Collapse SubdiscussionDyan Babbitt

Dyan Babbitt
Jan 24, 2022Local: Jan 24, 2022 at 3:50pm<br>Course: Jan 24, 2022 at 4:50pm
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Sociability is an important trait in leadership. According to our textbook, sociability is a leader’s

inclination to seek out pleasant social relationships (Northouse, 2018). To me this means you
must be able to listen to your followers and be able to build and maintain respectful relationships
with your team. Intelligence, self-confidence, determination, and integrity also work together to
create the ability for a good leader (Northouse, 2018). Developing sociability might be
challenging for some and everyone will have a different approach based on their personality.
Listening includes more than what someone says, it is also body language and I think it is a main
way to develop sociability.
I think taking an interest in another’s life will make communicating more productive and easier
for each other to want to listen to what someone has to say. I am all about enthusiasm in the
workplace, sometimes you leave the mess at the door and jump in and smile. It is hard to have
enthusiasm all the time, but when the energy is good and the environment is light, it is just easier
to be social and helps facilitate relationship building. Not every leader needs to be over the top
charismatic, if the openness and friendliness is happening the way they know how. Some quiet
people I work with benefit from us building a relationship with them in a way that is comfortable
with that person. Off the top of my head, I think of President Obama. He was sociable and easy
to relate to. Obviously, I have never had a conversation with him, but I read an article about
teachers having a meeting about issues in the school system and it secured my thoughts about
how easy it was to talk to him and how it changed their perceptions of them simply by having a
conversation (Lapan, 2012). To me, this is what I think of when I think leadership; the ability to
listen and to make relationships with the team.

Lapan, T. (2012, August 24). Teachers discuss education with Obama, say he is 'easy to talk to'.
Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2012/aug/24/teachers-discuss-education-obama-say-he-easy-talk/
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.

OGL 300 Theory and Practice Oof Leadership