Leadership Essay & Individual Assessment

Abstract

This essay will contain three leaders who have been analyzed based on their leadership traits and understood based on leadership models. The leaders are Volodymyr Zelensky, Jacinda Ardern, and Melinda Ann French. Later, the report discusses followership assumed from the aforementioned leaders and ends with a self-assessment supported by personality and leadership tests.

Volodymyr Zelensky

During the Ukraine and Russian conflict, Volodymyr Zelensky, an actor, comedian, and currently the president of Ukraine, had won the hearts of many across the world. He was elected as president in 2019 due to his anti-corruption platform winning him the votes and finding support across the Ukrainian country. Zelensky will be analyzed through John Adair: Action-Centred Leadership model (Ray, 2022). However, one must first understand the current political situation that Zelensky is facing and how he has become a transformative leader. With the help of this information, the aforementioned model will be able to connect the dots seamlessly.

Although, a few weeks earlier, when Putin had threatened Ukraine with war, it was then when Ukrainians and foreigners had doubted Zelensky’s ability. He seemed out of his depth as investors and oligarchs were fleeing Ukraine. Many doubted the former comedian and entertainer to be suitable for the country about to be invaded. However, during the battle, Zelensky could use his gift as an actor to professionally respond to the leaders and the audience, which enabled him to be a national leader during the war. He has inspired the people of his country (The Economist, 2022a).

There is a common link between the leaders with a large fan base and Zelensky. Leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Jacinda Arden, who led her country with poise during the COVID-19 situation, received global praise for efforts and inspiration that paved for future generations; and hence, there is a commonality between such leaders and Zelensky based on factors such as (Gotian, 2022):

Courage - These leaders challenge the status quo and fight the battle by standing on the front line, willing to tackle any situation. Zelensky was allowed to flee the country, but he refused to stay and fight with this country (Gotian, 2022).

Relatable - When a leader is relatable, the mass feels they are seen and heard; an example would be New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Arden's daughter running out of bed while a live stream speech was taking place during the midst of COVID-19. Immediately parents everywhere could relate to the situation. Arden did not hide what had happened, and neither did Zelensky. He is relatable, and it is under the authenticity where we see his vulnerability and the strength to conquer it that we are relatable (Gotian, 2022).

Being Active & Engaged - As mentioned previously, Zelensky was offered to flee Ukraine, but he stayed back. Then he said, "I need ammunition, not a ride." That quote will go down in history as the most courageous phrase that shows a leader's activity and engagement with his nation. He has also been seen hugging his defense minister; his humanity stands him well, said the CEO of Sibylline, Justin Crump (Segal, 2022).

John Adair: Action-Centred Leadership:

(Channell, 2022)

Volodymyr Zelensky will be analyzed using the John Adair: Action-Centred Leadership. This model is based on a triple Venn diagram that encompasses an overlap of achieving and setting the task, the group being managed for the task, and the individual's involvement within the task. It is evident that based on Zelensky's continued involvement and engagement in various international meetings with NATO, the G7, and the European Union has made him involved in the task (Basu, 2022). A task that he has defined as protecting Ukraine from Putin and not holding back. It seems there is an impossible task to protect everyone and the territory, and hence, he mentioned that "what's important is that the decision is made together with the people," which shows his involvement (The Economist, 2022b). Zelensky has made it clear countless times that he belongs in the middle of the triple Venn diagram. To the layman, it might seem that only a perfect human can achieve the middle passage of John Adair's model. However, this very imperfection, honesty, authenticity, and sheer confidence and vulnerability leadership that Zelensky has featured puts him as a leader of diversity, being an inspiration to his people and soldiers defending the country (Dixon, 2016).

Finally, a specific contribution is to be made about Zelensky — His family. He is a family man and has ensured that his family is with him in an undisclosed location within Ukraine (Harris et al., 2022). The University of Georgia (2021) discussed that there is a connection between being a better ‘boss’ and having a family to interact with; hence, it can be understood that with a certain level of artistic persona and being a family man, Zelensky has proven to be a great leader all around on an individualistic level too.

Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Ardern is the prime minister of New Zealand, elected in 2017, and is considered the youngest elected prime minister in 150 years (Wallenfeldt, 2021). She has been a compassionate and caring leader and received multiple positive news coverage for her approaches as a leader in various strife within the country; specifically, Christchurch shooting in 2019. As a result, she has tightened gun regulations and took swift actions fostering the community with compassion, sympathy and love. Ardern has not been afraid to show emotions and sorrow publicly (Pullen and Vachhani, 2021).

Ardern is a relational leader who is continuously open and honest and constantly engaged in diverse local communities (Pullen and Vachhani, 2021). The relational leadership philosophical theory can further expand her leadership, defined as "a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good" (Relational Leadership Model, no date). She further proved this when she handled the pandemic gracefully, being one of the nations to have reacted and acted in a graceful manner saving countless lives (Dudžáková et al., 2021). Her utmost compassion, love, and diversity were shown when the Christchurch shootings. She immediately held a meeting and united her country against the hatred by defining them as "they are us" while broadcasting the news later.

Ardern's initiative and passion for climate change describe it as follows, "we're small, and our contribution to the global emissions profile is even smaller, but we are surrounded by island nations that will feel the brunt of climate change acutely." Banning plastic bags across the country (Devaney, 2020).

The Hersey-Blanchard Model:

Jacinda Ardern will be discussed through the lens of the Hersey-Blanchard Model. Developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, it is discussed that the model is not a static positioning for leadership. Instead, it is moving and flexible, and the managers or leaders must adapt and adjust their style to specific situations in the most appropriate way. The Hersey-Blanchard Model also suggests that no single leadership style is better than the other (Kenton et al., 2020).

(Kruse, 2019b)

Jacinda Ardern lies within the S2 [Coaching] spectrum for situations requiring praise and encouragement, although she sometimes moves towards S3 [Supporting] spectrum in situations requiring more empathetical resonance rather than power directives (Kruse, 2019a). Furthermore, in recent news, it has been suggested that New Zealand has not been fairing too well in their COVID-19 situation, where there have been 20,000 cases a day. New Zealand has also raised the cost of living, causing riots and protests (McClure, 2022). It has been noted that when the first lockdown took place in March 2020, initiatives such as “freezing tax interest, freezing rents and banning evictions came hundreds of millions of dollars in direct support to social service providers and a six-month mortgage holiday scheme for homeowners” (Godfrey, 2022). However, during the lockdown in August 2021, none of that support was shown. High-School students had to take jobs as essential workers. These have caused great panic and disruption (Godfrey, 2022).

However, on the 2nd of April 2022, Jacinda Ardern’s Facebook post suggest that there will indeed be initiatives taken place for people in need:

(Jacinda Ardern, 2022)

Melinda Ann French

Melinda Ann French is an American businesswoman and philanthropist who married Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation. At the same time, together, they founded the largest charitable foundation known as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Her interest in computers began in seventh grade as she was placed in advanced mathematics class. She studied computer science and economics at Duke University and joined Microsoft in product development in 1987, finally rising to be a general manager of information products.

What makes Melinda Ann French a prominent leader is not her wealth, fame, or fortune in professional life; it is her ability to advance equality for people, helping those in need. She committed to a positive social impact by creating a path toward the philanthropic realm (Women Leaders We Like: Melinda Gates, 2012).

Melinda Ann French does not distinguish herself in a complex manner. She is known to advocate for women's rights and consistently tries to achieve the best solution for poverty and inequality. In her book, "The Moment of Life," Melinda mentions, "Love is the most powerful and underused force for change in the world. You do not hear about it in policy discussions or political debates," hence, her ability to extend love beyond politics and into the workplace. She is known to remain true to herself, and this inner positive can attract talented participants in the workplace and her team. When the work environment is welcoming, people begin to request to join (Shontell and Akhtar, 2019).

(Melinda French Gates, 2020)

The leadership style, as Melinda suggests, is essentially comprised of empathy and love. She describes how love is not about being nice but being able to empathize and show kindness that incorporates love within it. Allowing employees to trust and be vulnerable can drive breakthrough ideas and have performances that exceed expectations. It is being compassionate to everyone around, and as a manager, it is how one responds to their employees that show their humanity. It is empathy, compassion, and ultimately, love that can reach and connect with anybody and allow themselves to be who they are instead of hiding parts of themselves in their work and personal life (Stillman, 2019), (Shontell and Akhtar, 2019).

Kouzes and Posner Trait Theory:

In 1987 James Kouzes and Barry Posner came up with a leadership trait theory. A book was then published known as ‘The Leadership Challenge’ recently being in its sixth edition published in 2017. There have been several indications of what kind of trait a leader must possess. Kouzes and Posner have described that a leader is not born but is practiced. It is not a gene or a trait but a skill that can be developed every next day (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

According to a survey of 630 managers about their leadership experience with the help of 42 in-depth interviews conducted by Kouzes and Posner, it was concluded that there is ten primary leadership to be followed (Trait-Based Leadership, no date):

· Honesty

· Forward-thinking

· Inspiration

· Competent

· Fair-minded

· Supportive

· Broad-minded

· Intelligent

· Straightforward

· Dependable

It is no doubt that each of these traits is present in Melinda Ann French. Moreover, Empathy, as Kouzes and Posner mention, is quite vital for any manager as if they are shown to have Empathy by taking an interest in their employees, being sensitive to other people's problems, and conveying compassion towards others can have a direct relation to increased productivity and capacities to do their job and their constituents too (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

According to Andy Cheng, a worldwide product marketing manager at Apple, he mentions that "Empathy is critical. You have to understand how others feel and determine what you can do to help others to be successful. I want to be remembered for how I served my team and not as the one being served." (Kouzes and Posner, 2017); this is, without doubt, supports Melinda’s leadership quality.

In conclusion, there are complexities bedded for women even in modern times. A leader cannot be perfect. No human is perfect, yet we criticize those in far greater complexity and peril than others; making a decision, right or wrong, comes from numerous conversations with allies, internal conversations, and rational decisions that can seek a better, if not a decent outcome. One must be discerning to individuals who are leaders and do their best; one must not judge them for their actions of today or yesterday but must holistically understand what has made them come to such a decision.

Followership

Dr. Robert Kelley – Five Followership Styles:

Dr. Robert Kelley’s followership model segments the followers based on their ability to engage and rate themselves in an organization. He is one of the first few researchers to have taken a subject on followership. According to him, four quadrants and the fifth sector in the middle make up followers. These are described as (Thomas and Berg, 2014):

(Bowen-Nielsen, 2018)

Each of these follower descriptions can be found within the appendices. However, for Zelensky, it can be assumed that the followers he attracted were exemplary. According to Dr. Kelley (1988) exemplary or effective followers are “well-balanced and responsible adults who can succeed without strong leadership.” There is a hierarchy in a military organization, but every military officer is both a leader and a follower in situations and positions they hold. Military officers should not necessarily dissent against the president of Ukraine; however, being able to have an independent, critically think and create decisions without a need for a leader (Corrothers, 2009). Sometimes there will be a need for a yes-people or, in this case, a sheep follower with the combination of alienated followers. They can undergo a task given critically and independently without any question. However, it depends on the situation and time between each task as, at times, quick decisions must be carried out effectively and efficiently. Nevertheless, a follower must also be able to improvise their strategies if it comes down to it.

Ira Chaleff – The Courageous Follower:

Ira Chaleff published a book known as ‘The Courageous Follower’ in 2009 with models that offer followers the path to the truth to power. His book has five dimensions (Thomas and Berg, 2014). These are as follows:

(Wilcox, 2016)

His courageous followership model made it simple for followers. For Jacinda Arden and Melinda Ann French, these followers are singularly related as they both have commonalities that overlap. The mode can be described as participation in transformation (Thomas and Berg, 2014). According to Chaleff, their individuals who do not believe in transforming or change. Our culture describes it as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." However, Jacinda and Melinda have looked for transformative change in their followers. For instance, it is challenging to change a specific gender-role dynamic that has been the norm for centuries. However, Jacinda and Melinda have made it possible to advocate change in the form of novel opportunities for people in need. Jacinda has supported people of color, women in politics, and native New Zealanders' participation as members of parliament (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2021). As leaders open up for change and transformation, there seems to be a connection—an empathy that can be observed (Chaleff, 2009). Melinda Ann French has felt it on a social-cultural and a political scale. Her visitation to third-world countries such as India and Africa made her realize the injustice that was taking place for women across all spectrums of abuse and inequality (Gates, 2019). Hence, they advocate for transformative followers, a change in followers as leaders inspire and create an inherent change within themselves (Chaleff, 2009).

Personal Assessment

Life is a flux, and as the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus (BCE 550) once said, “change is the only constant in life,” hence, a human does not get a pass from the surrounding it presents itself with. We are constantly changing, improving, and challenging ourselves. It can be difficult to change when one grows older as the fundamental attitudes are set in stone. However, one must always thrive on being a better version of themselves or who they aspire to be.

It was a surprise when I conducted my personality test on the website ‘16personalities’; it was intriguing how 6 years have changed me but kept certain fundamentals the same. I gave the test to two of my friends for them to conduct it on my behalf to receive a third-person perspective on who I am.

Below are the results:

(Screenshot A - Personality Test 2015, 2022)

(Screenshot B - Personality Test 2022, 2022)

(Extra screenshots & tables can be found within the appendices)

When COVID-19 and lockdown started to ease, I needed and felt the urge to communicate with people around me. It is no mistake that a part of me has grown to enjoy the company of the individuals around me. It is no surprise that I am intuitive, especially from an artistic background and my liberal stance in politics. My feelings have increased since the last time I took the test. I have become more empathetic and less competitive. I do believe I am still a thinker. However, my limitations include my rational mindset being overthrown by intense emotions. I am pretty organized and decisive, and hence my tactics still are weighted toward judging. Finally, it is no surprise that I am weighted heavier on the turbulent side; this would mean I am sensitive to stress, express a wide range of emotions, am success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve myself.

Based on the leadership skill test on ‘Psychology Today’ it seems I am a Communicating Vision scoring at 59. The results are show below:

(Screenshot C – Leadership Skills Test 2022, 2022)

The results of the leadership skill test are interesting. I wish to dismiss the result because the primary reason is I have never worked in an organization. It is not about assuming what kind of leader I would be; it is about how I would react in a situation over some time. Indeed, the answers given were with the mindset of 'best case scenario' and interacting with the coworkers in a moment of stress and intensity is when I believe I can judge and evaluate myself effectively and efficiently.

I have been in groups in both an academic and artistic stance. There has usually been a creative difference, but I have gone past them through understanding and internal evaluation.

My limitations are doing certain things in a specific manner, and changing or innovating a change that has not gone through my mind multiple times is considered odd and awkward. It can be within academics or in my artistic ventures. I can be impatient, forceful, and lack confidence in myself, which can deter me from my goal and the organization. However, encouraging me helps me overcome insecurities in myself and my abilities.

The best theory that can help me improve is the positive reinforcement theory. I tend to go on extreme ends on the negative and positive factors. At times I have been seen as being unrealistic. Knowing my weakness and finding the right kind of people to work around me can be highly beneficial. Finally, there is no shame in admitting that seeking external guidance can boost my self-worth and confidence.

Appendices

Extra points on Volodymyr Zelensky:

It has been noted from an analogical point of view that Zelensky is an alchemist, changing right in front of us. During a crisis of such intensity, transformative leaders take on a role of an alchemist, turning a troubled situation into an opportunity even when the results can seem bleak. Zelensky, despite the world demising him as a leader, rose to the occasion and never positioned himself as small or insignificant. Zelensky did not flinch or deter himself from adversity. He created his image through the strength that spread far and wide. Zelensky never tried to convince us to give us a chance or sounded defensive of the situation. He did not think of any assumptions that he would fail and kept working towards protecting his nation day after day, knowing that we underestimated him. He saw himself as a leader, as a person who could go against Vladimir Putin and even beat him, and the world believed it too (Fox, 2022).

Authentic - The leaders that inspire and are looked up to are vulnerable, are honest, and openly discuss their goals, dreams, and even mistakes. The most prominent would be Dr. King's speech - I Have A Dream, which touched many people emotionally or relatably. These leaders do not pretend and do not hide adversity through denial and untruth. They are honest about what is to come (Gotian, 2022).

Simple language - Zelensky uses simple language; he does not use complex jargon to prove what the situation is; and a famous quote that many writers receive that applies to any situation is to not "use a ten-dollar word when a 25-cent word will do, is advice every writer receives." Zelensky has been clear, commanding, and compelling in his speeches (Gotian, 2022).

Women Leadership

Women for a long time have been scrutinized and are at a disadvantage when it comes to higher roles of leadership. It is dictated that they lack the rationality to perform masculine order of leadership as they are subjective to their feminine qualities. An academic interest focuses on what women leaders bring to the organizations are their leadership roles. Women's leadership is often focused on specific leadership styles, such as a more participatory act, as others see it as a novelty to find a women's leadership in a political environment. There have been suggestions that women appear to be soft, tender, and caregivers on the external surface while maintaining a harsh, brutal, and cut-throat attitude internally. Hence, such inauthentic differences between gender can have severe consequences for women's success (Pullen and Vachhani, 2021). Finally, it is to be noted that women indeed make better decisions than men in various aspects of political, academic, and organizational arenas (McMaster University, 2013), (Zenger and Folkman, 2019).

Extra points on Jacinda Ardern:

It is to be noted that Ardern has been able to challenge the status quo by creating a feminity role for her first child while in office, taking her daughter to the United Nations General Assembly, not downplaying her role as both a mother and a leader. She is proving that the role of being caring and therapeutic goes beyond the role of a mother but forms a credible and authentic leader by being quiet and strong while focusing on the ones in need immediately (Pullen and Vachhani, 2021).

There is an inevitable discouragement given to women leaders and, in so, extended to Ardern, where she falls short in aspects of specific decision-making and actions, often criticized that she is not able to enact a version of feminity that is expected of her. Her feminine body has been offered as alternative leadership methods such as caring and compassion that are different from masculine leadership. In media, she is portrayed as a feminine political leader instead of a leader such as Angela Merkel. Her motherhood has caused certain judgmental behaviors amongst people and has defined that her leadership is related to caring and compassion, as it seems that these are the only qualities that matter. Hence, this shows clearly, that despite success in the leadership role of women, they are succumbed to feminine qualities and are othered from “masculine” decision-making (Pullen and Vachhani, 2021).

Extra points on Melinda Ann French:

She married Bill Gates on January 1st, 1994; however, later, she left the company to pursue more charitable work (Tikkanen, 2022). The couple was amicable and separated in August 2021 (Kulish, 2021).

During Melinda's early career, she guarded her privacy as Bill Gates was a public figure; hence she remained to herself. However, when she decided that advocating for a specific cause must mean putting herself out there, she gave a TedxTalk about universal birth control access in Germany (TED, 2012). Melinda has actively tried to find the best solutions for inequality and explains that women's issues are complex (Howard, 2015). There are many complexities of inequality and women issues that she has seen in India mentioned in the book "The Moment Of Life," ranging from child marriage, sex workers, domestic abuse, and women/girls unable to receive the education needed to succeed (Gates, 2019).

In the book 'The Leadership Challenge' there have been traits that do support Melinda's leadership qualities. For instance, the table below shows that honesty, competent, inspiring, and forward-looking are essential traits for leaders. These traits are transportable and must be in every leader's character. It has worked for over three decades during the economic growth and recession, the origins of the Internet, new technologies, immigration, and refugee crisis. These are the traits that people look for in a leader (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

(Characteristics of Admired Leaders, 2017)

Extra points on Followership (Dr. Robert Kelley):

A sheep follower tends to be passive, uncritical, or does not participate, lacking any responsibility. However, they do the task given at hand and stop. In essence, they initiate self-thought, only told what they are told. On the bottom right corner, 'yes-people' exist or, in other words, conformists. These individuals look at their leaders for inspiration, similar to the sheep follower in that there is no real independent thought. Often leaders tend to like them and form a bond; this can entirely thwart an organization's progress. Alienated followers at the top left are critical and independent. However, their thoughts are passive; often, something could have happened in the organization for them to be secluded. These followers are cynical and tend to go against the leaders' efforts. At the center, we have the programmatic follower. Fit for survival, adapting to change, and what is necessary. They go through with safety, unable to take risks or rather be safe than sorry—not to fail (Kelley, 1988), (Thomas and Berg, 2014).

Extra points on personal assessment:

I have chosen Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y of Motivation to evaluate what kind of followers I would wish to have or can result based on my leadership grounds.

In McGregor's book The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), there are two parts in which an employee can be categorized within. Theory X & Theory Y. Theory X suggests that employees tend to be untrustworthy, lazy, and irresponsible, while Theory Y means that employees are valuable assets of the company. As the image below suggests, the connection between the managerial staff and employees within Theory X is binary, which can offer no innovative ideas or motivation. However, Theory Y has a certain liberation and can be creative (Dudovskiy, 2013).

(The Enterprise World Magazine, 2020)

It is not possible or ethical to categorize an employee or leader in one theory. McGregor's theory can come from both a managerial perspective and the kind of follower I wish to have. It is normal not to have a specific type of output if there are personal issues in one's life; however, sabotaging the organization on purpose is something no leader would tolerate. From a leadership perspective, my first authority would be to figure out what is going on with the employee before taking drastic measures. It is the very nature of compassion and kindness that current leaders tend to lack for the most part.

I do enjoy a hierarchy within a firm. A vertical hierarchy. However, it does feel liberating and more motivating when the organization, whether in business, scientific, humanitarian, or artistic field, is horizontally integrated.

Personality test results from peers:

(Screenshot D – Personality Test By Natasha On Abhishek 2022, 2022)

(Screenshot E – Personality Test By Sai On Abhishek 2022, 2022)

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This is an essay published on behalf of Middlesex University Dubai. The supervised lecturer: Mr. Andrew Mackenzie.