The 360-Degree Leadership Style Review

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The 360-Degree Leaders
The seven Myths of Leadership
Reference

Introduction

The most challenging concept in organization that constitutes different people is leadership. It is often said that when one is in a position of leadership, he is faced with the challenge of dealing with people who have been shaped up by different circumstances in life; those who are fixed minded and most importantly final decisions lies with him. A leader therefore shoulders all the successes and failures of an organization. Individuals are involved in push pull everyday struggling to occupy leadership positions, once they are there, the battle does not stop at that, they are involved the frustration of convincing the people under him to accept his proposals; but only after subjecting them to some vetting. In his book The 360-Degree Leadership John Maxwell gives some highlights on the principles of leadership within an organization. Maxwell explains that the principles he gives are able to help those in leadership to lead up, across and down if they are applied well. This paper will discuss Maxwell’s principles as they relate to my life, more particularly, the seven Myths.

The 360-Degree Leaders

The author Maxwell hold it that it is only these 360-Degree Leaders that have an all round effect in all levels. I can assert to this in my few years that I have been put in charge of a group. I do agree with him, going by what he outlined in his book, I would have made it big in the JPMorgan Chase where I work as a Part-Time Teller. But all is not lost I still have do my job which I plan to cruise to greater heights where I will build my carrier as a Bank Teller and probably a famous Banker in the future. I decided to take on part time job because I have to balance it with classes till I finish school, then I will go for full career building. My job is defined and has assumed leadership in not many occasions; as a teller I do report to the Assistant manager who is my immediate boss and in some cases the Branch manager who is the overall leader in my department. I am charged with the duty of managing the inventory for monetary instruments for instance the Canadian Money Orders, Cashier Checks, Regular Money orders, Gift Cards, Traveler Checks and Regular Gift Checks. I have to make a follow up to ensure that those and individuals who sign up for direct deposit actually use them. I do represent the face of our organization at the help desk where I receive customers with varied problems. The manner by which I handle my job tells a lot of the character and nature of the entire staff. [The importance of the first impression applies here].

I had previously worked in a retail store that sells cell phones and satellite dishes. I was in most cases left to be in charge of the entire place when the owners were away. During those times, I was to head all the remaining old employees and induct new ones who were joining the organization. I realized one thing that worked well for leaders in authority…that was the need to lead by example and not boss juniors around. It proved a vital step to spark innovative nature and collective responsibility among the members.

The seven Myths of Leadership

Maxwell clearly demonstrates seven scenarios where individuals may find themselves but still keep themselves felt. Myth one typifies my exact situation. My job is so defined and is more subjective than open. I serve in a position that if one does not push things then I may pass unnoticed. Everything that I do is restricted by the bosses making it hard to move up the leadership ladder. A potential leader does not need to be at the top to exert influence. Maxwell has an answer to this using what he calls position myth. He explains that one does not have to be in some kind of a title to be able to exert his leadership skills. One can shine from whatever level and break the seal by being respectful to all and valuing each other. The only ways to make it big is offering yourself for any job and doing it your best way, avoid reinventing the wheel. I may opt to sit and just do my work or forge a way forward to make it big. I have seen it work in many firms, and it is possible with my firm too. Moving from a lowly ranked employee to a much respected figure is no dream. At the moment I am a teller with very little responsibility in our organization.

Whatever I do comes as an order from my seniors. I may be of no influence now, but the way I handle whatever has been handed over to me says a lot about my ability to move ranks. The destination myth describes my position now, I do not want to wait till I am highly ranked to show my leadership prowess, the leaders may never know that I can lead and I may never live to be up there. I have therefore preoccupied my self with learning from what my leaders do and believe in so that when that time comes, I will never be ill prepared. The third myth relates to underestimation of ones self; there were cases where I was the best suited or I can say best favored to be left in charge of the store when the owners were away. This does not mean that I was the best and the others could not do the work; and neither does it show that I was more influential. May be given a chance, they could outsmart me in leadership. For them to be noticed by the owner of the business, they were therefore supposed to be extraordinary and exemplary. Looking at the bigger picture, it can be said that a leader may necessarily not be an influential person. Some leaders may lead yes! But the juniors fail to follow. It is a misleading assumption for a leader to believe by being a leader he will always have it his way and get others go by his needs. Influence is a vital requirement for any person aspiring to be a leader.

There is no much change when someone becomes the boss or is lowly ranked. Control should be exercised at all levels; for those who think that they can only do “this and that” when in certain positions, too bad; they are failures from the start. Positions are only titles to facilitate an idea, being in control and making things work your way can happen regardless of position. When I noted this in Maxwell’s book, I figured it out that I needed not wait to rise to be a Bank manager to exert influence on my co-workers and seniors. Drawing an example from my previous job station, the store owners who were my bosses seemed to have been less influential in getting all of us (their employees) do something whole heartedly. It was as if we only worked for the money, they did not instill the moral in us, and productivity was substantially reduced. I do realize that if only the bosses had the ability to let us feel like part of a big family and acquire collective responsibility, we could have done much better and they could have had more influence in swaying us to go for their new ideas. It is never right for someone to feel being oppressed and bossed, but loved and respected.

As opposed to what has been the belief, the higher one climbs in the organization rank, the more freedom he will enjoy. That is what is assumed, especially by the lowly ranked employees. But that is not the case. A one rises in rank, so does his responsibilities grows, he takes in more and more activities in and out of the office to enable the organization to stay afloat. All those meetings, contract signings, consultations, review of company policies are rested on his shoulder. Managing the employees as well as the organizations asserts are left to the managers while the junior staffs are having a field day restricting themselves to only their work which upon completion, they just rest or idle around. I recall that in my current job, sometimes I do find myself without work and I just sit down reading magazines or just story telling with my colleagues, but on the other hand, I have never seen our top managers enjoying such breaks from their tight schedules.

Myth Six gives emphasis on the need to give it your best in whatever level. Maxwell holds it that one gets to perform best at the middle not at the top or at the bottom. There is always room to improve and move a stage higher, and at the same time, there are always some people who are below you in a social rank. So every level is a mid position. One may never be blessed enough to rise to the top of an organization, that does not mean that the organization now has to go without his or her input. A 360-Degree leader is one who strives to make a difference from a lower level and influences everyone all round. I am a teller with others below and several others above, from my position, the only way out to keep me effective and my services appreciated is to become a 360-Degree Leader and spread my influence up, below and across the divide. Myth seven puts more weight to the sixth myth. It is only drumming support to the above highlighted myths that one does not have to be placed at the top to be considered an organization indispensable asset. A 360-Degree Leader will at all time held like the last building block supporting an organizations foundation. As a teller or as a manager, anyone can make his/her importance be felt.

Reference

Maxwell C. J. (2005). The 360-Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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The 360-Degree Leadership Style Review

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