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The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.

So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

Keep a journal. Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability.

So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

Hold yourself accountable. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

Practice being calm. The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Re-examine why you're doing your job. It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic.

How can you improve your empathy?

Respond to feelings. You ask your assistant to work late - again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social Skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior.

So, how can you build social skills?

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Emotional Intelligence in Leadership - Learning How to Be More Aware

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Relating to others is vital in today's workplace. Learn how to build your emotional intelligence (EI) with this article.

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You've probably heard about the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ). But, are you developing the skills that are essential for increasing your EQ? Social awareness is key.

According to the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, while self-awareness "involves looking inward to learn about yourself and understand yourself, social awareness is looking outward to learn about and appreciate others." Social awareness focuses on recognizing and understanding others' feelings.

Social awareness requires you to live in the moment - avoiding the clutter in your mind - to practice active listening and observing. Here are eight tactics that can help you become more socially aware and, ultimately, a better leader.

1. Understand what it means to listen

Most of us think we're good listeners. Unfortunately, the truth is that we're usually too busy thinking of our next response to really hear what others are saying.

Good listeners don't assume they know or understand a situation before hearing someone out. They listen, look for the facts of the situation and then analyze the emotions surrounding it.

When you slow down and really start listening, you may be surprised by what you learn about your employees and organization - and how you can help things run more efficiently with the new information at hand.

2. Repeat what was said

You say you're listening. But can you prove it?

The best way to ensure you understand what's been said is to repeat back what you heard in your own words and ask for more information, if appropriate. This helps to show that you understand what was said, and it conveys to the other person that their opinion is valued and heard.

For example, say an employee tells you that a project was completed late because of a deadline that only gave them three days to turn around the work.

In response, you might say, "I understand. This was late because you were given a deadline that was too aggressive for the amount of work required. How can we avoid this in the future?"

Active listening, like this, ultimately leads to greater understanding and trust among leaders and employees.

3. Pay attention to tone of voice

Ask any actor and they'll tell you - the way you say something can be the difference between night and day.

For example, if an employee enthusiastically shrills with excitement while saying, "No problem!" it's quite a bit different than an ambivalent mutter of the same words.

Notice the energy behind what your employees say to get a sense of how they're feeling. This is especially critical during virtual meetings when you do not have visual cues. A person's tone of voice can help you get a read on how they're feeling, and give you a better opportunity to choose the most appropriate response or course of action. The best leaders are in tune with others' feelings.

4. Watch facial expressions and body language

Stay aware of nonverbal cues. You must be present and giving your full attention to notice things like facial expressions and body language. While this will require extra effort, it can go a long way.

For instance, if you ask Adam if he has time to discuss something, and he winces while saying, "Sure, we can talk" - take notice of his body language. While he's saying yes, his physical reaction is telling you it's not a good time.

In this instance, you can say "I think I noticed some hesitation there about the time. Would meeting later today work better for you?" That way, your employee has the option to meet at a time that would be less disruptive to his day.

5. Keep a finger on the pulse of the office

Can you read the mood of the room? Can you sense how things are going for your employees, even if they don't directly tell or show you how they're feeling?

Observation skills are fundamental to social awareness. When you pay close attention to what's happening around you, your awareness of your surroundings can help set the tone of how you approach varying situations.

For example, what is the feel of your office? Is there a good balance of intensity and fun, or does it swing too much one way? Is there so much intensity that it has turned into tension and employees are getting overwhelmed? Or, is there so much good-natured fun that work is not getting done?

Having a sense of the mood and pace of your organization can help you determine the best strategy for maintaining a good balance with your employees. For example, if your team seems overwhelmed, could the work be outsourced or redistributed? Or, should you leave it in-house and order in lunch for your employees as a token of appreciation for getting the extra work done? Conversely, if there is work not getting done, take steps to help your team prioritize and focus, without losing the positive comradery.

Then, when that big proposal lands on your desk, you will have a good idea of who is available and best-suited for the task, as well as a realistic timeline for getting it done.

When you keep in touch with the mood of your office, decisions like this become easier to make.

6. Notice the details

If you want to be connected to your employees, you need to keep your eyes open to your environment and really see what's in front of you.

Make the rounds in the office regularly and observe what's happening. This isn't about being seen - it's about getting to know your workforce as people, and interpreting the mood of the team.

Ask questions to show your employees that you're interested. For example, did Kyle just put a new photo on his desk? Let him know you noticed and ask about his family's latest vacation.

7. Avoid the drive-by

When you're moving through the room, you might be tempted to check some things off your to-do list by discussing any relevant matters with employees as you see them.

However, try to avoid drive-by meetings whenever possible. If you have a specific topic you want to discuss with an employee, always look for social cues as to whether it's a good time to do so before diving in.

For example, is Samantha hard at work and looking like she's in the zone? Don't interrupt, but next time you see her, you can say "I saw that you were really focused on your project earlier. I appreciate that!" Then, ask her when she's available for a quick chat.

That way, you let her know you noticed her dedication without interrupting her workflow.

8. Stop taking notes

While note-taking might have provided great value when you were in college lecture courses, the same practice in a professional setting can have unintended, negative repercussions.

It's easy to miss something when you're busy scribbling away in your notebook. Do your best to put down the pen and look up from your paper in meetings. In a meeting, you should actively engage with others.

And, notice when, for example, your employees start to check out in a meeting because the topics being discussed aren't relevant to their work, or if eyes roll or the tension increases when a certain topic is brought up.

If you're present in moments like these, you might see an opportunity to step in and steer the conversation in a more constructive direction or dig deeper to uncover underlying issues.

Move forward with improved relationships

As a leader, if you aren't socially aware, your employees may feel like you have your own agenda and don't care about their opinions.

Employees want to be included in decisions that impact their jobs. When they feel like their leaders care and can be trusted, they become more engaged.

By demonstrating good listening and observing skills, you build trust and understanding with your employees. Meanwhile, employees become more engaged and get a better understanding of how they can help impact organizational goals.

Want more leadership advice? Download The Insperity Guide to Leadership and Management to learn more.

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by Janet Sprimont | Supervisor, Middle Market Consulting Project & Assessment

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8 social awareness tactics that will make you a better leader

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You've probably heard about the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ). But, are you developing the skills that are essential for increasing your EQ? Social awareness is key. According to the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, while self-awareness "involves looking inward to learn about yourself and understand yourself, social awareness is looking outward to learn about and appreciate others."

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When most people imagine intelligence, they picture a mathematician solving equations, a novelist writing great works of literature or a philosopher expounding on wise principles.

But brilliance takes many forms, not least of which is the ability to comprehend and manage emotions. Known as emotional intelligence, this trait is often overlooked, yet crucial for success as a business leader.

Here's what having emotional intelligence provides you with:
Acute Awareness
One of the defining features of emotional intelligence is the ability to comprehend the effects of your feelings. This is crucial for making sound, objective decisions when your pride and self-esteem are at stake. All leaders must face situations where their emotions make a decision seem better than it is.

If you previously expressed support for a certain strategy, for example, your pride will be tied up with that strategy, making it harder to recognize if it isn't working. Leaders who have emotional intelligence are more likely to realize when pride and other emotions are influencing their thinking, allowing them to make more rational, impartial choices.
Impact Interpretation
In addition to reigning in your own feelings, emotional intelligence makes it easier to anticipate and respond to others' sentiments. As much as we may want for it to be objective, business is an emotional experience.

Bad news from work can shock or dismay your employees, while good news may make them unreasonably optimistic. Emotional intelligence means you can tell ahead of time how others will react and develop a strategy to keep them grounded.
Mental Health Management
Those with emotional intelligence have an easier time assessing the emotional and psychological state of their employees. This makes it easier to determine if someone is suffering from:

* Anxiety

* Depression

* Grief

* Trauma

* Eating disorders

By recognizing threats to your employees' mental health, you can provide them with the support and professional resources they need to recover. Not only is this good for their health but it promotes a more harmonious, productive workplace.
Cultivated Communication
Leaders with emotional intelligence have an improved ability to gauge others' responses to their words and actions. This makes it easier for you to tell if your employees really understand what you are saying or are confused but unwilling to say so. You can then refine your messages accordingly, developing reliable ways of communicating with everyone who works for you.

Emotional intelligence also makes it easier for you to listen to what other people are saying clearly and without judgment, ensuring that others can always give you the information you need.
Helpful Humor
Never underestimate the value of humor in business. A good joke or clever play on words can cheer up dismayed employees, win over skeptical customers and draw positive attention to your brand. If you have emotional intelligence, it will be easier to tell what people will find funny. You can also determine in which situations humor will be appropriate, finding the proper balance between serious work and lightheartedness.

While intelligence is important, emotional intelligence is a key to success in leadership and in being able to relate to others. When dealing with others, truly try to place yourself in their situation. It will help you choose the best method to solve problems and achieve your goals.

How has emotional intelligence helped you to make sound and informed decisions?

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Council Post: Why Emotional Intelligence Is Indispensable For Leaders

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When most people imagine intelligence, they picture a mathematician solving equations, a novelist writing great works of literature or a philosopher expounding on wise principles. But brilliance takes many forms, not least of which is the ability to comprehend and manage emotions.

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. It says the three main reasons for failure are difficulty in handling change, inability to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

International search firm Egon Zehnder International analyzed 515 senior executives and discovered that those who were strongest in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those strongest in either IQ or relevant previous experience. Research that has been done on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and IQ has shown only a weak correlation between the two.

The Carnegie Institute of Technology carried out research that showed that 85% of our financial success was due to skills in "human engineering", personality, and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. They found that only 15% was due to technical ability. In other words people skills or skills highly related to emotional intelligence were crucial skills. Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

People would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

To test out his findings, think of the last time you purchased a major item, a home, automobile, or large appliance where you had to dealings with a salesperson. Was the person someone who you liked and trusted? In my talks, I have found that whenever I asked that question, inevitably the entire audience answered that, yes, the person they bought a large item from was someone they liked and trusted. This theory about why salespeople with the right people skills do better than those who lack them is borne out by a study carried out by the Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group in 1997. In a study carried out in a large national insurance company in 1997, they found that sales agents weak in emotional areas such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000, while those strong in 5 of 8 emotional competencies sold policies on the average worth $114,000.

Much of the research that has been done on emotional intelligence has been at the executive leadership level. The higher up the organization, the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization. There have been some studies, however, that show impacts at all levels.

The higher up the organization the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization.

For example, a study by McClelland in 1999 showed that after supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better, lost-time accidents decreased by 50% and grievances went down from 15 per year to three. The plant itself exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

The same principles apply in all areas of life, whether at work or in relationships. Everyone wants to work with people who are easy to get along with, supportive, likeable, and can be trusted. We want to be beside people that do not get upset easily and can keep their composure when things do not work out according to plan.

Self-awareness. The first thing that is essential for any degree of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. People with a high degree of self-awareness have a solid understanding of their own emotions, their strengths, weaknesses, and what drives them. Neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful, these people are honest with themselves and others. These people recognize how their feelings impact them, other people around them, and their performance at work. They have a good understanding of their values and goals and where they are going in life. They are confident as well as aware of their limitations and less likely to set themselves up for failure.

We can recognize self-aware people by their willingness to talk about themselves in a frank, non-defensive manner. A good interview question is to ask about a time that the interviewee got carried away by their emotions and did something they later regretted. The self-aware person will be open and frank with their answers. Self-deprecating humor is a good indicator of someone who has good self-awareness. Red flags are people who stall or try to avoid the question, seem irritated, or frustrated by the question.

Ability To Self-Regulate Emotions. We all have emotions which drive us and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. People who are good at self-regulation, however, are able to manage their emotions so that they do not control their words and actions. While they feel bad moods and impulses as much as anyone else, they do not act upon them. People who act upon their negative feelings create havoc, disruptions, and lasting bad feelings all around them. We feel before we think and people who constantly react from an emotional state never wait long enough to allow their thoughts to override their emotions.

People who self-regulate have the ability to wait until their emotions pass, allowing them to respond from a place of reason, rather than simply reacting to feelings. The signs of someone who is good at self-regulation are reflection, thoughtfulness, comfort with ambiguity, change, and not having all the answers. In an interview, look for people who take a little time to reflect and think before they answer.

Empathy. Empathy is another important aspect to look for when hiring. Someone who has empathy will have an awareness of the feelings of others and consider those feelings in their words and actions. This does not mean that they will tiptoe around or be unwilling to make tough decisions for fear of hurting someone's feelings. It simply means that they are aware of, and take into consideration the impact on others. They are willing to share their own worries and concerns and openly acknowledge other's emotions. A good way to look for empathy in an interview is to ask a candidate about a situation where a co-worker was angry with them and how they dealt with it. Look for a willingness to understand the source of the co-workers anger, even though they may not agree with the reasons for it.

Social skills. Social skill is another area of emotional intelligence that is highly important in the workplace. To have good social skills requires a high level of the other skills aforementioned as well as the ability to relate and find common ground with a wide range of people. It goes beyond just friendliness and the ability to get along with others.

People with social skills are excellent team players as they have the ability to move an agenda along and keep focus while at the same time remaining aware of the emotional climate of the group and possess the ability to respond to it. These people are excellent at making connections, networking, and bringing people together to work on projects. They are able to bring their emotional intelligence skills into play in a larger arena. To look for social skills in an interview, ask questions related to projects and difficulties encountered around varying agendas, temperaments, and getting people to buy in.

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People Are More Successful

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies.

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What the Trait Theory Says About How Our Personalities Are Composed

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Trait theory suggests that personality is made up of a number of broad traits. Learn more about this theory and explore a few of the key traits.

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Leadership Theories & Models - Trait Theory

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Hi, everyone. Welcome back. We're going to be talking about the trait theory today. So what better way to describe individual personalities than by using traits? Well, the trait theory is a very straightforward approach describe personality. We do it everyday. It basically defines personality in terms of identifiable patterns of behavior. So that is a key word. They are patterns of behavior. And I'll explain that in a little bit, into a little bit more depth. So it describes traits instead of explaining them as in many other personality theories. So this theory uses description versus explanation, versus other theories of personality tend to use explanation to describe patterns of behavior. So what exactly is a trait? Now, if someone asked you to describe your best friend, what kind of things would you say? Maybe that your best friend was funny, caring, loyal, even-tempered? Well, all of these words that I just called off represent traits. A trait can be thought of as a relatively stable characteristic. So that is another defining word. It is a stable characteristic. And what do I mean by stable? So it's a stable characteristic that causes individuals to consistently behave in certain ways. So it has to be consistent. I guess that's synonymous with stable. So the combination and interaction of various traits forms a personality. And that's what's unique to each individual. No two people have the exact same personality. We can even see that within our families. Even though we share many genes, we all have different personalities because we all possess these different traits. Well, let's get into what different theorists of the trait theory have to say in trying to describe traits. So, a little aside over here, I found these personality tests to be so fascinating, like the Myers-Briggs personality type test. I don't know if you've taken it before. But basically, it gives you a set of four letters that categorizes you into one of 16 personality types. And then within each one of those personality types, there's a set of traits and behaviors that you tend to dominate in your everyday life. So anyways, if you haven't checked those types of personality tests out, I highly recommend it. I know a lot of companies use them for employment. And it's just a fun way to get to know yourself and your tendencies a little better. I'm always curious. So individual trait theories differ in terms of whether or not they believe that all individuals possess the same traits. And I'll get into that in a little bit. And you'll see why I say that. So let's go through the first theorist. His name was Gordon Allport. So what Allport said is that all of us have different traits. He didn't believe that all individuals have the same traits. He said that they could differ amongst individuals. And he actually came up with a list of 4,500 different descriptive words to describe traits. And that wasn't the original list. Apparently, the original had over 10,000. That's crazy. So anyways, from those 4,500, he was able to come up with three basic categories of traits. And the first one are our cardinal traits. The second one are our central traits. And the last are our secondary traits. Now of these three, the cardinal traits are the characteristics that direct most of a person's activities. So these are the dominant traits, the ones that lie in the cardinal category. For example, one person may have a cardinal trait of selflessness, or power motivation, but Allport says that not all individuals have selflessness or power motivation. So that's the key right there. Individuals have some subset of traits from a universal possibility of traits. But not all individuals have the same traits. We mix and match. We all possess different ones. Now these cardinal traits influence all of our behaviors, including the central and the secondary traits, or dispositions, which influence behavior to a lesser degree. So these are dominant, and these are expressed at a lesser degree. So an example of a essential trait is honesty or sociability or shyness, which are less dominant than these cardinal traits. And a secondary trait is something like a love for modern art or a reluctance to eat meat. And these are more preferences, or attitudes. Let's go to the second theorist. And his name was Raymond Cattell. So now what Cattell did is that he proposed that we all have 16 essential personality traits. We all do. He said that they represent the basic dimensions of personality. And he turned this into the 16 personality factor questionnaire, or 16PF for short. That was his contribution. So he categorized all of our traits into 16 personality traits that we all possess. The third theorist was Hans Eysenck. and what Eysenck did, his theory is based on the assumption that we all have three major dimensions. And these three major dimensions of personality encompass all traits that we all possess. But the degree to which we individually express them are different. So this is different from Allport. Again, Allport said we have different unique subsets of traits. Eysenck is saying we all have these traits, but we express them at different degrees. So there's three major dimensions of his theory. The first is extroversion. So you know what that is. Extroversion versus introversion, and that is the degree of sociability. The second is neuroticism, and neuroticism is our emotional stability. And the third is psychoticism. Let me make sure I'm spelling this right. There we go. Psychoticism is the degree to which reality is distorted. OK, so I know I said Eysenck said that we all possess traits that lie in these three categories, but we display them, or express them to different degrees. Well, there's a little caveat here because Eysenck said that we all have varying degrees of extroversion and neuroticism, but not necessarily psychoticism. All right, moving on, the last major theory trait is called the big five. And the big five, again, is found in all people of all populations. So the first major personality trait in the big five is openness. Let me do this in a different color. So the first is openness. And what I mean by openness is that we ask the question, are you independent, or are you conforming? Are you imaginative, or are you practical? The second is conscientiousness. And that is a mouthful. So in conscientiousness, we're asking the questions, are you careful or careless? Are you disciplined or impulsive? Are you organized or disorganized? The third is extroversion. And in extroversion, we're asking the questions, are you talkative, or are you quiet? Are you fun loving, or are you sober? The fourth is agreeableness. And in agreeableness, we're asking the questions, are you kind, or you cold? Are you appreciative or unfriendly? And the last we've already seen from Eysenck, and that is neuroticism. So in neuroticism, we're asking the questions, are you stable or tense? Calm or anxious? Secure or insecure? So the best way I learned to memorize the big five is using the acronym O.C.E.A.N, O-C-E-A-N. Easy. OK, so Cattell, Eysenck, and the big five all over here used something called factor analysis to come up with this these categories of our traits. So factor analysis is a statistical method that categorizes and determines our major categories of traits. And Allport's theory did not use that. He relied on different procedures to determine traits. So basically, factor analysis reduces the number of variables and detects structure in the relationships between variables. And we do that because we want to classify variables. So in the past, probably at the time of Cattell and Eysenck, all of this was done out by hand. All the possible combinations in determining the number of categories of traits was done by hand. But now, we have fancy computer software that can do all the math for us. And it's what gives us these final sets of variables or classification of personality traits.

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Hi, everyone. Welcome back. We're going to be talking about the trait theory today. So what better way to describe individual personalities than by using traits? Well, the trait theory is a very straightforward approach describe personality. We do it everyday. It basically defines personality in terms of identifiable patterns of behavior.

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Theories of Personality

By Dr. Saul McLeod, updated 2017

What is this thing we call personality? Consider the following definitions, what do they have in common?

"Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristics behavior and thought" (Allport, 1961, p. 28).

"The characteristics or blend of characteristics that make a person unique" (Weinberg & Gould, 1999).

Both definitions emphasize the uniqueness of the individual and consequently adopt an idiographic view.

The idiographic view assumes that each person has a unique psychological structure and that some traits are possessed by only one person; and that there are times when it is impossible to compare one person with others. It tends to use case studies for information gathering.

The nomothetic view, on the other hand, emphasizes comparability among individuals. This viewpoint sees traits as having the same psychological meaning in everyone.

This approach tends to use self-report personality questions, factor analysis, etc. People differ in their positions along a continuum in the same set of traits.

We must also consider the influence and interaction of nature (biology, genetics, etc.) and nurture (the environment, upbringing) with respect to personality development.

Trait theories of personality imply personality is biologically based, whereas state theories such as Bandura's (1977) Social Learning Theory emphasize the role of nurture and environmental influence.

Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic theory of personality assumes there is an interaction between nature (innate instincts) and nurture (parental influences).

Freud's Theory

Personality involves several factors:

Personality development depends on the interplay of instinct and environment during the first five years of life.

Parental behavior is crucial to normal and abnormal development. Personality and mental health problems in adulthood can usually be traced back to the first five years.

Psychosexual Development

People - including children - are basically hedonistic - they are driven to seek pleasure by gratifying the Id's desires (Freud, 1920).

Sources of pleasure are determined by the location of the libido (life-force).

As a child moves through different developmental stages, the location of the libido, and hence sources of pleasure, change (Freud, 1905).

Environmental and parental experiences during childhood influence an individual's personality during adulthood.

For example, during the first two years of life, the infant who is neglected (insufficiently fed) or who is over-protected (over-fed) might become an orally-fixated person (Freud, 1905).

Tripartite Theory of Personality

Freud (1923) saw the personality structured into three parts (i.e., tripartite), the id, ego, and superego (also known as the psyche), all developing at different stages in our lives.

These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical.

The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality. It consists of all the inherited (i.e., biological) components of personality, including the sex (life) instinct - Eros (which contains the libido), and aggressive (death) instinct - Thanatos.

It operates on the pleasure principle (Freud, 1920) which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences.

The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world (like a referee). It is the decision-making component of personality

The ego operates according to the reality principle, working our realistic ways of satisfying the id's demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society. The ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette and rules in deciding how to behave.

The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others. It is similar to a conscience, which can punish the ego through causing feelings of guilt.

Trait Approach to Personality

This approach assumes behavior is determined by relatively stable traits which are the fundamental units of one's personality.

Traits predispose one to act in a certain way, regardless of the situation. This means that traits should remain consistent across situations and over time, but may vary between individuals. It is presumed that individuals differ in their traits due to genetic differences.

These theories are sometimes referred to a psychometric theories, because of their emphasis on measuring personality by using psychometric tests. Trait scores are continuous (quantitative) variables. A person is given a numeric score to indicate how much of a trait they possess.

Eysenck's Personality Theory

Eysenck (1952, 1967, 1982) proposed a theory of personality based on biological factors, arguing that individuals inherit a type of nervous system that affects their ability to learn and adapt to the environment.

During 1940s Eysenck was working at the Maudsley psychiatric hospital in London. His job was to make an initial assessment of each patient before their mental disorder was diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

Through this position, he compiled a battery of questions about behavior, which he later applied to 700 soldiers who were being treated for neurotic disorders at the hospital (Eysenck (1947).

He found that the soldiers' answers seemed to link naturally with one another, suggesting that there were a number of different personality traits which were being revealed by the soldier's answers. He called these first-order personality traits

He used a technique called factor analysis. This technique reduces behavior to a number of factors which can be grouped together under separate headings, called dimensions.

Eysenck (1947) found that their behavior could be represented by two dimensions: Introversion / Extroversion (E); Neuroticism / Stability (N). Eysenck called these second-order personality traits.

Each aspect of personality (extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism) can be traced back to a different biological cause. Personality is dependent on the balance between excitation and inhibition process of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Extraversion/introversion

Extraverts are sociable and crave excitement and change, and thus can become bored easily. They tend to be carefree, optimistic and impulsive. They are more likely to take risks and be thrill seekers. Eysenck argues that this is because they inherit an under aroused nervous system and so seek stimulation to restore the level of optimum stimulation.

Introverts on the other hand lie at the other end of this scale, being quiet and reserved. They are already over-aroused and shun sensation and stimulation. Introverts are reserved, plan their actions and control their emotions. They tend to be serious, reliable and pessimistic.

Neuroticism/stability

A person's level of neuroticism is determined by the reactivity of their sympathetic nervous system. A stable person's nervous system will generally be less reactive to stressful situations, remaining calm and level headed.

Someone high in neuroticism on the other hand will be much more unstable, and prone to overreacting to stimuli and may be quick to worry, anger or fear. They are overly emotional and find it difficult to calm down once upset. Neurotic individuals have an ANS that responds quickly to stress.

Psychoticism/normality

Eysenck (1966) later added a third trait / dimension - Psychoticism - e.g., lacking in empathy, cruel, a loner, aggressive and troublesome. This has been related to high levels of testosterone. The higher the testosterone, the higher the level of psychoticism, with low levels related to more normal balanced behavior.

He was especially interested in the characteristics of people whom he considered to have achieved their potential as individuals.

According to Eysenck, the two dimensions of neuroticism (stable vs. unstable) and introversion-extroversion combine to form a variety of personality characteristics.

Critical Evaluation

Twin studies can be used to see if personality is genetic. However, the findings are conflicting and non-conclusive.

Shields (1976) found that monozygotic (identical) twins were significantly more alike on the Introvert - Extrovert (E) and Psychoticism (P) dimensions than dizygotic (non-identical) twins.

Loehlin, Willerman, and Horn (1988) found that only 50% of the variations of scores on personality dimensions are due to inherited traits. This suggests that social factors are also important.

One good element of Eysenck's theory is that it takes into account both nature and nurture. Eysenck's theory argues strongly that biological predispositions towards certain personality traits combined with conditioning and socialization during childhood in order to create our personality.

This interactionist approach may, therefore, be much more valid than either a biological or environmental theory alone.

It also links nicely with the diathesis-stress model of behavior which argues for a biological predisposition combining with an environmental trigger for a particular behavior.

Cattell's 16PF Trait Theory

Cattell (1965) disagreed with Eysenck's view that personality can be understood by looking at only two or three dimensions of behavior.

Instead, he argued that that is was necessary to look at a much larger number of traits in order to get a complete picture of someone's personality.

Whereas Eysenck based his theory based on the responses of hospitalized servicemen, Cattell collected data from a range of people through three different sources of data.

Cattell analyzed the T-data and Q-data using a mathematical technique called factor analysis to look at which types of behavior tended to be grouped together in the same people. He identified 16 personality traits / factors common to all people.

Cattell made a distinction between source and surface traits. Surface traits are very obvious and can be easily identified by other people, whereas source traits are less visible to other people and appear to underlie several different aspects of behavior.
Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)
Cattell regarded source traits are more important in describing personality than surface traits.

Cattell produced a personality test similar to the EPI that measured each of the sixteen traits. The 16PF (16 Personality Factors Test) has 160 questions in total, ten questions relating to each personality factor.

Allport's Trait Theory

Allport's theory of personality emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual and the internal cognitive and motivational processes that influence behavior. For example, intelligence, temperament, habits, skills, attitudes, and traits.

L-data - this is life record data such as school grades, absence from work, etc.

Q-data - this was a questionnaire designed to rate an individual's personality (known as the 16PF) .

T-data - this is data from objective tests designed to 'tap' into a personality construct.

Allport (1937) believes that personality is biologically determined at birth, and shaped by a person's environmental experience.

Authoritarian Personality

Adorno et al. (1950) proposed that prejudice is the result of an individual's personality type. They piloted and developed a questionnaire, which they called the F-scale (F for fascism).

Adorno argued that deep-seated personality traits predisposed some individuals to be highly sensitive to totalitarian and antidemocratic ideas and therefore were prone to be highly prejudicial.

The evidence they gave to support this conclusion included:

Those with an authoritarian personality tended to be:

* Hostile to those who are of inferior status, but obedient to people with high status

* Fairly rigid in their opinions and beliefs

* Conventional, upholding traditional values

Adorno concluded that people with authoritarian personalities were more likely to categorize people into "us" and "them" groups, seeing their own group as superior.

Therefore, the study indicated that individuals with a very strict upbringing by critical and harsh parents were most likely to develop an authoritarian personality.

Adorno believed that this was because the individual in question was not able to express hostility towards their parents (for being strict and critical). Consequently, the person would then displace this aggression / hostility onto safer targets, namely those who are weaker, such as ethnic minorities.

Adorno et al. felt that authoritarian traits, as identified by the F-Scale, predispose some individuals towards 'fascistic' characteristics such as:

* Clinical interviews revealed situational aspects of their childhood, such as the fact that they had been brought up by very strict parents or guardians, which were found of participants who scored highly on the F-scale not always found in the backgrounds of low scorers.

In other words, according to Adorno, the Eichmanns of this world are there because they have authoritarian personalities and therefore are predisposed cruelty, as a result of their upbringing.

There is evidence that the authoritarian personality exists. This might help to explain why some people are more resistant to changing their prejudiced views.

Critical Evaluation

There are many weaknesses in Adorno's explanation of prejudice:

* Harsh parenting style does not always produce prejudice children / individuals

* Some prejudiced people do not conform to the authoritarian personality type.

* It doesn't explain why people are prejudiced against certain groups and not others.

Furthermore, the authoritarian explanation of prejudice does not explain how whole social groups (e.g., the Nazis) can be prejudiced. This would mean that all members of a group (e.g., Nazis) would have an authoritarian personality, which is quite unlikely.

Cultural or social norms would seem to offer a better explanation of prejudice and conflict than personality variables. Adorno has also been criticized for his limited sample.

Also, Hyman and Sheatsley (1954) found that lower educational level was probably a better explanation of high F-scale scores than an authoritarian.

* Ethnocentrism, i.e., the tendency to favor one's own ethnic group:

* Obsession with rank and status

* Respect for and submissiveness to authority figures

* Preoccupation with power and toughness.

APA Style References

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., & Sanford, R. N. (1950). The authoritarian personality. New York: Harper and Row (pp. 228).

Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A psychological interpretation. New York: H. Holt and. Company.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cattell, R. B. (1965). The scientific analysis of personality. Baltimore: Penguin Books.

Eysenck, H. J. (1952). The scientific study of personality.

Eysenck, H. J. (1966). Personality and experimental psychology. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society.

Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The biological basis of personality (Vol. 689). Transaction publishers.

Eysenck, H. J. (1982). Personality, genetics, and behavior: Selected papers.

Freud, S. (1905). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. Se, 7.

Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle. SE, 18: 1-64.

Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. SE, 19: 1-66.

Hyman, H. H., & Sheatsley, P. (1956). Attitudes Toward Desegregation. Scientific American, 195:35-39.

Loehlin, J. C., Willerman, L., & Horn, J. M. (1988). Human behavior genetics. Annual Review of Psychology, 39(1), 101-133.

Pervin, L. A. (1993). Personality: Theory and research. John Wiley & Sons.

Shields, J. (1976). Heredity and environment. In A textbook of human psychology (pp. 145-160). Springer Netherlands.

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (1999). Personality and sport. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 25-46.

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By Dr. Saul McLeod, updated 2017 What is this thing we call personality? Consider the following definitions, what do they have in common? "Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristics behavior and thought" (Allport, 1961, p. 28).

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Personality traits reflect people's characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Trait theory in psychology rests on the idea that people differ from one another based on the strength and intensity of basic trait dimensions. There are three criteria that characterize personality traits: (1) consistency, (2) stability, and (3) individual differences.

Individuals must be somewhat consistent across situations in their behaviors related to the trait. For example, if they are talkative at home, they tend also to be talkative at work.

A trait must also be somewhat stable over time as demonstrated behaviors related to the trait. For example, at age 30 if someone is talkative they will also tend to be talkative at age 40.

People differ from one another on behaviors related to the trait. People differ on how frequently they talk and so personality traits such as talkative exist.

A major challenge for trait theorists was how to identify traits. They started by generating a list of English adjectives (after reading about bias in Chapter 3 I bet you can see a problem here). Early trait theorists Allport and Odbert identified about 18, 000 words in the English language that could describe people (Allport & Odbert, 1936). The list was later reduced to 4,500 by Allport but even this was far too many traits. In an effort to make the list of traits more manageable, Raymond Cattell (1946, 1957) narrowed the list to 16 factors and developed a personality assessment called the 16PF. Later, psychologists Hans and Sybil Eysenck focused on temperament (Eysenck, 1990, 1992; Eysenck and Eysenck, 1963) and hypothesized two specific personality dimensions: extroversion/introversion and neuroticism/stability.

While Cattell's 16 factors may be too broad, the 2-factor system proposed by the Eysenck's has been criticized for being too narrow. Another personality theory, called the Five Factor Model (FFM), effectively hits a middle ground. The five factors are commonly referred to as the Big Five personality traits (McCrae & Costa, 1987). It is the most popular theory in personality psychology today and the most accurate approximation of the basic trait dimensions (Funder, 2010). Traits are scored along a continuum, from high to low rather than present or absent (all or none). This means that when psychologists talk about Introverts (e.g., quiet, withdrawn, reserved) and Extroverts (e.g., outgoing, social, talkative), they are not really talking about two distinct types of people but rather they are talking about people who score relatively low or relatively high along a continuous dimension.

The five traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. A helpful way to remember the traits is by using the mnemonic OCEAN.

Scores on the Big Five traits are mostly independent which means that a person's position on the continuum for one trait tells very little about their standing on the other traits. For example, a person can be extremely high in Extraversion and be either high or low on Neuroticism. Similarly, a person can be low in Agreeableness and be either high or low in Conscientiousness. In the FFM you need five scores to describe most of an individual's personality.

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Personality traits reflect people's characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Trait theory in psychology rests on the idea that people differ from one another based on the strength and intensity of basic trait dimensions. There are three criteria that characterize personality traits: (1) consistency, (2) stability, and (3) individual differences.

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One person often gets stuck with thankless tasks-and the problem exists not only in schools but in the workplace. Here's something I wrote about the topic for Character Lab as a Tip of the Week:

"How did I get stuck doing this again?" my daughter moaned.

For a group project at school, she once again found herself in the role of "compiler." You know, the person who takes everyone's content and threads it together into a compelling narrative.

Compiling is a thankless task, one that is done behind the scenes and takes a tremendous amount of time yet is rarely rewarded. Sometimes a teacher knows who contributed each section of content but almost never asks who handled this administrative role.

This problem goes beyond school. The workplace equivalent is the nonpromotable task-resolving conflicts, sitting on organizational governance committees, taking meeting notes for team projects.

Research shows that there is significant inequity in who performs these types of tasks, and often, the same people keep doing them over and over again. It probably won't surprise you to learn that women, more often than men, fall into this category. The downside goes beyond lack of recognition for the work. When the same people shoulder thankless tasks, it can lead to bruised feelings and create hesitancy about collaborating with others.

But life is essentially a group project, so how do you better manage these tasks? To start, you can make sure everyone recognizes the problem, then enlist your teammates to divide and conquer in an equitable way.

Don't feel resigned to taking on thankless tasks by yourself.

Do help young people learn simple techniques to split thankless tasks up more fairly. If it's a repeated responsibility, taking turns is a good option. If it is a one-time chore, suggest ways to divvy it up. For example, compiling a group report can be divided into the following tasks: putting the sections together, making the report visually appealing, polishing the graphics, putting together references and footnotes, and threading the story together. As the saying goes, many hands make light work.

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What Students Wish Teachers Understood About Group Projects (Opinion)

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One person often gets stuck with thankless tasks-and the problem exists not only in schools but in the workplace. Here's something I wrote about the topic for Character Lab as a Tip of the Week: "How did I get stuck doing this again?" my daughter moaned.

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Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) is defined as a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good. This philosophy values being ethical and inclusive with holistic thoughts. Also, RLT acknowledges the diverse talents of group members and the process to bring high-quality thinking to the socially responsible. With this change, group members agree they want to work toward the task at hand. In fact, building and preserving relationships is the key to leadership effectiveness.

RLT emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. This article discusses five components of relational leadership focusing on oneself and the potential positive impact on those around you. The five components are inclusive, empowerment, purpose, ethics and being process-oriented. And as leaders, we must provide opportunities that foster these characteristics and also promote servant leadership every day.

1. Inclusive

Inclusive leadership is "leaders who are aware of their own biases and preferences, and actively seek out and consider different views and perspectives to inform better decision-making across the organization." Being an inclusive leader means the following:

Understanding oneself and others.

Understanding organizational culture; 360-degree thought process.

The fundamental belief that everyone can make a difference.

Building and preserving relationships within the organization.

Carefully listening to all points of view.

2. Empowerment

Empowerment is "the process of sharing power and allocating more autonomy and responsibilities to future leaders through a specific set of leader behaviors that entails enhancing the meaningfulness of work, fostering the decision making of the organization."

As a leader, empowerment brings the following attributes:

Self-esteem.

The positive impact of being inclusive.

The fundamental belief that everyone has something to offer for the greater good.

Contributions of a team that are solicited and valued.

Encouragement of others.

Promoting self-leadership at all levels.

3. Purposeful

Purposeful leadership means making decisions as part of the overall strategy to enable people to follow your lead. It means to collectively accomplish a task; consistently evaluating the decision and actions of oneself. If you have a good relationship with people you lead, their performance will validate your skillful leadership qualities. To be a purposeful leader, it is important to incorporate these characteristics into the organization:

A transparent understanding of the overall process in accomplishing the organization's mission.

Promoting an attitude that is positive, optimistic and helps everyone.

Supportive of an environment that promotes creativity and innovation.

An environment that involves others in the vision-building process.

4. Ethical

Ethical leadership is "leadership demonstrating and promoting appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships." Ethical leadership is putting people into management and leadership positions who will promote and be an example of ethical conduct in their actions and relationships in the workplace. Being ethical in the workplace as a leader must include the following characteristics:

Thorough decision-making.

Encourage socially responsible behavior.

High standards of behavior for each person that helps everyone.

Focus on the development of one's character.

Actions that benefit others versus actions pursued for self-gain.

5. Process-Oriented

Being process-oriented in leadership is "the ability to identify characteristics of being a unified team, remaining a team through times of adversity and accomplishing the team's purpose."

When giving a specific task or assignment, the first step is identifying a process to carry out and complete the mission. As a leader, we must be held accountable for creating an environment where future leaders are empowered, keeping a team engaged and encouraging the team throughout to meet the end goal.

Examples of being a process-oriented leader include:

Understanding community.

Encouraging high-quality effort.

Collaboration throughout and reflection at the end.

Understanding the process is as important as the outcome.

The ability to give and receive feedback.

Summary of Relational Leadership Theory:

RLT is a relatively new concept that focuses on the process of getting people together to accomplish change, make a difference and create a synergistic environment where every person can feel empowered and welcome. So, as a leader it is important to remember that having an inclusive mindset, providing opportunities for empowerment, creating purpose within, practicing ethics through servant leadership and teaching what process means to accomplish the mission are the building blocks to creating an energetic, powerful culture.

Without process, an organization can't function at a high level. As such, there has to be sound communication, collaboration, teaching opportunities and a 360-degree thought process for every conversation and interaction. Also, every organization must have people who are teachers; people who have a willingness to learn; and people who understand the importance of a "team." So, focusing on the five components of the RLT will enhance and drive the organization towards a high efficiency, transparent, positive culture.

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Five Components of Relational Leadership Theory - Campus Rec Magazine

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Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) is defined as a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good. This philosophy values being ethical and inclusive with holistic thoughts. Also, RLT acknowledges the diverse talents of group members and the process to bring high-quality thinking to the socially responsible.

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In 2016, I was teaching third grade. One of our initiatives was to include STEM activities in our science lessons. I began with a simple project designing balloon-powered cars, but what started as a promising process quickly went south.

Balloons weren't inflating and cars weren't moving. After looking around at my students, I realized the main reason they were struggling was that they simply weren't working together as teams. They weren't collaborating or communicating effectively. A few students were being downright mean to each other.

Frustrated at their lack of progress and inability to work together, I reached out to a friend who had directed a similar project. But I did not want to hear about being patient with their "productive struggle" or that I had to embrace "failing forward." I am all about growth mindset and grit, but I felt like something else was at play, and I wanted real answers. We came to a conclusion: My kids needed to be explicitly taught how to work collaboratively.

As teachers, we often put students in groups and expect that they'll know how to work well together. But think back to the days when you had to work in a group. It didn't matter if it was middle school or graduate school or a professional development session-the dynamics were likely the same. One person stands out as the leader, one (at least) was a slacker, while another sits back quietly being overpowered by others regardless of what they might have to offer. And inevitably one group member has nothing productive to add but will argue about anything and everything.

Recently, I wrote a book about unleashing the power of those quiet kids, also known as introverts, who make up as much as a third of our classrooms. Most of the time, introverts feel like they get steamrolled during group work. The problem lies within the dynamics. Being thrown together in a group with the expectation of working collaboratively goes against the very nature of introverts. They are being asked to work in ways that are counterintuitive to their personalities. The intent of group work is to involve everyone. This usually means you have to talk-and being quiet simply doesn't work when it comes to that expectation.

This group dynamic was pretty much what I saw with my students during the two days they worked on the balloon-powered car task. So, at my friend's suggestion, the next day we sat as a group and reflected upon the experience. The kids were honest about their shortcomings and what they brought to the proverbial table during this project-based learning (PBL) experience.

Next, we took the time to talk about teamwork. We started with each child brainstorming a list in their notebooks about what teamwork should look and sound like. The next step was to share those ideas with the group. I hung up large pieces of paper and encouraged my students to come up (all at the same time) and jot down their thoughts. The key was to have them all write at the same time so no one could see who contributed what idea. That way we didn't have to deal with any judgment from the students.

Then we stood back and looked at all the common elements. The kids were shocked at how much they agreed on, despite all the arguing during the project. Finally, as a group, we decided on a set of norms, which we put on a chart to refer back to when working in teams.

From that point forward, my students have had many more experiences in which to collaborate to complete a task: building different types of circuits, creating coding playgrounds for Ozobots and Breakout EDU games. Structured collaboration reigns where frustrating chaos used to rule.

The trick is knowing your students as individual learners first and designing your groups accordingly. Establishing norms before any type of "teamwork" activities take place is also key. Providing designated roles for each group member helps quiet kids stay engaged and take a more active part in the group dynamic. I also took my quiet kids aside individually and reminded them that their thoughts and opinions mattered and had value. I encouraged them to be patient and wait out the chaos while their extroverted classmates vied for the spotlight. Those quiet kids could be the voice of reason after the commotion died down.

I also talked with my extroverted students about the nature of their quiet classmates, explaining to each group that the other couldn't help the way they'd been wired. The extroverts didn't mean to hog the spotlight, and in most cases didn't realize they were overpowering class discussions. In the end, they all had to figure out how to work together. Striking the right balance between group and independent work isn't easy, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but as teachers, we have to try to find what works best for each group of students that sits before us.
This excerpt is adapted from Chrissy Romano-Arrabito's "Quiet Kids Count: Unleashing the True Potential of Introverts" (Times 10 Publications).

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Group Work Is Hard for Quiet Kids. Structured Collaboration Cuts Through the Chaos. - EdSurge News

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In 2016, I was teaching third grade. One of our initiatives was to include STEM activities in our science lessons. I began with a simple project designing balloon-powered cars, but what started as a promising process quickly went south. Balloons weren't inflating and cars weren't moving.

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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't [Jim Collins] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

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Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

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Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action [Sinek, Simon] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

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In keeping with the parable style, Patrick Lencioni begins by telling the fable of a woman who, as CEO of a struggling Silicon Valley firm, took control of a dysfunctional executive committee and helped its members succeed as a team. Story time over, Lencioni offers explicit instructions for overcoming the human behavioral tendencies that he says corrupt teams (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results). Succinct yet sympathetic, this guide will be a boon for those struggling with the inherent difficulties of leading a group.

Building a cohesive team is not complicated, declares Lencioni. Departing from the dry, theoretical writing of many management books, he presents his case in the context of a fictional organization, and in doing so succeeds at communicating his ideas. The scenarios are recognizable and can be applied anywhere teamwork is involved, whether it is a multinational company, a small department within a larger organization, or a sports team. At the end of the story, the main points are summarized, and clearly expressed suggestions and exercises are offered to help bring about change. Concise and easy to follow, this program is recommended for anyone who is a member of a team that needs improvement.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is also available in print from Wiley.

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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

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Amazon.com: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Audible Audio Edition): Patrick Lencioni, Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni, Random House Audio: Audible Books & Originals

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Business, nonprofit, and public sector leaders are facing new and daunting challenges - rapid-paced developments in technology, sudden shifts in the marketplace, and crisis and contention in the public arena. If they are to survive in this chaotic environment, leaders must develop the skills they need to lead effectively no matter how fast the world around them is changing.

Leading in a Culture of Change offers new and seasoned leaders' insights into the dynamics of change and presents a unique and imaginative approach for navigating the intricacies of the change process. Michael Fullan - an internationally acclaimed expert in organizational change - shows how leaders in all types of organizations can accomplish their goals and become exceptional leaders. He draws on the most current ideas and theories on the topic of effective leadership, incorporates case examples of large scale transformation, and reveals a remarkable convergence of powerful themes, or as he calls them, the five core competencies.

By integrating the five core competencies - attending to a broader moral purpose, keeping on top of the change process, cultivating relationships, sharing knowledge, and setting a vision and context for creating coherence in organizations - leaders will be empowered to deal with complex change. They will be transformed into exceptional leaders who consistently mobilize their compatriots to do important and difficult work under conditions of constant change.

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Amazon.com: Leading in a Culture of Change (Audible Audio Edition): Michael Fullan, Brad Smith, Tantor Audio: Books

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How to Become a Servant Leader

1. Listening.

2. Empathy.

3. Healing.

4. Awareness.

5. Persuasion.

6. Conceptualization.

7. Foresight.

8. Stewardship.

9. Commitment to the growth of people.

10. Building community.

From "Character and Servant Leadership: 10 Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders" by Larry C. Spears, published in "The Journal of Virtues and Leadership," Vol. 1, Issue 1. Reproduced with permission.

Once you've decided to prioritize other people's needs over your own in the long term, you can work on developing your skills in each area. Let's look at how you can do this.

1. Listening

2. Empathy

3. Healing

This characteristic relates to the emotional health and "wholeness" of people, and involves supporting them both physically and mentally.

First, make sure that your people have the knowledge, support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively, and that they have a healthy workplace. Then take steps to help them be happy and engaged in their roles.

4. Self-Awareness

You can become more self-aware by knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and asking for other people's feedback on them. Also, learn to manage your emotions, so that you consider how your actions and behavior might affect others.

5. Persuasion

6. Conceptualization

This characteristic relates to your ability to "dream great dreams," so that you look beyond day-to-day realities to the bigger picture.

If you're a senior leader in your company, work through and develop a robust organizational strategy. Then, whatever level you're at, create mission and vision statements for your team, and make it clear how people's roles tie in with your team's and organization's long-term objectives. Also, develop long-term focus so that you stay motivated to achieve your more distant goals, without getting distracted.

7. Foresight

Foresight is when you can predict what's likely to happen in the future by learning from past experiences, identifying what's happening now, and understanding the consequences of your decisions.

You can use tools such as SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis to think about your current situation and environment, while Scenario Analysis helps you understand how the future could play out. Use the ORAPAPA checklist when you make a decision, to learn from experience and make sure that you've considered all the angles.

Also, learn to trust your intuition - if your instinct is telling you that something is wrong, listen to it!

8. Stewardship

Stewardship is about taking responsibility for the actions and performance of your team, and being accountable for the role team members play in your organization.

9. Commitment to the Growth of People

Servant leaders are committed to the personal and professional development of everyone on their teams.

To develop your people, make sure that you use Training Needs Assessments to understand their developmental needs and give them the skills they need to do their jobs effectively. Also, find out what their personal goals are, and see if you can give them projects or additional responsibilities that will help them achieve these.

10. Building Community

The last characteristic is to do with building a sense of community within your organization.

You can do this by providing opportunities for people to interact with one another across the company. For instance, you could organize social events such as team lunches and barbecues, design your workspace to encourage people to chat informally away from their desks, and dedicate the first few minutes of meetings to non-work-related conversations.

Encourage people to take responsibility for their work, and remind them how what they do contributes to the success and overall objectives of the organization.

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Servant Leadership - Putting Your Team First, and Yourself Second

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Being a servant leader can boost engagement, increase trust, and build better team relationships. Discover the 10 key characteristics of servant leadership.

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What is the Relational Leadership Model?

In schools, it all comes down to relationships, which is why the relational leadership model is so prevalent in education. The relational leadership model emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. Relational leadership values inclusion, empowerment, purposefulness, ethical behaviors, and process orientation.

Inclusive leaders consider everyone's viewpoint and experiences when making decisions. While the leader ultimately makes the final decision, all perspectives are weighed carefully.

Relational leaders empower others. They see the strengths and weaknesses of each member of their team, and work to build on strengths and improve weaknesses. The professional growth of others is important to a relational leader.

Relational leaders have a clear purpose, which they are able to communicate to others. Purposeful leaders begin with the end in mind; everything they do leads to a common goal.

Ethical leadership is an important component of the relational leadership model. This means setting a good example and always putting the values of the organization at the forefront.

Finally, a relational leader values the process, encouraging reflection and collaboration. A relational leader values calculated risk-taking, knowing it is for the growth and benefit of the group.

What are the Benefits of Relational Leadership?

A leader who considers everyone's viewpoint may feel overwhelmed at first, but in the end they will be armed with all the information to make a sound decision. Listening to everyone's viewpoint does not mean heeding every viewpoint. By listening, however, a leader is prepared for potential pitfalls in any plan, allowing them to address those pitfalls as they arise.

Empowering others makes them feel valued. Feeling worthwhile makes employees much less likely to seek work elsewhere and overall boosts morale. When employees stay loyal to a company, it allows for continuity of vision and knowledge necessary for an organization to thrive. By empowering others to be leaders in their own right, a relational leader is able to delegate certain tasks, making the organization run more efficiently.

Having a clear purpose allows everyone to work simultaneously for the same goal. This allows stakeholders to act as partners, rather than adversaries. When settling a dispute, a relational leader will seek to find the best solution for all parties, rather than simply trying to defeat an opponent. This approach avoids the distraction of constant conflict, allowing the team to focus on their purpose.

Ethical leaders engender trust in the people who depend on them. By establishing trust, leaders are able to convince others to follow them, even if the road ahead is difficult.

By being process-oriented, stakeholders are able to learn new things, through trial and error, that they may not otherwise have learned. This allows the organization to become better at their stated purpose, whether it's raising money or student test scores.

Last but not least, relational leaders tend to be likable. Who wants to disappoint someone they like?

Ways to Implement Relational Leadership in Your School

A relational school leader seeks to gain the insight of all stakeholders. This might be a principal visiting teams of teachers on a professional development day to gain insight into how to improve school arrival and dismissal. It could also mean listening to the ideas of the parent group that would like to throw a tailgate for students, even if it's never been done before.

A good school leader will empower teachers in the building to grow professionally and in their teaching practice. A leader may give teachers key roles in areas in which they excel. For example, a teacher who is passionate about character education may be empowered to deliver professional development around the topic.

A leader with relational leadership skills will connect everything back to the district's central purpose, which is educating students. When implementing a new grading policy, for example, the principal connects the grading policy to the best way to communicate student learning. Knowing why they are implementing certain policies helps teachers stay on task and remain faithful to the philosophy of the district.

Ethical school leaders model the sort of behavior they expect from others. If they expect honesty from teachers and students, then a leader will admit if their new dress code was too restrictive or a mistake was the result of an oversight. This gives teachers trust in their leaders.

Process-oriented leaders encourage teachers to try new methods of teaching, knowing that even if the method fails, the teacher will have gained valuable insights into how their students learn best and how they can improve going forward. In a process-oriented building, teachers make progress because they aren't afraid of failing in the process.

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What is the Relational Leadership Model? - Graduate Programs for Educators

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In schools, it all comes down to relationships, which is why the relational leadership model is so prevalent in education. The relational leadership model emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. Relational leadership values inclusion, empowerment, purposefulness, ethical behaviors, and process orientation. Inclusive leaders consider everyone's viewpoint and experiences when making decisions.

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Getting the best out of your team requires using a variety of management styles . The right style can help build trust , generate results, and motivate team members to action.

That said, the best style of leadership depends on what your goals are and your leadership style. If you have a desire to work toward the greater good or inspire your employees to make an impact, servant leadership might be right for you.

Let's define servant leadership and discuss the model's main principles and pros and cons. We'll also dive into some examples of how this type of leadership can be used to effectively motivate and inspire your team and fits into overall leadership training.

What is servant leadership?

The servant leadership style is based on the idea that leaders prioritize serving the greater good. Leaders with this style serve their team and organization first. They don't prioritize their own objectives.

Employees in a servant leadership environment are more likely to feel that their voices are heard. This makes them 4.6 times more likely to work to the best of their abilities. So what is servant leadership?

The term "servant leader" was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 in the essay "The Servant as Leader." Basically, the servant leadership style was based on the idea that leaders prioritize serving the greater good. Leaders with this style serve their team and organization first. They don't prioritize their own objectives.

Servant leadership seeks to achieve a vision by providing strong support to employees. In turn, this allows employees to learn and grow while bringing their own expertise and vision to the table. This hinges on building influence and authority rather than using control and toxic leadership tactics.

In servant leadership, employees are empowered. But the leader doesn't just disappear.

The servant leader focuses on:

Setting the strategic vision for the company and communicating that down to the team level

Encouraging ownership and extending supported trust to the team

Making sure that the team has the required resources, budget, skills, and attention to make an impact

Providing a framework within which their team can flourish (instead of prescribing them specific directions on each of their duties)

Bottom-up empowerment, which means building their team members' self-confidence, decision-making abilities, and collaboration skills

10 principles of servant leadership

Robert K. Greenleaf established 10 principles of servant leadership. The former president of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Larry C. Spears, breaks down these 10 principles as follows.

1. Listening: It's important to fully listen to members of the team without interrupting.

2. Empathy: It's important to get to know your team so that you can use empathetic leadership to help them grow.

3. Healing: Members of your team may have trauma from previous toxic work experiences. Help others to create a healthy work-life balance to give them the space to heal.

4. Self-awareness: A servant leader must also recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to understand how they fit within the overall team.

5. Persuasion: Servant leaders can use persuasion and influence instead of just power to get team members to be on the same page.

6. Conceptualization: Servant leaders need to be able to use big-picture thinking. With this, they can conceptualize plans for their team and their organization.

7. Foresight: It's important to use what you and your team learn to improve in the future.

8. Stewardship: Lead by example so that your team can do what you do, not just do what you say.

9. Commitment to the growth of people: You need to allocate time and resources to help people and teams grow. Tools like organizational training, development programs, and growth and transformation coaching can help.

10. Building community: Servant leadership requires building relationships between co-workers. As a result, team members learn to trust each other and become more productive.

7 characteristics of servant leadership

Servant leadership is about empowering your team and helping create a positive work environment. But what does it actually look like? Let's break down the seven characteristics of servant leadership.

1. Teamwork: The team needs to come first.

2. Employee satisfaction: Employee satisfaction and cooperation turn the wheel.

3. Adaptability: Servant leadership varies from revenue-focused sales environments to non-profit organizations that set out to promote social good.

4. Motivation: Servant leaders provide high levels of support to employees, fueling motivation and engagement.

5. Transparent communication: The team trusts a leader who can provide clarity, even in complex, changing situations.

6. Authenticity: Servant leaders need to genuinely care about individual and team development. Leadership much embrace authenticity.

7. Accountability: Ownership activates commitment and purpose. Employees work toward goals they've set for themselves and take responsibility for the results.

Servant leadership vs. traditional leadership

"Servant first" leadership represents the opposite of the traditional leadership model. Traditional leadership is defined as a model of leadership where the leader is seen as the central point of the team. Employees are there to support the leader's efforts to meet company goals.

In contrast, servant leadership puts the needs of others at the forefront. Under this leadership philosophy, the more you invest in serving as a "scaffold" for your employees, the more productive your team becomes.

Here are three more ways that servant leadership is different from traditional leadership:

More inclusive: A servant leader must foster an inclusive culture in their team. Inclusive teams allow every person to build a sense of belonging. This gives them a chance to thrive.

Focused on the team, more than the customer: Servant leaders focus on their team's needs, but this doesn't mean that customers don't benefit. Servant leaders focus on the growth and well-being of the team. As such, they can create high-performing professionals who can serve customers better.

Greater emphasis on ethics: Servant leadership has ethical implications that aren't as prominent in traditional leadership. Servant leaders who behave in an unethical way may cause issues within their team, such as decreased motivation and growth.

What does servant leadership look like in practice?

Successful servant leaders have a genuine desire to serve employees. They're also effective, charismatic decision-makers and clear when they set expectations.

Here are some concrete examples of servant leadership.

1. Being an example - humility, authenticity, and trust

Humility must be the foundation of your leadership. If you speak out of superiority and power, your subordinates will do what you say out of fear. Instead, your actions and words should be a credible and genuine model to follow.

2. Showing why the work is essential - awareness and purpose

In the mechanism of a clock, each part is crucial. The same goes for any team. Each employee is essential to the team's operation.

Making sure this message reaches employees can increase their motivation. It can also enhance their performance.

One way to do this is by talking explicitly about the downstream impact of their work. You can show them the impact both inside the company and out.

Talk less about numbers and metrics and more about the person or people who'll use and build on what they've done. Always link their specific achievements to wider organizational goals. This fosters a deeper connection to the company's mission.

Most importantly, recognize the good work they are doing. Many workers consider recognition of their achievements to be the most important aspect of a role.

3. Encouraging collaboration - community-building and commitment

As a servant leader, you're the engine that generates a sense of community and teamwork.

Increase collaboration by encouraging employee commitment to each other. You can also encourage them to delegate responsibility. Finally, you can involve team members in decision-making processes.

For example, ask them what they'd like to do on that new project or how they think they can add value to their work. The key here is to be patient and take the time to do this. It can be so tempting in today's busy world to just get through the day without caring for your employees and their needs - but servant leaders are different.

4. Supporting the team's growth and development - foresight and resourcefulness

Identifying and anticipating the needs of employees is a major aspect of the servant leader's role.

For example, when assigning project duties to each team member, make sure you provide the resources or the ability to procure them. Act from a service-first mindset, and you'll truly empower them to accomplish their tasks.

5. Caring for the members of the team - empathy and compassion

Similarly, the servant leader will cultivate a friendly environment. In this environment, employees should feel comfortable. They shouldn't feel threatened by expressing specific complaints or asking questions.

In this context, it seems especially important to favor empathy and understanding. For example, when your employee comes to you with a complaint about a coworker, you don't dismiss it because you're busy. You take the time to help them work through the conflict and ultimately resolve it. You're compassionate.

6. Asking for feedback - listening skills

Promote a sufficient level of relationship with the employee that favors active and close listening. A servant leader asks open-ended and follow-up questions as a matter of course, not just when something's wrong. They're receptive to feedback - they don't just give it.

Pros and cons of servant leadership

The servant leadership style can amp up an employee's motivation and courage to be more creative and innovative. This is because leaders give ownership and some control to employees. Doing this can:

On the other hand, getting it right takes time, energy, and skill.

Getting to really know people, their motivations, and areas of growth takes time. It takes time to translate a vision into clear objectives and priorities. It also takes time to communicate this vision clearly to the team. The results don't happen overnight. It's not easy.

Let's examine the main pros and cons of this leadership style.

Pros of servant leadership

The characteristics of success are well-defined

Builds deeper, trust-based relationships

Encourages greater ownership and responsibility

Encourages innovation, curiosity, and creativity

Develops a people-focused culture

Delivers a significant positive impact on company performance

A strong method for ensuring decisions are made in the best interests of the company

By serving the employees of a company, you are serving the customer

A high level of internal staff growth

Develops future leaders

Boosts morale across teams

Leaders earn respect from team members

Employees feel more valued and appreciated in the workplace

Improves pride in work

Cons of servant leadership

The concept can be difficult to communicate

Can be more time-consuming for leaders

Can be difficult to attain - it's a constant journey rather than an end goal

Requires a high level of authenticity that can be difficult to achieve

Retraining existing leaders as servant leaders can be tough and time-consuming

Some may perceive servant leaders as weak or ineffective

The formal authority of the leader may be diminished

Team members are expected to make a decision, but they might not have a strong understanding of the big picture

Different leadership styles across teams can cause confusion

Employees may not have the necessary confidence to take charge and drive the business forward

The initial speed of decision-making is slower due to high team involvement

Potential for misalignment among team

It may be out of sync with corporate performance management and incentive systems

Decreased motivation and resourcefulness when the leader intervenes to fix issues for the team

How to become a "servant first" leader

Servant leadership is a transformational leadership style, but it takes some practice. Here's where you can focus your efforts to embody servant leadership characteristics.

1. Build strong communication skills

Servant leadership theory is built around getting the most out of your team. To do that, you're going to need to be able to communicate organizational objectives and missions clearly. This is so that they are properly equipped to make wise decisions.

Working on communication skills such as conciseness, body language, and clarity will help you achieve this.

2. Improve your listening skills

Communication isn't all about what you say, though.

This management style is all about hearing your team members' points of view. Practice your active listening skills to really understand their decision-making process.

3. Develop empathy

Empathy is crucial in a leadership role. It's especially important for servant leadership. Empathy means being able to put yourself in another person's shoes. It allows you to see things from their perspective.

This is a vital skill to practice if you're looking to become a transformational leader.

4. Work on your self-awareness

Charismatic leaders may be charming and great at communicating their ideas. But it's important that they are also strongly aware of their own limitations.

Developing your self-awareness means noticing how you act and what you say and the impact it has on those around you. Part of this is also recognizing where your actions don't align with your ideal vision of yourself and determining a clear path to rectify this.

5. Learn to use your influence for good

Persuasion is a part of being a good leader. It means being able to convince others that your thinking is the right path.

This skill might be seen as a slightly different leadership style from servant leadership. But there's a place for persuasion as a servant leader.

Here's an example. If your team is divided on an issue, you may need to bring your skills of persuasion and influence into play to land on a unanimous decision.

6. Start putting others first

An autocratic leader is one who looks out for themselves primarily. That's the opposite of the servant leadership model.

To be an effective leader, it's important to develop your selflessness. This means you look out for the goals and well-being of others before you think about your own goals.

Of course, there's a line to respect. You still need to look after your own well-being. But the point is to deprioritize your own agenda.

Doing so will improve employee engagement, which is a factor known to increase employee performance by as much as 73%.

7. Keep the organization's goals in mind

The servant leadership approach still centers around achieving organizational goals. This is true even while prioritizing team engagement.

As such, it's important to keep these goals in mind. Don't let the interests of any individual move the needle to a point where you are no longer following these objectives.

Your job as the leader is to guide the team toward a decision that makes sense with the company's vision in mind.

8. Learn how to develop others holistically

Other leadership styles have different approaches to developing employees. Usually, the goal is to improve employee efficiency and productivity. This is true for democratic leadership or autocratic leadership.

Efficiency and productivity are still important under the servant leadership model. But it's just as crucial to coach each team member so they can develop better:

Decision-making skills

Communication skills

Big-picture thinking

Developing your direct reports more holistically will improve team capabilities. It can also increase employee engagement.

Engagement is great, not only from their perspective (as they feel more fulfilled by their work) but also from the viewpoint of the company. Businesses simply measuring employee engagement have been shown to increase profits by as much as 24%.

Employ servant leadership at any level

It's not necessary to have a highly influential role in your company to start practicing the servant leadership style. But it's a practice that has a huge impact on employee well-being and engagement.

Lead projects by supporting the rest of your colleagues, addressing their needs, and providing resources and support. This can create positive results at any level.

Practice your communication skills, develop empathy, work on your self-awareness, and be sure to focus on developing your employees more holistically. Do this, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a capable and effective servant leader.

Need someone to speak with about your servant leadership development journey? Request a custom demo to speak with a coach.

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Servant Leadership: Definition Plus Benefits and Drawbacks

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Servant leadership is all about prioritizing the greater good over your agenda. Learn how this style of leadership can help you empower your team.

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Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which an individual interacts with others with the aim of achieving authority rather than power.

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

School counselors have many responsibilities, including counseling students, working with teachers and parents, referring students to outside agencies, participating in student welfare and learning support communities, and evaluating and improving their own school counseling program.

Listening

First and foremost, a school counselor needs to be a good listener. Often, they have several students they work with and may get very few chances to converse with them in a one on one setting. "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood," said Ralph G. Nichols. "The best way to understand people is to listen to them."

To listen effectively, counselors must be fully in the moment, not thinking of their "to do" list but rather giving their full attention to the issue at hand. Reflecting back to the person, your perception of what they said helps show understanding, and lets them make corrections. The counselor must also keep an open mind, being careful not to make any judgments until they have heard the entire story. ¹

Being Empathetic

Often a part of listening, putting themselves in the shoes of the person speaking, whether that is a student or another school official, helps counselors truly understand the underlying issues.

"Without the ability to understand what the student is experiencing, a counselor cannot truly do an effective job," says Helen A. Hatridge, past president of the Missouri School Counselor Association. "Empathy leads to good listening and a better ability to help the client come up with solutions. It also helps the student feel more comfortable and willing to open up to a counselor." ²

To be more empathetic, it is essential for a counselor to put aside their viewpoint. At the same time, they need to validate the student's viewpoint, which does not always mean agreement. Instead it means acknowledging their right to have an opinion, and that they have valid reasons for it. Asking how that person thinks a situation should be handled or what they would do opens up an even deeper understanding. ³

Building Relationship

It takes time for a counselor to build a relationship with any student or even their peers. However, through listening and being empathetic, that process can be accelerated.

To feel free to talk to a counselor, a student must often "break the ice," and needs to feel trust, comfort, and acceptance. Students need to accept that the counselor is a professional caregiver, and someone they can turn to without fear of judgement.

A counselor who develops this trusting relationship with students can get a lot more done, An understanding of the kid culture and what they care about can go a long way toward providing that environment of trust and understanding.

Performing Assessments

Assessment skills are essential for any school counselor in a number of areas. From academic and skills assessment to personality testing and career advisement, the ability to discern the intersection of talent and desire is essential to offering good counsel.

Assessment also includes determining if a student has special needs and interpreting test and non-test data to decide where the student should be placed, and what programs will most benefit them.

Regardless of the reason for assessment, the steps often include, but are not limited to the following:

Choosing what tests should be administered and when.

Scheduling, preparing, and administering tests.

Scoring tests or sending them out to be scored.

Advising students, teachers, parents, and other staff on test score interpretation.

Evaluating the testing process, results, and subsequent recommendations.⁴

Assessments involve some testing but must also be combined with listening, empathy, and the relationship that has been built to determine how testing outcomes relate to personality, desires, and the goals of the student.

Coordinating Efforts and Activities

Efforts and activities can fall into a couple of different categories. A counselor will have to coordinate Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students, and other student specific plans as well. Along with coordinating individual student plans and interacting with teachers and other school officials, the school counselor often coordinates other activities and projects as well.

In many cases, the school counselor is in charge of parent newsletters, school announcements, managing social media accounts, and other community outreach and event planning efforts.

The ability to coordinate and manage these efforts and activities requires strong leadership and organizational skills. Teaching these skills to students by allowing them to take responsibility for their own educational goals and other efforts enables a counselor to show leadership by example.

Exercising Authority

In order to be able to implement programs, direct student activities and coordinate tasks, a counselor must exercise a certain amount of authority.

This means first of all that the counselor must be granted the authority to handle certain tasks by other school officials such as principals and administrators. The more their authority is validated by their actions, the more the counselor will be perceived as a leader by parents and students alike.

Secondly, the school counselor must be willing to wield the authority they have been granted, taking charge of tasks and situations, setting expectations, and holding those responsible to deadlines.

The counselor must also know in any given situation when to cross the line from friend to professional. If a student is being abusive or abused, a more professional response is ethically and legally mandated. It is the counselor's obligation to take charge and follow through, ensuring that student safety comes first.

Being Flexible

If one thing is certain in the field of education, it is that things will change. Interruptions, schedule changes, new programs, and new responsibilities all interrupt a counselor's daily routine.

Student needs and the needs of the school overall often take priority over scheduled meetings. Parent phone calls, staff concerns, talks in classrooms, and unexpected counseling needs can all be disruptive.

A successful counselor should:

Leave gaps in their day for unscheduled needs.

Use good time management techniques.

Set reasonable boundaries. Know what is worthy of an interruption, and what can wait.

Communicate clearly. Inform students, parents, and faculty of schedules and boundaries.

By remaining flexible, a counselor can better manage the stress inherent in the job and be more responsive when needs arise unexpectedly.

Having a Sense of Humor

Being able to see things from the side of humor has a number of advantages. It lets students see that the counselor is human and can not only laugh at situations but laugh at themselves as well.

This is frequently one of the biggest assets in building student trust and developing a relationship with them. It is often how those students relate to adults, whether through jokes or humorous anecdotes that illustrate a point the counselor is trying to get across.

Humor is also a stress reliever. Being able to see the humorous side of interruptions and other daily situations allows a counselor to relax and keep anxiety from taking over many scenarios.

It takes a combination of many leadership traits to make a school counselor effective. They must use listening skills and offer empathy in order to build relationships. A counselor must also perform assessments and coordinate activities and educational efforts. These duties mean they must remain flexible and exercise authority when appropriate.

Not one of these traits alone is enough, and no one is equally adept in all of them. They are taught and can be learned in a Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in school counseling like the one offered by Wake Forest University. This graduate degree will prepare you for a career as a school counselor in almost any setting.
Sources: 1 2 3 ⁴ American Counseling Association, Assessment Skills for School Counselors Mind Tools, Empathy at Work Education World, School Counselors Reflective On What Makes Them Effective Fast Company, 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills

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Leadership Traits Every Counselor Should Have

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students! Here are 11 ways school counselors serve as leaders in your building.

1. School counselors recognize and showcase diversity.

In many buildings, school counselors are considered the "heart" of the school. They help create an inclusive environment that is respectful, welcoming, kind, and open to all.

2. School counselors develop community partnerships.

Counseling staff work collaboratively with universities, community colleges, technical schools, local unions, military reps, and apprentice programs to provide a variety of opportunities for students. They are especially vital in ensuring underserved and first-generation students have access to and the tools to reach all possible post-high school options.

3. School counselors help during difficult situations.

Strengths such as listening, reflecting, and high emotional intelligence make school counselors valuable allies when trying to get buy-in from staff or the greater community on difficult issues. Counselors foster a culture of change via strong lines of communication and valuing input from all parties involved.

4. School counselors maintain strong home-school connections.

Counselors tend to be the liaison for parents when it comes to communicating with the school. This leadership role is especially important when assisting families who are not familiar with the school setting or have issues trusting staff.

5. School counselors maximize educational success.

School counselors can help to maximize the educational attainment of all students by providing students with mental health services (school or community-based) and developmental guidance that takes a proactive approach in helping students set and reach academic goals.

6. School counselors lead staff trainings.

Administrators who use their counseling staff (rather than outside contractors) to lead building-wide trainings can save a lot of money and gain quicker buy-in from staff. School counselors are experts on topics such as student engagement, positive discipline, suicide/self-harm, students-as-leaders, peer mentoring programs, and academic/social interventions for low-performing students.

7. School counselors protect and advocate for disadvantaged students.

Counselors identify and amend policies and practices that negatively impact disadvantaged students and advocate for equitable services for all students.

8. School counselors use expertise to bring data to life.

Like administrators, counselors are trained in data collection and analysis. They are skilled at using this information to drive decisions about placement, intervention, and overall student health and wellbeing.

9. School counselors mediate difficult situations between parents/students and staff.

Counselors are consistently looking for ways to support the relationship between school staff and parents. Acting as a mediator when one or both parties are upset about a situation is a critical way in which school counselors serve as leaders.

10. School counselors organize and lead crisis response.

Counselors are on the front lines after a tragedy has happened in a school or community. Staff, students, parents, and community members look to the counselors for guidance and support immediately following an event. Because of their training in emotional/mental, the counseling staff is critical in advocating for and teaching self-care to staff, parents, and students during a crisis.

11. School counselors empower and inspire.

School counselors inherently believe in people and work tirelessly to communicate that. By being visible and accessible at all times, their calming, caring, and encouraging presence helps support and empower staff in the building.

School counselors serve as leaders in many ways and we need to value their perspectives and strengths. They are vital to building positive learning environments in which students thrive.
Join our Facebook group Principal Life for more conversation about and insights into the challenges of school leadership.

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11 Ways Your School Counselors Serve as Leaders - WeAreTeachers

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students!