UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Adjusting Leadership Style

UNIT VII STUDY GUIDEAdjusting Leadership StyleCourse Learning Outcomes for Unit VIIReadingAssignmentUpon completion of this unit, students should be able to:1. Discuss the importance of relationships to leader success.2. Examine leadership models and strategies that can help EMS leaderswith issues and challenges.3. Identify and evaluate the five guiding values of leadership.Chapter 10:DowntimeChapter 11:The Challenges of Beingthe ChiefSupplementalReadingSee information below.Learning Activities(Non-Graded)See information below.Key Terms1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.AccountabilityCompassionConflictEmpathyHuman resourceIntegrityPolitical savvyRespectServant leadershipSocial intelligenceUnit LessonIn nonemergency situations, interpersonal relationships can hinder the day-today interactions of EMS personnel. Interpersonal relationships continuouslychange; in order to hold them together, trust is required (Johnson, 2006), andgenuine leadership is built on trust (Blanchard, 2007). Johnson (2006) furthersupposed, “The level of trust within a relationship is constantly changingaccording to the individual’s ability and willingness to be trusting and trustworthy”(p. 97). The same has been experienced with critical patient care skills as theyhave developed over time and we have become more confident. “Thisconfidence will be mirrored in others’ expectations, and trust will naturally build”(Brophy, 2010, p. 1).As time continues, trust develops and the relationship strengthens. Theindividuals gradually become closer emotionally, which deepens the trust.However, one can lose trustworthiness at any stage if honesty and openness arenot maintained. Also, in any relationship, whether it involves providing patientcare skills or performing an organizational task, there will be bumps, and thosewho do not communicate openly and honestly without distorting the informationwill deteriorate that level of trust. Bruegman (2002, August) wrote:…we hit those bumps every day, whether it’s with the labor union president,lead shop steward, volunteer association president, mayor, council personor board chair. When misunderstandings develop, the level of trust willdetermine whether you move immediately into collaboration, mutual factfinding and explorations of solutions — or confrontation, because someonemust be wrong, hiding something, lying or just plain ignorant. (Whencolleagues, work collide, para.1).Bruegman (2002, August) proposed that “…trust within an organization is thebond that holds it together. Trust is the emotional response that you and thoseyou work with share. It’s co-dependency toward common objectives” (para. 1).Johnson (2006) stressed that “trust is the foundation for building and maintaininga caring and productive relationship” (p. 93). Blanchard (2007) surmised thatleaders who listen empathetically and respond honestly to the questions peopleraise are those who build trust. Blanchard and Bruegman both suggested thatleaders could easily influence others to agree on a set of common organizationalobjectives, as well as to work together towards the accomplishment ofestablished objectives. However, Bruegman added that the “difficulty isEMS 3302, EMS Planning and Development1sustaining that trust in everyday routine. This is where the trust factor is oftenoverlooked, but it’s when we hit that first bump in the road that we begin tomeasure our trust quotient” (para. 3).Is focusing on building trust through improved communication enough? Leadersneed to lead at a higher level by leading people with diverse backgrounds anddifferent values. Johnson (2006) supposed that interacting with “differentcultures, ethnic groups, social classes, and historical backgrounds does notcome naturally” (p. 345). In today’s environment, leaders are required to haveeffective communications in order to interact with diverse individuals andpromote a more open working climate. When working in diverse workforces orrelationships, if leaders do not have and employ effective communication skills,the level of trust will diminish to the point of causing conflict. Johnson proposedthat leaders must commit themselves to, and internalize, the pluralistic valuesnecessary to eliminate misunderstandings “when individuals with diverseheritages interact” (p. 379). According to Brophy (2010), “Cultivating anatmosphere that promotes respect and trust will go a long way toward increasingthe effectiveness of a leader while simultaneously improving the organization asa whole” (p. 5).Points to PonderThe Emergency Medical Services is anticipating reductions in the level of serviceprovided to the community due to reductions in revenue from property taxes. Atthe same time, citizens in the community are demanding higher levels of service,quicker response times, and more EMS units on the road. However, they areopposed to new revenue measures to pay for those services.The chief of EMS has held numerous meetings with line personnel and the unionleadership in an attempt to improve communications about the anticipatedreductions and show sincerity about the concerns. The chief assured those inattendance that he and the rest of the administrative staff were using soundbudgeting and financial management practices to increase organizationaleffectiveness and accountability, while maintaining societal values as much aspossible in the management of personnel.He stated that while efficient service provision is important to the organization,societal values are also important. However, societal values will be challengingwith the reduction in tax receipts. He stated that these tough economic timesappear likely to last for an extended period of time. He added that everyone,including himself, should probably consider that they will have to take pay cutsfor several years, and that anything that is lost may not be replaced in the nearfuture. However, even while he attempted to promote trust and effectivelycommunicate the issues, the plan was met with skepticism.Let’s think about this scenario. Was the EMS chief addressing the needs of theorganization? Was he addressing the needs of the followers? Was there a needto reinvent his approach? After all, he was showing empathy.Foster (2013) stated, “Empathy is critical to building and maintaining emotionalintelligence” (Foster, Goertzen, Nollette & Nollette, p. 156). “Empathy is aboutmaking a connection. Sympathy is feeling for someone, but empathy is feelingwith someone, because you understand” (Brophy, 2010, p. 33). Wasn’t the EMSchief showing when he held multiple meetings with employees, as well as whenhe stated that everyone, including himself, would have to take pay cuts? Weren’tthe needs of all the stakeholders being addressed? Wasn’t the EMS chiefEMS 3302, EMS Planning and Development2standing up for what was right and being completely honest and open with theemployees? Is there more that he could have done?(D.M. Campbell, 2013)Leaders need to strive to create vision and enthusiasm, while at the same timebeing concerned with their ethical behavior, values, beliefs, and morals, whichwas described by Blanchard and Miller (2007) as character. Brophy (2010)stated, “Being completely honest and open, keeping actions consistent withvalues, and showing trust in followers” (p. 57) plays a key role in theeffectiveness of a leader. He describes this type of leader as a servant leader.Servant leaders are relation-oriented, situational, and transformational. Theyseek to influence and transform followers, keeping the followers in the forefrontduring the process (Brophy, 2010).Blanchard and Miller (2007) compare servant leadership to the situationalleadership model that utilizes categories to understand and address behavior.They place servant leadership in the middle of the continuum with democraticleadership—both types of leaders are concerned with productivity and the wellbeing of each employee.(D.M. Campbell, 2013)Servant leadership is effective in leading organizations and has a positive effecton the individuals of the organization. This type of leadership encourageseveryone in the organization to serve others through getting to know employeesas individuals. This is similar, in several ways, to the theory of behavioralleadership, and more specifically, the transformational leadership style, whichcan also be effective. As Blanchard and Miller (2007) surmised, servantleadership is rare, as is a true transformational leader.In this unit, you will explore how leadership in nonemergency settings looks a lotdifferent from leadership at the scene of an emergency, as well as how leadersmust always consider all options for dealing with conflict. You will learn why theroot causes of tension and animosity must be identified and resolved through theapplication of problem-solving methods. In addition, you will explore why pitfallschallenge the leader of any organization, and when leaders try to appease thosethey answer to, they tend to ignore those they rely on to accomplish theirmission. Finally, you will learn how employees can make their leadersaccountable in several ways.EMS 3302, EMS Planning and Development3ReferencesBlanchard, K. (2007). Leading at a higher level. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Prentice Hall.Blanchard, K., & Miller, M. (2007). The higher plane of leadership. Leader toLeader Journal. 2007(46), 25-30. Retrieved fromhttp://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1002/ltl.253Brophy, J. (2010). Leadership essentials for emergency medical services.Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.Bruegman, R. R. (2002). A matter of trust. Fire Chief Magazine. Retrieved fromhttp://firechief.com/mag/firefighting_matter_trust/index.htmlFoster, D. T., Goertzen, B. J., Nollette, C., & Nollette, F. P. (2013) Emergencyservices leadership: A contemporary approach. Burlington, MA: Jones &Bartlett.Johnson, D. W. (2006). Reaching out: interpersonal effectiveness and selfactualization. (9th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.Supplemental ReadingLearn more about this week’s topics in the databases of the CSU Online Library.For example, the following articles can be found in the ABI/INFORM Completedatabase:“Trust,” by Ken Blanchard, discusses trust—or the lack of it— in theworkplace.“Win Trust, Top Results BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE: TAKERESPONSIBILITY: Otherwise, Nos 1-9 won’t matter,” by Steve Watkins,discusses how leaders can create an atmosphere of trust. Although thisJune 2013 article appeared in Investor’s Business Daily, the wisdom itimparts applies to all workplaces.“Cultivate Trust,” by Judith E. Glaser, discusses how social interactionscan impact trust.Learning Activities (Non-Graded)EMS Leadership PodcastsVarious leadership podcasts are presented on the EMS Leadership web site.Podcasts that relate to this week’s topics include Presentation Skills (Episode108), which focuses on giving good presentations, which will be needed withbuilding trust with employees (http://www.emsleadership.com/). WorkplacePolitics, Episode 104, discusses how politics can be positive(http://www.emsleadership.com/?paged=2).There are more than 100 podcasts available on a variety of leadership topics.Check them out and see what information you can find that will help you improveyour leadership skills. All of the podcasts of the EMS Leadership site can bedownloaded.EMS 3302, EMS Planning and Development4Listening to these podcasts, which focus on EMS personnel and issues, couldprovide valuable insights that could help you in your career.Mentoring Yourself and OthersOn page 158, the Chapter 10 wrap-up activity provides you with the opportunityto learn more about yourself and how you can work to be a better leader in EMS.As John Donne said, “No man is an island.” At some time in everyone’s life,each of us leans on others in order to achieve our goals and acquire what weneed, whether our needs involve physical items or personal growth.Do you need help to develop your leadership skills? Would having a mentor tohelp guide you in various aspects of your life help you grow and develop? Canyou develop your leadership skills by mentoring others? Thoughtfully answer thequestions on page 158, then explore how you can apply what you have learnedto your profession or career choice as a leader in EMS.If you have difficulty or questions with the concepts involved in this activity,contact your instructor for additional discussion and/or explanation.StakeholdersWho are the stakeholders in your organization? Do you know who is in charge ofwhat? Who oversees whom?Create a diagram of your organization (or an organization with which you arefamiliar), following the directions in the Chapter 11 Wrap-Up on page 168. Afteryou have delineated who the leaders are, think about their leadership styles andhow they handle different situations. Did they adapt their leadership styles to fiteach situation?If you have difficulty or questions with the concepts involved in this activity,contact your instructor for additional discussion and/or explanation.Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course ofstudy. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact yourinstructor for further guidance and information.EMS 3302, EMS Planning and Development5