Along the journey within the Organizational Leadership Program at Gonzaga University, and particularly through those foundations focusing on servant-leadership, I have discovered the place of the heart. In there the chambers of our values exists, like a compass, along with the true-grit toughness to hold ourselves accountable. In looking back at the early dawn of my coursework, and reflecting on the present, there is a deeper knowing of myself and a sense of purpose that has served me far greater than I was previously positioned by the ego; the individualistic and competitive facets of leadership.

                                                                    What have I ultimately discovered from my journey? I now wholly             recognize that the heart ought to be a dual participant with equal presence in my leadership decision making. Heart and mind as peers can help one to discern, through deeply listening to self and others, thereby establishing a place of authenticity and trust.  All of these dynamisms marshalled together result in a safe haven that leads to collaboration, which I have found to be the unique strengths associated with leadership. For one person cannot possibly do alone what many can as a team. Kouzes and Posner (2007) share that “leadership is not a solo act, it’s a team effort,” (p. 223). To lead is to bring others along, heart-mind, from the neck up and all (Hunter, 2006). The only way to achieve this I believe is credibility.

In this paper I will reflect on my leadership philosophy at the commencement of the ORGL program and reveal the treasures I have uncovered on the journey to where I am now. I will conclude with a prognosis for future leadership growth opportunities.

I. What was my leadership philosophy at the beginning of the program?

As I started my leadership journey, my understanding was akin to accomplishment in a one-directional manner; "the leader has all the answers" approach. I also believed that leadership was a bestowed gift - "you either have it or you don't." This attitude limits success to one’s own frame of reference and fails to help grow others as leaders, which ultimately advances organizations. I quickly learned that the ‘great person’ theory of leadership is just plain wrong,” (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, p. 23).  

I saw leadership as a sacred place for people to experiment. However, I was not sure how to go about encouraging such engagement. In the Marines, we were taught to give our followers motivation, clarity and direction (MCD). Again, this is a top down approach. Everything is reliant on the leader. Somewhere along the way it became obvious to me that leaders shape the work environment. Parker Palmer states that “organizations are habitats for human beings,” and that “organizations should treat people as great things,” (Palmer, 2007, p. 104).

One of the areas I grappled with early on was with the desire to improve my ability to do things as opposed to doing the right things. Instead of learning to think, it is almost as though I expected to receive a paint by numbers menu for leading. I was wrapped up in transactional aspects of leadership. I now realize the pitfall of 'management' verses 'leadership.' Toxic supervisors are frequently described as ‘traditional’ or ‘command-and-control’ leaders. They have difficulty with genuinely connecting and tend to be absorbed on the transactional. Toxic supervisors are focused on the short term, and because they are self-focused and uncommitted to the well-being of others, are therefore unable to truly motivate others from the “neck up” and maximize longer term results. This leadership style has a low tolerance for imperfection, which inhibits their leadership ability to lift their people up to “grow taller than they would otherwise be,” (Greenleaf, 2008, p. 22). 

II. How has my leadership philosophy shifted, changed, adapted to represent where I am now?

Servant-leadership – living the laws of service:

My coursework at Gonzaga fed me a steady diet of introspection, and with that I have arrived at a strong belief in the value of servant-leadership. The explanation and inspiration for servant-leadership was made clear to me by the servant-leader Leo in Hesse’s book (1956), Journey to the East where he describes the “Law of Service” (p. 34). Leo states that “those who spend their lives in service live long, but those who want only to rule do not," (p. 34).

Servant-leadership is an organizational advantage. I believe that if a leader models the maxim referred to by the ‘golden rule’ they are on the right trajectory to being a servant-leader. One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

Servant-leadership is a caring form of leadership that accepts the individual, but at the same time incorporates high degrees of accountability. Meaning we may not always accept the results that they deliver. In practice we become mindful of our collective responsibilities to the whole community. As a servant-leader in training, I have become aware of the importance of obtaining buy-in, and the ensuing power that occurs, when people have their hearts in the game. Organizational success is the collaborative outcome accountability, of harnessing diversity, listening intently with full presence, and empathic awareness. I believe that these factors in action add up to servant-leadership credibility.

Listening – the lifeblood of citizenship participation:

I discovered that we manifest our authentic self from listening well. This was evident during several of our servant-leadership campus courses. By embracing our listening potential, we tapped into the heart and a new kind of energy emerged. We described the practice as checking our shields at the door.

I believe that the servant-leader must embrace feedback as a tool to drive improvement. Feedback requires dialogue from all corners of the organization. I have learned that how leaders approach their people speaks louder than words. “It is only by understanding followers that they can best understand how to lead,” (Yukl, 2010, p. 419).  I find that I improve my understanding when I use an approach acting as a facilitator of dialogue. Doing so allows employees into the conversation as “Partners.”

One of the biggest ways I find we can value team members is to not interrupt when they are sharing a point of view or idea. As a leader I am mindful of my ratio of speaking-to-listening. I am reminded of a Tom Peters (2010) listening exercise I completed during one of my ORGL courses where the question is posed: “are you an 18 second manager?” Do you frequently interject?”  Credible leaders also avoid oppression by giving team members opportunities to solve problems (Freire, 2007). Tom Peters (2010) invites us to pose an empowering question asking those we serve “what do you think?” This approach invites everyone to be part of the solutions.

Diversity – avoiding the pitfalls of blind spots

Diversity generates habitats for creativity. I discovered that there are many different ways of viewing and solving organizational problems. An approach that embraces diversity advances teams to greater success through empowerment and participation. Salsa is a great metaphor for diversity. “Just like no two individuals are alike, every batch of salsa is unico” (Bordas, 2007). Credible leaders approach people and problems individually. Some questions I now ask myself is “Who am I listening to; or not listening enough to?” (Helgesen, 1995, p. 100).

Without diversity we are left exposed to being blindsided. As leaders we need to be particularly aware of our blind spots. A desire to be accurate can lead to assumptions. There are different shades to truth (Banaji, 2013).  Through the ORGL program I have recognized my blind spots, which we all have. It is a consequence of our position or station in life; our framework. Understanding this perspective, I have developed a strong appreciation for diversity, for it reduces such blind spots that limit our vision while growing our potential for successful solutions. 

Empathy – accepting self and others

As I developed an understanding of the servant-leadership philosophy, it became clear to me that the greatest asset of any organization is the people. Why is Empathy so important in the workplace? Empathy leads to understanding. “Understanding where another person is coming from is a practical and effective basis for collaborating within a team, connecting with customers, and getting our jobs done,” (Miyashiro, 2011, p. 18). Empathy is ingrained at the heart of important leadership skill sets. In its absence, without empathy, there lies a toxic work environment and stifled progress at the individual and organizational level.

Leaders must come to know, understand and skillfully apply empathy – in relation to themselves and with their teams. How we ‘say things’ and the language we use in the workplace matters. Our followers watch and act according to our leadership style. Our approachability can dictate the climate we create. For example, if we as leaders normally stream past people in a flurry without giving any simple acknowledgement that in itself can send a message to followers about their importance and can be the seed for workplace toxicity.

III. How will your leadership philosophy continue to develop and refine in the future?

Every journey has to start somewhere; and it starts with who we are (Spaulding, 2015, p. 36). My journey at Gonzaga and in the context of this course has been a quest of self-discovery fueled by a desire to serve in such a way as to make the world around me better in some incremental way. How do I move forward in my life, career, and as a leader supporting a nurturing servant-led eco-system that fosters a spirit of participation, success and is attentive to Scharmer’s global systems framework?

I strongly believe that employees get their cues from leaders who clearly and openly articulate the organizations values; who empower team members to take action; and in turn I believe that the team will deliver results for leaders who demonstrate credibility. I will continue to find ways to influence the organizational habitat, recognizing that I must first and foremost model the way and be the change. As Margaret Wheatley (2006) writes in her book, Leadership and the New Science, “a living system produces itself; it will change in order to preserve that self” (p. 20).

I have taken the view that leadership is a shared venture. How I show up for the people I serve will help prime the climate of organizational health. “The secret is hidden in plain sight: good teachers cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher” (Palmer, 2007, p. 104).

References

Banaji, M. & Greenwald, A. (2013). Blind Spot: Hidden biases of good people. New York: Delacorte

Press.

Bordas, J. (2012). Salsa, soul, and spirit: Leadership for a multicultural age : new approaches to

leadership from Latino, Black, and American Indian Communities (2nd ed., BK business book). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans., 30th anniversary ed.).

New York: Continuum.

Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant Leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and

greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist.

Helgesen, S. (2005). The web of inclusion: Architecture for building great organizations. Washington,

D.C.: Beard Books.

Hunter, J. (2006). The servant leadership training course: Achieving success through

character, bravery, and influence. Louisville, CO: Sounds True, Inc.

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Miyashiro, M. (2011). The Empathy Factor: Your competitive Advantage for Personal, Team,

and Business Success. Encinitas, CA: PuddleDancer.

Palmer, P. J. (2007). The Courage to Teach Guide for Reflection & Renewal (10th anniversary

ed.). San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.

Peters, T. Leadership: listening and 4 words. Gonzaga University, ORGL 535, Mentor Gallery,

Module 4. Retrieved on October 21, 2015

https://learn.gonzaga.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_923159_1%26url%3D  

Spaulding, T. (2015). The heart-led leader: How living and leading from the heart will change

your organization and your life. Danvers, MA. Crown Publishing Group.

Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Leadership in the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World

(3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

Yukl, G. A. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice

Hall.