My doctoral program (DOL) asks me to think and write about my leadership style, strengths and effectiveness, to determine what makes me the authentic leader that I am. This requires practicing self-awareness and understanding my internal and external motivators -- components of emotional intelligence, according to Daniel Goleman's Harvard Business Review article, "What makes a leader," that I just read in HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, 2011 (HBR-10).
Part of a recent DOL assignment required me to complete the CliftonStrengths survey online to identify my top five strengths as a leader, which are:
1 - I am an Activator who generates enthusiasm in people to transform ideas into tangibles
2 - I am Futuristic in my vision and self-direction, always planning for the future
3 - I thrive on Input, always craving to know more to broaden my knowledge
4 - I am a Strategic thinker who recognizes and communicates patterns in data and information, and
5 - I am an avid Learner who is always acquiring knowledge and challenging myself to understand different perspectives.
This survey suggested that, in the future, I should start a training or consulting business to help others learn -- which I have already done with Rogers Consulting LLC. After completing this survey, I realized that I am being an authentic leader -- true to my strengths, passion and values. I am using my internal and external motivators to do what I love and help others to realize the same leadership characteristics about themselves, as well as, to start working toward achieving their own authentic leadership. I am thankful to train for Pryor Learning Solutions to enable my authentic leadership and help others do the same!
I just completed a month of training "Management & Leadership Skills for Women" for Pryor Learning Solutions in the Northeastern U.S. and I noted an interesting difference in the mindset of my class attendees. Some students focused on management skill development as the key to their professional success, while others believed that leadership development is their most important ability, to develop themselves individually and those they supervise.
We discussed the difference in being a Manager vs. a Leader as it applies to the type of power they have in their organizations. Formal power comes from a position of authority, a job title, their place in the organizational hierarchy, e.g. being a "Manager." Informal power comes from relationships, influence, mentoring and motivational communication, and is demonstrated by how you are a Leader for yourself and others. Mastering informal power is the strongest indicator of your leadership effectiveness, and is the focus of that class, because you can be a Great Leader without being a Manager, but you cannot be a Great Manager without being an effective Leader.
I recently found more support for this idea from a book that I am now reading for my doctoral program, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success -- How we can learn to fulfill our potential" by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. She discusses that most managers/CEOs become bosses, not leaders, wielding their organizational (formal) power instead of transforming themselves and their workers (by leading with their informal power). Why? Dr. Dweck states that managers learn their job duties and once those skills are mastered, they cease to value learning when they feel content that they know their position. Leaders value constant learning and development of leadership ability for themselves and others, this is why subordinates want to follow them as their leader, not just do what they are told by their manager. Organizations that value the development of ability create new leaders, whereas organizations that grow managers develop non-learning bosses.
My focus and joy in leadership training is growing leaders who value lifelong learning and develop organizations to have a "culture of development" (Dweck, Mindset, p. 142). In my professional experience, people leave bosses, not jobs, because they are not being developed and all human beings need to keep growing. Contact me with your thoughts on this or my other blog articles and please let me know of any other topics you'd like to see more about!
Last year, as I was starting to achieve success at owning my own business by doing what I love, I thought that I had reached my ultimate life goal and would be happy for the rest of my life doing what I do now -- traveling to new places to train and helping others achieve their life goals.
I have always been a strong proponent for continuing education and development, via college and professional training classes, but I learned something knew about myself from my students this year -- that I wasn't done learning and growing professionally. Often in my classes, when I ask why students are attending the class, they say that they were told to attend, or that they want to learn how to develop a specific skill, or that they want to be prepared for the next phase of their career. The last reason intrigued me to challenge myself.
This year, I decided that I want to expand my knowledge and research ability in leadership studies to add value to the professional classes that I teach for my business, Rogers Consulting LLC, as well as, to enable my future career goals, whatever they may turn out to be.
I researched which colleges offer a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership degree, and I found that Hood College, in my hometown and where I currently live, offers exactly the program that I want. I applied and found out last week that I have been accepted into the 3rd cohort starting this Fall, finishing in 2021. To make such a commitment -- being in class just about every Saturday for the next three years, as well as, doing significant class and research work -- it had to mean something to me that was more than just a title at the end. I am preparing for my future, maybe authoring books on Women in Leadership, maybe starting a non-profit, maybe teaching at a college full-time, or maybe all of these! Regardless, I am preparing myself for my future, to have choices and skills that I can continue to grow on.
I see many students in my classes that feel stuck in their current jobs, unable to see where their future will take them. I hope that I instill in them that they decide where they will be in the future, not the reverse, and that additional training and skill development is preparing them to achieve their goals, whatever they want them to be. Thank you to all of my students who inspire me to continue to grow and redefine my life goals -- please contact me with your thoughts on this topic!