Different Strokes for Different Folks

As I struggled to fill a role on a team working in a rural town in Louisiana after the hurricanes, I became brutally aware that the cultural climate was something I had never experienced before. Folks were not motivated by time; instruction sheets for building projects were not important; my witty approach to solving problems was not accepted with a smile.

Working in an environment which appears culturally similar but in all actuality operated by completely different norms changed the way I view leadership - my leadership style, to be more specific.

I have never accepted the notion that a singular model for leadership exists - I feel there are so many ways folks can be effective as leaders that fall out of the normal models. That being said, I not only think it is impossible for a model to accompany a culturally pluralistic environment, rather a model cannot adequately encompass different types of leaders - too many variables exist. Even vague, value-based frameworks are inadequate in adjusting for the values of different cultures, folks from different walks of life, or the various types of leaders necessary to make a group function well.

In Louisiana, the goal-oriented approach that guides my leadership style crumbled beneath my work. As I readjusted to the cultural climate that valued relationships, stories, and slow-but-steady work ethics, I dropped the model for leading that was engrained into my persynality. I had to consider the culture before following the leadership suit.

Jenn vs. SLPI

There is always an internal struggle I fight when completing surveys like the SLPI – they are rarely indicative of how I perceive myself. In so many different situations and under different circumstances, I am such a drastically different individual and feel that I embody what is ‘grey’ about the world , never black of white.

I ranked highest in Inspire a Shared Vision on the SLPI, and usually feel this is my worst attribute. When I am a leader, I usually have a concrete picture of how I think things should get done, and am often very excited about getting it done that I fail to communicate the vision. Although the SLPI did not recognize this as a problem area in my leadership style, I have recognized this persynal flaw and now am intentional about sitting down before a big project and discussing the collective vision – this is essential in a productive group.

The SLPI noticed my inability to Encourage the Heart as a leader. In some respects, I feel this is completely accurate – when given a task and an objective, I have the tendency to disregard ‘feelings’ or ‘emotions,’ especially if they are unrelated to the given goals. There are definitely times, however, when I notice the strain on a group because of an emotional problem with a member, and really enjoy talking those things out –there are many times when I feel like the middle ground of conflict because both parties find comfort in explaining their problems. In the former situation, I really have become more in tune with the needs of the humyns (because sometimes I forget that we’re not robots designed for a specific task) in my group and make an effort to ask questions about their lives outside of the project, ensuring that we are engaging in something more than what is in front of us – I want to be involved the lives of people, not projects.