annahebb.files.wordpress.com€¦ · Web viewht into myself as a leader. Through the use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Learning Connections Inventory (LCI)

Running head: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PLATFORM

Personal Leadership Platform: Intercession Assignment

Anna L. Hebb

Virginia Commonwealth University

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PLATFORM 2

Introduction

Upon entering the Ed.D in Leadership program through Virginia Commonwealth University,

I have gained incredible insight into myself as a leader. Through the use of the Myers-Briggs

Type Indicator (MBTI), Learning Connections Inventory (LCI), unpublished 360-degree

Assessment of Leadership Skills as modified by the Educational Leadership Department of the

VCU School of Education (360-degree Assessment), lectures, readings, and cohort discussions, a

general platform for leadership has been established. Upon review of the last six months in the

leadership program it’s important to realize the impact of navigating new information, applying

the principles and beliefs to my current role as a school social worker, and, most importantly,

taking the various segments and creating an amalgamated approach to my personal leadership

platform. Through a sequence of ten questions that pull directly from the coursework and

experiences, I will share my journey, struggles, and growth. In the final analysis, I have

discovered a gateway towards effective leadership; however, realistically speaking, I have only

begun my journey and will adjust the platform as I continue to grow.

Purpose of Leadership

The purpose of leadership through the various readings and activities has been diverse.

Reflecting back on the Lencioni book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the purpose of

leadership was founded on the principle of trust. Lencioni (2002) taught that a leader’s purpose

is to first “build trust and encourage vulnerability within the group. Upon this foundation the

purpose of leadership was encouraging constructive, passionate debate, seeking authentic

commitment, holding everyone accountable in their work, and creating an environment that

enhances team success and not ego” (p. 188-189). From his work, I was deeply inspired by the

Jamie Arkin, 01/27/13,

Great opening


Leadership, as I’ve discovered through the program’s various…


foundation of trust in tandem with constructive debate. As a leader who seeks harmony, I

realized that at times my goals were to seek a false sense of harmony. The book and small group

activities produced an awareness that trust can be built through honest, hard discussions. At the

end of the day if issues are not resolved, as long as we are still talking and have a sense of

authentic trust with each other, we can work toward commitment and reaching group success (C.

Magill, personal communication, July, 2012). With this knowledge, I began to seek opportunities

within my department and to request meetings for healthy debate. I also shared with my current

leader the importance of morale and trust and the need for us to create events to build on the lack

of trust that exists. The Lencioni book gave specific examples and activities to strengthen each

dysfunction. These activities help support the purpose of leadership.

After Lencioni’s book, I was required to read Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice,

and Leadership by Bolman and Deal and The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of

Leadership, by Drath. The two books brought frameworks and a set of principles to be

considered in the purpose of leadership. I discovered in Drath’s book that I must be aware of my

preferences in leadership principles, know when to shift from personal dominance, interpersonal

influence, and relational dialogue, and within those principles understand my purpose in setting

direction, creating and maintaining commitment, and facing adaptive challenges. As a leader,

my personal preference was interpersonal influence. Drath (2001) described the core belief for

the purpose of leadership that I hold as paramount. “Interpersonal influence emphasizes the

relationship among the hearts and minds of people in a community. Leadership becomes a social

process of negotiating influence” (p. 68).


It was not a surprise that my framework preferences in Bolman and Deal were human

resource and symbolic. Within these two frameworks the purpose of leadership is to “empower

followers and inspire by creating faith, beauty, and meaning” (Bolman and Deal, 2008, p. 18). In

my study of women in leadership, I discovered many resources that confirmed these same

qualities that distinguish women leaders. A treasure in my research was Dr. Greenberg’s study

from 2011 from the Princeton-based management consulting firm. Noteworthy was the tenacity

of women leaders, and the “I’ll show you” approach. “Rejection, rather than being a defeating

event, can for the assertive woman be a motivator on a greater level to conquer the next

opportunity” (p.3). I related this approach to the human resource frame of not only empowering

others towards a common goal, but also empowering myself as a leader to stay the course.

Symbolically this is created at times through ceremonies, stories of inspiration, creating faith and

beauty, and most importantly developing a true sense of meaning within myself and the

constituents I serve.

Relationship Between Leader and Constituency

The human resource frame of leadership best describes what the relationship should be

between a leader and his or her constituency. “The human resource frame highlights the

relationship between people and organizations” (Bolman and Deal, 2008, p. 137). Empowering

and investing in employees in a meaningful and purposeful way protects your greatest assets in

your organization—the employees and customers. Also, the interpersonal influence principle of

Drath (2001) showed me, as a leader, when setting direction I “take into account the perspective

of others and have a sense of unity in direction” (p. 24). With this in mind, the leader is

responsible for building a relationship with his/her constituents through first establishing the


Thoughtful, insightful response to this question


foundation of trust. Lencioni’s five dysfunctions gave me a model to consider as a leader with

practical activities to produce positive results in building trust, and moving toward a unified

focus of group success. Constituents desire for their voice to be heard and for a leader to

authentically listen and consider the possibilities. Although there is a working together towards a

common goal, there is a distinction within leadership. As I lead, it is my hope to be a servant-

leader who earns respect through consistent ethical practices and vulnerability that builds trust.

In the 360-degree Assessment many of the collaborators scored my leadership as highly

effective and outstandingly effective in developing others and teamwork. The personal feedback

I received from those I lead was that they view me as an inspirational leader who desires to build

relationships based on trust, passion, and stick-to-itiveness. I recognize the strengths of others

and utilize those as a leader to strengthen my areas of weakness and to develop their talents. I

ask others for perceptions of their professional development needs, and the vision and mission of

our department. As a leader, I encourage others to change behaviors that inhibit department

growth and personal growth. My practice for those I lead is to perform operational tasks ahead

of time for team effectiveness, and guide the department toward unity and a common goal that

will bring success. A group of constituents desire a strong and passionate leader who develops

them, empowers them, and is willing to take the time to build trust and a working relationship.

Conditions Where Shared Leadership is Most Successful

Drath (2001) discusses an evolving leadership principle of relational dialogue. This principle

acknowledges that” leadership is the property of a social system; leadership happens when

people participate in collaborative forms of thought and action; and there is no individual leader”

(p. 15). As our world becomes more diverse and global, leaders are developing the principle of


good


relational dialogue. Its capacity for flexibility, wide range of possibilities, and acceptance of

differing cultures and worldviews has become a necessity. The condition of our global economy

and world influences have brought about the need for shared leadership. As a leader, I am

learning to embrace the challenges of this principle. I’ve learned the importance to create and

maintain commitment by a shared creation of an unknown future. In leadership I seek to develop

an environment where constituents will commit to a process of crafting a future. In the sharing,

leadership recognizes and embraces differences and openness to the continuous unfolding of

possibilities (p. 25-26).

Although my day-to-day job responsibilities as a school social worker are not global, the

global impact of our economy has created the need for this principle. In leadership, I have found

the need to create in our department a process of crafting our future in the dim light of an

unknown future of budget cuts and lost positions. As Drath (2001) suggests, “the uncertainty has

caused differences, multiple meanings, and multiple interpretations and evaluations. As a leader,

the tasks of creating meaning and crafting a sensible, though unresolved, whole have been

challenging” (p. 25-26). It’s in this process that shared leadership has been most important and

effective. In some way, not knowing our future but crafting a process for a more positive

hopeful outcome has united the department and encouraged morale. The relational dialogue has

produced a comradery and drawn upon the necessity of shared leadership. Within the shared

leadership many employees are being heard and developing leadership skills.

Motivating Constituents to Contribute Wholeheartedly

Merriam-Webster, 11th edition, defines wholeheartedly as “completely and sincerely devoted,

determined, or enthusiastic; marked by complete earnest commitment: free from all reserve or


I’d italicize it


another thoughtful response


sp


hesitation” (para. 1). How does a leader produce this type of commitment within the

organization he/she serves? At the risk of sounding redundant, the foundation of trust is a must!

As discussed earlier, as a leader, I have learned to value the time it takes to build trust and an

environment that welcomes constructive debate. Lencioni’s five dysfunctions create a work

environment in which honest commitment exists because the leader is holding employees

accountable, and checking for group success and not ego.

As a leader I often stop and ask, “How would that situation impact me?” I earnestly try to

consider the other’s point of view, perceptions, and life experiences. It’s important to realize that

when I take the time to understand their MBTI or LCI results, I can adjust my approach and

develop their skills more effectively. Bolman and Deal (2008) shared the organizations that

developed their employees, rewarded them, celebrated their efforts, and sacrificed for the sake of

the betterment of the employees were the most successful (p.141-149). One example was the

president of Costco Wholesale Corp.’s unique success formula: “pay employees more and charge

customers less” (p. 144). To get and keep good people he practices extreme servant leadership,

attractive benefits, and accountability of his managers. The basic human resource strategies that

will help me as a leader motivate constituents to contribute wholeheartedly were “to build and

implement a human resource strategy, hire the right people, keep them, invest in them, empower

them, and promote diversity” (p. 142).

As a leader, I must be willing to commit wholeheartedly to the lives of the constituents I

serve, and realize that my earnest investment in their development and lives will create a

reciprocal, trusted relationship. Often the simplicity of asking, “What motivates me to contribute

wholeheartedly?” and then asking, “Am I providing this for my constituents?” can be a great way


to examine the effectiveness of my leadership role. Also, I have learned as a leader that being

self-aware and desiring to understand what motivates those I lead should be a natural process of

leadership.

Definition of Effective Leadership

Up to this point, I’ve discussed the many principles and frames of leadership through our

reading assignments. As I honestly considered the word effective, my mind was compelled to

the word flexibility. An effective leader is flexible. In order to be flexible one must first be self-

aware, and the program has been faithful to insist on self-awareness and discovering one’s

leadership pattern, type, and goals. For all the things I’ve discovered about myself as a leader

what is most important is my ability to reframe and be flexible. Bolman and Deal (2008)

discussed the importance of multi-frame thinking. Each of the frames has “its own image of

reality” (p. 18). Although my preferences are human resource and symbolic, there are times

when the structural and political frames are necessary. “Multiframe thinking requires moving

beyond narrow, mechanical approaches for understanding organizations” (p. 19). Many leaders

fall into the trap of “this is the only way it can be done” or “my way or the highway” mentality

of leadership. Bolman and Deal share that a lack of imagination can be the downfall of an

organization. “Choosing a frame to size things up, or understanding others’ perspectives

involves a combination of analysis, intuition, and artistry” (Bolman and Deal, 2008, p. 317).

Bolman and Deal share yes/no questions to help a leader choose the appropriate frame. As a

leader, I believe unreservedly that an effective leader is an ever growing leader who is willing to

be flexible. As a leader, I am aware of constituents who are efficient in all the frames. I draw on

their abilities and ask them to assist in leadership.


interesting leap from “effective” to “flexible,” but you make it work


italicize


Within this flexibility, I have learned through the MBTI and the LCI that all of us approach

the world in different ways, and we all have a use first pattern when working on a task. Being

self-aware of my preferences and patterns and understanding the preferences and patterns of

others will help me to be a flexible leader. We are all different and, within our differences, we

can work together, if the leader is willing to address and acknowledge the differences and

encourage flexibility through role modeling.

Personal Characteristics of a Successful Leader

I believe the two characteristics that are the most successful in leadership are integrity and

effective decision making skills. As our cohort studied the Bolman and Deal book the professor

would supplement with various leaders and organizations that have failed due to a lack of

integrity and poor decision making skills. We studied news worthy organizations such as Enron

and leaders such as Hitler (B.Cowlbeck, personal communication, 2012). In keeping with my

discussion on Lencioni’s book and building trust, high levels of integrity produces an

environment of trust. Bolman and Deal (2008) discussed other characteristics of good leadership

such as ”passion, visionary, commitment, charisma, and humility” (p. 345-346). In our summer

class we put together a list of characteristics that described a great leader, and then we had to

narrow the list to the top three. Our group discussed that if a leader did not have integrity as the

backbone of his/her leadership then other characteristics would not bear any weight because

there would be a lack of trust (C. Magill, personal communication, 2012). Certainly there have

been deceptive leaders who have, for a while, led with great power and a following; however,

over time their downfall surpassed their power and mass destruction typically occured. My

preference for the human resource frame of leadership begs the characteristic of integrity. How


can a leader empower, motivate, influence, and work side-by-side with constituents in the

decision making process if they do not see integrity at the heart of my leadership role? Another

word for integrity is reliability. Constituents are more apt to be motivated and committed if their

leader is reliable despite the circumstances that arise. As a leader, I do not want to be a fair

weather leader. In challenging times, I want the reputation of reliability.

In the human resource frame of leadership I have found that as I am developing the talent and

energy of constituents, I am engaged in shared decision making. Bolman and Deal (2008)

shared that if a leader desires to promote commitment and motivation, “the human resource

frame and symbolic frame need to be considered whenever issues of individual dedication,

energy, and skill are vital to success” (p. 318). Because I prefer the human resource and

symbolic frames, I see my decision making abilities as a shared process while also producing

commitment and motivation. As a leader if I involve constituents in the decision making

process, I am using their skills and energy while promoting buy in, dedication, and meaning.

Bolman and Deal share that great leaders make informative, quick decisions and are not bogged

down with the paralysis of analysis. “Peters and Waterman’s ‘bias for action’ and Collins and

Porras’s ‘try a lot, keep what works’ both point to risk taking and experimenting as ways to learn

and avoid bogging down in analysis paralysis” (p. 321).

The decision making must include your constituents. The Helgeson’s web of inclusion was

the structural configuration that produced the greatest benefits to decision making. The Helgeson

structure “portrays an organic architectural form more circular than hierarchical. The web builds

from the center out. Rank plays little part in the decision making because lines of

communication were multiplicitous, open, and diffuse” (p. 86). Leaders were typically at the


center and not the top. As a leader, this structural configuration appealed to me. Challenges

were noted as the constituent base becomes larger; however, the heart of this structure combined

with the human resource frame and symbolic frame would produce the greatest return when

decisions had to be made.

The political frame of leadership provides the bases for negotiation and bargaining. This is an

area that is underdeveloped in my leadership. I desire to study more effective decision making

skills as it relates to the skills of negotiating and conflict resolution in leadership.

MBTI and LCI Preferences Considered Important Assets in My Leadership Role

The two preferences of intuition from the MBTI and confluence from the LCI are considered

important assets in my leadership role. The intuitive and confluence preferences are similar in

that it describes a leader who has big picture ideas and sees the forest before the trees. In

meetings, I’m typically the one who will think outside the box, and who enjoys brainstorming. I

desire to be in meetings with those on the other end of the intuition continuum which is sensing.

Those who are sensing provide intuitive leaders with the needed details for the project and ideas.

When I share ideas I enjoy speaking figuratively, and I’ve been described as passionate,

creative, and a dreamer, which all relate to the preference of intuition. I learned from the MBTI

interpretive report that my preferences of intuition and confluence suggested that I prefer to

encourage the growth of others; I am a catalyst for change, warm, passionate,

supportive, loyal, and trustworthy. I have definite values of my own and express them.

Authentic relationships are more meaningful to me, and I quickly bring closure to ambiguous

relationships or situations. My preference to contribute to the good of humanity reflects my


pattern of confluence. Within the big picture and ideas that I develop, they are usually due to a

situation being out of touch with reality or due to a strong belief.

All preferences are needed in an organization. Confluence leaders need precision leaders and

intuitive leaders need sensing leaders. The challenge is recognizing each preference as needed

and working together to complete the task. On both the MBTI and the LCI inventories, I was

slight in all categories. No areas were extreme, and my use first categories existed in all four

categories on the LCI with technical reasoning being the lowest of the use first. Through

discussion with my professor, I have learned over time to call upon each preference as needed.

As a leader I am purposeful in asking myself, “Is this the time to generate a lot of ideas, or is this

a time to focus on the details?” I have come to value both over time. Although I am a feeler on

the MBTI, over the years I have been able to cultivate my thinking side. I value the preference

of thinking when feelings may be clouding the issue. As a leader it’s important to be flexible.

Although you may have a preference and operate initially from that preference, it’s important to

recognize all preferences and know when to use them (C. Magill, personal communication, July

2012).

The Leader I Want to Be

As an intuitive feeler on the MBTI this question evokes passion! I desire to be known as a

leader who is trustworthy, hardworking, and knowledgeable. My greatest joy would be to find a

leadership position that cultivates my passion for social work, clinical social work, education,

and business. I believe you lead from where you are and in most situations within my career

journey, I have volunteered or been asked to lead. My greatest strength is tenacity. When I am

passionate about a project, as a leader, I will seek out the resources and the support needed to get


insightful


the job done. I applied for the Ed.D in leadership program for many reasons. Because I was

leading within my current position, I desired to become a more effective leader and build on my

strengths, identify weaknesses, and grow.

My greatest weakness is trust. Although I have written extensively in this paper about the

need to build trust within an organization, I personally struggle with trusting my leadership

ability. On the 360-degree Assessment the greatest feedback I received was from a co-worker

who commented, “I hope you will finally see the great qualities of leadership that you possess

and believe in your ability to lead!” (S. Crusco, personal communication, November, 2012). The

majority of my results were in the highly effective and outstandingly effective degree of

effectiveness. When I rated myself my results were a lower estimate. In our summer class we

discussed how a leader must understand the life experiences that constituents bring to the table.

This was also highlighted in the Lencioni book (C. Magill, personal communication, 2012). As a

leader, I’m self-aware that some of my doubting comes from life experiences. This self-

awareness has been life changing because once you can identify the root of the problem you can

work towards betterment and a different frame of reference. In some aspects I value this within

my leadership because humility and self-awareness are strengths in leadership. However, I’ve

come to realize there is a balance. A sober estimation of your strengths and weaknesses must be

balanced with confidence and courage. I desire to be a confident and courageous leader!

Impact of the Texts on Learning About Leadership

The Lencioni book was a great start in learning about leadership. Lencioni, through story

form, provided the basis for an effective team. Within this work and the MBTI I not only

learned how to build an effective team, but also how to engage more effectively with the various


honest self-appraisal here. And yes, I would also say that you underestimate yourself at times!


personalities within my cohort. The Drath book and the Bolman and Deal book provided a more

in-depth look at the principles and frames of leadership. Each book helped to define and give

language and meaning to the purpose of leadership. Bolman and Deal was an extremely detailed

book that offered case examples, valuable research, and greatest hits from organization studies.

Within these offerings, tangible examples and step-by-step processes were shared.

I was able to understand my preferences in leadership and learn how to develop a multiframe

approach. The order of the readings was perceived as calculated. The Lencioni book will

always be the foundational guide that I will come back to as a leader. Drath’s book will help me

to set direction, develop and maintain commitment, and when adaptive challenges come, to be

able to understand my role as a leader within the adaptive challenge. Drath offered a new

principle in my mind of relational dialogue in which I hope to develop in my leadership practice.

Bolman and Deal has become the resource book and guide due to its plethora of information on

leadership with extensive examples and processes. Bolman and Deal helped me to deeply

understand the importance of a multi-frame approach.

Other Impacts on Leadership Platform

One of the greatest impacts on my leadership platform is a process one cannot visually see or

find in books. Going back to the application process for the Ed.D in leadership, I found the

process of applying to be a study of leadership within itself. Reflecting back over twenty-five

years of experiences and leadership was monumental. Within this reflection, I remember

thinking to myself that the time had finally arrived in which my life-long dream of attending the

doctoral program would potentially come to fruition. I remember my acceptance hinging on the

Miller’s Analogy Test. Although everyone around me had great confidence I would meet the


requirements, I had significant self-doubt. Receiving the passing score was a pivotal moment for

me. I had resolved myself to the fact that perhaps I would never realize my dream because of

entrance exams, and this hurdle had been overcome.

Getting to know professors, cohort members, and adjusting to the learning process of a

graduate program have called upon strength, tenaciousness, and endurance. I would be remiss if

I did not confess the initial challenges and questioning if I was truly a worthy candidate for the

program. Six months later, I realized what Dr. Arkin shared, “This will be a test of endurance,”

was not a value statement on my abilities or worth, but a question of, “Will you run the race?”(J.

Arkin, personal communication, 2012).

Applying to the program, the process of learning in the program, and the moments of

frustration and joy are all a part of my leadership journey and platform. There are hard days in

which I need to shut the door and meditate, process, and regroup. Some days I need to work

with my cohorts to process and understand the journey and rely on friendships. Other days are

victories! In those moments of victories, I capture the sense of accomplishment of the hurdle

cleared. As a leader, I visualize the ups and downs of leadership in the same way, and will

reflect back on my journey in the Ed.D in leadership to guide me.

Conclusion

Given these ten questions, the various segments have been analyzed and an amalgamated

approach created to reflect my current leadership platform. My leadership preferences from the

readings were interpersonal influence principle and human resource and symbolic frames. I have

learned the importance of a multi-frame approach, and desire to develop the relational dialogue


principle of leadership and the political frame of leadership. I value integrity, trust, and excellent

decision making skills in my leadership and desire to cultivate the ability to negotiate and

bargain within my leadership platform. Through the 360-degree Assessment, I realized that my

leadership skills are valued and areas of weaknesses are believing in my ability to lead and

taking more risks to lead. Within taking risks, my platform of leadership also must be flexible.

An effective leader is flexible and embraces a multi-frame approach to leadership. I learned

through the MBTI and LCI that all of us approach the world and tasks in different ways, and that

one approach isn’t better than the other. All approaches are needed. A good team has all

approaches, recognizes the differences, and uses them to the advancement of the team’s goals.

The greatest impact has been the process of learning within the Ed.D in leadership cohort.

Leadership is a process. I have learned that what works in one situation may not work in

another. As a leader it’s my desire to run the race with endurance, respecting the hurdles and

embracing change. Leading up to graduation and years after my Ed.D in Leadership, I hope that

I will be a continuous learner of leadership. I love the mantra of “one never arrives”. My

platform of leadership will be ever evolving.


References

Bolman, L.G. & Deal, T.E. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Drath, W. (2001). The deep blue sea: Rethinking the source of leadership. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Greenberg, H. (2011). The qualities that distinguish women leaders [White paper].

Retrieved from Caliper website: http://marketing.calipercorp.com/whitepaper-

casestudy/QualitiesWomenLeaders.pdfLencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wholehearted. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster's online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholehearted

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholehearted

http://marketing.calipercorp.com/whitepaper-


Name Hebb

EDLP First Semester Intersession Assignment Rubric

CRITERIA TARGET ACQUIRING

Organization(2 points)

Contains an introduction which lays out the assignment and a conclusion that summarizes

the process. Appropriate section headings.(2 points)

Missing or erroneous criteria.(0 – 1.95 points)

Grammar, Mechanics& Usage(1 point)

No major or one-two minor errorsthat do not distract.

(1 point)

Repeated major or several minor errors that distract.

(0 - .95 points)

APA format(2 points)

Appropriate use.(2 points)

Incorrect or missing information or formatting.

(0 – 1.95 points)

1 Leadership purpose(1 point)

Focused, thorough, clearly articulated response.(1 point)

Less than satisfactory response.(0 - .95 points)

2 Relationship to constituents(1 point)



3 Conditions for shared leadership(1 point)



4 Constituent motivation(1 point)



5 Definition of effective leadership(1 point)



6 Personal characteristics of leaders(1 point)



7 MBTI and LCI preferences(1 point)



8 Leadership aspiration(1 point)



9 Impact of 3 texts Focused, thorough, clearly articulated response. Less than satisfactory response.


(1 point) (1 point) (0 - .95 points)

10 Other impacts(1 point)



Comments

Anna,

You’ve done a tremendous job on this assignment! Not a single criticism or constructive comment to be made. Skillful weaving of all the sources into a comprehensive personal statement. Thorough, insightful, realistic, thoughtful. Perfection!

15

Arkin

Documents

annahebb.files.wordpress.com€¦ · Web viewht into myself as a leader. Through the use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Learning Connections Inventory (LCI)