DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP (UHPS 6013) Topic 8: Team Leadership

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Topic 8: Team Leadership

 Weekly Reflection

Week 9

19 December 2021

 

Assalamualaikum and bismillah. 

 

My coursemates shared an insightful presentation on 'Team Leadership' this week.

Imagine this; when people are in the same elevator and are going to their destined floor, they are just a group; however, they become a team when the elevator is stuck. Individuals who ride in the same elevator probably have some characteristics, such as working in the same building and on the same level, or working for the same employer and having comparable hobbies. The sheer fact that they have a similar interest qualifies them as a collective. If, on the other hand, the elevator malfunctions and they get stranded, the shared aim of "getting out of there" transforms this group into a cohesive unit.

 

What Is the significant distinction between a group and a team?

A group is a collection of mutually autonomous people with distinct purposes who are pulled together by their shared interests and experience to form a larger whole. Even though everyone in the group shares knowledge and resources, each member is ultimately accountable for their task. Each team member is assigned a unique set of duties, which only one person often carries out. The responsibilities are distinct and unrelated to one another. Passengers on a plane are an excellent illustration of this. Even though they all have different motives for being on the same aircraft, they are still a group. 

On the other hand, a team is a collection of persons who work together to achieve a similar objective by working together as a group and sharing responsibilities. People who work in a team share a common understanding with their colleagues. They tend to emphasize one other's strengths and minimize their flaws when collaborating. Instead of the individual contributions expected of group members, the essential quality of a team is connection: the whole is larger than the sum of its members. Each member of a team contributes to the group's success as a whole. The duties and responsibilities of team members might overlap. For example, cabin personnel on an aircraft are just there to ensure that the passengers have a pleasant experience. 

In my opinion, in school organizations, collaboration and teamwork are essential. Some school organizations may benefit from a professional loner, but collaborating with colleagues can yield superior outcomes in the long term. Working as part of a team is often essential to a project's success. An important soft skill is the capacity to collaborate with others. In addition to boosting your chances of acquiring a position and retaining it, it has a substantial impact. The administration and the teachers should strive to be excellent team players to succeed in the workplace. Having a team to help you achieve your personal goals is vital. Teachers' most excellent resource is each other. Fortunately, teamwork and collaboration are as common in schools as they might be. I've been a teacher for 18 years, so I'm familiar with the way things operate.

My first year as a secondary school teacher was etched in my mind. I began by adopting the same habits of preparation and working alone. I was an alone superhero who went home exhausted every day without the support or encouragement of my more experienced senior colleagues. Even though I was directly in front of people who could have provided me with valuable information, I was afraid to ask for it. I was only able to realize what I had been missing because of the compassion and grace of a few of my colleagues. When I asked for help, they went above and beyond, creating a friendship, and sharing a few inspirational stories with me. The assumption that I could be more efficient while planning and working alone turned out to be incorrect! When dealing with others, efficiency is rarely actually successful. The realization that I could accomplish far more and be far more productive and energetic if I was ready to share insights, ask for assistance, and trust in people took me a long time to realize. As I was a new teacher, the ability to collaborate and share ideas throughout the school year had a tremendous impact on me. Since then, I've shared and sought out others who need inspiration or ideas. Undeniably, some teachers have a history of shutting doors and doing things their way made it even more vital for teachers to collaborate, as the nature of teaching is so solitary.

All I'm saying is that having the title of professional and, more precisely, a teacher does not imply that you can operate alone. On the contrary, professionals from virtually every other industry are obliged to work in a team to increase performance. Professionals that achieve success in their fields rely on and share ideas with others in their area, whether they be doctors, psychologists, or salespeople. Working together to minimize stress is the most effective method available. Helping each other form meaningful connections that make people feel like they are a valued part of something bigger than themselves is the most effective strategy to alleviate workplace stress. Effective administrations will guarantee that teachers can collaborate on planning, sharing ideas, and supporting one another. Once teachers have had the opportunity to profit from collaborative efforts, they will undoubtedly value the camaraderie and creativity that it fosters.

 

~end~

 

DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP (UHPS 6013) Topic 7: Dyadic Relationships, Followership and Delegation

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Topic 7: Dyadic Relationships, Followership and Delegation

  Weekly Reflection

Week 8

12 December 2021

Assalamualaikum and bismillah. 

 

When my coursemates gave a presentation on dyadic relationships, the visual that sprang to me was a young graceful couple dancing the tango in the same room together. The man is in charge, while the lady is following after him. Even though they play diverse roles, they are in sync and work effectively as a team. However, dancers who are out of rhythm tend to step on each other's feet and move uncomfortably. So much so the graceful dancers must move in sync with one another; leaders and followers are also necessary to communicate effectively with one another for the relationship to be successful. When it comes to achieving a goal, the relationship interaction between the leader and the follower is very critical. Northouse (2018) refers to this as the "Leader-Member exchange," in which the "dyadic interaction between leaders and followers" is emphasised. This connection is centred on the leader's contact and mutual support with his or her followers. According to Northouse (2018), a leader and a member would have two sorts of relationships: in-group or out-group.

During my time as a coordinator (Penyelaras) for an event, it was easy for me to "clique" with specific teachers whose personalities matched mine, mainly when we collaborated. These people become a part of my 'in-group'. As a planner and event leader at that time, I worked hard to involve everyone and make them feel like they were a member of my in-group for the time I was in charge of the 'Majlis Persaraan Pengetua' event. It was challenging to do this since I had varying amounts of connections and relationships with each team member. Those teachers who were members of my in-group were the ones who stayed back after school to assist me in finishing off the job that I had set to prepare for the occasion. They took the initiative to accomplish things in a way that was beyond our imagination and fill in the gaps, even though they were not responsible for them. 

            At moments, some teachers from my in-group took the effort to get packed food for the whole committee members, even though it was already late evening and we were still decorating and arranging the background, stage, and other props. I had several encounters with members of my in-group who took on additional tasks and went above and beyond their work description and expectations. They developed a strong working connection with me, as a consequence of which I can provide further knowledge and concern for them. I discussed thoughts and decisions that we would make throughout the event's preparations. I truly cared about their personal life to ascertain their general well-being.

On the other hand, committee members who were from my 'out-group' would only remain and contribute at certain times of the event. When their assigned duty had been completed, they would go, even though there were many more things need to be completed. The out-groupers were those members who did precisely what was required of them by the responsibility agreement I had with them. I wished to establish a stronger connection with members of my out-group. I occasionally joined them at recess in the canteen, which enabled us to be more casual and get to know one another better. As Northouse (2018) puts it, the second phase is about "improving our career-related social exchanges" to enhance our interactions with one another as we carry out our tasks and obligations. Some members, on the contrary, were determined about avoiding becoming part of the in-group and preferred to stay in the out-group instead. They merely wanted to complete their job at certain hours and just return home without staying back after school. As a result, they continued to be considered an out-group.

As a leader, I'd want to cultivate more connections and develop a rapport with my members that further than just the stranger phase. This avoids conflicts and biases between in-groups and out-groups. The dyadic theory's flaw is its tendency for out-groups to be treated unjustly. As a leader, I think I should devote more time, effort, acknowledgement, and give recognition to members within the in-group and learn not to outcast the out-group.

Besides the Dyadic theory of leadership, I'd like to reflect on followership. The absolute opposite of leadership is that of following. Given the importance of leadership in terms of performance, it is reasonable to assume that followership is also significant. Followership is a simple notion that everybody can understand. It is the capacity to follow directions well, to fall in line behind a project, to work as a member of a team, and to deliver on the responsibilities that are placed on your shoulders. To be a follower does not imply mindlessly following commands or being a 'puppet' in the hands of others. As opposed to this, followership is all about connecting with your leadership competently to benefit both you and your organisation. Furthermore, mastering the art of being a great follower is a prerequisite to being a genuinely great leader in any field.

In the context of school, being a good follower entails relinquishing control of a situation and recognising that your contributions are vital to the success of any particular school project. When a leader is also a good follower, they will recognise when it is appropriate to step aside and allow others to take the lead. This is how a leader develops emotional intelligence. In conclusion, leadership and followership are intertwined, like the two wings of a bird, and form an indivisible system. Failure-safe followership strategies may help you be more successful in your career and better prepare you for leadership positions later on. Insha Allah.

 

 

Reference

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

 

DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP (UHPS 6013) Topic 6: Communication, Coaching and Conflict Skills

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Topic 6: Communication, Coaching and Conflict Skills

Weekly Reflection

Week 7

28 November 2021

Assalamualaikum and bismillah. The topic for this week is leadership, which includes communicating, coaching, and dealing with conflicts and disagreements. There is no one-size-fits-all style of leadership; a great leader can adjust their approach to the circumstances. Additionally, these types also need communication skills. One of the definitions of communication, as we all know, is:

'The sharing of information between individuals or groups to reach a common understanding to accomplish organizational goals and objectives.'

        Nevertheless, communication is a critical component of leadership, which means that a successful organization and effective communication are inextricably linked. A successful leader must be an excellent communicator, able to communicate effectively at all levels, speak in broader communities, and perhaps worldwide. One of the most common occurrences in education is that we often encounter miscommunications between colleagues and the administrations. When an individual delivers one message, but the recipient gets something very different. Several factors need to be considered to get effective merely one-on-one communication. That includes (all three sides; sender, receiver, and message), the tone of voice, improper listening, missing information, presumptions about the message, and confusing explanations. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) have proposed a conceptual model of effective leadership communication. According to this concept,  successful communication and leadership, when combined, contribute to greater understanding among team members and the leader.

 

Coaching is the next sub-topic of my journal reflection. Imagine your school principal saying this to you:

"You're never on time, are you?" This is a really reckless act. Without getting your act together, you will be kicked out of this institution."

Some school principals believe that this is a practical kind of performance coaching. However, in actuality, it is criticism and not particularly helpful criticism at all! Teachers who have received such criticism are unlikely to be strongly motivated to change; instead, they are more likely to be depressed or dissatisfied. They will most likely declare they will improve only to get the principal off their backs and out of their way. And although things may seem to be improving for a brief period of time, the issue will come back and resurface. To have a more productive discussion, coaching rather than criticism is recommended. The contrast between coaching and criticism is that coaching is intended to enhance performance, but criticism is often used to vent anger. Coaching may include having a difficult conversation about a problem; criticism, on the other hand, typically involves having a difficult conversation about the person. Coaching is a two-way discussion of performance in pursuit of answers, while criticism is a one-way negative discussion of performance intended only to alleviate the manager's irritation.

Well, the last issue that I would like to write about is conflict. The first thing we must recognize is that workplace conflict is a reality that must be dealt with. There are just three options: accept the situation, ignore the problem, or deal with the situation. We are often confronted with conflict from the beginning of our professional lives, yet effectively managing conflict is a critical ability for effective management and may make the difference between being a successful leader or failed leader. 

Schools may be a fertile place for conflict.

        Schools and other educational institutions are particularly conducive to conflict. For one reason, schools are made up of diverse groups of students engaging with classmates and adults of varying ages, for example, junior and senior teachers and administrators. If we encounter conflicts among our colleagues or the school principal, we, as professionals, may act as mediators, bringing order and charting a path to resolution. Numerous mediators use role-playing, which helps alleviate tensions by injecting laughter into the conflict resolution process. It can develop a greater capacity for empathy for both conflicted colleagues. 

When I was 'Ketua Panitia' for English Panel, we had an English teacher who retired, and we got a young teacher to replace her. I was looking forward to this young teacher's new ideas for the classroom. She served as an excellent role model for our students, and she participated in after-school activities with them. I paired her with a senior teacher that would be a great mentor for her to learn from. It seemed to me that the senior teacher may provide her with some helpful classroom management advice (which is always challenging for new teachers). Little did I realize my so-called formula caused a catastrophe. The senior teacher was uninterested in mentoring the newbie. The new teacher was displeased with being regarded as a student. Consequently, some student behaviours were allowed in the class of this new young teacher but were deemed improper in the mentor's eyes. The mentor believed the young teacher was more concerned with popularity than academic achievement, while the junior said that the senior instructor was too harsh.

I planned a meeting with them separately but finally decided that it would be best to meet them all together and lay everything out. None of them wanted to accept that they were incapable of cooperating. Finally, both recognized the conflict between them and realized they could have accomplished a more effective job. It was humiliating to have to refer them to the principal and speak with them about their behaviour. They became close friends after that and continued working together.

            When you are in an administrative position, it is your responsibility to assist your teachers in resolving problems. These circumstances may deteriorate to the point where they might jeopardize the students' education, which is the last thing we want as educators. The most important thing is that you have a good rapport between your colleagues and your staff/teachers, then you can guarantee that any issue can be resolved smoothly, promptly, and thoroughly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Anchal Luthra & Dr. Richa Dahiya. (2015). Effective leadership is all about communicating effectively. International Journal of Management & Business Studies vol.5, Issue 3