A520.9.3.RB_WolfordElvira

Nine weeks ago, I viewed leadership as a distinct or shared influence process and a direct or indirect administration.  A leader who is in a dedicated leadership role, in general, has the responsibility to lead its followers in accomplishing a common task while a leader who is an extraordinary influence does not have to be the “chosen leader” of a group.  The leader has the innate power to motivate an individual or a group of people either directly or indirectly with an intended result for the benefits of one collective group.  Leaders like CEOs of an organization have a direct influence on their employees.  They have the authority to implement organizational policies and procedures that employees of the organization are required to comply.  

Yukl, 2012) cited in his book, Leadership in the organization (8^th ed.) that empowering employees in the workplace can be accomplished by encouraging them to regard issues or problems as opportunities, by promoting them to think innovatively, and giving them support when they seemed discouraged.  It is important for leaders of any organization to articulate the importance of their company’s contribution to humanity (George, 2015).  Macdonald (2011) made the emphasis that the crucial element of how a leader can empower the followers understands the concept of empowerment.  When a leader finally understands the power of empowerment, they will recognize that empowerment encompasses sharing of power and not the transfer of authority (MacDonald, 2011).

When I joined Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, I was hired as a temporary recruiter.  Although considered as a contractor at that time, the Executive Director of Human Resources for the East Florida Region, gave me the full autonomy to analyze a candidate’s experience and skills and make appropriate recommendation(s) to the Hiring Manager.  She encouraged me to make appropriate decisions to decline candidate(s) as I see fit.  The Executive Director’s trust and confidence in my skills and abilities were very influential and impactful to the hospital’s hiring managers. It was a domino effect and very empowering.  We were hiring the right candidates, and our retention rate increased.

Our HR Regional Executive Director does not only delegate tasks without providing us her full support in our decision makings but also giving us the autonomy to make those difficult but needs to get done decisions.  With her 100% support and back-up, she builds our confidence, and she always reminds us not to be afraid of committing errors.  When an error occurs, she encourages us to get the HR Business Partners consultation to correct the error.  Our access to information and different resources to accomplish and be successful in our position, are unlimited.  She shares with us the empowerment she receives from our CEO and COO.  She knows who she is and very confident of who she has become through the guidance of her past and present mentors.  She is the reason why I am very satisfied as a strategic leader in my current position.

This course's focused on developing teamwork as critical for the success of any organization.  I have learned that it is to the advantage of the company when every member of the team works cohesively to accomplish departmental and organizational goals.  It is not only of utmost importance that the team members have the autonomy and freedom to achieve assigned tasks, but it is also imperative that they have the capacity to work well with other members of the team.  It will be of significance that members of the group have not only the ability to communicate well their aspirations or ideas and be collaborative to the group to complete departmental projects and tasks successfully but also have the willingness to accept constructive criticism to improve themselves.

When positioned as Assistant Director of Human Resources, the team was lead by a leader who did not have the capacity and ability to lead the department with a clear vision and goal.  There was no cohesiveness in the setting of targeted goals, and the members of the team’s role were not appropriately specified.  The members of the HR team were not communicating openly and honestly either due to fear of retaliation or just did not care at all.  Personality and cultural conflicts withing the group were very apparent, and disrespect for each other was evident.

Through this course, I have learned that resolving conflict is not only a standard function or skills of a leader in the workplace.  Leading a diverse team with different cultures, beliefs, and religions, conflict within the group was inevitable.  Defining to my staff that it is okay to agree to disagree, but we have to take personal differences outside the workplace was essential to the success and unity of the team.  I have emphasized the importance of accepting the fact that we are all equal, and trust and respect for each other are significant for us to succeed as a team.  When one cannot persuade the other to see things their way, the other has to let either the matter go or simply leave the room and discuss the matter when both are ready to listen with an open mind.

Blanchard (2008) defined supportive behavior as the extent to which one engages in two-way communication, listen, provide support and encouragement, facilitate interaction, and involve people in decision-making.  In three simple words, supportive behavior can be defined as praise, listen, and promote.  As a leader, we can impact the lives of our workforce and our capability to organize an excellent team to make our employees feel that they are part of that team is a helpful thing to do and a deliberate strategic decision that we to make (Lencioni, 2014).

I have come to learn throughout this course that communication is imperative to our relationship whether at work or home.  At work, I have an open door policy with my team.  My group at work and my husband know that I will avail myself when they need me.  The other day, I sat down with one of the staff of our acquired physician practice, and I have noticed that the employee was stressed-out and about to explode.  Instead of continuing on our benefits enrollment process, I closed the door and asked her if there was anything I can do for her.  She burst into tears and relayed that she worked ten hours last Monday, her equipment was not working the way it supposed to, and she is worried about her elderly parents with the coming of Hurricane Mathew.  I let her cry and talk until she calmed down and resumed her benefits enrollment.  She gave me a hug before she left and thanked me for just listening.

Although supportive leadership is an essential trait for a leader to practice, I find it necessary to practice it with balance.  Over-controlling our employees’ behavior for fear of finding them committing too much mistake which may result in being despised by the staff because they are losing their freedom of becoming who they are.  Over-supporting them, on the other hand, will cause too much dependency to our leadership and giving them too much autonomy may cause chaos in the workplace due to the absence of consequence and discipline.

Throughout my learning with my Masters in Leadership Program, I was able to transpose myself to every leadership styles such as transactional leader, transformational leader, adaptive leader and authentic leader.  I discovered that my current leadership style could be more identifiable to a transformational leader.  A transformational leader who prevails on change exercises “control” trough trust, inspires a vision of what might be to attain the respect and confidence of followers.  I possess the behavioral characteristics of a role model and ‘walk the walk” even in times of testing occasions (Dubois et al., 2015).  I developed the ability to focus on motivating and empowering my team always on a commitment to excellence, excellent team-building, and a strategic collaborative effort with my group to achieve transformation successfully.  Lastly, I have managed to find different avenues to elicit a solid performance from my team in the absence of blind allegiance.

References:

Blanchard, Ken (2008). Situational Leadership. Leadership Excellence; May 2008; 25, 5;

ProQuest Central pg. 19

Dubois, Melissa, Hanlon, John, Koch, Jodi, Nyatuga, Betty, & Kerr, Nathan (2015). Leadership

Styles of Effective Project Managers: Techniques and Traits to Lead High Performance Teams. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance, and Marketing 7.1 (Mar 2015): 30-46.  Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1681254193?pq-origsite=summon

George, Bill (2015). Are you Empowering a Leader? Retrieved from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-george/are-you-an-empowering-lea_b_8250680.html%20

MacDonald, Bob (2011). The Power of the Powerful is to Empower the Powerless. Retrieved

from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-george/are-you-an-empowering-lea_b_8250680.html%20

Northouse, Peter (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills,
        9^th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Yukl, Gary (2012), Leadership in the Organization (8^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice

Zhao, Hongdan (2015). Leader-member exchange differentiation and team creativity: A

moderated mediation study. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 36 Iss: 7, pp.798 – 815. Retrieved from: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/LODJ-12-2013-0172

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