LEADERSHIP SELF-AWARENESS

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For the Session Long Projects you will also be applying the concepts from the background materials. But instead of applying them to yourself, you will imagine that you are a leadership development coach who is hired to by organizations to diagnosis or give advice to managers. For each of the situations below, explain what advice or diagnosis you would give them based on your knowledge of the background readings. Make sure to cite at least one of the required background readings in each of your answers. Your paper should be two to three pages in length:
1. Susan is a manager who decides to assess her strengths using some of the 24 classifications of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths that you read about for this module. She discovers that two of her biggest strengths are “humor” and “teamwork.” She concludes that since these are her strengths she doesn’t need to change anything regarding her use of these strengths. Do you think this is a good use of her assessment, or should she make changes to her use of humor and teamwork? If so, what kind of changes?
2. Harold has an MBA from Harvard and is focused on becoming a CEO before he is 45 years old. He is very good at networking and often makes friends with those who rank higher than him at his current organization. However, employees under his supervision feel that he often makes decisions based on what will get him promoted rather than on what is best for his employees or his organization. How would you characterize his emotional intelligence (EQ) skills based on the different elements of EQ discussed in the background readings? Be specific regarding which elements of EQ you think he is likely high on or which elements you think he may be lacking.
3. Carl is known as a very caring manager based on his ability to understand his employee’s problems and taking careful to time to get to know each and every employee. He is personally well liked by all of his employees. However, the one complaint they do have about Carl is that he gets very upset when things don’t go well and takes things very personally. For example, when he found out that profitability for his unit had fallen over the last month he was so upset he had to take a couple of sick days off from work. How would you characterize his emotional intelligence (EQ) skills based on the different elements of EQ discussed in the background readings? Be specific regarding which elements of EQ you think he is likely high on or which elements you think he may be lacking.

Sample Solution

As a leadership development coach, I leverage insights from various sources to guide managers in maximizing their potential. Here’s how I would approach the situations you presented:

  1. Susan and Strengths Awareness

Susan’s self-assessment using the Values in Action Inventory (VIA) Strengths [1] is a positive step. Identifying “humor” and “teamwork” as strengths is valuable. However, assuming she doesn’t need improvement can hinder growth. My advice:

  • Strength Nuance: Referencing Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence [2], highlight that strengths can be overused. Excessive humor might undermine authority, while over-reliance on teamwork could prevent independent decision-making.
  • Strength Development: Encourage Susan to explore how to leverage her strengths further. Could she use humor to build rapport while maintaining professionalism? Can she champion teamwork while fostering individual accountability?
  1. Harold’s Emotional Intelligence

Harold’s focus on networking and ambition suggest high self-awareness (recognizing career goals) and relationship management (building connections). However, his actions indicate a potentially deficient social awareness (understanding employee needs) and self-regulation (managing emotions for organizational benefit).

Here’s how I’d coach him:

  • Perspective Shift: Challenge Harold’s focus on personal promotion. Using Covey’s concept of “Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind” [3], guide him to define success as building a strong, high-performing team – a path that naturally leads to individual advancement.
  • Empathy Development: Emphasize the importance of social awareness. Role-playing exercises can help Harold understand how his actions impact employee morale.
  1. Carl and Emotional Regulation

Carl demonstrates high self-awareness (knowing his caring nature) and relationship management (building positive connections). However, his reaction to setbacks indicates a lack of self-regulation.

Here’s how I’d support Carl:

  • Stress Management Techniques: Introduce stress management techniques like mindfulness or meditation to help Carl manage his emotions constructively [4].
  • Resilience Building: Encourage Carl to view setbacks as learning opportunities. We can explore frameworks like Kübler-Ross’s change curve [5] to help him process challenges and bounce back effectively.

Conclusion

Effective leadership hinges on self-awareness and continuous improvement. By applying insights from leadership theories, I empower managers like Susan, Harold, and Carl to leverage their strengths and address weaknesses, fostering a culture of growth within their teams.

 

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