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Please Respond to Discussion Question
Share your thoughts regarding the importance of humility, curiosity, and leadership as you work on your leadership project.
Humility, curiosity, and integrity are all essential qualities of great leaders. Humility, or the ability to be humble, is a trait that is “rarely found in leaders.” (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2021) My research project is about improving staff morale. A modest, approachable leader would do much to improve staff morale. Staff would feel comfortable speaking with the leader, in the case of my job, the principal. Teachers would share ideas freely without the feeling that the principal is not attentive or caring. Curiosity is another trait that is beneficial to leaders. “Curiosity is the best way to address (this) problem.” (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2021) By listening to the staff’s concerns when problems arise, or changes are needed, the administrator would develop a curious stance to determine how to mitigate the problem. They would feel that their concerns are valid and their voices are heard. In turn, having a say in how the school is run would make staff members feel that they have a stake in the school, thus increasing staff morale. Finally, integrity is imperative. There are “too many examples of leaders who put their interest ahead of their followers. (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2021) The belief that the principal has the best interests of the students, parents, and staff is detrimental to the school’s running. The integrity of the leadership would build trust among staff members and improve staff morale. Considering the four manager mindsets, which mindsets represent your management team?
My response is that the management team is related to the administrators in charge of the school where I work. Of the four manager mindsets, the administration has a Disaffected mindset. Although some employees and their feelings are considered, others are not. Nepotism is vital in our building, which creates a chasm between the haves and have-nots. Morale and trust are significant issues within the school. This is an area in which growth and change are needed. What barriers do you anticipate your team will face, and how might you address them?
My leadership project involves improving staff morale. One possible obstacle is that nepotism has set a form of hierarchy within the building that will be difficult to overcome with the current staff. Another potential barrier will be encouraging the principal in our school to be less vindictive when he is angry with staff members. Having available resources to motivate the staff is another barrier. A final barrier will be the staff buying into the new culture of the school. Nepotism in the building might be addressed by fairness in hiring practices. Hiring staff based on their abilities and, of course, interviewing skills would be so much better than hiring one’s friends. In addition, fair hiring practices will increase staff morale because they will know they have become part of a winning team by their merit.
When the school’s principal is angry with staff members, he becomes vindictive. He moves teachers from the subjects and grades they are accustomed to teaching and places them in grades with no training. He also withholds praise from those teachers and makes it known through subtle clues that those teachers are not a part of his team. To improve this area, the principal should speak with teachers when he becomes angry and let them know that a problem has arisen. Then, he should attempt to work the issue out with the teachers as they devise a solution. Working with teachers instead of punishing them will build trust.
Rewarding teachers for their efforts with tokens of appreciation would be fantastic. Unfortunately, within a school, the resources may not always be available. However, shout-outs, certificates, mentions at the staff meetings, congratulatory messages on the morning announcements, or even a simple note on a teacher’s desk would help build morale. To encourage staff to buy into the new culture of the school, survey the staff anonymously to find out what they would like to see changed. Then, ask for their input on how they want to see change happen. Which article(s) in the HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss provided insightful guidance as you work on your leadership project?
The HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss had many insightful articles guiding me in my leadership project. The Trust section, High Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety, and How to Handle a Disagreement on Your Team, addressed the need for leaders to collaborate with staff members when there is a conflict. Although it is easy to want to win the battle emotionally, winning the war with the staff’s trust is much more critical. “…. Know that true success is a win-win outcome, so when conflicts come up, …avoid triggering a fight-or0flight reaction by asking, “How could we achieve a mutually desirable outcome?” (HBR Guide, 2021)
The article Give Your Team More Effective Feedback was also insightful. Employees strive to do well in the eyes of their employers and relish in the feedback they receive. The positive feedback encourages or gives them fuel. Negative feedback is in the time needed, but the boss should provide it with strategies for improvement and grace. When negative feedback is given, managers should consider their employees’ feelings. As a result, winning teams receive more positive feedback.
Lastly, the article Four Reasons Good Employees Lose their Motivation was another insightful article for my research paper. The four primary reasons include the employee’s feelings that they don’t care about the work, their feelings of inadequacy, emotions, and inability to determine where they went wrong or made an error. This article is a reminder that the boss needs to be a motivator, counselor, and coach, all rolled up into one. References:
Harvard Business Review Press. (2021). Hbr Guide to being a great boss. Leadership Now . (2021). 3 Leadership Traits We Desperately Need in 2021.
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