Subject: Project Management

LEAD.301.C1 Personal Leadership Week 8-EQ, Part 1, Leadership Styles This week, we continue discussing you as a leader, specifically about leadership styles. You likely have a default leadership style even if you haven't had a formal leadership role. We draw on the work of Daniel Goleman this week to start the discussion. Daniel Goleman popularized the notion of emotional intelligence (EQ). We will be covering that in more depth in the next two weeks. This week, your goal is to understand different leadership styles, identify those you have seen, analyze their pros and cons, and consider which would be most effective for you in different situations. Watch this important seven-minute video by Daniel Goleman and jot down points that particularly resonate for you. How does Daniel Goleman define emotional intelligence? What is the task of a leader? https://youtu.be/_QpUH7i7EhM And watch this short one, which illustrates the six leadership styles using movie clips. Note which ones you have seen and which ones resonate most for you. Which leader would you most like to work for? Why? https://youtu.be/8YtpTK-AFoQ You will also need to review the EMS case study on leadership styles carefully. Your initial post has three parts: 1. Provide one example from your own life in which a leader predominantly used one of the leadership styles. Why was that style appropriate and effective? 2. Provide an example of when a leader used one of these styles, and it was ineffective. 3. Finally, what style most resonates for you? Why? Describe how you have used it. What other styles would be helpful for you to develop and why?

TO DO: You need to respond to your classmates answers to the question above. Example (Hello, mate! It's fascinating to see the diverse impact that different leadership styles can have on individuals and teams. The stories you shared, particularly about your drill instructor and the trainee, definitely shows the importance of leadership style in influencing not just performance but also the overall experience of the team members. It's clear that empathy, as an underlying quality in all these styles, plays a critical role in connecting with and inspiring people. Whether it's the commanding presence of a drill instructor, the nurturing nature of a coach, or the visionary thinking of a leader, empathy can serve as the bridge to foster trust and motivation. Understanding and responding to the unique needs and aspirations of individuals is what sets exceptional leaders apart. It's intriguing how leadership styles can be both a reflection of one's inherent qualities and a skill to be honed and adapted as needed. Overall, I think your experience will definitely help you in long term, if your vision is on inspiring others in an empathetic undertone. This will take you far.)

TO DO: Classmate #1 Hello Professor and Class,

During my military service, I got to witness an effective use of the "command and control" leadership style. During a high-stress training exercise I was helping lead, one of the students started acting in an unsafe manner by pointing their weapon in the direction of fellow students. Needless to say, this did not go over well with the Sergeant who was in charge that day. The supervisor took charge by raising his voice (while using the knife hand for my military folks), providing clear and immediate instruction to the student on what they were doing wrong and what they needed to do to correct their mistake. This style proved to be appropriate and effective for the situation because of the imminent danger the student was putting everyone else.

However, I have also observed a leader in a different setting who relied heavily on the "pacesetter" leadership style, which ultimately proved to be ineffective. This manager set very high standards for the team and expected everyone to keep up with them. Although the manager is a high achiever, they failed not only to provide adequate guidance or support for team members but also failed to understand that everyone is different and works at different speed.

The result was that team morale suffered and predictably many team members failed to meet the expectations, leading to burnout and a decline in overall performance.

The "coach" style of leadership resonates the most with me. I am a firm believer in empowering and developing individuals to reach their full potential. I have used this style in various team settings and as a mentor to help colleagues build their skills and confidence. I find it to be particularly effective in fostering growth, encouraging motivation, and ensuring long-term success in individuals and teams.

Your Response #1

Classmate #2 Watch this important seven-minute video by Daniel Goleman and jot down points that particularly resonate for you. How does Daniel Goleman define emotional intelligence? What is the task of a leader? I agree with Mr. Goleman mentioning of having a strong "gut sense" in decision making that gravitate you towards the right directions. I also agree with his point in that a strong leader having strong self-awareness. Being flexible and adaptable is very important. Finally, I think a strong degree of empathy is important, which is what he conveys in this video. Empathy can lead to inspiring and motivating people, and fundamentally, being able to motivate and inspire people is the baseline task of any leader. And watch this short one, which illustrates the six leadership styles using movie clips. Note which ones you have seen and which ones resonate most for you. Which leader would you most like to work for? Why? This one is a close call for me. I am very close between the visionary and the coach. They both seem stylistically very close in a motivational standpoint. I think that I have seen them all in practice at one point or another. I think I would ultimately prefer the coach the most from a personal standpoint. 1. I'm going to jump on this one before other fellow veterans do. I will always remember my drill instructor and all of his funny quips that at the same time managed to strike fear in everyone's hearts. It was that combination that made us all want to do our absolute best and not want to mess up. Given that overall intent was to get us to work as a team and to be able to act under pressure, it was exactly the sort of leader that was needed.

2. We had a poor guy training to be a drill instructor who just didn't have it, unfortunately. He tried so hard with the commanding style of leadership and it just never worked out. He never had the presence or the generation of fear that was natural for someone in such a position. Ultimately, I think he was a sincerely nice guy and was just not cut out for it. He could have been a nice pace setter possibly.

3. As previously stated, I am very much a "coach" guy, but I could be very easily convinced to follow a strong "visionary" too. Given that I am working on my MBA, I think that will be a very important type of leadership style to gravitate to. You need to have strong vision in the business world and have the capacity to think with a strategic mindset. You need to be able to make people believe in you and the overall objectives.

Your Response #2

Classmate #3 Hello Class & Professor,

From the video, I got from watching Daniel Goleman's perspective on leadership and emotional intelligence, I took some notes on the critical key components that he looks in for a leader which are:

Self-awareness: By having self awareness and understanding one's emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Leaders who possess self-awareness can make better decisions and are more in tune with their own motivations. Empathy: Empathy is another critical component of emotional intelligence. Effective leaders should be able to understand and empathize with the emotions and perspectives of others. This helps build rapport and create a positive team environment. Motivation: By having the motivating and inspiring others. Leaders should be able to speak to the hearts of their team members, finding ways to encourage and energize them to achieve their goals.

Self-management: Self-management involves the ability to handle one's emotions effectively. Leaders who can manage their own emotions are better equipped to handle stressful situations, make rational decisions, and maintain composure. Ultimately, Putting oneself in others' shoes and being able to see things from others' perspectives is a crucial aspect of empathy. This skill helps leaders understand the needs and concerns of their team members and work collaboratively to find solutions. I was able to collaborate with effective leaders to foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork. They encourage their team members to work together and find meaning in their roles, which can lead to increased engagement and productivity.

The elements of emotional intelligence are indeed essential for leadership success. Leaders who possess a high level of emotional intelligence are often more effective in guiding their teams, resolving conflicts, and achieving their organizational goals. An example of when a leader used one of these styles and was ineffective, was my last non profit organization where I worked for where my Department Manager, had too much of an individualistic mindset, where she did not take the undertone of sympathy, and embracing feelings of others. She would downplay and use different ways of aggressive language to manage others. The culture of the workplace, lacked the ability to share emotional IQ and compassion of caring for others.

The overall style, that resonates, with me mostly is empathy. I think my leadership style is around being able to resonate with others, through servant leadership. I try to understand myself as a team player, both able to work independently, and collaboratively, but understand that to gain the level of respect, it requires mutual cooperation, therefore, sometimes you can see me wearing different hats in different playing fields. An example, where I used this leadership style is when I had to help support my front end team with technical skills. I took the lens, of helping them train and facilitate the model by 'how to display an effective model' through shadowing and training them as a good role model. I was able to influence by being a good example, and sharing the reasoning to show my care and compassion in working as a team leader.

Thank you.

Your Response #3

Classmate #4 1. Provide one example from your own life in which a leader predominantly used one of the leadership styles. Why was that style appropriate and effective? At the project planning stage, I saw a team leader exercising democratic leadership. Each member of the team had a distinct perspective on the project and came from a variety of experiences. The team leader actively solicited feedback from each member of the group and promoted candid conversations. This strategy was acceptable and successful since it made the team's collective creativity and knowledge available. Their sense of worth and motivation resulted in a comprehensive project plan that considered different viewpoints and potential difficulties. In this instance, the democratic leadership style promoted team cohesion and resulted in a more comprehensive project plan. 2. Provide an example of when a leader used one of these styles, and it was ineffective. In an alternative situation, I observed a leader with an authoritative disposition employing an authoritative leadership approach while overseeing a group of experienced workers. The leader implemented rigid rules and made authoritative choices without seeking opinion from the team. The aforementioned technique proved to be unproductive due to its tendency to undermine the morale of team members who perceived their expertise as being undervalued. The absence of support and participation resulted in resistance, weakened motivation, and eventually, failures were experienced by the initiative. 3. Finally, what style most resonates for you? Why? Describe how you have used it. What other styles would be helpful for you to develop and why? I prefer democratic-affiliative leadership.

These styles promote a healthy and inventive workplace by emphasizing cooperation, open communication, and strong relationships. Democratic leadership lets team members make decisions and voice their thoughts, which I like. This strategy promotes team ownership and makes better, more balanced judgments. For several team projects, I promoted open talks and solicited advice from all team members before making crucial choices. This strategy improves decision quality and team morale and motivation. I also like affiliative leadership since it promotes relationships and a positive workplace. I have fostered a supportive team environment using this method. This includes thanking team members, giving constructive comments, and diplomatically resolving problems. This method has helped me rebuild team trust during times of stress. Democratic and affiliative leadership styles promote teamwork and a healthy work atmosphere, but I prefer other leadership types. Transformational leadership could help me develop. This method inspires team members toward a common vision, which can boost innovation and overall success. A situational leadership style that lets me adjust to team or circumstance needs may also help me become a better leader. To improve as a leader, I need to expand my leadership portfolio to be more versatile and effective in diverse situations.

Your Response #4