Northouse (2016) states that “leadership is a highly sought-after and highly valued commodity” (p. 1). Some people seek it for the power associated with it, others seek it for prestige. Some seek it because they have a dream or a cause, and others are propelled into it. Two course learnings that have impacted me and my practice as a result of taking Leadership 500 are the power of servant leadership, and the power of critical thinking.
The idea that leaders can act as servants and yet influence people in powerful ways seems at first to be an oxymoron…..until one points to the life of Christ the most influential leader in history. Aside from Christ, the greatest example of servant leadership that I encountered in this course was that of Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett of Southwest Airlines. They set out to be servant leaders and their motto was simple: to treat others the way they would like to be treated (Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2009). Ms Barrett focused upon the needs of their employees above all else (KnowledgeAtWharton, 2008). Although they did not set out to become transformational leaders, they were so influential that they transformed the entire aviation industry.
Whereas traditional leadership is transactional in nature (leaders monitor employees and either reward or punish their behaviour) (Northouse, 2016), Northouse points out that servant leadership has at its core a positive relationship between leader and follower. Through this relationship the leader comes to understand the follower’s perspective, strengths, motivations and needs. The leader puts the needs of the follower above all else. I am working to build such a relationship with my new teaching support staff now that I have learned the importance of placing their needs even above those of my students.
Mulla and Krishnan (2011) found that transformational servant leaders can have a positive impact upon the moral development of their followers, and therefore the character and values of a transformational servant leader are very important. Moral character is derived from the quality of one’s thoughts (Mulla and Krishnan, 2011). Critical thinking is thus crucial for making good decisions. The second way that my practice (and indeed my life) has been impacted by this course is by my new awareness of the need to be aware of my thinking. I now prayerfully examine repetitive behaviour patterns in my life to uncover my underlying beliefs. The following quotes taken from The Foundation for Critical Thinking website aptly summarize the need for me to demonstrate critical thinking:
“You are what you think. Whatever you are doing, whatever you feel, whatever you want—all are determined by the quality of your thinking.” “Critical thinking, when deeply understood, enables you to take control of the thinking you are doing in every part of your life. It enables you to solve problems more effectively, make better decisions, as well as recognize pathological and manipulative thinking.”
KnowledgeAtWharton [Screen name]. (2008, July 9). Southwest Airlines’ Colleen Barrett on ‘Servant Leadership’ . [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgR95vnM0c&t=303s
Mulla, Z. R., Krishnan, V. R. (2011). Transformational leadership: Do the leader’s morals matter and do the follower’s morals change?, Journal of Human Values 17(2), 129 – 143.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Stanford Graduate School of Business [Screen name]. (2009, July 27). Herb Kelleher: Managing in Good Times and Bad. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyC3Ywb9yc&t=393s
The Foundation for Critical Thinking (n.d.). Professional and Personal Development. Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/professional-and-personal-development/800