Jennifer Cohen
Situation
Many years ago, I had a group of students who were predicted to fail, and they needed intervention. They were group of first graders that were on a beginning kindergarten level. The whole group was the lowest of the first-grade classes. I decided to come in with a positive attitude and have show them I was happy to be there every day. They needed to know someone cared and that I was happy to teach them each morning. My strength even when days were not as productive, was using my positive energy and smiling through the hard days. I had some challenging students and sometimes that took away from the 1-hour intervention session I had with them. I would always compliment the kids and give them plenty opportunities to shine. My goal was to give them the confidence they needed to succeed in class. My goal was to show them they can like school and to set certain goals as a class each week and to obtain those small milestones and I needed them to learn how to read and write. My goal was to show them they could like school and they could be successful if they tried. They had to make the choice to be present each day and care about what they did.
Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire
My questionnaire showed that I was in the high range for a few of the scores and 1 point away in one section. I was high in the area of truthfulness and building relationships and being clear about what to do or what is needed to get done. Building trust and creating an openness with others is so important. I was always honest and open with my students and parents. I believed in what I said, and I think the kids knew that. They knew if I said I was going to do something, then it would be done. They also new that if I made a mistake I could say, ooops, I made a mistake and then fix it. I am self-aware and I can make fun of myself.
Influential PCL Characteristic
The PCL characteristic that influenced my outcome was believing in my students and giving off positive energy. I don’t think you can have one without the other. I was always showing them I believed in them every day. It was a continuous process that they needed to hear. I was proud of them for making a letter, or following directions, raising their hand, not shouting out, completing the assignment, and whatever else the task was. I showed them each day I was happy to be there and was eager to see what they could learn. I was smiling and happy to see them for the 1 hour a day I spent with them for reading intervention.
Jennifer Donovan
Having selected the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment questionnaire and found it to be a profound exercise in self-awareness and personal development: self-awareness (17), internalized moral perspective (19), balanced processing (15), and relational transparency (19). With these scores in mind, I wanted to share an experience where I applied my identified attributes to influence others towards a desired outcome.
In a team project at my workplace, we were tasked with revamping our customer service protocols to enhance client satisfaction. Drawing upon my self-awareness and relational transparency scores, I recognized the importance of fostering open communication and collaboration among team members. Therefore, I initiated a series of team meetings where I encouraged everyone to openly share their perspectives and ideas regarding potential improvements. The desired outcome I aimed to achieve was to cultivate a culture of innovation and teamwork that would ultimately lead to the development of customer service protocols that exceeded client expectations. In this situation, the leadership style that was most suited to the conditions was Authentic Leadership. This style emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, relational transparency, and internalized moral perspective, all of which were evident in my approach. By being transparent about our challenges and encouraging input from all team members, I aimed to empower everyone to contribute their unique insights towards achieving our common goal.
Reflecting on Covey’s (1991) Principle-Centered Leadership characteristics, I believe that integrity and service played a significant role in manifesting influence towards our desired outcome. Upholding integrity in our interactions and decisions fostered trust and credibility within the team, while the service-oriented approach prioritized the collective success and satisfaction of our clients. This experience reinforced the importance of authentic leadership attributes in driving positive outcomes in collaborative settings. I’m curious to hear about your experiences and how you’ve leveraged your strengths to influence others towards achieving desired outcomes.
Meikiu
Situation
One situation when I used my attribute of not allowing group pressure to control me was during a project implementation that we undertook as a group. Most members wanted us to use the waterfall methodology, which would require the process to be linear and systematic. However, I insisted on using the lean methodology that considered the cost-effectiveness of the steps we were to undertake. As a project coordinator, I was responsible for ensuring that the implementation fit within the available budget. By pursuing the lean approach, which was against the group’s desire, I ensured the project’s implementation was successful.
Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire and Personal Attributes
I conducted an assessment activity using the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire, which revealed my high self-awareness and relational transparency scores, scoring 16 and 17, respectively. The internalized moral perspective and balanced processing categories recorded low scores 15 each. Considering the strength of not being affected by peer pressure, servant leadership is a relevant leadership style suited for the described conditions. According to Seidel and Saurin (2021), a lean leader prioritizes organizational context over a conventional decision-making process. The decision was ethical since the conditions in the above-described leadership situation entailed ensuring the project implementation within the available budget. The decision aligns with Brown et al.’s (2005) assertions that leaders should be a source of guidance to their followers. The assessment results and my leadership skills indicate that my leadership strengths result from the mastery of self-awareness and relational transparency.
Influential PCL Characteristics
The second PCL characteristic, as identified by Covey, played a significant role in the project implementation scenario. My service-oriented approach allowed me to focus on achieving the desired outcomes, rather than getting caught up in the process. This approach, I believe, demonstrated both promotion and prevention (Hartman & Conklin, 2015). Furthermore, our decision to implement the project based on moral considerations was in line with the ethical leadership principles outlined by Yasir and Mohamad (2016). In summary, the decision to use the lean methodology was both ethical and authentic, reflecting my leadership style.
