MSLD 511 Module 1 - Two-Way street

Two-Way Street

Northouse (2015) defines leadership as a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. An interesting point Northouse makes is that not only leaders affect followers (whose I describe as partners to avoid the pejorative sense the word “follower” possibly suggests) but also followers affect leaders.

     One of the reasons I describe followers as partners is that we are all equal in the process of leadership, only with different roles to play, responsibilities and accountabilities to achieve the same goal. Together, as partners, we will succeed. As Hawkins (1987) states, all members contribute to the effectiveness of leadership.

     However, even being equals, the leader plays a crucial part to make the entire team achieve the common goal. He or she is the one who influence the others to this achievement, through guidance, support, respect, trust and clear communication.

     I can recall a leader I had ten years ago, in one of my job experiences, which illustrate the influencing aspect of leadership and the two-ways effect of leader and followers, mentioned by Northouse.

     I started working in a beach resort as a trainee at first, and my manager had some leadership skills, however lacked on operational experience in the department. As I had worked before in the field, I offered my assistance to help in different tasks to be completed. Slowly, all the day planning was executed by me. Afterwards, when the professional trust was built through my operational knowledge, 100% attendance, time management and discipline, I started giving suggestions on the monthly reports, new recruitments, inventory and purchases and so on. Working closer every passing day, we started sharing our personal thoughts, feelings and believes, and this is how we developed our relationship, from leader and follower, to partners, than to friends.

     I kept observing how she treated others and treated me, and what I contributed which others did not. She did not know how to guide me operationally, as mentioned, however she first gave me the opportunity to show my professional experience. As consequence, she empowered me to continue contributing in the department in different ways. Whenever I needed personal assistance she was there for me, and she never doubt (or has shown doubt) of what I did or said. She was delegating her tasks to me slowly, until she reached one point of observer. I was doing all her tasks plus mine. I admit that I felt sometimes she was being unfair, since I worked way more than others and had higher pressure, however to compensate she paid me off with flexibility whenever I needed (which it was and is priceless for me).

     The most important outcome of my relationship with my manager, is our friendship which lasts until the present moment, and which was crucial in a very delicate phase of my life. Professionally, the most important way I was impacted by the leader-follower relationship is that when she resigned, she recommended me to her director to replace her, which was considered by him. I worked as manager in this company thanks to her trust on me and on my capabilities which was developed by her. The experience I acquired as manager was essential to my promotions in my current job and to my daily professional performance. I learnt how to recognize potential leaders in my team, the value of trust, empowerment and interpersonal relationship in a work environment.

                                          By Orlando Scampington

REFERENCES

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice 7^th ed. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Hawkins, F. H. (1987). Human Factors in Flight. Hants, England: Ashgate.

MSLD 500 Module 9 - Course Reflections

Course Reflections

Leadership Founds in Research

Leadership course in general helps students develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies that make effective leaders who stand out. The course is designed not only to prepare the students for today’s most challenging leadership roles, graduates, but also to position us as valued decision-makers of tomorrow. According to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, great leaders, who are systematically developed, promote high-performing teams that consistently outperform the competition.

     The greatest value added from the class taken was my self-preparation as a student. I feel the course prepared me for the next steps in my academic life and my career, from the knowledge to applicability. Academically, I feel ready to keep moving on, and professionally I recognize opportunities.

     The strength of my studies was the subjective but valuable learnings, as critical thinking, leadership as a system, traits of good leaders and the discovery of self-leadership.  I got in touch with presentation and survey tools, writing standards, different channels of publication, apart from all new theoretical resources available. Aside from that, critical thinking was the most valuable learning throughout the course, something I never imagined myself going through. 

     I know there are whole to be filled and points to be learnt. For an instance, I would like to learn more about standard formats and get corrected at any mistake made. I would like to feel more in a classroom, in touch directly and constantly with the professor, and get specific feedback about my works. Time management is something I would love to improve, but this is my developing point. From the University point of view, the weekly deadlines are great to keep an online course active and well time managed, however, as mentioned, constant and specific feedback/ comments about my works, and clear formats of the way the tasks must be submitted would be an additional support from University/ Instructor I would like to have. I have my part on the gap, while I could approach to clarify my doubts, but having that information in advance would be great.

     These developing aspects involve more than one part, including mine, so taking that as a step stone, something I could have done and I plan to do in the future courses, is to take initiative to keep in touch with the professor, asking questions before submitting or publishing my works, doing my works ahead of time, and leave for the submitting deadline only for adjustments and corrections to be done.

     The topics covered in the course were extremely relevant and will definitely impact positively in my career, as they already did. Undoubtedly, they will easily influence on what I expect in future courses.

     The greatest point of a self-evaluation, and something I learnt throughout the course, is intellectual humility. Going through aspects we could improve and recognize our weakness, is one of the most valuable tools for self-development.

 “As a human being one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists. If such humility could be conveyed to everybody, the world of human activities would be more appealing”. (Albert Einstein)

MSLD 500 Module 5 – Critical Thinking about Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking about Critical Thinking

I always considered myself a critical thinker, for the fact I analyze information in a deep perspective. I am used to bring up new possibilities and alternatives in a conversation, showing different points of views and antagonizing, especially paradigmatic data.

     Going through studies, I realize these traits are important and essential while thinking critically, however not necessarily means I am critical thinker. My competencies are still in a low stage. I got the knowledge of critical thinking concepts, elements, standards, traits and virtues, and most relevant, the importance of thinking critically and link all these knowledges, stated by Elder and Paul (2016).

     My thinking processes definitely changed since I went through the topic, however, in a practical scope, I still miss a structure, to analyze and face situations reasoning them out. I know which elements to consider and standards to focus on, but still does not come automatically to me, going around the circle (Nosich, 2012, p. 68) while reacting to an event or thinking about a subject matter, which according to the referred author, it is just the basic process of analysis. I recognize that some of the impediments listed by Nosich (2012, p. 16-25) and others not listed by him, have a great influence on my blockage for critical thinking.

     In an average perspective, considering the standards applied to the elements of critical thinking (Elder & Paul, 2016, p. 19), I can say I managed to internalize and apply, on a daily basis, some of them.  As mentioned, there is a long way to be in a high level, or level three, according to Elder and Paul (2016, p. 6). For an instance, in a personal and professional scope, the standards of clarity, logicalness, significance and depth is more constantly applied to the elements of purpose, points of views, information, inferences and implications. Consequently, I am already developing through my recent knowledge, fairmindedness, confidence in reason, intellectual courage, humility and slowly, intellectual autonomy.

     To make lasting, positive changes in the way I think, I need to step back while facing a challenging situation or conversations, and think through all I have learnt. For that, I need to memorize all the concepts and techniques by heart, to easily and quickly go through them, since some decision-making conditions lack on time availability. I understand that internalize deeply the knowledge I have learnt recently is the greatest step to take from now, only then I will be able to apply them naturally.

     I believe critical thinking and powerful leadership are inevitably connected. To be a great leader, it is crucial to think things through and act in accordance to it. To be an organizational powerful leader, with strong influence in the team and consequently in the organization, it is essential to lead by example, to be accurate, clear, relevant, logical, precise, significant, ample and deep, fair and complete, as a role model. It is compelling to think about the purpose of our thinking and actions, analyzing inferences, concepts, implications and assumptions, all the information available, alternatives and point of views, making questions to ourselves and our teams. Only this way we can achieve pivotal intellectual virtues to succeed as leader.

“Personal Power is the influence capacity a leader derives from being seen by followers as likable and knowledgeable… role model… competent … considerate.” (Northouse, 2016, p. 12)

  

Northouse P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7^th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage.

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson

Paul R., Elder L. (2016). Critical thinking: concepts and tool. Tomales, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.

MSLD 500 module 4 - Ballet Slippers or Adorable?

The Art of Choosing

Nowadays, the system make us think that having the freedom to make choices is beneficial to everyone and in all situations. Most of the countries, especially those with restrictions regarding to genders, casts, races, assumes this is the best benefit of America: variety and freedom to make choices. In America, you choose what to do with your own life, and the opportunities are vast, there, simply waiting for someone to grab it! You make the decisions which affects your own life.

     Dr. Sheena Iyengar (2010) on her speech about choices brings up this subject with mastery. She went through some studies regarding to the art of choosing, to see how it is influenced by cultures, backgrounds, how it brings different consequences and until which point, the freedom to make choices is beneficial. She stated that the choices are more influenced by who the chooser is than the options available.

     According to Dr. Iyengar (2010) Americans make three assumptions when it comes to make choices, which are:

1. If a choice affects you, then you should be the one to make it.

2. The more choices you have the more likely you are to make the best choices.

3. You must never say no to choices.

     Considering these assumptions, she concludes that the benefic idea of choice is distorted due to cultural differences, situation itself and consequences which always having choices and making them can lead to. Dr. Iyengar agrees with the fact that choices made the world a fairer place, however having the Americans assumptions as an absolute truth is not necessarily the right way of thinking, based on her studies.

    I agree in Dr. Iyengar, and bringing those conclusions to a leadership point of view, make me think how a leader is always in a position do make decision, to choose the best way to deal with determined situation, to think always in a holistic perspective while choosing. As a leader we do not have a choice of not choosing, so what we can learn from Dr. Iyengar speech, is whenever it is possible, think if it is really a choice to be made, when, and if we really need to make it, what we should consider and how to filter them to avoid having a big amount of choices as a confusion key on decision making.  

    Still on this subject, Nosich (2012, p. 49) list alternatives as a central element of reasoning. Nosich (2012, p. 61) states that whenever we reason, there are alternatives, in other words, choices. As per Nosich perspective, the freedom of having alternatives is one of the greatest benefits of learning to think critically. He says that think about the elements of reasoning in terms of alternatives is empowering in a direct way. Make us think in other possible potential paths which we could not see before, make us consider different possibilities. So, the ideas of both researches, connected, make us think on the importance on the art of choosing in leader perspective.

“ We need to develop the ability to give up desired alternative paths, accepting that it is often important to grieve for paths we could not follow.” (Nosich)

Iyengar S. (2010). The art of choosing. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing?language=en#t-904622

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson. 

MSLD 500 Module 3 - Organizational Leadership as a System

Organizational Leadership as a System

Organizational leadership can be seen in different ways depending on the perspective and approach of the leader, or of anyone interested on the subject. First it is important to understand the definition of organizational leadership, to than analyze the distinction between these perspectives.

     In accordance to TDK Technologies, organizational leadership is a dual focused management approach that works towards what is best for individuals and what is best for a group as a whole, simultaneously. It also mentions that it is also an attitude and a work ethic that empowers an individual in any role to lead from the top, middle, or bottom of an organization. Complementing this definition, MSG Experts say that organizational leadership deals with both human psychology as well as expert tactics. It emphasizes on developing leadership skills and abilities that are relevant across the organizations.

     There can be not just a distinction but often a contradiction between seeing organizational leadership as a simple body of information or as a system of thinking. Considering the definitions and descriptions mentioned previously, seeing the term simply as a body of information, it lacks on comprehension. There would be gaps with crucial questions as: what to do with this information? How to approach it? Who to direct to? For what? And so on.

      It is impossible to approach the term as just information given. Since it involves individuals, attitude, ethic, human psychology, tactics, all together, it is a must to involve thinking, or better than that, system of thinking. We can use a body of information associated to it, however not compare one definition with another.  Most of the organizations, especially in a time of constant changes witnessed nowadays, faces continual challenges which can turn to conflict and threats to any business. Thinking through the challenges as a whole, in a system perspective, it is crucial for organizational leaders and can define the future of their organization. Kaufman et al. (2003, p. 57) also highlights the importance of thinking and acting holistically for high payoff results. As leaders, we must to think through a system. The performance of a system depends on how the parts are connected and how they relate. (Kaufman et al., 2003, p. 61).

     Considering organizational leadership as a system of thinking does not change how I see and approach my course work, however it makes me keep focused on a holistic point of view through the discipline, facing leadership as complex system, where thinking critically plays an essential role through dynamic times.

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence. It is to act with yesterday’s logic.” (Drucker, 1993).

    

Drucker P. (1993). Post-capitalist society. New York – NY: HarperBusiness.       

Kaufman R., Oakley-Browne H., Watkins R., Leigh. D. (2003). Strategic planning for success: Aligning people, performance and payoffs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/ Pfeiffer.

MSG Management Study Guide. Organizational Leadership. Retrieved from https://managementstudyguide.com/organizational-leadership.htm#

TDK Technologies. Key Components of Organizational Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.tdktech.com/tech-talks/key-components-of-organizational-leadership

MSLD 500 Module 2 - Tell Your Story

Tell Your Story

We all have been shaped by our personal history, influenced by associations, family, values, activities, environment and so forth. Our life story usually guides us on how to respond to the situations we face and which standards we follow to react to these situation, or in short terms, how our mind works on our relationship with the world.

          My life story was mostly shaped by non-critical- thinking standards, with some hints of critical thinking. While a child, I have watched my parents looking for joy. Along with my brother, we all went out to catch up with my parents’ friends during weekends, on environments surrounded with a lot of people, music, dance, and always on outdoor activities during the day. At least once a year, two things could not be missed: theme park and a holiday at the beach. Apart from that, sports were always present on our daily life, especially team sport. With that, I can say I was shaped by the non-critical-thinking standards, listed by Nosich (2012, p. 153), of fun, exciting, feels good and spontaneous. Some deeper non-critical-thinking standards were there in that phase of my life as well, such as free and loving.

          The great thing about it is that my parents did not let me grow only with these standards. The implement of some of the critical-thinking standards were always present which made me keep my feet on the ground, in harmony with the world around me. I have been grown in a well-organized and reliable environment, with plenty of clearness more than just obedience. Everything was always explained to me in order to make me understand the reason behind the rules. Honesty was always present as well, meaning it could be fun and full of joy but never without morality on my actions.

          My primary and extended family played a crucial role in my life story, and how I responded and still respond to all aspects in my life. I acquired my standards mostly from them. At school I just learnt alphabetization and all subjects in order to prepare me for my professional life. Value as discipline and respect were taught at home, and my parents never counted on my scholar education to that.

          One very interesting non-critical-thinking standard influenced the way I critically think indeed: freedom. The fact I was free to think, to say what I though, to ask, to choose anything I wanted (with my parents’ permission afterwards by all means), to argue when not agreed (to understand the reason behind), and have always been explained about everything, made be face the world in a critical way. These questions were always there: but why, why not, but if, if not, for what? I had plenty of arguments with teachers, professors, priests, and so forth. Until I was not convinced with reasonable aspects of a subject, I was not satisfied.

          My standards did not change dramatically over the years. I just learnt, while in college and during daily adult life (which still is going on by the way), how to calm down, to think before saying, to analyze if it is worth arguing or convincing someone. I have learnt how to choose people I want to be with and environments I want to go into. I have more obedience, due to my professional experience. I realized some aspects cannot be explained to me and full stop, which was hard at the beginning but I have learnt how to live with it peacefully.

          Currently, the way I face situations in my life is more reasonable, logical, rational, relevant and still deep. Work experience, relationships and life style changed in few aspects the way I think, but the way I respond to situations is, thus far, influenced by the values learnt throughout my childhood.

          So, after all, what is the point of going through our life history and understand how our life story was built? The most important aspect of becoming conscious about our influences and how we have been shaped is stated by Nosich (2012, p.39):

“That then lays a foundation for you to become more intellectually autonomous, to gain substantially more ability to shape your own present and future through critical thinking.”

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

MSLD 500 Module 1 - Intellectual Perseverance

Intellectual Perseverance

Intellectual Perseverance is not just a simple intellectual trait. I acknowledge it one of the most crucial, considering the contemporary society. According to The Critical Thinking Community, Intellectual Perseverance is:

• having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations;
• firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others;
• a sense of the need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight.       

       Having this definition as a bottom line, I define Intellectual Perseverance as the ability to reason through challenging situations and believe fiercely on it, aiming to achieve the best outcome and solution, considering all the parts involved.

       Lately, we live in a dynamic world, surrounded by constant political, social, professional and personal changes and challenges. Difficulties are all over, and our capacity to overcome them adopting the most reasonable way, it is what defines us as good leaders towards the world and ourselves.

      All important step taken, independent of the sphere of our lives, brings up difficulties, which can be an obstruction or a stepping stone, a grievance or a triumph. The capability to turn negativity to positivity and failure to success is upon us, on our perseverance and intellectual skills.

      With my studies would not be different. Taking a new step on my career, I decided to major a master after being seven years away from an academic environment. The comfort zone held me for quite long time, but even knowing about all the obstacles I would have, I still took the decision, applied and registered on a Master of Science in Leadership in an aeronautical university. I am passionate for the subject and in love for aviation, and this alliance is what moved me forward to complete the step taken.

       Not being an English native speaker and registered in a north American university for the first time, being away from academic studies for a long period of time, having a job with different shifts every single day while working in aviation, are the most relevant challenges I believe I will face during the program, but considering my passion for the fields in question, my ability to see and turn positivity through negativity, the belief I have on my own intellectual capabilities, it what makes me go on. I will not give up and I am sure I will achieve my goal with delight along the journey, overcoming the difficulties. My intellectual perseverance will play a valuable role on this new phase of my life.

       As good leaders we need to have the knowledge besides the will, we need to be up-to-date, to free ourselves from convenience, we need to be more than critical thinkers and decision makers. We must to be part of the solution and along with knowledge, actual information and analytical thinking, we need to persevere intellectually through hard times!

The Critical Thinking Community. Valuable Intellectual Traits. Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528