Leadership Melting Pot: Fostering

Development and Community Through

Ethical Behavior and Servant Leadership
OGL 300
Leadership Theory and Practice
Ally Baker
5/3/2022
 Introduction
o What does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership means how can I influence those around me and how I can
positively impact others.
o What type of working environment do you want to promote as a leader?
I want to promote a safe and positive working environment. I also want to create an
environment that embraces diversity.
o What type would you like as an employee, to thrive?
I would like employees who also participate in creating a safe and positive culture
within the working environment. I would also appreciate employees who are good
communicators and who are willing to define their strengths and weakness to
further develop.
 Summary of Self-Assessment
Leadership style of most interest
The leadership style that most resonated with me is servant leadership. The main reason I
relate to servant leadership the most is due to the focus on being empathetic towards your
followers.
“Similar to earlier leadership theories discussed in this book (e.g., skills approach and
behavioral approach), servant leadership is an approach focusing on leadership from the
point of view of leaders and their behaviors. Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders be
attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them. Servant
leaders put followers first, empower them, and help them develop their full personal
capacities” (Northouse, 2022).
I have always had an empathetic personality and nurturing spirit. Sometimes I feel as if I can
be too empathetic because I feel so much emotion for the people I lead. Secondly, I resonate
with the ethical aspects of servant leadership. “...servant leadership is viewed as a “moral”
form of leadership. Servant leaders are ethical and lead in ways that serve the greater good
of the organization, community, and society at large” (Northouse, 2022). This leadership stye
fits the 21st century needs and balance because no matter how tired or frustrated I may be at
 Summary of Self-Assessment Leadership
style of most disinterest
The leadership style that disinterests me the most is adaptive leadership. Adaptive leadership is my biggest
weakness. It is a big weakness of mine because I am not always able to successfully prepare those around me to
take on more work or to solve problems. "...adaptive leadership is about how leaders encourage people to adapt
—to face and deal with problems, challenges, and changes” (Northouse, 2022). I struggle with doing this because
my servant leadership is too overpowering. I need to find a good balance between serving and building the
capabilities of my followers. Another reason adaptive leadership is a weakness of mine is because I can have a
lack of direction at times.
“Providing direction involves identifying the adaptive challenges that others face and then framing these so they
can be addressed. In difficult situations, it is not uncommon for people to be unclear or confused about their
goals. Sometimes the goal is unknown, sometimes it is obscure, and at other times it is entangled with competing
goals. By providing direction, the leader helps people feel a sense of clarity, order, and certainty, reducing the
stress people feel in uncertain situations” (Northouse, 2022).
An area of opportunity I have within adaptive leadership is to create a better sense of direction for myself and
those I work with. To fit 21st century needs and balance, I also need to understand that as a leader I can identify
the problem and improve the clarity of a given situation but that does not necessarily mean that I need to solve
the problem for them. In the everchanging world we live in, individuals will need to learn how to problem-solve
themselves. I have not been interested in adaptive leadership since I do have to allow those around me to struggle
a bit to eventually solve the problem themselves. That is when my servant leadership comes into action and feels
 Conclusion
It is my goal to combine my overuse of servant leadership with my lack of adaptive
leadership. I will lessen my servant leadership behaviors and increase my adaptive
leadership behaviors. Finding a balance between the two different leadership styles
will help me in becoming a servant leader who also has the skills to build the
capabilities of my followers. My empathic personality and my ethical values will
remain. The biggest change that will be made is how I let those around me also take
on challenges rather than of doing it for them. Increasing my adaptive leadership
behavior will give me the skills needed to be able to empower and give confidence
to others. As a leader that is very important to me. The leader I want to be in the
21st century needs to be balanced. Combining servant and adaptive leadership will
give me that balance I am searching for. Being a balanced leader will let me develop
my leadership skills while also staying true to who I am. The best skills I will stay
true to is conducting ethical behavior and serving those around me.
 References

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and

Practice. SAGE Publications, Inc.