A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership Essay

I will discuss personal follower and leader interactions with two individuals that I have worked with over the last five to seven years. I selected these individuals because of my relationship with them and their leadership capabilities. Secondly, I admire and model after both of them. Finally, I selected these individuals because they believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I will discuss their leadership style in context with course materials and illustrate how I am able to be an effective follower under their leadership. I will also discuss the leadership qualities that make them highly effective leaders. A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership Trust is the most important factor in most relationships, professional and personal. It is very easy to follow someone that you trust, even when there are differences of opinion. I have worked under the leadership of two dynamic leaders for the last five to seven years. The first is my boss, Karen Schrock, President & CEO of Adult Well-Being Services. The second individual I selected is my Pastor, James Minnick. I selected Karen and James because of my relationship with them. They are both highly effective leaders that I admire for their ability to lead under pressure, manage difficult people and situations, accomplish what needs to be accomplish and remain positive. They believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I strongly concur with the statement leaders are only as good as the people who follow (Johnson, 2011). Bjudstads defines followership as the ability to effectively follow the directives and support the efforts of a leader to maximize the organization (Bjudstad, 2006). An effective follower is one who is enthusiastic, self-reliant, and fulfills their duties with enthusiasm (Kelly, 1998). Courageous, honesty, credibility, competence, and focus are  also qualities of a good follower. It is easy to follow when you are lead by leaders who are competent, passionate, exhibit compassion, and are able to communicate the vision, goals and objectives. I have worked with Karen for seven years, first as her Administrative Assistant and now as the Manager of Executive Office Operations and Stapleton Operations. I worked as a project manager with my previous employer and the skills I developed in that position enabled me to transition to the position of Administrative Assistant for the President & CEO of an organization with ease. They refer to us as the dynamic duo because we work so well together. Karen is very organized, a detailed planner, and clearly communicates her expectations. I am very organized and a detailed planner. We meet at the beginning of each week. We both prepare a list of priorities (often they contain the same items). We differ in communication style. I prefer emails. She prefers face to face or phone communication. A good follower adapts to the style of the leader when necessary. So, I’ve adapted my style somewhat. When managing contacts for her, I will make the call or contact in person. Leaders and foll owers have to be flexible. I am able to approach her and discuss my view when we disagree because of our relationship and her leadership style. She always takes the time to make sure I understand even high level decisions. She shares information so that I am able to make better decisions and work more effectively as a follower. I follow her because I trust that she has my best interest, as well as the best interest of the organization, in her perspective as she leads us. Another quality that allows me to be an effective follower is Karen allows me to do my work. I cannot imagine how frustrating it is to be micromanaged. I don’t require a lot of supervision. I know her expectations. I know the organization. I ask questions and for help when necessary. I am also proactive. It is not necessary for her to tell me what needs to be done in every instance. After working with her for so long, I often know what is expected and accomplish it before it is requested. I advise her of ongoing projects and issues that require her attention. It is my responsibility as a follower to ensure she is informed. Johnson states followers have a responsibility to give good information (Johnson, 2011). Good information i s not necessarily pleasant. I am able  to tell her things others often sugar coat. If something is not working, she needs to know. I also present her with possible solutions when presenting problems. I am comfortable making decisions and informing her of the problem and my resolution. If I make a bad decision, she uses that as a learning opportunity. This is empowering, and has built my confidence and helped me develop as a manager. My relationship with James Minnick started many years ago. We grew up in our local church and I have known him for over thirty five years. I did not work closely with him until he became our Pastor. Shortly after becoming Pastor, he asked me to serve as a Trustee. I am now the Assistant Financial Secretary. It is in this capacity that I have grown to respect him as an effective leader. I am able to exhibit the same qualities of a follower as a Trustee that I exhibit when working with Karen. The environment is different; however, I am who I am. I am just as efficient at a Trustee a nd Assistant Financial Secretary as I am as an employee of Adult Well-Being Services. Good stewardship is required in both environments. Good leaders are able to identify the talents and abilities of their followers to fulfill the vision and mission of the organization in business and non-business environments. I have the same commitment to the Church and its leader as I have to the organization that I work for. I follow James because I trust him and his ability to lead membership. It is easy to follow him because he allows each of us to first recognize, and then use our gifts to support the ministry. I have grown tremendously under the leadership of both of the individuals I’ve discussed. I am able to use my skills, talents and abilities at both organizations and use the resources of both organizations for the common good. I have learned from experiences at Adult Well-Being Services that have helped me as a Trustee and Financial Secretary at the church. They have assigned me projects that I did not believe I was capable of managing but with their encouragement, I accomplished them. James is also the Director of Transportation for Detroit Public Schools. I volunteered to head a project at work to use his expertise to improve our transportation operations. I have watched Karen develop collaborations and relationships to benefit the organization, and used this as a model to develop opportunities and relationships that benefit the organization and church. Goleman (2000) identified six leadership styles: coercive, reflective, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. Goleman and Gupta explain good leaders use all of the leadership styles; however, they consistently use only four of the leadership styles. Not all of the styles produce positive results and a positive work climate (Goleman, 82). I was able to visualize how Karen and James use the styles presented and their impact on the organizations they lead. On a more personal note, I was able to see how the styles have impacted my relationship with them and my ability to be an effective follower. The four leadership styles that produce positive results and create a positive work environment are: 1. Authoritative (Mobilizes people toward a vision, encourages others to be a part); 2. Democratic (Works towards consensus, seeks the input of others); 3. Affliliative (Builds harmony and emotional bonds, people come first); and 4. Coaching (Develops people for the future, encourages new ideas/actions). These four styles, as well as the coercive and pacesetting, are demonstrated in the follower and leader interactions I have with James and Karen. I have to admit there are times when I say to them â€Å"Hold-up. You’re taking me too fast.† But I later appreciate that they trust my ability to do what they are asking me to do (even when I don’t). There are also times when they have to pull rank and say â€Å"just do it† because I am resistant and may not want to comply with what I’m being asked to do. I’m learning that there are times when they just want things accomplished. While it may not be my responsibility, it would prolong their desire to have the task accomplished if I don’t do it. Most of the time their leadership styles exhibit the characteristics of leadership apparent in the democratic, coaching, authoritative, and affliliative leadership styles. Not only are these leadership styles beneficial to me, they benefit the organizations the lead. Under their leadership, stressful and chaotic situations become less stressful and chaotic. No one can ever say that they don’t know what’s expected of them because the goals and objectives are always communicated clearly. Karen and James possess values that enable me to follow without reservation. Honesty is first and foremost. They also value people as individuals, recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses. Bjugstad theorizes that organizations can maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of leader-follower relationships by matching the styles of leaders and followers (Bjugstad, 2006). I did not seek leaders from the delegating leadership quadrant. The selected me and  have allowed me to develop into an exemplary follower. I also model their leadership styles and am growing as a leader. Exemplary leaders make it easy for others to be exemplary followers. References Bjugstad, K., Thach, E. C., Thompson, K. J., & Morris, A. (2006). A fresh look at followership: A model for matching followership and leadership styles. Journal of Behavioral & Applied Management, 7(3), 304–319. Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database. Gupta, S. (2011, July). Leadership that delivers results. Siliconindia, 14(7), 34-35. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from Business Source Complete. Retrieved from the Walden University library database. Johnson, B. (2011, September). Good followership. Training Journal, 32–36. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Kelley, R. E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(6), 142–148. Retrieved March 15m 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Walumbwa, F. O., Lawler, J. J., & Avolio. B. J. (2007). Leadership, individual differences, and work-related attitudes: A cr oss cultural investigation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 56(2), 212-230. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database.

A Review On Communication And Collaboration Education Essay

A Review On Communication And Collaboration Education Essay Communication and Collaboration Engaging learners in the learning progression encompasses communication and collaboration skills, practices and sympathies. Providing for students requirements is a composite process and it may even be more difficult when a class has learners with special needs or disabilities. In this case, a teacher may find it necessary to interact efficiently with other teachers, school administration, and professional support staff in addition to other special education suppliers. Teacher’s capability to collaboratively work collectively as a group of experts impacts on the learning results desired by all students (Friend therefore, communication can happen across huge distances in space and time. Communication necessitates that the connecting parties share a region of talkative harmony (DeVito, 2005). The communication practice is complete as soon as the receiver has apprehended the meaning of the sender Communication and collaboration goes hand in hand with one another in education particularly in teaching and learning (Bauwens, 1989). There is therefore a need for advanced collaboration among tutors in the schools specifically in centering on ways of boosting collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs (Phillips, 1990). The aim of this paper is to refer to communication and collaboration processes and skills that would be utilized by a year level coordinator to encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs. The atmosphere of educational collaboration as one essential key to professional sharing of finest practices in the rationalization of schools in order to take care of distinguished learning for learners with special needs will be deliberated. Issues of Collaboration Processes, Collaboration skills, Communication Processes and Communicati on Skills will form the center of discussion in this paper. Communication Processes The fundamental to successful collaborations is communication. There is need therefore for development of collaborative and communicative expertise and skills which could be useful to different scenarios in teaching and learning activities, especially where student with special needs are involved. Communication process takes different forms depending on the parties involved in communication (DeVito, 2005). There is verbal communication in which words are used to exchange message and non-verbal communication which uses sign, body movement, and facial expression to convey message. There is another form called interpersonal communication that occurs between individuals who have a connection or affiliation. Interpersonal communication happens when one sends or obtains messages and when an individual allocate meaning to such messages (DeVito, 2005).

The impact that a piece of literature has on me Essay

The impact that a piece of literature has on me - Essay Example The story for To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1930s Alabama, during the Great Depression and is told by six-year old Scout. She and her brother, Jem, deal with the issue of racism in their little town of Maycomb and it is with this backdrop that Scout learns a lot about herself and dealing with others. She is taught by her father to treat everyone equally and fairly but witnesses the unfair treatment of blacks in her town. Her father decides to take a case defending a black man accused of raping and beating a white lower class or "white trash" girl. When the town opposes Atticus for taking the case, Scout and Jem react negatively to the taunts from neighbors and family. As could be predicted, Atticus loses the case despite the evidence in the defendant's favor, but succeeded in challenging the jury to face their preconceived ideas. It takes courage to resist societal or peer pressure. Atticus goes against the grain and chooses to defend a black man. He also risks his health and maybe his life by standing out in front of the jail to protect the accused from being lynched. Facing danger squarely and yet standing your It is hard enough to be courageous in life and it isn't always easy to put emotions aside to look at the world from another's point of view. Atticus taught Scout that by learning this one trick, she would learn how to deal with others.

Islamic Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Islamic Studies - Essay Example I t is consisted of everything that the prophet has spoken of, his decisions on important matters, his opinions and his answers to the queries and doubts raised by his followers and believers. The Hadiths literature which consists of the narrations of the life of the prophet also has played major role in the shaping of Islamic faith. The fact that the Hadith were recorded after the death of the prophet make many to doubt the authenticity and the validity of the Hadith. There are people who consider the Hadith merely as a history book having not much of religious significance. The essay attempts to unearth the understanding of Hadith in Islam religion, and it tries to bring out the differences in the understanding and the practice of Hadith soon after the death of Prophet Mohammed with a special reference to the changed political scenario after the Prophets death. The Hadith assumed greater significance after the death of Mohammed as the believers could no longer ask their questions or clear their doubts from the prophet. So wherever they did not have a specific guideline in the Quran, they sought for it in the Hadith. The hadiths very often acted as the guiding principle for the Muslim way of life along with the Koran. One should not forget the fact that the Hadith was transmitted by the companions of the prophet (his contemporaries and witnesses to his teaching) to the next generation through oral tradition in the initial stages. Therefore, many attempts have been undertaken by the scholars to assess the reliability and authenticity of Hadith. The Hadith was judged based on their content, the degree in which they did not contradict the Quran and the extend to which they resonated divine wisdom. Thus, they were categorized into authentic, good or weak. Hadith were collected and confirmed or proved to be authentic by many scholars; however on e cannot negate the influence of personal bias or prejudices in the process. There was also the risk of interpreting the personal responses of the prophet as having general implications to the Islamic teachings. In the eighth century there was a considerable division in the Islamic thought due to the diversity of thought that the Hadith were not reliable and authentic. This division of thought prompted Muhammad ibh Idris al-Shafi to make a common methodology for all schools of Islamic faith by the end of 9th century. He identified four sources of Islamic law- the Quran, the sunnas or the tradition of the prophet, reasoning by analogies and unanimous agreement. The Muslim community strongly believed that Allah has sent His prophets and messengers to keep them united with Him and Mohammed for them is the last of the prophets. Mohammed proved himself to be a strong religious leader for the Muslims and after his time the Islam community really lacked strong spiritual leaders even though they did have some powerful rulers in the caliphs who succeeded Mohammed. After the death of Mohammed, there weren't any undisputable leaders for the Muslims and one comes across a series of struggle for power and control over the Muslim community and it is interesting to note how this struggle affected the Muslim belief and their way of life. It is these struggles that led to the formation of Sunnism and Shiism, and the underlying reason for most of the conflicts and struggles within Islam can be attributed to these struggles. The original version of the Hadiths suffered various setbacks at the hands of

Assignment chapter 9 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter 9 - Assignment Example and, nationalism can also be termed as a centrifugal force as it can cause a group of people to place their needs in front of the needs of all other groups in the same state. Nazi Germany is a historical example of nationalism gone wrong. National cohesion and identity can be achieved by nationalism or pride in unities nation. Additionally, immigration can encourage national cohesion in assorted educated populations that have ignored all kinds of racial discrimination. The Law of The Sea is an international agreement that determines ecological and commercial conditions for using the worlds oceans. It assures the protection of oceans from ecological degradation, constitutes rules for commercial organizations that rely on the sea for resources, sets maritime zones, and maintains autonomy of navigation. Treaty was signed by 161 nations. Governments reseat their capital city to a forward-thrust capital to stimulate economic development in underdeveloped parts of the state. Development of capital cities generally encourages development of infrastructure and economic growth in the city where they are seated. The suggestion that one nation can annex the territory of another on the basis of common traditions of the locals living in the two separate states. It is also termed as pan-nationalism. This can explained amongst pan-Africans, as most of Africas present borders were drawn up during colonial era with slight reference to the ethnicity of the people which lived on both side of the suggested boundary

History through A Geographers Lenses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History through A Geographers Lenses - Essay Example 244). We can take this to mean that modern society began sometime in the late 1800s and early 1900s and last to this day. What made the 19th century a turning point Van Doren further cites (p. 245) the progress resulting from the disruptive technological discoveries that took place, whether "it be new energy sources like oil and electricity, new means of living comforts like electric lights and cheap cast iron stoves, and new devices for communication on both a local and global scale such as the telegraph and the telephone." Several lenses are available to read the history of modern societies from that point on, and what we use will depend on one's point of interest. A student of geography like myself would use as my lenses the three dimensions most appropriate for the task: speed, space, and time. From a geographer's viewpoint, one can see the development of modern society and its history in relation to how human activities affected and was affected by speed, space, and time. ... human interaction by which ideas and information in the form of physical signals like words and actions are exchanged, was limited by space or distance and time. The time it would take for ideas to travel from one point of the globe to another depended on the (rather slow) speed of the carrier of the message, a combination of horses, ships, pigeons, or human runners before Morse discovered the telegraph in the mid-1800s. In some regions like the jungles of the Amazon or the wide plains of America and Europe, messages were carried across limited distances by drums and flags. The effectiveness and efficiency of these modes of communication were limited by distance, the speed of sound, and the sharpness of hearing and sight. Prior to the discovery of the telegraph, sharing and receiving information and then taking action or giving feedback took a long time, which accounted for the slow pace of development of human history that is the result of the interaction of human activities. The telegraph changed all that by accelerating the exchange of information and increasing the pace of human interaction and, in its turn, the amount of human activity. What resulted was a snowballing of social consequences that gathered in size and the power to effect change. The telegraph reduced space because it made human interaction across great distances possible, allowing people across the continents hundreds or thousands of miles apart to communicate and to initiate appropriate action. It also reduced time in a radical way, because by speeding up the exchange of information, it was possible to undertake human action sooner instead of wasting time while waiting for information and feedback to come. However, the telegraph had one major drawback: information in the form of messages had

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW - Essay Example The author felt that choosing different organization in different industries and different sectors would give a good cross sectional overview for the report. According to the findings of the study it was apparent that depending on the type of the organization, marketing assistants were required to carry out many different tasks ranging from marketing planning, corporate communications and advertising copy writing. Based on the findings of the study and the author's knowledge, skills and abilities a curriculum vitae and covering letter were designed. The covering letter that was designed was of a generic nature to help the author to customize it with minimum effort to match specific marketing positions that she wishes to apply for in the next few weeks. The objective of this report is for the author to study the job of a Marketing Assistant from different angles and to assess herself in terms of the findings. In order to carry out this study the author chose five different organizations from different sectors and studied the specifications that have been set out by these organizations for qualifications that were necessary for role. In this report the author will describe the methodology that will be used to study the job of the Marketing Assistant, the manner in which the findings will be presented and the self assessment. Based on the findings and the self assessment the author will design and develop a generic curriculum vitae and a covering letter for herself, which she intends to use when applying for the position of Marketing Assistant. These two documents will also be included in this report. Methodology In order to carry out an in depth and meaningful study of role of a Marketing Assistant the author will collect information from five different companies in different sectors and industries on what these organizations look for in their potential candidates. The five companies that were chosen by the author are as follows 1. Coke Cola Corporation - Beverage Company - Private Sector 2. Tesco Supermarket - Retail Store - Private Sector 3. Axa Insurance Company - Insurance Company - Private Sector 4. HSBC - Financial Company - Private Sector 5. Salvation Army - Not for Profit - Non Governmental Sector The author studied the job descriptions of Marketing Assistants in the above companies and also interviewed individuals working in the marketing departments in the above companies before writing this report. In order to gain a good knowledge of the labour market and future prospects for individuals working as Marketing Assistants in these organizations, the author also interviewed former marketing assistants in these companies and asked them on how easy or hard it was for them to find jobs and if the experience they had gained while at the previous companies were sufficient. The author specifically studied the following areas pertaining to the job. 1. Tasks and responsibilities 2. Entry requirements 3. Training, development and future prospects 4. Terms and Conditions 5. Work environment and corporate culture 6. Labour market conditions and employment prospects Based on the findings the author then carried out a self-assessment and designed and developed a curriculum vitae