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 Well now that we’ve reached the end of the course, I can honestly say that there is no successful future in oligarchy organized models. I say that because things are changing to fast, things aren’t how they use to be and how can one leader have all of the answers? I think it has become quite clear that the bottom or the organization has most of the problem solving abilities and ideas already, the top needs to embrace that and create a working environment to foster that growth. Old leadership models will have their place, they’ll be used in organizations who cannot adapt, who cannot accept change and that will end up closed. Adaptability and growth are the driving forces behind any organization today. Not only do leaders need to embrace change, they have to understand that there is power in interlinking creativity. Yes, someone can still be the in-charge. The way to do that is through suggestion, drive, flexibility and idea motivation. Our reading said “from an organizational level, 360 degree feedback processes seem to be growing” (Obolensky, 2014). If getting feedback is so important now, how can an oligarchy model still be successful? When feedback is received, it cannot be dictated to be changed by one person. The change has to occur as a whole organization, through the entire organization.

Reflecting on traditional leadership from the perspective of complex adaptive leadership, address the implications and how they will affect you as a leader in the future. 

I see complex adaptive leadership being the new way of business. We cannot allow one person to dictate the direction of one organization anymore. Personally, I cannot even begin to think how I though that was okay nine weeks ago. That operating procedure is based on people never being wrong and leaders having all the answers. I now know that opportunity stems from interaction and information sharing across the company. Organizations can no longer place their eggs all in one leaders basket. We saw how that worked out for Home Depot when they resorted to a one man takeover. One piece of advice I found helpful this week is “Once you've got your plan in place, stick to it while being mindful that flexibility is sometimes necessary. You may find that different circumstances require a change in approach. Similarly, as individuals develop and mature in their roles, they are likely to require less handholding and more degrees of freedom” (Bvywate, 2012). That is the essential thing that we have to remember as leaders, flexibility and adaptability. Long gone are the days when one person was in charge and things are only done their way. Successfulness now comes from information sharing, coaching, adapting, listening and leading/following.

  

What impact will they have on your future strategy?

In my suture endeavors, I plan to encompass this philosophy in everything I do. Are there times where as the leader I’ll want to be correct? Most likely. I tend to have some control issues when it come to my role as a leader but when I look at the benefit of communication and complex systems, the benefits outweigh the need to be selfish. As a new leader I want to embrace change while keeping the culture of the organization in tact. What can sometimes happen is, new leaders get to zealous and loose their ability to connect to the workforce. They tend to forget where they came from. This also increases tension, decreases information sharing and allows an oligarchy model to creep back in. We have to be able to adapt and change based on the needs of our organization. I look forward to taking this information with me as I continue in my work. Complex adaptive leadership practices, here I come.

  

References

Bywate, L. (2012, April 1). The Flexible Leader: An Adaptable Approach to Managing Your Team. Retrieved October 6, 2015, from https://www.wjmassoc.com/insight/the-flexible-leader/

  

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership. (2nd edition.). London, UK: Gower/Ashgate

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Given the statement above what is it that coaches do to provide value to their clients?

I think there are a couple of things that a good coach can due to assist their clientele. First, they can explore the situations in depth through a question and answer session. Based on the results of that session they can make recommendations grounded in realities and using goal setting. Second, I think a good coach can look at a matter with a fresh set of eyes and initiate an objective to determine what restraints are holding the client back. Based on their findings, they can give direction and advice from a third party perspective. One source said this about coaching in the organization, “A company that is intentional about integrating a coaching culture as a comprehensive and enterprise-wide approach has the potential to move its entire workforce toward peak performance” (Greene, 2012). With that being said, organizations who are using a coach can accept that they need help and get insight to what changes and direction they should take.

Why is coaching a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy? 

I personally feel like using a coach gives a competitive advantage to the organization. By using or gaining a coach, they organization is saying “we need a fresh set of eyes on the issues here and we could use an outside perspective on the matter”. Strategically, they could also help identify some things that leadership might not have. Using the GROW model, they could identify areas of weakness, find out the goals and offer solutions to obtain those goals. Often times what happens is, companies (like people) become complacent and comfortable. They have lost the long term sight and direction of their organization. A coach can really help them get back on track. One source says “Coaching is used to increase management competencies and practices that facilitate the planning process can have a positive impact in making strategy development and implementation achievable with confidence, efficiency, and full use of organizational resources” (SIOP, 2013). All of those factors lead to strategic monetary gains for the organization. With long term planning, goals, and understanding in place, the organization is then set to thrive.

How can it make a difference in an organization?

Well at the current time we do not have anything in place at all. So to be honest, anything we do is a step in the right direction. Often times when controllers have been in a facility for awhile, they become complacent and under motivated. Their daily job is to show up and work for their eight hours and go home. There isn’t any specific reward for going out of your way to be a good controller and your boss isn’t likely to motivate you do go and better yourself. Like I’ve mentioned in the past, there isn’t really anywhere for anyone to progress to unless they are leaving the company. Once a person makes the manager level (if they even want to), there isn’t anywhere but the home office to advance to. So that really does limit the amount of motivation anyone might have. So based on the reading there needs to be a focus on people before anything else can begin. “This means there is an opportunity or need to develop people both in terms of their ability as well as in terms of relationship with them” (Obolensky, 2014).

What does this mean to you and your organization?

What this means to my organization is that we need to care a little bit more about the everyday controllers. How can we keep employees motivated when they do the same thing everyday at the same place? Generally speaking, each airport deals with the same type of traffic and the same users. There really isn’t any incentive right now to go outside anyone’s comfort zone to improve. I agree that organization’s can solve their own problems and that they can deal with their employees. However, I feel as though sometimes the organization has no idea that it has an issue or that it might need a coach to help it reach its best potential. We haven’t even reached the point of realizing out issues or understanding the possible options moving forward. This means that we have a long way to go before we are successful in maintaining and keeping employees engaged. This is important especially in long term planning and success for the organization.

References

Greene, B. (2012, December 12). The Power of a Coaching Culture on Organizational Performance. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from http://www.cpiworld.com/knowledge-center/white-papers/the-power-of-a-coaching-culture-on-organizational-performance

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.). Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing Company.

SIOP. (2013, September 14). Linking Coaching with Business Strategy. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from http://www.siop.org/workplace/coaching/linking_coaching_with_business_s.aspx