Well, for most of us, leadership is much like a quality, something that we know when we see it but find it somehow difficult to define or even describe it. I find that so true, until Mr. Joseph Anthony Quesada―a manager at the Ayala Foundation―shared with us his thoughts on leadership. Perhaps, for most of us, leadership is not something new anymore, but hearing it from someone who truly radiates the essence of leadership―someone who even serves as a medium for others to learn and acquire it―is totally a different thing.
As I think about leadership during our class convention, I discovered three principles that, for me, define what it means to be a leader. First, Kuya JQ helped us realize that leaders must first understand themselves and take time for regular renewal in order to be effective leaders. These periods of renewal allow leaders to reflect on themselves and their organizations and hopefully lead to new insights that will make them better leaders. Leading―as we can see―is no easy task because it entails a lot of “inner work” to do. Organizations are different, and so are leaders. Nevertheless, it is still possible for us to arrive at a set of leadership styles and qualities that are necessary to bring the organization into success. I guess I have to agree with the saying that if we truly know who we are, then we will know where we need to improve. Thus we can see the importance of understanding the self first in order to become the best leader we can possibly be.
Second, I learned that leaders are there not to control their subordinates, but to empower them. Empowerment involves conveying the mission and goals in such a way that people can use their initiative and make decisions on their own. Instead of purely dictating them on how things are supposed to be done, on what work standards they need to possess, why not foster trust among others? Why not trust your teams to accomplish the organization’s mission and vision? Why not allow them to make mistakes and hold them accountable for it? I realized it is not always good to control, direct and manipulate them at ALL times when it comes to decision-making processes and project executions. Because in that way, leaders―consciously or unconsciously―tend to inhibit their employees from growing, from learning, and from maturing at work. We should always remember that leading well actually means giving our people a voice and a chance to contribute in their own terms. And so, we should refrain from killing this leadership potential in them by forbidding them to do things their own way. As Kuya JQ puts it, “As leaders, we should give them [teammates] space to move; we should not at all times measure our people against our own standards.” This also involves creating a culture in which initiative, risk taking, and learning is valued. It may be nice to be the superstar of the team, but it is truly much more rewarding to be the leader of a team of superstars.
It also came to me that leaders must―and should―really pay attention to their organization’s culture and be proactive in shaping the environment in which others will do their work. With this comes the leader’s responsibility to create a climate in which others can be successful and can achieve the organization’s vision and goals. And to do this, leaders must identify completely with the people (the environment) they work with―what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, what are the things that motivate them, et cetera. Leading is actually a challenge to make these differences meet at some point, to make all these divergences work for the betterment of the organization. Yes, it may be hard to pull all these things off, but that’s just how it is! It’s hard, but once we get there, it would be truly rewarding. Why? Because leadership is about challenge and change; if we become successful in doing this within our own teams, our people will find their work meaningful, repaying us through affective commitment, of course, increased effort.
Given the dynamic environment in which one must lead, being a student and leader of oneself, one’s organization, and one’s environment is vital to an organization’s success. Creating a culture in which people know what is expected and can do their best work is another. But beyond all these principles (thanks to Kuya JQ), I believe what ultimately sets leaders apart from their followers is their desire to make a difference. Because in the eyes of a leader, challenges and setbacks must be overcome, problems must be resolved, and mountains must be climbed so that the horizon where the image of success lies can be once more in view. This, I’ve figured out, is what leadership is ultimately about.
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Reflection Paper for LS100 (Organizational Behavior) Class under Mrs. Lilian Avecilla
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