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         As polyarchy is fast replacing the old oligarchical ways of leadership, old leadership models are becoming more redundant but do not need to be completely discarded.  As organizations start shifting towards more complex adaptive leadership practices, they will still need to consider the natural evolutionary process of these two types of leaderships that may co-exist in many current businesses (Obolensky, 2014).  A clear example would be my organization that is structured as a traditional top-bottom hierarchical institution, yet in recent years is beginning to see the influence of polyarchical type leaders.  The implications of this shift to complex adaptive leadership will affect my campus by allowing our team to have more autonomy, flexibility, and decision-making power by creating a strong followership foundation.

In the next three years my leadership development will focus on creating stronger followership.  My campus is only run by two people which are the Director and the Assistant Director.  The leadership team that overseas all the campuses in the European Region are not onsite and we only meet with them once a year and as it has been stated by Obolensky (2014)  “those at the top do not know the solutions to the problems faced by the organisations they lead” (p. 37). 

With that said, the importance of creating stronger followership is the key that will assist us in becoming more self-organized.  Obolensky (2014) explains that “followers are in a state of ‘readiness’ or have a level of independence which, depending on what that level is, will dictate to some degree what the leader should do” (p. 157).  Because we are so removed geographically, I feel it is important for my campus to take the necessary steps to increase our followership qualities and improve how we communicate these needs to our leadership team.  “Hirschorn and Gilmore stated that “subordinates need to challenge in order to follow, and superiors must listen in order to lead” (as cited by Obolensky 2014, p. 38).  No one knows better than us the immediate and long term needs of our individual campus and the needs of our local students.  Drucker explains that in these types of organization “you have to learn to manage in situations where you don’t have command authority” ("How To Lead," 2000, p. 1).

The followership development should also include positive relationship building both bottom to top and also laterally (Gabarro & Kotter, 1993).  A strong relationship with our leaders can help us ensure their support in linking us to other parts of the organization and also helping our team procure needed resources for our campus (Gabarro & Kotter, 1993).  In a way, we are in a sense managing our bosses.  Over the course of the next three years, I would like to start creating stronger relationships with those departments that affect the decision-making power of our campus such as the financial aid department, admissions and marketing department.  This could aid our campus in procuring necessary resources as well as helping us to expedite decisions on certain issues.

Incorporating the 70-­20-10 model suggested by Google would be a great tool to help my team map out our future followership development (Groth, 2012).  Realistically, it takes 70 percent of our time to maintain the daily activities of our campus, sometimes more.  By keeping to this rigid time allocation, we could set 20 percent of our time to building up our followership skills by organizing meetings with leadership, strengthening our relationships with internal departments and creating strategies that focus on creating more autonomy for our campus.  The other 10 percent could be dedicated to training in areas of weaknesses.  For example, I could use more training on our academic policies and procedures.

In conclusion, the next three years will be marked by a gradual change to a more polyarchical method of leadership due to the incorporation of new leaders with more complex adaptive leadership skills.  This trend will also assist our campus in increasing our followership skills and allow us to have more decision-making rights within our own campus.  Using the 70-­20-10 model used by Google will give us an advantage by helping us to allocate time for team-building projects and self-growth.

References

Gabarro, J. J., & Kotter, J. P. (1993). Managing your boss. Harvard Business Review, 71(3), 150-157. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d7e8996e-3726-4faf-a9a3-9dfb750a1dba%40sessionmgr106&vid=1&hid=128

Groth, A. (2012, November 27). Everyone should use Google’s original ’70-20-10 model’ to map out their career. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/kyle-westaway-how-to-manage-your-career-2012-11

How to lead when you’re not the boss. (2000, March). Harvard Management Update, 1-3. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9cdb0776-4736-4c1e-a1be-068d10e214bc%40sessionmgr120&vid=1&hid=128

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition

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Coaches provide value to their clients in several different ways.  First of all, their job is not to find the solution for the client, but instead guide the client to finding their own solutions (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Therefore, the client feels a deeper sense of accountability and ownership over their own decisions (Goleman, 2000).  This is important because coaching is a short-time contract that has an end goal of preparing clients so they can solve their own problems and attain measurable results (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Also, coaching nurtures a person’s independence and creativity offering them more options for problem-solving (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Most importantly, coaching aids clients in the process of identifying their goals and setting deadlines (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Once the goals are identified, the coach adds value by assisting the client in aligning their goals and mission to the strategy that they have set in place (Goleman, 2000).

Coaching is a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy because as stated earlier, it helps clients identify their goal and align it with a flexible and adaptable strategy (Goleman, 2000).  Coaching can be adapted to the individual, taking into consideration behavioral differences and personality traits. There is no “one-size” fits all strategy, and coaching styles are flexibly adapted to the client and the needs of the organization (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Coaching, being “future-oriented” guides a client through the implementation of strategies that not only meet the expected goals, but are flexible and adaptable enough to meet any unforeseen changes in the environment (Obolensky, 2014).  With the assistance of a coach, clients can safely be guided in the implementation of emergent strategies which as Obolensky (2014) points out, “emerge naturally rather than those which are forced down into the organization” (p. 94).  This is vital for leadership because it helps to create a more effective leadership style that is adaptable to complex environments.  Strategies then become more effective as well because instead of being rigid, they can effectively be applied to changing dynamic situations while still maintaining a focus on a set goal.

Coaching can make an enormous difference in an organization because it helps leaders set attainable goals and shows them how to get from point A to point B through aligning their strategies with the organizations mission (Goleman, 2000).  It also teaches leaders how to align their own personal goals with the mission creating a sense of “accountability for their performance” (Goleman, 2000, p. 82).  Employees are able to improve their performance creating higher levels of motivation (Obolensky, 2014).  Coaching can “break old habits, stimulate creative thinking, and establish an integrated process that sets clear ways to achieve sustainable results and increased profits which is essential to business strategy development” (Society for Industrial and Organizational Pyschology [SIOP], n.d.).

On a personal level, I feel coaching could be a valuable tool for myself and my organization in helping employees gain a clear perspective on their personal goals as well as the organizational goals as a whole.  With campuses being spread out and with a leadership team that is located in a completely different country, sometimes there is not a clear understanding of the organizations mission.  Through monthly town hall meetings we are reminded of the objectives we have to meet and an overall sense of the organizations goals, however coaching would offer a more tangible approach to aligning our own goals with those of the organization as a whole (Goleman,  2000).  In addition, because many campuses are run by one or two people alone, it provides employees with the tools to learn how to problem-solve on their own (Van Hoffman, 1999).  Therefore coaching is a valuable tool for campuses that sometimes do not have local assistance or the guidance of a leadership team for issues that need immediate attention.

Coaching can be an important asset to any organization.  It provides value to an organization and the employees and is a valuable tool for leaders as well as an important resource in the creation and implementation of effective strategies.  It can make an enormous difference on how an organization operates by streamlining the strategy making process and helping to identify goals and connect them effectively to the strategies begin implemented.  I feel coaching could be a beneficial practice that should be incorporated in my organization.

References

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78. Retrieved from Document URLhttp://bi.galegroup.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A60471886/3d9c195ef26581b35e6492c4e1a169de?u=embry

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition

Society for Industrial and Organizational Pyschology. (n.d.). Linking coaching with business strategy. Retrieved from http://www.siop.org/workplace/coaching/linking_coaching_with_business_s.aspx

Von Hoffman, C. (1999). Coaching: The ten killer myths. Harvard Management Update, 4(1), 4-5. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=02c132d5-58a1-4b7e-934a-c4a0daac3221%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4206

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The results of the assessment show that the strategies I would tend to employ in the various situations fall into the S3 category.  Over half of my responses showed that I have a high people focus and a low goal focus (Obolensky, 2014).  In my case, I have a tendency to trust those who are under my command and offer only limited support.  I prefer to allow my followers to find the solutions on their own (Obolensky, 2014).  The results of this assessment have allowed me to examine my own leadership style and behavior and also see how this perspective has changed during the course of this class.

Over the past six weeks my thinking has changed as I have become more conscious of my own leadership styles and the strategies that I would employ.  The difficulty in honing more complex adaptive leadership qualities is that I have never been in a leadership position.  I can say that my innate behavior leans towards more polyarchical leadership since I prefer to allow those who surround me to have autonomy.  In my day to day interactions with family and friends, I prefer to allow others the opportunity to offer solutions.  With that said, the fact that my assessment reflected the use of more S3 strategies, it clearly points out that I still have some need to control the situation.  Reflecting on the assessment, I can admit to having a need to be in control, especially in situations that directly affect me.  I may allow others the autonomy to discover solutions but not without me looking over their shoulders to make sure it is the correct solution.  I attribute this to my own insecurities and the fear of making mistakes.  It is less about lack of trust and more about fear of failure.  If anything, the assessment has opened my eyes to the need to check my own behaviors and fears and learn to avoid the risk of influencing my leadership styles with my own fears of failure.  

The significance of this in my own future leadership goals is the understanding that I need to change my behaviors and perspectives if I would like to exert strategies that fall more into the S4 category, which is considered the best strategy for leaders (Obolensky, 2014).  In order to find the “Wu-Wei” that Obolensky (2014) speaks of, there should be a balance between management and leadership.  As a manager you are keeping an eye out and as a leader you are offering support.  It is a delicate balance that needs to be struck to practice Complex Adaptive Leadership (Obolensky, 2014).  Heifetz and Laurie (1997) explain that “adaptive work is required when our deeply held beliefs are challenged” (p. 124).  In my case, there needs to be a conscious shift in my own behaviors and also how I react to my environment.  My own fear of failure blinds me to the pool of resources that are available to me by those around me, whether it be family, friends, colleagues, boss, etc.  The key is to use the “collective intelligence” (p. 124) as a ways to finding solutions (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997).  

The results of the assessment also helped me to re-evaluate my expectations in a leadership role.  The need to prove myself sometimes blinds me to the expectations others have of me.  I project my own expectations of myself on others and therefore try to exert more control.  The realization of this helps me to remember that I need to focus on discovering the objectives of the task at hand and the realistic expectations to make that happen.  Sometimes getting caught in the need to succeed, I lose focus on why I am doing the job in the first place.  I have a clearer perspective of my leadership goals.  By changing certain aspects of my behavior and setting clear goals and expectations for myself will hopefully assist me in moving towards the practice of complex adaptive leadership. 

References

Heifetz, R. A., & Laurie, D. L. (1997, January-February). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), 124-134. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=eef9f633-9777-4b2d-916f-825658da1ffd%40sessionmgr103&vid=1&hid=128

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition