Running head: CORE COMPETENCY ANALYSIS 1

Core Competency Analysis

Jesus Gomez

Loyola University Chicago

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Introduction

According to Maggie Caravello, “Leadership is the ability to inspire others, whether it is

individually or as a team, to strive for goals that they might not strive for or achieve on their

own” (M. Caravello, personal communication, November 5, 2015). As this particular quote

points out, Maggie’s conceptualization of leadership highlights key components of several

important leadership theories and provides an insightful starting point for my core competency

analysis, wherein I will explore what leadership has meant for the Personal Development

Director at HighSight. Although her official position is not one directly located in higher

education, Maggie’s nonprofit work preparing high school students for their college experience

has a close proximity to the academic field and therefore lends itself well to this discussion of

leadership theories as they apply to settings of higher education. Specifically, Maggie’s position

as Personal Development Director has many components that not only embody academic and

personal leadership, but seek to instill said leadership, mortality, and ethics within HighSight

scholars. Therefore, the following analysis will highlight several programmatic components of

Maggie’s job (i.e. academic tutoring sessions, Junior leadership program, and study abroad

program) and examine the ways in which the goals of these programs mirror the foundations of

situational, path-goal and transformational leadership theories (Northouse, 2013).

Maggie Caravello

Selecting Maggie Caravello as the subject of my interview for this analysis was an easy

decision for me, as she has been someone I have known in multiple capacities and come to

highly respect for ten plus years. I first met Maggie as a seventh grade student when I was

introduced to HighSight, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to provide academic and

social support to Chicago high school students” through “scholarships, tutoring, mentoring,
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leadership development and college readiness programs [which] enable its students to attend and

succeed at the private high school of their choice” (HighSight, 2015). As a scholar Maggie had a

powerful impact on me and my peers: her ability to connect with students on an intimate level

was proof of her refined skillset as the Personal Development Director. My understanding of

Maggie’s leadership abilities and professional skills in dealing with students transformed once I

moved from a scholar to a colleague, which occurred this past summer when I was hired by

HighSight to be the Program Coordinator for the first and second year students. This latest

opportunity to work as a staff at HighSight has allowed me to experience all that Maggie has to

offer in a different light. In a sense that I now have the privilege to learn, and work, alongside a

professional who I have to come to admire since we first met in 2003.

Maggie’s professional career in leadership development started after she attained her

Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champaign, as she

moved on to spearhead employee leadership training through Dale Carnegie. Maggie’s

transition from working in the for-profit sector into the non-profit world occurred when she

accepted a position with HighSight that originally that focused on student leadership

development. The nature of her job has evolved through her twelve years as staff member,

though Maggie’s expertise continues to lie in strengthen student’s leadership development,

character building, and academic excellence. For these reasons, Maggie’s tenure at HighSight

and undeniable experience in student affairs work made her an obvious interviewee for this

analysis. On a personal note, I can confidently say that Maggie has played a pivotal role in my

own professional development, as I have come to clearly see my desired career path thanks to the

development and encouragement I directly received from Maggie and the other HighSight staff.

In this sense, the following analysis not only speaks to my growth and understanding leadership
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theories as they relate to student affairs, but I also believe that the knowledge that I am gaining

from this analysis adds another building block to my ongoing journey as I become the kind of

leader that Maggie has been for me.

Leadership Theories

The following analysis outlines three different leadership theories and locates them in the

context of Maggie’s job of Personal Development Director. It is important to recognize that the

following summaries of these theories is not meant to simplify or ignore the complexities that go

into each of the theories, but per the scope of this analysis, I will briefly address the key

components that make up each framework.

Situational Leadership Theory

The first theory I will review is situational leadership theory, which was cultivated by

Hersey and Blanchard in 1969 (Northouse, 2013, p. 99). Northouse (2013) writes, “The premise

of the theory is that different situations demand different kinds of leadership,” and that “to be an

effective leader requires that a person adapt [their] style to the demands of the situation” (p. 99).

Northouse (2013) continues to affirm, “Situational leadership stresses that leadership is

composed of both a directive and a supportive dimension, and that each has to be applied

appropriately in a given situation” (p. 99). These quotes point to the importance of context in

understanding situational leadership, in that a person’s method to leading is contingent upon who

is being led. In other words, “a leader must adapt to the developmental level of the

subordinates,” meaning that a leader who is able to acclimate the way in which they lead in order

to account for differences amongst those being led, even within a small group, embodies

situational leadership (Northouse, 2013, p. 137).

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Elements of situational leadership surfaced in Maggie’s interview during her discussion

about the Junior Leadership Program, which is one of the components that scholars have to

participate in the summer before their junior year. The seven week program was created by

Maggie herself and focuses on helping scholars become leaders, find their voice, expand their

comfort zone, and create goals personally and academically. The structure of the Junior

Leadership Program, which includes HighSight alum serving as mentors to the high school

students, is where situational leadership manifests itself, not only in how the mentors approach

the students, but more importantly for this analysis, how Maggie approaches her leadership style

with the mentors. Because most mentors are either freshly graduating from HighSight or recent

college graduates, they are in varying stages of development as leaders themselves and bring a

variety of leadership skill sets to the table. As such, Maggie must change and/or adapt her

approach when engaging with any given mentor during pre-training as well as throughout the

program in order to support each mentor with the appropriate level of guidance and training them

individually require (M. Caravello, personal communication, November 5, 2015). In this sense,

Maggie’s approach to training the mentors and building their leadership capacities is reflective of

the key components of Blanchard’s (1985) Situational Leadership II Model, which points out

varying levels of supportive versus directive leadership behavior contingent upon, “development

level of subordinates” (as cited in Northouse, 2013, p.100). Given that the Junior Leadership

Program’s mentors change every year, the continual investment that Maggie pours into training

each years’ mentors into aspiring leaders is a further marker of her tenure in leadership

development training and her ability to successfully navigate situational leadership. As I stated

before, I have had the privilege to have received this training and guidance from Maggie and

have myself observed her give that same training and guidance to other mentors.
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Path-Goal Theory

The second theory I will review is path-goal theory, which was influenced by Evans

(1970), House (1971), House and Dessler (1974), and House and Mitchell (1974) (Northhouse,

2013, p. 137). Norhthouse (2013) writes, “The stated goal of [path-goal theory] is to enhance

employee performance and employee satisfaction by focusing on employee motivation” which

leaders do specifically by “choosing behaviors that complement or supplement what is missing

in the work setting” (p. 137). By doing so, “Leaders try to enhance subordinates’ goal

attainment… by provid[ing] subordinates with the elements they think subordinates need to

reach their goals” (p. 137). Northouse (2013) compares path-goal theory to expectancy theory,

“which suggest that subordinates will be motivated if they think they are capable of performing

their work, if they believe their efforts will result in a certain outcome, and if they believe that

the payoffs for doing their work are worthwhile” (p.137). What makes path-goal theory unique

from others already discussed here is its focus on motivation, in that there is a constant

questioning from the leader on how they can continually motivate their subordinates to feel that

they can do the work and see the reward once they reach the intended goal (Northouse, 2013,

p.145).

The element of Maggie’s job that best relates to path-goal leadership theory is the junior

and senior academic tutoring sessions that she coordinates and supervises three times a week

during the school year. Specifically, Maggie’s interview brought to light Achievement-Oriented

Leadership, which is a particular component of path-goal theory that “is characterized by a

leader who challenges subordinates to perform work at the highest level possible. This leader

establishes a high standard of excellence for subordinates and seeks continuous improvement”

(Northouse, 2013, p. 140). While achieving the highest success is a general mission for
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HighSight scholars, Maggie’s responsibility in ensuring that students are equipped with the right

tools to achieve those standards orients her as a strong leader of path-goal theory. Her heavy

participation in the tutoring sessions allows her to not only assist students in identifying what

goals they individually must achieve (i.e. GPA attainment, school work/sports/clubs balance),

but more importantly, she provides them with the internal motivation need to see those goals

become realities; this process often occurs during one-on-one conversations between Maggie and

the students but is also aided by the confidence that she reinforces in students during general

tutoring hours.

Transformational Leadership Theory

The third and final theory I will review is transformational leadership theory, which

originated from the work of James MacGregor Burns (1978). Northouse (2013) writes,

“transformational leadership is a process that transforms people. It is concerned with emotions,

values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals” (p. 185). Transformational leadership is distinct

in that it can applied in smaller, even one-on-one, settings as well as in larger, more macro-level

settings, such as agencies or businesses (Northouse, 2013, p. 186). An additional point of

distinction, particularly between transformational leadership and path-goal leadership, is the

mutuality of impact that is found in transformational leadership. This is to say that,

“transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a

connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower”

(p. 186). Per the latter half of the above mentioned quote, transformational leadership produces

positive results in all parties involved, and is therefore not one directional like path-goal

leadership theory.
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This theory greatly fits with the mission and goals of HighSight as “transformational

leadership involves an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more

than what is usually expected of them” (p. 185). It is even more appropriate in describing

Maggie’s leadership style as Northouse writes that, “It is a process that often incorporates

charismatic and visionary leadership” (p. 185).

There are two elements of Maggie’s job that closely embody transformational leadership,

one of which is HighSight’s study abroad program, wherein rising seniors are funded to spend a

summer studying abroad or can opt to stay domestically in a similar study-oriented program.

While the experience of studying abroad in and of itself can have a profound impact on young

students, it is Maggie’s transformational leadership skills that enhance students’ understanding of

this life event. The pre and post reflection that Maggie facilitates for students and their families

provides students with a framework through which they can digest their experience. Maggie

carefully pushes students to consider the magnitude of what it means to participate in these

programs, in addition to what it means to grow personally while living in a foreign country away

from the support systems that have likely provided a cushion up until that point. In preparing

students, Maggie intentionally folds in dialogue about upholding morality and representing

oneself well in a positive light as student who participate in this programming necessarily face

new challenges and situations. Upon students’ return, Maggie pushes students to critically

reflect upon their experiences, both rewarding and difficult, in order to further develop students’

ability for self-introspection. Per her interview, Maggie is continuously reenergized and

invigorated by students’ transformation and development as upcoming leaders (M. Caravello,

personal communication, November 5, 2015)

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The other element of Maggie’s job that speaks to transformational leadership is one that I

touched on previously in this analysis, the Junior Leadership Program. In the context of

transformational leadership, the Junior Leadership Program is a space that more intensely

focuses on character development and self-efficacy, which Maggie directly helps facilitate.

Maggie’s approach to this program directly comes from her experience at Dale Carnegie, in a

sense that Maggie guides students in considering how their impending journey into adulthood is

best supported by their own confidence and ability to navigate life in high school and beyond.

Similar to the study abroad program, Maggie’s leadership with the juniors incorporates dialogue

around morality and ethics, as she seeks to empower students in navigating their own future

based on how they want to live their life. Through this work, Maggie finds herself again being

inspired by her students’ transformations, not only via the Junior Leadership Program, but

throughout their four years participating in the HighSight programing (M. Caravello, personal

communication, November 5, 2015).

Conclusion

Maggie’s experience with leadership development is undeniable. Through this analysis, I

have shown how Maggie utilizes different leadership styles to successfully accomplish the goals

of her varying job responsibilities. From the tutoring sessions, to traveling aboard, and to

specific Junior Leadership Programming, Maggie clearly has to embody different leadership

styles in order to meet HighSight scholars where they are at. In doing so, Maggie is able to

propel HighSight students forward, regardless of their starting points.

Though not detailed out in this analysis, the programmatic scope of HighSight is

relatively small compared to other organizations who seek to address student leadership

development, given that HighSight’s staff totals only four employees and provides programing
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for only ninety students. With this being the case, I wonder if Maggie’s approach to leadership

might look different in a larger organization whose outreach touches a larger quantity of

students. How successful are varying leadership styles in the work settings in which they are

delivered? This type of question lends itself to a different type of analysis, but provides an

intriguing idea to consider for a future project. Ultimately, I feel grateful to be able to witness

Maggie’s leadership styles as I continue to develop professionally at HighSight, knowing that my

own career path in Higher Education is but just starting.

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References

Northouse, P. G. (2012). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

HighSight. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.highsight.org/.