage his classmates to be re-engaged, be committed to the work, and persevere until it was done.

Your story makes me think of the times when, as a leader, I’ve focused on the task which needs to be accomplished and not the people I’m called to lead. We have developed so much great understanding in this course related to leadership but in this case I’m encouraged to go back to the fundamental definition of leadership itself. “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 2018, p. 5) How easy it is to be focused on the goal and not the individuals!

Jon’s story obviously had impact on you beyond that one event. It has helped to shape you to be a better leader, a better teacher, a better influence in the lives of students around you. In your role as principal, teachers and students for many years are being impacted because of your attention to Jon as an individual under your leadership, not only as a student who needed to learn the material.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

 

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Response to Sarah’s Leadership Story

https://create.twu.ca/sjasmins/2018/11/27/my-leadership-story/

Sarah, your story was inspiring and refreshing to hear! To hear about the circumstances of your past and present, along with your decision now to open yourself to new experiences as a way to broaden your horizon is really impressive.

Your strong encouragement for leaders to get out of their own comfort zone, to serve others and to immerse themselves in new cultures is expressed so well and I wholeheartedly agree. Clearly these experiences have shaped you to be who you are today.

As I think about what we have learned in this course related specifically to transformational servant leadership, I resonate with your encouragement. I see how the experiences you are encouraging can help develop so many of the characteristics needed to live out this kind of leadership.

Thinknig about the ten characteristics of servant leadership from Spears (2002, as cited by Northouse, 2018) it is evident how many of them would be cultivated through transcultural, other-centred experiences. Listening, empathy, awareness, stewardship, and building community come to mind immediately as being affected by serving others and focusing on those whose needs are greater than my own.

When it comes to the four factors of transformational leadership, these work together to allow “followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them” (Northouse, 2018, p. 172). A leader who has been able to accomplish more than they thought possible in a scenario like you have described in your leadership story is one who will likely be able to help the ones they lead do the same. Regarding inspirational motivation and individualized consideration (Smith, Montagno, & Kuzmenko, 2004, as cited by Northouse, 2018), leaders who have experienced the impact and effect of intentionally serving others are more likely to be equipped in encouraging followers to do the same.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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Light from Many Lamps – Unit 10

Reading the final two chapters of Watson’s anthology (1951) seems to be a fitting end to this course. The focus on the fruitfulness of later years and looking toward the future resonates with me as I think about what has been learned in this course, as I look toward the rest of the program and the future of my own leadership.

The story of Marcus Tullius Cicero is a reminder of the personal responsibility carried by every leader to prepare themselves for their older years. “The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessings previously secured” (Watson, 1951, p. 263) speaks of the possibilities and opportunities of old age rather than the limitations. In a culture where the elderly are often disregarded and even discarded, we must remember that the privilege of growing old brings great wisdom, experience and insight. The quote from Cicero, however, reminds us that this great harvest comes from a younger life where blessings were secured which are no longer available. As the quote from Charles Francis Potter later in the chapter says, “One must accumulate friends. One must lay up reserves of mental pleasures. One must plan for the health that is so extremely important to happiness in this period” (Watson, 1951, p. 266).

As someone who has recently entered my fifth decade, I find myself more often thinking about the future decades I hope to have. My focus is on leading effectively in my 40’s while also trusting I will have many more years as a husband, father, friend, and, God willing, a grandfather. Keeping this perspective helps me to remember that everything I spend my time on this year will have an impact next year and next decade. How I invest my time this year will have a harvest next year and in the next decade. My hope and my prayer is that my older years are some of the most fruitful, enjoyable and beneficial years of my life for myself, for my family, and for those around me who I have the privilege to lead and serve.

 

Reference
Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.