Synergistic Leadership

Self-Awareness This first phase of the synergistic leadership model will focus on self-awareness. There are three primary attributes that contribute to synergistic leadership in the self-awareness stage, they include: Family - Values & Ethics - Purpose Family A leader should be effective in its role at home, this is where synergy begins. I had many discussions with a variety of leaders and many of them discuss the value of their family. The emergence of a synergistic leader begins at home and is the foundation of Synergistic leadership. Consider a few things as we explore the value of family. One of the things I hold in the highest regard is my family. Every decision I make involves my family and is with their best interest in mind. What I have come to understand is that, the value I create for myself through obtaining knowledge, is partially contributed in my role as a father, husband, wife, brother, uncle and nephew. All of these roles allow me to discover more of my leadership traits. I am consistently learning new things from each role; I partake in the family, through situations that allow me to be effective in my role as a leader. Some primary leadership skills you obtain through your family interaction are: Empathy (Caring for your loved ones regardless of the situation) Sharing (Make sure others have before you do) Prioritizing (Hanging out with friends or attending your kids school functions) Decision Making Critical Thinking Values & Ethics Value and ethics are related to the professional venue. A leader can have professional ethics, but you seldom hear about professional morals. Ethics tend to be codified into a formal system or a set of rules which are explicitly adopted by a group of people. Ethics should be defined in terms of behaviors within the organization. Understanding your standards, will contribute to a leaders ability to develop synergy. Leaders remember if you are put in a position, you can be taken out of a desired position. More importantly, your laborious efforts may get you into a leadership position, but your value system contributes to your ability to remain in a system to develop synergy. The development of synergistic results is a process. I say this because many forget the purpose of leadership. Synergistic leaders should not only state the values of the organizations, but define them. Define what the expected behaviors are for team members. This approach will reduce many of the back end problems that could occur. Behaviors that contribute to ethical behavior: Time management (Proper planning) Understanding (Clear about entire process) Established standards (Will not cheat on an exam) Good communication (Listen well) Behaviors that contribute to unethical behavior: Poor planning (Do not manage time well) Lack of understanding (Not clear about the process) Low self-esteem (Become a follower) Poor communication (Don't listen well, not objective) Purpose Synergistic leadership should have a clear purpose. Purpose allows you to establish goals and plan accordingly. Purpose offers you the opportunity to create the blue print. Imagine if you would like to build a house, but you were unable to create the blue print because you did not have purpose. You will not be clear on the type of house you desire to build. The synergistic leader should address the organizational structure, establish dependable relationships with all stakeholders involve. The establishment of relationships will strengthen the lines of communication, and facilitate a collaborative environment. Synergistic leaders who operate within their purpose should: Expand awareness and understanding Evoke belief Build commitment within the team Have courage I hope you have found this article to be informative and applicable; the next article will focus on creating knowledge through critical thinking and collaboration. Dr. Roy Pinder, DM Keep Trotting - Never give up on your pursuit of Success