This chapter begins with the idea of effective managers in organizations reverting back to challenging job assignments, developmental relationships, and adverse situations, when identifying events that have had the greatest impact on how they lead and manage today. I believe this is a common situation when describing how leaders develop. When leaders are faced with any of these situations listed above, this is what determines true leaders. Do you agree with this idea? Look at your past experiences with these types of situations. Personally, I can say that adverse situations in my life have made me who I am today. Looking back at challenging job assignments, developmental relationships, and adverse situations in my life, I believe that they have molded me into a better person. An example of this is in my current job, I was given a project by my manager. My manager on purposely did not give me a lot of direction, challenging me to work through uncertainty. In the end, I completed the project and was complimented by my manager. This showed me that I can work through problems without necessarily having a mentor guiding me through every step. I will carry this idea mentioned above throughout my personal and professional life, knowing that hardship will more than likely lead to prosperity.
Another topic in Chapter 2 involves diversifying experiences across organizational boundaries. In this, executive success in organizations highlights the need for cross-functional or lateral moves throughout the organization. In other words, success in organizations has a direct correlation with moving people from job to job in an organization. This will give the person(s) a better view of the organization as a whole, and it also gives them a view on how other people lead and manage. The book claims that, "While traditional career paths that are focused within a singular function may serve the needs of developing technical experts, the development of leaders requires one that zigzags across vertical, horizontal, and stakeholder boundaries. Do you believe this statement is true? Personally, I believe it is important for leaders to be well-rounded in their perception of how an organization runs, and lateral moves within an organization can accomplish this.
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I agree with Clay on the idea that past experiences make us the type of leaders that we are today. These past experiences can be either in leadership activities or in life in general. I think that it goes along with the phrase "everything happens for a reason", throughout life we may face hard situations but getting through these situations help us become better people. In a leadership context when we are faced with leading a difficult group or people or a tough environment to lead in it helps us for future leadership experiences.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the second topic in chapter 2 I also agree with Clay. Moving employees throughout different jobs helps them to brainstorm and not get stuck in a habit or routine. By moving people throughout the organization it allows workers to learn the different positions in the organization and understand what there co-workers are doing on a day to day basis. This helps leaders to be experienced in more than one area of the organization.
I agree that all those things help a leader become who they are. If a person never has any tough experiences or faces any tough challenges then they will think that everything will come easy. Like Clay said I feel my past experiences and failures have formed me into the person that I am today. A person who can stay strong through adversity will become a better person after they face that adversity.
ReplyDeleteI also feel if a person in an organization knows how each position works then they will be more well rounded. Instead of staying in one position if one expands they will be more effective for the organization. It ensures that they understand the organizaiton as a whole not just their specfic duties.
I believe the character of a man/women is truly revealed during tough adverse situations. In a difficult or challenging situation you can do one of two things. You can fight through it and overcome or give up. A leader is not someone who gives up a leader fights. This is why leaders need to have adverse situations so you can see if a leader will survive in tough situations
ReplyDeleteI think it is best if one moves throughout an organization rather than staying in one singular career. Moving throughout an organization show that you have the knowledge and agility of the organization showing your followers you are able to lead. Zigzagging in an organization provides valuable information about all the departments you are in. Knowing how each department works and the intricacies that are involved make you a valuable leader in the organization
I also believe that leaders develop through different situations and challenges that appear. Leaders must be ready for obstacles, and when under pressure, their true strengths and weaknesses are revealed. These adverse situations are critical in leader development so that the leader can work under pressure to make the right decision. Leaders can also learn more about their personal leadership skills and what needs to be improved.
ReplyDeleteIt seems better to move throughout an organization rather than staying in a single position. This way, an individual can learn more about the organization, find ways to improve, and move up in the organization. People who are knowledgeable are the most successful and valuable employees. This helps the individual who is advancing, but also others because they can learn new ideas and tips.
I also agree that people develop into stronger leaders from learning from past experiences. Learning from achievements or mistakes help a leader become a more powerful leader. They take what they already know and mold it into something better.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also very important for a leader to be educated in every part of an organization. This will help not only the leader but also the subordinates, if everyone is familiar with how things work they will be able to communicate better and accomplish goals successfully.
I agree that things in the past can certainly have an effect on how we are today including who we are as people, what we believe in, and how we can be and act as a leader. I believe people learn from mistakes and things that are done and how they can do them better. Practice is an essential part of life. Things that happen in the past can essentially serve as practice for being a leader.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Clay that it is important to have a well rounded view and perception of a company as a whole. I think that just knowing one area is not beneficial to being proactive and productive in the most efficient way. To know other aspects of the organization is important because it allows for efficiency in knowing what else goes on and experience in the organization.
I agree that challenges play a critical role in shaping leaders and who we are. An example of this goes back to my sophomore year when I worked with Shelly in LSE. During Spring 2010, I was in charge of the Student Life Awards selection committee. This is something that required a lot of attention to detail, which is a skill I definitely needed to improve upon. But Shelly (and Nancy) allowed me to work through this weakness and assisted me when I needed it. I made a lot of mistakes, but neither Shelly nor Nancy saw that as a failure. Instead, they asked me what I learned and how I could take this with me later on. Today, I still don't like to do some of those tedious, detail-oriented tasks, but I am much better at them. In Career Services, I interact with students(which I love) while picking up on details of their resumes and cover letters, both big and small.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Clay that leaders need to be well-rounded. The 2nd topic in is descriptive rather than prescriptive. It allows for adaptation, which, in the long run, will prevent a leader from getting stuck when the chain of issues doesn't follow that linear pattern that he or she learned to respond to.
I dont really think that leaders emerge from certain situations, this may be true for some but definitly not all. Although I do agree that past life experiences can determine the type of leader you may be and how you would act in a certain situation or crisis.
ReplyDeleteI also think that is it good for leaders t be well rounded, but open minded as well. Change is something that alot of people are scared of and I think that limits their success level... so to add to our leadership definition I think open-mindedness and well roundedness also fits that.
I agree that leaders are greatly impacted by all of those situations and it can sometimes affect how they lead others. But a good leader is one who can leave his/her personal life aside from his/her work.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that leaders need to be well-rounded. They need to be aware of different styles of leading because there are so many different types of people who prefer different theories. A lot more things can be accomplished and will be more successful if leaders are well-rounded and know what needs to be done and how to do it.
I think that challenging job assignments, developmental relationships and adverse situations are three things that are very important in forming a leader. Without being challenged and put in uncomfortable situations or in situations where there is some uncertainty in the work environment I think it would be nearly impossible to become a leader if everything was the same exact lined up evenly everyday. I think that all of the situations that I have been in throughout my life have played an important role in forming me as a person and in some situations a leader because I have learned how to conquer tough situations and learn from them. These challenges and learning opportunity' are a vital part of 'experience' and the more experience you have the more credible you will be as a leader.
ReplyDeleteChallenges do provide the best learned experiences that we can encounter. By exercising critical thinking we are better able to show leadership qualities form our experiences as well as be quicker on our feet as far as coming up with solutions. This is why something like zig-zaging people into different positions into an organization can be beneficial and challenging.
ReplyDeleteI think more businesses should take this approach. I like to think of myself as having a good variety of work experiences and I feel as though I am not limited to one type of experience, which should give me an edge but if've noticed it has confused people who don't appreciate variety. It probably is true that technical jobs that are repetitive and lack appreciation would not find the value of a diverse work background, but ultimately they then are losing out as variety provides better leadership and ways to approach situations.
There is much to say on the impact that challenges can provide in learning experiences. Critical thinking should be a huge part of challenging leaders because it quickly brings out what type of person the leader is. How the person thinks on his/her feet and what type of qualities these people possess in times of challenge reveals a lot. I agree that businesses should continue to look at this approach because it really tells you a lot about your employees.
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