For me the concept of writing is shrouded in beauty and with
every word typed on a page a concept or idea can come to life and be on the
edge of something wonderful. Anything that can be said or thought can be put
together like puzzle pieces and allow us to take on the world. Every emotion
can be conveyed whether an outcry for a better world or the celebration of a
perfect moment. This entry is bittersweet because I look forward to weekly
posts that marry together a leadership theory with a story to create a new
application in a way that may have not been thought about before.
While all the stones have not been unturned this is my last
formal reflection blog for my Master of Science in Leadership program. I will
soon be embarking on two additional classes that will lead me to my last day of
formal study on this journey mid-March and Graduation is set for early May. Though
I am eager to be finished to have the reassurance that I made it to my goal it
is always hard letting go of something that is beloved. As somehow who will
soon experience “mastery” I will have other ways to share my knowledge and
growth and be confident that I have the ability to soak up more knowledge and wisdom
in whatever my next chapter may be, as these things should never cease in our
lifetime.
Power is an interesting word because power is bigger than
just a definition. There are some who seek it and some that would genuinely
prefer not to have it. I would say that I am not a power seeker in the Voldemort
sense of the word, yet I do have power. There are four personal characteristics
that are important sources of power:
·
Expertise
·
Personal attraction
·
Effort
·
Legitimacy
The way that I choose to have power is that I wish to
convert it effectively into interpersonal influence in ways that avoid the use
of power (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). The same way I feel about the power of
writing that it can have transformative purpose. My only wish is to make the
others around me happy and if they were to change than to be better than they
were before. I would say that I am strong in the areas of expertise and effort
but where I truly flourish is through personal attraction.
Charisma is one of my favorite words and while it can have a
dark nature I embrace it for the best features. I am a generally enthusiastic
person about life, ideas and events which tend to be contagious. This is an
aura I pride myself upon and something that I like about myself. I do not mean
for how I connect with others to be superficial by any means but rather be
useful for having others trust in me and open up to me. Another trait is
agreeable behavior, which we associate with friendship, also plays an important
role in personal attraction.
First and foremost I have the ability to be open-minded in a
way that will allow me to provide
unconditional, positive regard and acceptance (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). I
may initially understand or provide blanket agreement to everything I hear but
I am open to listening to an explanation and learning about the things I do not
know. I also use my patience to be emotionally accessible. If someone comes to
ask me something or wants my help I see it as an honor to be considered and I
ensure that I receive the request with kindness and care.
Recently I hit the two year mark at work and it is
department tradition for your superior to write about your contributions and
attributes which I am going to share despite being shy about praise at times:
“Casey is an absolute joy to have
on the team and she starts every day with a smile and an upbeat, can-do
attitude. She puts her heart into everything she does and is always willing to
try new concepts and implement different processes to improve the student
experience. Not only is she passionate about her students but she has found
ways to incorporate what she has learned in her graduate program into her daily
routine while always trying to improve her outlook and “look on the brightside.”
Casey is also very passionate about the safety culture and really cares about
the well-being of her ERAU colleagues!” (Lawther, 2015, n.p.).
I am proud that I am able to not only make my peers
comfortable and energized in my presence but that my actions are influential enough
to be recognized by my director and other leadership. She is right that I
absolutely put my heart into everything that I do. “A high level of personal effort
is one of the most highly prized characteristics of employees because it means
they are dependable, reliable human resources” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p.
290). At work I have many ideas and I am always pleased that they are considered
and at times this means managing up to make things smoother and easier. I am
fortunate that I have people I can work with, like my colleagues and director,
who are also collaborators and open to whatever it takes to work toward the
betterment of our mission, student success.
I think the unspoken
truth about power and influence is that if you want it for yourself you want it
for the wrong reason. It is too easy to get carried away and not do the right
things especially when there is no one resisting you or telling you no. I am
hopeful that I will only ever have as much power as I need to do good things
for others so that I never abuse my power. I have a healthy respect and fear
for the incorrect use of power and use this feeling to be my guiding light.
References:
Lawther, R., (2015). Personal communication
