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For this activity, we were asked to reflect on our own personal leadership perspective highlighting what we think are the most important attributes of a leader working in digital learning environments (DLEs). I perceive leadership as a dynamic and contextual concept that encompasses more than we think. It is a quality that many of us unintentionally take for granted simply because it is everywhere. We all know someone that we see as a leader, we all have experienced leadership in some form, we all know what it is, what it means, and still, we all define it in different ways.
For the purpose of this activity, we tried to define leadership by choosing and ranking attributes or qualities that a leader may have. My initial top-three ranked attributes of leadership were supportive, dependable, and caring. Working with my team and after coming to a group consensus, we ranked supportive, forward-looking, and caring as the team’s top-three characteristics of leadership (Rodriguez et al., 2022). We noticed some similarities as well as some major discrepancies in many of the choices we made individually. We wondered why and discussed how these choices are influenced by our personal and professional experiences, different contexts, and cultural backgrounds.
After completing the team consensus activity and reflecting on the readings, my perception of some attributes changed. While I have no doubt that all the listed attributes are important to define leadership, I chose three (plus one) “new” and revised attributes that a good digital leader or any leader must have:
- Courage
I found Courage to be probably the most important trait of effective leadership. Courage gives a person the ability to put aside the fears of failure and take the necessary steps to overcome those fears. Courage also allows leaders to attempt new things, despite the fear of failing or looking foolish. It is also with courage how we engage with the world around us and how we deal with external overwhelming pressures. In brief, I think that courage is what makes leaders stand out from the crowd in any environment.
- Inspiring
One of the jobs or expectations of a leader is to be inspirational to other people. No matter what you do in life, whether you are a parent, a teacher or a paramedic, an entrepreneur, a foreign language instructor, a dental hygienist, or a director of technology, as a leader, you should always strive to be an inspiration to others. Kouzes and Posner (2011) highlighted that “People admire and respect leaders who are dynamic, uplifting, enthusiastic, positive, and optimistic.”
- Supportive
Being supportive is important and valuable. It demonstrates that a leader is empathetic and approachable. In business settings, I have found that supportive leadership fosters positive relationships between employees, empowers people, encourages participation, motivates, and leads to professional growth and development.
- Humble
If I could add an attribute to the list, it would be humble. Humility is something that makes a person powerful inside and out. It is an attribute that I consider defines who you really are and not what you do or what you have. Over time, I have also learned that nobody likes a person that is unwilling to learn and neither one that thinks knows it all. It is humility what makes someone appreciate and value other people’s knowledge and insights.
Sheninger (2019) explains that digital leadership) “takes into account recent changes such as ubiquitous connectivity, open-source technology, mobile devices, and personalization”. Being a leader in a digital era means embracing change, understanding that new emerging things are disrupting and changing the way we do business and interact with people.
In closing, I personally believe that we are all leaders in some capacity and that we all influence our personal and professional environments in some way, shape, or form. Kouzes and Posner (2011) state that “leadership is something one experiences in an interaction with another human being. That experience varies from leader to leader, from constituent to constituent, and from day to day” (p. 29). I also believe that there is learning everywhere. You can learn anything that you set your mind to, and you can always learn something good from everyone, even from the people you disagree with the most.
Leadership is a powerful skill that develops over time, and it is not something you are born with or without. It is a mindset, something that we should keep striving to achieve every day. As I continue learning about leadership and digital change with fabulous leaders in this program, I am intrigued to see how I can sharpen the skills acquired and put them to work personally and professionally.
References
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2011). The characteristics of admired leaders. Credibility: How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it. (2nd Edition). Jossey-Bass. https://royalroads.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/BOOKS/43184#summary/BOOKS/RW$564:_ss_book:43184
Rodriguez, L., Frawley, A. Hadley, A. & McMurray, K. (2022, February 4). Attributes of leadership| Team E. Luis Rodriguez: A MALAT Student Blog. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0216/attributes-of-leadership-team-e/
Sheninger, E. (2014). Pillars of digital leadership. International Centre for Leadership in Education. http://leadered.com/pillars-of-digital-leadership/