Well, I have to admit, I am not really sure what I am supposed to write here. Never blogged before...so, I'll just go with the questions from our discussion on Tuesday.
1. How is leadership measured?
*Not really a measurement, but in chapter 3, when discussing the attributes of Level-5 leaders, Collins stated that these types of leaders "want to see the company even more successful in the next generation".
*Other words used to describe some of the personality traits of Level-5 leaders were, "quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated,..."
*One measure of leadership is...is the person willing to do whatever it takes to make the organization better?
*Is the leader producing results? If so, these results can be a measure of their leadership ability (but we have to keep in mind that they can also be attributed to outside factors).
2. How do leaders initiate change?
*By example - followers will often base their own performance(s) around the performance(s) that they observe from watching people who hold leadership positions
*On pg. 53, Murphy outlines six dimensions of leadership - I believe these dimensions would be necessary to implement, or initiate, change:
a. Developing a shared vision
b. Asking questions
c. Coping with weakness
d. Listening and acknowledging
e. Depending on others
f. Letting go
*Then, starting on pg. 64, Kouzes & Posner discuss 5 practices of exemplary leadership. I believe that these are not only attributes of successful leaders, but also actions that will initiate change within any organization.
a. Model the way (act like you want others to act)
b. Inspire a shared vision (get your subordinates excited about their work, and the vision of
the organization)
c. Challenge the process (if everyone just goes through the motions every day, and never
asks questions, how will there ever be any improvement in the process?)
d. Enable others to act (give your subordinates power; trust that they will do the right thing)
e. Encourage the heart (show appreciation; give followers a reason to hang in there when the
times get tough)
3. What are current problems of practice?
*As noted on page 32, "every time we throw our hands up in frustration - reverting back to "Well, the answer must be Leadership!" - we prevent ourselves from gaining deeper, more scientific understanding about what makes great companies tick.
*When leaders try to gather too much information, they can often slow (or eliminate) progress.
*Some "leaders" may get caught in the micromanagement web - they need to be able to see the bigger picture
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Jessica, thanks for entering the blogging world. It's definitely a different way of expression that we are all being introduced to this semester. I'm not sure that I agree with your statement that leadership is not really a measurement. Well, maybe that's not exactly right. Leadership is maybe not a measurement, but can it be measured? Can it be observed? Are there specific skills of the leader that do impact organizational growth or the ability of the organization to achieve it's goals? That is the heart of this issue and the issue that I'd like for you to reflect upon as you continue to read and grow in this class. Leadership is certainly about the ability to bring about change. As you begin to think about a research question/agenda, consider the steps in the change process. What leadership style do you think suits you or the environment in which you work. In terms of current problems of practice, I was referring to the setting where you work. What are issues that you are confronted with? My experience is in P-12. We were constantly confronted with increasing demands for accountability. I think that leadership impacts that.
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