Knowledge Realized
My leadership philosophy has evolved as a result of the ORGL program at Gonzaga and I am honored to share with you how the learnings have shaped my leadership philosophy.
Realizing the Change
My perspectives on leadership and what makes a great leader have evolved in ways I never expected because of this program. When I entered this program, I had a very narrow view of leadership such that leadership meant modeling from the front. In my limited view, it was the smartest people driving an organization or a business forward and coming up with all the great ideas, measuring and managing people through metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). Leadership and what it means has deepened and broadened for me, and as a result, I am a better version of myself. Through this increased awareness and learnings that came with it, I find I am better equipped to help others be the best version of themselves. This is now my enhanced view of Leadership.
Transformational Leadership
One of the reasons I moved from a business leadership role (sales and marketing) to a human resources leadership role was not because I am a people person; it was because I like to solve problems. I enjoy seeking to understand what, how and why something was happening and working with and through people to develop solutions and implement them. It is important and rewarding to me that something or someone I touched changed, evolved, and bettered because of my engagement. This kind of impact is what gets me up in the morning and excited to contribute. Considering the leadership models we studied, I aligned with a few of them. The one that resonates the most is Transformational Leadership which gives attention to the charismatic and affective elements of leadership (Northouse, 2019, p.163). Transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people (Northouse, 2019, p. 163) and ultimately, organizations. Because transformational leadership focuses movement of followers to accomplish more than what is expected of them (Northouse, 2019, p. 164) it aligns really well to the growth mindset.
The Growth Mindset
The growth mindset, as Carol Dwek explains it, is the mindset one has about their potential and how they can cultivate greatness through development and evolution. This leadership model and approach to achieve cultivate the foundation of my leadership philosophy and how and why I do the work as a people leader. The desire to take the gift of every day and the opportunity to connect with others and help them be their shiniest, best version is what rives me personally and professionally. I become a better me through learning from others and helping them realize their fullest potential. My interest in solving problems, connecting with people to enable their purpose, creating exceptional experiences and energizing people to do and be their best is incredibly rewarding. This connection raises the level of motivation and morality between a leader and followers, such that both evolve and reach a higher good universally (Northouse, 2019, p.165).
Core Beliefs
Looking back to ORGL 610, Communication and Leadership Ethics, and the Schwartz Assessment, I was not surprised by what the results told me about my beliefs. Given that Schwartz describes values as what is important to us in life and what guides action (Schwartz, 2012, pp.3-4) the values with the highest scores are my guideposts. Universalism got the highest score and aligned with my view of human resources as an intersection between employee and company and helping both be the best versions of themselves. As Schwartz describes it, this value is an understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people (Schwartz, 2012, p.7). The other high score for me was benevolence, which is especially resonant when I consider my relationship with others and how I like to be the supporter and smoother for greater harmony. When I think about the values that are most important, I am drawn to gratitude, integrity, accountability, curiosity, and the blocks of relationship which are trust, respect, and shared purpose. In my work and my life, I start everything from a place of gratitude; I firmly believe that every experience and interaction provides an opportunity to learn and grow through being curious, whether it is from a challenging or positive situation. I take actions and move through the world in alignment with my values, which is integrity expressed. I am accountable when I have erred and attempt, at every opportunity, to repair any broken trust, lost respect or missed opportunity to connect on purpose which leads to bettered relationships. I am, like many, a work in progress and do not always get it right. As T.S. Eliot says, every moment is a fresh beginning and even in the moment, you can begin again.
Leadership Position
I used to believe that leadership was from the front, however, I have learned that leadership is from the center. Particularly when thinking about transformational leadership and the most impact it can have, it is about connecting with others and meeting them where they are. From that position, you can inspire them with visions of who they can be and influence them to move toward change. This position of influence gave me a deep connection to the ADKAR change model we learned about in ORGL 517, Organizational Change and Transformation. ADKAR is described as the individual’s change framework focused on the individual’s awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement (Hiatt, 2006, p.32). Through inspiring others to realize the benefits of evolution for them and helping guide them toward it with their own momentum, organizational momentum for change is created. It is a powerful realization of the power of leading from within rather than leading from in front.
This position of leadership is alive and well with my direct reports and my greater organization. When asked by candidates what my leadership style is, I remark that instead of embracing measured and managed, I embrace empowered and accountable. I prefer to give power to my leadership team to manage their businesses, come up with great ideas and implement best practices based on their knowledge and expertise. I see myself as a resource to help remove roadblocks, providing perspective when wanted and course correct when needed. While I hold certain KPIs for results, I also lean heavily on teaching through modeling and being curious about approaches and applications. In this way, I can facilitate their movement toward solutions, allow them to flourish and grow and become the best version of themselves.