Week 1 (Part I): June 6th

Wed, 6 Jun 2018 11:44:45 GMT

As you craft your response and engage in discussion with others, consider the items below:

1. Reflect on your supervisory/managerial experience and think of a time when you dealt with a difficult direct report (can be a student staff or professional staff member). Share this experience (if you are comfortable), how you managed it, and the end result.

2. Alan Willett says, “Choose not just the call to leadership; choose the call to exceptional leadership” (pg, 4). What are your thoughts on this and how can professionals in our field take strides towards being exceptional leaders, outside of what Alan Willett says?

3. Complete the reflection activity on page 49 of the text and share your self-rating to the exceptional mindset keys below (if you are comfortable). Any initial thoughts on your self-rating?

1. Appreciate the diversity of every leaf.

2. Start with the belief that everyone has good intentions.

3. Accept reality but do not let reality define me.

4. Set the high bar for excellence that people desire.

5. Understand the power of gelled teams.

6. Treat trouble as information-rich data

7. Own your leadership power.

Wed, 6 Jun 2018 16:18:20 GMT

1. I love having answers for people but I am also a processor. There are times that I have to really think through my decisions before I make them. So when I am asked on the spot questions, I sometimes panic because I know they want the answer immediately but my mind has not been able to process what has been said, what prior experience I have had with the scenario presented and what outcomes I may be aware of that could work in the situation. I have had a team member who asks questions and wants backs me into a corner for immediate answers and with this person I have panic'd, a lot. At first I started making up answers because in my mind, that is what they wanted, just an answer. As I started to learn this person more, I started to learn what I needed in moments with them especially when they were asking questions that I perceived they wanted immediate answers for. I began to stop and think (not for their sake but for mine) and then let them know that I did not have an answer for them in the moment but would get back with them when I did have an answer. This helped me so much and I have carried that on into today. Asking them to wait for answers helps me to process, not give false information, helps me not to panic and helps me know that I don't have to have all the answers. I believe it also helps my team to have some patience and understand that their supervisor is taking time to get things correct for them.

Wed, 6 Jun 2018 23:23:27 GMT

2. When looking at Alan Willett's four facts about leadership in order to be an exceptional leader, the one that stood out to me the most was "whatever you lead, leadership is about leading people" (p. 4). Leadership of people is not just about getting things done, "but to lead others to accomplish great tasks" (p.10). I feel that this is an important step to be an exceptional leader instead of just a leader. Especially on a project that might not be the most appealing or a project that has been done many times, if the leader's mindset is just to check items off of a list when they're completed, those in the group would not get a fulfilling experience and the quality of work could suffer as a result.

Wed, 6 Jun 2018 23:59:29 GMT

1. When I think about my managerial/supervisory, I like to be fair and direct with my staff. I had a very negative experience with a former supervisor that made me really think about my supervisory style. From that experience, I truly did a lot of reflection on things I wanted to do with my staff and what I wouldn't do. When I think of a good supervisor, I think of someone who is approachable, willing to have dialogue, and wants to see their employee grow/develop. The section 'Watch Your Proteges Excel' really stood out to me because I truly enjoy seeing my employees excel. Recently, my Assistant Residence Director got an RD position out in Utah. For the entire academic year, I worked with her to develop her skills so she would be able to stand out during her search process.

Thu, 7 Jun 2018 23:00:22 GMT

When I was reading through the exceptional mindset keys, I was really struck by the last one: "Own your leadership power." I had heard some variation of the other ones before, but not this one. At least not in a way that spoke to me with regards to supervision. When there's a lot going on (and when isn't there?) supervision can feel like one more thing we have to do. But when thinking about the long-term benefits of supervision and the kinds of results exceptional leadership can bring, it feels much more exciting and energizing. I am excited to focus more on this mindset moving forward.

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 20:00:29 GMT

2 - I love the quote “Choose not just the call to leadership; choose the call to exceptional leadership”. I think we as professionals in student affairs need to go beyond simple leadership and always strive for exceptional leadership. This can be taken in several ways but what comes to mind when thinking of this is going beyond the everyday tasks that we do with students and making THEIR experience on campus exceptional; one that they will remember and be proud of. This quote will also be helpful for me when advising student leaders through our RSA organization; how can you (student leader) be exceptional in leading your organization and working with other students?

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:00:56 GMT

The question asked after the self-rating exercise is "How do you confirm if you are correct in your self-rating". For me, that is the most difficult and telling part of the exercise - you have to find individuals who you trust that are respected on your campus and/or are respected within the field to bounce your ideas off of. Their response will help you confirm those ideas. Many times your boss or your subordinates will not have the unique knowledge visible only for your perch to be able to assess the data; more so, the data inputs they have may be fighting against the information.