Are You a Leader?
Motivating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7O8s6Ng
Ack
Objectives
• Describe what it is to be a good leader
• Determine whether or not your leadership
skills are effective for the role you play within
the classroom, on the field or in
administration.
• Outline a list of skills that could be developed
upon or implemented that would improve
your current leadership skills.
Why is this important?
• It is important to how to be a good leader;
whether in the classroom, on the field or in an
administrative position
• Leaders need to be able to identify with their
students, players and or faculty members.
• Good leaders need to be able to motivate and
empower.
What will we accomplish our goal?
• Understand what it takes to be a good leader.
• Analyze and evaluate your own leadership
skills.
• Determine what steps are necessary to
become a better leader in your particular role
within the classroom, on the field or within
administration.
What makes a good leader?
• What characteristics go in to being a good
leader?
• Are you a good leader?
• What kind of leader are you?
• Let’s find out!
Answer the following questions, keeping in mind what you have done, or
think you would do, in the situation. Answer each question YES or NO.
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1. DO you enjoy the authority leadership brings?
2. Generally, do you think it is worth the time and effort for
a leader to explain the reasons for a decision or policy
before putting the policy into effect?
3. Do you tend to prefer the planning functions of
leadership, as opposed to working directly with the
employees?
4. A stranger comes into your work area, and you know the
person is a new employee. Would you ask, “What is your
name?” rather than introduce yourself?
5. Do you keep employees up –to-date on a regular basis on
developments affecting the work group?
6. Do you find that in giving out assignments, you tend to
state the goals, leaving the methods up to your employees.
7. It comes tome to decide about a company event. You
have heard that the majority prefer it on Wednesday, but
you are pretty sure Thursday would be better for all
concerned. Would you put the question to a vote rather
than make the decision yourself?
8. If you had your way, would you make communication
sessions employee-initiated, with personal consultations
held only at the employee’s request?
9. Do you think leaders should keep aloof from employees,
because in the lone run familiarity breeds lessened respect?
10. Do you favor the use of audits and performance
evaluations as a way of keeping work standards high?
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11. Do you feel that you should be friendly with
employees?
12. After considerable time, you determine the answer to
a tough problem. You pass along the solution to your
employees, who poke it full of holes. Would you be
annoyed that the problems is still unsolved, rather than
become upset with the employees?
13. Do you agree that one of the best ways to avoid
problems of discipline is to provide adequate punishment
for violation of rules?
14. your way of handling a situation is being criticized by
your employees. Would you try to sell your viewpoint,
rather than make it clear that , as supervisor, your
decisions are final?
15. Do you generally ;eave it up to your employees to
contact you, as far as informal, day – to day
communications are concerned?
16. Do you feel that everyone in your group should have a
certain amount of personal loyalty?
17. Do you favor the practice of using task force teams and
committees?
18. Some experts say that difference of opinion within a
work group is healthy; others say it indicates basic flaws in
the management process. DO you agree with the first
view?
Scoring: Place a checkmark next to each question you answered yes. Add the
check marks for each column to find the totals for the leadership style you prefer.
Directive
Participative
Free - Rein
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Total:
Total:
Total:
Interpretation: Your highest score indicates your preferred leadership
style. What does it mean?
Directive Style
Participative Style
Free- Rein Style
Maximum Area of
Freedom of Followers
Max Use of Authority
Leader decides what is to
be done
Leader announces
principles
Leader presents problem
with boundaries
Presents decisions
Sets forth decision making
Followers make final
decisions
Allows no questions
BUT…
No opposing views
Leader attempts to
convince followers of
“rightness” of decisions
Leader-Centered Decision
Making
Allows questions, ideas,
discussions from followers
Leader presents problems
and ASKS followers ideas
BUT makes final decisions
based on input
Leaders and Followers
Share Decision Making
Range of Behavior
Followers have as much
freedom as leader has to
define problem and make
decision
Follow-Centered Decision
Making
Directive Style
Participative
Style
Free-Rein Style
LEADER
LEADER
LEADER
LEADER
LEADER
LEADER
Work Group
Emphasis
Follower Emphasis
Leader Emphasis
What does this mean?
• Are you a take charge kind of person or are you able
to give up control and become more of a moderator
and allow your team to take the lead?
• Is your leader / follower team compatible?
• These are important questions to find answers to in
order for a team, department, faculty or community
to become successful.
Key points to remember
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Preferred Learning styles
– Developed over time
• Learned from others
– Modeled
• Formal training
• Personal Experience
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Leading style usually mirrors the following style
– If they conflict, patience needed with decision making, goal setting and
communication
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Success has been found at all ends of the spectrum
– Thomas Jefferson (Participative)
– Dwight Eisenhower (Free-Rein)
– Elizabeth I (Directive)
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No one universal style of leadership
– Depends on the employees
Old vs. New
• Leaders today need to empower, inspire and
motivate their teams
• They need to be able to move away from
orders, managing, implementing plans and
doing things right
• It’s more important to do the right thing…a
good leader knows the difference!
Key to Good Leadership
How do we get there from here?
Harmful
External
Internal
Helpful
Weaknesses: negative
characteristics current
Leadership
SWOT
Opportunities: List
opportunities for
Leadership
Threats: List potential
threats for / to
Leadership
What did we find out about our
current leadership?
The Basic Keys to Good Leadership
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Vision
Awareness
Integrity
Influence
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Attitude
Evolving
Learning
Connecting
Empowering Others
Vision
• Do you know where you are going to go?
– Establish realistic goals
• Is it clear to yourself and those that follow?
• Does the vision motivate / inspire your followers?
– There has to be buy-in from the community in order to be
successful
• Are these the right goals?
– Know how to determine what is best for the community or
where or who to turn to find the answers
– Good leaders know their limitations
• Is this the right time?
• Are we headed in the right direction?
Vision v. Mission
• Differentiate the two
– Vision: What you want or where you want to be
– Mission: How you plan on getting where you
want to be
Awareness and Connection
• How aware are you of what is going on in your community?
– Your followers, students players should be encouraged,
motivated
– They should have a sense of belonging or purpose
• Be aware of your own strengths and limitations
– Delegate if and when it becomes necessary
• Do you know what the needs and wants of your community
are versus what they likes and dislikes?
– There is a difference between wanting something and
needing something
– Leaders differentiate
Awareness and Connection cont.
• Communicate sincerely with your community
– Open door
– Dictatorship?
• Is there a sense of belonging among your
community members?
• Listen to your community
– Feedback is important
• Is feedback well received or encouraged?
– Are your followers afraid to speak openly?
Let’s take a minute…put your head down
and answer the following questions by a
show of hands:
1. How many are still passionate about
their jobs?
2. How many feel inspired by their
leaders?
3. How many feel like you are encouraged
for advancement?
Let’s take a look at the following from Ken
Blanchard…interesting statistics in the first
clip!
http://www.youtube.com/user/KenBlanchardCos?feature=watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3piSk1j668
Integrity
• No integrity…no trust
• Trust builds respect
• Respect to loyalty and loyalty to action among
the community
• This is from the top to the bottom and the
bottom to the top
Ten Leadership Qualities…How do I (You) Rate?
Score each trait on a scale of 1 – 10; 1 low, 10 high.
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vision
ability
enthusiasm
stability
concern for
others
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self-confidence
persistence
vitality
charisma
integrity
Results
SCORE
EVALUATION
100 - 90
Excellent; exceptional
89 – 80
High; very good
79 – 70
Average; needs improvement
69 – 60
Low; much work needed
59 and below
Deficient; poor
Influence and Attitude
• A good leader is able to motivate followers and
influence them to want to follow
• How is this accomplished?
• Do you know when you are negatively affecting
your community?
– Need a positive spin
• Attitude should reflect positively on the situation
• Do you act or react to a situation?
– Learn to listen, wait and then speak
Evolving / Learning
• Positive reinforcement strengthens morale
• Be able to recognize the need for change DESPITE the fact it goes
against tradition
• Good leaders do not know everything and are able to recognize the
constant need to empower themselves with knowledge
• How does your personality enable or hinder your leadership
abilities?
– Interpersonal Style Questionnaire
– Take about 15 minutes to read and answer the
questionnaire. Score your responses and
determine what type of interpersonal
communication best suits you.
How accurate were your findings?
• Traditional (T)
– High standards
– Tradition
• Participative (P)
– Care about people
– Serve others
• Individualistic (I)
– Love freedom
– Independent
Would it not be best to have a
combination from all three to be the
most effective leader possible?
Empower Others
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Probably the most important
Builds our strength
Build confidence in team members
Enable them to lead
Find their strengths and capitalize on them
Enable the them to grow
Is there need for empowerment in
your community?
• Answer the following:
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Do people seem uninterested in their work?
Are absenteeism or turnover rates too high?
Do people lack loyalty and team spirit?
Is there a lack of communication among individuals and
groups?
– Is there a low level of pride?
– Are costs too high as a result of waste and efficiency?
– Does the quality of product or quality of service need
improvement?
If the answer was yes to any
of the previous
questions…empowerment of
your community can help!
How do we Empower?
• Trust the people you work with and that work for you
• Invest in your people…they are the lifeline of the
community
• Recognize accomplishments; don’t just point out when
mistakes are made
• Delegate responsibility for decision making to those
affected most by the decisions
• Model the fact that working together accomplishes more
• Communication is key!
Example of a Good Leader
http://www.ket.org/cgibin/cheetah/watch_video.pl?name=sam_i_am_effective_leadership_16x9
Assessment
• How is Principal Dawson exemplifying good
leadership qualities? List and Explain.
• How could she improve her leadership skills?
Final Thoughts, Questions and
Comments