Sat 05 Dec / Chapter 12: Leader and Leadership Development
- Think of a time when you took charge of a group, or when you were in a group where someone else took charge. What challenges did you (or the leader) face? How did you you (or the leader) accomplish the three tasks of taking charge? Did you (or the leader) pass through the stages described in the chapter? How successful was the leadership transition?
“Experience is not what happens to a man [woman]. It is what a man [woman] does with what happens to him [her].” – Aldous Huxley
According to our text, “leader development helps to make a person effective in a variety of formal and informal leadership roles. While developing leader abilities improves leadership effectiveness among those who serve in formal leadership roles such as supervisors, managers, and project leaders, it can equally as important in developing competencies for those who play informal leadership roles in their campus, community, workplace, or religious organization” (Hackman & Johnson, 2009, p. 370).
Leadership development can come from a number of experiences and activities we participate in at different times in our lives at work, at school and in our personal lives. When I worked for Classic Photography of SC, Inc., I was responsible for leading groups of 6-10 photographers at various events. One aspect of our business was to take graduation portraits at the ceremony. During these events there are many things to consider. Our team was always situated between the audience and the ceremony itself; therefore, we had to work hard to be as inconspicuous as possible and do our job at the same time. During these events we took several types of photographs: PR shots – which were shots of each speaker during the ceremony, headshots of students after they received their diploma, sometimes a group photo of the entire graduating class prior to the ceremony, and the picture of the graduate as they received their diploma. Taking this last photo sometimes involved standing on stage or on a stepladder just off stage. There were many factors to consider during the moment that the actual picture was being taken such as the facial expression of the graduate, direction the graduate was walking, speed of the graduation, the handshake, the swinging of the tassel, the camera function – f-stop, flash, timing, ISO, etc. Needless to say, the job could be highly stressful. In addition to taking the photographs, someone was responsible for making brief notes regarding the appearance of the graduate as well as making sure the recorder was working to record the names in order for us to match the correct name with each grad. Additionally, someone also had to be responsible for back up equipment just in case. There were also sometimes one or two more photographers taking shots off stage and another team member collecting name cards or the list as they were read. Timing and professionalism were crucial to our performance at each event. All of this process involved challenges that the team leader faced, sometimes varying from event to event depending on what problems may have arisen- employees being late or not performing well, equipment difficulty, travel dilemmas, changes in the names of the graduates, ceremony timing, etc.
The text identifies three main types of work of “taking charge processes”. In terms of being a team leader for graduations at Classic Photo, there was definitely a time for cognitive work. I first had to learn how the graduations generally went. Additionally, I had to learn how to take consistent, sellable, graduation photos, how to troubleshoot equipment issues, how to earn the respect of my team members, and how to approach faculty and staff at whatever high school or university we were photographing. Should a problem arise at the time of the event we were working, I had to think quickly to assess the situation and what could be done to correct the problem as quickly as possible. In terms of organizational work, we would always meet before the event and caravan or ride together. Either on the way or when we arrived I would brief the team on how many grads there were, whether or not we had to do a group shot and/or shot off stage, who would be performing what task, etc. Additionally, the team leader and members would meet briefly with the contact of the school to touch base, find out about any last minute changes or developments, and of course set up and check equipment. All of these factors allowed us to be organized and ready to perform together when commencement commenced. As far as the interpersonal process, we would often ride together and enjoy a meal together. These experiences were more relaxed and allowed time for developing relationships among the group in an informal setting.
As far as my experience in passing through the stages, I definitely did. I began working at Classic Photo as an event photographer and held this position for a little over three years before becoming the general manager. During my first six months in management at Classic Photo, I probably worked eighty hour weeks simply because there was that much to do. I then worked very hard to learn exactly how everything operated – our online business transactions, our customers planning processes, the steps each photograph went through after going to the lab, and the many other processes involved in running a regional company. After that, I worked a few less hours, but became more intensely involved in all of the processes of the company. Instead of learning how the business ran, I was taking steps to improve the performance of myself and its employees. I did not take part very much in the consolidation and refinement processes as much however, because I left the company to take a position with another company after managing Classic Photo for about a year and a half.
Through it all, I felt that my transition to a leadership position went pretty smoothly. The employees who were previously my peers reacted very cooperatively and I genuinely enjoyed my job.
