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Lesson 1: Leadership
Self Awareness
To begin the discussion of leadership styles and theories, you are encouraged to consider self-awareness, which may be the most fundamental concept in developing strong leadership. A leader is first an individual, and to know yourself is the first step in being able to know and lead others.
Self-awareness can be defined as “a process wherein a person makes assessments about him- or herself and how he or she is perceived by others” (Taylor, 2008, pg. 58). Becoming self-aware happens on both an internal and an external level (recognizing your inner state as well as your impact on others).
Focus on Application
In this study titled, The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning that examined leadership characteristics of 72 executives, self-awareness emerged as the most important characteristic for successful leadership:
“The qualities commonly associated with management and leadership—being authoritative, decisive, forceful, perhaps somewhat controlling—if not moderated by a high degree of awareness as to how one comes across and is perceived by others, are also qualities that have the potential to easily alienate those on the receiving end” (Lipman, 2013, p.1, para. 8)
At its most core, self-awareness is knowing yourself, what makes you react—and, with that awareness, having the ability to control the reaction. The Franklin reality model (Figure 1.2) proposes a relationship between one's inner self, behavior, and performance or results. The model starts with individual needs, including the need to love, survive, feel important, and have variety. These needs are then fed through a filter of the individual's beliefs, then through a filter of the rules in place (e.g. if this exists, then we can do that). Behavior follows this filtering process, and what results from that behavior is then evaluated: Did the results meet the need that drove the behavior? Will continuing that behavior meet future needs? The answerst may affect future actions.
If you were to consider your needs, principles, and “rules” as part of this inner self, then the model suggests the way behavior may be affected with increased self-awareness.
Let’s take a look at each of these elements. At the individual-needs level, it is often helpful to consider Maslow’s hierarchy.
Maslow’s Hierarchy forms a pyramid, with the lowest level being physiological needs (air, food, water, etc.). Safety and security needs, such as employment, property, stability, form the next level up, while the third layer involves love and belonging needs. Moving up the pyramid, you will find self-esteem needs—the ego's needs, including confidence, achievements, respect. The final setp, the capstone of the pyramid, is self-actualization, which includes creativity and inner potential.
Maslow posited that people are motivated to fulfill each need in the pyramid from the bottom up. Once psychological needs are met, they are no longer motivating; the person will look to fulfill safety needs, and so on. As an example, a drowning man is highly motivated to find air, but once found, the next higher item on the hierarchy becomes the motivator—in this case, finding safety from the shark that has begun to circle.
The motivation to satisfy a need then passes through two further filters on the way to satisfying this need by taking action. These two filters are, in the Franklin model, Principles and Rules.
In the Franklin model, once a need has been identified, it will be filtered twice more—through principles and rules—before a person takes action. These filters are influenced by both internal and external factors; they can come from your inner psychological makeup or be externally imposed upon you (especially in the case of rules). While you have limited control over the external influences, by digging into our inner psychological makeup, you can control much of your behavior, making it consistent with your goals.
A leader’s journey into self-awareness—even with its psychological starting point—is ongoing: “Self-awareness is not a destination point, but rather an emerging process where one continually comes to understand his or her unique talents, strengths, sense of purpose, core values, beliefs and desires (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).”
Psychometrics, a study connected to the theory and technique of psychological measurement, allows you to gain insight into our inner state and our impact on others. Psychometrics tends to use well-adjusted people, in typical situations (including stressful ones) as a basis. The value of psychometrics lies in understanding how personal preferences affect not only personal behavior but also the behavior of teammates and coworkers. When shared, this information can lead to improved team performance.
There are a number of well-known and respected techniques available for such assessments, including the Big 5, DiSC, Strength Deployment Inventory, emotional intelligence, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Some of these have no-cost assessments available online, which you may find interesting and insightful:
In this course, we will concentrate on the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and EI. You should have already taken the temperament sorter and we will dig into EI later in the semester.