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Running Head: POWER’S FUNCTION IN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 1

POWER’S FUNCTION IN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 9

Role of Power in Effective Leadership by using Gibb's Cycle

Rubric /60 = %	Marks	Your Mark	Comments
Introduction and Experience 3-5 citations	3
Summary 6 sentences defining Gibb Cycle steps (GC) and a cite for these steps. If an image is included, make sure properly cited, and discussed in text and the figure, figure caption is provided, and figure number is provided for 1 bonus mark	2
Description no citations	2
Feelings and Thoughts no citations	2
Evaluation 3-7 cites per paragraph	15
Analysis 3-7 cites per paragraph	15
Conclusion at least 2 sources/ and at least 3 cites	5
Action Plan at least 2 sources/ and at least 3 cites	5
Citations: Good use of front loading and end of sentences, page numbers included and quotation marks with quotes, block quotes where appropriate, all images have figure numbers, discussion in text, captioning below figure, citations, description	5
References: Proper formatting, all elements included, all cited material included (at least 3 references: textbook, article or book, and an outside academic source)	2
Grammar and Spelling, and sentences less than 30 words	5
/60 (+1 bonus)	Other comments:

Introduction and Experience

In the essay, I'll write regarding my experience as an employee of an organization I've worked for before. I will make use of the Gibbs' Cycle as per (Potter, 2015) and also an article regarding leadership and power as per (Bal et al., 2018) to assist me in the reflection of a situation or even various situations. The Gibbs' Cycle, as well as the article, will be of great assistance as they will help me gain insight concerning leadership. The Gibbs' Cycle is an essential tool, which is made use of by leaders, employees, and also students to establish or advance an individual's crucial thinking abilities.

Summary

As per (Potter, 2015), the first step involves the description of the situation in detail and does not draw any conclusion right away. The next step concerns the feelings that are triggered by the circumstance, which should not be discussed in detail. Evaluation is the third step, where one evaluates if step one's experience was excellent or unpleasant. The analysis step is the fourth step and concerns what one has learned from that situation or experience. In the conclusion step, one reflects on how he or she would have handled the situation differently. The action plan is the last step whereby actions are established for future experiences or situations as per (Potter, 2015).

Brief Description

I once had a gruesome confrontation with my immediate boss in a company that I worked for previously. My boss was always hard on me since I was a new employee. He made me work for longer hours than the rest by giving me loads of work. Also, if I arrived at work even a minute late, he could scold me in front of my colleagues and threaten to fire me. I could not take it anymore, so I angrily confronted my boss, which resulted in an argument. The argument attracted everyone's attention, including the company's manager, who summoned us in his office.

Feelings/Thoughts

What my immediate boss did to me made me feel very angry since the rest of my colleagues always left me working alone in the office after working hours. I felt that my leader was unfair and also inhuman since I was overworked, yet I was not being compensated for the extra work or even the extra hours in the office. I also felt like my boss had crossed the boundary with her daily workloads and demands that I wanted just to quit that job. Generally, I thought and believed that my boss disliked me with a passion. I was no longer comfortable whenever he was around, as I felt that I could not stand his demands any longer.

Evaluation

One of the vital power terms is the relationship power, whereby desired relationships should be identified, invested in, and repaired if damaged (Bal et al., 2008). Relationship power is relevant in my experience in that the connection between my boss and me was not desired as my boss had damaged our connection through her threats and unfair demands. A good example of relationship power is where a sales manager invests in the connection between him and his workers for the company to prosper.

The other key term is the power of expertise, which is gained from a person's experience, abilities, or even knowledge (Hughes, Curphy, & Ginnett, 2018). My experience is relevant to the vital term since the more I worked, the more I obtained knowledge and even skills in what I did. An excellent example is whereby a project manager is good at resolving specifically tricky issues to make sure a given project succeeds. The third key term is information power, which is when one possesses information that others do not have. The word is applicable in my experience in that my boss made me believe that he could fire me while deep down, he knew he had no authority yet kept that from me. For example, if a person shares a particular secret, his or her power diminishes. The good thing about the experience was that the company's manager eventually discovered what had been happening in our department and solved the case.

Domineer and acrimonious are terms connected to why my situation was not good. Acrimonious is when a person is bitter or harsh in behavior or speech (Black et al., 2017). To domineer is attempting to control other individuals without considering their feelings. An example of domineering in the book is where 28% of survey participants were in agreement that power is poorly used by dominating leaders in their company. Also, 23% of the participating parties realized the need to mend destroyed relationships, which I believe prevents disputes.

In connection with my experience, I did not comprehend the situation since I was still new in the company and had not been involved in any offense. The unfortunate situation with my boss angered me since I had not wronged her in any way, yet still, she was harsh and mistreated me. The case was, however, solved.

Analysis

Now that I am more knowledgeable regarding leadership, I realized I shouldn't have let the situation get out of control. Anger does not solve anything but rather makes things worse. Instead of confronting my boss angrily, I should have communicated with him and settled the matter properly. Dispute management is also essential for organizational leaders (Bowles, 2005). Our manager was able to use his dispute management skills to help solve the issue.

My leader was unfair and harsh to me because he was domineering. He possessed the coercive kind of power as he used threats to control me. Hughes, Curphy, Ginnett (2018) stated, "Coercive power is the ability to control others through the fear of punishment or the loss of valued outcomes" (p. 139). An individual may be afraid of losing his or her job, getting demoted, or receiving a bad performance review. My boss always threatened to fire me if I did not perform as per his demands.

I would prefer my boss would have had reward power. Hughes, Curphy, and Ginnett (2018) stated, "Reward power involves the potential to influence others because of one's control over desired resources" (p. 137). It can be accomplished via giving bonuses, promotions, a short leave, etc. Reward power can be very motivating to employees or individuals as they are compensated for their hard work; hence will keep working harder. My boss, on the other hand, overloaded me with work but did not repay me a dime, which was demoralizing.

I would have also preferred my boss to have the referent power. Leaders with referent power are trusted and also respected by individuals. Hughes, Curphy, and Ginnett (2018) noted, "Referent power refers to the potential influence one has due to the strength of the relationship between the leader and the followers" (p. 135). I never trusted or respected my boss since he was not a fair leader. He was also not respectful as he is always mad at me for no apparent reason.

Things turned out complicated in my experience due to anger. If I had peacefully approached my boss humbly, then a confrontation would not have occurred. However, out of the situation getting worse, the manager was able to find out that there was a problem. The bad eventually led to the good since the manager solved the issue. The manager could have further improved his good acts by educating the rest of the leaders and workers in the company concerning anger management (Gottlieb, 1999). My input to the experience was beneficial as other workers learned through my mistake. However, the rest of my colleagues also supported that my boss was unfair.

Conclusion

To make things better, I should have approached the manager earlier enough before the issue had become worse. What I would do now is educate my colleagues on how to respond if caught in the same place. I would prefer it if my leader treats me fairly, with respect, and motivates me to work harder. Bal, Campbell, Steed, and Meddings (2008) stated, "As a leader, communicate and enforce your standards, but be sure to provide support along the way" (p. 18). One thing I should have done better is to report the issue early enough to prevent further trouble. In my experience, I learned that I have a terrible temper, which I need to control since it is not good while trying to address a challenging situation. Overton and Lowry (2013) found that "Addressing a difficult situation when one is angry or frustrated is more likely to be ineffective than when one is calm." A leader must have excellent dispute management capability; hence I have to work on how to manage my anger first (Bowles, 2005). I also learned that I have a forgiving heart once a person is remorseful of their mistake. A leader must focus on creating a dispute free environment; hence forgiveness and unity are essential.

Action Plan

I can develop my leadership skills by practicing discipline, taking on additional projects, improving situational awareness, inspiring other people, resolving disputes, and by being a keen and discerning listener. Hughes, Curphy, and Ginnett (2018) stated, "To be successful, learning must continue throughout life, beyond the completion of one's formal education" (p. 73). One thing that I am required to do to better prepare for such an experience in the future is to learn to manage my anger and to speak out. Speaking out is always better than locking in anger and frustration (Mumford et al., 2000). I need to learn how to confidently speak out what I feel and not allowing anger to pile up inside. I should also learn how to manage my rage even when things get out of hand. I can do that by taking classes that I enjoy, like dancing classes (Gottlieb, 1999). Practicing relaxation techniques like taking deep breaths can also help in addressing rage. In my situation, what triggered my rage was continuous since I faced the same frustrating boss every day. To handle such a circumstance, I need to work on my confidence and speaking out my problems so that I can get the necessary assistance.

References

Bal, V., Campbell, M., Steed, J., & Meddings, K. (2008). The role of power in effective

leadership. Center for Creative Leadership. Retrieved from www. ccl. org.

Black, S., Estrada, C., de la Fuente, M. C., Orozco, A., Trabazo, A., de la Vega, S., & Gutsche

Jr, R. E. (2017). Nobody Really Wants to be Called Bossy or Domineering.

Bowles, H. R. (2005). What Could a Leader Learn from a Mediator?: Dispute Resolution

Strategies for Organizational Leadership.

Gottlieb, M. M. (1999). The angry self: A comprehensive approach to anger management. Zeig

Tucker & Theisen Publishers.

Hughes, R. L., CURPHY, G. G., & Ginnett, R. C. (2018). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of

experience.

Mumford, M. D., Marks, M. A., Connelly, M. S., Zaccaro, S. J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2000).

Development of leadership skills: Experience and timing. The Leadership

Quarterly, 11(1), 87-114.

Potter, C. (2015). Leadership development: an applied comparison of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

and Scharmer's Theory U. Industrial and Commercial Training.