NR 504 Week 3 Assignment – Leadership Reflective Essay

In the reading for this week, I felt that I was able to learn more about what kind of follower I am, but then I was able to see how what my leader does truly impacts me and my work. It made me analyze how the structure of how I train is what affects how I complete tasks, but then it made me realize the fact that I may not always be as micromanaged by my team lead as others in my team might be. In this reflection essay, I want to discuss how follower dependence when a leader is overly involved, how a leader’s style itself can affect a follower’s motivation, and lastly, how leader-member exchange is not always desirable for a follower.

Path-goal theory leading to follower dependence

The prompt for this question was a bit longer than just the above title, so I want to put the verbiage here so that this first paragraph is really understood. Path goal theory is criticized for its overemphasis on the leader and not so much the follower. This may lead to the follower’s dependence on the leader. It further goes into what I would recommend to an organization wanting to avoid such outcomes. A clear standard of what the organization expects from the follower or employee while still allowing them to explore different options for completing a task. A follower or employee should feel supported and encouraged in achieving their goals. This is where the behaviors that we have previously discussed. Directive behavior sets clear standards of performance and makes the rules and regulations clear to followers. The minor issue with direct behavior is that, in a sense, it makes the leader kind of less approachable, and the follower feels more pressure to achieve things exactly like they were told. To help with this issue, though, a supportive leader is friendlier and more approachable. Supportive leaders remember to add the people’s value and attend to the well-being and real human needs of followers. Along with a supportive leader, they have the qualities of a participative leader who consistently invites followers to share in the decision-making. This again creates a clear structure of tasks but gives followers. The freedom to make changes in the best way for them to achieve the task and also share it with their leader in case it may be effective and beneficial for other team members.

NR 504 Week 3 Assignment – Leadership Reflective Essay

A leader’s style affects follower’s motivation.

Along with a leader’s behaviors comes how their style can affect a follower’s motivation. Personally, I am the kind of person who likes to be trained and sat with maybe twice until I feel in control of what I am accomplishing. Once I feel confident in my tasks, I do not enjoy feeling like I am being micromanaged, and this goes back to a leader’s style. Although there is no one way to be a leader or even to train followers or employees, the way in which you approach your specific style does affect them. As I was saying, being micromanaged is not for me, but I know that when my team lead does it, that is not how she sees it. For her, it is gaining a greater understanding and giving herself a refresher on the tasks that I do so that she doesn’t forget them if I ever am out of the office. However, oftentimes, I do not see it as her trying to take a load off my plate or giving herself a refresher but more as a polite way of telling me I am not doing my job. When I feel that way, it causes me to be less motivated to achieve my tasks if I think she is just going to backtrack and review all the things I have already done. This is why I believe that types of leadership are heavily dependent on the follower as well as what level the follower is at, whether it be a beginner and just learning the aspects or has been doing it for a while but an easier or better way has been found and then showing them that way to help them be more effective.

Leader-Member Exchange

Leader-member exchange assumes that a follower wants to constantly improve and, in a sense, succeed. However, that may not always be the case, and it could happen for many different reasons. One is that the follower is just fine with what they are already doing and is completely fine staying in that department or position for the remainder of their career. Second, when an employee wants to grow and move in a different direction, they decide to leave their current job. It all depends on the initial stance of the leader. If the person leaving never respected their leader, then leaving does not mean that they want to form a relationship with that leader, and in that case, it would not be an “improved career-oriented social exchange.” It would be more of an annoyance to the person. There was an article in my research that stated the following, “LMS is determined by a number of antecedents, and in turn, influences a wide range of individual and organizational outcomes” (Leader-member exchange theory: The past and potential for the future). This exchange really ties into our two other points because it brings back the concept that it really does take two or, in this case, the leader and the followers.

NR 504 Week 3 Assignment – Leadership Reflective Essay

To conclude, as I mentioned above, leaders need to take steps back and approach their followers in styles in which they can retain and like to be taught information, but followers also need to be willing to learn in the style that the leader is most comfortable with. As all parties become comfortable with one another, they are better able to communicate and give improvements for everyone as a whole without anyone feeling as though they are being attacked for how they complete things. At the end of the day, it is all about fulfilling the task at hand.

References

H Flashcards | Quizlet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://quizlet.com/476797941/h-flash-cards/

Liden, R. C., Sparrowe, R. T., & Wayne, S. J. (n.d.). Leader-member exchange theory: The past and potential for the future. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1998-07308-002

Mana 5345 – exam 1- Chapter 7 flashcards – quizlet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://quizlet.com/535200634/mana-5345-exam-1-chapter-7-flash-cards/

MGMT 475 exam 2 essay questions Flashcards – Quizlet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://quizlet.com/280013448/mgmt-475-exam-2-essay-questions-flash-cards/

Northhouse, P.G. (2022). Leadership theory and practice. SAGE Publications

Phillips, A. S., & Phillips, C. R. (2016). Behavioral styles of path-goal theory. Management Teaching Review, 1(3), 148-154. doi:10.1177/2379298116639725

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Question

The purpose of this assignment is to promote introspective reflection related to leadership competencies that positively
influence others and cultivate healthful working relationships. Students will reflect upon personal strengths and opportunities for enhancement with respect to leadership competencies and implications of leadership competency in the selected area of MSN specialty practice.