Overview
Which of the five practices of exemplary leadership discussed in Chapter 1, do you believe is the most important and why? Please relate your answer to your experiences. (PLEASE TRY TO USE SOME OF THE BOOK REFERENCES FROM THE EXAMPLE POST BECAUSE I DONT HAVE ACCESS TO THE BOOK RIGHT NOW)
Example 1. Of the five practices of exemplary leadership discussed in Chapter 1, I believe Model the Way is the most important. In the introduction of the textbook, Kouzes and Posner (2023), the authors describe the challenge of leadership is motivating others to create successful outcomes. Model the Way accomplishes this by gaining trust through behavior (Kouzes & Posner, 2023). Vince Brown, a program manager for large-scale military initiative stated, "Trust needs to be earned by example, and I made sure to do what I said I would do. I would never ask my team to do something I would not do myself.” If someone is granted a leadership position and they fail to establish trust, their vision, process, and ability to motivate will be difficult implement. Model the Way is the most important because without trust, you could struggle to develop any buy-in right from the start.
During my experience as a Stadium Operations Assistant in the MiLB, it was difficult for me to get any of the part-time employees I supervised, and full-time staff I worked alongside with, to respect or trust me. My position as just a seasonal assistant and student gave those around me low expectations for what I could accomplish. This was a detriment to me early because my role required me to lead game-day staff, but none of them trusted my abilities. I used Model of the Way to overcome this obstacle by being the first person to respond whenever there were any issues or someone needed help. Slowly over time the game-day staff started to see me more as their supervisor instead of an assistant, and they started to respond to my motivation and change in processes. Furthermore, the full-time staff saw how the game-day staff responded to leadership and started to trust me with larger responsibilities. Overall, Model the Way is the most important leadership practice because without trust you could lack the buy-in necessary to effectively other 4 practices.
Example 2. Of the five practices of exemplary leadership discussed in Chapter 1, I believe that enabling others to act is the most important. The reading emphasizes that leaders "foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships" and that "Achieving greatness is a team effort." I've found this to be true in my own experience managing editors and freelancers, as well as coordinating the transfer of materials with our publisher and production managers. Although I am the one managing the work that needs to get down to bring our books to print, I am not the one actually writing and editing the material that goes into them, nor am I the one physically printing the books. This is top of mind every time I ask for an update or build a new schedule. I always ask, "What can I do to make this easier for you?" I've found that people are far more willing to be upfront with you when you display an understanding of the challenges they face.
Similarly, during my time as a concert violinist, I saw this principle in action with our director. A single director cannot perform Beethoven's 5th symphony. Every single orchestra member, from the percussionists in the back to the first violinists sitting at the front, must show up to rehearsal with knowledge of the repertoire. In turn, the director must have an ear for each section and its performance of the piece, and be able to give creative and technical direction where needed.
In short, I believe that leadership that does not acknowledge the efforts of the group and account for those efforts is not effective leadership. Leadership, much like any other relationship, is a two-way street. A leader is only as effective as the people for whom they are responsible.
Example 3. Just as Kouzes and Posner begin the chapter and introduce the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, I feel that Model the Way is the most important of the five. The chapter explains how leaders need to model the way by walking the walk in addition to talking the talk to build credibility in order for others to follow. If there is a lack of credibility, acting out leadership behaviors feels performative, forced and lacks authenticity.
Consequently, a shared vision carries little value or weight if the people do not believe in the leader and the display feels like a show, rather than genuine. Furthermore, without credibility, challenging the process can feel disruptive and unnecessary if the people doubt the motives and intentions of the leader. Attempts to enable others to act will also fall short if credibility is absent. It lacks meaning and brings to question, Act towards what, and why, without the direction and model of a credible leader. Encouragement of the heart suffers in a similar fashion, and can feel empty and inauthentic.
This is why I feel that Model the Way is the most important and foundational practice on which the other four are able to be built and put into action. When a leaders aligns their values and actions by talking the talk and walking the walk, they will earn credibility amongst the people and enabling the other practices to be possible