How to Lead

From my perspective, I believe that good leadership is just as brutal to define as it is to execute. There were only three consistencies with the leaders that spoke to us; they had a strong sense of their character, a genuine purpose, and were great communicators. Otherwise, leadership was diverse in the way it presented itself and the value it provided. To define my leadership philosophy, I will share three stories that helped guide me to this conclusion from the leaders who spoke with us. I will then share three things that I admire in leaders and how we can become better leaders. Finally, I will discuss my leadership philosophy after describing how authentic leadership theory explains how leaders and followers form strong relationships.

Leadership Stories That Resonated With My Philosophy

Mr. Mark McEntire- Transplace: Openness and Integrity

Early in the semester, our class debated which variables should be prioritized when deciding promotions by selecting candidates with fictional backstories: variables like experience, loyalty, performance, diversity, and personal hardships. The variables we considered more significant for the promotion revealed differences in what we valued, and it allowed us to reflect on how our choices could be perceived. That debate became significant again later in the semester when I listened to a story by Mr. Mark McEntire. He shared his experience with a boss that didn't align with his values and ethics.

Years ago, when Mr. McEntire worked for a different company, there was a significant promotion that he was confident in receiving. This promotion was an opportunity that he expected based on his performance, expertise, and new business he created for the company. However, during a work-related conference, the company made an unexpected announcement. They chose someone Mr. McEntire had previously hired into the company for the promotion. It was a surprise to many people in the room. By not giving Mr. McEntire prior notice and the reason for not receiving the promotion, his boss left him to fend off stares from colleagues. After that incident, Mr. McEntire was committed to resigning, and the company could not justify its choices well enough to convince him to reconsider.

Mr. McEntire felt that his boss was not objective when deciding whom to promote and acted without integrity by not being transparent. He no longer trusted the person who was his leader. Intentional or not, Mr. McEntire's boss did not show the same values or ethics as him. Mr. McEntire expected honesty. The employees surprised by Mr. McEntire not getting the promotion could have similar values as him- leaving them questioning how they might be treated. The debate about promotional variables revealed the importance of gathering employee feedback before a vacancy becomes available. Getting input from employees on what variables they consider essential to promotions and the values they uphold. Followers are looking for leaders who align with them and look out for their interests. Leaders should be proactive in finding out what followers value to support them better.

Mrs. Kelly Boyle- Walmart: Collaborative Thinking and Listening

Partnerships are rare to see in the business world. When Mrs. Kelly Boyle spoke to our class, she shared how she viewed her relationship with her husband. In her experience, there was a persistent push from companies and colleagues to decide which person's career ambitions were the priority. However, they both supported and valued the other's career ambitions in her relationship. When their respective companies wanted them to relocate, everyone had to find a situation that suited their partnership. In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Thinking Win-Win's chapter focused on the importance of understanding competitive and collaborative thinking.

Thinking Win/Win is a collaborative mindset that seeks options that benefit everyone. For Mrs. Boyle, moving cities, career changes, and finances were team decisions. They communicated honestly about their needs and challenged each other to find solutions for the partnership. There was a focus on mutual benefits: Win/Win. Both companies wanted an equitable solution, but they had a Win/Lose mindset- their wins are the other's losses. Communication between the companies was frustrating and tense until one company decided to pick up the entire tab to keep the peace. The resolution worked out for Mrs. Kelly Boyle and her husband, but the companies left with mistrust and resentment. This negative experience damaged their rapport with each other.

Leaders that can identify these dynamics between stakeholders can use their influence to shift mindsets. For example, innovating supply chains can create advantages through supplier relationship management. Disrupting competitive thinking between buyers and suppliers requires leaders with strong communication skills to pioneer the way. A Win/Lose mentality between Leadership and employees can weaken relationships by building mistrust, leading to high turnover. Leaders should listen to understand and find solutions that benefit followers to prevent a competitive perspective from forming.

Mrs. Lindsay Goodman- JB Hunt: Self-awareness and Purpose

A challenging aspect of impactful leadership is being vulnerable to help others. Mrs. Linsay Goodman chose to work at JB Hunt because she felt like their leaders cared about her. She was a new mother of twins and wanted to feel safe communicating with her employers about needing time with her family. However, in the memo introducing herself to the company, Mrs. Goodman referred to her partner as her spouse, hiding that she was in a relationship with another woman. Employees in a similar situation as Mrs. Goodman though worked up the courage to ask her directly about her relationship. The employees figured this was the case because they had done similar things to hide their relationship statuses and wanted Mrs. Goodman's help to change things at the company.

The employees were looking for someone to lead their initiative for LQBTQ+ representation, but they struggled to find someone in upper-level management that could represent them. Mrs. Goodman's position in the company was high enough to create and supervise employee groups. Being new to the workplace, she wanted to establish her identity as a hardworking professional at JB Hunt for a year before leading this initiative- fearing it would consume her identity at the company. However, she realized that she joined JB Hunt because she wanted to work at a company that valued her, supporting her professional and personal needs. Keeping significant parts of her identity private hindered her from sharing her experience and communicating openly with others. It was counterproductive to what she wanted in the workplace.

Mrs. Goodman was aware that not leading this initiative communicated the wrong message to employees. The workplace should be a space where people feel safe to be themselves. Self-awareness of why Mrs. Goodman joined JB Hunt, and how she felt by not sharing her life helped her realize that people in the organization needed an opportunity to be heard. She had a purpose by taking up this initiative. She took up the supervisory role and has helped JB Hunt proudly represent the LGBTQ+ community ever since. Followers were ready and waiting for someone like Mrs. Goodman, and now they could finally share their experiences.

Three Things I Admire in Leaders

Strong Sense of Character

Character is foundational to leadership- it is the determining factor of what values and ethics leaders exemplify. As demonstrated in the story with Mr. Mark McEntire, leaders will attract followership that aligns with their character and lose followers that don't. Leaders should define the values and ethics they would not compromise and be obligated to them. Leaders being authentic about what they care for reassures followers about how they will be treated.

Great Communication Skills

The speakers we listened to were effective communicators of their experiences- their thoughts and feelings were expressed sincerely through their tone and body language. People can lead by example, but they are still communicating through a different channel- using action to speak for themselves. Leaders build stronger relationships faster by adapting to their follower's communication needs. As discussed in the story with Mrs. Kelly Boyle, communication is key to maintaining a cohesive and collaborative relationship with others. Effective communication is less about words and more about getting the message across.

Genuine Purpose

Leaders who have a purpose give followers a vision to share and an opportunity to take action. I believe followers want something to rally around. They are already intrinsically motivated by what they care about; the leaders are the people with a purpose who incite action. Mrs. Lindsay Goodman had an intention to create a more open and considerate environment at JB Hunt, but a purpose doesn't have to be as tangible. Followers need a vision that they find meaningful and genuine leaders to guide them.

How to Become a Better Leader

Empathetic Listening

During the course, I would sometimes compare the speakers as I was listening to them in class- looking for what they had in common with each other. In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, there is a section on the different levels of listening. Empathetic listening focuses on the other person to understand and ultimately empathize with them and not on developing a response or thoughts in the process. Practicing this form of listening will make it easier to communicate, build stronger relationships, and give greater insight into others. It facilitates better communication because it gives the other person your full attention. I listened intently in class, but I was not giving the speakers undivided attention. I learned a lot from the speakers, but I think keeping focused on understanding would have been practicing good leadership in itself.

Prioritize Character

Listening to our class's discussion on servant leadership and authentic leadership, a statement from the leadership book I read, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, came back into mind. There was an articulation of character as the foundational source of leadership, and other theories that focused on influence or social leadership were like a band-aid. Eventually, they will be seen as insincere or manipulative and were ultimately ineffective in the long term. That concept reminded me why I chose this book over other texts more specific to leadership. I viewed self-improvement as a more genuine approach to my leadership development. The journey to be a more impactful leader should be guided by becoming a better person.

Become a Storyteller

Thinking about the semester, the speakers who shared personal stories that challenged their character were the most impactful. When things were difficult or stressful, what the speakers did, for better or worse, showed a sincere side of who they were. Storytelling increases our ability to form relationships with others by revealing context and feelings critical to understanding our perspective. Perspective is opinionated- it carries the information, values, beliefs, and ethics essential to a person's philosophy. Creating a way for others to understand us will make us easier to follow.

Authentic Leadership Theory and My Leadership Philosophy

Authentic Leadership does not have a universally accepted definition, but there is a considerable consensus on these four components being essential to it.

The theory looks to these four components to explain a leader's success in bringing positive changes to people's lives or the workplace. I believe these four components allow leaders to build strong and trusting relationships. Leaders form bonds with followers by having open dialogue that shares their perspectives. To share their viewpoint, leaders to be self-aware of who they are and be humble with their thoughts and feelings. Making objective and ethical decisions that align with their followers' well-being builds trust.

Ultimately, my perspective is that leadership is most effective in people who present their character, are effective communicators, and have a purpose. After seeing the diversity in leadership, I feel like this perspective defines my leadership philosophy. Followers are looking for people who resemble themselves to take the lead, so I believe they are the ones who ultimately define good leadership. To become better leaders, people should focus on practices that make them more effective relationship builders. I believe leaders will build followership that aligns with them naturally based on the merit of their character, their ability to communicate themselves to their followers, and the purpose they champion.