Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper SKELLS 1

Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper

Stefan M. Kells

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

EDUC 5373 – Dr. Moore

Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper SKELLS 2

Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper

It is important to have effective leadership qualities in every industry. In the realm of

higher education, we are leaders to our students. We want them to be successful. We are also

leaders to each other, as we collaboratively find new ways to recruit, assist, and retain student

enrollment. Even though I have worked with students for nearly five years, I realize that I have

more to learn as it relates to being an effective leader in this field. I had the pleasure of

interviewing one of my former professors, Mary Linder, here at Grayson College. She currently

teaches history and government, serves as Grayson’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Advisor, as well as

the Texas Regional Coordinator for PTK.

Of course, every educator must be able to switch between leadership styles to be an

effective leader. Drawing on my experience as a former student, as well as the insight gained

from this interview, it is evident that Ms. Linder is a proficient team builder, coach and

motivator, and understands the importance of taking risks (DuBrin, p. 7-9, 2018). She has

passion for her students and their success. She believes that leaders need to meet the people they

are leading where they are at, instead of forcing them to meet the leader where he or she is

comfortable. Ms. Linder includes as much technology as possible into her interactions. For

example, she uses platforms such as Facebook, Trello (a project management app), and

GroupMe to communicate, stay connected, share leadership tips, and share political news. By

using these platforms, she also recognizes that what is posted matters to her followers.

As educators, we work with students from all walks of life. We can learn so much from

each other and different life experiences. “Diversity can be based on race, ethnicity, age, it

doesn’t matter what the diversity is” (Linder, personal interview, 2018). Leaders need to

understand that strength comes from diversity. Ms. Linder believes that a leader must be
Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper SKELLS 3

sensitive to cultural differences. She uses “timeliness” as an example when referring to

international students. Being on time is an American standard. When working with an

international individual who comes from an environment that does not embrace those standards,

we need to be sensitive toward them and help them transition to our culture.

Behind every great leader is the admiration of other mentors and inspirational influences.

Ms. Linder is no exception. Each great leader aspires to learn and emulate traits for their own

mentors. She identified two such individuals that have helped her as a professor and an advisor,

Dr. Glenn Melancon at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Dr. Molly Harris and

Grayson College. Dr. Melancon was her political science professor at Southeastern and has since

gained the respect as a professional colleague. She admires his knowledge, care for students, and

community involvement. Many encounters have the potential to become a lasting friendship or

learning practices. Such is the experience between Ms. Linder and Dr. Harris as they met through

Phi Theta Kappa. Dr. Harris has been a sounding-board in helping Ms. Linder as an advisor and

leader in PTK.

As I reflect on the interview, I realize that I have some areas I need to work on as they

relate to my leadership style. Notably, the desires of wanting things done my way. I have an

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) type of personality. It is easier to just do tasks myself

instead of delegating them to my subordinates. I have ways of handling situations and

completing things and when they are not done to those specifications, I feel frustrated. Ms.

Linder encouraged my continuous effort to avoid that type of behavior tendency. There are

multiple ways to get the same result. “The end product is that people grow, learn, and are safe”

(Linder, personal interview, 2018).

Innovative Leadership Case Study/Position Paper SKELLS 4

In conclusion, Ms. Linder confirmed that it is okay to let the ones you are leading fail.

There are lessons from failure that everyone needs to learn. She also advised me to be willing to

try something new. There is uncertainty and fear involved with the unknown because we are

unsure how it is going to turn out. She ended by saying that “in order to lead, you have to be able

to follow” (Linder, personal interview, 2018). There are going to be times where we are the

leader, but then there are other times we will need to follow someone else because they have the

skill and expertise for the that task.