Leadership gap

            My first experience with leadership (in an organizational context) was when I joined the U.S. Army.  This was the first job I had in which there was a large hierarchal structure of leadership.  I had experienced other forms of leadership from teachers and coaches (i.e. youth sports) but none like military leadership.  Military leadership “guided” almost every aspect of my life – how I ought to think, behave, look, etc.  At the time, it was the type of leadership that I needed considering (at the age of 18) that I was somewhat misguided and undisciplined. I believed that my leaders knew what was best for me and the organization, and therefore I did not question it. 

            My grandparents and parents also held the attitude that “leaders” knew better. However, it had nothing to do with them being misguided and undisciplined but more to do with a cultural upbringing.  Filipinos (like many Asian cultures) can be submissive or passive – not out of fear but out of deference. In the case of my forefathers/mothers, they held the belief that leaders were extraordinary people who deserved to lead. This may stem from the fact that my family was raised poor and lacked education. 

            However, in my life, as I found success in the military and became a leader myself, I realized that an individual has more control of his or her life (and environment) that I previously thought. I am a college graduate (and now pursuing an MBA) and have more control on the outcome of my situation, and relying less on others “leadership”.  My children are also raised to know they can determine their destiny, through their decisions/choices.  Yet, those decisions must be guided by knowledge and critical thinking.  In this day and age, it is inexcusable to be ignorant or naïve. 

            Yet, with all the knowledge, methodologies, courses, etc. dedicated to making better leaders, there is still a gap. Despite the world being more connected, I believe that egocentrism is one reason why leaders have failed.  In some cases, the people who have risen to power are more focused on their own interests than that of the people they lead.  In a complex and ever changing business environment, leaders must strive to develop subordinate leaders – the power to make decisions cannot rest in one person (or a select few).  To correct this, leaders must work to develop the traits of trust, empathy, humility, and fairmindedness to name a few.

Reflections

            I believe that this course was invaluable to my personal, educational, and professional growth.  The only negative aspect was the pace at which I had to conduct my studies and work.  I feel that I could have ‘grown’ more intellectually if given more time to synthesize and apply the concepts of critical thinking.  Yet, I say this understanding that my situation results from an accelerated nine-week term.  More so, I may even say that I may not fully learn everything even if MSLD 500 was several weeks longer.  Further adding to the problem was the fact that I was taking three graduate courses simultaneously and working!  I had pursued my education with the intent of getting as much done in as little time as possible.  Although I always put forth my best effort, I realize that I imposed irrational limits to my learning, that is, ‘learn only what you need to learn to get through it’.  The critical thinking teachings of this course opened my eyes to my error.  The self-reflection blog provided me an avenue to look at myself as a student.  I had never done this before.  What I am learning is not isolated to academia but is useful in all aspects of my life.  Therefore, I have gained appreciation of the knowledge I am given and the mentorship from my professors.  The topics covering action research were especially helpful and relevant.  I now have a better understanding of the distinct differences between quantitative and qualitative research.  Moreover, I recognize the value that each method offers.  I think one way that the university can provide additional support for learning is to collaborate more with aerospace companies and create real-world case studies or problems that students can work on.  One criticism I have heard from leaders/managers is ‘yes, you have the knowledge but have you proven it to work on x, y, or z problem?’ Overall, my experience with this course is positive and I believe the teachings in critical thinking will undoubtedly help in future courses.  

Presentations

            If I am to give a presentation, I consider two things.  First, I ask myself, “What is the purpose of my presentation?”  Another question I ask is, “What does the audience expect?”  I believe this will dictate the freedom and creativity I have when creating the presentation.  The majority of my experiences when it comes to presentations have been isolated to two specific environments, my career in the Army and my time as a university student.  In these two environments, the purpose and the expectation of my presentations were cut and dry – in most cases, I was given specific guidance as to the outlay of the presentation and what information is displayed.  In the Army, MS PowerPoint has become the tool of choice for visually communicating a brief.  For instance, PPT is the tool used to create a ‘storyboard’.  A storyboard reports the loss of life, limb, or eyesight of a soldier (on or off duty); an incident/accident (on duty/off duty and/or involving Army equipment); or other (DUIs, domestic violence, other criminal activity) – reporting the ‘5 W’s’ of the event and there was a very specific template.  In the Army, I was creating a storyboard many times a week!  Senior commanders did not want to hear the news unless you were armed with a storyboard.  Likewise, I have given presentations in ERAU courses in which I was told the outlay of my visual presentation (i.e. text, font, colors, etc.) and how to conduct the verbal presentation (i.e. no less than 8 minutes or longer than 10 minutes).  Students were reminded that no extra points were given for ‘bells and whistles’ on the presentation.  In fact, it may hurt the one’s grade if he or she did not follow guidance.  As a result of these experiences, I have been conditioned to create straightforward (and usually uninspiring) presentations.  However, I do recognize that there will be a time when I may give a presentation in which I must articulate and illustrate a vision, inspire or motivate people, or persuade others of my claim/argument.  In these situations, I must consider these good presentation design elements.  First, the visual presentation is only a supporting tool to my speech.  Second, make the presentation memorable – provide facts, images, and graphs that are easy to understand and remember.  Third, only have the minimum and relevant information needed to get the point across.  Lastly, be a storyteller.  The presentation should be coherent and logically flow from start to finish.

Quantitative research

            Quantitative research is the systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques (Given, 2008).  In contrast, qualitative research uses non-statistical methods.  Quantitative research can begin when a theory or hypothesis is proposed.  For example, “38% of aviation mishaps at Chicago O’Hare airport are caused by weather”.  In another instance, this author has used quantitative research when he applied Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodologies to solve a “problem”.  Lean Six Sigma refers to a process that is 99.99966% error free (or in other words, less than 3.4 defects per million opportunities).  When a process falls below the LSS standard (3.4 DPMO) a problem statement aka hypothesis is made.  This type of quantitative research occurs in manufacturing (i.e. aircraft component/part manufacturing) when a good that is produced does not meet specifications.  In both of the above-mentioned scenarios, data is gathered to determine cause-and-effect relationships and the root cause analysis of the errors.  Data is collected from documents/reports where data was collected over time or data can be collected through observation.  In this type of research, the problem and solution can often be straightforward, that is, tangible answers will be produced. 

            However, in social science research, the problem and answer may not be so clear-cut.  For instance, a study may be on the “relationship between intelligence and self-esteem” or “what is an effective organizational leader?”  Quantitative research is used in social science to collect and analyze data to explain phenomena (Mamia, n.d.).   In social science research, the data is collected by using research instruments i.e. questionnaire/survey, interviews, and observation.  Quantitative research focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular phenomenon (Babbie, 2010).  Although the data may be quantitative, it demands that the researcher is an expert in the given field and has the intuition to discern and assess the data.  

            The main elements of quantitative research are research design, choice of data collection instrument, and choice of analysis tool (Mamia, n.d.).  Research design refers to the research being either descriptive or experimental.  A descriptive study is observational – the researcher observes the phenomena in its natural setting.  In experimental design, researchers may implement controls.  These “controls” refer to the choice of data collection instrument i.e. surveys, focus groups, etc.  The choice of analysis tool refers to the type of statistical tool i.e. t tests or f tests with significance levels. 

            Quantitative (and qualitative) research will be a tool that I will continue to use in my personal, education, and professional needs.  It will help me to understand and solve problems as well as answer the whys of everyday social phenomena.  For instance, it would be interesting to read a study on why there is a notion of “entitlement” with the millennial generation!

References

Babbie, E. (2010). The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage.

Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

Mamia, T. (n.d.). Retrieved from erau.instructure.com: https://erau.instructure.com/courses/34959/pages/a500-dot-7-1-dot-cr-readings?module_item_id=1548192

Be, Know, Do

            Qualitative research is a primary method of research within the social sciences.  The goal of qualitative research is to understand human behavior within a specific context (Hoepfl, 1997).  In other words, qualitative research explores why we (people) think/act/do the way that we do and what led us to that behavior.  For instance, in this week’s review of a qualitative research journal article, I learned of a study that explored the dynamics of desired leadership traits within different organizations.  Leaders/managers sought differing leadership traits corresponding to their organization type, i.e. non-profit or for profit, and team development level, i.e. transition or action phase (Graca & Passos, 2015).  For example, leaders in a non-profit organization frequently valued higher “social” skills.  Graca & Passos obtained the information by interviewing people.  The aforementioned method of data collection is very different from quantitative research – quantitative research relies heavily on measurable data (i.e. data with limits, specifications, etc.).  Quantitative data can be assessed easier, often using mathematical and/or statistical tools.  In contrast, qualitative data requires that the researcher have expert knowledge in the field in context and has the intuition to discern what is useful data or not.  For instance, market surveys are qualitative research.  The ones in which I have most often partake in use a five-point Likert scale.  The goal of the market researcher is too assess why I answered, “I’m really satisfied!” or “I’m completely unsatisfied”; it is much more than counting how many likes/dislikes a survey reveals.  I believe that qualitative research can be very beneficial to understand as I progress through my leadership courses.  Moreover, it can be a powerful and practical tool I can use, as a leader, to assess my employees and the “social system” we share e.g. the workplace.  Furthermore, the results of this type of research may also lead to my own self-reflection and evaluation.  A mentor once explained to me the “mirror effect”, he said, “Watch how your soldiers act or do, and for better or worse, it is a reflection of you (and your leadership)”.

References

Graca, A. M., & Passos, A. M. (2015). Team leadership across contexts: a qualitative study. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 489-511. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1108/LODJ-08-2013-0114

Hoepfl, M. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology Education.

Critical thinking about critical thinking

            At this point in the course (MSLD 500, Leadership foundations in research), I reflect on what I have learned so far.  Am I now a critical thinker?  The answer is no.  This is because I have not yet fundamentally changed the way I see things.  Partial to that reason is because I have viewed things from an egocentric perspective – I rarely questioned why I believed in something.  I just assumed that over time I arrived at those beliefs through my own experiences, trial and error, education, and so forth.  Therefore, unless there was an impetus for me to believe otherwise, I didn’t see the need to question it.  It’s like being taught that an apple is red.  What is there to question?  However, I recognize now that asking the question doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a problem.  Asking the question can simply lead to enlightenment – this is illustrated in Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave.  I have a lot of progress to make when it comes to critical thinking.  Yet, I’m not discouraged.  I realize that to have the skill to critically think is just like developing any other skill – it requires repetition.  For example, I train in the martial art of Gracie Jiu-jitsu.  I have practiced many Jiu-jitsu techniques thousands of times and am not yet a master, not even close.  However, some of the techniques I do well and do them without thinking – they are now reflexes.  As for my critical thinking, I have not yet internalized the all of critical thinking competencies.  I do not have the critical thinking reflexes, that is, it is not a part of my nature when addressing a problem.  However, I am now cognizant of the elements of reasoning, the standards of critical thinking, and the intellectual traits/virtues.  When I began this course, I was not a blank slate when it came to critical thinking.  I quite often used several of the elements of reasoning i.e. purpose, question at issue, assumption, etc.  I developed these reasoning skills in the Army but at an amateur level, not with the breadth and depth needed to actually perform critical thinking.  To get better at critical thinking, and to have skills that are lasting, I must incorporate it into many more aspects of my life and practice, practice, practice!

References

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Plato. (n.d.). Retrieved from web.stanford.edu: https://web.stanford.edu/class/ihum40/cave.pdf

Choice

            I believe that the matter of choice depends on one’s concept of freedom.  I believe that the individual has the inalienable right to freedom in that he or she ought to make choices in their self-interest.  Yet, I say that understanding that one’s choices have consequences that he or she is accountable.  For instance, if I choose to break a religious tenet (i.e. a commandment), social custom, or law, then I will face the consequence of that choice.  Thus, our choices may be limited so as not to harm another person or people.  I emphasize may because ultimately, one’s personal choice will be based on what he or she wants to do, not what they ought to do.  Moreover, I believe that one determines his or her destiny through their choices – our outcome is not pre-determined by fate. 

            I believe that more options lead to better choices.  However, this is not to say that as options increase, so then does the probability of success (i.e. a better choice).  Some options are significantly better than others, while in other options the difference is trivial.  The difference (or significance) in an option can be quantifiable or it can be subjective to the individual.  Yet regardless – to reiterate my previous statement – one’s choice will be based on what he or she wants.  This is considering that the person has the freedom of choice.  I have witnessed cultures where individual choice is suppressed and observed that having less (or no) options is a precept to fail.  To quote hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  Yet, I do agree with Sheena Iyengar that when one has too many choices, he or she may “become overwhelmed” and the choice “no longer offers opportunities, but imposes constraints (Iyengar, 2010).”  Therefore, there is the conundrum – would you rather be constrained by choices or none at all?

            Lastly, Sheena Iyengar claims there in an assumption that one “must never say no to choice (Iyengar, 2010).”   I disagree with this assumption and believe that we can say no to a choice and we do so every day.  A more fitting question within the context of Iyengar’s speech is, “Would you rather relinquish your choice to another person?”  If you do, I believe the reason is that you choose to place the weight of responsibility on another’s shoulders.  Yet, the irony is that the consequence is a much your burden for not choosing.  Choosing to forego a choice is not a bad thing.  It depends on one’s strength of character and what he or she is willing to accept. 

            In conclusion, our choices invariably differ due to circumstance.  My choices, in opportunity and outcome, will be better or worse as compared to another.  Moreover, each choice will have a diverse level of magnitude in regards to consequence.  For instance, what I choose to wear for a specific occasion is much less important than a choice to give or deny someone’s life.  Therefore, I believe one must make their own reasoned choices (and choosing not to choose is still a choice!) in their self-interest but understanding the implications to his or herself and others.

References

Iyengar, S. (2010, July). Retrieved from www.ted.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing/transcript?language=en#t-245180