Dawn Vachon Communication Strategist

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

 

During college, I was assigned to an internship. This particular company  was located about 237 miles from its parent company about ninety-seven miles from any major city, or in other words out in the boondocks. As an intern I was assigned as the daily morning drive host and was the only other operator in the company besides the general manager, an office manager, and three sales managers.
 

During the first two months on the job I observed that the office manager very rarely visited the company, the radio station hub, the staff, and other activities under his command. He even had his meals brought the office from take out. He was conspicuous by his absence at company functions, or other similar gatherings. This phantom approach to command struck me as being very odd and a primary reason, in my opinion, why morale was so low in the company. How can you command or lead a company that you don’t know or don’t get involved with? He received orders to the station and there being no other office manager readily available, I was appointed as the “to go person.” Only an intern and it was already my turn in the saddle! In college, leadership techniques and principles of command were taught; Maslow, Drucker, Theories X and Y, Blake’s leadership grid, et al, would not be studied until years later. So, what does a young intern in command of an office do? I opted to choose common sense hopefully supplemented by sound judgement. Later, in my career in other jobs, I found that common sense and sound judgement became the cornerstones and building blocks of my leadership philosophy. Back to the then awesome task at hand. Even interns realize that a company has a mission to perform and it takes people, equipment, and other resources to get the job done. My initial leadership philosophy revolved around three major areas- involvement with the staff, and looking after their needs, maintenance of equipment, and learning the job.
 

Involvement of the staff took many forms. I made my presence known in all the company’s activities from taking management duties and leading training classes. Being the only intern in the company I relied heavily on the sales staff and gave them the same responsibility afforded to general  managers, and office manager to the extent possible. When I became short of sales staff I would jump in and start selling. Extensive involvement with the staff enabled me to learn their names and know each one in a relatively short period of time. Being out in the sticks I found it necessary to develop extracurricular activities to encourage the sales staff to stay engaged. Golf and softball teams were formed in which I participated. A day room equipped with a ping pong table was soon in operation along with an exercise treadmill. Company sponsorship of a local happenings and orphanage provided the staff an outlet to expend any excess energy by assisting in toy repairs, homework and / or just playing with the kids. Transportation was provided so the staff could go to the nearest church located about ten miles away. As an intern I had zero experience in hiring and firing administration duties. I once heard somebody say, “be firm but fair” and that made great sense to me. At a morning staff meeting a sales member appeared to be a bit tipsy and obviously had been drinking. I later and in private issues him a stern warning and told him to shape up. A few weeks later at a morning meeting the sales staffer was in the similar condition but slightly worse. A few hours later I administered under the general manager  my first formal disciplinary action and to my top salesperson! Surprisingly enough he subsequently thanked me, and he turned out to be a top-notch salesman. The word got around fast, and I never did have any disciplinary problems. I also took great pride in the sales staff with praise and promotions and demoting behind closed doors.

To assess the company, equipment, etc., I made daily inspections. I also insisted that the general manager in charge be present during the inspections. Periodically, equipment, day room, and sales objectives were corrected and when required. In doing so I found that the average salesperson took great deal of pride in keeping their files and equipment in good working order once the “general manager” took an interest in his work.
 

Knowing my job initially was particularly difficult as I had no previous experience in radio or television, nor did I feel particularly comfortable with some of the answers I would get to questions. Consequently, I studied the equivalent of on-air personality and became thoroughly familiar with the numerous FCC rules and regulations, logbook forms and how and when they should be filled out. I did the same with regulations and became proficient.  
 

After being in command for about nine months, whatever accomplishments or progress had been made would now be put to the test- the company was going to receive an FCC audit. Having never been involved in such an audit I wasn’t sure what to expect or the extent of the audit. My general manager proved to be invaluable in steering me in the right direction. To make a long story short, my company received superior in the audit, the highest rating, and the only station out of seven others to do so. Needless to say, the month of hard work by the sales staff, and general manager paid off handsomely. This honor reinforced my initial philosophy of leadership- involvement with the staff and taking care of their needs, proper use of equipment, and knowledge of one’s job. I continued to use the same techniques in subsequent jobs and achieved the same success.
 

Through the latter stages of my college career and jobs, I like many others, have taken numerous courses on human behavior and managerial techniques. One particular course which broaden my views and prospective was entitled “Values and Interpersonal Strategies in Management” taught at Cameron University. The course provided me with a better understanding of behavioral concepts and principles that are relevant to managerial and leadership effectiveness. It was also the first time that I was exposed in depth to Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs, Blake’s leadership/managerial grid, Schein’s problem-solving modes, McGregor’s Theories X and Y, and a host of other concepts. In completing the styles management inventory form by the University, I found the results to be consistent with other similar examinations I have taken. Results of the Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability Description placed me primarily in Quadrant 2- high task and high relationship, or equivalent to 9,9 in Blake’s managerial grid.
 

Even though these type examinations give an individual some indication of how he would react to a given question/ statement, I think the most important thing to be learned is that a good leader or manager must be flexible and not necessarily consistent in his actions. If the abilities and motives of the people under a leader are variable, then he or she must sense and appreciate the differences. Even with good diagnostic skills a leader may not be effective unless he or she can adapt leadership personality with that of the working environment. For example, in working with highly trained and emotionally mature personnel like in a R&D community may call for low-task- low relationship style leadership. While crisis activities the emphasis may shift to high task- low relationships due to time limitations. Effectiveness, then, is dependent on flexibility of leadership style and diagnostic ability reflected by the leader or manager.
 

I am now a greater believer in participative management. In my early college days, I would dictate the goals and objectives of my organization. I have found through experience that by getting the individual or employee involved in the goal /objective setting process, results in a more meaningful roadmap for the organization to follow. A new Efficiency Report does precisely that. Objectives are jointly developed by the rater and ratee and the channels of communication are enhanced. This is my opinion, is the best feature of the new form.
 

In closing, the behavioral and managerial courses which I have taken certainly broadened my managerial background and perspective considerably. From a pure leadership viewpoint, however, I must admit I haven’t done things much differently since I was an intern except hopefully learn my from mistakes. In broad terms, taking care of your staff, equipment, and knowing your job while exercising common sense and good judgement are still basic building blocks of my leadership philosophy. This can be best summarized by what General C. Marshall once stated, “ First in importance will be the development of a high morale and the building of sound discipline, based on wise leadership and a spirit of cooperation through all ranks.”