A511.3.3.RB_MilliganSteven

Being a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Air Force I find myself in an interesting dilemma when it comes to power and authority.  As an officer I outrank 80% of the Air Force and have been put in a position of power and authority over the enlisted ranks (AFPC, 2013).  This would be considered Legitimate Power.  In the text, Yukl describes Legitimate Power as “stemming from formal authority over work activities” (Yukl, 2013, p. 188).  I have been commissioned by congress and put in a position of power to make certain decisions as I see fit.  To a person with very little understanding of the true nature of power this may seem like an enticing spot to be in.  However, as I have learned in the last 18 months, much like in the case of Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility” (Raimi, 2002). 

While I find myself in the position of Legitimate Power I find that I am often lacking Expert Power.  As a Logistics Officer we are often referred to as a Jack of All Trades and often are put in ambiguous positions being expected to get the job done no matter what it is.  This makes it difficult to be experts in any given field.  In my short time in the Air Force so far I have been a Fuels Deputy Flight Commander a Supply Flight Commander and now I am in the position of the Wing Installation Deployment Officer.  Each of these positions require leadership but each also calls for some form of Expert Knowledge to be able to make informed decisions about the work being done within the flight.  This is difficult seeing as I have only been in each position for a very short period of time.  Because of my lack of Expert Power I have to find other ways to gain power over my subordinates.  One way in which I have been able to accomplish this is through Position, Referent and Personal Power.  In my position that I hold I have power over my subordinates.  When I ask them to do things they are expected to accomplish those tasks.  However if I only use Position Power without using Personal and Referent Power the tasks may get done, but the quality will suffer.  Using Personal Power I can gain a sense of trust and report with my subordinates.  If I can show them that I will do my best to help them and take care of them while doing my best to learn from them, then I can gain that trust and respect while instilling a desire to help and take care of me when needed.  In the military we are often asked to sacrifice a lot with often with very little thanks.  If I can gain the respect and trust of others I will hopefully receive their trust and loyalty in return.  Then I can even offer rewards in return for excellent work.  The 52 Fighter Wing Commander does this frequently.  He understands that in Europe a great reward for people is time.  There are certain goals the wing is asked to hit.  When these goals are hit the wing commander will give a day off.  This gives families a chance to explore Europe and spend time together.  I too have used this form of power when asking for help from people in projects that require volunteering.  This form of power is effective when used appropriately and can help tasks be accomplished when subordinates know the reward is great.  I myself have worked more quickly and carefully when I know I have the chance to take a day off and spend it with my family.     

A concept discussed in the office is one of moral.  Over the past few months, due to personality clashes with previous leadership and subordinates, foul language, an intense atmosphere and a degree of lack of caring about the personal lives of subordinates moral has been low.  The leadership that was there previously had a poor understanding of the Social Exchange Theory.  In the text Yukl explains this as “how power is gained or lost in organizations” (Yukl, 2013, p. 193).  Through the Social Exchange Theory you can gain influence over others when you show expertise and loyalty to your subordinates.  In turn when your subordinates know you will take care of them when needed they will then more fully do what is asked and be more willing to go the extra mile in the future. 

Another form of power used in my office with previous leadership was Coercive Power.  This form of power is based on the company or organization’s authority over punishments.  The military has a greater ability to enforce this type of behavior due to the power of punishment ranking officers hold.  Failure to obey a direct order is punishable under the military’s UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice).  In my experience I have only found this to be useful when attempting to change already present bad behavior, not attempting to force good behavior from already hard workers as used by previous leadership.  However, I have seen situations where a person has made a mistake and the punishment was intended to correct that behavior while hoping that person could continue in the Air Force and come back from their mistakes.  These are often in the form of Letters of Counseling, Letters of Reprimand and in severe cases an Article 15 along with another form of punishment to include extra duty for a period of time or a pay cut.  This form of power is not something I enjoy having to use but have found that it is useful in some situations.  We had a situation where a Staff Sergeant had what I like to call a “momentary lapse of reason”.  This is a great airmen whose wife (soon to be ex-wife) was fooling around on him with another person.  He went to the house she was at, broke in to the car, broke in to the house and threatened the man with her, with a crowbar and a knife.  In any other situation this airman is a great, hardworking person.  He saw a threat and addressed it, albeit in an illegal manner.  As punishment he had a stripe suspended with suspended pay and extra duty for a month.  This was after much discussion and pleading on the part of his flight leadership.  This form of coercive punishment was appropriate for the situation and so far worked very well.  I do not enjoy this form of power however and hope to find other ways of leading people that may be able to help my lack of experience and knowledge in my field. 

In hopes of overcoming my weaknesses in Expert Power I hope to show those in the office that I have a desire to learn and understand the job while showing I am there to take care of them.  I find when I show I care about others and take a genuine interest in their well-being they are much more willing to be proactive while helping out and going the extra mile when needed.  I have also found that office moral is much higher and that the work place is a much better place to be on a daily basis. 

References

AFPC. (2013, December 31). afpc.af.mil. Retrieved from afpc.af.mil: http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/airforcepersonneldemographics.asp

Raimi, S. (Director). (2002). Spider-Man [Motion Picture].

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. Boston: Pearson.

A511.2.3.RB_MilliganSteven

Supportive Leadership-A511.2.3.RB_MilliganSteven

The guidelines for supportive leadership presented in the text Leadership in Organizations is a great example of how to develop strong subordinates that are willing to follow and work hard for a leader.  There are four major steps involved in Supportive Leadership.  These are outlined in the book as follows; “show acceptance and positive regard; provide sympathy and support when the person is anxious or upset; bolster the person’s self-esteem and confidence; be willing to help with personal problems.” (Yukl, 2013)  While these are not everything needed to be a good leader they are, in my own opinion significant aspects. 

Leadership is about influencing others while working towards a common goal.  That common goal can be achieved in a variety of ways, not all of which have the good of the people in mind.  In my own life, leadership extends beyond just the goals of the organization in which you work.  Leadership is about the building up and taking care of others.  Through supportive leadership you can do these things.  One example where this has taken place in my own work environment comes from being willing to help with personal problems.  Being stationed overseas in the military puts most people quite a distance from their closest relatives.  Only a lucky few that I know have a parent or sibling that is stationed or living nearby.  However, in most cases the only people you have are your immediate family you live with and those you work with.  As a brand new 2^nd Lieutenant Flight Commander it was not easy for me to get involved in the personal lives of those I was supposed to be leading.  I quickly learned that some of the life experiences I had were able to help them when needed.  In talking to some of my airmen I learned I was able to give advice to one of my airmen whose spouse was diagnosed with a chronic illness.  Their marriage was struggling because of the pressure of the disease and the frustration both the husband and wife were going through.  I was able to help them to get counseling when they needed it.  I also had a young airman diagnosed with cancer.  I talked with him a great deal about what was going on with him emotionally and what he could do to help himself. 

            On other occasions I have had airmen come to me and tell me that they were thinking about becoming an officer.  I was able to discuss with them the benefits of both the enlisted and officer sides of the Air Force and if they wanted to “come to the dark side” as they like to call it, and what steps they needed to take in order to accomplish those tasks.  Some of my best days at work are when I am able to come home knowing that something I did helped someone else better their life.

            Growing up I thought the ideas of supportive leadership and developing subordinates was normal in leadership.  I watched my father throughout the years hold positions of rank within the organizations he worked in and help others to better themselves.  After reading through the Guidelines for Developing Subordinates section in the text I realized he followed these closely.  Whether he was coaching others before a presentation or putting someone in a job that would benefit their experience and help them to promote or spending time in the hospital with a co-worker’s son who was in a car accident so the parents could get a little sleep, time and time again he went above and beyond the normal expected behaviors of a leader. 

            To want to develop subordinates takes a leader that first cares about others.  A few of the specific guidelines that take a special degree of leadership I have found to be especially useful are as follows: “Promote the person’s reputation.”  (Yukl, 2013) In some cases, in order to do this it requires putting more of the credit for a task on the other person.  I would love to go to a commander and tell him or her that the significant amount of work done on a project was accomplished by myself.  I would love to have the “big wigs” at work sing my praises and tell me what a great 2^nd Lieutenant I am.  This however doesn’t help the others that did a large chunk of the work.  In order to help another person to succeed and excel it is important to sing their praises and make sure others know what they did.  This doesn’t mean that person is necessarily asking for the attention.  As a leader it is important to make other feels important and to make sure they are recognized for the hard work they do.  Robert Stewart discussed this principle in his post this week in the class discussions.  He suggests that in his many years in leadership that he has discovered that he is a Blanchard disciple.  The Blanchard principles discuss how to set goals and provide feedback to employees.  His five points are; “Create a shared vision.  Show me what good performance looks like.  People that feel good about themselves produce good results, none of us is as smart as all of us.  Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” (Blanchard, 2014)  Through these five points Ken Blanchard has developed a method of leading, teaching and developing well-rounded, employees that are willing to work in teams.  An understanding of the overall project and goals, while understanding the role each of us plays within that group and an understanding that the group can be smarter than the individual can create an efficient and successful organization and leadership method.     

            On some occasions, however, the right thing to do is not always the easy thing to do.  Just like a small child, if we pick them up every time they cry they will not learn to pick themselves up.  They become too dependent on the parent to fix their problems for them.  Within the guidelines for developing subordinates sections a bullet listed is, “provide opportunities to learn from experience.” (Yukl, 2013) Sometimes we want to jump in and help others when it would be better for them to figure things out for themselves.  It is not easy to watch others struggle through things.  However, it is not only important for others to work through tasks, but it is also important to learn about their own strengths and weaknesses.  It is through these trials and errors that we learn about ourselves.  Yukl states in the text, “Sometimes the best approach for developing skills is to assign a challenging task without giving detailed instructions, and allow the person to discover how to carry out the task and to deal with problems encountered along the way.” (Yukl, 2013)  It is when we give others the opportunity to learn and grow that they often will achieve the most success. 

            Recognition in the work place is often a delicate topic.  You don’t want to give recognition for lazy work or for a job half done, however, you want to provide recognition where recognition is due.  I have noticed in the military that those in the highly visible positions often receive the most praises while they are often not all they are cracked up to be.  When awards and commendations are limited it can be difficult to award those that deserve it the most over those that only appear to deserve it the most.  Gary Yukl discusses some of the guidelines for recognizing others.  In one bullet point he states, “Do not limit recognition to a few best performers.”  He states that “it is better to award everyone who exceeds a challenging performance standard rather than to recognize only the person with the best performance.” (Yukl, 2013)  When providing recognition it is also important to be specific.  When those that are asked to follow you know that you care enough about them to know the details of their accomplishments they will gain a greater respect and a willingness to work harder knowing that you care about the work they do.  It is also important to recognize others when their efforts fail.  Not every goal given is obtainable and not everyone can succeed 100% of the time.  This does not mean that we should not praise the effort.  The important thing to remember when doing this is that as a leader we are not giving out free passes for failure.  We are, however, commending strong efforts and coaching so that success is achievable in the future. 

            The ideas of supportive leadership, recognizing others and developing the skills of subordinates should all be able to work together to create a symbiotic relationship of strong, caring leaders that are willing to teach and help where they can, while developing a relationship of trust with subordinates that will allow them to come to their leadership with concerns, problems, questions and desires to grow and learn.  When these guidelines are followed as stated in Leadership in Organizations a great deal of success can be seen in both the leaders and subordinates.  I will strive to implement these behaviors into my life and career so that others and myself may be able to benefit from my leadership skills. 

References

Blanchard, K. (2014). wellcoachedconsulting.com. Retrieved from wellcoachedconsulting.com: http://www.wellcoachedconsulting.com/tools/

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. Boston: Pearson.

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When it comes to leadership there are many different methods and roles one can play.  When asked to lead people leaders are expected to manage also.  There are many different roles one can take as a manager.  In Mintzberg's Management Roles, leaders plays a part in this.  I would suggest that leadership and management often go hand in hand.  We are often expected to not only lead people, but manage the day to day aspects of the job and tasks at hand.  It is because of this that we need to be both managers and leaders.

According to Mintzberg we play many different roles as managers and leaders.  Sometimes we play these different roles several times in one day.  Mintzberg separates the ten roles of management into three categories.  These are Interpersonal, Informational and Decisional.  The first of the three includes; Figurehead, Leader and Liaison. The focus of these is to provide ideas and information while caring for the social, inspirational and performance of the members of your team.

The Informational category includes the roles of Monitor, Disseminator and Spokesman.  It is in this category that you are expected to process, seek out and communicate information for your team.  You are essentially the conduit for your team and the information that needs to flow.

The final category is Decisional.  This is where the leader uses the information and applies it to decision making, managing change or handling roadblocks that may get in the way of team and organizational needs.
This means you may need to be able to negotiate and direct important decisions that effect the lives and job security of the people you are asked to manage.

Each of the roles discussed by Mintzberg are important and required in leadership and managerial positions. In order to learn more about these roles the website mindtools.com provides and in depth analyses of these different roles and how to gain additional insight on how to improve your abilities in each role.  

Simon Sinek's talk on the "why" of the leadership was interesting to say the least.  My father recently started working for a company called SimplyMac.  He runs the marketing for the company and is in charge of taking it from a small company mostly located in Utah to a large national chain.  In talking to him about Apple products I definitely have learned to appreciate what Apple has created.  Nobody buys an apple product because they are the best bang for your buck or because they are the most powerful.  People buy Apple products because for years and years Steve Jobs created a product that told the consumer they were on a quest for perfection and innovation.  They told people why they did it.  When Steve Jobs presented products he didn't fill the presentations with the facts and tech specs of their products.  He showed pictures of Mac Book Airs fitting in manila folders and how you can capture the perfect photo on your phone.

When I ask most people why they love Apple they always say, "it just works".  I'm really happy that they can buy a product that works.  The reality is my HP works also and so does my Dell desktop.  In many ways they work better and I spent less on them.  I don't tune in every year though when Dell has a new product with excitement and anticipation.  Although I don't own many Apple products I still tune in to see what they are offering next.  Even to a cynic like myself Apple still has found a way to grasp my attention and reel me in, even it is just for that hour or so that they are announcing a new product.  It is when we can show people why we are are there for them that we can truly influence others.  If a company or a leader can tell people why they should care about them or their product they can truly influence others and convince them to follow almost anywhere they go.

The "why" is how we can lead people and how we can live forever.  People like the Wright Brothers, Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King will forever live in the minds and hearts of millions of people all over the world. They will live on, not because they told us what they were doing but because they truly had passion about their vision and were able to project that to the world.  The world then felt that passion and decided to follow.  That is what makes great men great.      

Sinek, S. (2009). How Great Leaders Inspire Action.

www.mindtools.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.mindtools.com: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/management-roles.htm