Assignment Prompt: Watch the following video from Bill George. Consider George’s three points: inner work involves having real-world experience, processing that experience through some type of reflection, and seeking honest feedback from others. What kinds of real-world experiences have been most instructional for you? How and where do you take time to reflect? From whom can you receive honest feedback? How have these practices (or lack of them) affected your leadership abilities?

Bill George explains, “authentic leaders demonstrate five basic characteristics: (1) They have a strong sense of purpose, (2) they have strong values about the right thing to do, (3) they establish trusting relationships with others, (4) they demonstrate self-discipline and act on their values, and (5) they are sensitive and empathetic to the plight of others” (Northouse, 2018, p. 199). In the Key Step Media video, George describes having real-world experiences and the need to process them through self-reflection, and gaining self-awareness through inner work. He explains the value in being authentic in a world that is often superficial (Goleman & George, 2012).

There is no better way to write about authentic leadership than from a place of authenticity. What I have written here is my true story and the path that led to me to know myself — through self-reflection, accomplishing a great inner work that saved my life and transformed me in many ways.

As I have been learning about leadership styles, approaches, and theories, none has seemed to be “my style” until I learned about authentic leadership. I didn’t know that who I am and the way I conduct myself in all ways, at all times, is considered a leadership style. And though this is my leadership style now, it was a journey to arrive at authenticity and to embrace it as a way of life. As I have pursued authenticity, others don’t always understand the value in it, yet some find it refreshing and want to learn from me as we build trusting relationships.

I have had a number of real-world experiences that have been instructional for me. Some involve great loss, such as the loss of three children through miscarriages, death of loved ones, divorce, the end of my 23-year career. Others involved abuses to my body, mind, and soul. Some have been joyful, such as the miracle birth of my son (who survived while his twin died in the womb) and finally (at 54 years of age) graduating from college with a BA from Stetson University. All people have had life experiences that take them to great heights of joy and others that take them to depths of despair. This is the way life. We all have stories to tell and we are all impacted by our experiences, and at times, the experiences of others. However, what truly makes our real-world experiences impactful is what we do after they happen. And as we have more and more real-life experiences, it makes us empathetic toward others who might be experiencing something we’ve already been through, or at least helps us understand that everyone is dealing with something and they need our compassion in the process. Sometimes, it’s as simple as offering hope.

“Authentic leadership develops in people over a lifetime and can be triggered by major life events, such as a severe illness or a new career” (Northouse, 2018, p. 198).

As an example from my own life, in a five-year period I experienced the death of my father, the end of my 23-year career, and I was raped. (The “R” word took me a long time to say, to face in therapy, then to write about, and eventually to speak about publicly). The weight of so much trauma was more than I could carry and I found myself crying out to a God I had never known, but only heard about.

I began to hear a voice, some might call it an inner voice, I call it the voice of God. The appearance of this relentless and caring voice caused me to pause my life, placing everything on hold, to begin a journey of healing and transformation. Rather than looking for a new job, I spent two years in therapy, Biblical counseling, and passionately pursuing knowledge of the voice that seemed to care about me. In those two years, I did a lot of self-reflecting and received feedback from counselors, who helped me reach self-awareness in many areas. To maintain my healing and to grow in knowledge of who I am and where I’m headed, I reflect daily through prayer and meditation. When life begins to feel chaotic, I find that prayer and meditation centers me and brings things into focus. It gives me clarity.

An unusual moment of self-awareness during that two-year time involved the word “ignorance.” While growing up in the southern U.S., that word was often used in a derogatory way to demean someone. During self-reflection, I considered whether or not I was ignorant. In my self-reflection, I determined that I am ignorant and always will be. This was a huge revelation for me. First, I realized that I didn’t even fully understand the meaning of the word ignorant. Second, armed with a full understanding of the word, I was able to embrace ignorance as a catalyst to pursue knowledge. Third, I realized I would forever be ignorant of something, and so was everyone else — and that’s okay. Not only is it okay, it opened my mind to endless areas of new exploration. Finally, I realized there were a wealth of words that I didn’t fully understand and during the two-year self-reflection period, I pursued knowledge and developed a passion for it.

I have learned that self-reflection is very valuable to me. As a measure of self-discipline, I engage in it daily and it helps me to improve upon who I am and recognize my weaknesses and strengths. In doing so, I become a better version of myself. This helps me to be better as a leader, because I’m not confused about myself. Knowing who I am and being confident in that removes mental chaos that tries to throw me off course. I’m too steadfast in the certainty of who I am.  I know what my purpose is and what I’m actively pursuing. This helps me to be more strategic. Through self-reflection, prayer and meditation: I shove away the distractions, I’m made aware of obstacles and given direction, and I have full knowledge of the best paths to take in all areas of my life.

I relate all this to what I read about in our textbook, about having an inner compass.

“They are able to listen to their inner compass and can discipline themselves to move forward, even in challenging circumstances. In stressful times, self-discipline allows authentic leaders to remain cool, calm, and consistent. Because disciplined leaders are predictable in their behavior, other people know what to expect and find it easier to communicate with them. When the leader is self-directed and ‘on course,’ it gives other people a sense of security” (Northouse, 2018, p. 201).

As an authentic leader, I have confidence in who I am, where I’m going, and how to get there. Self-reflection and self-discipline keep me on course and help me to be strategic and focused. But my empathy and compassion advise me to consider others and their personal situations. I place great value on my inner compass and know it exists for my benefit and the benefit of those with whom I interact. For authentic leaders, both intrapersonal perspective, “which focuses on the leader and what goes on within the leader” and interpersonal processes, “because leaders affect followers and followers affect leaders” are necessary for success and development (Northouse, 2018, p. 198).

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | May 6, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

References

Goleman D. & George B. (2012, Nov. 1). Harvard’s Bill George: Inner Work for Authentic Leadership [Video].Key Step Media. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmPu2LQ84ts&t=81s

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

Think about your leaders from the past and reflect on their leadership qualities. Did any of them exhibit the qualities of a transformational leader? Did the leader exhibit certain elements that made you want to work harder? In what ways were you transformed by the leader you are describing?

“Transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals. It includes assessing followers’ motives, satisfying their needs, and treating them as full human beings. Transformational leadership involves an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them. It is a process that often incorporates charismatic and visionary leadership” (Northouse, 2018, p. 163).

I’ve had the privilege of being led by a transformational leader and I was guided by her vision for my future. When I first met her, she noticed the way I had a notebook organized with colored tabs dividing the pages. She commented on the notebook and me being very organized. She expressed that she valued organized people and was always looking for them to work with her. I didn’t think much of it, but I believe she made a decision in that moment to lead me in a transforming way. She was the type of leader that held high standards and expected others to strive for them as well.

This transformational leader entered my life at a time that I needed transformation. I had just broken free from an abusive relationship and returned to college to pursue a new career path. It would have been easy for her to pity me, but instead she placed those high standards and expectations in front of me. She knew that I needed to be challenged, helped to stand again, and to become the best version of myself that I could be.

She knew I had it in me.

She was a journalist, an advisor for the campus newspaper, and she was also my Mass Communications and Journalism professor. As a former writer for Rolling Stone magazine, she recognized my ability to write and recruited me for the campus newspaper. I wanted to take photos, but she said, “No, you’re a writer and I need writers.” She gave me a few beginning stories to cover and I figured out that if I brought my camera to events, and while conducting interviews, I could also take photos. Soon she had me building a portfolio of work: news articles, photos. videos, poetry, and published writing and art. She guided me to be a copy editor and managing editor. As managing editor, I covered the college’s Board of Trustees meetings. When I had completed some of my digital arts classes, she decided I should have the title of multimedia editor, and she challenged me to create video content with man-in-the-street interviews. And in my senior year, I served as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, which prepared me for my first job in journalism as a news reporter. She recommended me for a job and I was hired.

“Transformational leadership motivates followers to do more than expecteD.” — Northouse (2018)

When I think back on everything, I know she determined where she was leading me and who she was transforming me to become from the moment we met with that notebook on my desk. She transformed me from a frightened, new student with not a clue what the future held, to become a professional journalist. Her influence in my life is immeasurable and her leadership was a process that changed me. I would describe her as charismatic, in that she was “dominant, having a strong desire to influence others, being self-confident, and having a strong sense of one’s own moral values” (Northouse, 2018, p.166). She was also a charismatic leader by communicating her high expectations to me and having confidence that I could meet them (Northouse, 2018). I respected her and trusted her. She used transformational leadership to inspire creativity and innovation in my work, and she challenged me to think about my thoughts and how they applied to journalism and storytelling. Because she had high expectations, I was also challenged to meet deadlines, accomplish goals, and try new things that seemed outside of my reach.

I was not the only student that she chose to transform. She invited former students to come to her classes and speak about what they were doing post-graduation. She would beam pride as they told how they were working in various fields related to journalism, broadcast, or communications. Transformational leadership seemed to be something innate for her, a way of life in which she selected people to develop and pushed them to become what she saw in them. Northouse (2018) points out that, “transformational leadership results in people feeling better about themselves and their contributions to the greater good” (p. 178). I think this went both ways, as she felt pride in developing those she made to feel better about themselves.

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | May 1, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

In the TED Talk, “Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors,” Talgam uses video clips of orchestra conductors to teach about leadership. The way he describes the conductor-orchestra relationships being like leader-follower relationships in an organization is fascinating. He describes the podium he uses for conducting as his “office cubicle” to give listeners a way to understand that conducting an orchestra is work and that conductors are leading a group of followers, the musicians. He explains that until a conductor brings order, there is just noise, which becomes music as musicians work in harmony (Talgam, 2009). This brings to mind bringing chaos to order, which our textbook described as a function of management. “Management was created as a way to reduce chaos in organizations, to make them run more effectively and efficiently” (Northouse, 2018). Talgam’s ideas about the conductors and orchestras align with some leadership behaviors and styles.  

Talgam shows a conductor who is very happy and relates it to senior management being curious why someone would be so happy at work. In the example of the happy conductor, Talgam explains that the happiness is joy — joy in enabling other stories to be heard. The conductor’s telling a story, the musicians are telling a story, and the audience joins in clapping, telling their own stories (Talgam, 2009). I think this can be connected to a leader who experiences joy while watching their vision carried out. The leader has a goal to reach and the followers do their best work to ensure the goal is met. And the organization, much like the audience, is able to benefit from the goal being met. As Talgam expresses, it’s not about the conductor (the leader), it’s about the group effort that accomplishes something purposeful for the good of the whole.

Another conductor is commanding and clear with his instruction. Too much so, as his orchestra said he was just using them as instruments and not allowing them to develop as musicians (Talgam, 2009). With his clear and commanding instructions, his leadership style involved more directive behaviors than supportive behaviors (Northouse, 2018). He felt responsible to make sure the music was perfect (goals met), no matter what. This attitude was damaging to his orchestra (team).

One conductor sent a strong message to the orchestra that it was important to “play by the book.” It was not so much about each musician or the conductor telling their own stories, only the story in the book should be told. Telling the book’s story was the goal (Talgam, 2009). This could be representative of high-directive-low-supportive behaviors, in which “a leader gives instructions about what and how goals are to be achieved by the followers and then supervises carefully” (Northouse, 2018, p. 96).

Talgam shows another conductor who conducts with his eyes closed who Talgam described as not wanting to give the orchestra clear instruction, because it would keep the ensemble from listening to each other, which is needed for an orchestra. To give the orchestra clear instruction would be “the worst damage he could do. There was no instruction given for when to stop of start playing. First players needed to figure out what to do and move forward when they felt led to do so (Talgam, 2009). This is representative of a low supportive-low directive style of leading. “After the group agrees on what it is to do, this style lets followers take responsibility for getting the job done the way they see fit” (Northouse, 2018, p. 97).

The sixth conductor was enjoying being in control, but in a unique way. He thought there should be a process and content created in order to have meaning. But Talgam’s teacher, Lenny Bernstein, taught him that everything started from the meaning. And the meaning of the music was pain, which showed on the conductor’s face (Talgam, 2009). The conductor was affected by the music of the followers as he led them. Process “emphasizes that leadership is not a linear, one-way event, but rather an interactive one” (Northouse, 2018, p. 5).

The last conductor used only facial expressions to conduct, which led me to consider path-goal theory (Northouse, 2018). This conductor must have removed all obstacles from his orchestra being able to perform — and he knew it. He knew there was nothing to impede their success, because as their leader he made sure they were equipped to overcome and perform brilliantly. His job was to oversee their success and enjoy it.

Each conductor shown by Talgam had their own unique style of conducting and leading the orchestra. This is much like leaders in an organization having their own unique leadership style and way that they interact with their followers. It also made me consider leadership traits and whether or not they are innate, and the debate about it. This same debate could happen in relation to the conductors? Do the conductors draw from their innate capabilities as artists? Or are they conducting based on what they learned works best for them and their followers? Are they conducting from artistic traits? Or are they conducting from a process they’ve developed?

In any case, the correlations between the conductors as leaders and the orchestra as followers were eye-opening and brought a new perspective for understanding leadership.

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | April 24, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

References

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

Talgam, I. [TED]. (2009, Oct. 21). Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9g3Q-qvtss

MSLD 511 Reflection Blog: Assignment Prompt

“Locus of control is an individual’s belief system regarding the causes of his or her experiences and the factors to which that person attributes success or failure. In reflecting on locus of control, answer the following questions.”

“Do you have an internal or external locus of control? Reflect on the statement that locus of control is often viewed as an inborn personality component. However, there is also evidence that it is shaped by childhood experiences—including children’s interactions with their parents. Furthermore, provide your thoughts on whether those with an internal locus of control are ‘better off.'”

In path-goal theory one of the characteristics of followers is “desires for control,” which reveals how followers think about events that take place in their lives. Desires for control is studied through a personality construct called “locus of control” which is divided into either internal locus of control or external locus of control (Northouse, 2018). A person with an internal locus of control thinks they are in control of the events of their life, they make choices and decisions that determine what happens. They prefer a participative type of leadership so that they can feel like they’re part of the decision making and in control of their own work. A person with an external locus of control thinks that the events of life are left up to fate, out of their control and left up to outside forces to determine. They prefer a directive type of leadership because it lines up with their belief that they don’t have control over what happens to them (Northouse, 2018).

I have an internal locus of control and believe that I am capable of making choices and decisions about the events of my life. That doesn’t mean that something random could not happen that was out of my control, like a death or accident. It means that I choose how I react to those events. I believe that no matter what life holds, I have the ability to overcome. I have the ability to choose my next path in relation to my circumstances. This internal locus of control does carry over into my work and I do enjoy working with participative leaders who include me in the decision making process (Northouse, 2018).

“He taught me that I could steer my own course.”

In my opinion, locus of control is not inborn, because I believe there are too many factors and dynamics of experiences that could shape a person’s beliefs in relation to locus of control. For example, I believe that how I was brought up by my parents shaped my beliefs in this area. There were many things that we overcame as a family and my parents never gave up on me and always encouraged me to set goals and work toward them. I worked in our family business with my father when I was a teenager, and his direction and outlook on life influenced me to have belief that I was in control of my future. He made business decisions and decisions in leadership of our family that changed the direction we were going. He often said to me, “You can do anything that you set your mind to do.” He taught me that I could steer my own course.

I believe that those with an internal locus of control are “better off.” As I mentioned above, while life can throw curve balls at times, an internal locus of control means that I believe in overcoming, problem-solving, and figuring out my next steps. Feeling like I can overcome and make my way through problems gives me more confidence and optimism than if I had an external locus of control. In my opinion, believing that you have no control over the events of your life could become debilitating. It could lead to depression if a person felt stuck in a situation and had no agency to remove themselves or to create their own change. I’ve been knocked down by some devastating events over the course of my life, but that internal locus of control says get and get through this. It motivates me to keep going — in the direction that I choose.

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | April 17, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

MSLD 511 Reflection Blog: Assignment Prompt

“Blanchard (2008) includes a leader’s directive and supportive behaviors as the foundation of his situational leadership theory. Directive behavior typically represents a one-way communication where the leader directs the activity that the follower will complete. Supportive behaviors are considered two-way where the responses exhibit emotional and social support and the follower participates with the leader in the discussion. Consider some of your roles (parent, child, friend, leader, follower, etc.) and provide examples of how you use supportive and directive behaviors.”

Leaders interact with a variety of people as their followers and ever-changing situations require them to adapt: how they lead; the decisions they make about and for their followers; and their thoughts for each situation according to who is being led. In some situations, one-way communication that provides directions for the follower is most effective. One-way communication by leaders that directs followers is called directive behavior (Blanchard, 2008). Two-way communication that involves listening to the follower while providing emotional and social support is called supportive behavior (Blanchard, 2008). There are times for both types of behaviors and each type of behavior is useful with different types of followers. How we behave in our roles with other people morphs from one person and situation to the next on a daily basis. I behave differently with my child than I do with my supervisor or my friends, as each relationship is different and the situations I’m in with each individual require different behaviors. These behaviors could change as the individual follower changes, for example through growth or more experience in their role.

As an illustration of this, when I was a parent of a small child, I used more directive behaviors because my child had almost no experience about life and could not live on his own. Situations that demanded safety caused me to make decisions that were non-negotiable. I used one-way communication that instructed my child how to behave when it came to touching a hot stove top, running into traffic to chase a ball, or sticking a fork into an electrical outlet. As my child grew older and knew more, there became a more balanced approach with some situations requiring me to direct him and other times we might need to discuss things. He might need me to provide emotional and social support as well. Now that he is my adult child, my parenting is almost all supportive with directive behaviors being very low and mostly in the form of advice. My leadership role as his parent changed as he changed and matured, and as situations in our lives changed.

“Each leader, follower, and situation is unique.”

In situational leadership, the first step is to assess the situation and determine what types of leadership behaviors are needed (Northouse, 2018). Some situations require more directive and less supportive behaviors, while others are just the opposite. For example, if my supervisor has three employees at different stages of experience in their work, the three employees will need different levels and types of leadership. I’m in a support role on our team and I’m one of the newest members. Because of this, I might need more directive and less supportive behaviors. As I develop more experience, leadership would shift to alternative behaviors according to the new situation and my more advanced level of experience (Northouse, 2018).

In a relationship with one of my friends, I think my role is somewhat like Northouse (2018) describes as high supportive-low directive behaviors (p. 97). This is because our friendship is not based on accomplishing goals. I listen, praise, and give feedback about the things she wants to discuss. There are times I offer some direction, but always in the form of advice, never with a directive. It’s advice about something she’s struggling with — the best path to take, the right way to handle a situation, or other type of guidance. I listen to what’s on her mind in relation to the areas she seeks guidance, or in relation to the guidance I provide. And I support her as she makes decisions.

Situational leadership allows for leadership behaviors to be adjusted according to the needs of leaders and followers at any given time, providing flexibility. The situational approach recognizes that each leader, follower, and situation is unique and allows for a unique plan to be executed that most benefits the needs of an organization (Northouse, 2018).

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | April 11, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

References

Blanchard, K. (2008). Situational leadership. Leadership Excellence, 25(5), 19. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/trade-journals/situational-leadership/docview/204622182/se-2?accountid=27203

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

MSLD 511 Reflection Blog: Assignment Prompt

“In considering the traits approach to leadership, what are some of your traits you consider enhancing or detracting from your ability to lead? Considering Stogdill’s findings that leadership traits must be relevant to a leader’s actions (Northouse), how are traits important to your leadership style?”

When I consider the traits approach to leadership and what my own traits are, I am certain that I have traits that are beneficial for leadership and others that are not as beneficial. In fact, there are some characteristics about myself that do not contribute much when it comes to leading others. The good thing is, I realize these things about myself and understand that if I want to be effective as a leader, I need to draw from my strengths and work on my weaknesses. Where I am strong, I can just run with it. But where I am weak, I need to make concerted efforts to step outside my comfort zone and do what it takes to be effective. It actually feels like there is a constant sort of balancing act required to keep it all in order.

As for my own traits, I believe I was born with some of them. This is because I know I am naturally the nerdy little girl with thick glasses and no desire to be picked for the team in phys ed. I would rather have my nose in a book and be alone with my thoughts and art supplies. Could these qualities make me leadership material? At first glance, I’d say no. However, on second look I know that nerdy me is very intelligent, strategic, articulate, perceptive, persistent, determined, trustworthy, dependable, conscientious, diligent, sensitive, responsible, and empathic.

Where the problems lie are in the areas I am weak; the areas that might detract from my ability to lead. I’m not very outgoing; I’m not unfriendly, but I’m also not overly friendly; I lack self-confidence and am not as self-assured as I should be; I’m lacking in sociability. I tend to be introverted, socially awkward, and prefer to be alone rather than with people. I’m very task-oriented and goal focused. I can become obsessed with work and have to force myself to shut down and spend time with other people. The strange thing is, I have a very strong desire to affect the lives of others and to make an impact for good.

In the textbook Leadership: Theory and Practice, Stogdill noted that a person can be a leader in one situation and not be a leader in another situation (Northouse, 2018). An example in our readings was of a person who is dominant when with subordinates but subordinate himself when with superiors. I recognized this in my own life a few years ago. In my previous blog I mentioned that I have a history of abuse. In the process of recovering, I noticed while in group settings with both males and females, I shut down. However, if I’m in a group of only women, I am bolder to speak up and to lead the women. As Stogdill determined, leadership traits need to be relevant to the situation (Northouse, 2018).

My leadership style is strategic, focused on goals and how to attain them. My traits of intelligence, perceptiveness, determination, diligence, and persistence are all useful for my leadership style. However, my leadership style could be derailed by my traits of lacking of self-confidence and self-assurance. No matter how accomplished I am or focused I am on reaching goals, there is always a voice within me that says I can’t do it, my lack of self-confidence.

In my opinion, some leadership traits are innate and beneficial innate traits should be enhanced by developing leadership skills to work in conjunction with them. For example, if someone is naturally charismatic, they should develop leadership skills that would enhance charisma. Maybe they could develop skills in the area of sociability so that they could reach more people and win them over with charisma. For non-beneficial innate traits, the development of leadership skills to overcome them should be applied. It’s only through balancing leadership traits and skills that a leader can utilize the greatest number of tools needed to lead effectively.

References

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

Cynde Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | April 1, 2021 | Reflection Blog Assignment

MSLD 511 Reflection Blog: Assignment Prompt

“Northouse indicated that leadership is a process and leaders affect and are affected by followers. Northouse stated that leadership involves influence. Think about a leader you have worked for, whom you have influenced. In what ways did you influence the leader? How did the relationship develop? What was one important way in which you were impacted by your relationship with that leader?”

As the prompt for this reflection blog explains, leaders are sometimes influenced by their followers. This was the case for me a few years ago when I influenced a leader to make a life-altering change and to position herself on a better path professionally. I found myself being a voice of reason for the leader and I encouraged her to consider change as something wonderful, providing new opportunities and creating growth.

I worked for an organization that seemed like a progressive and healthy environment on the surface — to those on the outside looking in. But once I was actually on staff, the toxicity and dysfunction of the workplace became more than I was willing to tolerate daily. Within leadership, there were issues with racism, misogyny, sexism, ageism and more. The way leadership handled day-to-day operations and treated the staff was at times appalling. I’m a survivor of domestic violence and other abuses, and I when I broke free I vowed to never allow anyone to abuse me again.

I decided to leave.

While I worked for the organization, I had influence over one of my supervisors in ways that I did not expect and did not plan. I saw how she was being treated by a person in upper leadership and noticed that she was often overwhelmed. An executive level leader would have meetings with her that could be heard through his closed door, outside his office, into the cubicle areas of staff. His voice was booming as he yelled at her. She would leave his office and burst into tears once she was back in her own office.

My supervisor had been with the organization for over 10 years and her vision built the department she led. She grew it from herself being the only one on her “team” —starting from scratch — to having a team of professionals that handled internal and external  communications to thousands of people each week. She has an MBA and is a very savvy when it comes to leadership and organizational development. She may have been a threat to her executive level leader, who did not hold such a degree. For whatever reason, it was clear that she was the target of his abuse.

I would listen to her after she had met with him and became someone with whom she felt free to open up to about the treatment. She considered if she should go above him and I advised her that she should. In hindsight, that made matters worse for her as the executive level leader became angry that she spoke to other leadership. His treatment became worse. It was hard for me to step away from her the day I left, but I knew I could eventually be in her place and would not allow that in my life. I shared with her my personal feelings about how she was being treated and learned that she feared leaving what she had built and starting over. I told her my own story of how I had to rebuild my life and reinvent myself after my business closed.

A few months after I left, so did she and all but one person from the department. I influenced her to leave a toxic work environment that was destroying her and helped her have the courage to do so. This was not anything I expected to happen, but it is the most memorable time for me in influencing someone in a position of leadership. Since all but one from the department left, the organization was forced to take a look at itself and has since implemented change. I suppose I influenced not just my leader, but also others in the department, and the entire organization as it sought to improve.

One important way I was impacted by her leadership was that it helped me recognize my own ability to lead. She was my cheerleader in all areas and helped to rebuild my confidence. After being in abuse, you lose confidence and have thoughts in your mind that you don’t have value anymore. I was able to find a sense of value in helping her break free from abuse and gained an understanding of my ability to influence others to change their lives for better. Since recognizing my own abilities to lead and bring change, I was drawn to this program and am curious how the development of leadership skills will be beneficial as I move forward.  

Since the readings for this module, I have also considered how my recognition of my own leadership abilities might be step one in developing as a leader and beginning the process. I don’t think I have leadership “traits” that are natural and easy for me, that I was born with. Rather, I recognize the need for and importance of developing leadership skills. Northouse (2018) explains that as a process, everyone has the ability to become a leader (p.8).

“Focusing on leadership as a trait versus a process really makes quite a bit of difference. Those people that focus on it as a trait really emphasize the person’s personality, and they tend to say, many times, that leadership is something that people are born with. I tend to say that leadership is a process. It’s something that everyone can do. It’s available to everyone” (Northouse, 2018, p. 8).

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8^th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publishing.

Cynthia Puckett | MSLD 511 | Dr. Douglas | March 27, 2021 | Module 1: Nature of Leadership and Managerial Work

I have experienced a number of informal mentoring relationships, both as a mentor and a mentee. On both sides of mentoring, I have been rewarded by either acquiring knowledge and skills useful to myself, or by watching someone I invested my time and energy into develop and grow. Someone who mentored me in the past is my former professor at Daytona State College: Eric Breitenbach, a professional documentary filmmaker. Eric noticed something in my work that got his attention, and when he did, he decided to invest time into developing me as an videographer and artist – but it didn’t stop there.

I enrolled as a student at Daytona State because it was well known for its photography school: The Southeast Center for Photographic Studies. I chose a brand new program, interactive media, which offered a wide range of education in digital arts. As part of the program, I enrolled in Eric’s beginning videography class. When I submitted a rough cut of a project proposal, he said, “I think this will win awards.” He was excited about the project and he began to mentor me in the area of videography, beyond our class time. He provided access to resources that I did not have otherwise, such as cameras, lighting, and studios that were normally reserved for advanced photography students. He met with me to set up lighting and when I had assembled a crew for interviews to show me audio recording techniques. He passed on to me a wealth of knowledge and skills that I would not have normally received as a beginning student in his class. The project did not win awards, but it was selected to represent Daytona State College at the Brouhaha Student Film & Video Showcase.  

As we got to know each other and I felt comfortable sharing parts of my personal story with him, Eric continued his support of me. When I submitted an application for Who’s Who on College Campuses, Eric contacted the photography and interactive media program chairperson and recommended that I not only be included in Who’s Who, but that I should be named outstanding student of the year for the interactive media program. And his support of me went further, as he recommended me for scholarships and wrote a letter to the college’s Hall of Fame committee (unbeknownst to me) to say that I should be considered for induction.

During the awards ceremony prior to graduation, Eric had an aisle seat. I remember walking past him each time my name was called for an award. He had a huge smile and we high-fived each other. I was awarded all three: Who’s Who, most outstanding student in interactive media, and induction into the college’s Hall of Fame. All my professors contributed to my education, but Eric is one who decided to take me on as a mentee and spoke up on my behalf to make sure I was recognized in a way that would have significant impact as I stepped away from that college. My being inducted into Daytona State’s Hall of Fame impressed Stetson University when I applied to its digital arts program and likely helped me get accepted and admitted. After graduation from Stetson as outstanding senior in my program there as well, I was sought out by someone at Embry-Riddle to work for the university. Eric’s mentoring and guidance were invaluable to me and helped me feel confident about myself and my work as an artist. For whatever reason, he chose to invest in me and make sure I had the skills to succeed in my field– and that I would be on the right path moving forward.

A time that I informally mentored someone was at a previous job, when I had decided to leave my position to invest time in my senior project at Stetson. I had not revealed my intentions to leave, but I knew a young man who could fill my role when I did. I knew he would need skills and knowledge passed on to him and I began to mentor him so he would be prepared to move up when I left. He was a recent college grad and very new to his role in the organization. I mentored him in the areas of: website management; writing and conducting interviews; photography and videography; photo and video editing; social media management; keeping files organized; and time management. Ultimately, he did assume my role there and is doing very well today. We stay in touch and he recently told me that he received a raise and that the organization has undergone some beneficial restructuring that allows him freedom to exercise the photography and video skills I passed on to him. He still contacts me for advice, mostly for video critique and to discuss office politics.

Investing in him took a bit of work while it was happening, but the reward is knowing how well he is doing on the other side of the mentoring relationship. Helping him grow also helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. I realized how much I had learned about the areas I mentored him in and I was confident in passing on those skills to him because of this. The process helped to improve my communication skills about the topics and as he became more confident while acquiring skills and knowledge, I felt a sense of fulfillment and pride. In the past, as a business owner I “trained” employees. This was different in the aspect of development. I was aware that my intentions were to mentor him in certain areas for the benefit of developing him for advancement. And I was able to leave my position knowing I had prepared someone to fill it. I was changed by mentoring him, in that I gained leadership and communication skills, which were proven by his achievements following the mentoring. I was also changed because I now realize I have the ability to mentor someone, as I was mentored, and make positive, lasting change in a life. There is definitely power in that and in having it happen for you.

As Lori Stohs explained in the video, Mentor Series: The Power of Mentoring, “There’s lots of information that needs to be passed, and skills that need to be transferred, and knowledge that needs to be shared, and mentoring is a great way to do that” (Stohs, 2016).

Stohs, L. (2016, May 1). Mentor series: The power of mentoring [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved Feb. 27, 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TBJz6S_BoU&feature=emb_logo (Links to an external site.)

Cynthia Puckett | MSLD500 | Feb. 27, 2021| Dr. Rietsema | The Power of Mentoring

I was trying to achieve the discovery of a new career path. 
My 23-year career was over and the family-owned and operated business was the only thing I had done as a profession. When it ended, I had no idea what was next, nor how to get onto a new career path. While in limbo, I spent some time as a stay-at-home mother and in self-reflection to determine what I wanted that new path to look like. After 23 years of only experiencing one career, I had focused on the necessities of running the business without ever really assessing if it was right for my natural gifts and talents. I determined I didn’t want to return to running the same type of business, but a new career path was still very unclear. I didn’t want to just jump into a j-o-b. I wanted to reinvent myself, if I could figure out who I was and where I should be going. I only knew that I really enjoyed creative writing and taking pictures.

Volunteer?
Since I had so much free time, I decided to try volunteering at church. I tried being a door greeter, helping in a sandwich ministry, and other things of that sort. I’d also bring my camera with me and take photos around the church, for fun. Eventually, I passed some photos on to the church’s communications department for use at social media or the website. The woman who was the Communications Director asked me if I’d like to volunteer in the communications department. I had free time, so I thought, “Why not?” 

I had an unexpected coach in my corner. 
At that time, I did not know how to use a computer. She set up an old Dell at a small desk in her office and gave me some pointers. While there, we would talk about lots of things. She was not a professional coach, or counselor; I have never been guided by a certified coach. But, I came to understand that she was someone who liked to listen to others and help them sort things out. She would ask questions that helped me think through what I was facing, or where I was in life. It all happened in a very casual and relaxed setting and we developed a trusting relationship. She would challenge me to think rationally and focus my thoughts in a positive direction. Being with her and “chatting” helped me realize my new direction: college. Our talks helped me process my disoriented life. I was able to step away and embark on a new adventure, one that would begin preparing me for a new career path. I later realized that my natural gifts and abilities aligned with the things I loved doing, writing and photography (digital arts). 

Having a coach helped me remember my value.
In the Journal of Leadership Studies article “Coaching Models for Leadership Development: An Integrative Review,” the writers explain that the term coach is “derived from a French term that means to convey a valued person from one point to another” (Carey, Philippon, & Cummings, 2011, p. 52). That really resonated with me when thinking about being coached. I had reached a place where I felt I had little value and was not sure what I had to offer. The woman who coached me helped me realize I still had value and that I was just as bright as when I was running my business. The brightness just needed a new place to shine. My performance (getting on the path to a new career) was accelerated because she knew what she needed to ask me to get me thinking correctly about myself and my situation. If I had not had her as a coach in my corner it would likely have taken me much longer to figure out my next steps. Or, I might have hastily gone off in a direction that was not right for me. 

How a certified coach could be useful. 
As I wrote, I’ve never had a certified coach guiding me. And in this module of study, I have realized that coaching is different than mentoring. A coach asks questions and the coachee determines what actions should be taken as they process their own thoughts in relation to the questions. Having a coach in my corner doesn’t mean that someone is there to tell me what to do, where to go, or how to get there. It means there is someone who is invested in helping me process my thoughts in various areas so that I can determine my next steps. If I had a certified coach for six months, it would be interesting to hear the questions they would ask in relation to what I tell them about myself. I’m curious if our conversations would make me aware of new goals and directions that I should explore. I think having someone who could help bring to the forefront what I am yet unaware of in the way of goals, ideas, or even dreams for my future would be a powerful resource. I have goals and dreams that I seem to be spinning my wheels on and I wonder if a certified coach would be useful in helping me reach them. If a coach could guide me to make my dreams a reality, that’s how I would use the gift of a certified coach in my corner. 

Carey, W., Philippon, D., & Cummings, G. (2011). Coaching models for leadership development: An integrative review. Journal of Leadership Studies., 5(1), 51–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.20204

Cynthia Puckett | MSLD 500 | Dr. Rietsema | February 20, 2021 | The Coach in Your Corner