3 posts

Re: Module 5 DQ 1 Michele L. Domagala

1. In the first module, the picture of leadership I discussed included a leader being one who is encouraging, honest, and humble. I also indicated that leadership encompasses more than just a leader leading but also encompassed a leader treating their followers in a supportive and encouraging tone. Leadership is about more than just one person, and a strong leader is also one who is compassionate. My picture of leader follows along the very context of transformational leadership which according to Northouse (2016), is a leader who is concerned for their followers, wanting them to do better, including them and has a concerning tone for their emotional well-being while still following their own ethical and valued guidelines in which they work. I think a strong leader needs to provide encouragement and help their followers achieve goals and staying focused on the job at hand which is exactly what Lai et al., (2020), indicate that transformational leaders need to do.

In the several weeks since our first assessment of leadership, we have read many articles, along with the chapters by Northouse in the hopes of defining what we believe leadership is and how to be an effective leader. My first view of leadership has not changed in terms of characteristic and context but instead, I believe my view of leadership is now met with a much more concise picture of leadership with maybe some theories of how I do not want my leadership to look like. According to Lai et al., (2020), transformational leadership can provide a meaningful work environment in which behaviors are used in way to help leaders find positive ways in which to guide their followers to stay focused and contribute to the organization while still achieving goals. All of the information I have processed thus far and my vision of a leader in our first discussion has led me to believe transformation leadership is more of what I believe a strong leader should be.

References

Lai, F.-Y., Tang, H.-C., & Lu, S.-C. (2020). Transformational leadership and job performance: The mediating role of work engagment. SAGE Open, 10(1). doi:10.1177/2158244019899085

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership theory and practice (7th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

2 posts

Re: Module 5 DQ 1 Jessica Rodriguez

2. The picture that was presented in module one of leadership was an all-encompassing one that did not account for multiple theories of leadership. In module five of leadership after several theories of leadership have been presented the picture of what a leader’s philosophy and method of leadership can be have been taken into account and analyzed. Through the 4 weeks of this course, the leadership styles of two administrators have been analyzed and both the similarities and differences have been noted. The style in which each leader manages (Yu, Matta, & Cornfield, 2018) their followers is different due to the approach in which they look at the situation, but the results that the leaders obtain are similar. One leader uses leader-member exchange effectively, while the other uses transformational leadership effectively. The observation has shown that both leadership styles are fragile and non-sustainable if the leader leaves, but the system is manageable while the leader is there. While both leaders are sustainable in their leadership styles in their respective schools, it is also observed that one leader is able to produce better leaders in the long run due to the leader-member exchange and the ability to set up goals that the individual follower is willing to accomplish while achieving the organization goal as well.

Reference

Yu, A., Matta, F. K., & Cornfield, B. (2018). Is leader–member exchange differentiation beneficial or detrimental for group effectiveness? A meta-analytic investigation and theoretical integration. Academy of Management Journal, 61(3), 1158–1188. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1212

Re: Module 5 DQ 2 Porsha “Teacher Lady” Smith

3. Followers’ perceptions of leaders could encourage growth if they see that their leader is trustworthy, is confident, emotionally available, and useful. On the one hand, in uncertainty situations, the followers have to believe that the leader can be supportive. On the other hand, servant leadership focuses on the perception of the status quo and individuals’ stability rather than the collective(van Dierendonck et al., 2014). Leaders who perceive followers as capable encourage growth through servant leadership. The follower’s perception of the leader and the leader’s perception of the followers depends on the circumstance and the situation. While uncertain conditions that impact an individual will cause the individual to perceive the leader differently, the leader may perceive events that affect the collective. Suppose the perception of a leader may diminish if their duties are specific to a particular situation.

In contrast, a leader’s perception may improve if it shows that a leader can adapt to many situations(van Dierendonck et al., 2014). Collective leadership leads to a more positive perception of the leader as it focuses on the team rather than the individual (Friedrich et al., 2014). Leaders need to perceive their followers with respect and value their ideas while expressly telling them. The followers would, in turn, have a positive perception of the leader and the collective (Friedrich et al., 2014). To align the leader’s perception of self, he/she may need to take the perception of the followers into account to adjust their behavior, thinking, or worldview to be the best leader for their current followers. In essence, perceptions should be fluid to adapt to both leaders and followers alike.

References

Friedrich, T. L., Vessey, W. B., Schuelke, M. J., Mumford, M. D., Yammarino, F. J., & Ruark, G. A. (2014). Collectivistic leadership and george c. marshall: A historiometric analysis of career events. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 449–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.10.012

van Dierendonck, D., Stam, D., Boersma, P., de Windt, N., & Alkema, J. (2014). Same difference? exploring the differential mechanisms linking servant leadership and transformational leadership to follower outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 544–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.014

Re: Module 5 DQ 2 Michele L. Domagala

4.

In reality and within an organization, leaders and followers often interpret the roles and job tasks each other is doing as their own view and perception. As indicated by Van Dierendonck et al., (2014), if a leader is perceived to be competent and effective, the follower will often gravitate towards that leader as can be the same for the leader, meaning if the leader believes the follower is capable of growth, that leader will gravitate towards the follower, encouraging them to accomplish tasks and strive for more. As a leader, one needs to be highly aware of their follower’s individuality. According to Cekmecelioglu & Ozabag (2016), if leaders can communicate clearly with their followers, they might be able to perceive and interpret expectations and thus cultivating a vision of tasks and goals. Communication is always important in any organizational setting, but evaluation of the leader/follower relationship can be critical in how a leader is viewed by the follower. Feedback from their followers will give the leader a better understanding of how well they are doing and whether-or-not changes need to be made in terms of behavior and alignment on the leaders’ part. As changes are made, the leader/follower relationship should strengthen and thus help organizational goals.

References

Cekmecelioglu, H. G., & Ozabag, G. K. (2016). Leadership and creativity: The impact of transformational leadership on individual creativity. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 243-249. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.11.020

Van Dierendonck, D., Stam, D., Boersma, P., De Windt, N., & Alkema, J. (2014). Same difference? Exploring the differential mechanisms linking servant leadership and transformational leadership to follower outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 544-562.

1 posts

Re: Module 5 DQ 2

5 Jessica Rodriguez

The perceptions a follower has of the leader must align with two things in order for a follower to hold the leader at the core of the follower’s value system (Esmaili, Sameri, & Hassani, 2020). The follower’s perception of the leader must be positive, and the leader’s values must align with the follower or the system will not work. This is much different from the idea that a leader cannot please everyone, or that it does not matter what the followers think of the leader because they are not in their position to be liked. This concept is contradictory to that, however, if the leader works to build the relationship between the follower and themselves to ensure that the alignment of values and the perception of the leader are positive then the follower will work towards a cohesive goal and bring others on board. Not always will the follower agree with everything the leader is doing, but if the leader takes the time and care to build the relationship then the follower will still be more willing to defend the actions of the leader. The lesser consideration is that the perception of the leader’s values and their alignment with the organization. If the leader has a value system that aligns with the organization’s value system, then the perception of the followers will on average be positive and the system will be reinforced.

Reference

Esmaili, E., Sameri, M., & Hassani, M. (2020). Effect of school organizational conditions, leadership perception and teacher motivation on improving teaching activity through the mediation of professional development of elementary teachers. New Educational Approaches, 14(2), 45–65.