PERSONALISED LEADERSHIP

Personalised Leadership Approach & Development



Personalised Leadership

Introduction

In contrast to the emphasis on leadership as a relationship in most of the other chapters, this chapter looks at leadership in terms of the individual. Before leading others, a neighborhood, or a community, one must learn to lead one's self, chiefly through developing self-awareness. Leadership, unlike other roles, carries with it a certain exposure, a unique kind of vulnerability and transparency—the process of leading instantly reveals the person exercising leadership, there is no hiding. Leadership is thus bidirectional—leading from the inner self to lead well in the external domain. Kevin Cashman wrote, “We lead by virtue of who we are, … and thus … leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value” (1998). Very little research has focused on this most central aspect of leadership, however. This chapter attempts to address this blind spot. Three theoretical areas appear particularly salient to constructing an integrated theory of leading self: leadership self-development, authentic leadership, and the moral aspect of leading self. Self-development sets the scene for authenticity, which entails self-awareness, including the idea of identity—how one understands one's self, and spirituality as a way to enhance one's authenticity. The moral aspect of leading self is presented with particular concern for moral imagination.

Leadership Self-Development

If we begin with the premise that leadership can be taught and can be learned, then we are led to ask, What learning is necessary to prepare for leadership? How does one learn to lead oneself? Leading self, like all leadership, is a developmental process that spans the life cycle beginning in childhood and continuing through seniorhood. Developmentally, learning about leadership comes about through life experiences that shape the ways we understand and experience authority, influence, and relationships. The story of one's life is the story of one's leadership; our early experiences and how we respond to and interpret those experiences create the template for leading self. Learning from experiences and learning about one's self are the two main sources for learning how to lead oneself.

Learning From Experience

The old adage that “experience is the best teacher,” is indeed the beginning of truth. Noted researchers in leadership development, Albert Vicere and Robert Fulmer (2010) describe what they call the Knowledge Creation Cycle. Knowledge is the result of learning from one's experience; however, experience is an inadequate teacher unless perspective yields new learning. Learning becomes relevant knowledge only when that learning is linked to practice. Knowledge gained from many experiences can lead to wisdom when reintegrated and deeply reflected upon over time. The knowledge creation cycle suggests experiences of all forms—life events, assessments, work tasks, school assignments, and so on—are transformed into lasting learning through reflection and applying new insights to new experiences—essentially this is a process to put into practice what we learn. The knowledge creation cycle is perpetually in motion, one never ceases to learn and apply that learning to the next set of experiences by reflection. Eventually this cycle leads to wisdom, which is the outcome of learning from your own ...