An informed leadership philosophy.
I began this class quoting Kasey Musgraves’ Merry Go Round (Musgraves, 2012) and ended it quoting Tenille Townes’ The Girl Who Didn’t Care (Townes, 2021). This seems representative of the path I journeyed alongside 330 pages of John Dugan’s text on Leadership Theory (2017) and 220 pages of Discover Your True North (Craig et al., 2015). I shifted from a powerless but upset observer to embracing the power of authenticity in pursuance of change.
“I shifted from a powerless but upset observer to embracing the power of authenticity in pursuance of change. ”
We can see a similar journey in the evolution of my leadership philosophy. In week one, I said, “I get the chance to put my foot down and stop the merry-go-round. This structure cannot stay the same forever, and I will use my education, grit, grace, and moxie to affect change within the system of male-dominated leadership.” Let us deconstruct that a little bit. This intensity comes from a place of goodness but with little to no basis in leadership theory; I approached my philosophy solely with passion from lived experiences. I addressed (subconsciously, perhaps) great man theory, servant leadership, and social location and alluded toward a future that favored social change theory, authentic leadership, and connective leadership theory.
By week five, I had devised my personal purpose. It read, “I feel best when I am free, unafraid of judgment, and living fully. This is best expressed when I create and carry with me a safe and beautiful space for emotion to be expressed, all to be welcomed, and most importantly- all to be loved.” This week five purpose emphasized understanding controlled aspects in any given situation. I may not be able to control the circumstances surrounding my life, the people on a committee, or the decisions a majority voting system enacts- but I can ensure that all who interact with me will feel safe and loved. If I were a person in alignment with my true north, my purpose would coordinate with my leadership philosophy. Craig et al. said, “Through the lens of your life story, you can begin to see the wellsprings of your purpose, values, and motivations” (2015, p. 23). Theories of Production and Effectiveness, Connective Leadership Theory, Vanguard Theories, and Leader-Member Exchange Theory most inform my philosophy. My life story supports the core tenants of these theories (and their opportunities for deconstruction and reconstruction).
Theories of Production and Effectiveness “strongly emphasize the purpose dimension, offering prescriptive recommendations for how leaders should behave to increase productivity and outcome achievement” (Dugan, 2017, p. 71). In plain speech, leaders tell subordinates how to get results when utilizing Theories of Production and Effectiveness. Examples of this theory include Style/Behavioral, Educational, and Path-Goal. I regularly use Path-Goal leadership in my daily job and volunteer work with young children. Path-Goal can be used in two ways. One, a leader dictates an answer to a subordinate; there is no room for debate or leadership (in dictating or executing). Two, the leader is emotionally intelligent, aware of how their associate is motivated and adjusts their approach accordingly. As a result, they achieve a better outcome.
Leaders must exemplify superior emotional intelligence when utilizing Theories of Production and Effectiveness. If they do not, they may achieve lacking outcomes; understanding the employee and their motivations is critical to success with this theory. Cultivating agency within followers is also of paramount importance as Dugan (2017) covers the reconstruction of this theory; he says, “reconstructing theory with this tool (cultivating agency) could involve re-centering decision making, responsibility, and control with those involved in an activity versus those with positional authority” (p. 48).
Connective Leadership Theory calls for leaders to operate with a commitment to “engaging with leadership tensions grounded in ideology and social location” (Dugan, 2017, p. 229). To be clear, Connective Leadership Theory states that what we do at work relates to other parts of our lived experiences, current social location, and performance. This concept draws a strong parallel with intersectionality. Beth Zemsky discussed various topics as a guest on the Phronesis podcast with host Scott Allen (Allen, 2021). She was not aiming to cover the concept of intersectionality initially, but Zemsky became an excellent representation of what intersectionality looks like to me. She shared her identities as a psychotherapist, activist, queer person, Jew, and many more and how they all came together to inform her daily work and existence. This is similar to how Connective Leadership Theory works. We cannot consider people solely as they present themselves on the outside; we need to understand that they are more complex.
“We cannot consider people solely as they present themselves on the outside; we need to understand that they are more complex. ”
This can be further emphasized in the theory’s three meta-categorical sets of leader behaviors. Leaders utilizing this theory may exemplify direct, relational, or instrumental leadership styles (Dugan, 2017, p. 230). Each of these categories includes three styles within it. Although Connective Leadership Theory perpetuates the false dichotomy of leadership and followership, it still holds value in current leadership studies. The key to reconstructing Connective Leadership Theory and moving forward in good conscience is gaining a better, more thorough understanding of followers’ social location and how that affects their personhood. From there, we must adjust our leadership in response to our social location and new knowledge of our followers.
Vanguard Theories are “a set of theories that may not be the same a year, five years, or a decade from now” (Dugan, 2017, p. 257). Authentic Leadership falls under this cluster. Authentic Leadership seems simple at first glance: show up, be yourself, and function in a space that honors all that. However, reducing Authentic Leadership to such a simple statement can be catastrophic for some groups of people.
We must consider those in societal out-groups when examining this theory. For example, LGBTQ folx and Black and Indigenous People of Color are rarely free to show up as their whole selves in a work environment. We can see this in practice with repressive ethnic hair policies, work calendars based solely on protestant religious holidays, and other microaggressions which have taken hold in corporate America. These topics are some that can cause many feelings in the workplace.
However, just because something has been in practice for decades does not mean it should remain that way. Authentic Leadership has the opportunity to explore and engage with oppressed groups and alter workplace norms. Another highlight of Authentic Leadership as a subset of Vanguard Theories is its propensity for change. By definition, Vanguard theories are not expected to be the same year in and year out. This trait bodes well for supporting a quickly changing world and workplace culture.
“However, just because something has been in practice for decades does not mean it should remain that way.”
Authentic Leadership works hand in hand with Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX). This theory is built around the central tenant that “through engaging in social exchanges, leaders differentiate in the way they treat their followership leading to different quality relationships between the leader and each follower” (Dansereau et al., 1975. Graen & Cashman, 1975., as referenced by Martin et al., 2017, p. 151). In every place, there are in-groups and out-groups. To be fully authentic leaders, we must recognize the prevalence of LMX and the danger that in and out groups pose. This also means acknowledging that everyone has a different idea of authenticity and that some of those ideas can be outright destructive to at-risk populations. Craig et al. (2017) does a fantastic job digging into what Authentic Leadership looks like. This book studies a leader’s “True North” and helps them establish clear moral and intellectual boundaries in leadership. The more time we spend on this, the better our leaders will be as they work to pursue justice alongside leadership.
The final assignment from LDR:500 (this past fall) asked students to reflect on their learning about mind, body, and spirit and how those identity elements affect adaptive leadership. This led me to explore my leadership philosophies around grit and growth and identify systems that no longer work. I was surprised to find how much my writing from LDR:500 supported my findings from LDR:520- that we can only lead if we align with our whole selves. Immink (2018) supported this expansion as he covered the discomfort we feel in a post-modern era trying to adjust at a hyper-speed of change:
Dislocation is when the whole environment is being altered so quickly that everyone starts to feel they cannot keep up. That is what is happening now. Indeed, there is a mismatch between the change in the pace of change and our ability to develop the learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets, and government regulations that would enable citizens to get the most out of these accelerations and cushion their worst impacts. (p. 67)
I experienced misalignment this past fall when a sermon series at my lifelong church became increasingly alarming (Bethany Alliance Church, 2022). The longer I refused to acknowledge the misalignment, the more physical signs of the discomfort with the church became evident. I got more migraines. I could not fall asleep and had vivid bad dreams when I did sleep. When I woke, I just wanted to stay in bed. Conversations with my husband became short and snippy instead of warm and loving. My jaw was stiff from clenching my teeth all day and night.
Why the strong physical reaction to a sermon from an organization I had been connected to for 22 years? The simple answer is that the sermon series directly contradicted one of my most strongly held beliefs- that God loves all genders and all love without judgment. This is a non-negotiable topic for me. As such, my body would not let me move past the discomfort I felt around the church. My external body sounded the alarm for my leadership beliefs and philosophies internally.
This experience informs my leadership lens and philosophy. My most deeply held convictions, spirit, mind, and body must align for my leadership philosophy to thrive. Brene Brown’s writings became a balm for my soul during that season and throughout this course (Brown, 2023). Her unabashed words on vulnerability, shame, and creating a rumble culture all challenged and changed my thinking around my leadership philosophy.
Spending time in Dugan’s text on Critical Perspectives of Leadership Theory also cleaned off my leadership lens. When I entered this program, I thought I approached leadership from a primarily cis-gendered, heterosexual, female perspective. Now that we have studied so many theories, I realize that I have been deeply affected by leadership from childhood on- whether that is the misuse of servant leadership in religious settings, great man leadership in my home, or leadership myths perpetuated throughout my schooling career. Understanding these smudges on my lens has ultimately helped me see more clearly.
Exercises 10.1 and 10.3 in the Discover Your True North Fieldbook aim to find and live your personal purpose. I found it very helpful to answer some of Nick Craig’s and his colleague’s questions to discern what I wanted to be. As I responded to his questions, one that stood out asked me to “describe a moment from being a child where I loved what I was doing.” I wrote that I loved to run in the rain at the end of our dead-end street and feel the rain fall on me. Maybe it sounds cliché, but the reality of that answer is much deeper than a weather event. I was not in a hurry, and I was not worried about my hair not looking professional. I did not wear dry clean only clothes, and I did not need a drink of whiskey to relax enough to get creative. I just needed to step out my front door.
We must not forget the inner child who shaped us as we grow into adults. My inner child showed up a lot as I determined that my leadership purpose includes creating a safe space for new leaders to express the full range of their emotions- from sad and despondent to euphoric and hopeful. We must take time to ask them purposeful questions about how they are doing, find out what support they need and identify where they feel isolated. Using the exercises in Craig et al. (2015) on pages 164 and 165, I found that I feel best when I am free, unafraid of judgment, and living fully. This is best expressed when I create and carry with me a safe and beautiful space for emotion to be expressed, all to be welcomed, and most importantly- all to be loved. This was the purpose I referenced earlier, but it continued to be reinforced the more we delved into leadership theories.
Now I must decide: will I live my purpose and philosophy? Will I embody my personal purpose of living freely and fully, creating safe spaces for others, and exemplifying the tenants of Theories of Production and Effectiveness, Connective Leadership Theory, Vanguard Theories, and Leader-Member Exchange Theory? In short, the answer is yes.
References:
Allen, S. J., (Host). (19 July 2021). Beth Zemsky: Saying what’s true to us [Audio podcast episode]. In Phronesis: Practical wisdom for leaders. International Leadership Association. https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/podcasts/saying-whats-true-to-us/
Bethany Alliance Church. (2022, October 16). 10/16/22 Live Stream. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCU87RQeLIbj4gzXCKjqp4g/featured
Brown, B. (2023). Brene Brown. Brene Brown. https://brenebrown.com/
Craig, N. George, B. & Snook, S. (2015). Discover your true north fieldbook: A personal guide to becoming an authentic leader (2nd ed.). Wiley.
Dugan, J.P. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Immink, R. (2018). Resilience. Oak Tree Press.
Martin, R., Thomas, G., Legood, A., & Dello Russo, S. Leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation and work outcomes: Conceptual clarification and critical review. J Organ Behav. 2018; 39: 151-168. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2202
Musgraves, Kasey. (2012). Merry go round [Song]. On Same trailer different park [Album]. Mercury Records.
Townes, Tenille. (2021). Girl who didn’t care [Song]. Sony Music Entertainment.