MEET AND GREET

Hello Everyone,

It's nice to see some familiar faces and names :)

My name is Kim and I'm from Moncton, New Brunswick. My career started in corrections at Dorchester Penitentiary as a correctional officer, then in parole. After 7 years I applied for a pension expert position with the public service pension center and spent another 7 years in administration. In 2012, I flew to Vietnam to do my CELTA thinking I would teach English during my winter holidays (the Federal Government has an income averaging program that I took full advantage of and spent most of my last winters in Canada on a beach).

Well, 6 years later I am still in Vietnam. Since 2012, I have taught in a number of language centers, a private school (1st grade) and am currently a 3rd grade homeroom teacher at a Korean International School. I am feeling the itch to leave Vietnam (craving new culture and challenges) but I am still very passionate about teaching.

I am not currently in any leadership roles at my school but I do consider teaching as leadership in and of itself. Of course, I am looking forward to learning more about how leaders can influence the dynamics in the work place (both positively and negatively) and how I can position myself to be a better, more supportive team member.

Happy to be learning alongside of you all,

Cheers!

Kim

Lollipop Moments

Kimberly Tobin posted Jan 14, 2018 12:38 AM

Have you had a lollipop moment?

I've been on the delivery and receiving end of lollipop moments I am happy to say. I've always wanted to be a teacher. In 7th grade an assignment had us "teach" a topic to our classmates. Afterwards, my teacher took me aside and told me I had all the qualities to be a great teacher. She had no idea this is what I wanted to do and her words of praise kept me going these past few years as I've struggled with self-doubt and perfectionism finding my way in this career. I'd love to look her up and tell her what I'm doing now. I bet she doesn't remember me and has no recollection of that moment, but it was significant for me and still has impact :) Sad to say, I can remember her face but not her name. That lady deserves a lollipop!

I've been an expat for the past 6 years and though I think most people think I am crazy for giving up a great job, pension etc. I have received several emails over the years telling me that my decision has inspired them to pursue their own dreams. I've been their "lollipop" moment even though, like Dudley I was just going along with my life and being myself.

2. How comfortable are you taking credit for your leadership or something else you do well?

On a scale of 1 -10, about a 3. Haha Like most people who have posted already, I am very uncomfortable being the center of attention and tend to point out all the things that went wrong or I could have done better. That being said, being overlooked or underappreciated is not pleasant, but I know that I don't do what I do to impress others. I'm not in it for the praise and others' approval has little bearing on the path I continue to follow.

3. How easily do you give credit to others?

Very easily. I guess this stems from the feelings of being overlooked or unappreciated..since I know how this feels. I don't try to flatter for flattery's sake but really try to acknowledge people and thank them, even if their work hasn't affected me directly. In the classroom, I make great efforts to give credit to the weaker less confident students. The ones who are never the most popular or best at anything. I can see the looks on their faces when they point out that they didn't get the highest score or make the best project so why am I praising them? I tell them I can see progress or can recognize the hard work they've put into something. The students who always excel at everything don't necessarily have it easy, but I love watching the weaker students' confidence and self esteem grow just from a few words of acknowledgment and recognition. As teachers we are role models and a few words of praise can mean so much to children as they look up to us for guidance and acceptance.

4. Is drawing attention to oneself ever a useful strategy?

I am very turned off by boasting and colleagues listing their resume to insist upon their own expertise. So I guess it depends on how it's done. I buy the argument of "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" but much prefer when people's accomplishments and experiences are pointed out by someone else. In so many situations I have heard people telling others about their personal or professional accomplishments. This is met with nods of the head and acknowledgment. Then, when someone's accomplishments are pointed out by someone else (Did you know so-and-so did this or that?) the level of respect and admiration tends to increase dramatically. Maybe it's just me, but I feel the less boastful person is more credible and probably a better leader because they don't need to remind people of why they should be followed.

Kind of a harsh statement to make ;) It's only one of my perspectives on it. Of course drawing attention to oneself is not only useful at times, but necessary. I just want to be really cautious that I am not one of those people that turn others off by always drawing attention to myself. I would rather acknowledge everyone's strengths and accomplishments. I think this fosters a better team environment in which people can assume leadership roles depending on the circumstances. Kinda what Northouse was discussing about context and relevance to situations.

Kim

Sources:

1) https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership

2) P. G. Northhouse, Leadership, 7th Edition, Sage, 2016

A Leader I Admire

Kimberly Tobin posted Jan 14, 2018 1:37 AM

I hope that title doesn't assume I meant me! haha

Who is this leader? How do you know him/her?

The leader I chose to describe is my current grade head, Adam. I've been working with him for three years now and he is the person I most admire and model my own teaching and personal interactions with colleague from.

What is it about this person that makes her/him a leader worthy of your admiration?

Adam incorporates all of the traits Northouse describes in Chapter 2, specifically the 5 factor personality model. He is intelligent, confident, determined, sociable and handles everything he does with high levels of integrity. He is someone that we have all come to admire and trust. He has built a strong culture of collaboration at our school, pioneering shared-lesson planning among the elementary teachers. This means we meet regularly to discuss the curriculum, how we will deliver it, and share resources. As a result, we do not feel isolated in our classrooms but as a part of a team. Every student's success is our concern, not just the ones sitting in our classroom.

What influence has this person had on you and on others?

Adam has a background in special education and has been invaluable to us as a source for classroom management techniques. He gives us new perspectives and encourages us to assess each difficultly we're having from the students' points of view. Most of our students are expats and have difficulty adjusting to a new country and culture (just like us!). He is non-judgmental, understanding and quick to share ideas about how to deal with any problems we have. He is a safe resource to go to when we are having issues. He is moving to the middle east next month and there is a somber feeling among the staff that we are losing our 'rock'.

In what ways, if any, has this person influenced your life decisions?

Adam has influenced me to be more patient and supportive. As a result of how he has treated me personally, I am much more eager to help others as well. This might be prepping other teacher's lessons and surprising them with it. I listen and try to offer sound advice when new teachers ask me for help. When faced with challenging situations I think of what Adam has said, or imagine what he might do, and base my actions on that. He is a mentor, role model, and a friend I will miss dearly when he goes.

Kim

Be All That You Can Be

A quick search for Leadership Traits brought up a plethora of websites covering the top attributes successful leaders share. It was a bit mind-blowing as the lists were anywhere from 5, 9 to 101 characteristics long! Within these sites, I found that many of these traits overlapped and it depended on a definition and understanding of these terms to specifically differentiate them. I considered in what regards some of these traits were truly traits, as in qualities one is born with and which of those can be learned. I've come to the conclusion that they can all be learned. Being a good leader isn't dependent on your height, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or otherwise. The traits are all things that we are either more naturally inclined towards or can develop with practice and consciousness.

Though several leadership traits appeared across most of the sites (confidence and vision for example) the one that struck me, and the one I want to write about, is Honesty.

Honesty, as defined by Kristin Chapman (2014) incorporates integrity, transparency and trust. Leaders should be willing to communicate what they're thinking or feeling while at the same time being open to listen to what others are thinking and feeling as well. It means being transparent about things even when they didn't work out or go as planned, instead of shifting the blame or sweeping the issues under the rug. We live in a world where we can no longer assume our leaders are honest (too many political or celebrity scandals to mention), therefore leaders must go out of their way to prove they are honest (Shead, 2018).

I'm thinking of "honesty" in 2 ways at this point. One, from a cultural perspective. Living in an Asian society there is a thing called "saving face". To avoid embarrassment or just to please, people will not be entirely honest or will tell you what they want to hear in order to maintain a good impression of themselves. This is not malicious, ill-intended (or well explained! my apologies). But suffice to say, I'm relating this 'saving face' to situations at my school where not everything is really as it seems because someone is either trying to save face for their colleagues or for themselves. This sometimes creates misunderstandings or a distrust that staff don't really know what's going on or what their leaders are truly feeling.

The other example I am thinking of where lack of honesty can undermine leadership is when staff feedback is manipulated or ignored in order to present a better picture of the leaders, and present them as doing a better job than they are. Many of my friends work at a local university and resent the yearly feedback appraisals. Not be be confused with their own personal/professional feedback from students and supervisors.This is when they get to express their opinions and thoughts about leadership, courses, working conditions etc. at the university. Every year I hear them complain about how the true issues are ignored and the negativity or low scores are omitted completely from the final evaluation. They are frustrated that the leaders neglect anything that holds them professionally accountable. The argument that eliminating the negative and focusing only on the positive does not bide well with the staff who see this as away to disregard the 'little people' and continue to avoid accountability. I clearly see this creating a divide and a very toxic environment. I put this under "Honesty" because if the university administrators could be honest with the staff,and with themselves it would help move everyone forward. Instead there appears to be a culture or resentment and distrust.

The advice given to foster honesty on the sites I looked at included going out of your way to display honesty, be truthful, let people know where they stand, make ethical decisions and share information openly (even if it isn't pretty!). Below is a compilation of their advice for how the trait of honesty can be developed and strengthened.

DEVELOPING HONESTY: A LEARNING PLAN.

Admit mistakes, that you don't know it all and seek help.
People will not assume you are honest simply because you have never been caught lying.have to go out of your way to display honesty.
Always do the honest thing.
Meet commitments. Do what you say you are going to do.
Treat people the way they want to be treated.
Share information openly, and avoid spin control.
Share and react calmly to good and bad news while being able to quickly put a plan in action to move forward.
Communicate what you’re thinking or feeling, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular.
Be willing to listen and discuss issues before the data is completely thought through, when available alternatives are not fully crystallized, and when decisions are not yet final.
Keep your word, follow through on promises, and deliver on time.

Sources:

Chapman, Kristin. “What do Honesty, Integrity, and Trust Mean in Leadership?” Decisionwise, 2014, https://www.decision-wise.com/what-does-honesty-integrity-and-trust-mean-in-leadership/1

Downard, Brian. “101 Best Leadership Skills, Traits & Qualities - The Complete List.” BD Ventures, 5 Dec. 2017, http://briandownard.com/leadership-skills-list/#personality.

Economy, Peter. “The 9 Traits That Define Great Leadership.” Inc.com, Inc., www.inc.com/peter-economy/the-9-traits-that-define-great-leadership.html

Farrell, Rachel. “23 Traits of Good Leaders”. CareerBuilder, 3 Aug. 2011. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/03/good.leader.traits.cb/index.html

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Chapter 2: Trait Approach (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Shead, Mark. “Five Most Important Leadership Traits”. Leadership 501, 2010. http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/

Emotional Intelligence

A person I consider to have a high EQ and excellent working relationship with their peers (followers) is a former keeper (correctional manager) at the penitentiary I worked at, named Joey. Joey is a well-respected, confident and effective leader without coming across as arrogant or overbearing. In addition to his supervisory role, Joey is a weapons trainer and leader of the emergency response team. His duties have often put him in the middle of crisis situations in which he had to understand the positions of the people he was dealing with (staff and inmates), consider the situational context he was dealing with, and act accordingly. In these ways, Joey is exhibiting the emotional intelligence skills of perspective taking, social perceptiveness and social performance (Northouse, 2016).

An inmate was stabbed and killed one evening while Joey was the keeper on duty. I’ll always remember that despite the commotion the incident created, staff on duty handled the event with calmness and professionalism. This was due largely in part because Joey was quick to contact staff and be very clear about what their duties and responsibilities were. He switched some staff’s posts to accommodate how they would be better able to serve. He provided understandable instructions and modeled impeccably professional behavior. After the event was taken care of, Joey spent all night visiting staff, chatting with them, casually debriefing, and showing appreciation for everyone’s contribution no matter how big or small. This is not an example of an isolated event. I am only realizing now how important emotional intelligence in the work place, and am grateful that someone possessed those skills while I was in a such a volatile one! It is definitely a result of his high EQ that Joey is able to be so effective as a leader.

Sources:

Key Step Media. (2011, January 26). "Emotional Intelligence." YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/wJhfKYzKc0s.

Northouse, P. G. 2016. Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th Ed.). SAGE Publications.

Conflict and Style

When I worked for the government department that handled pension plans for federal employees, I had a supervisor I’ll call J. She came from a working-class background and was the first to attend university in her family. J always said she wasn’t the prettiest or the skinniest one at school so she always aspired to be the smartest. She pushed herself to get the best grades and was determined to work her way up the ladder. While J was extremely organized and professional, she wasn’t that warm or approachable and people often thought of her as a bossy micro-manager. When J came to lead our section she had no prior experience processing the types of retirements we were doing, but she was determined to get our numbers up to show her competence as a leader. Unfortunately for J, the department was going through a major systems overhaul at this time and due to updates we were unable to process as much work as before. J insisted we keep up with prior performance, kept assigning more and more of a workload and blamed us personally for the drop in production. Absenteeism rose, staff started going on extended sick leave and it was not uncommon for people to confess they were on anti depressants to deal with the stress. On one occasion, J brought me into her office and was extremely upset that I had only achieved half of my quota the previous month and accused me of rebelling. I had to remind her that I had been away for two weeks on holiday.

Glad I was missed!

The truth of the matter is, that story just demonstrates how out of touch she was on the interpersonal level with her staff. She sorely lacked in emotional intelligence, empathy and perceptiveness. J is a classis example of someone who would score very high on the Leadership Grid in authority-compliance leadership style (Northouse, 2016). J focused almost exclusively on the tasks to be completed and the outcomes at work. Her leadership style was ineffective in the context she was working in and produced the opposite outcomes that she wanted to achieve.

Source:

Northouse, P. G. 2016. Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th Ed.). SAGE Publications.

Listening like a Leader

Listening is different from hearing. I can always tell the difference when someone is truly listening because I feel that they are engaged. Through body language, making eye contact and verbal responses, great listeners are able to demonstrate empathy and absolute presence. A great listener is able to make the speaker feel like they “get it”, that they understand the not only the details but the message the speaker is trying to get across. I believe the best listeners I have come across in my life – parents, teachers, friends - are extremely adept in social skills and have high emotional intelligence. Listening skills are extremely important to develop and are at the cornerstone of all our human connections. It’s when communication breaks down that problems in families, in the workplace and in communities arise.

I have had the experience of both not feeling listened to, and guilty of not giving my full attention to a speaker. I asked a friend to evaluate me based on a few top 10 bad listening habits I came across online (Studyskills.org and Changingminds.org) and completed a short self assessment quiz (Mindtools.com). One thing that I was not aware of is I tend to be an “excited listener” and I get lost in the details which tends to bring the conversation off track. For example, if someone wanted to tell me about a safari they went on in South Africa, I might interrupt them with questions about what South Africa was like. Was it their first time? Did they like the food? Before they have a chance to share the story they really wanted to tell. This is a poor listening skill (and rude behavior) that I will address by acknowledging my questions internally by putting them in my mind’s ‘parking lot’ to be revisited later if possible, or appropriate. I’ll also be more mindful and patient, using the phrase “take time to stop and smell the roses” as a reminder to enjoy the conversation and see where the speaker leads me.

Sources and Other Sites Visited for Inspiration

Stephen (2012, June 25) 10 bad Listening Habits. Retrieved from https://studyskills.org/10-bad-listening-habits/

Changing Minds (2016) Bad Listening Habits. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/techniques/listening/bad_listening.htm

Mindtools (2015) How Good Are Your Listening Skills? Retrieved form https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/listening-quiz.htm

Skills You Need (2017) Barriers to Effective Listening. Retrieved form https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/ineffective-listening.html

Strokey, C. (2017) 11 Steps to Become a Good Listener. Retrieved form https://calebstorkey.com/listening-skills-11-steps-to-become-a-good-listener/

Holmes, L. (2017) 9 Things Good Listeners Do Differently. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/habits-of-good-listeners_n_5668590.html

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Into Thin Air

The catastrophe on Mount Everest in 1996, as told by Jon Krakauer in his book Into Thin Air, is a great example of the various types of leadership styles and approaches. Specifically, the story explores the skills approach, path-goal theory, and behavioral leadership concepts, as well as the influence of traits, power and trust. Rob Hall, Andy Harris and Scott Fischer displayed various elements of these leadership styles and I believe the best way to frame it is to consider Situational Leadership (Northouse p. 93). This understanding of leadership considers that different situations call for different approaches. As the leaders grappled with extreme conditions and the different states and needs of their followers, they had to adapt and deal with each situation uniquely.

Good examples of leadership come through with examples of climbers trusting their guides, Sherpas preparing the routes ahead of time, cooperation and collaboration amongst the teams on the mountain and at base camp. At one point in the book, Krakauer discusses how frustrated he is that other climbers are moving past him but he resigns to stay put and wait for the other members of his group. This suggests he is concerned with the safety and success of everyone and demonstrates having a clear vision. Conversely, a Sherpa is criticized in the book by Krakauer for dragging Pittman up the mountain. Krakauer says he had lost sight of what he was doing, lost sight of his priorities. This leads into the poor examples of leadership that were also exhibited throughout the ascent.

Although many factors led to the disaster that ensued, had the leaders of the expeditions kept to their vision and led situationally, rather than selfishly, much of the failure may have been avoided. Turning around times were ignored, oxygen was not shared, some teams refused to collaborate (South African, Japanese), communication was poor and personal safety was overlooked. Strong leaders need to possess an awareness of their surroundings and strong emotional intelligence to be effective. The guides on Mount Everest lost sight of what their teams were capable of, and failed to compromise in order to avoid catastrophe.

The expedition leaders were extremely prepared to climb Everest and everyone undertook the challenge with great skill and foresight expecting this would lead to their success at reaching the summit. However, the disaster that occurred revealed that excellent preparation wasn’t enough. Everyone’s survival depended on the quality of their personal relationships, decision-making abilities, and interactions with others – and these are the factors which ultimately made the difference between life and death.

In the classroom, the process of facing new challenges is similar, albeit way less dramatic. Teachers spend much of their time preparing lessons, collecting resources and facilitating student progress. The lesson I took away from the Everest catastrophe as it applies to my professional context, is remembering to be situationally oriented with a behavioral approach while promoting collaboration skills. What I have taken from Into Thin Airis that it is the investment in human relationships that can mean the difference between success and failure. With this approach teachers can learn to pull classes and students together in times of difficulty rather than fall apart.

Sources:

Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. A Books, 1999.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Situational & Adaptive Leadership - Kim

Kimberly Tobin posted Jan 29, 2018 3:02 AM

I found the two approaches similar in the sense that they both focused on “behavior” rather than leadership as being skill or trait inherent. However, Situational Leadership looked at leadership from a situational perspective, while Adaptive Leadership focused more intently on the followers.

Though both models take a prescriptive approach, situational leadership recommends that leaders be adaptable to different organizational settings and goals. It recommends that leaders adopt certain behaviors depending on the particular situation. The process includes determining the nature of the situation, identifying what specific developmental level they’re are at, and then adapting the leadership style that best suits the requirements of the situation.

Adaptive Leadership is more about helping people change and adjust to these situations, rather than just looking at the situation itself. Adaptive Leadership is much more follower-centered and puts the adjusting and problem solving more squarely in the lap of followers Just as with Situational Leadership, there are behaviors that leaders can adopt that will assist in this process.

I would consider a blend if these two models to be the best approach. I consider the situational model as looking at the big picture, trying to get a snapshot of what is going on. For example, a teacher wants the students to complete a project in groups. Using the situational approach, some of the strategies the teacher could use would be looking at the strengths and weaknesses of students and assigning teams to make them more balanced, or letting students form their own teams and behaving towards them depending on their developmental levels and needs. Some would be given more autonomy and others would receive more support. With an Adaptive leadership approach, the teacher would be much more involved in helping each student adjust to their teams and the workload the project will entail. Both approaches seem difficult to manage though because they require so much juggling between assumptions, perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.

References:

Northouse, P.G. Leadership Theory and Practice, 7th Ed. SAGE Publications, Inc. 20150211. VitalBook file.

TEDxStCharles – Marty Linsky. Adaptive Leadership – Leading Change. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af-cSvnEExM&feature=youtu.be

Blanchard, K. and Blanchard, B. Situational Leadership II. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDHpyr6nlwQ

Getting on the Balcony - Kim

Kimberly Tobin posted Jan 29, 2018 3:05 AM

Please find attached a link to my slide show presentation. I have chosen to focus on "Getting on the Balcony" as one of the aspects to explore in Adaptive Leadership.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUPySIRkEc

Adaptive Mentorship appears to be a blend of Situational and Adaptive models of leadership. Adaptive Mentorship uses a grid similar to the Situational model to determine which leadership style would be most effective for a given situation, and then adds a grid inspired by the Adaptive model to mirror it with followers’ developmental levels. In this way, the Adaptive Mentorship model incorporates strategies for both adjusting leader (mentor) behavior and responding to the task-specific developmental stages of followers (proteges) (Ralph & Walker, 2010).

By applying this model to ill-defined problems and situations, leaders are encouraged to apply both task and support responses. Thus, not just focusing on the technical aspects of a follower’s performance but by also taking into account the psycho/socio/emotional aspect of their learning (Ralph & Walker, 2010). The three phases of this model are similar to the Situational and Adaptive models of leadership which include an assessment or determination, a chosen response, and continual adaptation as things change.

Ralph and Walker (2010) argue that the Adaptive Mentorship model is good at helping understand how protégés view their own needs, and helped leaders more clearly define their roles as their followers developed. However, it was shown that familiarization with the model and understanding its usage was paramount for both leaders and followers to establish a proper dialogue about the process. Though I see the potential for being highly effective, I do feel that there would need to be “buy in” from all parties for this tool to be effective. Another issue is that due to the highly ambiguous meaning of words like support, confidence, eagerness, leaders and followers would have to establish some understanding in order for the overall context to be appreciated and authentic.

References:

Ralph, E., & Walker, K. (2010). Enhancing Mentors’ Effectiveness: The Promise of the Adaptive Mentorship Model. McGill Journal of Education, 45(2), 205-281.

Northouse, P.G. Leadership Theory and Practice, 7th Ed. SAGE Publications, Inc. 20150211. VitalBook file.

What is paradoxical about servant leadership?

The term Servant Leadership, coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, is paradoxical because it seems to contradict itself. It’s similar to statements such as ‘less is more’ or ‘you need to spend money to make money’, in which the words seem to counter each other, yet imply a truth. We generally think of leaders being at the top of a pyramid exercising their power, but Servant Leadership inverts this perception so to speak by placing the leader at the bottom in a sharing or supportive position to help people develop and reach their highest potential.

Everyday Servant Leadership - Kim

Kimberly Tobin posted Feb 7, 2018 2:08 AM

What is paradoxical about servant leadership?

What do servant leaders get in return?

Servant Leadership approaches leadership with the philosophy that leaders “should be attentive to the needs of followers, empower them, and help them develop their full human capacities” (Northouse, 2016). Leaders derive satisfaction and fulfillment from this by enriching the lives of individuals, which helps build better organizations, communities and potentially the world. As demonstrated in the video “Unsung Hero”, servant leaders do not have to be in formal positions of power to exert their influence. Anyone can have an impact by putting the needs of other people first. Though I question how altruistic human beings really are, there is a rational motivation behind helping others to make the world in which you live a better place. There is also an undeniable “good feeling” people get when they do good deeds. I would argue that even at worst, the incentive for servant-leadership is framed as selfish, it is still a much better approach than many of the leader-centered approaches we’ve looked at so far.

In what ways have you observed everyday servant leadership around you?

Miss Thuy, one of the cleaning ladies at my school just came in and emptied my garbage can, she made sure the bits of scrap paper were off the floor, and straightened out the students’ desks. Things I won’t have to do so I can keep working and go home on time. She is always smiling and going the extra mile for the students as well. Though I have always appreciated her, I am definitely seeing her in a new light right now. Just like in the story “Journey to the East”, this place would fall apart without her!

Famous Quotes:

1. To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. - Eleanor Roosevelt

2. A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. - Lao Tzu

3. I must follow the people. Am I not their leader? - Benjamin Disraeli

4. Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. - Jack Welch

5. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. - John Maxwell

6. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. – Roy T. Bennett

7. If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader. – Dolly Parton

8. Great leaders can see the greatness in others when they can’t see it themselves and lead them to their highest potential they don’t even know. – Roy T. Bennett

9. Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter F. Drucker

10. A leader...is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. - Nelson Mandela

This last quote, by Nelson Mandela, is the one that rings most true for me. At least it is closest to the philosophy I have about leadership and how I want to hone leadership skills in my own professional practice. I would prefer to be in a position of support, encouragement and guidance, than one in which I direct and lead. I would rather guide, remove obstacles and provide what is needed. Although the quote I chose could easily fit into the Servant-Leadership model, I consider Nelson Mandela to reflect the behaviors and beliefs of a transformational leader.

As a transformational leader, Nelson Mandela changed the political arena of South Africa. He demonstrated transformational leadership by motivating his followers to achieve amazing achievements through inspiration, intelligence, individualized attention and charisma (Northouse, 2016). Through commitment to a common vision and a strong sense of purpose, Mandela engaged his followers and supported the greater good rather than his own self-interests. Consequently, a strong desire to self-actualized emerged and those suffering from apartheid felt empowered to take the necessary changes to ‘transform’ the future of their country.

How useful are motivational quotes?

I believe motivational quotes are good for inspiration. Often when in doubt or trying to stay on track, people will adopt certain quotes as mantras to provide a bit of focus and direction. There is a large degree of self-selection involved, as one motivational quote may not resonate with everyone. But when someone does find a quote that is particularly meaningful to them, it can

be an extremely powerful driving force that propels them towards their goals.

Sources:

Goodreads (2018). Quotes About Leadership. Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/leadership

Haden, J. (2014). 75 Inspiring Motivational Quotes on Leadership. Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/75-inspiring-motivational-quotes-on-leadership.html

Kruse, K. (2012) 100 Best Quotes on Leadership. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/10/16/quotes-on-leadership/#52ab93692feb

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pseudo Transformational Leader –Rodrigo Duterte.

As a mayor, Rodrigo Duterte transformed the crime ridden streets of Davao city in the Philippines into “one of the most peaceful cities in South East Asia” (Manila, 2017). However, his success has come under international criticism in recent years for his murderous methods. Now as president of the Philippines since May 2016, Duterte had pledged to slaughter every drug dealer and addict in the country, paving the way for death squads and encouraging vigilante killings (Manila, 2017). To date, thousands of suspected drug dealers and criminals have been executed with little to no follow up or interference from the police.

“We're the ninth safest city. How do you think I did it? How did I reach that title among the world’s safest cities? Kill them all [criminals].” – Duterte, May 15th 2015 (Manila, 2017).

While the United Nations and Human Rights groups have openly condemned Duterte’s policies, his public rating as President among Filipinos remains strong at a 79% satisfaction rate (Financial Times, 2017).

What was this person like in childhood and adolescence?

Duterte was born in 1954. His father was a lawyer before becoming a mayor and then provincial governor of Davao province. His mother was a school teacher and civic leader. It’s reported that Duterte enjoyed hanging out in the rough streets of Davao as a youth and that he was expelled from two different high schools for misconduct. Despite this, Duterte graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and then went on to complete law school and pass the bar exam in 1972 (FilipiKnow, 2016).

What were the formative experiences of this person’s life?

Duterte claims to have been sexually abused by a priest as a child. He also claims to have shot at least 3 people, one of the incidents happening while he was at law school. (FilipiKnow, 2016).

Duterte started his career as a prosecutor before entering the world of politics. As mayor of Davao, Duterte dealt with a city riddled with crime, drugs and corruption. It had the highest murder rate and second highest rape rate in the country between 2010 and 2015 (Financial Times, 2017). A vigilante group emerged around 1998, calling themselves the Davao Death Squad (DDS), who targeted and assassinated drug dealers, child rapists, criminals and repeat offenders.

Though Duterte has denied involvement with the DDS, his public approval for hundreds of execution-style killings of drug users and criminals over nearly two decades helped launch him to the highest office of a ‘crime-weary land’ (Financial Times, 2017). He has been dubbed “The Punisher” by Time magazine and has been criticized by human rights groups for his affiliation with the extrajudicial killings.

In 2016, Duterte was ranked 70th on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful people (Forbes, 2016). It’s estimated that 4377 people have been murdered in the Philippines between 2016 and 2018 under his leadership (ABS/CBN News, 2018).

When did this leader become self-consumed, power-oriented, exploitative, or amoral?

In many ways, Duterte embodies the leadership style known as Pseudo Transformational Leadership. He has managed to transform the social and public landscape of the Philippines so that people feel safer, however his tactics and methods epitomize pseudo transformational leadership in the sense that they are unethical, inhumane, exploitative, manipulative and threatening (Northouse, 2016). While many people support the transformational changes Duterte has made, it would be hard to argue that this is for the common good. He has been criticized for being misogynistic, homophobic, and for his war on drugs being really just a war against the poor (Manila, 2017).

Why does this person have followers?

Duterte is a charismatic leader and has succeeded in gaining a lot of support from his followers. He has developed a reputation as “protector”, “savior” and “man-of the-people” in the Philippines (Manu et al., 2016; Zabriskie, 2010). Duterte has done some very positive things. For example, he sent rescue and medical teams to give aid to the victims of earthquakes and typhoons in the Philippines (Manu et al., 2013). He passed the Women’s Development Code and ensured that prostitutes had valid health cards and were not subject to arrest (Manu et al., 2013). *Note, prostitution is illegal but child prostitution and human trafficking are still major problems in the Philippines.* He reduced speed limits, implemented anti-smoking ordinances, and enhanced public safety by increasing funding for ambulances, police mobile patrols and close circuit television (CCTV) cameras (Manu et al., 2013). But mostly people like him because they are tired of criminals and corrupt public officials and Duterte talks a tough game against them (Forbes, 2016).

What do followers hope to gain from this leader?

Duterte is like the Dirty Harry of the Philippines. He’s a hard-working politician by day, vigilante crime-chasing hero at night. Followers admire, trust and respect his type of leadership, even though his moral compass is off kilter. There is an amount of idealization that Duterte will rid the Philippines of its criminal ills, even though the perceived short-term gains ultimately result in long term costs to the people.

Can the world ever rid itself of pseudo transformational leaders?

I don’t think so. History has always been riddled with these kinds of leaders. Whenever there are times of economic, political or social instability (which is pretty much everywhere, always) you will always find groups of disenfranchised people looking for a voice to represent their needs and concerns. Pseudo-transformational leaders easily emerge within these conditions, making it seem as though they have the peoples’ best interests at heart. In reality, their motives are for self-aggrandization and power.

SOURCES:

ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group (2018) “Map, Charts: The Death Toll of the War on Drugs”. Retrieved from: http://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/map-charts-the-death-toll-of-the-war-on-drugs

FilipiKnow. (2016). “17 Things You Didn’t Know About Rodrigo Duterte”. Retrieved from: http://www.filipiknow.net/rodrigo-duterte/

Finacial Times. (2017). “Drugs and Death in Davao: the Making of Rodrigo Duterte”. Retrieved from: https://www.ft.com/content/9d6225dc-e805-11e6-967b-c88452263daf

Forbes. (2016). “The World’s Most Powerful People 2016”. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2016/12/14/the-worlds-most-powerful-people-2016/&refURL=https://vn.search.yahoo.com/&referrer=https://vn.search.yahoo.com/

Manila, Rishi Ivengar. (2017). “The Killing Time: Inside Rodrigo Duterte’s Drug War”. Retrieved from: http://time.com/4462352/rodrigo-duterte-drug-war-drugs-philippines-killing/

Manu, D. et al. (2013). “Davao brings P18M as help to Cebu, Bohol” Retrieved from: https://cnn298site.wordpress.com/tag/httpswordpress-compostcnn298site-wordpress-com50/

Northouse, P.G (2016). Chapter 8: Transformational Leadership. In Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Time.com. (2010). “The Punisher”. Retrieved from: http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736340/rodrigo-duterte/

Kim Tobin

Professional Masters in Education

Queens University, CA

Lollipop Moments

A Leader I Admire

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