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Assignment 11
Personal Model of Leadership
LS 710

Hillary Adams
November 12, 2014
Dr. Watts

Theoretical Context
Relational Leadership Theory
Relational Leadership Theory reflects the current leadership style I resemble the most,
but also reflects the kind of leader I continue to aim toward. Although there are leadership
styles, such as Transformational Leadership, that center more around a leaders personal
characteristics and strengths, I know that my current self seeks constant teamwork and guidance
of others, whether through a superior or an individual I oversee.
Relational Leadership brings coworkers together to try and accomplish change, while
making a difference to benefit the common good. Not only is this theory ethical, but inclusive.
By identifying the talents of individuals within the job, we promote critical thinking and hard
work of those entrusted with responsibilities. Team members feel socially responsible to accept
the challenge and to prove they are worthy of the task and challenge. The relationship built
between leader and group member promotes a positive and engaging experience for all involved.
Relational leadership involves being attuned to and in touch with the intricate web of inter- and
intra-relationships that influence an organization (Dyer, 1).
The particular components that make up Relational Theory draw me toward the style
even more. Relational leaders are inclusive by showing fairness. They see that all individuals
have different strengths relational leaders listen and engage their employees. These leaders are
empowering, contributing to the growth and development of employees, and purposeful,
providing employees with a clear and optimistic vision. Relational leaders are cognizant of the
community in a workplace and see the importance of the group process. Finally, these leaders
are ethical; relational leaders have high standards of behavior, encourage social responsibility,
and are reliable and trustworthy.
There are certainly criticisms to the Relational Leadership style, such as lack of substantial
data that provide proof of effectiveness, plus lack of an actual guide on how to succeed as a
relational leader. I can also see faults within Relational Leadership for my own purposes; I have

difficulty letting go of control and delegating tasks. This type of leadership would suggest that I
focus more on utilizing employees strengths, rather than constantly relying on my own. For my
current position at The College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, this type
of leadership is ideal; I aim to adopt the characteristics of a relational leader.
Definition of Leadership
I find that Mr. Burns did an excellent job of defining a leader by stating, Leaders induce
followers to act for certain goals that represent the value and the motivations, the wants and the
needs, the aspirations and expectations of both leaders and followers (Burns, 1978, p.19). If I
could simply steal from him, I would. My personal leadership definition is:
A leader is someone with a clear, ethical vision of how to promote the betterment of a
work establishment and its members, while understanding that the strength of the team is
superior to the strength of the individual.
My definition of leadership assumes, first, that the betterment of a work establishment
means the productivity, continued advancement, contribution, and relevancy of the agency
progresses through a solid vision. Second, the betterment of its members assumes that not
only are employees given a fair salary, but the leader promotes development, teamwork, and
ethical standards. It also assumes employees can advance, both intellectually, via outside
learning opportunities, and through advancement of their role or position within the workplace.
Finally, this definition identifies that although the leader may have the most powerful vision for
the company, she is willing to listen and promote concepts amongst her employees to also
provide visionary ideas.
My leadership definition assumes that group members possess a positive vision for the
company along with their peers, and display dedication to their role. Employees must remain
understanding of change and be willing to implement said change if they stand behind the
leaders vision.
Word Portrait

Responsible- Within my job, I dedicate myself to following through with what I say I will do,
proactively work towards the betterment of my students, and complete tasks in a timely manner.
Persuasive- I often carefully sway my students, graduate assistants, and peers in the direction I
think is most beneficial for them.
Organized- I help my students with their own time management and therefore I must stay very
aware of my own time and schedule.
Creative- I am working to utilize the creativity and cleverness that I use in trivial day-to-day fun
for more meaningful work related tasks.
Tactful- Im very careful in the way I speak to each of my students. Giving good and bad news
according to their personalities is crucial to maintaining students trust and calm demeanor.
Supportive- My empathy and care for my students, graduate assistants, and peers must shine in
my day to day job. My job title is Student Support Specialist, after all.
Controlling- I do not like it when situations do not fall into place as I plan them to; I therefore
work to mold situations to produce results that I believe will be beneficial.
Confidant- Students and graduate assistants (seemingly) feel they can come to me with problems
or issues, whether personal or academic; I take pride when individuals trust me.
Socially adaptable- I must be willing to take on many roles within my position and that often
means changing how I would speak to one person versus another.
Wordy- Whether through email or discussion, I have to get every detail out on the table.
Leadership Metaphor
Leadership is like the game of Jenga; you must continue to build your pieces up until they reach
their highest level. If they fall, you must build from the ground up.
Leadership style in action
My current leadership style leaves much to the imagination; it doesnt often feel as
though I am leading, although I am challenged daily to direct my students and graduate assistants
in a positive and productive manner. I must utilize the characteristics and talents that my
graduate assistants have in order to direct them in a way that will best suit the student. The areas
in which they falter are the areas where I attempt to fill in the gaps. For example, I have a
particular graduate assistant who has three incredibly difficult students who all suffer from lack

of time management skills, organization, and motivation. This graduate assistant has molded
herself into her students personal calendar, alarm clock, to-do list, and daily structure. I believe
my role, to fill in the gaps, is to therefore become their nurturer the one who gives them
understanding and pats their backs for working so hard. I am their motivational speaker.
I have a second graduate assistant who also supports a very challenging student. Both the
student and the graduate assistant in this relationship, however, have very little organizational
skills, lack proactive nature, and have poor time management. What I have seen in this graduate
assistant, however, are his tutoring skills in many subjects, particularly math, as well as his
ability to relate the his student personally. I have, therefore, helped to develop a relationship
between the student and graduate assistant through tutoring and through their friendship. It is my
role to take on the organization and maintenance of the students time and academics. This role
of filling in the gaps may not appear to be any type of leadership role, however I believe this
method coincides with many aspects of Relational Leadership Theory.
My goal is to notice the strengths and weaknesses of all team members, not only to
benefit our students and our program, but to also enhance the graduate assistants sense of worth
and leadership in their mentor role. When these relationships work, the graduate assistant gains
confidence; when the graduate assistant feels confident, he works at his best capacity. We
typically see an enhanced performance of the student the graduate assistant supports due to his
confidence in his role. Our programs style of leadership seems to be constantly shifting,
because we never know what will happen on a daily basis. From the outside looking in, we may
appear as though we have no system, no leader, and no style. I will utilize a metaphor to clarify
how I see my workplace. The program I work with sits in Old Main, the oldest building on
Marshall Universitys campus. The building is in constant need of maintenance because of the
wear and tear it has seen it leaks and creaks daily and needs constant upkeep and attention.

This building that we sit in, however, is also the most beautiful. It deserves care, preservation,
and compassion. I cant think of a better place for our program to function each day; like Old
Main, we may never be working smoothly and we may not look like we have it together, but we
are one of the most beautiful entities on our campus. The students we serve deserve the constant
preservation and upkeep to continue to thrive, just like Old Main.
Tentative Leadership Plan
I often feel the furthest I can see into the future is what Ill eat the next day. I do, however,
have a particular short term goal (short in regards to a lifetime) that pertains to my leadership
role. I believe I previously mentioned an autism safe space program I am attempting to
implement and lead. We are currently in the very beginning stages, however I have set goals for
myself in regards to how I want to make this program into a nationwide symbol for autism
awareness.
An autism safe space begins with a symbol. As the leader of this program, I have
advertised across campus and through our universitys website, MyMU, and promoted
participation in creating and designing the logo for our safe space. Students across campus have
been given the opportunity to create what will hopefully become a nationally recognizable
symbol. I recently met with an individual who leads the Safe Space for the LBGT community at
Marshall University to better understand their program and we were given great advice. My
team and I are currently developing our program goal and mission statement. We plan to also
begin developing the training materials that would be used to provide individual or group
training for those interested. These materials would be our programs guide, including written
and online resources, as well as strategies for providing assistance to individuals with autism. In
order to also provide an online training component, we will need to meet with our IT department
to help us implement a professional and easy-to-use online tool for autism awareness training.

As a long term goal, it is my hope to travel to other universities to seek support in

providing their campus faculty and staff with the proper training to develop their own autism safe
spaces on campus. By expanding this program to universities across the country, we would
provide an invaluable, compassionate service to individuals who live on campus that are quietly
living on the spectrum without a voice. By seeing these logos, and understanding what they
represent, it would provide the small amount of comfort that an individual on the spectrum may
need in order to disclose their diagnosis and feel welcome in their new college environment. I
cant express how hopeful I am that this program will succeed. At times, I feel overwhelmed by
everyday tasks, and I forget my big picture goals. By utilizing my time in the office wisely,
and meeting with my safe space team regularly, we can make this happen. It is up to me,
however, to promote and encourage enthusiasm within my team to make the autism safe space a
success.
Leadership Short Story: The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its
heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to
the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that
way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But
the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.
When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants
distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew...it is best to prepare for the days of necessity. (Aesops Fables, 1).
The reason I chose The Ant and the Grasshopper to describe my leadership is due to how
it simplistically describes me as a leader. In my youth, I was the grasshopper. I procrastinated
and lived care free, knowing that I would manage. As I have matured, I am very much like the

ant. I fervently plan. I rarely go outside of my routine or I dont feel comfortable. I need a
sense of control in my environment in order to reduce anxiety of the future. I find that planning
ahead works for me. Like the ant, I also am happy to help others who do not plan like I do. I
understand that not everyone has the capacity to live by routine and to-do lists.
References
Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership (p. 19). New York.: Harper & Row.
Cat playing Jenga [Photograph]. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/736x/5e/c2/be/5ec2beb95dff8f7a78ae193320f52b12.jpg
Dyer, K. "Relational Leadership: The ABCs and XYZs of leading an organization come down
to how you connect with others." The School Administrator. AASA, Nov. 2001. Google.
Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=
%2010672&terms=relational%2Bleadership>
"The Ant & The Grasshopper." Aesop's Fables. Ed. Copper Giloth. University of Massachusetts
Amherst, 1994. Google. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. http://www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?
i=1&n=0
[Untitled photograph enter here]. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from
http://www.tallphoenix.org/IMAGES/door.gif
[Untitled photograph of a dog and horse]. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/73/8a/eb/738aeb0e3a22946413e3efaaba
5fe9da.jpg
[Untitled photograph of Michael Scott]. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://media-cacheec0.pinimg.com/236x/ce/08/13/ce0813ce59d8e96dd43c2cd31a36bf0d.jpg
[Untitled photograph of puzzle pieces]. Retrieved November 12, 2014, from
http://whyleadnow.com/2013/06/14/3-essential-pieces-to-the-puzzle-of-a-successfulteam/
[Untitled photograph of The Ant & The Grasshopper]. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/ronn-torossian/the-ant-and-the-grasshopper-today/
Watts, L. (2014). Principles of Leadership [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https://marshallbb.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1
&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id
%3D_50307_1%26url%3D