“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. “
– Peter Drucker
My journey through the Royal Roads Master of Arts in Learning and Technology has deepened my understanding of the intersection between technology and education. Throughout this program, I have explored contemporary issues in EdTech, including misinformation, academic integrity in the age of AI, and the application of learning theories in instructional design and digital learning environments.
With this knowledge, I am now posed to drive change in my organization in the field of education technology. However, it is essential to examine leadership and change management to drive meaningful change, understanding what works and what does not. This post serves as a retrospective on our first two weeks, where we explored the characteristics of admirable leaders and examined the complexities of leadership through the diverse perspectives of communities, individuals, and organizations.
Understanding Leadership
Before this course, I had not considered the definition of a leader. I viewed leadership through a personal lens, focusing on two qualities I value most: someone to look up to and someone who inspires ambition and motivation. Initially, I saw organizational leaders as individuals who held power due to their roles rather than leadership qualities. However, my perspective shifted as I explored different definitions and characteristics of leadership. I now appreciate how leadership can manifest beyond titles and authority and its impact across various contexts.
My first realization of the complexities of leadership happened during our first group activity. My team and I ranked twenty characteristics of admirable leaders. I ranked ambition as the fourth most crucial characteristic, whereas our team’s consensus ranking was eighteenth. This outlier sparked a valuable discussion within our group. We recognized that a characteristic’s ranking depends on its context. When seen as purely self-driven or internal, ambition could be perceived as a negative trait in a leader. However, it becomes a positive quality when ambition is directed towards team and community success. This discussion broadened my understanding of how leadership traits are interpreted differently depending on perspective and context.
Another misunderstanding I had about leadership was the assumption that its practice is limited to leading by example or authoritarian methods. In reality, leadership styles are as complex as the definitions of leadership characteristics. Khan (2017) highlights this complexity by exploring adaptive and transactional leadership theories and examining their nuances. Recognizing that leadership methodologies are merely a subset of broader leadership theories, I delved into additional approaches through assigned readings. These readings introduced various ways to define and measure leadership, including adaptive and transactional leadership (Khan, 2017).
With a deeper understanding of leadership’s complexity, I took a step back to the theoretical foundations outlined by Khan (2017). He contrasts transactional and adaptive leadership theories based on environmental readiness, motivations, and the ability to manage complexities. Adaptive leadership is more relevant from a digital leadership perspective as it can respond to external environmental conditions. Consider the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, which is evolving profoundly. As a result, the need to swiftly adapt and reshape visions, strategies, and objectives has never been more critical.
Analysis Refinement
Through our analysis and in-depth discussions, particularly from the perspective of Digital leadership, I gained an appreciation for the complexities of leadership. This understanding led me to refine my initial rankings of admirable leadership characteristics. The following chart outlines the twenty admirable attributes of a leader, comparing my initial rankings with my reflections after group discussions and assigned readings.
| Characteristics | Initial Ranking | Revised |
|---|---|---|
| Supportive | 1 | 1 |
| Self-Controlled | 2 | 16 |
| Broad Minded | 3 | 5 |
| Ambitious | 4 | 15 |
| Competent | 5 | 13 |
| Forward-Looking | 6 | 4 |
| Fair Minded | 7 | 17 |
| Honest | 8 | 12 |
| Inspiring | 9 | 7 |
| Intelligent | 10 | 3 |
| Mature | 11 | 19 |
| Straightforward | 12 | 18 |
| Co-operative | 13 | 14 |
| Dependable | 14 | 10 |
| Determined | 15 | 8 |
| Imaginative | 16 | 2 |
| Independent | 17 | 6 |
| Caring | 18 | 11 |
| Courageous | 19 | 9 |
| Loyal | 20 | 20 |
There is a clear contrast between my initial analysis and my reflection. Only the “Loyal” characteristic remained in its original twentieth position. The chart below illustrates the magnitude of these shifts, showing that, aside from “Loyal,” all other characteristics moved at least two positions up or down. This drastic change in rankings demonstrates a drastic shift in my understanding and appreciate for leadership and its defintion.
Conclusion
The first two weeks of this course have reshaped my understanding of being an effective leader. Initially, I viewed leadership through a narrow lens based on my beliefs. However, through group discussions, assigned readings, and deeper analysis, I recognize that leadership is complex and influenced by contexts and perspectives.
Analyzing a leader’s admirable characteristics demonstrated that these traits are not universally ranked but are prioritized and shaped by the unique values of different communities and organizations. I look forward to further exploration of leadership theories, methodologies, and techniques that align with my perspectives and beliefs, allowing me to adapt effective strategies and characteristics to drive meaningful organizational change.
References
Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3), 178–183. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i3.3294
Kruse, K. (2012, October 16). 100 Best Quotes on Leadership. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/10/16/quotes-on-leadership/
Hughson, C. (2020, January 6). 13 common leadership styles. The Ivey Academy. Retrieved from https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/academy/insights/2020/01/13-common-leadership-styles/
OpenAI. (2024). A digital education leader guiding students through virtual learning. https://chat.openai.com/
Workman, T., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2012). Leadership, personal transformation, and management. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(4), 313–323. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i4.1383
What an excellent, thorough reflection, Allie! I resonate with your initial thinking of leadership as “Someone to look up to and someone who inspires ambition and motivation.” Further, your writing shows there is so much to dig into, as leadership is complex.
The shift in perspective you have shared with us is impressive.
What are some ideas/nuggets from the readings that helped shape the significant shifts from your perspective?
Thank you, Leona! Nothing in the readings shifted my mindset. Instead, everything broadened it, allowing me to view leadership beyond my narrow understanding. I wish the definition of leadership were more objective than subjective. Still, it is fascinating to research what worked and what didn’t for organizations and communities in the past. While the authors may not spell out precisely what works, they can share lessons on what doesn’t in most contexts, which is an excellent compass for leadership.
Hi Allie – yes agree with Leona, thanks for your reflections and your discussion and comparison in your shifts in perspective. One of the attributes in your revised ranking that moved to the top was imaginative – and Iike Leona was curious about what made you reconsider. I think in the past I might not have ranked this one as high either – but I think with the responses we need to consider to AI, an imaginative leader is needed to provide new ways to think about our educational endeavours. How do our digital educational spaces need to change? How do we plan for what might be coming in the next few years (when we are not even sure about strategies now?). I think imagination will be paramount to moving us forward.
Thank you. Initially, I ranked the characteristics of admirable leaders based on an external perspective: someone to look up to for motivation. However, considering the complexities of leadership, I reassessed my rankings from an organizational standpoint.
A key factor in the shift of imaginative attribute was the consideration of Artificial Intelligence. Leaders who embrace AI adoption will drive efficiency and stability, but imaginative leaders will go beyond mere adoption. They will strategically shape a vision that leverages AI, setting their companies apart from competitors. Those who lag in this field will not survive, a common trend seen during technology disruption.