OGL 300 PAPER 7 1

OGL 300 Paper 7

Joshua Paz

OGL 300

Jules Klagge, Ph.D

February 24th, 2023

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OGL 300 Paper 7

Part One:

Throughout leadership journeys, some aspects will be understood from the beginning,

whereas other traits, skills, and behaviors will need to be learned through trial and error over

time in order to hone legendary leadership abilities. The trait approach of leadership contains

basic aspects that can be built upon when establishing the foundation to one’s leadership style.

There are five traits that can reside at different levels and be built upon as the experiences begin

to roll in. One’s intelligence will be measured by an ability to problem solve and handle

challenging opportunities in a professional manner with little to no faulter or hesitation. The self-

confidence needed to lead others with an understanding of oneself is detrimental to the

leadership aspect. How can you nurture confidence in others if you yourself are lacking? Failure

is inevitable. Determination, however, is a choice. When failure occurs, the integrity necessary to

hold yourself accountable is a strong ally in the leadership role. Lastly, engage with the people

you work with. Be sociable. Who knows, you may even find that your followers have

undiscovered skills that will help you or themselves, progress.

Some leadership skills can be useful tools to work with varying situations. A leader who

is knowledgeable with technology and can proficiently lead a team through technical obstacles or

teach new technological approaches, will not only stay ahead of the curve, but maintain the

respect of the followers by maintaining a knowledge that the followers must also maintain. Being

able to read people and lead individuals of all walks of life is such a powerful leadership skill.

Diversity is only becoming more and more prevalent in the workplace as the years progress. The

ability to adapt and communicate seamlessly with anyone regardless of age, gender, culture, or
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even language barrier, shows peak “people skills.” Ideas are the seeds to the future progressive

processes. Without ideas, we as a people would be stuck in the stone age. A leader’s ability to

take ideas, formulate a goal and or plan to get from idea to fruition is a conceptual aspect that

leaders need in their arsenal of tools.

Leadership isn’t a singular state of being, leadership is a fluid and organic flow of

transitions and adaptations that are necessary for each individual situation. A snowflake does not

form the same way every time, in fact, no two snowflakes are similar. This is the same for

leaders and their approaches. “The essence of leadership behavior has two dimensions-task

behaviors and relationship behaviors” (Northouse, 2021, p. 85). Depending on the situation, the

leader may be focused on completion of a task which requires a “Path-Goal” approach. Let’s say

there is a need for a stronger connection between the leader and those being lead; relationships

become a primary behavioral focus for the leader. It all depends on the situation.

When leading, how the leader approaches different situations is tactful and methodical.

This situational approach is dependent on the leader and how they are supporting their followers.

When the followers need little direction, the leader might delegate and just step back. If the

situation calls for a heavy amount of direction and a need for support from the leader, there is a

coaching approach that should take place. Each situation is different, the adaptability of the

leader is critical for efficiency and success.

I feel as though Path-Goal theory is just a depiction of how a leader creates a plan and

executes said plan while maintaining a heavy focus on the motivation of the followers. The

leader is expected to know the followers, know the goal, and know how to mitigate any

challenges that arise.

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When a leader finds individual connections with each follower, this is a high-quality

connection and contains a stronger amount of trust and respect. If there is little to no connection

between the leader and the follower, they are practically strangers and there is an opportunity for

trust to be built. The Leader-Member Exchange Theory focuses on how and why a connection

between the followers and the leader is a positive attribute for organizations. “Leadership

development emphasizes that leaders should develop high-quality exchanges with all of their

followers rather than just a few” (Northouse, 2021, p. 162).

When looking to lead in a manner that not only betters the leaders’ position but also

betters the position of the followers, this can be categorized as Transformational Leadership.

When a leader not only wants to help lead but also change and transform the lives of those being

lead, a beautiful coaching experience comes into view. In the text it says “…transformational

leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that

raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower” (Northouse, 2021,

p. 186). Morality is not only underappreciated, but it is seemingly low on the priority level for

many leaders as of late. The morals of people can greatly affect the productivity and quality of

work produced.

Sometimes leadership and management seem to be on a similar playing field. Authentic

Leadership has become visible among the Baristas at each individual Starbucks. There was a

period where I was working at different stores quite frequently. While working at different

stores, I noticed how each store had a specific attitude to it. There was a drive through store that

had a hardened attitude and a reputation of being a bit forward and somewhat unapproachable.

This was understandable considering how the manager was a perfect representation of the store’s

atmosphere. The same could be said for a store that I worked at that had a manager who had a
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heart of gold. All of the workers at this store were considerate, sincere, kindhearted, and genuine.

Once again, a representation of the present leader. My point is, the authenticity of each leader

bleeds through the followers into the work and ultimately affects the business, whether that be a

positive, neutral, or negative outcome is dependent on the leader.

When a leader strives to serve others first this is a representation of Servant Leadership. I

feel as though I can best parallel this to my work at Starbucks. I have made it somewhat of my

mission to develop those around me and make sure they are taken care of; whether that is having

a fun-filled day at work or educating them on the benefits that the company provides which they

could be taking advantage of.

Adaptive Leadership is such a fun and challenging style of leadership. When a leader is

faced with ambiguous circumstances, they need to apply some adaptability and change the

approach in order to navigate the situation with minimal carnage… so to speak. I feel the

pandemic was a large situation that required many leaders to adjust strategies and adapt to new

criteria.

Part Two:

Adaptive leadership is my bread and butter. With the Starbucks life that I have been

living since 2006, the job never cease to amaze me with the continuous change and surprises that

are constantly thrown our way. The “Psychotherapeutic Bias” (Northouse, 2021, p. 286) talks

about the people being lead and how the leader needs to be focused on their mental wellness and

manage challenges in order to alleviate any would be stressors. THIS. IS. EVERY. DAY.

Starbucks has such a diverse atmosphere and with that, the employees are constantly throwing

curveballs. Employee call outs are a regular occurrence at every store and the stores that don’t

see as many call outs are experiencing a period of “Zen.” Through all of these challenges that
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arise on a daily basis, the leadership requirement is first focused on the partners (employees). We

as leaders (well, the good ones…) asses the situation and adapt to the circumstances. If there is a

call out, we look at the roster and see who’d be willing to stay and help out and who would not

be able to handle the stress of an extended shift. From here, we then assess the layout of the

floor, who is where, who can pick up the slack, and who is going to break down. This is all

evidence of a reactionary leadership moment. When we are striving to be proactive, we will set

ourselves up with Transformational leadership.

Transformational Leadership is a style that has risen to the top of my leadership styles

due to the knowledge and experience I have acquired over my 16 plus years with the company. I

am now seeking opportunities to build capabilities in those around me. I have successfully

trained and developed over 12 shift supervisors and 3 store managers. When using

transformational leadership, I feel as though I am being proactive and creating individuals who

are mentally ready for any ambiguous situation that WILL arise.

Part Three:

Servant leadership is my first thought. If I am serving those who I am leading, they

should be growing and developing into better versions of themselves. I will always lend an ear to

those who are struggling in their role. I want to learn as much as I can from them so I can find

how best to help and serve them. I also feel that there are employees that suffer silently. I pride

myself on being hyper aware of those around me and their mental stability. If I feel as though

someone is not themselves, I communicate and show sincerity, so they know I come in peace.

Too often we as people fall back on the defensive when approached with concern about our

character or attributes thereof. These moments of individual connection help breed a bond of

trust and respect.

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Respect is a huge aspect of trusting those around you. When creating bonds with

followers, the leader-member exchange helps identify where the relationship is and the level of

the bond between the follower and the leader. From here we can identify whether or not it is

appropriate to reach out when the subordinate is struggling with a situation, whether that be in

the workplace or personal life. I feel that the longer I work with individuals, the more I am able

to communicate and identify who they are as a person. From here, I am better able to adapt to

them as an individual and give them the best experience possible.

Part Four: Identify and explain two additional approaches that would be appropriate for

seeking to lead a team mixed with recent and longtime employees.

The behavioral approach would fit here. Examining the employees, whether new or long

term, the task that needs completion should be clearly identified. I feel that the bigger picture in

these dynamic scenarios is important to highlight so there is an understanding that the task is

important. From here, still utilizing the behavioral approach, pinpointing the working styles of

each employee and cultivating an environment where relationships can flourish, not only

between leader and followers, but between new employees and long-term employees. Building a

team with a nurturing environment is crucial to the cohesion of teamwork. In the end, “Task and

relationship leadership behaviors are inextricably tied together, and the behavioral approach

looks at how leaders engage in both of these behaviors and the extent to which situational factors

affect these behaviors” (Northouse, 2021, p. 85).

The Skills approach, specifically the human skills a leader has, will also greatly help in

situations such as this. Being able to take two sides who might oppose each other, bridge any

gaps and smooth over differences with a “people skills” style of leadership will ultimately prove

more beneficial in the long run. If there is opportunity to build team morals and trust early on,
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this will not only progress the business, but it might possibly negate any future mediation

moments that might arise between veterans and newbies. “Being a leader with human skills

means being sensitive to the needs and motivations of others and considering others’ needs in

one’s decision making” (Northouse, 2021, p. 57). This particular skill has not only helped me

make my own work life smoother, but it has impacted others. I have many coworkers, past and

present, who have made connections with other coworkers, customers, or even outer networking

individuals. Many of these individuals have reached out and thanked me for creating a

welcoming environment where they felt not only happy and content coming to work, but they

felt comfortable enough to be themselves without repercussion. I know my human skills have

helped many people progress in the company, and in life. I am excited to continue my work as a

leader, whether that is with a green apron slinging coffee, or another journey. Opportunity,

opportunities everywhere.
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References

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice, 9th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

Publications, Inc.