Signature assignment leader interview and synthesis 2

1
Signature Assignment – Leader Interview and Synthesis
MORGAN A. BARAJAS
University of Phoenix
LDR/711A: Leadership Theory And Practice 3
INSTRUCTOR: STEPHEN NOTARO
11/08/21
2
●
What can leaders do to inspire teams to perform at their best?
Mrs.Rogers was asked the following question during an interview; she has had
over twenty years of experience within the medical field, and is now the manager of the nurse
staffing for O’Connor hospital. Mrs.Rogers thought on the question, and began to give examples
of what she has had to do in the past to encourage staff to give their best performance; she
mentioned always being courteous to the staff, that to keep in mind that they have such a
challenging time when it comes to making sure the hospital has the right amount of nurses, that
each nurses is certified, and that their scope of practice meets certain standards in the event that
they need to float. (2021). The Effect of Leadership Styles on Improving Communication Method
among Academic Administrators Mrs.Rogers made an effort to not just accommodate her staff,
but to help them solve any protocol issues if ever there was a question or incident, and to also
even do small things like bring in donuts and coffee; it may not seem like much, but it gave the
staff something to look forward to as a treat. “It is their job, but it is important to let them know
that their efforts are appreciated. That their work is what keeps things running smoothly, and
that even if the week has been rough there is something to look forward to when they come in.” Natasha Rogers (2021) Mrs.Rogers even went as far as to remember her employees birthdays,
and set up their desk when the big day came, she would even ask how their life was at home just
to be sure they were doing well; through years of working within the same field; Mrs. Rogers not
only made it a habit to know the basics when it comes to resources and protocols, but how to
treat her staff in a manner that helped them to open up, and to give their best as time went on.
● What challenges do you face in maximizing team performance? What do you do to
alleviate these challenges?
3
Mrs.Rogers was asked the following as the interview continued; she had mentioned one
of the challenges when it came to nurse staffing was during the flu season, and when the strikes
had occurred a couple years prior. During these particular times staff was at their lowest, either
from illness or because they had joined the strike; despite these rather difficult times, the hospital
was still in need as more patients came in for treatment. Mrs.Rogers had to take her time in
making sure she had just enough staff to help with the scheduling, and to even help them out
herself when it came to time to break them or cover; she at one point had to make a food run just
so the staffing was able to continue their work, and have something to curve their hunger while
having to work through their break. “The main thing to do in this situation is to remain calm.
Panicking, getting upset, or getting frustrated at your staff will not help in this situation. One
thing to remember, is that even when you have been put into a management position, you are not
just giving directions all of the time, but will also have to lend a hand to your employees. A large
workload is already stressful, so there is no need to make it more difficult by expecting the same
amount of effort with only a handful of staff.” -Natasha Rogers (2021) The way Mrs.Rogers
conducts herself really shows through how she describes these situations; she as a manager has
gained enough experience and knowledge to know not to over step herself as a leader, and to
give her employees more than guidance when they are at their most vulnerable.
● What are the top 5 leadership skills for successfully building and leading teams?
Further along the interview Mrs.Rogers was asked the following, to which she took a
moment to think over the question so that she could explain in depth upon what skills were the
most important for a leader to develop. “A good leader should develop themselves first. They
have to see what their flaws and strengths are in order to know how far they can push
4
themselves, and what special traits they have that can be beneficial for all.” -Natasha Rogers
(2021) Mrs.Rogers knew she was a people person for years; she always loved to socialize, and
therefore had picked up how to communicate with others to help them feel comfortable around
her. By knowing this she was able to help others work together, and build up the team as a whole
when the time came for her to take on the role as manager; this helped her to become creative in
her approach, and plan out how she would interact with other individuals within the group. “Not
everyone is the same. Some will be more resistant than others and not wish to cooperate with all
who reside within the group. This is a challenge, but it is important to remain polite. Your worst
enemies can be your greatest friends. People have their own styles of working and how they
carry themselves, which is why a leader must be open minded when dealing with different kinds
of personalities.” -Natasha Rogers (2021)
The list that Mrs.Rogers described was as followed; self-development, developing the
team, thinking and acting in a strategic manner, keeping your mind open and practicing in an
ethical manner, and innovation. (1998). The Management Team Handbook: Five Key
Strategies for Maximizing Group Performance. Journal of Leadership Studies
● How do excellent leaders develop followership?
The next question that Mrs.Rogers answered she smiled some at, and proceeded to give
her input; having been one that started from the very bottom and climbed, she was very certain of
her answer. “Never forget to give credit where credit is due. Being a good leader is more than
just being a go-getter, it is also remembering those who helped along the way. Do not take all the
credit. That is a mistake that so many tend to make, and often leads to them losing very valuable
workers.” -Natasha Rogers (2021) Mrs.Rogers made it very clear that if a leader does not
5
appreciate their employees, the employees will begin to lack in performance, and could very well
start to bring in negative vibes that affect the entire team; this kind of effect can lead to the loss
of good employees, and a rough process when trying to replace the old employee with one who
is very new to the system.
(2020, summer). THE INCONGRUENT INFLUENCE OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY The
leader must also take advice from those who are working under them; any kind of leader no
matter what their experience is, must also know when to take advice from others in order to
become a better leader. By allowing the other group members to express their concerns on
certain issues, a leader is able to start the foundation of a good fellowship; not only does the
leader establish a bond with their employees, the employees will learn how to be more efficient
when it comes to their own work.
● What are some important decision-making strategies that leaders might use? Which of
these strategies do you feel is most effective and why?
Mrs.Rogers took a moment to reflect when asked this question; she had not really had a
mentor like so many others, which meant she had to wing it or make a few things up along the
way that people now had terms to identify. “I’ve had to learn how to expect the worst. There
have been so many incidents that have occurred over the years that have really put me and my
staff to the test. I’ve even had to manage during a big storm that knocked out the power and
system along with it. It was a very critical time, but one that was not the last. However, I did
learn from this incident, and began to help make protocols for when my staff faced such
uncertainty in the future. Most of what you see now in the manuals are things that I have
discussed with many throughout the years, and with many other managers and supervisors that
6
were still new to leading others. Compared to when I first started, my staff are prepared for
anything, and I make it a habit to train new staff to do the same.” -Natasha Rogers (2021)
Mrs.Rogers had to learn to adapt to her surroundings, which was the knowledge she took with
her when she was given the management position; with everything that had occurred from when
she first started out as a regular staff to a new manager, Mrs.Rogers knew to prepare for the
unexpected. Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.) Adaptive style
is what Mrs.Rogers displayed, and it had served her well the more she perfected her skills
throughout the coming years; she had even taken on a couple of upcoming managers and
supervisors, all of which she had shared her wisdom with to help guide them in their own
pursuits. The style itself is seen as very successful, and even the next best step into becoming a
great leader; it allows a person to try methods that will help them in an ever changing
environment, and to better serve their employees when the unforeseen occurs.
● What are some ethical concerns faced by leaders? How might you deal with these ethical
concerns?
The last question Mrs.Rogers was asked seemed to bring up an issue that most have had
to deal with in any field; she had seen good and bad practices within her twenty years of service,
and had expressed how often she was rather displeased with the handling of certain issues. “We
have policies for a reason. Yet for some reason or another there is often a change, and that can
lead to various issues. I myself have been caught off guard due to the inconsistency when it
comes to policies that are put in place. I have had managers in the past who would ignore these
new rules, often feeling that they were a waste of time, or that the old way was far better.
Although that would be true in some cases, the fact remained that the policies needed to be
7
followed. Otherwise you end up with chaos. Nothing is more frustrating than having to deal with
an auditor that notices the holes that should never have been there in the first place. When we are
able to conduct our work in the same manner as everyone else, then there is little chance of
making mistakes.” -Natasha Rogers (2021) Mrs.Rogers was indeed very informative on how
often the standards were often the very thing that suffered as a result of people not agreeing on
the policy changes, or ignoring them completely; she knew the importance of knowing policies,
not just for training, but for hiring, termination, and even for disciplinary actions. When a leader
does not perform or know their scope of practice when it comes to these topics, they will often
find themselves in a very bad predicament; the policies are not just words, but guidelines needed
to protect all employees. Mrs.Rogers had seen many managers take matters into their own hands,
and often find themselves being the one in the hot seat as a result; was very thorough when she
conducted any kind of action within her department, and stressed that it was always important to
document each step accordingly.
Conclusion
The interview was very interesting; I had collected quite a bit of notes that I do hope to
use eventually, but that I will keep safe for now till the time comes. Mrs.Rogers had shown her
experience around the department with much ease; one could feel just how comfortable she was
as she carried herself during our interview, even to a point where she had to make a few stops
just to monitor her employees. She did not once skip a beat, let alone a stride in her step which I
found was very impressive as I tried to keep up as best I could; Mrs.Rogers had built herself up
to where she was able to lead in her own way, and therefore find stability as a result. Mrs.Rogers
had become a very skillful multi-tasker, a great listener, and a well rounded leader; it was very
8
noticeable with how she interacted with her employees, one could just sense how much they
trusted her judgement and took her advice without any hesitation. Mrs.Rogers had offered to do
an interview if ever I needed one again, to which I thanked her and the amount of time she set
aside for me to conduct this meeting; it was a real treat, and one that I hope to do again.
9
References
● Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). SAGE Publications,
Inc.
● Sunaguchi, Bumpei Fujii, Masato, . (2020, summer). THE INCONGRUENT INFLUENCE OF
CONTEXTUAL FACTORS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPOWERING
LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY. Global Journal of Management and Marketing,
4(1), 39.
●
AlOqlah, Reema Mahmoud Abod, . (2021). The Effect of Leadership Styles on Improving
Communication Method among Academic Administrators. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences,
16(), p396-410.
●
Gibson, Jane Whitney, . (1998). The Management Team Handbook: Five Key Strategies for
Maximizing Group Performance. Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(4), 145.
Name:
Description:
…