Leadership philosophy
This semester has made a significant contribution to my personal leadership philosophy. In my opinion, this course refined my ideas and concepts of leadership. At the start of the course, I had an abstract philosophy of leadership that was more like an unfinished house. The course has helped me refine my leadership knowledge and skills in such a way that I can apply my leadership philosophy in a variety of settings and situations. In this section will build on what was in Part I about my preconceived ideas and concepts of leadership. It is a reflection where I will analyze and discuss how course readings from this semester as well as other additional material have transformed my leadership philosophy. Generally, this course has shaped my leadership philosophy from abstract ideas and concepts into what I refer to a nearly complete package that is applicable in diverse situations.
In the previous part, I looked into how my family, education, religion, and role model has influenced my leadership philosophy. In this section, I will discuss and analyze how this course has assisted me in merging and integrating these influences into a leadership philosophy that is a product of past influences and an in-depth understanding provided by this course. Some of the concepts learned this semester that has shaped my philosophy include understanding others, leading with integrity, being in communities, interacting with teams and groups, understanding complex organization, and understanding change (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009). I will provide a few examples of my own experiences where I have lived the leadership philosophy I believe in and how the knowledge acquired in this course would have optimized the outcomes in those situations. Since education is a journey, I will pause and look back and critique my philosophy. I will also take consideration of the strengths and weakness of my personal leadership philosophy and outline the areas that I need to work on in the future. In the end, I will summarize my personal leadership philosophy that will guide my decision making in an enhanced capacity to demonstrate leadership.
Understanding others
The ability to understanding others and be understood is a crucial component of leadership. Understanding others includes grasping the concepts of gender diversity, cultural diversity, and international diversity as well as how personal factors such as cultural heritage, attitude towards differences, and microaggressions influence tolerance to these diversities. Understanding how to accommodate diversity will enable me as a leader to effectively communicate, resolve conflicts, improve my decision-making skills.
Each person is unique and brings their individuality in any situation (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.188). For a leader to be truly inclusive and empowering the ability to understand others is quality they must possess. Globalization is making the nation more diverse, and advances in technology are bringing people from different backgrounds and regions closer together making this quality a necessity for leaders. One aspect of college life is learning to live other by accepting diversity and learning from people different from us. Diversity in campus life prepares a student for the diversity they will encounter in workplaces (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.188). Therefore understanding others is a skill that will not only help me in my leadership skills but also in other aspects of life as well. Other units, such as the communication unit complement the unit on leadership in instilling this quality in current and potential leaders.
Diversity influences leadership processes, such as communication, conflict resolution, and decision making. Gender, ethnicity, and cultural differences are aspects of diversity that a leader should understand. Differences in people come from aspects of identity including age, religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, ability and gender, some of which originate from our environments.
The underlying philosophy of understanding others is finding common purpose on which to people’s perceptions of difference (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.189). However, it is a challenge for leaders to come up with a common purpose from the vast differences that individuals bring to a situation. That is, creating a “we” from a group. My religion comes as an advantage as it prioritizes on community rather Mthat an individual. Individualism is grounded predominantly in the western tradition. Understanding others deemphasize the focus on individualism and enhance genuinely listening and engaging with others to promote moving forward as a community.
However, I find myself a bit reserved in truly accepting gender diversity, which is affected by my background and my environment. The Arab world has, for centuries, upheld many restrictions for women compared to the western world. It will be challenging, but this is an area I need to work on and improve and consider women as equal to men in all situations. Although men and women often use different approaches, they both can make good decisions, lead effectively, be responsible group members, and communicate clearly (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.195). To understand others, I need to adopt positive attitudes towards differences, including support, appreciation, and nurturance (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.213).
Intersectionality is a tool that is helping me expand my knowledge of cultural diversity in improving my leadership skills. It provides a platform for conceptualizing how various disadvantages and discriminations affect a person or a group of people (Breslin, Pandey & Riccucci, 2017). Coming from a minority group, I have firsthand experience on the adverse effects of discrimination based and ethnicity. Understanding intersectionality is essential for understanding the prejudices faces by minority groups that form part of any organization or population.
Integrity in Leadership
Integrity is a vital component of ethics in leadership. To ensure integrity, leaders must learn to comprehensively analyze and reflect on the ethical and moral perspectives of decisions. I draw most of the ethical dimension of leadership from my religion Islam. In Islam, a leader is a person or a group of people who guide and lead humanity to the way of Allah, with a focus on doing good. This concept of leadership is founded on the ethical principles of nonmaleficence (do no harm) and beneficence (promote good) (Rushworth, 2003).
Ethical dilemmas often arise in many situations in life, including leadership. However, the most challenging ethical dilemmas are not those that involve choosing right over wrong but instead choosing among “right” solutions (Rushworth, 2003). Resolving ethical dilemma requires leaders to include others in the decision-making process and weigh all possible alternatives of action (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.238). As such inclusivity is vital, engaging all stakeholders in resolving dilemmas make them feel empowered. Furthermore, when leaders engaging people, there is a higher likelihood of making more informed decisions and arriving at satisfactory solutions.
Ethics are an essential process of the leadership process. Bad leadership can be not only ineffective but also unethical. In this semester, I have learned about the application of ethical theories and models that form the foundation of organizational values and codes of conduct. Four traits are essential in helping me advance ethical standards as a leader: critical thinking to identify and analyze ethical aspects of an issue, having the integrity to defend my personal and professional ethics, being capable at examining a situation from others’ point of views (a skill informed by understanding others), and personal motivation to do the right thing (a principle in my religious beliefs) (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.240).
Integrity in leadership requires a leader to be moral, courageous, and responsible. The urge to lead with integrity guides me to enhance my moral development by gaining a better understanding of ethics. Ethics is a broad topic that overlaps with other aspects of leadership, such as understanding others and conflict resolution. Grasping ethical principle and applying them is a continuous process that I will get better at in time as long as I am committed to leading with integrity.
Community Context
Communities are a group of people who accomplish their goal through trust and teamwork (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.289). Community is a compelling feeling as it brings a sense of comfort. Leaders need to look at leadership from a community perspective rather than an individual mandate; a view that opens the door for interdependence (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.286). Islam supports the community perspective of leadership by prioritizing the needs of the community over those of an individual.
Knowing about community, believing in the importance of community and having skills to develop and sustain community is an aspect of leadership that stems from understanding others. Having the knowledge and skills to create and nurture a context in which a group of people functions (community) complements understanding of self and others. An exciting element about communities is the change from conventional view about communities as homogenous groupings of people who share a lot in common to the idea that a community is a group of diverse people who are connected by a common purpose. A balanced look at the similarities and differences among members of a group enables a leader to come up with an approach that will keep the members united to meet a common goal.
A critical practice of human connection is learning to feel responsible for others (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.298). Community building principles that also apply to both participant and leaders include a commitment to others, accepting others as they are, engaging in dialogue and consulting others on issues affecting them, striving to understand others, and engaging in ethical behavior (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.302). For teamwork to be successful, community members need to show some level of commitment. Considering a group as a community connects participant to a shared framework of expectations and obligations, emphasizing the importance of leadership.
Teams and Groups Dynamics
Groups are the building blocks of community practice. Teams can be considered as subcommunities which consist of three or more people interacting and communicating interpersonally over time to reach a common goal (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.311). The working of a sports team is the common metaphor for teamwork to illustrate how teams work together. Every team has a leader who understands the importance of team cohesion. The strength of a team lies not in the individuals but in how well they work together.
Participative leadership is the most preferred form of leadership in a group. The approach often involves the use of decision-making procedures aimed at allowing other people to influence the decision made by the leader (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.329). The main advantage of participative leadership is that it acknowledges the making of a better decision, and it receives greater acceptance by involving all relevant parties in the decision-making process. That is, it empowers all members of a group as they feel part of the decision-making process; they learn more effective leadership skills, and commit more to the process they are involved in.
Per Islamic principles, participative leadership distributes power among group members; thus, the leader does not have unlimited power. Consensus is the most preferred decision-making process in a group as it brings the highest commitment among members by as it taps on the diverse knowledge bases in the group. However, it takes time and therefore, not applicable in all situations. The approach suited me best as leaders selecting to use consensus need to be well equipped in handling conflict that often arises in the decision making process.
Understanding Complex Organizations
Complex organizations consist of a diverse collection of groups working to achieve a particular purpose. Understanding complex organizations require a one to expand their scope of the environment concerning teams and groups (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.355). Organizations differ from teams in that they have many participants, due to advances in technology and expanded scope most members in organizations do not work close and have complex structures. The most significant role of organizational leadership is to ensure groups work together to accomplish a common goal. The specific purpose of a group is clearly stated in its mission, vision, and core values. The mission and vision of an organization guide the actions taken by leaders and members in an organization. Organizational leaders need to inspire members to share in the vision to enhance their commitment to the common purpose (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.369).
Understanding Change
Leadership is mostly about how people work together towards change. A significant task for leaders is understanding and facilitating change (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.399). Understanding how change impacts me and others around me will help me become more successful at facilitating change. Change is a certainty in human life. While we embrace some change, other types of changes intimidate us. People fear losing control, and this becomes a common concern once a change is introduced in an organizational environment. How people react to change may vary depending on cultural characteristics. A practical leader approaches change with sensitivity and assume that people may perceive even minute changes to be monumental (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.408).
Within the context of leadership, change is a complex process as many people resist to change fearing that it will negatively affect them. However, change can bring about renewed energy and enthusiasm, exciting possibilities, and enhance commitment to the organizational mission and vision. In facilitating change, leaders have a task of helping others cope with their uncertainties and fears. Also, a leaders attitude is critical in facilitating change. I am open to change, and my motto concerning change is “If it’s working OK, why don’t I make it better?”
Reflection on why a goal was not accomplished is a good approach to examine resistance to change as opposed to placing blame on others. I need to examine myself and to identify behaviors that might limit me from accomplishing intended change before moving on to examine others’ resistant for change. For example, I will resist change that contradicts my religious beliefs. Core values are an integral driving force in facilitating successful change (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 2009, p.429).
The course readings this semester have bettered my understanding of leadership, refining my leadership philosophy. Course readings have helped me expand my knowledge on coping with diversity, particularly in the context of leadership. Understanding others is an integral component in applying my leadership philosophy and includes grasping how various forms of diversity influence my leadership. Furthermore, a focus of differences that unite people gives me a chance to reflect on how my perceptions affect my leadership style. Next, the course I learned how to examine others in the context of community and how their needs come before my own. The understanding was further expanded to groups and teams as well as organizational context. Throughout the course, my leadership philosophy remained relatively constant; what changed is the scope of my view. Studying the different contexts of leadership teaches me to adjust my leadership philosophy to the situation at hand.
One aspect that has changed in my leadership philosophy this semester is how I view ethics. Previously, I considered ethics as a choice between right and wrong (a view influenced by my religion). However, I came to learn that ethical dilemmas are most challenging when choosing between two rights. Analyzing ethical dilemmas will involve engaging others and looking at all possible outcomes, which requires me to go beyond my comfort zone and listening to ideas that go against my principles. Arriving at an ethical decision is a delicate balance between upholding my principles and respecting the views of others. I consider resolving ethical dilemmas as a weakness of my leadership due to bias from my strong religious beliefs.
In conclusion, the following is a summary of my refined leadership philosophy. Leadership is the ability of a person to motivate others to acts towards achieving a common goal. It is a privileged position that comes with enormous responsibility that requires a leader to put the interests of others before their own. A leader must possess both personality and leadership skills to inspire others to follow them. It is personal traits that make a leader desirable and able to inspire others into following his philosophies. A good leader is caring, empathetic, sees the positive in every situation, reciprocates trust endowed on them by their followers, is committed to doing good, and is knowledgeable enough to provide practical solutions to his or her followers. A good leader makes an effort to understand his followers so to adjust his or her leadership to accommodate their diversity. A good leader looks at his followers as a team with diverse members and utilizes his or her leadership skills to bring the team together. Facilitating change is a significant role in leadership; a good understanding of team member will help a leader apply the most appropriate change model to make the member feel empowered and committed to implementing changes. Leading with integrity requires a leader to have a deep understanding of ethics, particularly identifying ethical dilemmas, engaging others and looking at all possible outcomes. Such an approach requires a leader to be open-minded and accept ideas that may conflict with their philosophy.