Introduction
The success of an individual and/or an organization to some extent depends on the individuals and/or the leaders in the organization. Strong leadership will develop a strong organization in terms of organizing resources for its own and people’s benefits. Leaders are important in influencing the organizations through decision-making and their decision-making is not only determined by the company resources, staff, or existing environmental conditions, but also the internal characteristics of the leaders such as self-confidence and interpersonal skills. Leadership is about pursuing certain goals through careful planning and strategy. The internal character of a leader can be measured through testing, and this can pave way for self-development. This paper will focus on leadership self-assessment.
Self-Assessments / Skills Development Exercises and Experiences
My PLC (Fiedler & Chemers, 1984) score was 84, indicating that I am a relationship-motivated person. The highest score, in this case, being 6 for the ‘unpleasant’, ‘unfriendly’, and ‘relaxed’ categories, while there was the lowest score (3) for the ‘accepting’, ‘close’, ‘loyal’, ‘trustworthy’, and ‘inconsiderate’. The results for the type A behavior pattern indicates a person who has balanced type A & B. Am not always in a hurry, and with no list of things to achieve on a daily or weekly basis, with the behavior of doing several things at ago, I am a relaxed and an easy-going individual. For self-monitoring scores (Lennox & Wolfe, 1984) I got 65 which means I possess high self-monitoring. My statements are likely to always be true. A score of 28 was achieved in the Machiavellianism self-assessment (Christie & Geis, 1970) meaning that I have a less Machiavellitic person. This assessment reveals my strong feelings about dealing with and handling people which is an essential working skill such as relegating my responsibility at the workplace because of particular reasons. In addition, the self-assessment features test like having trust in people and dictating towards people at the workplace or being people-oriented.
My score on my attitude towards legitimate power reveals a strong disbelieve in the statement that many leaders lost the ability to influence their subordinates as a result of the removal of formal hierarchies and symbols of leadership and status, a leader must use all the power and status symbols provided in the organization to carry out his or her job, and that having no formal title and position within an organization may make the leader have difficulty in operation. In the category of reward power, I scored 15 points, revealing my stronger feeling of disagreement that a leader’s access to many resources is necessary to be able to reward subordinates to be effective, that cooperation with subordinates can best be obtained through rewarding them with resources, bonuses and raises, and that organizations need to allow usage of leaders formal evaluation of subordinates in decision-making. My opinion on the coercive power earned a score of 15 revealing a strong disagreement on the fact that the only thing that works at the workplace is threats and punitive action, that leaders who are reluctant to punish employees lose credibility and disagreement on the feeling of the need of preservation of leader’s ability to punish subordinates.
On referent power, I strongly disagree with the statement that it is essential to develop subordinate loyalty, that a leader’s ability to control and influence the subordinates is reduced by his being friends with them, and that having excellent interpersonal skills to subordinates is essential to effective leadership. I also strongly disagree with the feeling that a leader needs to take particular care to be perceived as an expert in his or her area, that the leader needs be an expert in the area he or she is leading to be effective, and disagree also to the statement that access to information is one of the keys to a leader’s influence. The results of the test also reveal that I am also a participative innovator and a good team leader which would enable me to initiate various personal projects as well as corporate ones and launch into new ideas. As a good team leader, I would be able to work with others in teamwork and be able to complete joint and group assignments.
Summary and application of leadership styles of Colleen Barrett of Southwest Airlines – Autocratic or People-Orientated
A single type of leadership in any existing environment may be difficult to find. A mix of the known types of leadership may be what is likely to find a time because of the complex nature of the employees and therefore forcing the leadership to align to demands. An autocratic leadership does rarely recognizes that the employees are an asset or that they can give useful ideas and may fail to concentrate on improving their career, talents, and abilities.
The leadership at Southwest Airlines focuses on improving the career, ability, and talents of employees through programs for leadership training. The managers and leaders of the company train the employees to use them to represent the company spirit. People-driven leadership is evident in Southwest Airlines. Barret has for example has exemplified the leadership style by personally developing people as she meets them and supports them morally, and mentoring people with interest in what she does or desires to learn. This is important because an effective company culture begins at the top. The CEO of the company which has had success for many years since its formation is described as hardworking, filled with love, fun, spirited, and zesty, and goes by the name “Queen of Hearts. She has been tagged as responsible for the company culture. However, the fact that she states that the company is unforgiving about company demeanor, behavior, and attitude is an indicator that a people-oriented leader does not necessarily compromise on the important aspects of culture that may damage company reputation, performance, or another record (Leadership in Action, n.d.). A people-oriented leadership would be concerned to select or hire individuals about the expectations and company culture like Southward Airlines (Cohen & Rao, 2006; cited in Leadership in Action). The leadership is careful to source and train the employees to benefit the company because they understand the importance of the employees in promoting the company when fitting into the company. The company invests in people and allocates the responsibility to employees, such as the 100 member group (Culture Committee) for training and preaching the company culture and SPIRIT. The company also does not neglect to monitor the employees and hold leaders and managers accountable (Cohen & Rao, 2006; cited in Leadership in Action).
The type of leadership is important because it determines the way the rest of the employees will act and behave. A company culture like Southward Airlines would be as successful depending on the willingness of the leaders to implement the desired elements in people. Autocratic styles of leadership overlook the importance of the employee in helping the company achieve its goals and therefore may ignore to invest in leadership training such as that at Southward Airlines. The autocratic type of leadership imposes directions instead of building consensus even among junior staff and focuses all the effort on using the employees as tools to accomplish the goals of the company. The problem with the autocratic form of leadership is that it may cause people to resist change or to perform the jobs with passion and responsibly because they are not considered as important and that there is a feeling that they do not own what they are doing. In contrast, the people-oriented type focuses on not only using but equipping employees to work as desired to meet the desired results.
Evaluation of Leadership Behaviors
Hitler was successful as a military leader especially in the late 1930s as a result of his political decision-making process. The personal attributes of the veteran can point to the reason for his activities. Hitler believed that he only had the political, military, and willpower, and vision to restore Germany to its rightful place. He refused however to take criticism to those who did not share his visions and decision-making because of self-confidence. He applied mass propaganda to achieve political ends and was able to come out as a formidable political figure because of his ability to solicit the desired response to people and uncanny ability to appeal to the subconscious and irrational needs of his audience.
However, his incremental interest and venture into war tactics and strategy led him to fail later. Although the leader made a significant success on the battlefield, he made very grievous and infamous mistakes at World War II like the “no retreat” policy at Stalingrad and the “stop” order at Dunkirk. Hitler did not trust his generals, predecessors, and successors. Hitler pursued his objects to the point that he could have war with other nations in pursuit of them. He seemed to be more an opportunist than a grand strategist. Hitler took the first steps to test and then went ahead with the next. The leader at one time was genius enough to sign a non-aggression pact with Poland to quiet his fears with the west and used the same to manipulate his foreign audience. After the West relaxed over the leader’s action, he sent a poorly equipped army to the zone of Rhineland in violation of the Articles 42, 43, and 44 of the Treaty of Versailles which created a “demilitarized zone” over Rhineland and barred any Germany military activity within 50 kilometers of the Rhine River. A year later, the leader had announced that Germany would no longer respect disarmament clauses of the Treaty of Versailles. The Hitler group was prepared to evacuate the German troops because they were sure that France would go to war over Rhineland.
As a leader of North Korea, Jong had been a dictator but would take into account the opinions of others. Deviation from the climate of terror and shifting ideology from firming regime power, development, economic recovery, instrumental goals of economic recovery, and transforming the state and society goals, the regime has become more corrupt. The leader has held a totalitarian regime which has been around for a long. The leader’s failure to like public appearances and reluctance to give speeches in public has been achieved as displaying a mixer of Confucian deference and “successor’s dilemma” rather than a dislike for display and shyness. Jong is said to have later undergone a metamorphosis of character from a “reclusive playboy” to being one with a hands-on leadership style, well-informed, a thinking man, engaging tyrant, and a personable individual. The description of Jong by one-time Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on holding discussions with him that he was a man who knew what he wanted reveals a man not easily influenced by other people’s opinion in pursuit of his interests. His knowledge can be revealed in consideration of the reports that he once answered by himself and without consulting any people on the questions posed by the United States Clinton, in the presence of Madeleine. The leader has been described as a rational leader who makes a judgment based on reality although the latter is limited to the knowledge of his country (Scobell, 2006).
Leaders like Jong have had to make sure that they remain very strict on matters touching certain decisions, and this makes other countries that would want to influence this country in an undesired manner fail to succeed. The country was able to advance in special programs such as the nuclear program because of his tough stand which sometimes differs from the general view of other leaders across the globe.
From the above, I support that the skills the leaders employed are good because they result in success. However, there are some I think are bad. The leadership styles of these two do not defy the theory of dictatorship. These include dictatorship by both leaders and the lack of self-confidence displayed by Hitler. Hitler also did not pay attention to the subjects or advisors which I think was not a good character.
Conclusion of the Portfolio
I will borrow a leave from political leaders such as Hitler who pursued and achieved their political goals despite the surrounding circumstances. The success of the aforementioned leaders reveals a strong persistence to the line of their belief, which I will seek to emulate. On his part, Hitler had very strong self-confidence in his ideology which I find necessary to emulate. Although this self-confidence was used to earn selfish interest without consideration of others, it gave him great success. I will learn to utilize it well to earn great success in the context of organizational leadership especially in pursuit of my personal and company goals. Strong inclination and willpower to follow the organization’s principles can help me to pursue goals without regarding environmental and other disruptions. However, just like this self-confidence led Hitler to fail to accept advice, it may cause someone not to be flexible and this can damage an organization because wide consultation and consideration of various factors are necessary while making decisions. However, in my score of PLC, it can be seen that I have already what it takes to be a people-oriented person, something that has contributed to the success of Colleen Barrett of Southwest Airlines. I seek in my plan to emulate this exemplified leader who has had concern for people and at the same time inspired success in the company. Growing more to becoming a people-oriented person, I will borrow the strategy used in the company to selectively view other people as important to the organization and not just to be used to achieve things, but that they can contribute towards it (as an organizational leader). Investing in other people is important in helping me to achieve my own goals too. Strong defiant to the feelings expressed by statements about legitimate and other forms of power are embedded in the autocratic forms of governance which I disagree with. However, I must consider Jong’s strong character as expressed by Albright as a person who knows what he wants-despite being a dictator. This can help me in pursuing my commitment and interests as a leader for the organization without being influenced by other people with their ill motives or who do not have the interests of the organization at heart. The character of leaders like those in Southwest Airlines to invest in employees and to view employees as important assets of the organization is necessary for my good performance of the organization. As a leader, I must pursue an interest in studying people’s behavior and those of their subordinates not only, for example, to use the organization’s resources in garnering their support but also promoting their inward abilities. Promoting and investing in the career of the employees is important because it helps them to view themselves as being taken care of. The style of leadership may influence my performance output because it makes employees feel either as owners of the processes or separate entities. As a leader, I do not wish to become a dictatorial leader, because employees may feel as they are being only used to benefit the company, while in person-oriented leadership, employees are likely to feel as they own the process. In this consideration, I seek to pursue opinion-oriented leadership and develop a system where employees will give feedback about the processes and their opinions taken into consideration in making decisions. This will influence their performance at a job because it affects their morale and attitudes among other characters. High self-monitoring and PLC qualities as in my case would enable a leader to first begin implementing the culture in his life for example being ethical as he or she would expect from the subordinates. Leadership is about influence and although interpersonal qualities are not solely important, good scores in the qualities in the PLC are necessary because they determine relationships with subordinates and other staff at the workplace as they pertain to daily interactions of the aforementioned. In addition, communication is very essential in an organization. Communication determines to an extent the quality of performance of activities and proper relationships.
The importance of extensive knowledge by leaders cannot be overemphasized because effective decision-making in leadership is possible through knowledge and careful analysis of the existing facts. Leaders like Jung have been termed as rational in making decisions through their knowledge was limited in the particular fields. In addition, Hitler was successful partly because of their experience as a common soldier in the First World War although it was very limited; and this points out the importance of experience in leadership. Leaders must be willing to learn from their past mistakes and reveal a trend of conditions and situations they have no control over so that they can take prudent steps. Hitler was not ignorant of the capability of the weaponry resources the country had. From Hitler’s example, we can learn that although strategies are important, careful planning is also necessary as does trust for the subordinates and other people in the structure. Trusting employees helps the leaders to allow them to utilize their expertise and knowledge and experience to perform their jobs. This also helps them to hold themselves responsible for what they are doing, other than act from fear.
Although expertise in particular fields of leadership is important, it has been proved that sometimes leaders succeed without it. Leadership is not all about expertise in a particular field, but a combination of this and so many other factors as well. A leader for example is mainly concerned with directing and can hire experts, but other important qualities of leadership such as interpersonal skills are inward. Leaders need to inspire change and innovation, and hence need to be innovators and team leaders.
References
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Leadership in Action: Colleen Barrett – The Soul of Southwest Airlines Case Study
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