Leadership #5

In the reading for this module, we learned about the leadership practice of enabling others to act. Before posting to this discussion, make sure that you have updated the “Enable Others to Act” column in your Leadership Development Action Plan document to show how you will use the concepts you have learned to improve each of the leadership areas you identified in Module One.

Once you have updated your leadership development action plan, consider the following:

· In order to enable others to act, trust must exist between those who are involved. Without trust, no organization can effectively move forward and grow. Think about people you trust. What traits do they possess that make you trust them?

· When leaders say they can be transparent, can they always be transparent?

· How does the concept of first leading yourself help you enable others to act?

Response #1

Daniel Rhine posted Nov 24, 2019 2:46 PM

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In order for me to trust someone, I look at reliability. Are they reliable? Do they follow through with what they say they will do? Do they keep their friend's trust (are they telling me their friend's secrets)? Do they lie to other people as a regular practice? Are they taking care of their personal affairs? These are all things that tell me if someone is trustworthy. If they say they are going to do things, not even having to do with me, are they following through? If they are telling me other's secrets, then they will tell mine. If they are lying to others, they will lie to me. If they aren't taking care of their own lives, I cannot trust them with mine. So I guess the traits that I look for are reliability, honesty, loyalty, and hustle (for lack of a better term). 

Transparency is extremely important in my book, especially when it comes to those I am following. Leaders can, and should be, transparent. There are times when it is better to say nothing until all of the facts come out, but being real, honest, and transparent, are things that almost everyone respects. There have been times in my organization when the financials weren't looking so good. Sure, people were a little worried about their jobs, but the organization felt it was better to be transparent with the employees rather than keep them in the dark and act as if everything was great. People were appreciative of that and it actually made them work harder, smarter, and realize that they wanted their job more than they thought. Ultimately it is what turned things around for our organization and made everyone band together. I really don't ever see being transparent in a negative light. 

Leadership is about setting an example. Taking the first step is extremely important in a leadership role. It shows people who you are and it shows self-confidence. Using trust as an example, "[trust] is contagious. When you trust others, they are much more likely to trust you. However, should you choose not to trust, understand that distrust is equally contagious. If you exhibit distrust, others will hesitate to place their trust in you and their colleagues. It's up to you to set the example and be willing to overcome the need for invulnerability" (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p.200). By taking the first step, it allows reciprocity to follow. You are showing people who you are and that it is ok for them to be the same way with you. Until someone takes the first step, no bridge can be crossed.

Thanks for reading,

Daniel Rhine

References

Kouzes, J. M., Posner, B. Z. 2012. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from  https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119278979/