Jonathan Rodriguez Tue-Thurs 4:15

Leadership Analysis

Leadership is something that can frighten some. The responsibility that a leader holds can sometimes be immense, and while it takes a great deal of trust and continued success to become a leader, many can be lead astray by the power that the position can sometimes hold. I have found through surveys, self assessments, and personal introspection, that I have the potential to successfully hold a leadership position. The opinions of my classmates and colleagues was encouraging, but the more I began to assess my own traits, the more I learned that I was a ways off from becoming the best leader that I could be.

As a disclaimer, I tend to be hard on myself. I feel that praise should be appreciated when it is deserved, and while the presentations I have participated in have not been utter disasters, I know that there are skills I need to strengthen. The first survey that revealed this to me was the Playing by the Roles self assessment. The survey tallys how influential you perceive yourself to be, with most of the questions centering on the impact that an individual single handedly has on a group. The results of this survey relate directly to the list of informal roles on the adjacent page. By reflecting on the ratings in this survey, I was able to see the roles that I had assumed, even some from the disruptive category. The first question was a rating of my participation in group activities. Drawing from the list of sample roles, I recognized that I assume an initiatorcontributor role (Offers lots of ideas and suggestions; proposes solutions and new directions

pg. 142). At times, I feel that I can neglect the initial social ritual and icebreaking with my peers when I am eager to get an objective complete, therefore I feel like I represented a 4/5. The next question analyzed how task oriented an individual is. I perceived my level at this to be a 4/5, yet I realized that this trait needs to be balanced with the Forming part of joining a group. Jumping right into the workload is a great way to produce tension, rather than relive initial unfamiliarity. This question also revealed to me that if too much emphasis is put onto the completion of the task, there is a high risk of becoming overloaded with information and sources (Information Overload P. 209). The next question required me to reflect on how socially oriented I was, meaning how concerned I was with the relationship among group members. I rated myself a 3/5. The reason for this rating was not because I showed very little concern for my group mates, but because I was so task oriented during meetings. The storming phase of group work explains that groups always experience at least some form of primary tension. The way that I contributed to breaking the ice was by diving straight to work. Rothwell explains on page 78, If a group is too anxious to get down to business and foregoes the small talk, primary tension is likely to create an atmosphere of formality, stiffness, and insecurity..

The results of the peer evaluations were extremely enlightening. The honest criticism and praise from peers allows for a sincere outside view of how you are perceived. In my case, my respondents were honest about my lack of initiative at times. My closest peers will instantly tell you that I fall into the category of a procrastinator. While procrastination does not mean that I am not getting the work done, it does mean that there is a higher chance for disorganization

and rushed jobs. Along with this characteristic, it was brought to my attention that another weakness perceived is a sense of hesitation. I can tie this directly to my first weakness. Procrastinating can also stunt the growth of ideas. If there is not enough time spent on working out ideas, there will not be as much confidence when it is time to perform. A lack of confidence in the material being addressed will no doubt lead to a sense of hesitation. The next question yielded even more enlightening responses. One answer to the question how can I handle conflict differently? revealed that I can, or should, speak about conflicts in a positive manner. I have found that under situations of great stress or duress, I can become pessimistic when problems do arise. John Wooden was one of, if not the most, prestigious coach in all of sports. With the most wins as a collegiate basketball coach under his belt, wooden understood the dynamics of a team and what it takes to be a functioning part of a successful group. Woodens Pyramid of Success Playbook is among the best selling strategy or advice books. In his book, he outlines his pyramid success, in which every skill set needed to be a successful person is laid out in a pyramid scheme. One of his blocks emphasizes self control. I think this skill set is one that I can have more practice in. when I let situations overcome me or dictate my attitude, it can lead to a negative synergy in a group, as mentioned by Rothwell in Chapter 2 (page 47). A ripple effect can transform the energy and outlook of a group, and unfortunately this is prevalent with negative attitudes. Therefore, a better understanding and practice of Woodens self control block, along with recognition of when a negative situation may risk a ripple effect can remedy these bad habits. .

The last question I asked my peers was one that I had added in addition to the required questions. I felt it was important to ask my peers what skill was the most important for a leader to posses. Most of the answers described something along the lines of connecting well with others. There was an emphasis on being an empathetic person, and great leaders were people that are able to take as well as give. This idea of sharing is a main idea of Salsa, Soul, and Spirit by Juana Bordas. A section of her ideals is named the mi casa es su casa approach. Bordas sees leadership with an emphasis of leaders in a diverse society. Bordas confirms this by saying, Generosity, mutuality, and helping one another has held blacks, Latinos, and Indians together through oppression and economic scarcity.. Bordas also gives some insight as to what sharing will accomplish when she says, think about giving as reciprocal and circular, with generosity meaning actually giving top oneself. A generous and empathetic listener seems to be the most attractive characteristic for a leader, and one that is essential for me to perfect.

In conclusion, the analysis left me with a list of revelations. First, I must be a more assertive person, with an emphasis on initiative and organization. However, these attitudes call for a balance of attitudes. Second, when I can be too goal oriented, I risk ignoring social norms or create an air of information overload. Spending time getting to know my peers and familiarizing with them will ease tension and allow for a more natural flow of ideas.