A521.9.4.RB_LloydPayneDamien

In Chapter 12, Denning explicitly describes his dimensions of leadership. Reflect on those dimensions and how you expect they will impact the way you lead in the future. Include specific examples of how at least THREE of Denning's dimensions manifest in your own application of leadership.

Denning (2011) opens chapter twelve with the quote by Vicki Hearne: “To be understood is to be open to understanding.” This basic idea encompasses what an interactive leader is. There is no standard template for aspiring leaders to follow; they have to make their own based on the guide and suggestions of those who lead before them. Every individual and organization is different effective leaders read and react to those differences.  He states that an interactive leader:

•          works with the world rather than against it.
•          adds and subtracts elements from the leadership palette.
•          builds on personal integrity and authenticity.
•          doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority.
•          benefits from an understanding of the different narrative patterns that can be used to get things done in the world.

All of these dimensions are important factors to be a good leader, and one that will change the way we think and act.  The modern workplace has changed so much that for leaders it is vital that they be willing and able to adapt and grow with these changes.

As a leader my primary goal will be to learn to work with my surroundings instead against it.  In the past I have tried it the other way around - and it just doesn't work.  Leaders should not fool themselves by thinking that they alone can change the world.  Leaders need to let subordinates know that they are a vital part of the organization and unit success depends on collaborations of everyone involved.  Interactive leadership uses communication to connect with the employees, while earning employees’ respect. According to Denning (2011), open communication provides an opportunity for the leader to better understand their employees, listen to them more actively, and receive & response to feedback. If interactive leadership uses communication correctly leaders will have the opportunity to learn the current organization culture.  By learning the current organizational culture, leaders can establish an environment in which they work with their employees and not work against them. In the past, I have always felt that I was a good listener; however I now realize that I can do a better job in active listening.

Another goal I have is to use the interactive leadership to convey my integrity and authenticity to my followers.  It is something that I notice is lacking in many departments within my organization.  If you are not sure what your leader stands for or that they are not sincere in what they say there is no trust or faith.  When I can make it clear who I am and what I stand for my followers will not have to question what my agenda is because I will have to convey it to them clearly so they can understand it.  One must lead by example so if I am always complaining about the new system and how much I hate it my followers will pick that up as well and either agree with me because they just want to be agreeable or they will not have faith in my abilities to adapt to the new system.  The actions of the follower are only as good as those of its leader.

A final dimension that I want to touch on that manifests in my own application is "Interactive leadership doesn't depend on the possession of hierarchical authority"(Denning, 2011, p. 271).  Often, hierarchies exist, but what doesn't need to be dictated is the absolute direction about something or some idea.  For example, on many occasions while flying, the SIC (second in command) has issued orders like "go around", which means to take the aircraft back into the air and return for another landing.  While not strictly in charge, the Captain of any aircraft should expect his or her SIC to have command authority of they deem it necessary.  Sometimes, the ships with the authoritarian Captain that only depends on his authority, are the ones that get in accidents.  It is this type of interactive leadership where someone who is technically lower in the hierarchy has an equal amount freedom to improve and clarify, which actually enhances leadership.  In the helicopter industry, this lesson has been learned only recently.  In 2005, having just started at PHi in the Gulf of Mexico, some bases still had Captains exerting their authority in their down time as well as in the cockpit.  They had their own "big ship table" and demanded the better living quarters in the housing.  When the company changed hands, the leadership at the top changed, and so to did much of that attitude.

The major points I take from this reading is that it is vital to be able to adapt and change with different situations and not close yourself off to learning and understanding the dynamics of your department or the organization as a whole.  You have to be able to connect with your followers and not have a fear of participating on any level from the mail room to the CEO of the company. Leadership should not be a dictatorship but should continue to evolve. Listening to your followers and taking their concerns to heart with sincerity is just as important.  Leaders are the ones that do the right thing.  Managers are those that just do things right.  I'm going to lead.

Reference:
Denning, S. (2011). The leader's guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A521.8.4.RB_LloydPayneDamien

McKay, Davis and Fanning provide some direction for making contact with strangers. How comfortable are you striking up a conversation with someone new?. Are you able to "work a room" with ease?

In your blog, reflect on aspects of your personality and/or upbringing which make you able to relate to strangers easily—or not so easily. What lessons can you take from Chapter 14 of Messages to improve your ability to connect with others?

I feel that I am very comfortable and skilled when it comes to striking up a conversation with strangers. I have a very diverse background and upbringing that allows me to do this. In the 11 years that I have emigrated to America, away from my family, I have had 6 different jobs and have lived at 9 different addresses. There can be nothing more daunting for someone than uprooting to a different country. Striking up a conversation with a stranger is an essential part of immigration!  During my time at each job and address, I have had to initiate and develop relationships with complete strangers, and in some cases, rely on these stranger's kindness and help because of the location and the circumstances of my job.

One particular incident that comes to mind was at Christmas in 2004.  I had just started in a new position flight instructing the previous September, and had just a few students.  I worked long hours and made tiny amounts of money.  One student, Pat Hoban was a middle aged man who lived in the next town over with whom I got on well with instantly.  Although we did not have much in common besides helicopters, we got along well and talked a lot about family and friends.  When it came to Christmas, he invited myself, my wife and two very young children (5 and 3) to join them on Christmas eve.  They were having a big dinner and a family present swap.  I accepted, because at that stage Christmas at our house was a modest affair, and the kids would enjoy the company of other children at a party, even though we didn't know them well.  My wife and I prepared the kids for what we thought would be the inevitable tears when they realized that none of the presents being handed out among the family would be for them, as this is a difficult thing to understand for someone so young.  What really touched me was that after the meal everyone from Pat's family sat in the living room and exchanged gifts.  At the end, Pat pulled out two last presents from the tree - one for each of my children.  I couldn't believe it, and it still fills me with joy and tears as I write about it now. In the short time that I had known Pat, he had already started to consider us as part of his family.  He knew money was tight, and wanted to do what he could for me.

Initiating and engaging in conversation with strangers has never been difficult for me, nor is it uncomfortable. I also have a very outgoing personality and this helps with my comfort level around strangers.  I feel very comfortable talking in front of large crowds, especially when I do not know the people in the room and the subject is familiar to me. Largely this has been due to my upbringing.  My parents were very sociable people, and also had a wide base of friends from many different classes and walks of life.  As a child growing up I was exposed to balls, black tie affairs, boat races, lawn parties and evenings at the theatre, ballet or opera.  All these occasions meant a different style, a different outlook and a different engagement of other people in attendance.  It was never the same thing twice, but what it did teach was the multiple aspects of making contact with strangers.


I grew up in a family of 6 children, and there were numerous times when I had to take control of the group, which required strong communication and leadership skills. My 5 brothers were all of a strong personality, and sometimes these skills were tested to the limits. This allowed me to gain confidence when talking in front of others, arguing. I also left my hometown and family at the age of 18, and travelled to Australia with no family or friends. I had to develop and improve on my communication skills and self-confidence to be able to meet new people at every step and form relationships with them. I started by flying out to Sydney, and then travelled the country from one city to the next staying and working from youth hostels. It was an interesting dynamic - at least everyone at a youth hostel had something in common: we were all travelling  and trying to survive.  Sometimes we would form a group dynamic and stick together for a month or so as we worked in one place and then eventually individuals drifted on to the next town.  If anything was certain, it was that I would have to make a new new set of friends every few weeks. At the very least it was a learning experience.

According to McKay et. al. (2009) “there are three things to make a good conversation: ask questions, listen actively, and disclose a little about yourself” and  “the inability to listen is the most common cause of conversational disaster’ (p. 214). This is an important skill in any conversation. Sometimes, you can greet people with a wrong statement and people respond with a polite yes. They didn’t listen to what was said. In many cases people don’t remember the name of the person the meet - something I am very guilty of.  In this week's readings I learned that “listening is more than merely keeping your mouth shut” (McKay et. al., 2009, p. 214). We must be an active listener, and this is a powerful tool. Providing feedback within the conversation will indicate that you understood what was said, and promote more disclosure on the side. According to McKay, Davis & Fanning (2009), this provides for a good conversation.

Reference:
McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages, the communication skills book. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

A521.7.4.RB_LloydPayneDamien

In your Reflection Blog, relate a knowledge sharing story from your personal experience. Be sure to describe the context of your story.

Knowledge sharing applies to imparting information that can be recalled and used for future applications, but unless context comes with the knowledge, the sharing is not a useful as it could be (Denning, 2011).  Knowledge sharing stories are used to spread knowledge and pass knowledge on from one generation to the next and are generally not very interesting but are very informative.  Unlike the typical story, knowledge sharing stories include an explanation. (Denning, 2011).  

In the flying world, knowledge sharing stories are crucial to pilots’ successes.  Without hearing the stories of the mistakes or positive accomplishments of pilots before us, we would continue to make the same mistakes over and over. There is an old saying in the pilot community that goes like this: 'There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots' and I think this is mainly because of the prolific storytelling.

Over the years of flying it has become apparent that the weather certainly is the biggest killer of pilots, and in certain parts of the world or country, some aspects of the weather are always bigger killers than the rest.  In the North of the US snow and icing are the biggest problem, in the NE it is likely low clouds and poor visibility but in the South it is always Thunderstorms.  The problem is, that if you have only flown most of the time in one area you get caught out by a weather pattern that is unusual.  This was the case a few years ago when I was flying in the NE and was explaining to a pilot about my experiences with thunderstorms.

We were flying from Poughkeepsie to East Hampton, NY and in front of us were two thunderstorms with about a five mile gap between the two.  My copilot wanted to 'thread the needle' and slip between the two storms to our destination.  I told him wouldn't do it and this is the story I told him by means of an explanation:

In 2007 I was flying in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) to oil rigs.  In the GOM the Pilot in Command really is the person in command - when he makes a weather decision nobody can argue with him - the decision is final.  This is how it was one morning that year in Fouchon, LA.  Two storm cells clearly visible on the radar but over 10 miles apart were sitting offshore in the direct path of almost every flight.  Every other pilot in the room decided they would take off and slip between the two to get to their respective rigs.  Everyone did take off except for me.  Even my copilot questioned why we were the only ones that hadn't - believe me, I even at one point questioned my own judgement.  
But I believed that if the two cells came together I would get stuck in the storm, or pinned behind it unable to get back.  I elected to sit tight.  The manager of the base asked me why I hadn't taken off yet, and I explained why.  He wasn't allowed to argue against the decision, but he looked at me like I was a fool.
20 Minutes later, the radio crackled into life, and every single pilot, regardless of age, ship type and experience was returning to the base - nobody could make it through the storms, which had closed together. One pilot actually made it half way through and turned around in the blind as it closed in around him.  He was lucky to escape in one piece. 
As I related this story to the PIC in the NE he understood how safety was the main priority.  A few extra minutes can make the difference between life and death - messing with thunderstorms just is not wise.  Of all the hazards mother nature can throw at us, thunderstorms can be the most unpredictable, the most deadly  and the fastest changing hazard.  The story put a human face onto the danger, and demonstrated in this instance my point about the gap in the storms.  I have told that story on countless occasions - sometimes for the same purpose, in other cases to highlight why pilots should stick to their decisions, on other occasions to show how following the crowd can get you killed.  In one instance the story was used to demonstrate how safety rules and not questioning pilot decisions (they call this pilot shopping) can help prevent a link in the accident chain. Every time the story is told, some facts are left out, some are embellished, depending on the listener.  This is a natural occurrence. "Each time we tell a story we level and sharpen it in different ways to meet the current context" (Denning, 2011, p.184). On this occasion, we went round and made it safely to East Hampton.

Reference:
Denning, S. (2011). The leader's guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.