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Old leaders can stay relevant if they are able to change with the times.  Leadership that is incapable of evolving will negatively impact an organization’s future.  If you cannot adapt you will fail.  Obolensky (2014) wrote “The trend in leadership practice from the traditional deterministic approach (for example, oligarchic) to a more non-deterministic approach (for example, polyarchic) is matched in the trend of science.  An understanding of this scientific evolution, as well as how chaos theory and complexity science can work, lays a good foundation for Complex Adaptive Leadership to be practiced skillfully” (p. 96).  Steve Jobs’ second tenure with Apple was from 1996 to 2011.  Apple experienced phenomenal global growth and astronomical sales during this period.  During his tenure, Jobs had to adapt to the external market.  He had an unrivaled vision for what the consumer of the future needed and how to invent.  Without adapting or evolving, Jobs could not have achieved such success.  He also knew that he had to surround himself with the best team possible.  Stories of his erratic leadership style are legendary but he drove his teams to be the absolute best.  No detail was too small.  In leadership, details are important.  Our teams are important.

Today’s successful adaptive leaders need to be risk takers, flexible, able to learn from past events, and be collaborative.  Gone are the days of having one dominant individual sitting atop the organizational “throne” casting decrees upon employees.  It is an outdated approach and not effective in today’s business environment.  In order for leaders to be successful today it takes a team effort.  As genuine leaders it is our responsibilities to provide our teams with the tools necessary for them to be successful, creative, and contributive.  We should be open to subordinates ideas and thoughts.  As a collective, more can be accomplished than any one single person can achieve.  Today’s effective leaders should not pretend to have all the answers.  Circumstance does not lend itself to having all the answers.  It is up to us to be honest about this fact and say we don’t know when we don’t.  Obolensky (2014) wrote) Breaking out of the charade of pretending to know, and helping others to break out, takes a brave heart.  However, it is not as terrifying or difficult as one thinks, despite the complexities involved” (p. 40).  

 

  

As I move forward in my professional development I will reflect on the lessons I have learned from previous experiences and the different leaders I have worked with.  I was just offered and accepted a new position within my organization.  I am eager to learn from my new leader.  He has been with the organization for about 30 years so I hope to get as much insight and knowledge from him as possible.  As I write this I think of the lessons I learned from my previous manager.  Towards the end of my time with my team there were definitely challenges that we faced.  There were times that we didn’t agree with the position our manager took with us.  These past few months really taught me how important it is to have your finger on the pulse on the team you are working with.  Some of my decision was based on the direction I saw my team headed in which to me was unfavorable.  But in all honesty, my time with them was predominantly positive and I am grateful for the experience and more importantly the relationships I was able to make.

  Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex Adaptive Leadership (2^nd ed.). Burlington, VT; Gower Publishing.

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Being a coach or a mentor gives mentees alternative perspectives to problems.  The function of a mentor is to provide guidance and support not to provide solutions to problems.   von Hoffman (2009) wrote “Coaching means helping people define clear goals and set a specific time frame in which to meet them. The goals can be anything from overcoming a problem with personal interactions to achieving a professional objective” (para. 3).  I began working with a mentor about two months ago.  In my last annual performance evaluation I discussed with my manager my desire to have a mentor in order to further develop my professional growth.  She was very happy to hear that I had given this thought and made a recommendation on who I should ask based on a list of candidates I provided.  I approached my potential mentor, asked if he would be willing to work with me, and I then developed an outline of my strengths, weaknesses, and areas I wanted to focus on.  We meet about once a month.  Gaining knowledge from his experiences has helped me to discover different ways to approach problems.

Working with a top organizational leader has exposed me to many of the behind the scene’s challenges faced by leadership in order to effectuate strategy and ultimately change.  Our conversations are privileged and although I am unable to discuss our personal meetings, I can say that I have a new found respect for the process that takes place as it pertains to strategy.  Our leadership strategy meetings involves many levels of our organization’s hierarchy.  Strategic meetings are held over a three day period quarterly.  There are different levels assigned to the agenda in respect to current issues or concerns that need to be addressed.  From these conversations new issues can arise or challenges that may not have been thought of until further explored.  Some of these new issues sometimes have to be tabled for discussion at later dates to keep on task.  The effort requires collaboration, brainstorming, problem solving, and a clear path to implementation in order to be successful.  Having a mentor that shares these experiences with me and provides me with guidance in an effort to be successful is highly beneficial to my development.  Hearing about scenarios and different application to real world problems provides me insight as to what I may or may not incorporate into my personal style as I develop.

 

Being mentored, I feel provides value to my organization.  I view it as an investment in my future.  My goal has always been to develop professionally to be in a position to be an effective contributor to the organization.  I want to make a positive difference.  Not only in my professional life but my personal life as well.  von Hoffman (2009) wrote “While some employees who achieve new goals will leave, far more will feel greater loyalty to an organization that is interested in their professional development” (para. 19).  I have a deep sense of loyalty.  This organization is providing me with not only a free education but with opportunities.  I can take these opportunities, learn, and grow from them.  There are many people who go to work unhappy each day.  I am not one of those people.  I believe in positivity and in giving back.  As an invested member of this organization that is my intent, to give back.  If it were not for ERAU it would have been financially challenging for me to consider higher education.  This organization took a chance on me and for that I am very grateful.  Having the additional opportunity to mentored and coached is a testament to the confidence this organization has in me.  It is up to me to decide whether or not to hold my end of the bargain and become valuable to them.  I could have decided to fly under the radar while working here.  Showing up and doing only what is required of me.  However, I feel I have a higher purpose.  That purpose drives me to become better and better.  Not only as an employee but as a husband, father, and provider.

von Hoffman, C. (1999). Coaching: The ten killer myths. Harvard Management Update, 4(1), 4.

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According to the test results from Chapter 10, I scored a 6 in Strategy 1, Tell and a Five in both Strategy 2, Sell and Strategy 3, Involve.  Strategy 1, the Tell Strategy can be characterized as low people, high goal.  Obolensky (2014) wrote “Tell can include either the what, the how and/or the why.  As a general rule if you are having to ‘tell’ someone both the what, and the how and why then something is amiss” (p. 171).  I can see myself relying on Strategy 1 as a means to guide and inspire team members.  Informing followers of the importance of focus, dedication, and goals, can make a difference in the level of contribution from team members.  Giving followers the option to remain involved in most aspects of followership is important as well.  I plan to mindful of the importance of involving my team members in an effort to solicit feedback and contributing ideas.  Tell doesn’t necessarily mean to “boss” people around, it should be thought more of as guiding others to success.  As leaders, our objectives should be to make those that look to us for direction, as successful as possible.  This can be accomplished by engaging team members, providing feedback, soliciting ideas, promoting growth, and nurturing development. 

Strategy 2, the Sell Strategy “involves ensuring that the buyer is aware of the benefits, and these match the underlying needs of the individual.  Thus, it is more about asking questions and listening carefully before aligning a proposed solution” (Obolensky, 2014, p. 171).  As leaders we have to effectively articulate the needs, responsibilities, and goals of our organizations.  Our teams will assess how best to function as a group to achieve those goals with our leadership.  It’s important to stress our organizational vision and what it will take to achieve it. In my current position we are afforded the opportunity to discover what works best for us individually as we work towards shared goals.  In meetings our Director will solicit feedback from us and ask us how we feel about our processes and what can be done to improve those.  We are not “put in a box” and made to think inside of it.  We are allowed to innovate and experiment with ideas that will best suit us.  If I find success with a particular process, I share that information with my team so that they have the option to try out my methodology and determine if it might work for them.  As a leader, I want to follow this technique and ask questions from my subordinates in order to find new creative ways to achieve goals.

Strategy 3, the Involve Strategy borrows from above.  Giving team members the opportunity to be involved in the decision making processes is invaluable.  It builds on the trust that is essential for team success.  Working together closely, monitoring progress, and providing feedback are all necessary for teams to be successful. 

These past six weeks has been particularly introspective because of the challenges my team is currently facing and the manner in which our leader has responded or failed to respond to our needs and concerns.  These last six weeks have given me a better understanding of how complex leadership can be and how important it is to remain connected to our subordinates.  When we lose sight of how our employees feel we set ourselves up for failure.  Being in a position of working with a high preforming team at its peak, with all team members highly motivated, content, and focused to working with the same team that no longer is willing to put forth the effort has been eye opening.  From this experience I have learned what type of leader I do not want to be.  Obolensky (2014) wrote “A few simple rules matching people’s (or indeed an organization’s) skill and will to the four possible strategies help lay a foundation of how to move followers to take the lead, and enable polyarchy to thrive” (p. 185).  I will focus on as a leader to build others up and to provide them with the tools necessary for them to grow.  I want to always remain trustful and honest with those that I lead.  Doing so, I believe I can be an effective leader no matter what the challenge.

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex Adaptive Leadership (2^nd. Ed.). Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing Company