PURPOSE STATEMENT

Purpose Statement Heather R. Anderson Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Schools of Graduate & Professional Programs OL 655- Capstone Symposium Rob Koonce and Stephanine Dustrud March 16, 2014

PURPOSE STATEMENT Introduction Leadership is not exclusively a human concept. Researchers have recently learned that elephant family groups led by more experienced matriarchs make better decisions. The accumulated knowledge of the oldest individuals may have an over-riding influence on the

effectiveness of decisions made by the social group as a whole and they highlight the vital role of such individuals in natural populations (McComb, Shannon, Durant, Savialel, Slotow, Poole & Moss, 2011). There has been an increased academic focus on studying leadership in the animal world in recent years. These parallels between leadership in humans and animals suggest common evolutionary origins, with the same morphological and behavioral traits predicting leadership across species (McComb, Shannon, Durant, Savialel, Slotow, Poole & Moss, 2011). My early interest in leadership was developed while working to better understand how to influence and interact with dogs. I have been a dog trainer since 2006 and have become an expert in recognizing leadership styles that people attempt to employ to motivate animals. Thoughtful observation of dogs and humans has given me personal insight on why animals connect and follow certain individuals and not others. This knowledge has directly influenced my own journey of leadership development. Whether it is the survival of a group of elephants, the relationship between a handler and dog or the success of an organization, an interest in better understanding of leadership in the natural world is at the core of my leadership style. I will share my purpose as a leader, my vision of how I want to influence the world, and how I plan to execute that vision. Meaning Ten years ago, my dog Carmen and I attended a class that focused on leash-free training. At that time I had an intellectual break-through that has changed the way that I approach

PURPOSE STATEMENT leadership. When I lost my physical ability to control the follower, I could only alter my own behavior in order to influence the behavior of my dog and help her understand my intentions. I had to motivate her in a way that worked for her. Early on in my leadership journey I was focused on the tasks and goals but didnt understand how to help others focus on those things. I

pushed people and I didnt get great results. The lessons I learned with Carmen helped me to see that I needed to control my own behavior before I could influence anyone else. Butcher (2003), the four time winner of the Iditarod sled dog race, writes about an experience when she lost the confidence of her sled team: Dogs forgive a few mistakes, but if you send them in the wrong direction too many times, theyll just stop. So I set out to regain their trust. I simplified my commands so I could communicate with them even more clearly than I had before. At the same time, I let them know that I trusted them that they could take the lead in the wilderness and challenge my commands if I put us in danger (Butcher, 2003, p. 44). This natural and mutually beneficial leadership relationship drives my fascination with the science of positive reinforcement and behavior modification. I seek to understand how my behavior influences those around me. I work to modify my behavior to alter the results that I can achieve. At the core, I lead because of my desire to connect with others and influence them to make the world better in some way. I am currently an Operations Manager of a local Petsmart, Inc. and manage 50 individuals directly. I became a leader within my organization because of my laser focused passion for excellent pet-related customer service and my ability to teach complex ideas in clear and fun way that leads to results.

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Authentic leadership is one description of how my values and principles connect with my practice of leadership. Avolio and Gardner (2005) share that current conceptions of authentic leadership reflect their conceptual roots in positive psychology and adopt a more positive focus on what constitutes authentic leadership development (p. 321). This type of leadership brings a greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors on the part of leaders and associates, fostering positive self-development (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 321). Selfregulation of behavior and a focus on the positive behaviors of others make it possible to develop an authentic organizational culture that meets the needs of most individuals. Vision I know that my purpose is to connect the lives of animals to the challenges of humans in a way that benefits both groups. Mittal and Dorfman (2012) identify the core characteristics of servant leadership as: egalitarianism, moral integrity, empowering and developing others, empathy, humility, and creating value for community. I connect on a personal level with these characteristics and my hope is to further develop them with experience and self-reflection. Using scientific research, innovation, and creativity to help people better understand themselves and the world around them is my vision for the future. Avolio and Gardner (2005) discuss that authentic leadership requires heightened levels of self-awareness. Self-awareness is not a destination point, but rather an emerging process where one continually comes to understand his or her unique talents, strengths, sense of purpose, core values, and beliefs or desires (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 324). My strengths and gifts align with any leadership role that allows me to educate and inspire people to improve understanding and performance. Sinek (2011) writes that there are only two ways to influence behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it (p. 17). By working as a leader in organizational

PURPOSE STATEMENT development, I will be in a position to develop the authenticity of the organizational culture and help others find a more inspired way to lead and work. Hogan and Warrenfeltz (2003) discuss the term self-awareness and determine that there are two sides to the concept. On one hand, one can be aware of ones identity how one thinks about and evaluates

oneself. On the other hand, one can be aware of ones reputation how others think about and evaluate ones behavior. We suggest that self-awareness involves bringing ones identity into alignment with ones reputation (p. 81-82). By providing information to organizations that develops cultural and financial goals, I can create an inspiring and beneficial impact for individuals and organizations alike. Practice As a leader, I can best impact engagement by helping my collaborators connect to my vision and make it their own. Communicating my passion for the cultural health and fiscal success of an organization is a primary focus when interacting with others. By building strong relationships based on trust, finding individuals that have values that align with mine, focusing on developing and educating those around me, I can create an organizational culture that will remain healthy and productive. Supervisors are supposed to make a big contribution to obtaining and maintaining healthy, well-trained, and efficiently working employees on a longterm basis by defining an environment in which employees can thrive and experience wellbeing (Vincent-Hper, Muser & Janneck, 2012, p. 664). Transformational leadership is comprised of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (Vincent-Hper, Muser & Janneck, 2012). It is my role to challenge myself and ensure that I am committed to applying transformational, authentic and servant focused leadership to my organization.

PURPOSE STATEMENT Opportunity for change comes in positive and negative experiences. Through struggle and failure it is possible to find innovative alternatives. In my current leadership role, I am currently focused on expanding the level of commitment from individual contributors. I am working to develop organizational connection for new hires through revamping the on-boarding

procedures, I am focused on renewing a culture of safety and I am currently developing a way to manage talent that allows more options for growth and development within the organization. Many of the employees within my organization are entering the work force for the first time. How they are treated, and the expectations that are set for them can help shape the course of their careers and their attitude toward work. It is a serious responsibility to teach young people how leadership in the workforce should operate. As a young person, I trusted several leaders who did not have my best interests in mind. I trust in leadership and did not perform at peak potential because I was disillusioned and under-motivated externally. I learned the wrong way to lead, and I had a hard time connecting to others in a meaningful way due to this influence. I worked to reframe my understanding of leadership and strengthen my skills to improve my impact. My largest responsibility to my collaborators is building trust and leading with integrity. By focusing on my leadership style and how my own behavior is perceived by others, I am able to maintain a strong sense of integrity and believe that I am a positive influence on those around me. Leadership that is focused on service, transformation, and authenticity allows me to remove personal feelings and pride. By committing to the development of others, I am able to find my authentic and most effective self. Recognition is a large part of development. By applying the concepts of positive reinforcement to interactions with collaborators, I am able to achieve great results. One of the ways I have taken initiative toward change is what I offer in terms of reinforcement. The

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standard reward has always been a free lunch or a soda. I noticed that these are not motivating to many of my team members. There are dietary restrictions, and there is less excitement around rewards that are too repetitive. Once, they win, then they arent as interested in competition. By offering motivators like picking shifts on Black Friday, making virgin margaritas in the break room, or choosing a small pet to take home. By considering what motivates the individuals I was able to restructure the status quo. I also looked at the ways in which employees are challenged or allowed to compete within the organization. By developing new sales contests, focusing on training and the benefits of our services, and by offering a variety of ways to succeed other than just straight numbers, more individuals are able to use their specific gifts and succeed. For example, we are currently playing sales BINGO. The team is competing against one another to sell specific items to customers that can drive overall sales. The level of participation is around 80% and there is a fun culture that has been created around it. Leading in a retail environment is challenging when considering the variety of individuals that are a part of the team. Motivation is also just as diverse. Finding ways to engage and motivate all of the team members, as well as myself, in an effective and efficient way is a daily focus. By learning about the individual, finding ways to serve, transform and build authentic connections, I can best reach the sales goals of my organization while maintaining a low turnover and high employee satisfaction.

PURPOSE STATEMENT References Avolio, B.J. & Gardner, W.L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16 p. 315338 Butcher, S. (2003). Build Trust. Harvard Business Review, 81(1), 44.

Hogan, R., & Warrenfeltz, R. (2003). Educating the Modern Manager. Academy Of Management Learning & Education, 2(1), 74-84. doi:10.5465/AMLE.2003.9324043 McComb, K., Shannon, G., Durant, S. M., Sayialel, K., Slotow, R., Poole, J., & Moss, C. (2011). Leadership in elephants: the adaptive value of age. Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1722), 3270-3276. doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.0168 Mittal, R., & Dorfman, P. W. (2012). Servant leadership across cultures. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 555-570. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2012.01.009 Raelin, J. D., & Cataldo, C. G. (2011). Whither Middle Management? Empowering Interface and the Failure of Organizational Change. Journal Of Change Management, 11(4), 481-507. doi:10.1080/14697017.2011.630509 Sinek, S. (2011) Start With Why. Portfolio Trade: New York. Vincent-Hper, S., Muser, C., & Janneck, M. (2012). Transformational leadership, work engagement, and occupational success. Career Development International, 17(7), 663682. doi:10.1108/13620431211283805