Running head: LEADERSHP PHILOSOPHY

Evinn Hickey EDAD 570: Leadership in Education 1 Leadership Philosophy Seattle University 6/13/2013

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The Purpose of Leadership Is leadership necessary? Yes, leadership is absolutely necessary. Without leadership, organizations would have no direction and social progress would be limited. Throughout this assignment, I will use the definition of leadership that we formed in class. Leadership is moving a group of people toward a common goal (T. Wilsons EDAD 570, personal communication, April 11, 2013). As indicated by this definition, leadership is a process. It is not a state of being or determined solely by an individuals authority or position (Higher Education Research Institute). The process of leadership allows for progress to be made both on the organizational level, and at the greater societal level. Leadership is necessary to make change in our society. In addition to everyday ethical decisions, leaders confront systemic social justice issues. One does not need to be in the public eye in order to be a leader. However, leaders at all levels share common characteristics. For example, leaders are expected to be: trustworthy, competent, committed, compassionate, honest, responsible, humble, and empathetic. While these are all noble characteristics, they are meaningless if the leader does not have a defined direction and mission. Parks (2005) posits that leaders mobilize individuals to address tough problems, that these tough problems are often in the form of adaptive challenges, that it is the leaders responsibility to ensure progress, and that leaders must be present in the change process. These qualities apply to leaders whether he or she is leading a country or leading a student organization on a college campus. Leadership does not necessarily stem from ones position. Leadership is a description of the process of how one directs a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Effective Leadership

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In order to be an effective leader, one must be able to clearly define core values and purpose, feel the responsibility to advocate for social justice, and adapt to changing contexts. One of the most important roles of a leader is to define values and exemplify purpose. This is done through modeling and coaching. Using the given definition of leadership, it is vital that a leader is able to clearly define the common goal and describe the purpose of moving toward that target. Kouzes and Poser refer to this as Modeling the Way (as cited in Grandzol, Perlis, & Draina, 2010). Model the Way requires that leaders discern guiding principles and role model desired behaviors (Grandzol, Perlis, & Draina, 2010). Modeling is vital to effective leadership because it demonstrates desired behavior and contributes to solidarity between the leader and the rest of the group. Similarly, for leadership to be effective, followers have to be convinced that the leader is going somewhere worthwhile and that the leader truly believes in the mission. Kidder discusses this sentiment through the frame of ethical decision making. An organizational code of ethics is only effective if it is, presented, discussed, and revisited regularly by the entire staff with the full backing of the boss (Kidder, 2003, p. 93). To maintain a following, a leader must demonstrate a commitment to the purpose by acting in ways consistent with the established values. Finally, Parks discusses the necessity of coaching. According to Parks, learners must see what they are supposed to learn, they cannot simply be told (2005). Through clear communication of values and acting in accordance with those values, effective leaders are able to create buy-in from group members and move the group toward the desired end. Leaders rise to the occasion in response to situations of marginalization and oppression. Effective leaders feel a responsibility to advocate for those in need. The sense of responsibility ties back to the leaders values and purpose. In order to mobilize a group of people toward a

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common goal, the leader must ensure that all individuals involved are able to participate in the shared vision without fear of marginalization. Leadership through responsibility is illustrated in Linder and Rodriguezs work. Linder and Rodriguez studied women of color activists and found that, the women of color felt a burden to become activistsit was a responsibility and form of survival (2012). Effective leaders feel the pull of responsibility to fight for social justice en route to their goals. This can occur two ways. The leader can feel marginalized and rise to action in response; as in Linder and Rodriguezs study. Leaders can also feel a responsibility to end oppression when they simply witness it. Similarly, added responsibility has the impact of developing leadership. Through new experiences, particularly those which carry duty of care for others, effective leaders grow. In Grandzol, Perlis, and Drainas (2010) study of team captains in collegiate varsity athletics, the added responsibility of team captain duties significantly contributed to improving the individuals leadership abilities. Certainly, advocating to administration for the needs of the team is a task taken on by many team captains. Like team captains, effective leaders recognize the needs of their constituents and strive to fulfill those needs. Effective leaders must have the ability to adapt their leadership and methodology dependent upon context. For example, there are situations in which it best for the leader to take control, make a decision, and move the group toward their common goal. However, there are also situations in which collaboration is necessary and taking control will negatively impact moving toward the common goal. The Social Change Model of Leadership describes collaboration as, capitalizing on the multiple talents and perspectives of each group member (Higher Education Research Institute). Effective leaders must be able to adapt to changes in the

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environment by recognizing the talents of those they lead and using those talents to work toward the common good. Leaders must also be able to react while the context is constantly changing. They ought to depend upon their values and purpose to assist in decision making. Kidder (2003) discusses dilemma paradigms in which leaders must decide between two seemingly right options. In such situations, leaders must be able to read the context of the situation, determine possible consequences, and act accordingly. An understanding of changing circumstances and decision making grounded in established values is vital for effective leadership. Am I a Leader? Through the lens of my professional identity, I am still in the process of seeing myself as a leader. I am willing to step into leadership positions when asked, but I am still developing my confidence. For example, I recently presented to the Instructional Leadership Team at the college where I work. My supervisor, the Dean of Student Success and Retention, helped me to prepare for this presentation. But, she insisted that I present on my own. When faced with this opportunity, I was able to step up and perform. However, I would not have sought out the opportunity to present to this group without her encouragement and support. I know that I possess many of the skills that characterize a good leader. However, I often feel that, since I lack experience, I am faking-it when I take on leadership roles and responsibilities. I feel that I am given leadership opportunities because someone else has set them up for me. For example, my supervisor and my role as a graduate student have opened up leadership opportunities I would not be able to access on my own. It will take more experience to build my confidence in my leadership abilities. Once I feel that I have more experience and have earned the right to be a leader, I will more readily take on leadership responsibilities.

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Leadership Informed by Identity My gender, age, and level of education are the aspects of my identity which are most salient in my leadership. These identities inform my leadership style and my comfort level with leadership roles. Acknowledging my salient identities will allow me to better understand myself and will aid me in becoming a more effective leader. First and foremost, my level of education strongly informs my leadership. The background I am developing in social justice and cultural competency through the SDA program will define my future leadership. My values and education will set me apart from other leaders I may encounter. In terms of leadership, gender is my most salient identity. I feel that I have overcome being female in order to become a successful leader. I continue to struggle with feeling secondary to male colleagues. In particular, I feel that I have to work harder than my male colleagues to obtain leadership positions. In addition, I feel that my ability to serve as a leader would be threatened by a charismatic and motivated male colleague. This insecurity will impact my ability to be a strong leader. I recognize that I need to gain confidence in my leadership ability in order to overcome this insecurity. My age is also salient in my leadership. As previously mentioned, I feel that because I lack experience, I do not have the skills necessary to be a leader. This is particularly true in the higher education setting since I am new to the field as a professional. In my workplace, the majority of my co-workers and the administrators are older than I am. Since I am new to the field, I am content to observe my colleagues as leaders and learn from their behaviors. My inexperience, lack of confidence, and part-time work status have prevented me from taking on significant leadership roles at work. In addition, working in a community college setting, many of the students I work with are also older than I am. In this position, I rely upon my knowledge

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and abilities as a basis for leadership since I feel that my positional authority is compromised by my age. I must continue to develop my leadership skills because otherwise I will not be successful in my work. My Preferred Leadership Frames I most closely identify with the human resource frame. However, I also recognize the importance of developing the skills of the political frame. For this reason, I would consider my leadership style to be largely human resource oriented with a hint of the political frame to ensure that I have the ability to compete for necessary resources and influence decision making. Institutions of higher education are inherently political. In my experience, student services and academics are consistently competing for limited resources. Utilizing the human resource and political frames will shape my leadership style and will be vital for success in my career. The human resource frame best aligns with my personal values and preferred method of interacting with others. The human resource frame stipulates that people are the most important resource. According to Bolman and Gallos (2011), two of the vital tenets of the human resource frame are empowering others and support, coaching, and care (p. 94). Empowering others is defined as, providing people the resources they need to get their jobs done in a context of bounded autonomy and accountability (Bolman & Gallos, 2011, p. 96). Support, coaching, and care calls for leaders to, care for individuals and support their growth and development (Bolman & Gallos, 2011, p. 100). I strongly identify with the human resource frame because of these tenets. I prefer to work in an environment where there is trust among colleagues, coworkers know each other on a personal level, and the entire team can celebrate success together. I also recognize that the human resource frame is important in building effective teams. When morale is high, individuals are more likely to want to contribute to the overall goals of the

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organization. In addition, productivity is high when people actually want to be at work. For these reasons, leaders using the human resource frame can be highly effective. Because the values of the human resource frame are closely aligned with my personal values, I have selected this frame to inform my own leadership. However, there are drawbacks to the human resource frame. When a leader focuses on building relationships and getting to know all fellow employees on a personal level, he or she could be setting him or herself up to be taken advantage of. When a leader becomes too emotionally involved, not only is it emotionally draining, but the leader may have become too invested in other individuals to make a decision that is best for the organization as a whole (Bolman & Gallos, 2011, p. 105). In addition, when a leader is spending the majority of his or her time building and fostering relationships, when is there time to actually get work accomplished? Finally, the human resource frame is only effective when the organization buysin. Without support and understanding of this leadership style from the entire staff, the leader will be largely ineffective. In addition to the human resource frame, I also see the need to develop the skills described in the political frame. Just as in the human resource frame, building relationships is vital in the political frame. However, the nature of the relationships is vastly different. The political frame focuses on a leaders ability to map the political terrain as well as to network and build coalitions (Bolman & Gallos, 2011, p. 77). When mapping the political terrain, a leader develops an understanding all the important players, their interests, and the nature of their power (Bolman & Gallos, 2011, p. 80). In addition, according to Bolman and Gallos (2011), networking and building coalitions consists of, building relationships with key constituents so that the managers have an easier time getting help when they need it (p. 82).

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The political frame is important for student affairs leaders because colleges and universities are fundamentally political. Different stakeholders have different needs. For example, the administration, faculty, staff, students, and external groups will all have different needs and objectives. The political frame provides the skills necessary for an individual to understand policymaking and important players, as well as how to navigate the environment. Bolman and Gallos (2011) state that, in educational settings, goals and decisions arise from a continual process of bargaining among coalition members (p. 72). To have a voice in decision making, a leader must be willing and able to participate in political bargaining, negotiating, and relationship building. For this reason, the political frame will also inform my future leadership. However, there are also disadvantages to the political frame. When participating in a political process, if one individual is successful it likely means that another person was not. The nature of politics turns groups of constituents against one another. It is vital that one continues to foster relationships so that current adversaries can be turned into future allies. Also, depending upon ones position, when using the political frame it is very easy to get caught up in the 30,000 foot view of issues. While it is important for academic leaders to look at the larger picture and make decisions that will steer the entire institution, it is also import that leaders remember to take the time to pay attention to shifts in the context and to check in regularly with co-workers and direct reports. Doing so will ensure that all employees understand why and how decisions were made, feel that they had a voice in the process, and will result in institution wide buy-in. I see the combination of the human resource frame and the political frame as the ideal partnership. I will use the political frame when developing relationships with external constituent groups. On the other hand, I will use the human resource frame when building relationships with direct reports and other colleagues with whom I am more likely to regularly interact. To be an

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effective leader, it will be imperative that I am able to develop relationships using both of these frames. In the future, I hope to become a department director. In this role, I will need to use both the human resource and political frames. I would use the human resource frame with the employees within my department. I would strive to know individuals on a personal level and empower them to do their best work. However, as the director, it will also be my duty to advocate for my department. This will mean serving as a political player in the greater institution. I will use the political frame in efforts to secure resources and influence decision making. Having an awareness of the political terrain, as well as pre-established relationships with significant political players will enable me to best serve my department and my direct reports. Together these two frames will inform my future leadership and allow me to become a successful student affairs leader for my institution. How I Do Leadership In September 2012, I accepted a position as the Early Alert Coordinator at Edmonds Community College. Early Alert is a retention strategy which closely monitors the academic progress of students in special cohort populations. Upon starting the position, I learned that the institution had been considering cutting the program because it was underutilized by faculty and there was insufficient data to indicate effectiveness. In October 2012, Edmonds hired a new Dean of Student Success and Retention, my direct supervisor. Together we embarked on a mission to revamp and resuscitate Early Alert. This section of my leadership philosophy will delineate how I have displayed leadership in my role as the Early Alert Coordinator as well as the lessons I have learned that will aid me in moving forward. Leadership through a Variety of Frames In my position, I have the opportunity to take strategic actions to increase awareness about Early Alert on the Edmonds campus. I have presented to the institutions Instructional

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Leadership team, assisted in the budget request process, and worked to build relationships with current Early Alert partners. In carrying out these actions, I have used the human resource, political, and symbolic leadership frames. The cornerstone of the human resource frame is relationships. In order to successfully demonstrate that Early Alert is vital to the campus community, I must build relationships with current and potential campus partners. To accomplish this, I heavily depend upon the skills discussed in the human resource frame. I use open and transparent communication, focus on the needs of others, provide regular and timely feedback, and involve others in the development process (Bolman & Gallos, 2001, p. 93-95). For example, I presented an update on Early Alert to the Edmonds Instructional Leadership Team. This team is comprised of Vice Presidents, academic and student services Deans, and other key administrators. This presentation informed these constituents about my work in revitalizing Early Alert. In addition, it has created support for future improvements. By involving others, utilizing clear and regular communication, and providing timely feedback, I have gained powerful partners who now fully support my program. I have also used the political leadership frame to solidify Early Alert as a necessary campus program. My supervisor and I determined that the software currently used to track student academic progress is insufficient. We researched other options, hosted an open demonstration, and ultimately submited a budget request to purchase a new software package. To accomplish these tasks, it was vital to map the political terrain as well as network and build coalitions (Boman & Gallos, 2011, p. 77). When mapping the political terrain, we targeted constituent groups from whom we wanted to gain support. They were invited to meetings to discuss their needs and current limitations with regard to Early Alert. Mapping the political terrain assisted me in gaining support from student services administrators. I also presented to

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Instructional Leadership, as previously described. This resulted in support from academic deans. My work in coalition building among administrators, using the political frame, will be beneficial in pursuing additional resources. Although it has not yet been determined whether the budget request will be approved, my use of the political frame has certainly supported my cause. I have also employed the symbolic frame when rallying support for Early Alert. Once I learned that the program was almost cut, I knew I must immediately formulate and start telling the stories about Early Alert. As the only institutional strategy for monitoring academic progress, Early Alert is central to supporting student success. In order to tell this story, I focus on painting a picture of a hopeful vision of the future, tie the goals for Early Alert to the mission of Edmonds, and repeat this story whenever I have the opportunity. These are the skills of a leader using the symbolic frame. According to Bolman & Gallos (2011), symbolic leaders, build on the past to create a new, exciting vision of the future, develop and use strong institutional visions, and construct heroic narratives and tell them often (p. 117). Lessons Learned & Moving Forward Two keys lessons I have learned from my experience as the Early Alert coordinator are the importance of leading from the middle and managing my boss. In my position, I feel pressured to please both the upper administration and the student support programs that I serve. Bolman and Gallos (2011) provide three strategies for academic leaders in the middle: listen, understand, and respect differences, look for mutual gains, and stay alert to system dynamics and take new leadership stands (p. 159). While I am in the beginning phases of implementing these strategies, they will be important to my success as a boundary spanner. For example, I must continue to gather feedback from all constituency groups who are impacted by Early Alert. This will not only assist me in building an effective program, but will also develop buy-in across

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campus. In addition, it is important that I recognize that the political climate of Edmonds is rapidly changing. Due to new job opportunities and retirement, the VP for Instruction and VP for Student Services roles will both soon be vacated. As these positions are filled, it will be important to stay in tune with the system dynamics and to increase my leadership efforts to ensure that Early Alert remains vital to the institutional strategic plan. I have also found that as a part-time employee and a direct report to the Dean for Student Success and Retention, it is imperative that I make efforts to manage my boss. The new Dean has had to rapidly adjust to the position and has taken on many substantial projects. If I do not make intentional efforts to connect with my supervisor, it is very possible that I will not have access to resources, advancement opportunities, or political cover (T. Wilson, personal communication, May 30, 2013). Bolman and Gallos (2011) provide a list of seven skills for leaders to build relationships with and manage their bosses (p. 181). Looking at their list, I feel that I understand my bosss needs and responsibilities, provide solutions rather than problems, and use the bosss time wisely. However, I recognize that I need to grow in the areas of knowing myself and speaking up when necessary. For example, my supervisor has been encouraging me to take on additional responsibilities so that we can build a case for making the Early Alert Coordinator a full-time position. While I understand that we must demonstrate a workload issue, I am very frustrated by this situation. I find that I am putting in extra work that I am not being compensated for. However, I have not voiced this to my supervisor. In order to continue to build an effective partnership with my boss, I need to not be afraid to openly communicate my needs.

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References Bolman, L. G., & Gallos, J.V. (2011). Reframing academic leadership. San Francisco: JosseyBass. Grandzol, C., Perlis, S., & Draina, L. (2010). Leadership development of team captains in collegiate varsity athletics. Journal of College Student Development, 51(4), 403-418.

Higher Education Research Institute (1996). A social change model of leadership development guidebook: Version iii. Los Angeles, California: University of California, Los Angeles.

Kidder, R.M. (2003). How good people make tough choices: Resolving the dilemmas of ethical living. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers

Linder, C., & Rodriguez, K. L. (2012). Learning from the experiences of self-identified women of color activists. Journal of College Student Development, 53(3), 383-398.

Parks, S.D. (2005). Leadership can be taught: A bold approach for a complex world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.