8 Chapter 8

Tyler Nehring

Leadership development is an important aspect in not only one’s employment, but also in one’s life. Leadership is a life-long process, as leadership is developed through experiences (Northouse, 2016). Whether the individual is a member of a company, team, or family; leadership is necessary for the effectiveness of the group. Rome was not built in one day, and neither are leaders. Change Leadership at Winona State University prepares individuals for the daily challenges of being a leader through pedagogy on self-management and self-awareness.

Leadership skills are developed over time through experiences (Northouse, 2016). The three skills necessary for leadership include technical skill, human skill, and conceptual skill (Katz, 1955). Competence includes being knowledgeable and proficient at a given task. The knowledge gained while in certain roles reaps benefits when taking on more leadership. Technical skill is necessary to teach others how to accomplish something. Another skill necessary when teaching is human skill. Human skill is necessary in all facets of life in order to learn and communicate with others. Possessing good communication skills helps leaders create better relationships with followers and, therefore creates a more trustworthy environment (Northouse, 2016). The most important skill to possess when leading a large group of people is conceptual skill. Conceptual skill includes working with ideas and concepts in order to communicate strategic foresight, visions, and other planning (Northouse, 2016). As an individual continues to rise in an organization, technical skill becomes less important as conceptual skill becomes more important (Katz, 1955). Human skill remains a valuable skill at all times (Katz, 1955). Self-management of the skills discussed is an extremely important aspect of leadership development, and it is the individual’s responsibility to assess their own leadership capabilities. Students taking the change leadership course learn about the skills and traits necessary for effective leadership, and the students are expected to develop those skills and traits in their personal lives.

The Change Leadership class also focusses on self-awareness. Being self-aware includes being aware of one’s physical appearance and the perception others get when looking at, and communicating with, the individual. A student’s perspective and the outsider’s perspective of the student’s appearance may be completely opposite. The change leadership course allows students to be aware of what classmates perceive when looking at the student. The students in this class learn to be aware not only of personal appearance, but also of personal behavior. Leaders do not take days off. This means that leaders remain leaders regardless of the circumstances or situation. Leaders show drive, intent, and confidence in all that they do. Change Leadership instructs students to be aware with the attitude and appearance that the student is expressing to others. Overall, students must “walk the walk” if the student “talks the talk.”

Change Leadership has taught students to apply the course material into the personal lives of the students. The only way to grow as a leader is to experience leadership. Students are encouraged to take risks and engage in leadership opportunities. Through Change Leadership students have developed into better leaders through pedagogy on self-management and self-awareness. The professor has challenged the class to make changes to improve leadership abilities; therefore, improving the students’ ability to lead outside of the classroom.

Throughout the semester, students learn about the multiple leadership theories developed through research. The theories create deep individual thought and class discussion, and this allows students to converse, share ideas, and network. Students in Change Leadership learn from others in the class due to the discussions had in class. Each class period, the students in the class present and discuss case studies to the others. This case analysis provides the opportunity for members of the class to discuss personal opinions and thoughts. Students learn from others in this setting, and the professor touches on the main learning points from each chapter.

Throughout the semester, students develop personal leadership philosophies to guide their own personal leadership development. One thing stressed in this course is that all leaders are different. The differences are derived from the situations that the leader is placed into. Different environments and different followers require the leader to adapt to the given situation. Some followers need a lot of attention and care; some followers do not. It is the leader’s responsibility to assess the needs of the followers and the type of leadership needed in each given environment. In Change Leadership, leaders learn to assess the characteristics of the group. Constantly, the instructor asks the class members to assess the characteristics of themselves and of others. One interesting activity consisted of the instructor assigning two classmates together. The two classmates were required to give a speech on their partner. The speech required the two individuals to discuss their personal leadership philosophy and personal brand statement. Then, students were required to share their thoughts about the individual, giving them a few strengths and points of improvement. This activity was very interesting, and it gave the students an opportunity to learn more about other students in the class.

Through class activities and assignments, the students in change leadership learn about themselves. This self-actualization provides the student to understand personal leadership strengths and weaknesses. However, weaknesses can be improved by practicing leadership in different situations. For example, a student struggling to gain leadership experience should participate in more activities on campus that require leadership capabilities. This may mean to join clubs, participate in academic research opportunities, or take on more leadership roles at work. Practicing leadership is a vital aspect of becoming a leader, and practice requires being in a leadership position.

Overall, this class prepares students to be leaders in organizations, societies, and life. Many of the students in the class are graduate assistants gaining coaching or teaching experience. Graduate assistant roles require leadership of athletes and students, but the graduate assistants’ goals should be to grow and learn from the leadership experiences that occurred during their time as graduate assistants. The professor continually states that leadership is a lifelong journey and that leaders don’t take days off. These two statements require leaders to continually grow and assess leadership capabilities and actions. Leaders need to refuse to be ordinary and should always be aware of their surroundings. Perception is powerful, and leaders need to maintain a positive perception from followers in order to keep trust from followers.

This class not only prepares the student for leadership of individuals and groups. This class also prepares the student for leadership of self. In order to lead others, one must lead himself/herself. Leaders have expectations for followers, but followers also have expectations for the leader. Change Leadership will explain how to maintain credibility, trust, and results from followers at work, in school, and in society. Change Leadership will provide opportunities for students to lead the classroom with discussion and projects. Change Leadership will allow students to understand the challenges faced by other leaders through case study analysis, and Change Leadership will develop leaders for our communities. The Change Leadership class produces individuals that understand the leader/follower relationship and gives the students opportunities to grow and develop leadership capabilities.

References

Katz, R.L. (1955). Skill of an effective administrator. Harvard Business Review, 33(1).

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice. 7e. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks, CA.