Week 3: Synergy
Thank you, Bogue, for writing about the four forms of knowledge and using the word “artistry” (p. 18). This is important because much like medicine is a science and an art... so is the concept of leadership. Perhaps this helps as we think about what leadership is. Synergy is the name of the game.
1) During the time of transition in my office, I learned a very important lesson about leadership - It is not always what you do but how you do it. My previous director had a way of being that seems to ruffle other people’s feathers. She was condescending, kept tallies of people’s errors and then list them during review time, and was not quite “woke”. Anyway, people in the office were often on edge. I expected that things would be different with our new director because people would behave differently under this new leadership. They are different, but not because the people changed. In fact, many people kept displaying some of their troublesome behaviors. No, the office culture was different because her style was different. She dealt with many of the same issues the previous director did, but she did so in a more open and transparent way.
2) Over time, I also learned that it is OK to be who you are and use that in leadership. About 8 years ago, my unit had everyone fill out the StrengthsFinder questionnaire. My results showed that all of my strengths were in logic and strategy with none of my top strengths being in relationships. I was concerned that I would be an ineffective leader because I believed that leading required the ability to create relationships. While this is true, my conversations with colleagues and friends helped me understand that you lead from your strengths. So while I may not have the “textbook” relationship traits, I use my logic and reliance on data to be how I lead. I lead in an evidence informed way.