Junaida S.

Sidik BEED-3
STC 201

Output 1

Communicate a
clear vision.

Elevate
people

Be willing to
lead and to
follow

Be humble
and honest.

Instructional
leader

Lead by
example

Balance
loyalties.

Exhibit a spirit
of selfsacrifice.

Output 2
Rtionalization

1. Communicate a clear vision.

Affective leaders

communicate why they have a particular vision and how they will facilitate its accomplishment.
Affective leaders naturally attract followers to respond to these ideas.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a good example of a leader who had a visiondignity for all
Americans, black and whiteand who could articulate that dream. Dr. King's vision was
feasible because it embraced attainable goals. So, one may rightly call Dr. King a visionary
but he did not stop there. He communicated his vision clearly and moved people to join a
worthy cause.

2. Elevate people.

Affective

leaders purposefully elevate people from one place, condition, or circumstance to another.
They constantly aspire to the greater common good without sacrificing the few, and they
awaken people who seem to be indifferent by empowering them.
3. Be willing to lead and to follow.

As a rule, leaders

resist following blindly the whims of others. Yet, when necessary, leaders also have the
capacity to follow. Affective leaders welcome perspectives, solutions, or proposed courses of
action other than their own; in fact, to help them understand issues from different
viewpoints, many affective leaders put individuals with diverse opinions on their team.
4.

Lead by example.
Leaders' actions are conscious and intentional. Affective leaders, by their daily example,
gently nudge others into discovering their inner strength and developing it. In the midst of
performing the day-to-day duties of decision making and problem solving, this kind of
empowering energy nurtures the human spirit. This is no simple task, but truly inspirational
leaders do this gracefully and without fanfare. They create a ripple effect in the people
around them.

5.

Exhibit a spirit of self-sacrifice.

A spirit of self-sacrifice involves checking one's ego and acting selflessly for the benefit of
another. A good leader can do this in many ways; for example, the affective leader offers
guidance and encouragement in the development of another person's potential.

6.

Balance loyalties.

Affective leaders keep a fine balance between the duty that they owe to their superiors and
the supervision that they are charged with for their subordinates. Affective leaders know
that effectiveness lies in not leaning too much to the claims of either side, as the following
scenario illustrates.
7.

Be humble and honest.

An affective leader's disposition is naturally humble. An affective leader honestly
understands that the gift of leadership ability comes not for personal privilege but for a
greater purpose. Great leaders answer the call to lead as they go humbly about the business
of the day.

Margaret E. Shippen (pshippen@gsu.edu) is a professor of special education at Georgia State University. Samuel J.
Shippen, now retired, worked for 20 years in the Department of Vocational Education, Alabama State Department of
Education. To examine your affective leadership traits, go to http://education.gsu.edu/survey/ and complete a brief
survey.