Many factors influence my decision-making process as a leader. I often think of how a decision will impact people and what people will then think of me as a leader. This is something I am learning to balance, as I do not want to be overly sensitive to the criticism and thoughts of others. There have been times where I have cared too much about one person’s opinion and have second-guessed myself in order to keep people happy. Another factor that influences me is whether a decision aligns with the mission of the organization that I am a part of. Keeping this at the forefront allows me to stay focused on the larger goal and not get caught up trying to accomplish something that never should have been done at all. Finally, I am always trying to ask the question, “How does this decision affect the team I am working with?” This question keeps me focused on the people around me and forces me to put myself in their position in order to see things from a different perspective.
I certainly believe our worldview influences the process of asking and answering questions. For someone who has the perspective that money is the only thing that matters in life and attaining money is the ultimate goal, they will most likely care very little about how their employees or coworkers feel about their job, unless they are not making the company money. To use the example given in the notes, as someone with a Christian worldview, we believe all people are made in the image of God. Therefore, regardless of how we think of money we also believe people have inherent value and worth. This will undoubtedly affect how we ask questions and find answers. It is so important to know what “lens” we are wearing as our worldview as it will have important consequences on our thinking and decision-making. Likewise, it is important to know the worldview of the people who we are leading, or, who are potentially leading us as this too will have consequences. This leads me to my question.
How do we reconcile and move forward as leaders when the people we are leading have a different worldview than us?
January 7, 2018 at 9:18 am
Hello olipar7,
Thank you for sharing your decision-making process. My decision-making process shares many similarities with the questions you ask, and that sense of caring “too much about one person’s opinion” and allowing it to make you question your decision is certainly relatable. I am the youngest female member of a male dominant team, and in comparison, I hold much less experience with our work. Along with these qualities, I am an introvert who does not enjoy confrontation. Despite all the items listed, I am put in a leadership role on my team where I must enforce certain policies and confront staff to complete certain tasks. I mull over my emails multiple times to perfect the language before sending modify my conversations to lighten the weight of the issue at hand to avoid negative feelings. I often question whether this hyper-awareness of my words and position as a young woman on a diverse team of men is necessary. Although I continue to struggle with this question, my role has taught me much about working with a culturally diverse team with many personal backgrounds. I learnt of the needs to be flexible and patient in trying to understand my team’s worldview. Each team member has his or her own quirk, cultural dispositions, and passions. Because my role connects me to each member of our team, I have learnt and continue learning how to better communicate and support each member by adapting my language, posture, and tone to each person. Mirroring, the concept of mirroring the gestures and attitude of another, is a great tool in leadership. In my experience, this technique has helped me build trust with my team mates and allowed them to feel understood. As leaders, I believe it is important to acknowledge the difference in views with our followers and allow safe space for them to express their perspectives. Although I also battle with the balance of understanding and caring for a team mate and persisting in the decision I make as a leader, I still believe it is important to allow others’ perspectives to instigate questions for my reasoning behind a decision. As much as I hate it, opposing views help me ask great question for critical thinking. To answer your question specifically, I say, leaders should accept that others will hold different worldviews, try to understand their perspectives, and allow these different insights shape your worldview.
January 14, 2018 at 12:10 am
Hey Leona,
Thanks for your comment. I think we all can relate to the tension between caring too much and yet still having to make decisions we believe in. I like the concept of mirroring that you mention. I too have learned that it is an effective way to help others feel comfortable and build rapport. You are right, opposing views help us refine our thinking and decision making which is always a good thing!
Oliver
January 8, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Great question Oliver and very thoughtful response Leona! It is such an interesting question that has come up several times now in many posts. I will try to collect my thoughts and post something about it in my “update” in Unit 1 today.