Assignment 3: City Council Reflection

by Courtney L. Teague EDD-9100S-OL4 Educational Leadership Simulation

Nova Southeastern University April 29, 2013

2 Leadership responsibilities If my brain could talk and share my thoughts about my dual responsibilities it would be as if you were at a one woman comedy show. As a leader, I had to learn that learning by design was the name of the game. Participating in the groups were equivalent to real-world engagement. In the beginning of the course, it was as if the blind were leading the blind because we did not have a clue of what it meant to be leader in our current situation. Balancing my new responsibilities required patience and acceptance of the unknown. During period one, I was given the opportunity to serve on the Economic Sector and City Council concurrently. It was very stressful because I was responsible for being an advocate without understanding the reason I was advocating. I was afraid of our sector making the wrong decision. During this course, I developed an interest in understanding work-life balance. After reflecting over my responsibilities, I had to ensure that my team members and I communicated with each other. We made sure we preserved our working relationships and understood the importance of us supporting one another in a positive manner. All of us experienced uncertainty in our revolving roles but we shared our experiences, which served as tools for one another. We understood that we all had other responsibilities outside of school and life happened. Collaboration is most essential to learning. Leadership Style Recognition Upon enrolling in the leadership seminar and leadership simulation, I did not know how to accurately define leadership. Leadership is not a single trait or characteristics but a compilation of many. Leadership is the result of a large set of attitudes, behaviors, and wellrecognized skills (Boone, & Makhani, 2012). I realized that leadership styles change based on the situation. However, I continue to desire to be a servant leader. Maybe it is not a good style to

3 have at all times, but that is who I am. My teammates all had various leadership styles, which created a balance for us. We could be compared to a mixed choir with an encore performance. Only the choir knows about the amount of practice they sacrificed. The choir knows how important it is to agree to disagree which result in the encore performance. I understand that an attainable vision begins with the development of a plan. Visioning isnt seen as everything, but it is the beginning of everything (McAllister-Wilson, 2004 as cited in Kouzes & Posner, 2002). The course made me realize that a vision can be a simple slogan or word. My vision during this course changed. It became simple and not complex as I thought it should have been in the beginning. My vision: Doing what is right for others while no one is watching. One needs the ability to see beyond the problems for gaining support. A vision cannot be executed in isolation. One has to have a team that can execute and carry out the plan. Goal Compromise Everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, and experiences. However, we must compromise and not become some engulfed in our personal agendas. As a servant leader, I must share my vision. Vinod and Sudhakar (2011), stated that servant leaders break down their vision into small attainable goals that accrue to the big picture while maintaining progress of the organization and the people. Once everyone understands that our agendas are important but we are all here for a purpose. Self-fulfillment should never overshadow organizational goals. The act of compromising is not demonstrating weakness; it is demonstrating flexibility. Obstacles and barriers strategy Change is inevitable and it was constant in the Economic Sector. After each period we were responsible for taking on a new role. Garber (2013) stated that change should be looked at differently and it is a leaders responsibility to assist others to become comfortable for the

4 unexpected changes. Change is not always welcomed, however it is not the enemy. My strategy was to inform my team members that unforeseen obstacles and barriers can bring unexpected benefits that can help us change our environment in the future. Conflict methods When faced with conflict, I would appraise the conflict to determine the approach. Bechtoldt, Beersma, Rohrmann, & Sanchez-Burks (2013), conducted a study that indicated that individuals attributions about conflict influences their behavior. If the conflict and disruption involves individuals, I must understand their personality. Listening is one of the most effective methods for handling conflict. As a leader within my organization I have to demonstrate that I am open minded and fair. I have to proactively listen to both sides of the story to understand each partys rationale for their reasoning. While listening to both parties an answer to another issue may be answered. Task delegation is also important to handling conflict within my school. I would also use the task conflict as a team performance tool. If the individuals are open minded and have a vast array of experiences, opinions, and are emotionally stable they can benefit from the conflict. Bradley, Brown, Klotz, & Postlethwaite (2013), conducted a study that revealed that task conflict had a negative impact on performance in teams with low levels of emotional stability or openness; in contrast, had a positive impact on performance in teams with high levels of openness or emotional stability. Knowing and understanding individuals will help improve team performance.

5 Ethical Issue Management Many people have made decisions that they later regretted. It is important that ethical expectations are addressed before any ethical issues may arise. Ethical behavior and reputation are complimenting characteristics. Unethical behavior can take only moments to destroy a reputation that has taken years to build. Leadership has an ethical dimension that should not be taken lightly (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). Ethics of sustainability should be part of ethical issue management. Biedenweg, Monroe, and Oxarat (2013) suggests that a strong foundation for understanding the moral basis for strategic and technical decisions is essential and heavily influences ethical behavior management Leadership characteristics I have the desire to serve others. Leadership is learning by doing, adapting, to actual situations. Leaders are constantly learning from their errors and failures Claude Meyer (as cited in Kouzes & Posner, 2002). Although I identify myself as a servant leader, I am a transformational and democratic leader. I rely heavily on communication between others and myself. It is important to communicate to monitor progress of meeting goals of the organization. I know that the most essential events in the organization are not reported on CNN but it is provided by the input of the individuals that influence the environment. I consider myself as a change agent. As a change agent, I must be a lifelong learner. I am often called inquisitive because I like to ask questions and examine relationships. Being inquisitive is an important leadership trait. Banutu-Gomez (2013) stated an effective leader must be inquisitive because our global society is ever changing. Leadership is ever evolving.

6 References Banutu-Gomez, M. (2013). The pivotal importance of leadership, knowledge sharing, and organization culture. The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 18(2). 238-244 Bechtoldt, M. N., Beersma, B., Rohrmann, S., & Sanchez-Burks, J. (2013). A gift that takes its toll: Emotion recognition and conflict appraisal. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(1), 56. Biedenweg, K., Monroe, M.C. & Oxarart, A. (2013). The importance of teaching ethics of Sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 14(1), 6-14 Boone, L & Makhani, S. (2012). Five necessary attitudes of a servant leader. Review of Business. 33(1), 83 Bradley, B. H., Klotz, A. C., Postlethwaite, B. E., & Brown, K. G. (2013). Ready to rumble: How team personality composition and task conflict interact to improve performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2) Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2002). Leadership the challenge. (3rd edition) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass McAllister-Wilson D. (2004). Reflections on inspire a shared vision. In Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (Eds.).Christian Reflections on the leadership challenges. (pp.55-88). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Vinod, S. & Sudhakar, B. (2011). Servant leadership: A unique art of leadership!. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. 2(11), 456-467