Leadership Moment

Leadership Moment

   
Background Information – Holiday Gone Wrong

Last June, Agustin was on holiday with his cousins, Alex and Ben, and their parents. A huge 3-way argument arose between Ben, his mum and dad, which brought the holiday to a stop. Alex first approached Ben convinced him to let the matter go, partly by lying: Alex said that mum was experiencing personal problems which explained her temperamental behaviour. He then delegated Ben the task to pacify dad as Ben is good at communicating with him. Alex then spoke to his parents in private. He reduced the tension, and invited all for dinner that night, which they agreed to hesitantly. Alex led the dinner that night, planning activities for the next day. The holiday was back on track, and it was enjoyable again.

Analysing the Leadership Moment

This moment was worthy of exploring, as it shows Alex leading only with referent power. Furthermore, in families usually the adults hold the power. This makes the case interesting because Alex (the son) turned from follower to leader. This moment also exemplifies the new paradigm leader: Alex acted as a social lubricant in the family. He was a change agent, facilitator, and collaborator. This is a prime example of a leader who uses multiple leadership styles: affiliative leadership (creates harmony), democratic (forges consensus), and charismatic (influences followers). In addition, Alex demonstrated the following principles of an assertive leader, which greatly supports the theory, and makes this an interesting moment: a) Appeal to a vision of higher purpose (‘let’s have the trip of a lifetime’); b) Use rational persuasion (‘there is nothing to gain from being angry, we only have so many trips in a year’, etc.); c) Help people to like you (Alex was amicable with each individual, listened to their complaints first, and responded empathetically); d) Develop allies (with Ben); and e) Ask for what you want (everyone to have dinner/ reconcile).

This is a leadership moment as Alex created significant change in a very short period of time, by stepping up to lead. He first calmed his brother, convincing him to aid him in his cause (he gained a follower, by creating a shared purpose and influencing him). Then he spoke to both parents separately, calmed them down and convinced them to meet that night (he showed intention to lead, made it his responsibility). He then used the dinner to make further plans and achieve his goal of ensuring the holiday continues pleasantly. Alex demonstrated adaptability in dealing with different family members (according to the HBDI model - he used different types of arguments to communicate with different people), which is a key characteristic of good leaders.