MSLD 511 - Module 7 - Inner Work for Authentic Leadership - Madeline Campbell

I have had three “real-world” professional experiences since I graduated from my undergraduate studies in 2016. All three have been extremely instrumental in shaping who I am professionally, how I carry myself and how I adorn leadership qualities when need be. Each position I have held has grown me in ways that were originally outside my comfort zone, but now are no longer. My daily thought as I drive to work has always been: be who I am to my core, be kind, work hard and treat each individual I encounter with worth and dignity. This is where my personal and work ethic stem from. Being self-aware of my work-habits, conversations and work-ethic has also aided in developing who I am professionally.

One key example of how I learned to be self-aware and adopt positive qualities instead of negative was in my first sales position. My two managers (I shared an office with one of them) were very sporadic in emotions, would yell and scream often and had inappropriate relationships with co-workers. Helland states that, “Leadership is an interaction between two or more members of a group that often involves a structuring or restricting of the situation and the perception and expectation of the members. Leaders are agents of change-persons whose act affect other people more than other people’s acts affect them. Leadership occurs when one group member modifies the motivation or competencies of others in the group…any member of the group can exhibit some amount of leadership and the members will vary in the extent to which they do so” (Helland, M & Winston, B, 2005, p. 43). These two managers clearly did not adopt this model, as they would only point out negatives but would not want to train employees to overcome these issues when asked. Due to this, many employees would come to me for help, professional advice or counsel on their position. Working so closely with them made me want to be extra-aware of my tone, how I carried myself and how I helped those around me. Helland further describes effective leadership as, “…attain[ing] valued organization goals for the benefit of all of its members as well the community in which it resides and participates as a partner” (Helland. M & Winston, B, 2005, p. 52).  I do not think it is acceptable that followers do not feel comfortable coming to their leaders with questions or to ask advice. I often would work events later than I should because they were understaffed, I would work in the kitchen, housekeeping and front desk when I saw there was a need even though I was not an employee of those departments because I saw my followers as team members who I wanted to help when there was a need.

While in this sales position I was in a constant state of emotional drain. It was extremely discouraging and demotivating. Often, I would ask other employees, or the owners of the property, for feedback on my work to see if I was doing well because my managers never gave helpful feedback. Northouse would describe this as relational transparency; “Relational transparency occurs when individuals share their core feelings, motives, and inclinations… [and] it includes the individuals in showing both positive and negative aspects of themselves to others” (Northouse, P, 2016, p. 203). I would also playback certain situations in my office to my husband to see if I was in the wrong or to see if this is how people should act within a professional environment. I had to intentionally displace myself from the drama and outings of my managers in an effort to be the leader I wanted to be. I would often take time throughout my workday to reflect by walking the property and getting outside my office, or simply on my own personal time when going for a run or hike. Bill George stated, “You gain self-awareness…you have to have real world experience and I think you have to have a way to process that experience internally” (George, B, 2012).

Practicing displacing myself from situations when I have a difficult day, asking for feedback and re-playing situations in my mind has helped me to be more self-aware as a leader. “Humility, according to Button, is to lower one’s status in relation to another and is related to one’s own self-awareness. Humility Is not about someone who lacks self-esteem, but rather someone who recognizes their own standing and is unassuming and humble” (Earnhardt, M, 2008, p. 15).  I am the type of person who wants constructive feedback to better myself professionally and personally, because I want to continuously hone my leadership skills. This is something I am still doing but from where I started three years ago, I am much more comfortable in my own skin and more confident in my work and in myself as a leader.

References

Earnhardt, M. (2008). Testing a servant leadership theory among United States military members. Emerging Leadership Journeys,1(2), 14-24. Retrieved April 29, 2019.

Helland, M. R., & Winston, B. E. (2005). Towards a Deeper Understanding of Hope and Leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies,12(2), 42-54. doi:10.1177/107179190501200204

Harvard’s Bill George: Inner Work for Authentic Leadership. (2012, November 01). Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmPu2LQ84ts&feature=youtu.be

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE.