So let me describe some of the things that we learned this week and what they really mean to me. We first learned about managerial motivation. When you break it down, there really are two things that motivate a manager - either themselves ("personalized power orientation") or the others in the organization ("socialized power orientation"). When a manager uses personalized power orientation, it doesn't mean that they don't care about the others in the organization and it doesn't mean that the decisions being made are poor decisions. It just means that the focus is on the manager. Often, though, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. However, the decisions made often are made with little consideration for the effect on others within the organization (or even the organization as a whole). The decisions can be rash and impulsive. On the flip-side, you have socialized power orientation. Typically this is a trait possessed/displayed by leaders that are more emotionally mature. These leaders tend to not be manipulative and put the needs of the organization ahead of their own needs and desires. Of course, a leader can slide anywhere between these two motivations at any time.
We studied several specific leadership traits this week. They are not all listed here but I do want to focus on just a few of them. First, there is self-confidence. Usually this is a good trait to posses but the problem is that it can lead to arrogance. I think that we have all met someone that is very good at what they do but they tend to flaunt it. A sign of a good leader is being confident yet humble. This is true meekness. Though that isn't a trait that we discussed this week, it should have been in my opinion. It fits right in with everything else. When you hear the word "meek", what do you think? There is a misconception that it means weak. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Meekness means that one is able to exercise self-control. Though this isn't a spiritual blog, did you know that the Bible describes Moses as being the most meek man? Yes, Moses who called down curses on Pharaoh and led the Israelites from captivity. The same Moses that threw down the 10 Commandments in anger. Again, my point is not to bring religion into this but rather to show that "meek" is so often misused. When we talk about self-confidence and the dangers of arrogance, that is what I think - meek. It means self-control of great power. Another trait that was covered that really sticks out to me is emotional stability and maturity. Those that are more emotionally stable tend to exercise self-control and have a high level of both cognitive and moral development. They are able to take a step back and think things through. But that doesn't mean that we are all supposed to be emotionless like Spock on "Star Trek". We need to understand that emotions are a part of life that we have to accept and control. The last trait that we discussed is actually not a trait but a set of five traits often known as "The Big Five". They are work together. They are surgency (extroversion), conscientiousness (dependability and integrity), agreeableness, adjustment (stability and self-esteem), and intellectance (open mindedness). Along with the traits listed here (plus several others not listed), we studied three broad categories of skills than effective leaders must posses. We need technical skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills. Technical skills are pretty self-explanatory. That means that you have the knowledge necessary to complete the tasks. Interpersonal skills are also fairly easy to understand. Leaders are a part of a team. We, as leaders, must be able to connect with our teams. And last, we studied conceptual skills which basically means the ability to "think outside the box".
As I think about what I have learned this week, I was forced to look inward at my own self and how this applies to me personally. Where am I strong? Where am I weak? First, I think that I have a socialized power orientation. Are there times where I make leadership decisions based on my own personalized power orientation? Of course there are. But overall, I believe that my motivation is for that of my team. When I work late nights or weekends that I am supposed to be off, one could argue that I am doing that for myself (to make myself look good for my superiors) but I know that isn't true. I know that I do put the needs of my team first. But I also know that I have too strong of a need for affiliation. I didn't really discuss that above but that means that a leader is more concerned with being accepted by his/her coworkers than about accomplishing the actual tasks at hand. Sometimes I let that get the best of me. I think that when you work with a smaller team, it is a lot harder to not allow your need for affiliation to affect your decision making process. I currently work with a very small team. In fact, in my actual office, there are only two of us. I honestly hate making the decisions that hurt my coworker. (In my parent office, we have more people but I work in a Forward Engagement Center.) I would say that is my biggest weakness as a leader right now.
Yukl, G. (2013).
Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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