I read an article about parenting once that compared it to how you walk your dog.  (I'm sorry I didn't keep a copy, so I don't have the reference.) I love this analogy and I think it represents the different kinds of "bosses" (not necessarily leaders) that I have worked with and for.
 
There are those who keep their dogs on a very short leash.  They expect the dog to heel and be completely oblivious to everything but the task at hand - walking.  They have instituted such strict rules of compliance that the dog wouldn't think of disobeying.  Bosses like this are usually called "micromanagers" and are not effective leaders.  The exception might be leadership in the military, where your life may depend on your complete unquestioning compliance.
 
There are those who use retractable leashes, giving the dog a little more room for personal expression, but still having the ability to get the dog on track with little difficulty.  They closely monitor their pet but don't chastise it for every stray step or pause to sniff the mailbox.   I have found that bosses like this are very effective leaders in jobs that have time constraints on them.  An example might be, when writing a grant, a boss who asks for updates and checks to make sure that everything is moving according to the timeline.
 
There are those who use retractable leashes but seem oblivious to what their dog is doing.  The dog can be accosting other dogs, relieving itself on someone else's property, or going along as it should.  The owner doesn't seem to notice or care.  These bosses are not effective because they do not deveop a sense of common purpose and goal among their employees.  The employees may be very happy, but the organization is not working together as well as it could.   "Absentee" bosses are examples.  They pop in every once in a while.  Worse, they act as though they know what's going on and give instructions that are usually irrelevant and unnecessary and annoy the happy-go-lucky crew.
 
There are those who use no leash but have cofidence that their dogs will respond to voice commands.  They don't mind if the dog wanders, as long as it is in earshot and will obey when given a command.  They keep an eye on their pet, but they don't try to control it completely.   Bosses like these are my favorite in educational situations.  They give teachers and staff the vision of the organization and the motivation to complete organizational objectives and goals.   They create an atmosphere where you want to be close to them.  Yet, they provide enough freedom for you to do your job well, bringing you to task only if you stray to far from it.
 
Grace and Peace!
Glenda Lynn Rose, PhD


EL Civics Instructor
Austin Learning Academy
(512) 841-4777 - Odom classroom
(512) 789-5131 - mobile
 

--- On Sat, 9/26/09, Tanya Exum <tanya_ex at hotmail.com> wrote:


From: Tanya Exum <tanya_ex at hotmail.com>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1403] Re: Reflection on Leadership
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009, 9:29 AM




JURMO at ucc.edu wrote on Saturday, September 26, 2009 8:08:07 PM: "Rather than think they can just go it alone (like the people we see depicted as statues in our parks), our leaders (i.e., potentially everyone reading this)  need to be willing to lead not just individually but collectively -- organized around particular issues or projects.  In unity we as leaders will have strength."

Cannot agree more, Paul,
 
True leaders are the ones who are selfishly charitable. 
 
"Selfishly" because they are true masters of picking out the members of the team(s).
 
"Charitable" because they are willing and never afraid of sharing every drop of wisdom, experience, and knowledge with their team(s).     
 
The potential future leaders on the team are the ones who ask questions, who even might (appropriately) challenge the leader's authority: These are the thinkers who appreciate the strengths, see the weaknesses, and propose the solutions.
 
Latmus paper for revealing the true leader: If the leader is unexpectidly absent, and it's not a disaster. It means: all the team members have been chosen wisely, the structure is in place, crosstraining has helped to build up the present and the future FUNCTIONAL COMMUNITY.
 
Tatyana Exum
LCCF
Lake City, Fl.




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