There may be certain characteristics and behaviors that executives have that differentiate them from others and allow them to separate from the pack to climb to the top of the proverbial ladder. Based on the ideologies of path-goal leadership, transformational leadership, and authentic leadership, there are some key concepts that are specifically applicable and beneficial for leaders in top-management roles. 

Path-Goal Leadership is an approach to leadership that emphasizes the removal of obstacles for subordinates by leaders through the altering of different behaviors based on the needs of the followers and the variance of situations (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 133). The concept of removing obstacles is very imperative to a top-level management role; but instead of being barriers to individual employees, the obstacles are on a more organizational or industry level. An example of this would be when executive officers communicate with department heads in order to find more efficient ways to streamline processes.  These may cut across more than one department.  For example, an inefficient accounts payable process or ineffective recruiting process would affect almost all parts of the company. 

CEOs may also define overarching goals that would potentially help alleviate those obstacles  (PSU WC, 2022, L. 6 p.13). In doing so, they may take a participative leadership approach and work with subordinates and department heads to address how those goals should be structured and achieved (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 135-136). Based on the broad scope of their title and role, executives may have little knowledge of how certain departments function as opposed to or in relation to others. Thus, it is important to consult with mid to lower-level managers who have a thorough understanding of the functions and needs of employees in order to successfully implement those goals. Another critical behavior of top-level management is an achievement-oriented leadership mindset. Being able to set expectations and motivate employees to buy into and rise to the challenge of accomplishing organizational goals is beneficial, especially since CEOs cannot “hover” or guide each employee toward desired outcomes (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 136). Executives have a much wider array of responsibilities and can only, realistically, focus on overall company performance rather than individual success. 

Transformational leadership refers to the approach that changes followers’ behaviors and norms  through connection and interlinkage to a higher goal or purpose (PSU WC, 2022, L. 10 p.2). There are many ways in which CEOs and other executives can transform an organization.  However, focusing on employees and inspiring them to be passionate about the corporate objectives is the most successful. In doing so, they must possess charisma. Charisma is described as a characteristic that allows people to do extraordinary things that help influence others. So, executives must be self-confident, dominant, and have strong moral values  (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 188-189). Executive level management must demonstrate their confidence in the company and their leadership, and in today’s society, they must do so ethically and morally correctly. Additionally, CEOs also need to demonstrate their vision clearly and effectively  (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 198). CEOs need to communicate their goals and how they align with the trajectory of the company because it allows people at every level to identify and align their behaviors with the desired outcomes. 

Transformational leadership emphasizes the ability to enable others to act, which means they work well with other people and empower the workplace to collaborate and contribute their thoughts (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 200). Similar to both achievement-oriented and participative leadership, this concept emphasizes the value of other perspectives and encourages employees to believe in themselves and to achieve great things. CEOs who work with their subordinates to transform employees into self-sufficient workers and foster an environment where employees can be creative and innovative pave the way for great outcomes within their organizations. 

Executives must also be authentic leaders. Authentic leadership, based on a developmental perspective, discusses how leaders can be developed through personal life experiences in order to communicate with others and understand their own capabilities  (PSU WC, 2022, L. 12 p.2). There are many stories of how top-level managers start from humble beginnings as an entry-level salesperson or even a janitor. This is often because they understand the company processes at the most basic level, and as they gain more experience and ranking, they are able to develop upon those understandings. Some of these experiences could be considered to be critical life events, which are major events that form a person’s life and perspective which can generate more authenticity in their leadership (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 230). Some of these critical life experiences do not even have to be work related; for they could be life altering events that change their point of view and shift their values. Either way, the individual highs and lows of an executive, or anyone really, contribute to their unique and authentic self. 

Top-level management must also demonstrate authentic leadership characteristics in order to convey the messages and goals of the company. One characteristic that is imperative for an authentic leader is the ability to develop a compelling corporate purpose. This is similar to self-confidence in transformational leadership, in terms of a leader’s confidence in their abilities and the cause. Because of this, they tend to have a passion that compels them towards this purpose (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 223). CEOs must show that they believe in the purpose of the organization and strive towards the goals they set. When executives are excited and motivated by the purpose, they are self-motivated and have a high desire for fulfillment from the goals that the purpose demands. Thus, they light a fire within themselves which can fan out to other employees and drive a united passion. They also must exude the values of the  organization through the way they communicate and behave (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 224). For example, if an organization’s values are integrity, innovation, and collaboration, then the CEO’s behavior should align as closely to those beliefs as possible. For how can employees be expected to exemplify those values if the top-level managers do not. Though transformation of an organization starts from the employees, instilling those values and the desire to change comes through the visualization from top and then down. 

Key factors of path-goal leadership, transformational leadership, and authentic leadership provide insights on how executives, CEOS, and top-level managers function successfully as leaders. Though there are numerous ways executive officers can lead,  when utilizing psychological foundations, it can provide a roadmap for future executives and managers on how to build upon their current skill sets to strengthen and adapt their behaviors to be successful. Many top-level management stories tend to have common themes. Even though no leaders are alike, believing in an organization’s mission and helping others see that mission is one skill all successful leaders have in common. 

 

References

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188530 

 (PSU WC, 2022, L. 9 p.2)

 

I have grown up playing team sports my whole life and, as I am sure that others who have played team sports as well will know, there are some really good coaches who uplift and develop his or her players and some coaches who tear down players and do not foster a growth mindset. Based on this class, I have seen what approaches are present in effective coaches. Path-goal theory, servant leadership, and authentic leadership are all leadership approaches that coaches can utilize to effectively lead players into hard work on and off the field. 

One thing that sports teams tend to have in common is the ability to rally towards the common goal of winning. Since coaches lead the teams towards their common goals, it makes sense that path-goal theory would be very applicable in these circumstances. Path-goal theory is an approach to leadership that emphasizes a leader’s ability to help their followers achieve their goals by removing obstacles and by engaging in different behaviors that fit the needs of the followers and the circumstances of a given situation (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 133). There are three main leader behaviors that path-goal theory focuses on: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. Directive leadership occurs when leaders provide specific instructions regarding a task. Supportive leader behaviors focus on being approachable and amicable; they help make things easier and enjoyable for their followers. Participative leadership allows followers to play a role in making decisions and suggestions are taken into consideration by the leader. The achievement-oriented behaviors push followers to be the best they can be and instill beliefs of self-efficacy and confidence in them  (PSU WC, 2022, L. 6 p.13). There are many examples of this seen in the practice of coaching. 

First, coaches utilize directive leadership to help achieve the goals of winning by instructing players on how to make a play. For example, if a player is struggling to shoot a basketball, an effective coach may break each step down with the player to show them exactly how to correctly shoot a basketball. Effective coaches demonstrate supportive leadership when a player may be upset for making a mistake during a game. An example of this could be when a shortstop makes a bad throw that costs the winning run to score and then the team loses the game. The shortstop may be very upset and emotional. An effective leader would notice this and provide emotional support and comfort them, whereas an ineffective leader may single them out or express anger at the player. Coaches can show participative leadership when asking players what they want to work on in practice. If a football team is struggling to make a variety of different plays, an effective coach may ask them what they want to work on in order to make  the practice most beneficial for the players. Finally, achievement-oriented behaviors are very important in coaches, instilling confidence and encouraging the ability of players to develop in their skillset is imperative when trying to create a winning team. On a more personal note, I have found coaches that engage in achievement-oriented behaviors for growth both on and off the field to be most effective and memorable. 

Servant leadership is also an approach that coaches can utilize in order to be effective. Servant leadership focuses on leaders putting the needs of the followers above their own (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 254). For the most part, coaches do not get paid to coach, think little league, recreational sports, and travel teams. Thus, most coaches are volunteers who are there to help the players and want to provide guidance and see them improve. So coaches put their time needs and wants aside and help invest in the players. Based on the servant model of leadership, there are a few antecedents and leader behaviors that can lead to effective team and player performance, as well as  personal growth. Antecedent conditions include context and culture, which include the environment and nature of the situation; the leader attributes, which are the personal traits a leader brings to the table that help them lead; and follower receptivity, which is the desire for followers to be engaged  (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 259-260). Context and culture can be identified through the game or practice atmosphere that fosters a culture of winning, competition, and hardwork. Leader attributes can vary, but in servant leadership, characteristics such as emotional intelligence, self-determination, and moral development are imperative in order to successfully lead others as a coach (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 260).  Moreover, follower receptivity can be demonstrated when the players listen to the coach because of the authority and respect they have for him or her and usually the game itself. 

There are also leadership behaviors in servant leadership that coaches can utilize to lead successful teams. They are conceptualizing, emotional healing, the ability to put followers first, helping followers grow and succeed, behaving ethically, empowering, and creating value to the community. Conceptualizing is the ability to understand the processes of an activity; emotional healing describes behaviors that focus on the followers’ emotional states and concern for their well-being; behaving ethically occurs when leaders simply do the right thing intentionally; empowering is the behavior of encouraging and enabling followers to perform successfully by themselves; creating value for the community involves the positive impact that servant leaders elicit on their community (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 263). Putting followers first and helping followers grow and succeed are pretty self-explanatory and can be seen when effective coaches go out of their way to help a player. For example, a tennis coach may stay later after practice to help a player get extra work in order to help them succeed. Coaches can practice conceptualization by having knowledge of the game and being able to communicate complex rules to the players or by breaking down complex operations into simpler, but perhaps not obvious steps. This can be seen in baseball or softball when there is a confusing call made by the umpire and they break down the reasoning behind the call.  Emotional healing is very similar to the supporting behavior of goal-setting theory, in which they provide emotional support to uplift players when they get down on themselves. Coaches can behave ethically when they put the best players in the game. This may seem like a given, however, most coaches have children on the team or favorites that may not be the best, so it can be difficult to put them on the bench as opposed to others whom they are not as attached to. 

Effective coaches can empower their players by providing words of encouragement and instilling beliefs of confidence in them, which is also similar to achievement-oriented behaviors. This can be demonstrated in those football pregame meetings where coaches “hype” the players up and instill a group confidence and motivation to win Lastly, effective coaches can create value to the community by not only winning championships to unify a hometown, school, or county; but they can also give back to the community through community service events and by fostering values in their players such as integrity, a strong work ethic and good sportsmanship that will help them become better citizens. An example of this is when some coaches have mandatory volunteer events, such as cleaning a park or helping stock shelves at a food pantry, that occur outside of practices. I know that some of the best team-bonding events I have participated in are the ones in which we volunteered to help others. 

Another theory of leadership that coaches utilize to be effective is authentic leadership, which, when using the developmental approach, is the combination of relationships with followers, self-awareness, and personal experiences (PSU WC, 2022, L. 12 p.2). Coaches can use their knowledge of the game, their ability to communicate effectively, and awareness of their capabilities to help guide the players to improve. Authentic leaders use relationships to connect with their followers.  They let their values guide their behaviors, are disciplined to remain consistent in their practices, have heart, demonstrate compassion for their followers, and have a purpose that drives their passion for leadership positions (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 224). These factors influence how authentic a coach can be perceived by his or her followers. 

When coaches connect with players on a more personal level, that makes players more comfortable and motivated to perform at high levels. A coach joking around with players or showing concern about their lives outside of sports exemplifies this concept.  When coaches internalize hard work, dedication, and motivation, they express those behaviors on the field and can model them for the players. An example of this could be when coaches demonstrate positive energy during the game and good sportsmanship to the other team and coaches.  Effective coaches are also consistent. Especially when coaching young players, coaches are successful when they show constant behaviors. For example, if a coach is angry, and unhinged after one loss, but is calm and collected after a similar loss, it can confuse players and create tension. Effective coaches also exemplify kind behaviors that place emphasis on “having heart” and are compassionate. They are understanding of mistakes, very similar to both supportive behaviors in path-goal leadership and emotional healing in servant leadership. Coaches also usually have a purpose as to why they coach. For some, it is to help push and motivate young athletes, for others it is because they simply love the sport. Both can light a fire within a coach that shows that they have passion and dedication for the goals of the team. This one is hard to conceptualize through a specific example, but it can be seen and demonstrated when players know that this coach truly cares and loves what they do based on all of their other behaviors listed above. 

The approaches of path-goal leadership, servant leadership, and authentic leadership are all great theories to apply in a coaching setting. There are a few common concepts that overlap to identify key areas that make leaders effective. In my own life, the best coaches are the ones who care about our lives on and off the field. They have helped me develop skills to excel in the game, but also in the classroom and the workforce. For me, the impactful coaches know that it is more than a game, but also that the games aren’t the most important thing in life either. 

 

References 

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Retrieved from 

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188530 

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

 

Based on the lessons, movie reviews, and personal curiosity, I have pondered the question, why do destructive leaders stay in power? Destructive leaders are those who play harmful roles by partaking in self-promotion, taking credit for others’ work, bullying, and aggressive and manipulative behaviors (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 369).  Hindsight is 20/20, so looking back, leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Jim Jones, and many others are blatantly unethical in their leadership practices. But how did they get in power and how did they remain for as long as they did? Some of these answers can be found when looking at morality as a component of leadership, transformational leadership, followership, and the power and influence leaders can possess.

There are debates on how leadership is a process of two different functions: a neutral one and a moral one. Leadership as a neutral process focuses on the fact that leadership can be used for good or bad outcomes whereas leadership as a moral process emphasizes that leadership influences others for a common good (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 14-15). Initially, based on those two descriptions it is easy to go straight towards the neutral process, because some of these behaviors are clearly immoral or unethical. However, it is important to note that the term “common good” is subject to individual interpretation. For example, as horrible as it is, Hitler was said to have believed that he was making the world a better place (Weikart, R. (2009)). From that perspective, it identifies that there is a moral component to leadership. Thus, perhaps it can be implied that leaders act on their own moral compass, and there is a sort of twisted moral component. However, other leaders may be aware that their behavior and leadership is unethical, and still proceed. Both are different processes, but could initially discuss their rationale as to how or why they lead regardless of whether it is a societal standard of ethical behavior. 

There are some key factors in transformational leadership that destructive leaders can use. One is charisma and the behaviors seen in charismatic leaders are that they set strong role models, they demonstrate competence, articulate goals, communicate high expectations, exude confidence and capability, and arouse motives  (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 189).  I am sure we have all seen leaders rally large crowds through excitable behaviors, engaging dialogue, and extraordinary goals. These people demonstrate great amounts of charisma. These leaders often have an influence that is idealized and idolized by many, they create a link between a follower’s identity to an identity of the collective goal they are trying to achieve (PSU WC, 2022, L. 10 p.6). Moreover, there are many other characteristics that transformational leaders have. Transformational leaders have a vision, rhetorical skills, image and trust building, and personalized leadership. An example of this could be seen in Elizabeth Holmes’ business practices in Theranos. I watched a documentary on her company for the first movie analysis and she was very charismatic. For she demonstrated competence in the business and biomedical industry and used that to articulate goals for an industry disrupting technology, rapid blood testing. This was said to revolutionize the industry and she motivated her followers to be part of the change and innovation process which strengthened their alignment with her goals (Gibney, A (2019)).  

There are also situational characteristics of transformational leadership, these are usually times of crisis and civil unrest and when the tasks being done require a lot of reliance on others (PSU WC, 2022, L. 10 p.6). These can be seen when we reflect, again on Hitler’s rise to power. Based on the historical contexts, Germany was in a state of unrest. They were still struggling with recovering from World War 1 and were in a financial crisis. So, when a charismatic individual promised a solution as well as a scapegoat, many people turned to him. This could be due to a sense of hopelessness or a desire to get out of their current situations. Additionally, when there is an activity that requires a lot of interdependence, like the ideas of communism under Joseph Stalin, turning to a lead collectively, is very appealing for some. 

Additionally, there are also follower characteristics. Those are an identification with the leader and vision, heightened emotional levels, willing subordination to the leader, and feelings of empowerment (PSU WC, 2022, L. 10 p.6). These can be seen in many cases of destructive leaders. For example, in the documentary I watched for the movie review, it showed footage of the Jim Jones’ followers in Jonestown, which was the Peoples Temple. The followers had shown identification with the leader through their alignment with his vision of a peaceful, communal, and charitable society. A lot of them were passionate followers who had come from highly emotional backgrounds and sought refuge in Jonestown. Jim Jones had also encouraged and empowered them to achieve the goals and peaceful vision. Because of these factors, they were highly motivated and willingly submissive to Jones (Film Afrika Worldwide; Cineflix Productions. (2007)). Unfortunately, these followers, went all the way to their grave as some voluntarily committed suicide and others were forced to end their lives by drinking poisoned Kool-aid. 

Followership also plays a role in why destructive leaders rise through the ranks rather quickly. Followership is the process where an individual accepts or is willing to be influenced by another (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 353). Destructive leaders can develop strong followerships through their charisma and impressionable vision, but they can align with certain types of followers that help boost their own prowess. Based on the Kellermen follower typology, there is a spectrum of levels of engagement. There are isolates who are detached and do not care for their leaders, bystanders who do not participate, participants who support or go against a given leader, there are activists who stand by their own beliefs but actively participate in the supporting or going against the leader’s practices, and diehards who are heavily committed and invested into supporting or opposing the leader (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 360-361). Destructive leaders who first come into power can develop a large following from supportive diehards and activists and those who are indifferent, the isolates and the bystanders, often inadvertently support them too. For, by doing nothing, they do not stop the destructive behaviors from occurring and the leaders may feel encouraged by that. An example of this could be seen as the large group of people who did nothing when Hitler came into power, though some disagreed with his message, beliefs, and goals, they did not do anything to stop it which indirectly contributed to the deaths of many. 

Finally, destructive leaders utilize power to influence others. Many destructive leaders are motivated by the need for personal power, which is the use of power for personal needs or desires (PSU WC, 2022, L. 7 p.5). This motive drives them to increase their control and influence on others, so they use different types of power to do so.  Based on the trends of historically destructive leaders, many use referent power, which is the power of likability at first, and coercive power, which essentially utilizes punishments to stay in power  (PSU WC, 2022, L. 7 p.4). For example, Joseph Stalin was liked early on by his fellow Bolshevics in part because of his brutally successful operations, but also because he was a more common person rather than an intellectual like Lenin that his peers and underlings could relate to.  Later, he ruled those same people with an iron fist to keep them in line (DailyHistory. (2021, February)).

Many people look at examples of destructive leaders from history and find it hard to believe that they were able to get that large of a following. Many also question  how many people were willing to support such a negative leader that created horrible outcomes for lots of people. However, when looking at the different theories, it can be seen that during times of unrest or when leaders have very appealing initial visions, or both, it can be so easy to fall for the rhetoric that promises much for a large portion of a population. Thus, we should not judge those who fall for such societally damaging leaders, because we might be the next ones who believe in an alluring goal or strongly identify with a cause that seems promising at first. 

 

References

DailyHistory. (2021, February). How Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union. How Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union – DailyHistory.org. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://dailyhistory.org/How_Joseph_Stalin_became_the_leader_of_the_Soviet_Union 

Film Afrika Worldwide; Cineflix Productions. (2007). Jonestown: Paradise Lost . USA. 

Gibney, A (2019). The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley. Retrieved May 29, 2022

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Retrieved from 

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188530 

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

Weikart, R. (2009). Hitler’s ethic. California State University Stanislaus. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.csustan.edu/history/hitlers-ethic

 

Religion can often be a danced-around subject, especially in the sciences. However, it provides lots of opportunities to observe leadership and followership in a non-work environment. The interaction between followers and leaders in a church environment is very dynamic. This post will discuss the many applications of leadership theories with the interplay of religious leaders and their followers. Out of familiarity with American/Western culture, I will use Christianity as the example throughout this post, but many concepts can be applied to other religions which are more prominent in other areas of the world. 

Religious leaders, such as preachers and pastors, possess certain powers within a church setting: referent, expert, and legitimate power. Referent power is established from likeability, expert powers are based on the credibility of knowledge relevant to the purpose or goal , and legitimate power is associated with the status of the position held within the organization (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 11). In the church institution, referent power would be seen in the way the pastors and other religious leaders get along with the members. Although some denominations are more hierarchical, many congregations have the direct ability to select their own pastor or at least can exert significant influence over getting a pastor moved to a different church.  Thus, if they are not successful at fostering relationships through referent power, they are likely to fail.  Expert power is established by one’s knowledge on the history of the religion and ancient texts regarding the faith.  Although some of the newer independent denominations don’t require formal training, most require years of study that make the pastor an authority that people in the congregation will respect for their knowledge.  Legitimate power is created through appointment by denomination leadership.  The appointment comes with certain rights and responsibilities that are understood and reinforced by the organization through policies and procedure manuals.  

Some pastors can rely more on one of these powers than others.  For example, in the Catholic church, the priest is considered a voice of God and their appointment by the church, legitimate power, overrides all the other powers.  In some of the newer independent denominations, the charisma and likeability, referent power, is most important.  The Congregational church values individual intellectual study of the Bible and the congregation selects their own pastor.  In that case, expert power is appreciated more than the others.  In any one of these cases, the most successful leaders will combine the different powers to become an even more effective leader and can create a strong followership that helps achieve the goals of the organization. 

Moreover, there are specific skills and behaviors that religious leaders would benefit from having more than others. Based on the Mumford Skills Model, competencies such as social judgment and social skills are imperative for religious leaders. These skills involve the ability to take perspective and empathizing with others; behavioral flexibility that allows one to change the way they interact with others based on other people’s perspectives; and the ability to communicate goals, visions, and messages to the others. (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 65). Social skills are very important because religious leaders have to respond to a lot of different situations that involve interactions with others. The ability to effectively communicate the goals of the church and religion while empathizing with the needs of the congregation is one of the most important duties of a preacher’s position. 

Additionally, because the behavioral flexibility is critical, another theory that supports the role of religious leaders is the situational approach. The situational approach suggests that different situations require different styles of leadership. (PSU WC, 2022, L. 5 p.12). The leadership styles include directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. Directing focuses on achieving goals through specific instructions without a lot of concern for supportive behaviors, coaching focuses both on the goals of the organization and the followers needs, supporting leaders tend to focus more on the followers and  include them in the decision making process within the organization, and delegating leaders tend to put the majority of the goals and tasks in the hands of the followers (PSU WC, 2022, L. 5 p.13). 

Religious leaders may need to be more directive when coordinating specific events with volunteers.  For example, if the church holds a seminar on family and youth interaction in the church, the pastor is likely to give specific directions about participation, setup, breakdown, etc.  

A pastor may utilize a coaching approach when helping a new employee in a fairly high position.  A good example might be when a church hires a youth director when the pastor has previously been filling that role until the job got too big.  The pastor, when they hire the individual, already has a good idea of what they want the person to do.  If they are filling a pre-existing role, there may even be guidelines about how they should do the job. The pastor has definite objectives in mind and gives instructions to the new person that they believe will help them achieve the goals.

When working with groups who might become future leaders in the church, the pastor may employ a supporting style because they need to be attentive to the engagement and informational needs of their audience while trying to convey the key points of the message.  A good example of this would be when the pastor is preparing a youth group for a mission trip.  They want to encourage the youth to be excited about the trip while learning information that they need to successfully.  Allowing them to have input gives them emotional buy-in and more excitement about the trip.  

In many churches the pastor technically reports to a board of senior members of the church.  In this position the pastor employs a delegating leadership style.  An example of this would be for meetings where members of a church are taking votes on church direction, reviewing budgets and receiving input on current state of affairs within the church.  In these cases playing a delegating role empowers the lay leaders.  The diversity of ideas can result in decisions that can both attract new members and increase retention.

 Another important factor to consider is the followership involved within a religious institution. Followership is acceptance of an individual to become a leader (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 353). In this perspective, leadership is seen as a co-created process in which the leadership behaviors act in conjunction with the follower behaviors which then produces the leadership in-action and the outcomes that come after (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 364). Because of the heavy interaction among different members of a congregation, a pastor must be able to receive and consider their feedback. For, they may influence him or her just as much as he or she influences individual  members of the church when it comes to planning lessons or sermons and events.  Receiving input from the followers or congregation allows religious leaders to address their followers’ needs and desires and incorporate their responses into his or her behaviors. This establishes a communication channel that allows followers to be an active participant in the decisions made by the church and feel a sense of belonging. 

There are many ways religious leaders utilize leadership theory and the many hats they wear can directly impact how people see the religion and how they see the institutions. Being flexible in behavior and adaptive in how one handles situations is a great way to be an effective leader, and is especially important for leaders whose primary job is to work and interact with people. Religious leaders are very similar to other leaders, however, their goals can be much different from other organizations, thus the leadership practices should be examined. It is important to see how psychological factors are related to aspects of people’s lives  so we can observe the real-time application of them. 

 

References 

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Retrieved from 

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188530 

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

 

As club president of the Business Society at Penn State DuBois , one of my goals is to improve the retention rate of club members from the fall semester to the spring semester. As vice president last year, I experienced a lack of turnout of club members at the meetings. This makes it difficult to coordinate events and brainstorm ideas among members. The president was absent in his duties last year so that may have played a role in the organization, however, with a newly elected and committed executive board, I believe that we can effectively create a followership that successfully accomplishes the goals of Business Society. In doing so, it is important to analyze the different aspects of leadership theory that can help guide my efforts. 

 It is also important to note the club’s goals for this year have been identified as continuity and consistency. The executive board has decided that in order for the club to create a continuing legacy of successful events, we need consistent member turnout and participation. Thus, the leaders of the club need a strong followership. 

 

When utilizing the functions of leadership to create club retention and followership, it can be noted that there are some key ways to produce movement. First, a club leader needs to create a vision and set strategies for the year; next is to communicate those goals to the members and seeking commitment through creating event and club subcommittees to allow them to feel included in the movement; and finally empowering the followers to take an active role in the club to push for the change and help satisfy their unmet needs. (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 17). These steps can help establish clear goals and help align the members towards the purpose of the club. For example, the Business Society is planning on coordinating events and  a few in-club workshops that will benefit both club members and the campus, allowing members to help lead specific tasks for the events and providing feedback will help create an inclusive atmosphere. 

 

Additionally, creating a leader-follower dynamic that allows regular club members to be a part of the leadership process that creates an interaction between the leaders and followers to achieve the desired outcomes. (PSU WC, 2022, L. 3 p.6). Having members be influenced and influence the decisions made by the executive board is an effective way to a balanced relationship that satisfies the needs of the members while providing valuable feedback to the leaders. Creating an open communication is imperative for this to work. Being accessible and open to criticisms will give members power to give their perspective and opinion which is also beneficial for the executive members. 

 

Moreover, an article by the University of Wisconsin noted an acronym that helps with student organization retention: GRAPE. Through growth, recognition, achievement, participation, and enjoyment, clubs can effectively lead the members to achieve goals and motivate them to take an active role. Encouraging growth within the club and within members allows them to reap the rewards based on the challenges posed by the organization. Recognizing individual members creates a rewarding and incentivization of action within the club that motivates them to move to the next step of achieving personal and organizational goals. The growth and recognition will then encourage members to participate in the events that will hopefully lead to enjoyment of the activities. Essentially creating a followership strategy that mutually benefits the executive board as well as the regular club members will be critical for achieving the goals of business society. 

 

Increasing the Business Society’s followership can also be supplemented by utilizing some of the more recent perspectives on followership. Allowing the members to challenge, support, and learn from the executive board can be a great way for them to accomplish the growth aspect which is valuable. (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 367-368). Utilizing multiple approaches and the combination of those approaches can help address different needs of different members which helps keep them satisfied and aligned to the goals of the club. As referenced before, allowing feedback from members can help them take ownership of the events, projects, and goals set forth by the club and increase commitment and participation. Creating a sense of belonging will be important to encourage this atmosphere of open communication. This could be created to be welcoming and allow club members to find a role within the club that fits their interests and needs. 

 

After breaking down different aspects of leadership and followership in order to identify different strategies to increase retention, I believe that creating a welcoming environment and forming groups within the club to organize events and run different aspects of the club (i.e. marketing and logistics) will help align new members to the goals and create commitment. Allowing the members to make decisions and challenge or criticize the executive board will create new perspectives that help members feel included and needed to achieve the goals. All of these are key insights that can be taken back to student-run clubs, committees at work, and other organizations that involve retention of members to function optimally. I look forward to taking the lessons learned from this forum and future course material and applying to my leadership roles on campus as well as other potential ones in years to come to become more effective. 

 

References

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Lesson 3: Followership. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188519 

Student Life. (2018, July 10). Membership Recruitment & Retention. Student Organization Resource & Policy Guide. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://guide.cfli.wisc.edu/documents/membership-recruitment-retention/