Running head: MODULE 2: LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 1

Module 2: Leadership in Practice

John W. Liles II

LEPSL 540

February 5, 2018

Gary Morrison
MODULE 2: LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 2

Module 2: Leadership in Practice

Leadership may come naturally to some and be a challenge for others. When leadership

comes naturally the leader may do what merely feels like the correct thing to do. They may be

guided by their morals, beliefs, ethics, and experience. However, the purpose of the following

assignment is to define the leadership behaviors or traits the leader is putting into practice.

Understanding different leadership behaviors and traits will help supervisors when faced with

leadership challenges. Not every encounter with co-workers, superiors or subordinated will lead

to positive outcomes. These encounters are called leadership challenges. When faced with these

challenges, as described by Kouzes and Posner (2012) leaders, “transform values into actions,

visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity, and risks into

rewards (p.2).” Therefore it is essential to know and understand the different facets of leadership

to be better equipped to handle those encounters.

The Big Five Personality Dimensions

When researching the different leadership behaviors in “The Art of Leadership and

Science,” we learn about the Big Five Personality dimensions. These are conscientiousness,

extraversion/introversion, openness to experience, emotional stability and agreeableness. When

examining the five personality dimensions, they are better described as defining what the leaders

personality is about. When asking a subordinate to describe their supervisor they may be asked;

are they open, do they engage with you or are they un-approachable? Are they likable, flexible

and organized? Are they positive or negative? Are they dependable? Most of these examples,

when cast in a positive light, tend to lead to the conclusion that the leader is conscientious, which

of the Big Five, leads toward more significant job performance (Nahavandi, 2015). These

behaviors can affect the way leaders interact with their subordinates and can be good or bad,
MODULE 2: LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 3

depending on the situation. Sometimes the leaders may not have control over these traits because

it is just, who they are. However, there are additional traits leaders can master and have more

control over.

Proactive Personality

We learn of two additional leadership behaviors besides the five presented, which are

sub-categories of the big five. There are of course many other examples. However, we will

examine two, which are proactive personality and self-monitoring. These two were specially

chosen to highlight because they might be most applicable when addressing the overall

assignment topic, which is how to best motivate others. We start with understanding proactive

personality. As stated by Nahavandi (2015), a leader with proactive personality “routinely

identifies opportunities, challenges the status quo, takes initiatives, and perseveres even when

blocked by obstacles…no matter what happens, that person stays positive and keeps going

(p.120).” Having a proactive personality tends to support the idea that the supervisor is

conscientious. Having a proactive personality will help the leader be organized and will

encourage others to be motivated to accomplish goals.

Self-Monitoring

In addition to having a proactive personality leaders must learn and understand their

environment. Theories have concluded that leaders have the ability to evaluate their situation

and change their behavior to better handle what is being presented to them. This principle is

called self-monitoring. An example can be described as merely “knowing your audience.”

Imagine giving an order or direction to a group of baby boomer employees. The leader may need

to provide only minimal guidance and know the task will be accomplished. Now the leader is

giving the same direction to a group of millennial employees. The leader would need to tailor
MODULE 2: LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 4

the way they present the direction to better connect with the group to ensure they receive the

message. This may be in complete contrast to the way they addressed the baby boomers. The

order is the same. However, they knew their audience and needed to craft a completely different

way to send their message.

Another example of self-monitoring could be in the way the leader interacts with

individual subordinates. Knowing their people will be an important step in understanding what

motivates them. The leader may have to craft different approaches, or behaviors, to increase job

performance and motivation.

Conclusion

Of the leadership behaviors and traits discussed self-monitoring and proactive personality

are the two chosen to help understand the importance of having leaders adjust their behavior to

motivate their subordinates. Of the Big Five Personality Dimensions being conscientious,

coupled with the personality traits, also lead to the overall goal of increasing motivation in

subordinates. In the end, it is up to the leaders to tailor their approach to ensure their message is

received and their subordinates are properly motivated.

MODULE 2: LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 5

Reference

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge (5th ed.). San Francisco, Ca: The

Leadership Challenge.

Nahavandi, A. (2015). The Art of Science and Leadership (7th ed.). Kirby Street: Pearson

Education.