PSYCH 485

Team Leadership Blog Post

July 21, 2015 by Justin Sardis

Justin Sardis
Psych 485
Team Leadership Blog Post

Team Leadership is a concept that is beneficial, but also necessary in any field or industry, other than the limited number of industries that don’t require collaborating with others. Since their aren’t many industries in which people work alone, Team Leadership is a relevant and a crucial topic of discussion and implementation for the vast majority of circumstances. Many people refer to the saying “two minds are better than one”, which infers that when two or more people work together, they’ll come to a better and more accurate result than if they were to work alone. Gutworth (2015) has emphasized the aspect of teamwork even when the team members are in different locations from each other, which is known as “Geographically dispersed teams” (Gutworth, 2015). This aspect of Team Leadership is presented by the idea that many companies have offices worldwide, which means that employees of those businesses are communicating and working with one another from very distant locations. If employees aren’t capable of doing so, the company will suffer and the employees may lose their job. Hence, “Geographically dispersed teams” is an important aspect of Team Leadership due to how frequently this aspect arises (Gutworth, 2015).

A personal endeavor in which I’m currently experiencing a “Geographically dispersed team” is that my friend and I are in the process of working with a screenwriter to create a TV show and a movie. My friend, the screenwriter and I have all had to communicate via phone calls and emails because we’re all living in different states that aren’t so close to one another. This type of communication is required because the three of us aren’t able to meet in person as frequently as when we need to talk to each other. Therefore, it is very important that we are capable of communicating to each other and are able to absorb and process the messages that are being sent without having to be in the same room as the people that are conversing with each other. Even though communicating with other people in person is the best option, there are countless occupations that require people to speak to others over the phone and over the internet. In summary, my experience of having to work with other people that are in different states than I am has made me realize the significance of being able to communicate in ways that aren’t face-to-face, which is referred to as a “Geographically dispersed team” (Gutworth, 2015). In addition, due to rapid innovation of technology, this concept is only becoming more common and more convenient, which means that it is only going to become more relevant and will also be required more frequently in our lives.

Many groups and organizations are unable to accomplish their goals and much of the reason is due to their inability to incorporate Team Leadership. Furthermore, Gutworth (2015) has clarified multiple components of team leadership, which she’s referred to as “Outcomes of Team Leadership”. One of the most common “Outcomes of Team Leadership” that groups and organizations frequently encounter is that they are unable to have a “Collaborative Climate”, which is when a team is able to have faith in one another in relation to believing that each person the team is comprised of will complete the task they’ve been assigned (Gutworth, 2015). Another source has also mentioned this idea by presenting that “authentic leadership is a collective process” and in order to have “authentic leadership”, it requires not only the contribution from the leader or leaders, but more importantly the inclusion of other members of the group or organization (Northouse, 2013, p. 282).

A experience in which I’ve encountered this particular “Outcome of Team Leadership” was when I was in an organization ran by students who didn’t allow me to do any part of my job without their approval and the vast majority of the time, they denied my ideas that would’ve been beneficial to the organization if they were implemented. This endeavor presents that the other members of the executive board of this organization didn’t have faith in me to do my part, which is a significant concept of a “Collaborative Climate” (Gutworth, 2015). As a result, this limited the amount of money our organization was able to raise in our efforts to benefit “THON”, which presents that our organization didn’t accomplish what we wanted to, which is another important component of this particular outcome. Hence, this experience clearly expresses how a “Collaborative Climate” can have a significant impact and can result with a group or organization failing to achieve their goals (Gutworth, 2015).

References

1. Gutworth, M., (2015), PSYCH 485: Leadership in Work Settings, Penn State Angel,
Retrieved from:https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/su15/psych485/002/content/09_lesson/07_page.html

2. Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage
Publications.

Justin Sardis-Psych 485 Power & Influence Blog Post

July 14, 2015 by Justin Sardis

Justin Sardis
Psych 485
Power & Influence Blog Entry

In almost any industry, there are countless situations in which decisions that people make are impacted by power and influence. One reason that power and influence take its course is because many people are hungry to have more power at work, in a group, or on a team. Another reason for this is that on many occasions, people feel pressured to do something by someone with more power and influence then him or her. Some people are more easily influenced by others and feel anxious about the negative possibilities that may arise if they don’t do what they are being asked to do, such as getting fired from a job or losing a friend. On the contrary, many people strive to gain power and are willing to do whatever it takes so they can have more power and may be convinced by others that he or she needs to do something in particular in order to achieve their goal of gaining power.
A personal endeavor in which someone attempted to influence me to do something was when friends of mine wanted me to include their other friends that I weren’t my friends with in our plans, which I didn’t want to do. My friends tried to guilt trip me and make me feel bad if I chose to not include their other friends. Therefore, I felt some pressure from my friends and I didn’t want to make my friends upset and as a result, I included their friends in our plans. In this scenario, I was influenced by my friends due to them expressing power they had to motivate me to do something I wasn’t interested in doing, which was including their friends in our plans. This is an example of a very minor decision I made due to the influence of others, but this topic is very significant and meaningful since people frequently make use of their power to influence their friends or co-workers to make important decisions that can potentially harm many other people. For example, people that join gangs or terrorist groups are forced by others to do harmful things to others in order to become a member of their group and to remain a member of their group, which is an indication of a negative influence that people experience because of power that others have.
Previous research has indicated that followers, also known as group members that aren’t leaders, are often influenced by their leaders to do certain things in order for the leader to become more powerful, or for the followers to gain power (Northouse, 2013). Furthermore, previous research has also expressed that followers may be inspired by leaders, which may result with the followers doing certain things that may be unjust in order to become the leader they desire to be. This belief is referred to as the “LMX Theory”, which is an abbreviation for “Leader-Member Exchange Theory” (Northouse, 2013). Even though some people may be negatively influenced by a leader, their are many leaders who express their power to positively influence their followers.
In summary, power and influence often come into the equation when people desire to obtain more power and to gain the ability to have a greater influence on others and at work. There are cases when power and influence can be beneficial to both parties in the situation, but their are many occasions when power and influence lead to harmful outcomes for at least one of the parties involved. Many people feel pressured and obligated to do things due to the power and influence their “higher-ups” have and put forth, which is a dilemma that will most likely never come to an end.

Reference

1. Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage
Publications.

Family and Leadership

July 10, 2015 by Michael Thomas Holsberger

I believe that family plays one of the most important roles in determining and developing one’s leadership characteristics. In my family I was lucky enough to grow up in a very positive and supporting family based atmosphere. My grandfather on my father’s side was a biology teacher and baseball coach for over 35 years, so his influence on my leadership characteristics is by far at the top of the list. I also attribute my father for being a great influence on my leadership style. He was the head of several departments in a manufacturing facility, and today is a production manager where he works. I learned to lead like both of these men have, and that’s through example.

This leads me to believe that my leadership style is definitely transformational leadership, and I 100% give credit to my father and grandfather because they taught me to care for others and to always have the patience to teach others what you know. That being said it’s important to look into the importance of “temperament” and how being taught patience at a young age has allowed me to be level headed when I need to be in professional situations.

Family teachings also bring with them the morals and values that a leader carries with them their entire lives. I think that my mother played a huge role in teaching me how to be empathetic to those around me and how everyone has issues that they are struggling with. Judging a person is the worst thing we can do because you never know what they have going on in their personal lives that may make them act differently when faced with stressful situations especially when in a work environment. The situations they face may stir up emotions that make them angry or hard to work with, but shouldn’t define them as a person. Although what my mother has taught me sometimes makes me a little soft in situations where I should be a little tougher, it has ultimately helped me balance what the men in my life have instilled in me.

Being the oldest of four children has also given me the ability over the years to slowly initiate the development of my leadership abilities. Growing up I was always looking out for my younger siblings. I believe being the oldest child in my family has given me the opportunity to practice throughout my life and prepare me for a career leading others. In all actuality, being a leader at home was much harder and tested me more than most of the situations I have faced at work. Therefore I’m very appreciative that my parents had me first because it’s really been an advantage for me in school, sports, work and life in general.

In conclusion, I believe people who grow up in a strong family are very fortunate in terms of what they can learn and what they will take away from being taught positive values and ethics. Having the ability to take lessons from those you’re comfortable with will allow those lessons to sink in over the years and benefit you down the road and allow you to apply them to your career responsibilities. Maintaining a high moral and value standard speaks volumes in the eyes of hiring organizations, and it could help you land a job where you’ll have the ability to also use the leadership skills that family instilled in you.

A few of General Powell’s Ethical Rules for Leadership

July 10, 2015 by Michael Thomas Holsberger

A few of my classes for the Organizational Leadership major have included the “13 Rules” that Colin Powell has come up with that translate into motivation and direction for leaders to follow whether they be four star generals, or in charge of a maintenance department in a factory. For me there are aspects of his life and career that really stand out, but I encourage everyone to take a look at all 13 of his rules and perhaps print them out and hang them somewhere that you’ll be forced to read them everyday as inspiration.

3 of Gen. Powell’s strongest leadership traits or characteristics

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” (http://www.hargrave.edu/academics/leadership-colin-powell-center-for-leadership-ethics). I believe this is the foundation to being a true leader. Throughout life, everyone has to deal with failures on a regular basis, it is inevitable. It’s how one chooses to learn from those failures that gives them the ability to be a leader. It’s easy to fail and sulk in the face of defeat, but being able to reevaluate your preparation and the work that you put into your efforts is how you learn. A person, with a bit of basic preparation and a willingness to work, a person who is willing to learn can get a great deal accomplished. By learning from their experiences, failures become stepping stones to success.
Being a leader also entails one’s ability to “lead”. In order to do so successfully, it must be taken into consideration that not everyone is the same, and taking that into consideration will aid you in communicating with employees or co-workers. In an article by LTC Greg Johansen of the U.S. Army, he describes Gen. Powell’s acceptance of people from all different types of race, religions and backgrounds. In discussing Gen. Powell, LTC Johansen praises this trait by saying, “one factor is paramount throughout Colin Powell’s life: his ability to work with and communicate with people from all walks of life. As we consider all of Colin Powell’s achievements throughout his life, the scope of his competencies, and his contributions to the U.S. Army and this nation, we cannot help but regard him as one of our very best strategic leaders of this generation. He has always been receptive to new experiences; he has successfully dealt with constant change, never wavering in his values; no one has ever questioned his integrity. He could have easily “rest on his laurels.” Instead, he remains committed to the most challenging and demanding service to this nation” (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhandle.dtic.mil%2F100.2%2FADA415280&ei=FEanU4zwKNWjyATJ2ICYCQ&usg=AFQjCNFaUfJotBx03wYW2G8-Lp2iwabRcA&sig2=BlFouyu_PGF9sOuRizSYFQ)
“Remain calm and be kind. Kindness connects you with other human beings in a bond of mutual respect. If you care for your followers and show them kindness, they will reciprocate and care for you.” (http://onesuccess.empowernetwork.com/blog/13-successful-leadership-topics-by-colin-powell) This trait that Gen. Powell speaks of in this quote is one that is very important when being a leader. In the work place giving positive feedback to an employee when hard work and dedication are shown, is something that provides them with the encouragement that will see them continuing to put forth the effort needed to successfully complete the task delegated to them. This is also a way to earn the respect of your employees/followers. Since I believe in the old saying that “respect is earned, not given”, and also the saying that “a little goes a long way”. It isn’t hard to acknowledge someone for working hard and being dedicated to their job. By showing that you care for their hard work, you earn their respect because they know that their dedication means something to you, which goes a long way for many people in the workplace and in life.

Never too young to become a leader

July 10, 2015 by Michael Thomas Holsberger

As a high school student I was outgoing because of my involvement with sports and the people I surrounded myself with. However, in larger settings I was a little more timid, especially amongst strangers. Fortunately through a program called Junior Achievement I was able to come out of my shell and gain some understanding of a leadership role and the importance of it. As a senior, my economics class asked for volunteers to become a part of the junior achievement program and visit our middle school so that we could teach the younger students financially responsibility. All of the teaching materials were given to us by our teacher and we were responsible for learning it and then teaching it to the younger middle school students. Doing such a program forced me and my peers to speak to a classroom full of strangers, even though they were only in 4^th or 5^th grade, it was still rather intimidating. It was also important for us to keep their attention while we were teaching them things that their 4^th and 5^th grade minds had never even heard of before, that is unless one of their parents were a financial consultant.

The JA program also gives insight to what it’s like in the workforce and carries with it a real entrepreneurial spirit. For myself and a friend, we were responsible with showing the kids how to build pens, for which they got to keep at the end of the program. The purpose was to show them that they could create something and then someday through having the right avenues and making the right decisions they could possibly have something they could sell. This of course built leadership on behalf of my peers and I because we were responsible for keeping 20 plus 4^th and 5^th graders in their seats while paying attention to our directions and also completing a task.

Although my role today is much more complex than teaching kids that they can someday be very successful entrepreneurs if they work hard and say no to drugs, I believe what I do parallels with the lessons I learned during that teaching opportunity. Today it is my responsibility to “improve the performance of followers and develop followers to their fullest potential” (Northouse 2013) just like I was doing in the classroom over 10 years ago. Hopefully today I’m a much better leader than I was back then, when I read directly from our lesson guides, I give credit to my teacher for pushing my peers and I to think outside the box and venture out into doing something that was foreign to us. The moral of this story is that at times we need to get outside of our comfort zone in order to experience things that we may never have if we stayed wrapped up in our day to day routine. I feel it is important if we want to be successful, we need to experience as much as possible so that we can lead with an open mind and help to bring fresh and intellectual ideas to the table.

Reference:

Junior Achievement. http://jaconn.org/about-ja/

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.