LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO Jenifer Skjerven ORGL 680: Leadership Seminar April 19, 2011

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1 LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO Jenifer Skjerven ORGL 680: Leadership Seminar April 19, 2011

2 Dedicated in loving memory of Gary Patrick Navratil. My father. My friend. My biggest fan.

3 INTRODUCTION The Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga University has afforded me a myriad of opportunities to strengthen and grow, both personally, and as a leader. When asked what I have gained most from my experience in Gonzaga University s Organizational Leadership program, my most immediate response is reflected in the quote above. The program has offered extensive exploration into the many facets of leadership, which truly begins with the leader as a human being. The connection between self and leader is essential in the development of leaders, especially servant leaders. It is this concept of servant leadership that has contributed to my personal and professional growth, impressing upon me the importance of placing the development and empowerment of others first when serving in a leadership role. This portfolio provides an overview of completed courses and competencies gained. It also depicts the resources utilized during the classes, as well as a professional vita. The portfolio additionally offers examples of the application of course materials to my professional work with AAA Minneapolis. Application of course concepts and principles were prevalent throughout the program, with comprehensive knowledge of organizational and servant leadership growing through the completion of each new course. The Leadership Project is a final compilation demonstrating knowledge acquired through the Organizational Leadership program. The project is a synthesis of my coursework, relevant literature and personal experiences throughout the program. It presents ideas to encourage organizational change and development.

4 PORTFOLIO CONTENTS THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT OF SJERVEN S LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP VISION STATEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY 1 ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: AN APPLICATION..5

5 LEADERSHIP VISION STATEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY

6 1 LEADERSHIP VISION STATEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY LEADERSHIP VISION STATEMENT: Cultivate a sustainable organization through passionate leadership that empowers others to achieve greatness. Jenifer G. Skjerven LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY: Leadership, like life, necessitates COURAGE.

7 ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: AN APPLICATION

8 5 ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: AN APPLICATION Introduction Organizational leadership, explains Thompson, is the capacity to influence and organize meaning for the members of the organization (2000, p. 215). There are many approaches to organizational leadership, but perhaps none as personal and rewarding as servant leadership. The selfless leadership style that puts the needs of others first contributes to the creation of a successful, sustainable organization. This application of organizational leadership will define servant leadership and provide the philosophy behind the adoption of servant leadership at AAA Minneapolis, as well as discuss the development of individuals through servant leadership, explain how individual growth relates to the development of the organization, and depict what the outlook for AAA Minneapolis could be with the adoption of servant leadership. AAA Minneapolis AAA Minneapolis, founded in 1902, provides dependable, high quality auto club and related products and services that enhance, simplify and support the lives of members. The staff of 150 supports more than 190,000 members in the greater Minneapolis area. A member-centric organization, the club strives to forge strong relationships with members to ensure personalized service delivery. As competition for discretionary dollars becomes more challenging, others are stepping forward to capture market share in the emergency roadside assistance, travel, and insurance arenas. The strength of the AAA brand continues to serve as a significant advantage, however, it is the depth of the relationships with members that increases loyalty and prompts use of multiple AAA products and services. Servant leadership, then, becomes a critical component of operations, as well as a key organizational strategy. Servant Leadership: Definition and Philosophy Servant leadership can be defined in words, however, servant leadership may, perhaps, be better defined through the actions of such a leader. A servant leader demonstrates courage, practices patience, creates vision, lives in alignment, is accountable, expresses compassion, accepts sfumato, displays humility and shows empathy. A servant leader puts others before self. Robert Greenleaf (2008, p.15) explains servant leadership as a process of growth and development of individuals and their contributions as such a leader to the communities in which they reside. Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become

9 6 healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? -Robert K. Greenleaf It is this commitment to growing as a person that builds the foundation for servant leadership. It is this foundation that creates an opportunity for organizations to excel. It is the philosophy of AAA Minneapolis that concepts of servant leadership be integrated to ensure the highest priority of individual needs are being met the needs of both employees, and the needs of members and customers. Personal and Professional Development As a member-centric organization, it is imperative the employees at AAA Minneapolis embrace a servant leadership perspective. Under servant leadership, Greenleaf explains, the first order of business is to build a group of people who, under the influence of the institution, grow taller and become healthier, stronger and more autonomous (2002, p. 53). The integration of a servant leadership approach will assist AAA Minneapolis in developing an employee base that reflects Greenleaf s concept of employee development. Employee development is necessary for both short-term organizational growth and longterm sustainability. Opportunities to learn new and expand current skills and talents are crucial in the professional development of employees. Employee development, however, goes beyond traditional skill development. The role of servant leader is to challenge the employee to develop as an individual, not merely as just an employee. To do so, a servant leader must also know themselves as their own person. Placing the needs of others before self is crucial for a servant leader. The servant leader must be humble, truly seeking opportunities to help others grow and succeed. In turn, the servant leader needs to provide employees with a safe environment in which to take risks, demonstrating compassion and forgiveness when mistakes are made. Most importantly, servant leaders need to listen to and learn about those they lead so they truly understand the needs of their followers. In effort to create a sustainable organization, servant leaders must also develop new servant leaders. To do so, they must foster creativity; share their experiences and experience what employees themselves experience; coach and challenge employees; and provide meaningful and timely feedback. Perhaps most importantly, servant leaders must consistently demonstrate servant leadership.

10 7 Organizational Development Needs of followers are so looked after that they reach their full potential, thus perform at their best (leadersdirect.com). One method to ensuring the needs of followers are looked after is by creating a web, or network, of individuals that contribute to the whole of the organization. The leadership of the organization has worked diligently to breakdown barriers between departments over the past several years, however there is still somewhat of a silo environment within the organization. The further establishment and development of a web pattern will be conducive to a collegial atmosphere, which in turn enables people to focus on what needs to be done instead of who has the authority to do it (Helgesen, 1995, p. 28). The web structure, in essence, introduces the concept of connessione the recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things (Carey, 2009). The web structure changes the dynamics of the organization, removing rigidity and traditional hierarchy in accomplishing business objectives, thus creating a flexible organization more readily able to face organizational and marketplace challenges. The web structure also provides a foundation from which to provide meaningful employee development that results in empowered employees working together to achieve a common goal. Organizational Transformation In order for the organization to integrate servant leadership philosophies and practices, it must undergo a transformation. Such a transformation will be critical to the development of the organization and its people. This transformation may best be explained through four frames of reference, specifically structural, human resources, political and symbolic. From a structural perspective, the organization will need to change to one that is more inclusive of the entire organization rather than one that is compartmentalized by department. The traditional hierarchical structure of the organization is not likely to change, however, the operation of the business may be transitioned to the web structure discussed previously. This new operations structure will encompass more participants in the decision-making and management of the organization. Symbolically, the organization will continue to support a strong sense of community, even enhancing the current community culture. The community will be strengthened through servant leadership, as the emphasis of people s gifts rather than their deficiencies is prevelant (Block, 2008, p. 12). As the people of the organization transform through personal and professional development, the community and thus the organization transform into one that becomes truly member-centric. The human resources perspective offers an enhanced employee work force, which can be attributed to the personal and professional development of employees. It will also likely be the most tentative of the perspectives. Employees, being asked to do something differently, or to do

11 8 more, will expect something in return for their increased efforts and acceptance of the transition to servant leadership. Ensuring employees understand the benefits they will receive personally from this change will be crucial, as will aligning personal gain with the benefits the organization will experience. Politically, the organization will need to reexamine its investments in employee training and development. Some element of political posturing will need to be made in order to commit the appropriate human and financial resources to the transformation of the organization. Funds designated for other projects may need to be reallocated to support the servant leadership initiatives, thus requiring delays or elimination of some other projects through the organization. Additionally, the power structure of the organization will change as servant leadership is integrated, displacing centrally held power with power that is more evenly distributed, thus creating some sense of insecurity and repositioning of current agendas. The transformation of the organization will be a slow process. It will take time for the organization to develop into a structure that allows parts of the systems to reinforce the other parts of the system to form an integrated whole that is much more powerful than the sum of its parts (Collins, 2001, p. 182). As Collins explains, results such as this only happen through consistency through multiple generations (Collins, 2001, p. 182). The development of servant leaders for the next generation is essential in transforming the organization. Vision for the Future The integration of servant leadership into the culture of AAA Minneapolis creates a promising future for the organization. The impact of a web of empowered employees, sharing the same vision and values, and working together for the greater good, holds unlimited potential. It is imperative that, as a member-centric organization, AAA Minneapolis deliver personalized customer service that strives to meet the needs of its members and customers. By individualizing the employee s experience with the organization, they, in turn, learn how to apply the same techniques and tactics when delivering service to members and customers. Thus, employee servant leadership secures customer loyalty through renewed membership dues, product and service purchases and referral of family and friends to the organization. Essentially, employee loyalty creates customer loyalty. The development of a network of employees and servant leaders also creates a strong foundation for succession planning within the organization. Entrusting employees in the decisionmaking processes, and allowing them to experience first-hand the challenges of leadership, prepares them for advancement within the organization. Within a relatively short time period, namely two to three years, the organization will undergo a significant leadership change as senior executives begin to retire. Well-versed in servant leadership, future leaders will be able to carry

12 forward the growth and success of the organization, allowing for a smooth transition from one generation of leadership to the next. 9 Conclusion Today s competitive environment requires innovative thinking and approaches to leadership. Servant leadership provides AAA Minneapolis with a highly-personal approach to business management. The development of skills and talents to create invested, empowered employees sets the foundation for the organization s continued evolvement as a successful, sustainable organization.

13 10 REFERENCES Block, P. (2008). Community: The structure of belonging. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Carey, M. (2009). Classroom lecture: Renaissance Leadership for the 21 st Century. Florence, Italy. Collins, J. (2001). Good to great. New York, NY: HaperCollins Publishers, Inc. Greenleaf, R. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press. Greenleaf, R. (2008) The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Helgesen, S. (2005). The web of inclusion. New York, NY: Doubleday. Leadersdirect.com (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2011 from Thompson, Michael C. (2000). The congruent life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.