As I reflected on the topics covered in MSLD 520, I
realized that we learned many interesting and intriguing topics. Each module
seemed to offer a lesson on leadership, followership, and life in general. I
learned personal skills, interpersonal skills, and group skills and had the
opportunity to reflect on each. Some of the concepts I would like to discuss in
this blog are work-life balance, intrinsic motivation, emotional intelligence,
and relationship-building roles.
In module two, we discussed the positives of managing
stress and work-life balance. From this module, I learned that I must take the
appropriate steps to eliminate stress. According to Whetten and Cameron (2016),
stress related doctor’s visits make up between 75 and 90 percent of all
doctor’s visits and stress causes employees to miss an average of 25 days of
work per year. Those numbers are staggering, so how do I begin to manage my
stress? One way I could eliminate stress is prioritizing and saying no. I have
a hard time saying no to people. It just does not feel right and makes me very
uncomfortable, but saying yes could cause stress.
As I recall earlier this summer, I was asked by a
coworker to come and help him move during the weekend, and of course, I said
yes. Since I began school, I tend to spend most of the weekend working on
schoolwork, so agreeing to help my coworker move altered my schedule and caused
stress relating to school. Fortunately, I completed the work despite the
stress, but the pressure could have been reduced by saying no.
I am also a worrier. I tend to worry about home while
I am at work and work while I am at home. I learned that “being where I am” is
a great way to reduce stress. I must focus my energy on what I am currently
doing. If I am able to close my mind off to the other things that are worrying
me, then I can be more productive in my present task. This concept could be
useful as a leader or follower. A leader will be ineffective if they cannot get
out of their head and remain in the present.
The final stress-related tactic I discovered in this
course was to slow your mind down while doing nothing for ten minutes a day.
Andy Puddicome (2012) stated that thinking about the day while doing nothing
will allow you to see those stressors in a less stressful manner. When I first
tried this exercise, I convinced myself it would not work before I started, so,
of course, it did not work. By the third time I sat down to do nothing, I could
tell how well it worked. I ended the exercise feeling much less stressful and
energized to take on the next task. I have used this stress-relief concept several
times throughout the semester and plan on continuing to practice the exercise.
Intrinsic motivation is another concept I found very
helpful in this class. I learned that to me intrinsic motivation is much more
powerful than extrinsic factors. Of course, I like my paycheck and would not
reject a raise or bonus, but I am not 100% motivated by the money. I realized
that extrinsic outcome could lead to employees working without feeling a
passion or purpose for their work. Employees who lack passion will eventually
lack production. It is very difficult to maintain production and efficiency if
not motivation exist.
As a leader, I must be able to tap into the motivation
of my followers. I must set up open communication and trust to determine their
motivating factors. The next step is to help the followers reach and connect to
their motivation. I have mentioned many times that I am more about people than
I am numbers or production. Employees who can realize their motivation are happier
and less stressful followers and that is my goal as a leader.
During this class, I realized that one of my downfalls
is emotional intelligence. Whetten and
Cameron (2016) described emotional intelligence as the “ability to correctly
diagnose and manage one’s own emotions and relationships with others” (p. 48).
I sometimes have trouble controlling my emotions which is not a sign of
emotional intelligence. I also lack the skill of diagnosing the feelings of
others. This lack of diagnosing is a downfall as a leader and follower. As a
follower, I must not let a bad day get worse. I must keep my emotions in check,
so they do not put me in a foul mood. I once read about a concept known as the
80/20 rule stating that 80 percent of our emotions come from 20 percent of the
causes. It stated that we should not let our emotions be bigger than the
causes. Spill coffee on your shirt on the way to work? Someone cut you off causing
you to slam on your breaks? Let it go. Do not let something that happened in
the morning ruin your whole day.
As a leader, I must become more cognizant of the
emotions of my followers. I must learn to diagnose and empathize with my
followers. How can I properly lead them if I am misreading or completely
missing their emotions? I need to get to
know them well enough to be intelligence to their emotions.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the concept of
relationship-building roles in a team. I have always been more focused on the
task-based roles as a teammate. I now understand that relationship-based goals
are just as important, if not more important that the task-based goals. Supporting, harmonizing, and tension relieving
are important factors in a team. How can the team be successful task wise if
the group is littered with discord? As a leader and follower, I need to focus a
little more on relationship-based goals to coincide with my already strong
task-based goals actions.
I enjoyed each week in this class as it brought new
knowledge about leadership concepts. I am excited to move armed with the
information I soaked up during the last nine weeks.
References
Putticombe, A. (2012). All it takes in 10
mindful minutes [TEDGlobal]. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes?language=en
Whetten, D. & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing management skills (9th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson
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