PROJECT FINAL

TITLE: Peaky Leaders

TEXT: According to Kevin Kruse, who is a contributor from Forbes

Magazine and also the founder and CEO of LEADx, leadership is “a
process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of
others, towards the achievement of a goal”. For him, leadership
has nothing to do with seniority or one’s position in the
hierarchy of a company, has nothing to do with titles and even
ever with personal attributes. About this last one, Kevin Kruse
says that leadership isn’t an adjective, and people don't
necessarily need to have extroverted and charismatic traits to
practice leadership. Moreover, he separates some key aspects
related to his definition of leadership:

- Leadership stems from social influence, not authority or power

- Leadership requires others, and that implies they don’t need to be

“direct reports”
 - No mention of personality traits, attributes, or even a title; there
are many styles, many paths, to effective leadership

- It includes a goal, not influence with no intended outcome

If we analyze what Kevin Kruse's said about having effective leadership,

there will really be some leadership styles that will fit within different
teams and different contexts. Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and
Annie McKee described six distinct emotional leadership styles in their
2002 book, "Primal Leadership." Each of these styles has a different
effect on people's emotions, and each has strengths and weaknesses in
different situations. Four of these styles (Authoritative, Coaching,
Affiliative, and Democratic) promote harmony and positive outcomes,
while two styles (Coercive and Pacesetting) can create tension, and
should only be used in specific situations. Goleman and his co-authors say
that no one style should be used all of the time. Instead, the six styles
should be used interchangeably, depending on the specific needs of the
situation and the people that you're dealing with.
“Sometimes a teammate needs a warm hug. Sometimes the team needs a
visionary, a new style of coaching, someone to lead the way or even, on
occasion, a kick in the bike shorts. For that reason, great leaders choose
their leadership style like a golfer chooses his or her club, with a calculated
analysis of the matter at hand, the end goal and the best tool for the job.”
- Robyn Benincasa

This citation exemplifies why the changing and choosing the leadership
style is a crucial perk that a leader MUST have. None of these styles is are
better than the other, determined styles just go well in determined
situations. In these situations there comes the importance of leaders in
teamwork, they must be able to adapt their leadership style according to
the context to work around the problem along with their team.

In other ways, the most important idea is that there is no right or wrong
leadership style. Every leader has their own unique voice and individual
approach to people and projects. However, it is important to realize that
different styles may work best at different times, and to achieve different
purposes.

Robyn Benincasa, from the blog Fast Company, shows to us the six
leadership styles that Goleman described in his study, as well as a brief
analysis of the effects of each style on the corporate climate:

Robyn Benincasa is a two-time Adventure Racing World

Champion, two-time Guinness World Record distance
kayaker, a full-time firefighter, and author of the new
book, How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership
Lessons from the Toughest Teams on Earth, from
which this article is excerpted. (Harlequin Nonfiction,
June 2012)
- The affiliative leader works to create emotional bonds that bring a
feeling of bonding and belonging to the organization. If this style
were summed up in one phrase, it would be “People come first”. The
affiliative style works best in times of stress, when teammates need
to heal from a trauma, or when the team needs to rebuild trust. This
style should not be used exclusively, because a sole reliance on
praise and nurturing can foster mediocre performance and a lack of
direction.

- The democratic leader builds consensus through participation. If

this style were summed up in one phrase, it would be “What do you
think?”. The democratic style is most effective when the leader
needs the team to buy into or have ownership of a decision, plan, or
goal, or if he or she is uncertain and needs fresh ideas from
qualified teammates. It is not the best choice in an emergency
situation, when time is of the essence for another reason or when
teammates are not informed enough to offer sufficient guidance to
the leader.

- The authoritative leader mobilizes the team toward a common

vision and focuses on end goals, leaving the means up to each
 individual. If this style were summed up in one phrase, it would be
“Come with me”. The authoritative style works best when the team
needs a new vision because circumstances have changed, or when
explicit guidance is not required. Authoritative leaders inspire an
entrepreneurial spirit and vibrant enthusiasm for the mission. It is
not the best fit when the leader is working with a team of experts
who know more than him or her.

- The coaching leader develops people for the future. If this style
were summed up in one phrase, it would be “Try this”. The coaching
style works best when the leader wants to help teammates build
lasting personal strengths that make them more successful overall.
It is least effective when teammates are defiant and unwilling to
change or learn, or if the leader lacks proficiency.

- The pacesetting leader expects and models excellence and self-

direction. If this style were summed up in one phrase, it would be
“Do as I do, now”. The pacesetting style works best when the team is
already motivated and skilled, and the leader needs quick results.
Used extensively, however, this style can overwhelm team members
and squelch innovation.

- The coercive leader demands immediate compliance. If this style

were summed up in one phrase, it would be “Do what I tell you”. The
coercive style is most effective in times of crisis, such as in a
company turnaround or a takeover attempt, or during an actual
emergency like a tornado or a fire. This style can also help control a
problem teammate when everything else has failed. However, it
should be avoided in almost every other case because it can alienate
people and stifle flexibility and inventiveness.

In my opinion, taking into account what I have studied so far about

leadership, while being genuine is an essential part of leadership, people
must learn to adapt their your leadership style as the business
environment, team members and goals change around them. Any good
leader uses a range of different styles at different times, even in the
course of a single day.

I’ve been thinking about someone who is the role model for a leader, but
it is pretty difficult. The major reason for that is because, in general,
leadership figures follow one kind of leadership style most part of the
time, and I’m too young to give a realistic example considering my
personal experience. However, I can mention Thomas Shelby, the main
character of the Peaky Blinders series, as an example of leadership.

Thomas Michael Shelby is the leader of the

Birmingham criminal gang, the Peaky
Blinders and the patriarch of the Shelby
Family.

Tommy served in World War I with the rank

of Sergeant Major and was decorated for
bravery. His experiences in World War I left
him disillusioned and beset with ongoing
nightmares, and he became determined to
move his family up in the world.

Thomas is a very calm and observant man,

showcasing his wit and ruthlessness to
anyone who threatens him or his family. He
is widely respected among his local
community and is seen as a dangerous foe
by his enemies. Under his leadership, the
Peaky Blinders have risen from a local
Birmingham street gang to a national
enterprise that has gone toe-to-toe with the
New York Mafia.
We can say that Thomas is a good
leader because, first off, he has the
natural respect of people in his
community because of his exploits in the war. Even though he's the head
of the Peaky Blinders, he remains and holds true to his working class
background. Being accessible is the most important characteristic that a
leader could have, mainly if the affiliate leadership style is chosen.

In general, he leads by actions and isn't one for words and grand speeches
unless required. On the flipside, while his mix of experience and his
intimidating reputation works well in the coercive/authoritative
leadership style and the ordinary men under him who are ready to give
their lives for him, he's a poor democratic leader with his tendency to
keep all his cards, motives, reasons and ultimate goals to himself and
demand for a 'no questions asked' attitude.

In my opinion, Thomas Shelby is a really better leader than others in

situations which get people on the nerves. The main reason for that is
because he knows how to guide people in moments when they are
thinking that everything could go wrong.

If we take to analyze the pandemic of coronavirus in Brazil, there will be

leadership situations that didn’t go too well in general lines. First of all,
according to the page Google News: Covid-19, Brazil occupies the third
place in deaths due Covid-19 complications. Does it mean that the
government's actions against Covid-19 were not enough? The head of
Brazil's government is Jair Bolsonaro, and if we look closer at his actions
in the beginning of quarantine, we will see that they it can’t be compared
to the actions of a good leader.

Several pages of the internet criticize the stance of Bolsonaro as

president during the pandemic. Gaspard Estrada, a specialist in Latin
American politics from NY Times Magazine, has written about the
emergency situation of Brazil early in the quarantine. For him, it seems
essential that the government take an emergency to prevent a COVID-19
from also becoming an economic, social and political catastrophe.

“The government of Jair Bolsonaro, however, is not embarking on this

path. Instead of being on Twitter, the president should be dealing with
the huge health challenge that his country faces." said Gaspard.

The president did not assume the role of head of state in the face of an
emergency and, instead of dialoguing with an answer to face a health
crisis together, he decided to continue his daily attacks on democratic
institutions in Brazil, on the left and on all those who disagree with him .
His decision to support a series of demonstrations in favor of the closure
of Congress and the Federal Supreme Court - violating the quarantine to
which he was confined by medical recommendation - provoked social
rejection.

Also in the New York Times magazine, there was the publication of an
opinionated video of a famous youtuber that sparked criticism about Jair
Bolsonaro's leadership in the face of the pandemic, calling him "the worst
Ccovid president in the world".

Felipe Neto cites Bolsonaro's defense of hydroxychloroquine, stressing

that “there is no evidence” of the use of the drug against covid-19 and
citing the imposition for the Ministry of Health to release the substance
to all patients.

Also remembered are the dismissals of Luiz Henrique Mandetta and

Nelson Teich from the position of health minister, temporarily occupied
by Eduardo Pazuello.
Then, Felipe Neto recalled Bolsonaro's statements during the new
coronavirus pandemic, as the death toll increased in Brazil. Among them,
“I'm not an undertaker, okay?”, “So what? Am sorry. What do you want me
to do? ” and that death is "everyone's destiny".

Bearing in mind that leadership comes from social influence, not from
authority or power, it is undeniable that Bolsonario has a great social
influence - so much so that today he is the president of Brazil. However,
when this influence is used to harm your team members, it disqualifies
anyone as a good leader. Hu Yiwei, from CGTN, appointed some motives
that lead Brazil to a calamity state.

- “Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who threatened to quit the

World Health Organization (WHO) recently over "ideological bias,"
has dismissed the virus as a ‘little flu’, and berated state officials for
imposing lockdowns.”
- The lack of a coordinated government response is the major factor
behind Brazil's rising fatalities, according to experts.

If I were Bolsonaro, I would strongly follow WHO recommendations to

Covid-19 pandemic. In my point of view, the best way to lead a very
unusual quarantine is listening to the advice of specialists from a global
organ of health. This is better than generating income by risking the lives
of thousands of Brazilians. Isn’t, Bolsonaro?
Until now, by reflecting and studying about leadership, I have learned
how important it is to mold yourself as a leader - trying to awaken the
best from your teammates. If I think about myself before I had become
familiar with the theory of leadership, I see that I used to just follow the
“flow” of both leading and being led. I couldn’t imagine that leadership
has such a complex theory, and if we can understand this idea, we can
could do a lot more with our team. Effective leadership begins with being
self-aware. This simply means that you need to work hard to intimately
understand your strengths and weaknesses, model ways in which your
values are congruent with your behavior, and develop a culture of respect
for yourself and for others on your team.

I used to define a good leader by differentiating it from the idealization

of a “boss”. As a good follower of Thiago Nigro on Instagram, I have
watched some videos which explain the difference between a leader and
a boss. According to him, in general lines, the boss commands, while the
leader guides. "The leader is almost a mentor, everyone wants to have
one because it makes you grow." - said Nigro. However, now I realize that
there is a galaxy of concepts included in the leadership universe , which is
exemplified by the styles of leadership, and to characterize a leader as a
person who guides others is a somewhat simplistic idea. Nowadays, for
me and summarizing, a good leader is someone who understands the
importance of being fluid with leadership styles in a variety of situations.

It's pretty difficult to put into practice what we learned in theory, but
knowledge is the first step of change. As I said before, effective
leadership begins with being self-aware. I’m going to try being more fluid
with leadership when dealing with to different team members in
different situations. The best way to deal with different team members is
to adapt your leadership styles according to minimalist social aspects of
each team member.

In conclusion, a good leader, first of all, is someone who knows how to

work with their your team members and how to fit in determined
situations. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do in several situations,
but a good leader is also someone who listens to you teammates in order
to find a solution due an issue. A good leader doesn't think that he is
better than your teammates. Is a good leader too who pays attention to
self-care, taking care of the team and care of yourself. Who understands
your limits and what can reasonably be accomplished in a finite period of
time. Is a good leader who identifies tasks that only this leader can
accomplish and delegate other tasks in ways that will engage your team
members and encourage their development. A perfect leader is someone
who can do all this just by changing their your leadership style and having
the same team.
References:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/#72bf201a5b90

https://intranet.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/755637/Six-Emotional-Leadership-
Styles.pdf

https://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them

https://www.inc.com/insperity/what-type-of-leader-are-you.html

https://peaky-blinders.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Shelby

https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

https://istoe.com.br/new-york-times-publica-video-opinativo-de-felipe-neto-sobre-trump-e-
bolsonaro/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvK6Y_txWEE&feature=emb_title

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-16/Graphics-What-s-gone-wrong-for-Brazil-s-COVID-19-
response--Rn0ZueKCMo/index.html

https://www.infomoney.com.br/carreira/a-diferenca-entre-um-chefe-e-um-lider-segundo-
thiago-nigro/

Photos:

https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/uZXjSnBdwoHXhGJ5jGApMg--
~B/aD04NDQ7dz0xNTAwO3NtPTE7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://media-mbst-pub-
ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-10/6a1f7580-e68b-11e9-8ebf-
8537b67a14b8

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-16/Graphics-What-s-gone-wrong-for-Brazil-s-COVID-19-
response--
Rn0ZueKCMo/img/259012cbcbfd413ca817d0d5819a6aeb/259012cbcbfd413ca817d0d5819a6
aeb-1280.jpeg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvK6Y_txWEE&feature=emb_title