Leadership Case Study

1. What could Helen have done differently to get started on the right foot with her new team?
To go beyond management and enter the leadership role, one must not make some of the novice mistakes, Helen, a recent Masters of Public Administration (MPA) graduate made in the case study. Although Helen used the technical knowledge acquired throughout her schooling, as the new leader, she was not prepared to be a person in authority. Three months after receiving her degree, Helen came into her new position at the state department of parks and recreation, she did not have the adequate experience, nor did she possess the communication or people skills that are necessary to become a leader. Due to Helen’s lack of leadership skills, she approached
Having not given herself the chance to grow into her new position, she thought commanding her new employees to perform would be enough, focusing on giving them orders rather than understanding the issues. Because of this, Helen entered the apprentice stage of the Positional Authority of McCorkle & Witt (2014, p. 21),
Helen’s lack of leadership experience led her to make novice mistakes that could have easily been prevented. Skipping leadership, acting as a manager and not a leader and her inexperience, insufficient and poor communication skills, ineffectively with staff lead Helen into the pitfalls of the “The Dark Side of Positional Authority.” All of which will present her with a new set of challenges moving forward.
2. What steps can Helen take to improve the situation with the
Except for her formal MPA education, Helen has no practical experience. Therefore, she should consider reviewing leadership documentation such as the state and federal standards. Also, she could search for varies philosophies on how to lead her team. For instance, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (as cited in McCorkle and Witt, 2014, p.9) which contains 28 competencies that can assist in guiding her in the right direction.
She should also devise strategies that will assist her to convey a clear and concise message in an efficient manner to her staff. Effective leaders require good communication and interpersonal skills. O’Hara (2014) states, the first step a leader should accomplish when taking over a team is getting to know your staff. The case studies in the article also mentioned communication is an essential skill to be an effective leader. “Leaders seek information before acting, listen, use consistent communication to build trust, and include other in change processes when feasible.” McCorkle and Witt (p.