Personal Leadership Essay
PART 1 - Introduction & research on leadership
Introduction
This paper assesses my personal leadership readiness by exploring research in relation to traits, behaviours and attitudes needed to become an effective leader. An analysis of my own traits, behaviours and attitudes is compared to those researched, and conclusions are made about my readiness for leadership. To help evaluate my leadership readiness, the outcomes of self-assessments completed throughout DuBrin’s (2013) textbook are frequently referenced. As an introductory self-assessment on self-assessment quiz 1-1 of DuBrin (2013), I scored seventy-two out of one-hundred, putting me in the category of moderately ready for a leadership role.
My current role at the University of Western Australia (UWA) as manager of …show more content…
international undergraduate admissions will provide practical application and comparison to the research discussed. This will help identify my strengths and weaknesses as an effective leader and identify gaps requiring attention.
What is effective leadership?
In determining leadership readiness one must define what constitutes effective leadership. An effective leader is one who helps team members attain productivity, including high quality and customer satisfaction, as well as job satisfaction (DuBrin 2013). To evaluate leadership readiness it is important to ensure the individual undergoing assessment fulfils the traits, behaviours and attitudes conducive to effective leadership.
Research on traits and analysis of personal traits
Personality traits of effective leaders can be broken down into two categories (DuBrin 2013):
General personality traits and;
Task-related personality traits
General personality traits are traits that are apparent inside and outside the workplace (DuBrin 2013). Traits such as: self-confidence, sense of humour, humility, trustworthiness, authenticity, enthusiasm, optimism and warmth, assertiveness, and extraversion are all considered general personality traits (DuBrin 2013). Research reveals some traits such as: trustworthiness and extraversion are more likely to lead to effective leadership. Extraversion is one trait that coincides more so than any of the others with leadership effectiveness and leadership emergence Grant et al. (2011). Although acknowledged, Grant et al (2011) explore environments where extraversion may be detrimental to leadership effectiveness. In situations where proactive thinking and group collaboration is undertaken, being overly extraverted may result in less team member participation (Grant et al., 2011). In leadership self-assessment quiz 2-2 (DuBrin 2013) I scored a nineteen out of twenty-six, putting me in the category of assertive. In my professional role being assertive with my team members is important however the queries we receive on a daily basis are never the same and always require pro-active problem solving on their behalf. As Grant et al (2011) article conclude and my practical experience supports, there are times when toning down my level of extraversion may lead to more effective leadership (Grant et al., 2010).
Task-related personality traits are traits closely related to completing tasks (DuBrin 2013). Traits such as: passion for the work and the people, emotional intelligence, flexibility and adaptability, internal locus of control, and courage are all considered task-related personality traits (DuBrin 2013). I believe Emotional Intelligence (“EQ”) is one task-related trait that research supports as being present in most effective leaders (Colfax et al., 2010). Colfax et al (2010) introduce three dimensions crucial to effective leadership being: intelligence quotient (“IQ”), personality and EQ. Research on IQ and personality is well documented however, the notion of EQ and its strong correlation with effective leadership provides implications to organisations about the qualities they look for in potential leaders (Colfax et al., 2010). One caveat to this is EQ can be learnt more easily than the other two dimensions (Batool, 2013), potentially making it less of a competitive advantage for the individual (Colfax et al., 2010).
Other research suggest EQ can only take an individual as far as their IQ permits and it is therefore IQ which carries more weight with effective leadership (Antonakis, 2004). My professional experience supports Colfax et al (2010) view, because in my role I must be socially aware and most importantly excellent at relationship management across culturally diverse borders. My Malaysian heritage and exposure to Muslim religion are factors that have enabled me to perform better in my role, as it has taught me the appropriateness of my actions when dealing with students of differing cultural backgrounds.
Research on behaviours and attitudes, and analysis of personal behaviours and attitudes
Behaviours and attitudes of leadership fall under two categories of leadership behaviours these are “consideration” and “initiating structure” (DuBrin 2013). Consideration is the contribution a leader makes toward creating an environment of emotional support, warmth, friendliness, and trust (DuBrin 2013). These behaviours are referred to as relationship-orientated behaviours and include: aligning of people, openness to work opinions, creating inspiration and visibility, satisfying higher-level needs, giving emotional support and encouragement, promoting principles and values, and being a servant leader (DuBrin 2013). In my role I have implemented a weekly communiqué that encourage team members to voice their opinion about improving processes, customer service and acknowledging the performance of the team. I believe this process satisfies higher-level emotional needs and enhances team member’s level of job satisfaction through empowerment and allowing decisions to be made in a democratic environment.
Initiating structure is the leader’s ability to organise and define relationships in a group by engaging in activities such as: assigning tasks, specifying policy and procedure, outlining schedules and deadlines, and clarify and communicating expectations to team members (DuBrin 2013). These behaviours are referred to as task-orientated behaviours and include: adaptability to the situation, direction setting, holding high performance standards, concentrating on the strengths of group members, risk taking and execution of plans, hands-on guidance and feedback, and ability to ask tough questions (DuBrin 2013). Adaptability to the situation is increasingly important, given the radical change in the tertiary education sector, learning agility or the ability to respond to change has been found to be the one behaviour that results in effective leadership and leadership progression (Eichinger and Lombardo, 2004). The significance of this behaviour is acknowledging that what may have worked in the past, does not necessarily work in the future.
Overall readiness for leadership & gaps needed to close to progress
From the analysis, I display democratic leadership qualities and at other times consultative leadership qualities. My approachability and openness to team member ideas is definitely my strength. I think team members can confide in me and that is evident from the feedback I have received from them. I believe I am ready for my next leadership role but need to work on my, at times, overly extraverted personality. As evidenced in the research this can be a hindrance to effective leadership (Grant et al., 2010).
I think it may be beneficial to introduce a forum for my team members to provide 360-degree feedback to ensure my perceptions of their well-being and job satisfaction reflect reality. Currently they only have this opportunity on a bi-annual basis, so introducing such a policy may improve my leadership effectiveness.
PART 2 - Analysis on your aptitude for leadership and recommendations for future development
Introduction
The strengths and weaknesses identified in the first section are used to determine my capability for being a charismatic leader. Determining my personal aptitude for charismatic leadership requires research on what makes leaders charismatic. This means defining charisma is essential to determine my potential as a charismatic leader. By exploring research and traits believed to be evident in leaders who are charismatic, I will then be able to analyse which of these traits I inherently possess and which of these traits I need to focus on for future personal development. As part of the analysis process I will apply my own experience from my role at the UWA and identify areas that are lacking. Identifying these gaps will provide a good foundation to develop a specific action plan that incorporates the necessary personal/professional development needed to be a charismatic leader.
Research on charismatic leadership
According to DuBrin (2013) charisma is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others. A key that underpins charismatic leaders is the individual’s ability to attract, motivate and lead others (DuBrin 2013). Charismatic leaders have the ability to exert influence over their followers and literature revolved around such influences are referred to as dimensions of charisma (Halpert, 1990). Halpert (1990) introduces the concept of referent power or ability to influence through desirable traits and characteristics, expert power or ones technical knowledge, skills and abilities, and job involvement or the ability to effectively engage employees.
Research on the topic varies with some literature suggesting that being charismatic is a ‘gift from god’ and is inherent within the individual (Kempster and Parry, 2014). Other research suggests charismatic leadership is dependent upon the organisational culture and followership need for leadership (de Vries et al., 2011). My personal experience and reflection on the research is we are born with some of the traits, developed through our upbringing, cultural background, personal experiences and personality. However we can develop some of the characteristics perceived as charismatic through personal development and make conscious efforts to practice charismatic behaviours, such as: develop our communication skills, increase our appetite for risk and employ tactics to be more engaging.
Common characteristics shared by charismatic leaders include:
Being visionary;
Masterful communication skills;
Ability to inspire trust;
Ability to make those they lead feel capable and confident in their ability;
Energetic and action-orientated;
Emotional expressiveness and warmth;
Risk taking and use of unconventional strategies;
Self-promoting personality and;
Dramatic and unique.
Of the qualities listed above (DuBrin 2013) my strongest characteristics (based on peer-assessment reviews or “PAR”) are my emotional expressiveness and warmth, energy and enthusiasm, making my team-members feel confident and capable, and being dramatic. In reference to Halpert’s (1990) research I exhibit dimensions of referent power and job involvement. Specifically, the types of characteristics I have been known to display are referred as ‘charismatic-leadership tactics’ or (CLT) (Antonakis et al., 2012). Antonakis et al (2012) introduce practical steps a leader can employ to become more charismatic those being:
Animated voice;
Facial expressions and;
Gestures.
All these traits are easily practicable and can lead to better team member perceptions of their leader’s level of charisma (Antonakis et al., 2012). The practical implications are to continue being conscious of my behaviours and apply these to a broader audience in my role. Doing so, as found by Antonakis et al (2012), may lead to more favourable outcomes in my bi-annual PAR and increase my team members willingness to contribute more for the greater good of our team.
I have often been criticised for my inability to communicate effectively and a major commonality with all leaders who are charismatic, is their ability to communicate (De Vries et al., 2010). Being able to communicate is essential to leadership and management but being able to communicate persuasively, articulately and effectively is what differentiates charismatic leaders from other leaders (De Vries et al., 2010). This is invaluable information for leadership programs and curriculum designed to enhance my ability to practice better communication. This will enhance my level of perceived supportiveness, assuredness, and preciseness when communicating with team members and ensure our expectations are aligned (van Knippenberg and Sitkin, 2013).
Being charismatic does not necessarily translate into being an effective leader. DuBrin (2013) infers that whilst a charismatic leader is capable of influencing transformation being able to perform the transactional duties of a leader are a prerequisite for being an effective charismatic leader. If a leader is charismatic but incompetent at the management or administrative responsibilities of their role, the leader is likely to be ineffective (DuBrin 2013). Studies have shown that although transactional competence is a pre-requisite, in top-level roles, displaying charismatic leadership results in more effective leadership (Agle and Sonnenfield). Although it is important for me to primarily lead my team members, I need to ensure I have sound knowledge of the queries our office receives on a daily basis. Often when something a team member cannot resolve comes to me, I need to exhibit the ability to resolve, if not, diffuse the issue.
Recommendations for personal development
In self-assessment quiz 3-1 (DuBrin 2013), the emotional expressiveness scale, I scored eighty-two from a possible one-hundred, putting me in the ideal category for charismatic leadership. Although I am naturally extroverted my communication skills are lacking, particularly my ability to articulate and express my message to team members. I would benefit from undertaking workshops in communication skills, making a conscious effort to enhance my vocabulary and participate in any opportunity to improve my public speaking skills.
Action plan
1
Research on leaders who are perceived as excellent communicators e.g. Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton
2
Investigate the education and methods these leaders underwent to develop such strong and compelling communication skills.
3
Read autobiographies on charismatic leaders, research their histories and research reputable training firms that provide communication skills tuition.
4
Consciously make an effort on a daily basis to introduce new words into my verbal and written communication to enhance my vocabulary.
5
Make a habit of verbally expressing messages to employees as a preferred method communication as opposed to using email.
6
Implement strategies that encourage verbal discussion among team members, and illustrate to others the importance and impact exercising such behaviours has on professional development.
7
Consistently review and journal my progress to ensure the learning is dynamic.
8
Critically reflect on the changes and outcomes, through results of future PARs and team member feedback.
PART 3 - The team-based organisation
Introduction
Working in teams and collaborating with others is a skill needed by all individuals employed within any organisation. Environmental pressures such as: globalisation and need for innovation demand teams have the ability to organise diverse sets of capabilities, skills and personalities (Carlock, 2012). Leading in team-based organisations is increasingly important in the current environment as competition for human-capital increases, so does the need for talent management and effective team strategy. Effective team leadership poses many challenges, particularly the ability to manage interpersonal relationships, and aligning resources to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency. Team leaders need to be aware of the importance of team member contribution and must recognise the achievements of the group and individuals to ensure long-term success. By analysing my personal experiences I compare the outcomes to those explored in research related to team leading and the effectiveness of motivating team members through recognition.
Background with research on team-based organisations
DuBrin (2013) outlines some of the key roles of effective leaders in team-based organisations including:
Build trust and inspiring teamwork
Coaching team members and group members toward higher levels of performance
Facilitating and supporting team decisions
Expanding team capabilities
Creating a team identity
Anticipating and influencing change
A critical part of collaborating in teams is the degree of teamwork present in the workplace. The outcome of self-assessment quiz 9-1 (DuBrin 2013) indicates teamwork is present in my current role
Research on leading teams and getting the most out of team members highlights the importance of keeping members motivated and engaged through recognition (Brun and Dugas, 2008). Brun and Dugas (2008) introduce four types of recognition:
Existential or humanistic view – recognise each individual is unique and has their own personality and identity
Work practice – recognise each individual brings different skillsets, knowledge and experience
Job dedication – recognise individual loyalty and devotion to the outcomes of the organisation and team
Results – recognise the results or outputs of an individual
Recognition may be formal (annual PAR) or informal (saying “Well done!”) but evidence suggest teams when members are engaged in their work produce better outcomes than members that are not (Brun and Dugas, 2008). It could be argued that keeping employee motivation elevated through recognition schemes is an effective method of getting better outcomes (Carlock, 2012). However, this is not always the case and some employees may respond differently to different types of recognition (DuBrin 2013). A skilful leader will have intimate knowledge of their team members and choose the most appropriate form of recognition. Leaders with a good level of EQ will be across the interpersonal dynamics of the group and will make decisions that benefit the group as a whole, as well as providing the individual with recognition for his or her achievements (Carlock, 2012).
Team based organisations looking to improve overall performance through recognition programs must be aware of the ability of the program not achieving the outcomes for which they were designed (Olson, 2014). Pure result-based recognition programs may influence employees to conduct in behaviour that is not congruent with the overall values of the organisation (Olson, 2014). The best form of recognition takes a multi-faceted approach, addressing the four types of recognition introduced earlier. Research has shown recognition programs that incorporate the core values of the organisation along with those of your immediate team tend to produce the best results (Bettelley, 2013).
The success of individuals, teams and organisations depend on the ability of teams to work together to achieve a common goal (Liu et al., 2013). The article examines the notion of shared-leadership and its effectiveness in different cultural settings. Interestingly in more cultural diverse groups an effective team leader needs to be able to understand the emotional needs of the group (Liu et al., 2013). Developing this understanding is a by-product of the leader’s EQ and can go a long way to ensure team members continue to work collaboratively.
The importance of group formation and group longevity is another important aspect of group leading. Teams evolve through four phases those being forming, storming, norming and performing (Carlock, 2012). Each phase is categorised by a progressively increasing level of performance but highlights that whilst productivity reaches its peak during the norming phase, team morale does not reach its highest level until the performing phase (Carlock, 2012). The implications this has for leaders is although we can get high levels of productivity by merely getting to the norming phase, it is essential for long-term success that we ensure groups evolve all the way through to the performing phase. Doing so will lead to job satisfaction and increased levels of employee engagement.
Recommendations for leading a team to achieve long-term business outcomes
Implementation of formal reward ceremonies may provide an opportunity for employees to be recognised not just internally, but externally as well. This does pose a problem in larger organisations because implementation requires approval, equity assessment and documented policy on eligibility.
I believe implementing a shared-leadership strategy would assist in helping team members understand the requirements of my role as well as giving them the responsibility to make executive decisions. This type of empowerment leads to improved job satisfaction, innovation and ensures long-term employee engagement (Liu et al., 2013).
Part 4 Future Projection
Introduction and background
I have been appointed as director of the International Centre at the UWA. The core function of the centre is building new and strengthening existing networks with foreign universities. Getting into the top fifty universities in the world is the vision of the university as a whole and much of the success of achieving this outcome will be achieved by strengthening links with our international market, particularly Asia. Given the radical change of the tertiary education business model my core responsibility in the role is to oversee the change in the way we interact with our international market. A key to success in this role revolves around the ability to empower employees to ensure organisational effectiveness and collaborative teamwork.
Research on empowering leadership and its effectiveness on organisational culture
According to DuBrin (2013) empowerment is the passing of decision-making authority and responsibility from leader to team members. Many forms of participative management may constitute empowerment including shared decision making and delegation (DuBrin 2013). Empowerment consist of five components being: meaning, competence, self-determination, impact and internal commitment (Spreitzer, 1995). Each of these psychological components serve as a framework to affect organisational culture by encouraging innovation, risk-taking and solving problems using unconventional methods (Bhatnagar, 2012). It is important to exercise behaviours that empower employees in the scenario described as it will help bring about a change in organisational culture and help drive the vision of becoming a top fifty university in the world. Successfully empowering employees helps a leader transform organisational culture and is important, particularly for leaders who have been given the role to influence change (Gumusluoglu and Ilsev, 2009).
Transformational leadership encompasses when a leader makes changes to an organisation including the leader’s ability to affect change on organisational culture.
Recommendations for empowering your team members and subordinates
Strategies I will use to empower team members:
Team decentralisation or allowing each functional unit within the centre to have a designated team leader who has the power to make decisions such as: who to employ, marketing strategies to use, preferred means of team communication and strategy implementation.
Open forum feedback encouraging team members to critically evaluate the ideas of their bosses, welcome any suggestions from any employee regardless of their position and recognise the achievements of individuals and the outcomes of each functional business unit.
Communicate and consistently reinforce the vision of the centre to all employees, to remind them of the importance of our role in achieving the goal of becoming a top fifty university.
Explanation of how you will use honest and ethical influence tactics to increase organisational effectiveness
I will practice hands-on leadership to exhibit to employees I understand what goes on at the transactional level. Often leaders are not aware of these processes and at times suggest ideas that are impractical or time-consuming (DuBrin 2013). By getting involved in some transactional processes I will cultivate a culture that is not discriminate of position or job title, where everyone is equal and we all need to pull together to achieve our main objective.
I am naturally a team player and am always willing to listen to feedback. However, listening to feedback does not produce the best outcomes, implementing it does (DuBrin 2013). By investigating ideas and implementing ones deemed useful I will ensure I maintain my participative leadership style and ensure I remain approachable and open to such ideas in future.
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Appendices
(1) Snapshot report from www.queendom.com
Snapshot Report
Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression 71
You are reasonably skilled when it comes to the core ability of identifying, perceiving and expressing emotions in yourself and others. There is still, however, room for growth. Overall, your skills in this area of emotional intelligence aid you in the process of reading others, understanding how they feel, and effectively identifying your own emotions. These skills form the basis of your ability to relate to the emotions of others as well as well as your ability to understand yourself. Review the results below for further information on areas that could use further improvement.
Introduction
This paper assesses my personal leadership readiness by exploring research in relation to traits, behaviours and attitudes needed to become an effective leader. An analysis of my own traits, behaviours and attitudes is compared to those researched, and conclusions are made about my readiness for leadership. To help evaluate my leadership readiness, the outcomes of self-assessments completed throughout DuBrin’s (2013) textbook are frequently referenced. As an introductory self-assessment on self-assessment quiz 1-1 of DuBrin (2013), I scored seventy-two out of one-hundred, putting me in the category of moderately ready for a leadership role.
My current role at the University of Western Australia (UWA) as manager of …show more content…
international undergraduate admissions will provide practical application and comparison to the research discussed. This will help identify my strengths and weaknesses as an effective leader and identify gaps requiring attention.
What is effective leadership?
In determining leadership readiness one must define what constitutes effective leadership. An effective leader is one who helps team members attain productivity, including high quality and customer satisfaction, as well as job satisfaction (DuBrin 2013). To evaluate leadership readiness it is important to ensure the individual undergoing assessment fulfils the traits, behaviours and attitudes conducive to effective leadership.
Research on traits and analysis of personal traits
Personality traits of effective leaders can be broken down into two categories (DuBrin 2013):
General personality traits and;
Task-related personality traits
General personality traits are traits that are apparent inside and outside the workplace (DuBrin 2013). Traits such as: self-confidence, sense of humour, humility, trustworthiness, authenticity, enthusiasm, optimism and warmth, assertiveness, and extraversion are all considered general personality traits (DuBrin 2013). Research reveals some traits such as: trustworthiness and extraversion are more likely to lead to effective leadership. Extraversion is one trait that coincides more so than any of the others with leadership effectiveness and leadership emergence Grant et al. (2011). Although acknowledged, Grant et al (2011) explore environments where extraversion may be detrimental to leadership effectiveness. In situations where proactive thinking and group collaboration is undertaken, being overly extraverted may result in less team member participation (Grant et al., 2011). In leadership self-assessment quiz 2-2 (DuBrin 2013) I scored a nineteen out of twenty-six, putting me in the category of assertive. In my professional role being assertive with my team members is important however the queries we receive on a daily basis are never the same and always require pro-active problem solving on their behalf. As Grant et al (2011) article conclude and my practical experience supports, there are times when toning down my level of extraversion may lead to more effective leadership (Grant et al., 2010).
Task-related personality traits are traits closely related to completing tasks (DuBrin 2013). Traits such as: passion for the work and the people, emotional intelligence, flexibility and adaptability, internal locus of control, and courage are all considered task-related personality traits (DuBrin 2013). I believe Emotional Intelligence (“EQ”) is one task-related trait that research supports as being present in most effective leaders (Colfax et al., 2010). Colfax et al (2010) introduce three dimensions crucial to effective leadership being: intelligence quotient (“IQ”), personality and EQ. Research on IQ and personality is well documented however, the notion of EQ and its strong correlation with effective leadership provides implications to organisations about the qualities they look for in potential leaders (Colfax et al., 2010). One caveat to this is EQ can be learnt more easily than the other two dimensions (Batool, 2013), potentially making it less of a competitive advantage for the individual (Colfax et al., 2010).
Other research suggest EQ can only take an individual as far as their IQ permits and it is therefore IQ which carries more weight with effective leadership (Antonakis, 2004). My professional experience supports Colfax et al (2010) view, because in my role I must be socially aware and most importantly excellent at relationship management across culturally diverse borders. My Malaysian heritage and exposure to Muslim religion are factors that have enabled me to perform better in my role, as it has taught me the appropriateness of my actions when dealing with students of differing cultural backgrounds.
Research on behaviours and attitudes, and analysis of personal behaviours and attitudes
Behaviours and attitudes of leadership fall under two categories of leadership behaviours these are “consideration” and “initiating structure” (DuBrin 2013). Consideration is the contribution a leader makes toward creating an environment of emotional support, warmth, friendliness, and trust (DuBrin 2013). These behaviours are referred to as relationship-orientated behaviours and include: aligning of people, openness to work opinions, creating inspiration and visibility, satisfying higher-level needs, giving emotional support and encouragement, promoting principles and values, and being a servant leader (DuBrin 2013). In my role I have implemented a weekly communiqué that encourage team members to voice their opinion about improving processes, customer service and acknowledging the performance of the team. I believe this process satisfies higher-level emotional needs and enhances team member’s level of job satisfaction through empowerment and allowing decisions to be made in a democratic environment.
Initiating structure is the leader’s ability to organise and define relationships in a group by engaging in activities such as: assigning tasks, specifying policy and procedure, outlining schedules and deadlines, and clarify and communicating expectations to team members (DuBrin 2013). These behaviours are referred to as task-orientated behaviours and include: adaptability to the situation, direction setting, holding high performance standards, concentrating on the strengths of group members, risk taking and execution of plans, hands-on guidance and feedback, and ability to ask tough questions (DuBrin 2013). Adaptability to the situation is increasingly important, given the radical change in the tertiary education sector, learning agility or the ability to respond to change has been found to be the one behaviour that results in effective leadership and leadership progression (Eichinger and Lombardo, 2004). The significance of this behaviour is acknowledging that what may have worked in the past, does not necessarily work in the future.
Overall readiness for leadership & gaps needed to close to progress
From the analysis, I display democratic leadership qualities and at other times consultative leadership qualities. My approachability and openness to team member ideas is definitely my strength. I think team members can confide in me and that is evident from the feedback I have received from them. I believe I am ready for my next leadership role but need to work on my, at times, overly extraverted personality. As evidenced in the research this can be a hindrance to effective leadership (Grant et al., 2010).
I think it may be beneficial to introduce a forum for my team members to provide 360-degree feedback to ensure my perceptions of their well-being and job satisfaction reflect reality. Currently they only have this opportunity on a bi-annual basis, so introducing such a policy may improve my leadership effectiveness.
PART 2 - Analysis on your aptitude for leadership and recommendations for future development
Introduction
The strengths and weaknesses identified in the first section are used to determine my capability for being a charismatic leader. Determining my personal aptitude for charismatic leadership requires research on what makes leaders charismatic. This means defining charisma is essential to determine my potential as a charismatic leader. By exploring research and traits believed to be evident in leaders who are charismatic, I will then be able to analyse which of these traits I inherently possess and which of these traits I need to focus on for future personal development. As part of the analysis process I will apply my own experience from my role at the UWA and identify areas that are lacking. Identifying these gaps will provide a good foundation to develop a specific action plan that incorporates the necessary personal/professional development needed to be a charismatic leader.
Research on charismatic leadership
According to DuBrin (2013) charisma is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others. A key that underpins charismatic leaders is the individual’s ability to attract, motivate and lead others (DuBrin 2013). Charismatic leaders have the ability to exert influence over their followers and literature revolved around such influences are referred to as dimensions of charisma (Halpert, 1990). Halpert (1990) introduces the concept of referent power or ability to influence through desirable traits and characteristics, expert power or ones technical knowledge, skills and abilities, and job involvement or the ability to effectively engage employees.
Research on the topic varies with some literature suggesting that being charismatic is a ‘gift from god’ and is inherent within the individual (Kempster and Parry, 2014). Other research suggests charismatic leadership is dependent upon the organisational culture and followership need for leadership (de Vries et al., 2011). My personal experience and reflection on the research is we are born with some of the traits, developed through our upbringing, cultural background, personal experiences and personality. However we can develop some of the characteristics perceived as charismatic through personal development and make conscious efforts to practice charismatic behaviours, such as: develop our communication skills, increase our appetite for risk and employ tactics to be more engaging.
Common characteristics shared by charismatic leaders include:
Being visionary;
Masterful communication skills;
Ability to inspire trust;
Ability to make those they lead feel capable and confident in their ability;
Energetic and action-orientated;
Emotional expressiveness and warmth;
Risk taking and use of unconventional strategies;
Self-promoting personality and;
Dramatic and unique.
Of the qualities listed above (DuBrin 2013) my strongest characteristics (based on peer-assessment reviews or “PAR”) are my emotional expressiveness and warmth, energy and enthusiasm, making my team-members feel confident and capable, and being dramatic. In reference to Halpert’s (1990) research I exhibit dimensions of referent power and job involvement. Specifically, the types of characteristics I have been known to display are referred as ‘charismatic-leadership tactics’ or (CLT) (Antonakis et al., 2012). Antonakis et al (2012) introduce practical steps a leader can employ to become more charismatic those being:
Animated voice;
Facial expressions and;
Gestures.
All these traits are easily practicable and can lead to better team member perceptions of their leader’s level of charisma (Antonakis et al., 2012). The practical implications are to continue being conscious of my behaviours and apply these to a broader audience in my role. Doing so, as found by Antonakis et al (2012), may lead to more favourable outcomes in my bi-annual PAR and increase my team members willingness to contribute more for the greater good of our team.
I have often been criticised for my inability to communicate effectively and a major commonality with all leaders who are charismatic, is their ability to communicate (De Vries et al., 2010). Being able to communicate is essential to leadership and management but being able to communicate persuasively, articulately and effectively is what differentiates charismatic leaders from other leaders (De Vries et al., 2010). This is invaluable information for leadership programs and curriculum designed to enhance my ability to practice better communication. This will enhance my level of perceived supportiveness, assuredness, and preciseness when communicating with team members and ensure our expectations are aligned (van Knippenberg and Sitkin, 2013).
Being charismatic does not necessarily translate into being an effective leader. DuBrin (2013) infers that whilst a charismatic leader is capable of influencing transformation being able to perform the transactional duties of a leader are a prerequisite for being an effective charismatic leader. If a leader is charismatic but incompetent at the management or administrative responsibilities of their role, the leader is likely to be ineffective (DuBrin 2013). Studies have shown that although transactional competence is a pre-requisite, in top-level roles, displaying charismatic leadership results in more effective leadership (Agle and Sonnenfield). Although it is important for me to primarily lead my team members, I need to ensure I have sound knowledge of the queries our office receives on a daily basis. Often when something a team member cannot resolve comes to me, I need to exhibit the ability to resolve, if not, diffuse the issue.
Recommendations for personal development
In self-assessment quiz 3-1 (DuBrin 2013), the emotional expressiveness scale, I scored eighty-two from a possible one-hundred, putting me in the ideal category for charismatic leadership. Although I am naturally extroverted my communication skills are lacking, particularly my ability to articulate and express my message to team members. I would benefit from undertaking workshops in communication skills, making a conscious effort to enhance my vocabulary and participate in any opportunity to improve my public speaking skills.
Action plan
1
Research on leaders who are perceived as excellent communicators e.g. Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton
2
Investigate the education and methods these leaders underwent to develop such strong and compelling communication skills.
3
Read autobiographies on charismatic leaders, research their histories and research reputable training firms that provide communication skills tuition.
4
Consciously make an effort on a daily basis to introduce new words into my verbal and written communication to enhance my vocabulary.
5
Make a habit of verbally expressing messages to employees as a preferred method communication as opposed to using email.
6
Implement strategies that encourage verbal discussion among team members, and illustrate to others the importance and impact exercising such behaviours has on professional development.
7
Consistently review and journal my progress to ensure the learning is dynamic.
8
Critically reflect on the changes and outcomes, through results of future PARs and team member feedback.
PART 3 - The team-based organisation
Introduction
Working in teams and collaborating with others is a skill needed by all individuals employed within any organisation. Environmental pressures such as: globalisation and need for innovation demand teams have the ability to organise diverse sets of capabilities, skills and personalities (Carlock, 2012). Leading in team-based organisations is increasingly important in the current environment as competition for human-capital increases, so does the need for talent management and effective team strategy. Effective team leadership poses many challenges, particularly the ability to manage interpersonal relationships, and aligning resources to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency. Team leaders need to be aware of the importance of team member contribution and must recognise the achievements of the group and individuals to ensure long-term success. By analysing my personal experiences I compare the outcomes to those explored in research related to team leading and the effectiveness of motivating team members through recognition.
Background with research on team-based organisations
DuBrin (2013) outlines some of the key roles of effective leaders in team-based organisations including:
Build trust and inspiring teamwork
Coaching team members and group members toward higher levels of performance
Facilitating and supporting team decisions
Expanding team capabilities
Creating a team identity
Anticipating and influencing change
A critical part of collaborating in teams is the degree of teamwork present in the workplace. The outcome of self-assessment quiz 9-1 (DuBrin 2013) indicates teamwork is present in my current role
Research on leading teams and getting the most out of team members highlights the importance of keeping members motivated and engaged through recognition (Brun and Dugas, 2008). Brun and Dugas (2008) introduce four types of recognition:
Existential or humanistic view – recognise each individual is unique and has their own personality and identity
Work practice – recognise each individual brings different skillsets, knowledge and experience
Job dedication – recognise individual loyalty and devotion to the outcomes of the organisation and team
Results – recognise the results or outputs of an individual
Recognition may be formal (annual PAR) or informal (saying “Well done!”) but evidence suggest teams when members are engaged in their work produce better outcomes than members that are not (Brun and Dugas, 2008). It could be argued that keeping employee motivation elevated through recognition schemes is an effective method of getting better outcomes (Carlock, 2012). However, this is not always the case and some employees may respond differently to different types of recognition (DuBrin 2013). A skilful leader will have intimate knowledge of their team members and choose the most appropriate form of recognition. Leaders with a good level of EQ will be across the interpersonal dynamics of the group and will make decisions that benefit the group as a whole, as well as providing the individual with recognition for his or her achievements (Carlock, 2012).
Team based organisations looking to improve overall performance through recognition programs must be aware of the ability of the program not achieving the outcomes for which they were designed (Olson, 2014). Pure result-based recognition programs may influence employees to conduct in behaviour that is not congruent with the overall values of the organisation (Olson, 2014). The best form of recognition takes a multi-faceted approach, addressing the four types of recognition introduced earlier. Research has shown recognition programs that incorporate the core values of the organisation along with those of your immediate team tend to produce the best results (Bettelley, 2013).
The success of individuals, teams and organisations depend on the ability of teams to work together to achieve a common goal (Liu et al., 2013). The article examines the notion of shared-leadership and its effectiveness in different cultural settings. Interestingly in more cultural diverse groups an effective team leader needs to be able to understand the emotional needs of the group (Liu et al., 2013). Developing this understanding is a by-product of the leader’s EQ and can go a long way to ensure team members continue to work collaboratively.
The importance of group formation and group longevity is another important aspect of group leading. Teams evolve through four phases those being forming, storming, norming and performing (Carlock, 2012). Each phase is categorised by a progressively increasing level of performance but highlights that whilst productivity reaches its peak during the norming phase, team morale does not reach its highest level until the performing phase (Carlock, 2012). The implications this has for leaders is although we can get high levels of productivity by merely getting to the norming phase, it is essential for long-term success that we ensure groups evolve all the way through to the performing phase. Doing so will lead to job satisfaction and increased levels of employee engagement.
Recommendations for leading a team to achieve long-term business outcomes
Implementation of formal reward ceremonies may provide an opportunity for employees to be recognised not just internally, but externally as well. This does pose a problem in larger organisations because implementation requires approval, equity assessment and documented policy on eligibility.
I believe implementing a shared-leadership strategy would assist in helping team members understand the requirements of my role as well as giving them the responsibility to make executive decisions. This type of empowerment leads to improved job satisfaction, innovation and ensures long-term employee engagement (Liu et al., 2013).
Part 4 Future Projection
Introduction and background
I have been appointed as director of the International Centre at the UWA. The core function of the centre is building new and strengthening existing networks with foreign universities. Getting into the top fifty universities in the world is the vision of the university as a whole and much of the success of achieving this outcome will be achieved by strengthening links with our international market, particularly Asia. Given the radical change of the tertiary education business model my core responsibility in the role is to oversee the change in the way we interact with our international market. A key to success in this role revolves around the ability to empower employees to ensure organisational effectiveness and collaborative teamwork.
Research on empowering leadership and its effectiveness on organisational culture
According to DuBrin (2013) empowerment is the passing of decision-making authority and responsibility from leader to team members. Many forms of participative management may constitute empowerment including shared decision making and delegation (DuBrin 2013). Empowerment consist of five components being: meaning, competence, self-determination, impact and internal commitment (Spreitzer, 1995). Each of these psychological components serve as a framework to affect organisational culture by encouraging innovation, risk-taking and solving problems using unconventional methods (Bhatnagar, 2012). It is important to exercise behaviours that empower employees in the scenario described as it will help bring about a change in organisational culture and help drive the vision of becoming a top fifty university in the world. Successfully empowering employees helps a leader transform organisational culture and is important, particularly for leaders who have been given the role to influence change (Gumusluoglu and Ilsev, 2009).
Transformational leadership encompasses when a leader makes changes to an organisation including the leader’s ability to affect change on organisational culture.
Recommendations for empowering your team members and subordinates
Strategies I will use to empower team members:
Team decentralisation or allowing each functional unit within the centre to have a designated team leader who has the power to make decisions such as: who to employ, marketing strategies to use, preferred means of team communication and strategy implementation.
Open forum feedback encouraging team members to critically evaluate the ideas of their bosses, welcome any suggestions from any employee regardless of their position and recognise the achievements of individuals and the outcomes of each functional business unit.
Communicate and consistently reinforce the vision of the centre to all employees, to remind them of the importance of our role in achieving the goal of becoming a top fifty university.
Explanation of how you will use honest and ethical influence tactics to increase organisational effectiveness
I will practice hands-on leadership to exhibit to employees I understand what goes on at the transactional level. Often leaders are not aware of these processes and at times suggest ideas that are impractical or time-consuming (DuBrin 2013). By getting involved in some transactional processes I will cultivate a culture that is not discriminate of position or job title, where everyone is equal and we all need to pull together to achieve our main objective.
I am naturally a team player and am always willing to listen to feedback. However, listening to feedback does not produce the best outcomes, implementing it does (DuBrin 2013). By investigating ideas and implementing ones deemed useful I will ensure I maintain my participative leadership style and ensure I remain approachable and open to such ideas in future.
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Appendices
(1) Snapshot report from www.queendom.com
Snapshot Report
Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression 71
You are reasonably skilled when it comes to the core ability of identifying, perceiving and expressing emotions in yourself and others. There is still, however, room for growth. Overall, your skills in this area of emotional intelligence aid you in the process of reading others, understanding how they feel, and effectively identifying your own emotions. These skills form the basis of your ability to relate to the emotions of others as well as well as your ability to understand yourself. Review the results below for further information on areas that could use further improvement.