- In what ways does having more clarity about your values help you become a better leader?
- What is the difference between being deeply committed to a value and imposing your will on others? Why does a leader need to know the difference?
- What does “find your voice” mean in terms of leadership? Give examples.
- What value do you think is most important for a leader to have?
- In what ways does having more clarity about your values help you become a better leader?
Having clarity about your values helps you become a better leader because you must know your true self and what is important to you to be able to lead others and set an example (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). It allows you to discover who you are, which is essential because leading others begins with leading yourself (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Your values guide the decisions you make and how you interact with others (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).
- What is the difference between being deeply committed to a value and imposing your will on others? Why does a leader need to know the difference?
A leader needs to know the difference between being committed to a value and imposing your will on others. Being a leader is not just about the leader’s values, but the values of others as well (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). A leader and their constituents may not have all the same values, but what is essential is to communicate which values they have in common to conclude the expectation for the organization (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Having those conversations about shared values allows people to find significance in their work (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). You are only going to achieve your goals when everyone agrees and commits to the shared values (Dye, 2017).
- What does “find your voice” mean in terms of leadership? Give examples.
Finding your voice means discovering what is important to you and what makes you who you are (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). You must determine your values and what you are passionate about to strengthen your leadership skills (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Having confidence in who you are leads you to be an effective leader (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). You find your voice by allowing your values to direct you and sharing your values with others (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).
- What value do you think is most important for a leader to have?
Credibility is an important value for a leader to have because credibility is the foundation of leadership (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). People are only going to follow a leader if they are trustworthy, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). When your actions are consistent with your words, people are going to be more committed to an organization and feel a strong sense of belonging (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).
Dye, C.F. (2017). Leadership in healthcare. (3rd ed.). Health Administration Press.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
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In what ways does having more clarity about your values help you become a better leader?
Having more clarity about values, helps one become a better leader because those values will provide a basis for how the leader will carry their team (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). When a leader is certain about which values are important to them, they can perform and make decisions more consistently. By having a leader who is consistent and continuously acts on the values they hold, satisfaction among constituents will increase and a more cohesive team dynamic will occur. Additionally, when a leader clarifies their values and shares the values with their team, it shows team members what their leader will expect of them and what they can expect from their leader (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Once a leader has identified which values are most important to them, they must then “find their voice” to effectively share these values with their team members.
- What is the difference between being deeply committed to a value and imposing your will on others? Why does a leader need to know the difference?
In terms of leadership, “find your voice” means developing a leadership style which is unique to the individual and fully encompasses their own values (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). To be effective, a leader must be passionate about the values they incorporate into their leadership style, rather than choosing to mimic another leader’s successful style (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). If a leader simply chooses to base their leadership style off one they have seen previously, it is likely they will not be as successful because it will be clear to their constituents that the leader does not truly believe in what they are saying or doing (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). However, once the leader has found their voice and is able to lead in a way that is true to them and their beliefs, their team will enthusiastically follow along and be encouraged to clarify and share their own values. An example of a leader finding their voice, is one who values teamwork and creates teambuilding events for members to participate in. This leader has found their voice because they have identified a value they want to prioritize and demonstrated the importance of the value to their team by implementing a way for the value to be upheld.
- What does “find your voice” mean in terms of leadership? Give examples.
While it is important for a leader to clarify and uphold their values when leading a team, it is also important for them to understand that not everyone is going to prioritize the same values. For this reason, it is important for leaders to openly communicate with their constituents to gain an understanding of what values they hold and to identify any shared values (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Even though there may be differences in the values that each party holds, it is still possible for the leader to remain deeply committed to their own values. Being committed to a value means the leader can still behave and make decisions based on the values which they are passionate about while also encouraging and supporting the values of their constituents. On the other hand, a leader imposes their will on others when they expect all team members to uphold the same values as them without attempting to understand everyone’s passions and priorities. This is different than a leader who is simply committed to their values, and an effective leader must know the difference because when team members feel forced to adhere to values they are not passionate about, satisfaction, enthusiasm, and willingness to work hard will decline (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).
- What value do you think is most important for a leader to have?
There are several values a good leader should prioritize and uphold, but one of the most important values is collaboration. When a leader values collaboration it tells the team members that everyone’s ideas are important no matter where they stand in the hierarchy. This will lead to everyone feeling confident in their ability to share their thoughts and opinions when working to solve a problem or improve the organization. Additionally, by valuing collaboration, the leader and team-members will consistently be open minded when ideas are being shared. This is important because willingness to hear everyone’s ideas will help to create a solution which is beneficial to the entire team and most appropriate to address the problem being discussed.
References
Kouzes J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2017). The leadership challenge (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
