Adaptable Leader Module: Cognitive Gap Analysis

A leader is the key element that affects the overall group’s success by inspiring members to collaborate to achieve a common goal. The approach that the leader takes to lead a group (i.e., leadership style) plays a significant role in group decision-making process and decision quality. Effective leadership encourages members’ participation in decision-making process, and promotes cooperation and motivation among group members. On the other hand, ineffective leadership, which lacks impartiality, can be a great risk factor for groupthink; a phenomenon refers to poor decision process and decision quality (Chapman, 2006). Groupthink is undesirable for groups because it is detrimental to group development. In order to demonstrate

Situational and Authentic leadership are increasingly important skills to possess in today’s era of technological changes and availability and flow of information we have in this day and age. Leaders today must be able to adjust their leadership styles to the whatever situation arises as well as to the people who they are leading. Leaders are not limited to just use one style in one situation, being able to adapt appropriate styles to different situations will influence and help a leader succeed. A leader’s judgement, intelligence, cultural awareness, and self-control plays major roles in helping them choose the proper style and appropriate technique for the task at hand (Lau & Cronin, 1998).

In a team, we tend to meet people with different working styles. Based on Kurt Lewin's Change Model (Lewin,1947) during "unfreezing" stage, I have to change my mind set when working with different people. I learnt that I am adaptable to changes as a member of a peer team.

Kouzes and Posner (2017) stated leaders must challenge the process through searching an opportunities and doing experiments, taking risks, and learning from mistakes. They must challenge themselves to grow and learn. They must grab an opportunities to innovate, develop, and progress. Leaders challenge their team members to find out new approach to old problems. Experimenting and taking risk are the way to make an innovative improvements. They must grab an opportunities although there are some errors or mistakes initially along the way to success. They must celebrate small wins and take as stepping stones and learn from mistakes so that they can achieve ultimate goal making their team to do so (Kouzes and Posner (2012).

Leaders have a “the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals” (Robbins & Judge, 2007, p. 402). In the past leaders have been described by certain traits or characteristics. These traits can help an organization identify potential candidates who may be strong leaders. Later behavior approaches of leaders were identified that could be taught. In short, leaders could be made. Situations have an impact on which leader behaviors will be most effect at any given time. Several contingency theories have been formulated over the years to identify how situations influence leadership behavior. Each style has strengths and

For me, ideas to take from Simon’s lecture is a challenge. I truly do not see myself being a leader. I feel intimidated by others for their lack of support. I do not try to lead when asked to do something. I have the same mentality as Capt. William, I just do it because I want to ‘do to others as they would do to you’. It was difficult with the Organizational Behavior course team. At first the online thing was great. Age factor did not matter. We are all on the same page. But as time went on, I did not feel the cohesiveness of a team as I would like. Our communication styles seemed

My leadership style is problem solver; this leadership style offers me the opportunity to utilize the knowledge and experience of my followers. I believe that I am more of this leadership style because I tend to accept input from group members when making decisions and solving problems. I do this because I feel that everyone in the group have something tangible to contribute to the group, and sometimes they might have access to key information that can help in my decision making. I take the information and put them together to use in reaching a decision, because I know that I will have the final say as the leader of the group. I believe that the group is put together

Over the years, there have been many brave men and women serving in the military, but there will always be those service members who go beyond their piers to accomplish the mission, those individuals are adaptive leaders. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss, what is an adaptive leader and who can we consider among the many to be a good example of an adaptive leader. Also, what are the characteristics of an adaptive leader, and how do you mentor or shape adaptive leaders, to make this Battalion better.

I have learned that I am a very Task-Oriented person in a group. I like working with people who focus on task at hand rather than following boring steps. Also, I accel at focusing on the end result and not about the process of the project. My inference is that people who are more task-oriented are more innovative than people who follow steps in my opinion. For example, in my engineering class, this school year, my group had many projects. Even though the projects had many requirements, groups had the choice on how to meet the requirements while doing the project. This type of learning allows innovation and new ideas to flourish in a group setting. It is important to work on a team to discuss new ideas and put them into action. Analytical thinkers

An exploring leader tackles situation in blending styles, whether it is at any level in an organisation. A leader’s timely decision can put the organization one step ahead. Effective Communication plays an important role when it comes to handling a tricky situation. Effective, concise and clear communication would manifest best results. I believe in having several traits; Understanding the skill gap, clear communication, need for change at the required time and empowerment of team members to name a few. A Leader creates the standards of excellence by their unique magnetism and attracts others to see the possibilities in the future. I believe in today’s world the need for flexibility in switching from one style to another is of utmost importance. This way you can make sure that there is a perfect balance in personal and professional life.

Presently, I am the type of leader whose cognitive preference dictates a need for moderate levels of structure when working on a team. I am more of an adaptor than innovator. It is not to say I am incapable of

I feel that a leader must first understand the basic styles of leadership and how to apply them. Then he/she can know what style is the most appropriate given the task and

Module 5 spoke of adaptive leaders and included many elements of adaptability. I found the Emotional Flexibility concept to be the most important in the module. The concept describes one’s ability to consider their own emotions versus the emotions of others.

I will need to use coping behavior to be an effective leader. I understand that coping behavior will have a high expense to my psychology. Therefore, for me to remain an effective leader, I need to be aware of the psychological expense while dealing with subordinates or peers whose preferred styles are different from mine. I recall during my last tour at Osan Air Base when I worked with another Technical Sergeant (TSgt) who was an innovator. There was a day when we would disagree on several topics on clinical management. We had to set up a meeting to communicate our priorities and came to an agreement later but by then I was mentally exhausted because I had used a large amount my coping behavior skills to work with the TSgt. I also learn the consequence of not using coping behavior because prior to meeting with the other TSgt there were large tensions between us. We would argued in front of our Airman and subsequently it affected everyone’s performance and degraded morale. Hence, I came to realize the important of coping behavior. The other factor of coping behavior that I would need to be aware is the effect of no coping behavior or switching

Situational leadership is needed within any successful organization; do in part to varying personalities that exist, and the inevitable cultural differences that are present in most organizations. The ability to provide leadership based on the situation or cultural background of the followers is a trait that good leaders must possess. Anderson (as cited by Larsson & Vinberg, 2010) states, that an important aspect of organizations effectiveness is the maneuverability of leadership. Adapting and changing to who ones followers are and their developmental abilities or cultural differences is a large part of a successful organization, Mendenhall’s (a cited by Avlio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009) approach to global leadership requires the leader to have a diverse set of experiences that allows the leader to lead diverse groups, and not focus on one or two cultures that the leader may have extensive knowledge or understanding