How does this impact leader development? Scott J. Allen

The Kravis Leadership Institute is hosting an online survey
investigating leadership and film. We would really appreciate your responses to further our knowledge on particular films that are
quintessential in portraying leadership. Here is a link to a 10-15
minute survey, assessing descriptive information about leadership
taught through film. To access the survey, click here.

Surf on over to GovLeaders.org if you would like to learn more about how government employees are thinking about leadership development.  To quote the website – “This site was developed by and for government managers in recognition of the fact that managers in the government often face greater difficulties relating to budgetary constraints, bureaucracy, inflexible hiring and firing practices, and external coordination than do their counterparts in the private sector.  The extent of these problems has made many government employees believe that real change is not possible.” – Take a look! – Scott J. Allen

I have a book in my head, but I only have a title thus far.  The title is “The Hungry Leader.”  In light of the latest scandal involving John Edwards and a whole slew of other politicians, it seems to be a very real phenomenon and problem.

My theory is that leaders have “hungers” that left unattended often lead to their demise. Especially considering each are under the media-microscope. Isn’t is fascinating that John Edwards proceeded with his bid for president knowing full well that there was a large chance that the microscope would catch his actions?  Others, are in this same space – Spitzer, guy who followed Spitzer, Ohio Attorney General, Larry Craig, Mark Foley and the list goes on.

What are the different hungers that derail leaders? Most likely the classics play a large part - sex, power, fame, money, etc. Can you think of other hungers that the get the best of those leading the way? Perhaps, this should be a topic as part of our development process? – Scott J. Allen

Leadership educator – what is that exactly? The tricky thing is that to be a leadership educator involves not only helping to educate others and facilitate their learning- it also involves a great deal of my own learning. To be an authentic leader, or an authentic leadership educator, I have learned that I need to “do my own work” and in my role I must practice the leadership that I preach.

Some of the words that come to mind when I think of leadership are: process, collaboration, service, empowerment, and connectivity. While naturally I have learned many technical skills that contribute to the success in my work, I have more so learned that being a leadership educator encompasses focusing on and practicing the aspects of leadership that I identified: process, collaboration, service, empowerment, and connectivity. 

I have learned that much like understanding leadership as a process, being a leadership educator is a process. I teach undergraduate leadership classes, and I am very invested in delivering the best service that I can. This involves a GREAT deal of energy. Part of my involvement in the learning system of the classroom is engaging in my own learning in the process; I continually reflect on my role as an instructor and a facilitator, asking myself how I can be a better instructor and in turn provide an environment that facilitates student learning.

Leadership involves collaboration. No one person knows or can do everything, and it’s very dangerous when someone thinks that he or she can do it all. Delivering effective leadership education involves collaboration with colleagues and even the students themselves. Capitalize on people’s knowledge, experiences, and skills. Utilize resources that are in place on your campus- it not only creates relationships that will my be helpful, it also allows for the students to gain the best learning that they can from people who have expertise in the different areas. 

Service is one of the cornerstones of leadership and something I carry with me as a leadership educator. As an instructor or a program coordinator I am serving my students. They have committed their time and in some cases resources to learn about leadership and become a better leader. Service involves identifying the needs of the group and meeting them. Listen to your students- they have amazing insight and can help guide you in knowing what they can learn and what can make them tick or “get it.”

One of the key experiences I had as an undergrad was when someone nominated me for an award because they saw potential in me; it was this that propelled me forward in my leadership journey. Empowerment is vitally important; it helps break down some of the authority relationships that can be daunting in a student-teacher or administrator-student relationship, and it enables people to gain confidence in their abilities. I have learned that students need good, honest feedback. It is a gift, and even the negative feedback can be empowering because it shows that someone cares and sees potential for growth and improvement. How can we best empower our students rather than just check their names off a list or give them a letter grade on an assignment?

Related is the idea of connectivity. Leadership is a complex process that involves not only the individuals in the process but also other systems that affect that leadership process. Connecting with others strengthens relationships and allows for greater work to be done. Finding even the silliest ways to connect with students and finding ways to help them find connections with others allows for better learning to be done. Similarly, finding ways to help students connect what their learning to their everyday lives is key. We want them to learn about a leadership in way that they will be able to practice leadership – not just recite five competencies. Connections are key in this process- help students make those. Similarly, I often ask myself how I can connect the leadership concepts I’m learning to how I am practicing my leadership as an leadership educator and in my interactions with the classes and the students.

Above all, while this is what I learned personally, it contributes to the larger leadership system; if I can practice this I can demonstrate it to students and facilitate their leadership development. -Paige Haber