Introduction
In this final assignment essay, I will review the journey that I have taken this semester. I will revisit the initial thoughts on leadership that I had in the beginning of the semester. I will describe some of the leadership aspirations in the spheres that I am called to lead. I will also review the constructs I have learned from the Full Range Leadership Model (FRLM) and from Sarros’ book The Character of Leadership. Following that, I will describe some of the insights gained from the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 360° feedback and the developmental plans that I have formulated as a result of the MLQ Report.
Initial Thoughts On Leadership
I have learnt and I have experienced that we are natural leaders in the areas of our natural strengths, gifts and talents. We are equipped with natural strengths, gifts and talents just by being born a human being on earth. As we journey through life, our primary task is to identify those areas of natural strengths, gifts and talents which will provide us with the sweet spot in which we can operate effortlessly and in the flow. We find that we can generate new ideas and have unique perspectives in the areas of our natural strengths, gifts and talents. This is the way we lead others.
We lead in the areas of our natural strengths, gifts and talents, and we collaborate in the areas of our weaknesses and in the areas of other people’s strengths. As human beings, we have a natural bend to work in teams. We need human relationships and other people.
When a team is effective, the leader can multiply their efforts. We see the complex effect of multiplication when a team is functioning well. The effective leader can multiply their efforts by training and coaching their followers. Many hands make light work. Skills are shared throughout the team. Team members can share the load of leadership within the team and within the scope of the authority in which they have been delegated.
Leadership Aspirations
I would like to locate more of the areas of my natural strengths, gifts and talents. Writing is one of my natural strengths. As I write, I am inspired to explore new fields of learning, and expand existing fields of expertise. In this inspired state, I discover new perspectives of knowledge that is relevant to the world of today.
In ministry, I am called to be a scribe and a strategic lead. I am called to find the common ground and strategic direction for the Church of Jesus Christ, and raise leaders within this community. I am called to build a bridge into the secular community and find the relevant divinely inspired solutions to real world problems using the Holy Bible. I should be able to hold the Bible in one hand and today’s newspapers in the other hand and find divinely inspired solutions from a biblical perspective to today’s problems. Build the community on a firm foundation of solid rock of timeless truths. I am learning to be a speaker and a coach while I am waiting for the doors of opportunity to open.
In personal life, I am called to lead an exemplary and strong life that is a credit to God, whom I represent. I am called to stretch and grow in the areas of my natural strengths, gifts, and talents, and in the areas of my supernatural strengths, gifts and talents. I am called to grow in character and leadership.
Constructs From FRLM
Of all the models of leadership presented by the Full Range Leadership Model (FRLM), transformational leadership has been singled out as the leadership style that works best in the world of leadership. Transformational Leadership is where the leader builds a culture within the organization where they build trust, act with integrity, inspire others, encourage innovative thinking, and coach people. Transformational Leadership energizes people (followers) in the right direction and allows them to get to their destinations under their own steam without any control mechanisms or constant coercion. Both in the short term and in the long term, followers are inspired and stimulated to develop their strengths, not constantly having to fix their weaknesses. There is a culture of continuous education and learning, continuous improvement – fixing and improving the issues rather than blaming the people.
In the ideal transformational leadership, followers are more fulfilled and satisfied in their workplace. They feel a sense of freedom and empowerment to do their jobs. They make extra effort beyond the call of duty. Followers collaborate in their work teams resulting in a more agile and lightweight organization. Followers share the load of leadership with the positional leader.
Transformational leadership is an ideal model for a leader to lead other people. It is mainly applicable for the positional leader who is building a culture within an organization. It is also applicable to the followers who are sharing the load of leadership.
Constructs From Sarros’ Characteristics Of Leadership
Sarros’ characteristics of leadership examine the personal character of an effective leader – a leader that will go the distance over a long haul. Passion, self-discipline and courage frame the leader’s own approach to the world. Integrity, humility, wisdom, organization loyalty, honesty and competence frame the leader’s stance to their organization. Respectfulness, compassion, fairness, cooperativeness, spiritual respect and selflessness frame the leader’s stance to others.
These are the characteristics of a good leader. In the rough and tumble of the world of business, a leader frequently has to watch their own back. By being a leader of good character, the leader is equipped with both offensive and defensive weapons for the journey in their workplace. They build trust amongst their peers and their followers.
Before a leader can lead others, they have to learn to lead themselves. By building their own character, the leader learns to lead themselves. The strength of a leader’s character will keep them on the right track for the long term and through adversity.
Insights Gained Through MLQ 360° Feedback
The insights that I gained about myself from the MLQ 360° feedback states that I tend to rate myself more highly than my raters have. On the five axes of builds trust, acts with integrity, inspires others, encourages innovative thinking, and coaches people, I have rated myself higher than the general Australian norms; whereas my raters have rated me lower than the general Australian norms.
I have known and built relationships with my raters in my ministry sphere for about two years. During those two years, my close contact with them has mainly been through my writing. So, face-to-face interaction has been fairly limited. In ministry, I work from home. And my communications with my raters have been limited to emails and text messages. The interaction I have in ministry is more thoughtful and faith-based. My role in ministry has mainly been as a scribe and a strategic lead. Everyone organize themselves around what I write.
In ministry, I have less contact time with my peers and more people to distribute my attention. The contact time is limited to when the people meets. It is more a social event rather than an active doing work type environment. Everyone is relaxed and social during the times that we do meet.
Also, I am more extroverted in the workplace with people who have common work goals, interests, and vision. In the workplace, there is more impetus to achieve common work goals – thus more verbal face-to-face coaching. There is more opportunity to build trust and inspire people.
In the past, I have been hurt very badly through competitive behavior in the workplace. I have demonstrated above average leadership skills and coaching skills in the workplace, and other people have reacted competitively. Some people (colleagues or managers) may find talent threatening, and I have ended up with some bad treatment. As a result, I have learnt to draw back and not be so extroverted – not display my skills so blatantly. I have learnt tact and subtlety, and to be not as assertive.
Developmental Plans As A Result of MLQ Report
I have chosen to re-build my skills in building trust with people and connecting with the people who matter to me. I am starting with my active listening skills, and letting people know that I am hearing what they are saying and that I care. I will show that I accept and value the feelings, concerns and wishes of my associates. I will help people to express their thoughts and feelings in constructive ways.
From Sarros’ book, I have been able to distill the characteristics of leadership from the examples of Australian leaders. Though these concepts are familiar to me, Sarros’ book has helped me to express and explain these concepts in plain English. These are quite a lot of concepts to take into our rational mind. I would like to work on them such that they are built into my emotional quotient in my heart.
Conclusions
This leadership journey this semester was very valuable for me. It has reconstructed and refreshed a part of my memory that I lost through work stress and persecution stress. I had learnt, as part of a leader’s role, to hold my ground in the face of intense physical and spiritual opposition. Unfortunately, holding my ground in the face of intense opposition also means that I have endured the consequences of that opposition. In a sense, my holding ground was character building. It reinforced the concepts I learnt from the Bible and Sarros’ book The Character of Leadership. I was not going to be swayed by the waves of cultural shifts that are assailing the Western nations. I held on to my principles, even though it put my job(s) in jeopardy.
In the global economy and in the global community, values and beliefs shift at the speed of the internet and at the speed of jet travel. Many cultures are inter-mixing. Character values and principles are constantly being attacked and diluted. I am not against diversity in people groups inter-mingling. But character values and principles are timeless leadership truths that need to be preserved. It’s easy to bend the timeless principles when many people are doing the same thing, and there are no clear and strong role models available. It is harder to preserve timeless character principles. In the end, the timeless truths will prevail so that we have an enduring civilization.
Bibliography
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Bass, B. M. (2004, February). Authentic transformational leadership. 360 degree Feedback: Newsletter of the Accredited MLQ Network, 6(1).
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Elliott, R. H. (2001, November). Organisational Leadership in Challenging Times: Australian Perspectives and New Benchmarks. Keynote address at the Australian Human Resources Conference on Leadership.
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James C. Sarros, Brian K. Cooper, Anne M. Hartican, Carolyn J. Barker: The Chracter of Leadership: What works for Australian leaders – making it work for you. John Wiley & Sons, Australia, Ltd. 2006.