Why do leaders serve?

With Community Service Day coming up soon (Friday April 16, to be specific!) I would be remiss if I didn't use this space to talk a little bit about leadership and service, and ask an important question:

Why do leaders serve?

To be an authentic leader, we must value our surroundings. We must recognize that we are but a part of a large and complex world.

Leaders inspire, and similarly, service inspires us, too.

When I think about the importance of service, I'm reminded of a recent insurance commercial that shows one person doing a favor for another, inspring an onlooker to then do something kind for someone else, which inspires another onlooker to do something similar, and so on. The commercial is a valuable message. It shows that small acts of kindness and stewardship are often paid forward by those who witness and benefit from them.

It reminds us that we are part of a larger whole, and that as individuals we can have a powerful and dramatic influence on others.

It's like the "butterfly effect." Just as a butterfly in Japan flapping its wings can create an effect a world away, so too can our acts of service. Tragically, and beautifully, we often never know, or understand the full impact of our generosity.

Anyone who watches the news knows this world needs heroes--not just those who save lives and leap tall buildings. It needs individuals who will work together and leverage partnerships, building connections and networks based on the idea that we are stronger together than we are apart.

So what does this mean for us, right now, at UB and other universities like UB nationwide? It means we can, and must, take time to celebrate community, to build relationships, and to lead each other in small but important acts of kindness.

Consider signing up for Community Service Day, or joining in other revitalization and cleanup efforts in your community. Keep those butterfly wings flapping!

Visit www.ubalt.edu/communityserviceday to sign up for Community Service Day (deadine April 12).

Anthony Butler is Assistant Director of Leadership in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement.

Since 2001, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

SGA elections about more than just getting involved

After a long time away, the Leadership UB blog is back - with an important message!

Let's take a break for a moment from talking about the importance of developing leadership skills to discuss actually taking a leadership role.

If you look at billboards or read your Daily Digest (or stop by the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement -- which I highly suggest!) you may have noticed it's once again Student Government Association election season!

Each April, the SGA, which is comprised of the University of Baltimore Student Council (UBSC), the Student Bar Association (SBA) and the Student Events Board (SEB), recruits and elects new officers and members.

These organizations advocate for all UB students. The UBSC represents undergraduate and graduate students, the SBA represents law students, and the SEB develops innovative events and programs for all UB students. Filling these positions is vital to the ongoing success of these organizations and for the general welfare of all UB students.

Additionally, membership in these organizations is an opportunity to develop your leadership skills. As a member of our student government, you can effect great change for UB students. You have a chance to develop and execute plans, to create and promote events, and to use your influence to make a dramatic and positive impact. SGA officers also earn a stipend for their work and get a great resume boost.

If you think you may not have time for this kind of commitment, you are in good company. Many UB students work full times and have full lives and family commitments. Some of our most successful student leaders have balanced numerous other demands and still effected great change on campus.

So don't be so sure student government is not for you. If you are interested in being part of a successful team, and if you would like to learn important, hands-on leadership skills, then you will benefit greatly from being part of the SGA.

To find out more about SGA elections, visit www.ubalt.edu/elections. Applications are due April 2.

Anthony Butler is the Assistant Director of Leadership in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement.

Since 2001, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

You can't do it all yourself!

It's 3pm. You have an event scheduled for 4pm and there are a few things left to do:

• The food is being set up at 3:30pm. You've got to talk to the caterer and make sure they are set up in the right place and the right amounts of food have been delivered.
• Flowers are being delivered to the ballroom at 3:45pm. You've got to get up there to receive them.
• Someone from Facilities wants to talk to you about room setup
• You've got to put up "EVENT TODAY!" posters everywhere. Really, that should have been done this morning.
• Your guest speaker just showed up and needs to know where to park.
• The VIPs are starting to arrive (why is it the VIPs always get there early?) and a few other guests are already trickling in, and want to know where the nametags are, where the programs are, and where they are supposed to sit, and where...

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

..and you just lost it.

The above scenario is not only plausible, but it happens all the time and can be easily avoided through the simple and important art of delegation.

Delegation is like a pothole that everyone talks about but no one ever gets around to fixing. There always seems to be something more important to do. There's a reason for that: Nobody has delegated anything!

And the truth is, it's so easy! Communication is key. Engage the people around you, your members and constituents, and motivate them to achieve your group's goals--whatever they may be.

Not only can delegation preserve your sanity and prevent you from an explosion like the one described above, but it's critical to keeping your team together and operating with efficiency and a sense of urgency.

Think about it: If you are part of an organization or team that gives you nothing to do, would you stick around? What's at stake? Why give your time and energy to a cause you aren't connected to?

So often, we avoid delgating tasks and responsibility to team members because we don't want to burden or overwhelm them. But the fact is, if someone has joined your team, they are there to contribute, and actually expect to be a part of your team's success. If they aren't there to contribute, then they really shouldn't be there at all (but that's a whole different blog).

By not engaging all of your members, you are actually hurting your team. If you follow the old rule of "if you want things done right, you have to do them yourself," you will almost certainly lose your team (not to mention your sanity).

Below are some strategies to assist you with delegation:

• Create task lists for each event or activity you are coordinating. Include a column for "person assigned" and "due date." Once you have a detailed, concrete list of tasks, you can begin assigning those tasks and looking for the right individual to match to that task.
• Consider the talents in your group. Sometimes we need to take inventory and figure out the skills, talents and abilities of our teams. Do you have someone that's great at logistics and details? Great with publicity and promotions? A visionary thinker, or more of a rules and regulations person? Is everyone in the right place to best utilize their strengths?
• Give people the freedom to be creative--and to make mistakes. Avoid micromanaging, or giving instructions that are so detailed they leave no room for interpretation. Part of the excitement of working in a team is the diversity of ideas and perspectives people bring to the table. No two people will carry out a task in the same way. Give people the freedom to use their own approach--even if it means there's a risk things won't turn out exactly right. You will be pleasantly surprised what people come up with when they are allowed to engage their creativity and problem-solving skills.
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Take the time to review tasks with individuals and make sure they understand their part, and that they are integral to your group's overall success.
• Take time to debrief and reward group effort. Evaluation is an important part of any event or undertaking. Make sure your members are involved in the evaluation process to close the loop on any important issues and provide vital feedback on your event and activity. Just as important, take the time to recognize individual and group achievements and reward outstanding effort.

The next time you have an event, or any team objective, coming up, analyze your involvement. What's your stake? If you are a team leader, consider whether you are utilizing all of your resources--including the other members of your team. If you are a team member, consider whether or not your skills, talents and abilities are being put to good use.

Many of us have the hardest time letting go of ownership, but it is absolutely essential to do so if you want your group to succeed.

Anthony Butler is the Assistant Director of Leadership in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement. For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

The Task of Leadership by Dare K. Makun

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already."~ John Buchan

A typical day for most people usually starts out with an activity schedule, mostly detailing a step by step process of what we intend to achieve; in the same way great leaders create a vision and subsequently delegate the many facets of the process of achieving the vision to followers. I believe in life we make decisions good or bad that usually affects us positively or negatively throughout a life time.

I had the privilege of talking to high school kids from the boys and girls club about my experience in college; emphasizing the roles that peer pressure, life's challenges and will power, play in the whole process. This group of intelligent kids really showed enthusiasm about college life and in our quest to ensure an interactive session; we tried to ensure every kid participated in the process by encouraging them to ask questions.

The day started out with brief introductions from me, my colleague and the kids. We started out by asking each of the eleven kids how many of them will likely be attending college after high school, it was interesting to note that all of them expressed the desire to attend college after high school. My colleague and I talked about our various experiences at college; highlighting professors’ expectations and most importantly laying emphasis on the role personal responsibility plays in getting good grades and excelling in school. Unlike high school, where kids are often guided and chaperoned to do the right thing or even attend classes and do assignments as at when due; responsibility for doing these lie solely on the individual in the university/college. Through the help of a teacher at the center, we were able to depict this by effectively using everyday people and examples that the kids can easily relate to, further illustrating the point with short drama skits.

The kids had interesting questions, ranging from the meaning of grade point average (GPA); social life and academics to sports and how to pay for college (financial aid). Overall, I was highly impressed by the enthusiasm showed by the kids. Our role as mentors was to show that going to college was not only attainable, but getting good grades and excelling were realistic achievements regardless of one’s background. We were careful to note that school was not only about studying also; one of the kids specifically asked if we ever had best and worst days while in college. This gave us the opportunity to talk about campus involvement and the role it plays in personal development and enhancing one’s leadership skills. The kids were very excited to know that school was so much fun and they were really looking forward to getting into the university as soon as possible.

The immediate effect of this session I would hope, is the fact that it will make these kids do better in high school right now and strive for better grades or at least maintain good grades. We were careful to emphasize that the GPA at the end of high school plays a large role in the application process of getting into their desired colleges. Cleary this was a confirmation of the earlier stated quote; these kids were ready to “lead” their lives to achieve their personal goals even at a young age.

Leadership is therefore an innate ability that most individuals already possess, they just need to tap into their potential, recognize it and utilize it to the fullest.

Dare K. Makun is enrolled in the Robert G. Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore and is certified as an Emerging and Established Leader with Leadership UB.

For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

Embrace the ugliness of leading.

Calling all leaders!

I'm sorry this post is so long and coming. It's been a busy few weeks in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement, delivering great events and activities to the University of Baltimore student population and, more importantly, helping our students explore and develop their leadership potential.

That being said, I thought it might be a good time to talk about a simple fact about leadership that is often ignored. I've had the good fortune in my position to see teams throughout our campus functioning on a number of levels and accomplishing amazing things - reaching out to build community partnerships, engaging students in learning and fun, opening up our eyes to possibilities that were once beyond our imagination.

Our outcomes are often better than we could have possibly imagine. The benefits of leadership are many and often very satisfying. But nobody--nobody--wants to see how the proverbial sausage is made.

Here it is: Leading can get ugly.

We all know this to be true. We often encounter this at work, at home, or even on the weekend in that softball league or poker tournament. When people unite at a predetermined palce at a predetermined time to execute a predetermined plan, an X-factor is added into the mix that often sabotages our best laid plans.

Leading can get ugly.

The X-factor is, of course, other people. It is only natural, as you work with a team to accomplish a given goal, you are going to encounter resistence, disagreement, and yes, the dreaded conflict. But that's not so bad!

Conflict, or as the Social Change Leadership Model describes it, controversy with civility, is healthy, and in fact, imperative for teams. The last thing your team should suffer from is "groupthink" or likemindedness that leaves you closed to other, perhaps better paths to success.

Embrace the ugliness that can come from working in teams. Whatever you do, don't avoid it! Avoiding problems only makes them worse (trust me on this one!)

Have you ever been a part of a team, and worked diligently to execute a plan, when all the while you have an idea about how the plan might work better? Maybe you want to suggest the group hold an event in the evening instead of the afternoon. Maybe you think a mailing should be sent by e-mail rather than hardcopy. Don't be afraid to speak up, even if you think others may disagree with you. Often, especially in the midst of the planning phase of a project, team members can't see the forest for the trees. If you have an alternative idea, it's not only a good idea, it's your duty to share it! Good ideas that go unshared can hurt your team and lead to feelings of resentment.

On the same token, be careful about sharing alternative suggestions during the execution phase of a plan or an event. At this stage, you are putting your plan into action, and last-minute changes can lead to unnecessary confusion and oftentimes can't be implemented anyway. Ever set up an event and had someone say "you should have gotten pink tablecloths instead of blue" on the day of. How does this actually help?

Again, remember, it's O.K. if there's tension in your group, even passionate disagreement. This is a natural part of building a team. See Tuckman's Stages for more on the life cycle of a team.

Also remember the "curtain effect." So much of the planning process and execution of your project is often not seen by others who aren't "behind the curtain." Have confidence that even if the process needs work (it always does), that your team will deliver a winning result that will please all involved.

Realize that at the end of the day, leading can get ugly. But the results are well worth it.

Feel free to comment - let me know what you think and if you a have any good stories about the benefits of leadership that gets ugly!

Anthony Butler is the Assistant Director of Leadership in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement. For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

Great Minds Think Alike: Concepts of Leadership. By George E. Clark

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. This guide will help you through that process.

To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must, know, be and do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.

Definition

Before we get started, let’s define leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.

Bass' (1989 & 1990) theory of leadership states that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders. The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people.

Theories of Leadership

• Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. This is the Trait Theory.
• A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory.
• People can choose to become leaders. People can learn leadership skills. This is the Transformational Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this guide is based.

When a person is deciding if she respects you as a leader, she does not think about your attributes, rather, she observes what you do so that she can know who you really are. She uses this observation to tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. Self-serving leaders are not as effective because their employees only obey them, not follow them. They succeed in many areas because they present a good image to their seniors at the expense of their workers.

The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your organization. In your employees' eyes, your leadership is everything you do that effects the organization's objectives and their well-being. Respected leaders concentrate on what they are [be] (such as beliefs and character), what they know (such as job, tasks, and human nature), and what they do (such as implementing, motivating, and providing direction).

What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future.

Culture and Climate

There are two distinct forces that dictate how to act within an organization: culture and climate.

Each organization has its own distinctive culture. It is a combination of the founders, past leadership, current leadership, crises, events, history, and size. This results in rites: the routines, rituals, and the "way we do things." These rites impact individual behavior on what it takes to be in good standing (the norm) and direct the appropriate behavior for each circumstance.

The climate is the feel of the organization, the individual and shared perceptions and attitudes of the organization's members. While the culture is the deeply rooted nature of the organization that is a result of long-held formal and informal systems, rules, traditions, and customs; climate is a short-term phenomenon created by the current leadership. Climate represents the beliefs about the "feel of the organization" by its members. This individual perception of the "feel of the organization" comes from what the people believe about the activities that occur in the organization. These activities influence both individual and team motivation and satisfaction, such as:

• How well does the leader clarify the priorities and goals of the organization? What is expected of us?
• What is the system of recognition, rewards, and punishments in the organization?
• How competent are the leaders?
• Are leaders free to make decisions?
  What will happen if I make a mistake?

Organizational climate is directly related to the leadership and management style of the leader, based on the values, attributes, skills, and actions, as well as the priorities of the leader. Compare this to "ethical climate" -- the "feel of the organization" about the activities that have ethical content or those aspects of the work environment that constitute ethical behavior. The ethical climate is the feel about whether we do things right; or the feel of whether we behave the way we ought to behave. The behavior (character) of the leader is the most important factor that impacts the climate.

On the other hand, culture is a long-term, complex phenomenon. Culture represents the shared expectations and self-image of the organization. The mature values that create "tradition" or the "way we do things here." Things are done differently in every organization. The collective vision and common folklore that define the institution are a reflection of culture. Individual leaders cannot easily create or change culture because culture is a part of the organization. Culture influences the characteristics of the climate by its effect on the actions and thought processes of the leader. But, everything you do as a leader will affect the climate of the organization.

George E. Clark is a UB student in the Master of Business/Leadership and Organizational Learning program. George is working towards completing his Established Leader Certificate through Leadership UB and can be reached at: george.clark@towson.ubalt.edu

References
Bass, Bernard (1989). Stogdill's Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research. New York: Free Press.

Bass, Bernard (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 18, Issue 3, Winter, 1990, 19-31.

Blake, Robert R. and Mouton, Janse S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.

For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

Achieving Greatness: A Metaphorical View of Individual Differences. By Trevor Shylock

Situations and circumstances seem to take a large toll on people's feelings and thoughts. Why is it that some people persevere, while some in virtually the same circumstances fail? Like with any event, it appears to be a combination of both situation and individual differences.

Is that to say that those who "fail" could not have succeeded? Is that to say that those who have "failed" can learn from their experiences and eventually succeed?

What must happen in order to want to climb over and above the "failure" to reach success? Commitment, drive, favorable circumstances, trust, faith, openness, communication...? Also, who defines what "failure" is? One's failure may be another's learning experience. Personal reaction to seemingly unfavorable situations plays a large part in whether one has a "failure" or a "learning experience." For example, one person may get upset that they are being transferred to a different department because their performance wasn't great in their current role; while another person may see this as a much needed opportunity to show their true colors in an environment that may be of more interest to that person.

Furthermore, people can change. There is always a choice. Most people have a preference toward a given stimulus, but there is always a point in between stimulus and response where you can step in and say, "I choose to act this way, even if it'd be easier to do ____, or despite what other people think I should do." For example, you may have the idea to not pack a lunch for tomorrow and just go out to eat. It is at that point where choice comes in. You can
think to yourself, "is this going to help my goal to eat healthy?" If the answer is no, then you can choose not to perform that activity. It is easier to just get some fast food instead of preparing a meal for the following day, but you can stick with your goal and make that turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.

In fact, if you have well set goals for all of the major areas of your life, you can ask yourself the same question before you exhibit unfavorable behaviors (e.g., will skipping the gym today help my goal of losing 10 lbs?).

Changing can be like breaking a habit. Some people will need to gradually step away from the no-longer desirable act, while others can easily make up their mind to instantly stop. Still, others may need to replace habits with other, better habits. Encouragement or a support group may even be necessary for some. Is that to say one person is better/stronger/smarter than another? No, that just goes to show that everybody is different. And in order to help that person (or yourself), introspection is a great tool to actually discover what characteristics you possess, and the best ways to deal with them. This also involves bringing to the surface one's strengths and weaknesses and figuring out ways to appropriately deal with them.

It is in first understanding these differences that will start you down the path of making better decisions, achieving greatness, and foster stronger interpersonal communication; which is like a perpetual cycle of effective leadership.

Trevor Shylock is a UB student in the Master of Applied Psychology program and working toward completing his Established Leader Certificate through Leadership UB. He may be reached at trevor.shylock@ubalt.edu.

For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.