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What makes a good leader?

What makes a good leader?. M s. Chris McClendon Dr. Celvia Stovall Mr. Stan Windham. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Discussion Points.

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What makes a good leader?

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  1. What makes a good leader? Ms. Chris McClendon Dr. Celvia Stovall Mr. Stan Windham The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  2. Discussion Points • Transformational Leadership • Servant Leadership • Core Principles of Leadership • Skills of effective leaders • Critical Thinking Skills • Communication Skills • Decision Making Skills The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  3. Transformational Leadership • Begins with a vision – leader buys into it, hook, line and sinker. • The leader constantly sells the vision – this never stops. Takes every opportunity and will use whatever works to convince others to climb on board. • Transformational leaders continually pursue three goals: • Helping staff members develop and maintain a • collaborative professional culture; • Fostering professional development; and • Helping employees solve problems more efficiently. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  4. Transformational Leadership • Bernard M. Bass identified four components of transformational leadership: • Charismatic Leadership • Inspirational Motivation • Intellectual Stimulation • Individualized Consideration The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  5. Transformational Leadership • TL’s motivate others partially due to the respect and trust that they have earned in their roles. • Goal is to ensure that the voices of those that they lead are heard in a genuine and sincere way. • Seek input of others into the mission of their organizations and lead by moral example in many ways. • Administrators in the public sector have an increased focus on professional development and research which often focuses on the numerous benefits gained by becoming a transformational leader. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  6. Servant Leadership • Serve others, rather than serving the leader. • Serving others thus comes by helping them to achieve and improve. • The people served grow as individuals, becoming ‘healthier, wiser, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servants’. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  7. Principles of Servant Leadership • Transformation as a vehicle for personal and institutional growth. • Personal growth as a route to better serve others. • Enabling environments that empower and encourage service. • Service is a fundamental goal. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  8. Principles of Servant Leadership • Trusting relationships as a basic platform for collaboration and service. • Creating commitment as a way to collaborative activity. • Community building as a way to create environments in which people can trust each other and work together. • Nurturing the spirit as a way to provide joy and fulfillment in meaningful work. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  9. Core Principles of Leadership • (Kellogg Study) • Self Knowledge • Competence • Authenticity • Collaboration • Shared Purpose • Empathy • Division of labor • Respectful disagreement The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  10. Critical Skills for Effective Leaders • Critical Thinking Skills • Communication Skills • Decision Making Skills The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  11. How to Make a Decision – Focusing on County Commissioners For County Commissioners, decisions can come from many angles – some are decisions made on familiar ground, some on unfamiliar ground, and some are momentous decisions. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

  12. A Suggested Decision Making Cycle To Use Is As Follows: • Orient Yourself to the Situation • Identify Key Facts • Identify Major Problem or Problems • Proposal of Possible Causes and Identification of Main One • Determine Probable Solutions • Aggressive Application of Determined Solution • Check whether the Solution is Right or Wrong, and If Needed - Try Again

  13. Familiar Ground Decisions These are by far the easiest decisions to make – these decisions are based mainly on experience and are many times made faster and more accurately than decisions made that require a commissioner, county administrator, engineers, and/or other county personnel to enter more unfamiliar areas.

  14. Unfamiliar Ground Decisions In this case – it is critical to use a decision making cycle to make more accurate decisions.

  15. The first 2 steps – orienting oneself completely to the situation and identifying key facts - are critical when dealing with unfamiliar situations. After these are considered the other steps of the decision making model can then be implemented. After all of these steps are accomplished – combined with some related experience – progress toward making a good decision can be made.

  16. Momentous Decisions Momentous Decisionsor important decisions that could significantly affect the future of a county – they are many times steeped in uncertainty and a full understanding of the facts is not always possible.

  17. To Handle Momentous Decisions The Following Approach May Help: • Assume that what has worked in the past will continue to work – be willing to modify as needed. • Identify the things you know for sure about the situation. • Pinpoint the areas of the momentous decision that can be solved by logical reasoning. Seek facts and educated opinions and use these to help you make clear & logical decisions. • Don’t underestimate force and action in affecting the decision.

  18. Example: Although funds were very tight - a county needed badly to upgrade 3 bridges on 3 different county roads. The county was faced with the decision of closing the roads or upgrading the bridges. After looking at past work on bridges, looking at the firm facts related to bridge work, putting together facts and educated opinions about bridge renovation, talking to counties that had also faced this dilemma – they determined that one road could be closed and two bridges would be renovated. Once this was determined the county engineer and all commissioners pushed forward on the project in an aggressive fashion.

  19. What can cause commissioners to fear big decisions or consistently make poor decisions? • Lack of a clear cut goal or goals related to an issue. • Insecurity in their position – political pressure. • They find themselves unprepared and under pressure to make a quick decision. • Not willing to exercise their authority – do not feel entitled to make a decision – to humble in some cases. • Not willing to change for the better – clinging to the status quo.

  20. When To Change a Decision: • Don’t change your mind merely because you are running into obstacles. • Don’t change your mind if you are having trouble executing the decision. If the solution is right – stay the course. • Don’t redo all of your thinking in a hasty moment if your decision was made based on careful study and analysis. • However – if new facts or opportunities present themselves indicating there is a better way to solve an issue – don’t be afraid to change your course.

  21. Decisions can be made based on your temperament or based on reason – to use both is the best. • Henry Taylor (1836) Source: George S. Odiorne, How Managers make things happen.

  22. Conclusion • Strive to promote performance beyond expectations within a county. • Are able to affect enormous changes within individuals and organizations. • Transformational leadership appears to be the leadership style suited to current demands and issues most county personnel will encounter. • Serve as servant leaders. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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