A521.9.4.RB_PALUGODCAROLYN

I completely resonate with Denning’s concept of the interactive mode of leadership (Denning, 2011).  I believe that everything in the universe is connected or as Denning phrases it “the interrelatedness of things in the world” (p. 269).  This idea can also be related to what has been known as the “Butterfly Effect” which basically states that if something as small as a butterfly flaps it’s wings in one part of the world it can cause major change, such as a typhoon, in another part of the world.  I believe that interactive leaders understand this concept.  They understand that effective leaders are conscious of their environment and self-aware.  They understand that everything they do in same way will affect the organization as an entity.  I see the world as the microcosm within the macrocosm meaning that everyone and everything within an organization is working together as one entity or unit.  The new modern leader takes the blinders off and takes in their surroundings and learns to swim in the direction of the current instead of against it.

Denning describes different dimensions of leadership in his book and the importance of being an interactive leader (Denning, 2011).  The interactive leader is participatory in the world.  In this sense, the new leaders work in harmony with the world instead of against it.  Interactive leaders enhance the traditional ways of leadership but they also remove the elements that are obsolete and nonfunctional.  The days of dominate and hierarchal-type behaviors are fading and being replaced by behaviors that reflect integrity, trustworthiness and authenticity.  Interactive leaders use storytelling as a means of resonating with subordinates, peers, leaders and the world around them.  In essence, the new and improved leader is an entity that synergistically moves and interacts with the current instead of just witnessing the world with rigid authority.  The new leader is malleable, flexible, intuitive, creative and dynamic.

The interactive leader also knows how to connect with people.  I feel it’s important to establish a rapport with those who you engage with.  For example, I feel that keeping the idea of “connection” in my mind when giving a presentation will help me be conscious of my audience and their reaction to me.  Instead of being a static figure, I should become a figure that engages with the listener, listens to the audience, and establishes a two-way conversation.  Instead of rattling off my presentation and then waiting for a response, I am slowly relating to my audience instead; watching for cues, responding accordingly to their reactions and providing opportunities for their participation in the relationship.  Denning (2011) explains that when you reach this level of comfort and interaction with people, we enter into a “state of flow or effortless effort” (p. 277). 

One concept of this new modern type of leadership that I think traditional leaders will have the hardest time adopting is the release of the ego.  A leader who functions through ideals propelled by integrity and respect succeeds because they are willing to sacrifice with humility in the name of the mission.  Through the elimination of the ego, you give your enemies no ammo to work against you.  Denning further explains that “by removing ego from the game, you change the nature of the game, since the principal lever of those in the control mode is eliminated” (2011, p. 281).  Instead of working against your enemy, you work with him.  Denning relates this to the martial art Judo, where you are using the same momentum of the opponent against himself.  Never are you using force but instead you act through moral authority.  In this way, instead of pushing your enemy away, you make them your ally by bringing them to your side.  This is definitely an element that I feel can be very useful in a leadership position since you don’t want to waste your energy and efforts fighting against someone when the same energy could be used to teach and show that person the benefits of your perspective.  In the end, everyone wins, no one is humiliated and a resolution is found.

The three dimensions of interactive leadership that I feel are inherent in my leadership style are: working with the world rather than against it, adding and subtracting elements from traditional leadership and the use of integral and authentic practices.

The first two dimensions are complimentary to each other because in order to work alongside the world, you also have to work with it.  I think it’s important to try and fit my leadership style within the mold that already exists, if not, you will just be butting heads with people.  Denning explains that you are not working against the existing forces but instead using that same force to propel your own leadership.  Therefore I think these first two dimensions mentioned would help me make needed changes within an already existing organization that has an established leadership.  The last dimension resonates most with who I am.  I feel that my leadership should be practiced with authenticity and integrity as this is a direct reflection of who I am.  Individuals respond to people who they can trust and are consistent in their actions.  It’s difficult to support and follow someone who does not display congruency in their activities.  In the end, I believe that people will follow a leader that they resonate with and that they feel will respect their ideas and beliefs.   

 

References

Denning, S. (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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           I have always considered myself to be a social butterfly.  I honestly do not have a natural fear of people and I am not afraid of disclosing information about myself to complete strangers.  My mother has always said that this is one of my flaws.  I am very trusting and oblivious to the evils of the world.  I personally do not think I am so naïve but more so forgiving and open-minded.  I believe that everyone has something to teach us.  Therefore, I enter all relationships with the mindset that I will learn something from that individual.

            I can strike up conversations with anyone.  I’ve been told I can even make friends at a funeral, and that is very true.  I used to live in a very shabby neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia.  There was literally a crack house on my block and vagabonds littered the 7-Eleven at the corner of my street.  I worked nights as a bartender and would arrive home very late.  Most people would say my neighborhood was not very safe, but in all honestly, I think it’s only a matter of perspective.  In my eyes, like it or not, these people were my neighbors.  I always believed the saying “keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer”.  In this aspect, I was always friendly with the bums, junkies and even the stray cats.  I don’t think I was reckless, but I always made a point to always have a kind word to say.  My ease for conversation was not just limited to like-minded peers as I could strike up long and deep conversations even with the homeless gentleman that lived on my street.  And as always, they always had something to teach me.  Therefore, I never steer away from meeting someone or randomly chatting with a stranger.  Once I struck up a thirty minute conversation with a lady in a train station bathroom as she braided her hair.  In that thirty minutes I found out she was a grandmother of 5, raised her children on her own, she was an African-American Muslim and a direct descendant of a member of the black panthers, a black revolutionary socialist  organization active in the United States in the late sixties.  I have to say that was the most interesting thirty minutes of my day.  We ended up exchanging emails.

            I think that my ease for talking to strangers has a lot to do with my upbringing.  My father was in the Navy and we travelled and moved around a lot.  We were hardly ever in the same country for more than 3 or 4 years at a time.  By the time I made a group of friends we were on the move again.  This constant change forced me to learn to make friends quick because I didn’t have much time to lollygag around.  I had to meet people and get settled quickly if I was going to have any sense of stability at our next location.  Also, living in so many different countries has instilled a cultural richness in me that has allowed me to adapt quickly to any environment.  I am able to speak to anyone regardless of culture, language, religion, sex or even sexual orientation.  I am curious about people, not easily offended and willing to learn something new.  When my best friend in grade school asked me if I wanted to go with her to church and be “born again”, I said yes.  When my Hindu friend asked me to go to temple with her, I said yes.  When I played nanny to  the children of a Jewish family and had to learn about separating the meats from the dairy and how to behave in a Bar Mitzvah , I happily did.  In New Orleans I was asked to participate in a voodoo ceremony that honors the dead and I brought my offering and joined in the celebration willingly.  I have always been intrigued by strangers and fearless when it comes to making contact and placing myself into situations where contact is inevitable.

            In the book Messages we learn about guidelines for making contact.  One important thing to consider is body language.  Again, being Spanish, body language is infused in our way of communication.  In our culture we intrude into the spaces of others, even with complete strangers.  Personal spaces are smaller.  We tend to lean in, touch and use eye contact when meeting new people (McKay, Davis, & Fanning, 2009).  It is customary to give two kisses on the cheek when introduced to a new person.  Women exchange kisses when meeting as do women and men.  Although men shake hands with men unless they are good friends and therefore the kisses on the cheek are appropriate.  I also am no stranger to ice breaker as I am used to connecting with strangers.  McKay et al. also mention the use of ritual and informational questions in making contact.  I feel that I dominate the use of both types of questions in my communications with people.  Self-disclosure is another important factor to consider when trying to connect with new people.  McKay et al. identify three stages of self-disclosure which are informational, basic intimacy where you disclose thoughts, needs and feelings about something in the past or future; and a third stage in which you reveal your feelings about the person you are connecting with.  I am quite comfortable in all three stages of self-disclosure. 

            In all honesty, I believe I have become quite the expert in making contacts because my social survival counted on it.  The only lesson I feel I can learn from our reading is the ability to actively listen.  I generally am a very considerate and active listener and like to engage in ways that make the person I am conversing with feel like they are being heard.  But I also have a tendency to zone out during conversations because something they have said has triggered a memory or I am just distracted by something else.  I am somewhat ADHD and therefore easily distracted.  It would be helpful to me to find ways to stay tuned into conversations and keep my mind from wandering.  This is probably my worst flaw when it comes to communication.

            I feel that learning to make contact is essential to living a full life.  Everyone you meet in life, even your family when you first came into this world, is or was a stranger at some point.  Your husband, best friend, employer and school teacher were strangers.  Talking to strangers enriches our life and gives it purpose.  We learn from strangers.  Margo Hannah sums it up best when she says “I like to share my stories as well and sometimes people unknown to me want to hear my stories, but they want to hear it from my lips, not read it in a poem or in a newspaper column. But, mostly they want me to hear their stories” (Hannah, 2012).

References

 

Hannah, M. (2012, October 25). Why talk to strangers. Dawson Creek Daily News, p. A.4.    Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1115407593?accountid=27203

McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The communications skills book (3rd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

A521.7.4.RB

 

I’d like to tell the story about a little girl who needed a tumor removed and the doctors without the right resources who made the surgery a reality.  This story teaches us about the power of resourcefulness and how we can make anything a reality if we really want it.

In early 2000 I went on a surgical mission with a team of volunteer doctors and nurses to Guatemala City.  This was one of the many trips we had made to this country to perform surgeries on children who did not have nor the access or resources to pay for these kinds of surgeries.  These trips were sponsored by an NGO whose prime goal was to raise funds so less fortunate children could have access to the same treatments as children in the U.S. 

On this particular trip we came across a little girl who needed a tumor removed from her brain.   On arrival, we checked all our equipment and came to realize that we did not have the particular skull drill needed to traverse a skull during these types of surgery.  The clinic that we worked through also did not possess the necessary equipment.  The little girl would probably not live long enough for our next scheduled trip therefore it was essential that we operated on her during this trip.  Failure for my team was never an option.  We were used to working in environments that were unsanitary by U.S. standards and sometimes with archaic equipment.  Many surgical disasters had been fixed last minute using duct tape and plastic tubing.  We were no strangers to innovation when it came to saving children.

This particular day was stressful because you could not “duct tape” yourself out of this situation.  Me being the only Spanish speaker on the team, I was sent on a wild goose chase with our “armed” bodyguard and driver to the neighborhoods of Guatemala to find something that could be used as a skull drill.  I remember the excitement and fear of entering the various “black market” zones hoping to find something that would work.  When we were unable to find the drill through the black market we started visiting auto parts stores and mom and pop hardware shops.  We were in some very shady areas of town, and time was running out.  In a fit of desperation we finally thought of visiting some local orthopedic dentists in the hopes that maybe they would be open to loaning us a bone drill that could be used in its place.  After visiting a few different dentists, we finally met with one who was willing to help us. But now we were faced with another challenge.  The bone drill he had was not electric, but instead an archaic hand-winding version.  A surgery that should only take 3 or 4 hours would now turn into an all-day event.

We rushed back to the clinic with the hand held drill and presented it to the team.  The disappointment was imminent but they were still set on saving this little girls life.  The surgery took over 15 hours to perform.  I later heard the gruesome details of what had to be done.  It was stressful for our medical team but even more so for the child and the parents who waited, agonizing for the results.  

Everything turned out okay that day and we were able to add it to our successes.  Our team has retold this story on future trips we have made and in the hospitals where they work as an example of how they “beat the odds”.  The story has been used to inspire surgeons and nurses who feel like they have hit a brick wall during life and death situations.  Denning explains that “tiny deviations from the norm attract our attention so we can take preventative actions before it’s too late” (Denning, 2011, p. 185).  I believe this story has been used this way in many situations.  This story has been able to catapult groups of nurses into action when they were stuck for a solution.  Denning describes this phenomenon  when he says that “every time we make plans or take action, our choices are based on a mental model or story in the back of our head that leads us to believe that the action being taken will lead to the desired result” (p.191).  In remembering this story, those who experienced it use it to inspire their resourcefulness.  

References

Denning, S. (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.