Interpersonal Leadership Skills 2
Interpersonal Leadership Skills Assignment
Introduction
In every level of government or organization there are certain styles of leadership.
Leadership styles vary depending on the characteristics that the leaders possess. Some leaders
possess the very basic characteristics that make them good leaders, while few others possess
extraordinary characteristics that put them in the classification of a statesman. Public
administrators are an example of leaders that strive to possess such characteristics to make them
be considered a statesman. Having the characteristics of a statesman allows for public
administrators deal with a multitude of varying issues within their organization and community.
They can deal with these issues with moral integrity and deal with the issues in a courageous,
ethical, and empowering manner while keeping the public’s interest at the forefront of their
decision making. Throughout the readings from the fist week of this course, true statesmanship
has been discussed along with servant leadership. Servant leadership puts the followers and
citizens before themselves to establish a better nation or organization. One organization that is
facing a crisis and could use leadership with statesmanship characteristics is the U.S. Border
Patrol. The crisis America is facing at the southern border is on the brink of a catastrophe.
Overeem & Bakker define statesmanship as a leader with morally excellent leadership. This type
of leadership is need more than ever in the U.S. Border Patrol to make to right decisions that are
morally, constitutionally, and ethically right.
U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration
Immigration into the United States through the southern border has been a topic of debate
and discussion for many years. While there are legal points of entry at various spots on the
border, many immigrants still cross over into the United States illegally. Some argue that the
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illegal immigration into the United States poses a major security threat to our nation, while
others argue that the immigrants are merely seeking asylum from harsh living conditions in
Mexico and that the United States should welcome them in with open arms. While the nation is
founded by many immigrants throughout its history, the problem lies with illegal immigration.
“Immigrants composed 13.6 percent of the U.S. population in 2021, or about 45 million people
out of a total of more than 332 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau” (Klobucista et al.,
2023). Illegal immigration, however, is made up of roughly 11 million people. The U.S. Border
Patrol reports they had over 250,000 encounters of migrants crossing illegally with 54 % being
single adults, 41 % travelling as a family, and 5% as unaccompanied minors (Gramlich, 2024).
Gramlich also reports that these encounters “have involved citizens of Mexico or the Northern
Triangle nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras” (2024). The threats that come with
illegal immigration into the United States vary from human trafficking, terrorism, drugs, disease,
criminals, and weapons. The debate on the southern border and the crisis at hand has been
ongoing for multiple presidencies. In the last three presidencies alone, the southern border has
been on the forefront of the campaigns for each presidential race. During the Obama
administration, there were efforts to pass legislation for illegal immigrants such as the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Development Relief and Education for Alien
Minors act, commonly known as the DREAM Act. “Obama attempted to extend similar benefits
to undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents through a program known as
Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), but the Supreme Court effectively killed it in
2016” (Klobucista et al., 2023). During the Trump administration, he lobbied for a strong and
secure southern border and drastically cut down on refugee admission. “Between fiscal year
2017 and fiscal year 2019, the refugee admissions ceiling set yearly by the president fell from
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110,000 to 30,000 (ibid.), the lowest ceiling since the creation of the US Refugee Admissions
Program in 1980” (Schmidt, 2019). Trump also declared a state of emergency at the southern
border and restricted the entrance of individuals seeking asylum into the United States from
Mexico. Trump also lobbied for a border wall to be constructed at the southern border to slow
illegal immigration, however, he was unsuccessful in garnering enough support through
Congress to build the wall. The current Biden administration has overturned all of the Trump
administrations immigration laws that was put in place. “Biden’s steps to undo Trump-era
policies have included reducing immigration enforcement inside the United States, ending the
travel bans, lifting the suspension of green card processing, and halting construction of the U.S.-
Mexico border wall” (Klobucista et al., 2023). Since Biden took office and after the COVID 19
pandemic, The U.S. Border Patrol reported a massive spike in illegal immigration encounters,
“more than 2.3 million in FY2022, the highest level on record” (Klobucista et al., 2023).
Klobucista et al. also reports that 70% of Americans feel that immigration is good for the nation,
however, the majority in the poll felt that illegal immigration was the biggest threat facing
America today.
Statesmanship in Immigration Issues
Statesmanship is a characteristic and trait of an individual more than it is of a group or
organization. The U.S. Border Patrol and the United States Government need to have individuals
that exhibit the characteristics of a statesman to rectify the issues at the border and bring the
nation to a common agreement on border patrol and immigration policies. “Statesmanship most
clearly reveals itself in times of political crisis. It is hard to think of well-known statesmen whose
reputations were not the product of exceptional political circumstances” (Overeem & Bakker,
2016). In modern times, however, some believe that statesmanship can be hard to accomplish
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while trying to be constitutional. “True statesmanship lives in a space outside of any
constitutional order and would be a threat to constitutionalism or at least to many particular
constitutional orders if we actually tried to nourish its possibility” (Overeem & Bakker, 2016).
While there is debate on whether undocumented immigrants and those attempting to enter the
United States illegally should have the same rights as those legally in the country, the United
States Supreme Court has already ruled in this matter. The Supreme Court ruled that “US
representatives serve all residents, not just those eligible or registered to vote” (Schmidt, 2019).
Some of these rights include due process and those rights that are granted in the Fifth and
Fourteenth Amendments. A statesman in the position of power within the government or
organization dealing with illegal immigration would face the pressures of deciding on policy and
laws that effect the well-being of the citizens and followers they serve. The leader of the nation
or the U.S. Border Patrol should also use a public service model approach along with their
statesmanship to help with the situation at the border. Public Service model is defined as “the
belief, values and attitudes that go beyond self-interest and organizational interest, that concern
the interest of a larger political entity and that motivate individuals to act accordingly whenever
appropriate” (Vandenabeele, 2007). A statesman in this position could face similar pressures
that Thomas Jefferson faced with the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Jefferson went against the
constitutionality of the law at the time to purchase the land. He did so for the betterment of his
nation and citizens he served.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is emotional and social ability that is defined by Salovey and
Mayer as "the ability to monitor ones’ own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate
among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and action” (Kiel et al., 2009).
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Emotional intelligence is increasingly important to successful leadership in the public
administration and government roles. Public administration and government leadership deal with
ever-changing policies and laws that can be complex in nature. Among those complex issues are
immigration laws and policies. Emotional Intelligence consists of 4 key characteristics which
include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management
(Kotze & Venter, 2011). Emotional Intelligence should be a primary focus for leaders making
decisions that can affect a wide range of their citizens, followers, and those who aim to cross the
border illegally.
Covenantal Behavior
According to Fischer (2010), emotional intelligence and covenantal behavior coincide
with each other. “EI coincides nicely with covenantal behavior, because it allows us to be more
outward looking and therefore to be better equipped to care for others (hesed) and be accountable
to them” (Fischer, 2010, p. 18). Fischer goes on to say that covenantal behavior enables better
conflict resolution, improved leadership ability, and persuasiveness (Fischer, 2010). Covenantal
behavior also allows for more accountability in decision making, conflict resolution, and “an
active dialogue between leaders and employees” (Fischer, 2010, p. 10). In the Bible there are
several covenants that God makes with different people, whether that be the Noahic Covenant,
the Abrahamic Covenant, or the Davidic Covenant. A covenant in the Bible is when two or more
parties come together to agree on a set of rules, stipulations, responsibilities, or promises. The
American government has essentially agreed to a covenant with its citizens when the
Constitution and laws were created. The federal government acts with covenantal behavior when
it delegates certain responsibilities to other entities with regards to policy and law enforcement.
“The federal government is generally responsible for enforcing immigration laws, but it
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delegates some immigration-related duties to state and local law enforcement” (Klobucista et al.,
2023). One example of that is the immigration policies that the U.S. Border Patrol enforces.
Conclusion
Immigration, whether legal entry or not, has been a hotly contested issue for years in the
United States. Every presidential administration has had different approaches to the southern
border crisis and the threats it poses. The dynamic intricacies of immigration policy and the
rights that immigrants, both legal and illegal, have require leaders who poses statesman-like
characteristics to provide decision making in these matters. A leader of the U.S. Border Patrol or
the leader of the United States should show excellent Emotional Intelligence and covenantal
behavior when it comes to leading the nation through this crisis. The southern border is
overwhelmed with illegal immigration, as seen with record numbers of U.S. Border Patrol
encounters throughout the past few years. Philippians 2:4 states, “do not merely look out for your
own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (New American Standard Bible,
1971/1995). With Emotional Intelligence, statesmanship, and covenantal behavior, a leader will
be able to look out for the interests of their nation and organization while making policies and
laws regarding immigration into the United States.
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References
Fischer, K. (2010). A biblical-covenantal perspective on organizational behavior &
leadership.Faculty Publications and Presentations,
523.https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/gov_fac_pubs/523
Gramlich, J. (2024, February 15). Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico Border hit a record
high at the end of 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-
reads/2024/02/15/migrant-encounters-at-the-us-mexico-border-hit-a-record-high-at-the-
end-of-2023/
Kiel, L. D., Bezboruah, K., & Oyun, G. (2009). Developing leaders in public affairs and
administration: Incorporating emotional intelligence training into the core doctoral
leadership course. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 15(1), 87–105.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15236803.2009.12001545
Klobucista, C., Cheatham, A., & Roy, D. (2023, June 6). The U.S. Immigration Debate. Council
on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0
Kotzé, M., & Venter, I. (2011). Differences in emotional intelligence between effective and
ineffective leaders in the Public Sector: An Empirical Study. International Review of
Administrative Sciences, 77(2), 397–427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852311399857
New American Standard Bible. (1995). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published 1971)
Overeem, P., & Bakker, F. E. (2016). Statesmanship beyond the modern state. Perspectives on
Political Science, 48(1), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10457097.2016.1229563
Schmidt, P. W. (2019). An overview and critique of US Immigration and asylum policies in the
trump era. Journal on Migration and Human Security, 7(3), 92–102.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2331502419866203
