Exploring Citizen Leadership – Contexts and Competencies
This was the class that started it all! This class introduced me to much of the language and theory involved in leadership. Before each class we would read a chapter outlining a leadership theory, then meet in class to discuss the theory’s applications and validity in our own minds. Within that discussion we would often relate the theories back to popular leaders to see how they apply, and I think that often gave me a better grasp on the concepts.
While learning about these theories, there was a large focus on what citizens can do to lead. To many of us, this opened up a completely new idea: you do not have to have a formal role or title to be a leader. Many of the theories we learned about, in fact, often placed the leader in far more of a supporting role than what was typically thought of by my classmates and I. To top it all off, as the class taught us to apply these new theories to our current understanding of leadership, it also challenged us to consider new perspectives, and change as we learned more.
Of the actual theories we learned, we discussed the skills approach, behavioral approach, trait approach, situational leadership, leader-member exchange theory, path-goal theory, contingency theory, transformational leadership theory, transforming leadership theory, servant leader theory, authentic leadership theory, and psychodynamic leadership theory. Each of these theories are quite varied from each other, suggesting different ways on how to be a leader, how can one become a leader, and why a leader does what they do. My final paper for this class had me respond to some of Block’s work by applying these different theories and comparing my own beliefs at the time. In it, I also give a brief description of each theory, so if you would like to know more about the exact content of the course, I highly suggest reading my final paper, but be warned that it is lengthy!
This class sparked my curiosity for leadership studies and gave me a great background for expressing my leadership beliefs in future classes. When our professor told us her hopes for us to change from the course material, I recall thinking to myself “I absolutely refuse to change!” Looking at me now, though, I’d say I’m a completely different person! I think the way I was able to listen to other student leaders in that class and safely learn from their point of view, allowed me to reconcile some of my own beliefs and change them. Or in some cases, double down on them. Even so, for those beliefs that were reaffirmed, when I considered the theories that most related to what I already believed, I started questioning how the other ideas associated with that theory could be incorporated into my own thinking. I touched on this a bit with my leadership philosophy post, where I feel most comfortable subscribing to transforming leadership. Path-goal and transformational leadership are two other theories I relate to, though even today I still have a few reservations.
This first leadership class gave me many tools and ideas for how I should most effectively lead and relate to others in the future. By incorporating my previous experiences into the many theories I was exposed to that semester, I think that class did a fantastic job challenging and solidifying my core beliefs as a leader.
Artifacts of this class can be found in the files below:
Joe Downey's Leadership Blog 