Building Your Leadership Profile

Throughout the semester in Donnie Williams Leadership in Supply Chain course, we have had the opportunity to hear from various executives on their experience in leadership, investigate the different leadership philosophies and models, and read a leadership book of our choosing. Through these opportunities, I was able to learn more about myself as a leader and how I want to brand myself going into my career.

At the beginning of the semester, I thought about what leadership meant to me. There have been many definitions over the years and different traits that define successful leadership.

I define a leader as someone who influences their peers through their actions and promotes success.

I had many takeaways from the questionnaires that were given throughout the semester. The Leadership Trait Questionnaire that friends and family filled out for me revealed that I need to develop more self-confidence when performing tasks. It is not that I do not possess the motivation or skills to be successful, but that I don’t always realize that I have what it takes. Another questionnaire looked into Path-Goal Leadership and what kind of style I possess. The Path-Goal Theory centers on how leaders motivate their subordinates to succeed. The one style that I scored above average on was the achievement-oriented style. I challenge subordinates to work at the highest level and strive for continuous improvement. I have a high degree of confidence in my subordinates. This is something that I resonated with as I do see that in myself through group projects and my time as manager at a local snow-cone franchise.

In the article How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen, one characteristic that most humble people possess is high self-esteem meaning they know who they are and are comfortable with that. I saw humility from all the guest speakers as they spoke about their experiences and what they learned throughout their careers.

"If you have a humble eagerness to learn something from everybody, your learning opportunities will be unlimited." -Clayton Christensen

Anatomy of a Leader by John Kerr speaks about authenticity as a leader. Authentic leaders put an emphasis on trust between themselves and their subordinates, they have strong values and understand their purpose. The four components of authentic leadership are self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency. In a questionnaire, my top score was in balanced processing meaning I analyze information objectively and seek out others’ opinions before making a decision. I see this come through in my time as a leader in school, work, and everyday life.

"True leaders have no hidden agendas, and they are direct and honest in their feedback" -John Kerr

Mark McEntire , SVP of Operations for Emerge, spoke about humility and authenticity as two important traits to be successful. Being a leader sometimes means having uncomfortable conversations with your peers which takes authenticity to do so. Learning how to have a healthy confrontation and giving hard feedback is a skill that I want to develop going into my career. I have always aimed to stay away from giving negative feedback, even if it is meant to better the employee. I recognize that in order to elicit change within my team, having honest and real conversations is necessary, even if it is uncomfortable.

Tracy Rosser , EVP of Operations for Uber Freight, pointed out that ego is a leader's greatest enemy. Humble and authentic leaders do not think about what their role can do for them, but what it can do for the entire organization. When someone becomes successful, it is easy to let their ego tell them that they are the smartest person in the room. However, a humble leader understands that everybody has a perspective and ideas and your role is to help them recognize their potential.

The final leadership model I will point out is Transformational Leadership. L. David Marquet , author of Turn the Ship Around, embodies what it means to be a transformational leader. L. David Marquet tapped into something greater, a mission that was above what he was expected to do. He was able to shift the expectations of the Navy and how they view leadership. Viewing followers as their equal is an important aspect of Transformational Leadership and L. David Marquet did just that through his leader-leader framework. While transformational leadership sounds like an instrumental change must be made, this is not the case. You can be a transformational leader by influencing your team's lives inside and outside of an organization. I want to apply aspects of transformational leadership in my career by not only helping companies become better but also the people I surround myself with.

Many leaders who spoke to our class this semester gave insightful advice for our class as we prepare to go into our first roles and begin our careers. Kelly Boyle , VP of Grocery Supply Chain Strategy for Walmart, emphasized the importance of being your own advocate and always staying curious, a humility trait. Spencer Frazier ’s, EVP of Sales and Marketing for J.B. Hunt, advice was similar as he said that if you have new aspirations for your career, let people know.

Overall, Donnie Williams ′s Leadership in Supply Chain course allowed me to look inward and figure out what kind of leader I am right now, and where I want to be in my career. Currently, I am the type of leader that puts a lot of emphasis on getting tasks done and performing well. This is seen through my questionnaires and the experiences I have had in the past. For example, when I was the manager at the snow cone franchise, I walked into work every day already having a game plan for who will do what to ensure optimal efficiency.

Going into my career, I want to be a leader that motivates my followers to be leaders alongside me. I want to foster an inclusive environment that accepts ideas and thoughts from everyone on the team. I believe that allowing different perspectives into a team dynamic fosters success and innovation. To do this, I want to build strong foundational relationships with my future mentors and co-workers and remain curious throughout the entirety of my career. The relational aspect of leadership is something I need to improve to achieve this. Finding a mentor and being vocal about the goals I have for myself is something I will prioritize to grow my career and my leadership skills. At no point do I want to become comfortable in my career or walk into the room thinking I am the smartest one there because that will never be the case.

After taking this course, I learned how much goes into building your own leadership profile. It may come naturally to some, but anyone can be a leader. Before this class, I thought that how you lead is an unchanging model that relies heavily on the traits you were born with. However, this is not the case. You can build certain traits and, depending on different situations, alter the way you lead. I am so thankful for the opportunities from the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management at the University of Arkansas and Donnie Williams Williams for allowing me to better understand leadership and the many intricacies that go into it.

If you are looking to develop your leadership skills further, here is a list of books recommended by executives throughout the semester:

• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• How to Become CEO by Jeffrey J. Fox
• The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
• Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Citations:

Christensen, Clayton M. “How Will You Measure Your Life?” Harvard Business Review, vol. 88, no. 7, 8, 2010.

Kerr, J. (2011). ANATOMY OF A LEADER. Supply Chain Management Review, 15(2), 14–.

Rio, Ave. “Human-Centered Leadership: Five Actions for the New Paradigm.” Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2021/10/26/human-centered-leadership-five-actions-for-the-new-paradigm/.