My Reflection on Meeting this Outcome

My first artifact, Style and Trait as Components of Solid Leadership, is a paper that addresses leadership
traits that separate leaders from non-leaders. There are six traits, which separate leaders from nonleaders: drive, the desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge
of the business (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991). At their core, good leaders strive to have a people-first
attitude, a humble spirit, consistent values, a clear mission and purpose, and an insatiable curiosity
(Garnett, 2015). Leaders who place great value on their level of achievement are ambitious individuals
who need to maintain a high level of energy to keep up with the many demands they encounter on a daily
basis. Some people want to be in leadership positions so they can acquire power, and others acquire
power as a means to achieve desired goals or fulfill a vision (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991). If a leader
hopes to build strong working relationships with their followers, honesty and integrity must be values that
are practiced daily. At the first sign of distrust, the leader begins losing their ability to lead effectively,
and must begin a long process of regaining the confidence that was lost. An effective leader must be a
proactive decision maker that is not afraid to take action when situations arise, and follow through with
any programs or interventions that are implemented. Quality leaders must also possess a certain level of
cognitive ability and knowledge of the business. Those who follow look to their leaders for information
when they do not have the desired knowledge; and therefore, the effective leader must be able to be to
deliver the information with confidence. The traits described above must be developed into the
appropriate leadership style in order to ensure effective leadership.

My second artifact, Organizational Politics and Decision Making, demonstrates how effective leaders are
able to facilitate change by developing highly effective decision making criteria, utilize critical and
systems thinking skills, and use organizational politics to their advantage. A refined critical thinker raises
vital questions and problems, gathers and assesses relevant information, thinks open-mindedly, and
communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems (Paul and Elder,
2006). Why? is the most powerful question you can ask during the critical thinking process (Kallet,

2014, p. 33). Asking this question at the beginning of the decision making process helps the
organizational leader narrow his or her focus and identify the specific goal they are trying to reach. In
addition to asking why, a leader must also ask the following questions: What decisions need to be made,
who the active participants will be, how will members of the organization execute the decision, and when
will they make and execute the decision (Blenko, Mankins, and Rogers, 2010). The ultimate goal of any
organizational decision is for the result to have a positive effect in regards to finances, morale, and overall
production. Organizational politics are activities that are not required as part of an individuals formal
role but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within
the organization (Robbins, Judge, Millett, and Boyle, 2013, p. 351). Organizational politicking is a
necessary skill that requires focus, control, and determination if it is to be used effectively. Although the
goal of the leader is to influence those around him or her to initiate change, they should not attempt to
exert influence under all circumstances (March, 2013). The most effective practitioners of organizational
politics know how to let those around them feel as if they are an important part of the decision making
process. This can be achieved through influence or it can occur organically as a result of quality
leadership. If the leader is focused on business objectives, they are able to use politicking as a means of
initiating change while simultaneously inspiring action and building relationships within the organization.

My third artifact, Impacts of Change within HCC Football, discusses having a vision to shape the future,
goal setting, and foresight. Dr. McConkey (2012) stated that we should decide what the future should
look like and devise a plan to get there. Kim (2002) suggests that leaders must see the world from higher
levels of perspective and have the skills and abilities to act in a creative, reflective, and generative mode.
Being able to creatively communicate the vision of the organization is a key component to effective
leadership, and understanding that the successful implementation of the vision can require adjustments to
conflict and resistance along the way is imperative. A good leader develops new ways of working within
the organization to define the goals and objectives, and learn new ways of addressing conflict (Anderson,
2015). Setting goals and establishing a detailed plan gives the entire organization direction, and allows it

to work in creative ways to accomplish the goals that have been set. As a result of this interdependent
relationship, leadership can be seen as a group effort, which assists in directing activity, decision-making,
goal-setting, communicating, adjudicating conflict, and maintaining the enterprise (Hollander & Webb,
1955; Kouzes & Posner, 1987).

My fourth artifact, Organizational Development Executive Summary, demonstrates how highly effective
leaders develop the people within their organizations. Developing people within an organization requires
authentic leadership. A leaders behavior must be perceived as authentic, genuine, and sincere so it can
inspire trust and confidence from others in their organization (Bolander, Satornino, Hughes, & Ferris,
2015). When a leader is sincere about the well-being of their employees, they can expect better
productivity, higher employee retention, and a more positive culture within the organization. Companies
that engage their staff through freedom, inclusion, and shared responsibility are more apt to have happy,
motivated employees (Sawa & Swift, 2013). When employees are motivated and generally happier with
their work experience, positive leaders begin to emerge. This positive leadership coming from within the
workforce can encourage others to become more involved employees; and as a result, lessen the amount
of leadership needed from those further up in the hierarchy. Charismatic leaders try to transform the
needs, values, preferences, and aspirations of their followers from self-interests to collective interests
(Shamir, House, & Arthur, 1993). In order for this to occur, the effective leader must be a great
communicator. Clear, honest, and direct verbal interactions with employees set the tone for what is
expected within the organization and creates a culture of workers that are able to effectively execute their
work responsibilities. In addition to developing the individuals within an organization, it is important to
build organizational teams as well. High functioning teams are valuable resources for an organization.
As with other interventions, team building activities need to be carefully planned out with desired
outcomes clearly defined. If the goal of the team building activities is to build more of a family
atmosphere within the organization, the process will look much different than if the goal is to build high
functioning teams within the organization in an effort to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of

organizational processes. Belonging to a team, in the broadest sense, is a result of feeling part of
something larger than yourself. It has a lot to do with your understanding of the mission or objectives of
your organization (Heathfield, 2015, p. 1).

My Future Learning Goals as Related to this Outcome:

The artifacts and reflections presented above provide insight into what I believe an effective leader must
be. As I continue to develop as a leader, I must routinely set and adjust my professional goals, embrace
additional educational opportunities in the leadership field, learn from those I am in contact with on a
daily basis, encourage constructive criticism from my peers, seek challenges outside of my comfort zone,
and help develop future leaders. In addition; I will begin to read the collection of autobiographies I have
accumulated over the past 10 years, including:
1. A Coaches Influence: Beyond the Game by Grant Teaff
2. No Excuses by Charlie Weiss and Vic Carucci
3. Leadership Fitness by Homer Rice
4. Called to Coach by Bobby Bowden
5. The Power of Positive Coaching by Raymon Nakamura
6. Become the Coach You Were Meant to Be by Paul J. Meyer
In addition to the resources listed above, I will continue to increase my role in the American Football
Coaches Association as a member of the professional development series. As I continue to develop my
leadership skills and style through the means listed above, I hope to find an opportunity to interview and
be offered a head coaching position at the collegiate level following the upcoming football season. If this
opportunity does not present itself, I will continue to pursue an assistant coaching position at the NCAA
Division I level.