PSY FPX 6720 Assessment 4 Leader Development

Student Name

Capella University

PSY FPX 6720 Psychology of Leadership

Prof. Name:

Date

Finding Balance: Leader Development

Leadership development, which refers to the investment in human capital, is a critical yet frequently neglected aspect of an organization’s success. The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development defines leader development as “the expansion of a person’s capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes” (McCauley et al., 2010, p. 2). This process is ongoing within an organization and can be facilitated in various ways, including training workshops, educational materials, and developmental activities across different levels of the organization. Leader development enhances an individual’s ability to be effective in their leadership roles, while leadership development improves the group’s ability to work cohesively towards production, commitment, and goal alignment (McCauley et al., 2010). It is crucial to develop individual leadership skills to establish a strong foundation for leadership development.

Case Study: Greg Stephens

This case study focuses on Greg Stephens, an employee at United First Federal Bank. Greg has been with the technology department for five years and was recently promoted to Technology Management, a position he has held for the last eleven months. He supervises a team of three engineers, who in turn manage four additional engineers, and he also has an experienced administrative assistant. Greg has been managing a hectic schedule effectively, often working 10-11 hour days and weekends. However, he recently missed a week of work due to the flu, followed by a family emergency that caused him to miss an important meeting with his boss.

Upon returning to work, Greg found over 500 emails awaiting his response, a task that would take several hours to complete. He also discovered that the network equipment needed for a project on Wednesday had not been secured while he was out. As he tried to locate a new vendor and worked through his emails, Greg realized it was already lunchtime, leaving him with only enough time to grab something from the vending machine. His day worsened when his boss, upset, requested the India report, which Greg had not yet finished, and questioned why Greg missed the afternoon meeting. Adding to his stress, Greg’s wife reminded him that their son would be home for dinner. Although Greg looked forward to catching up with his son about college, he realized that due to his workload, he would miss this family time. Greg left work late that evening, exhausted, regretting the lack of time he had for his family, community, and friends. He feared that his goal of being promoted to Vice President within the next year was now unattainable.

Development Opportunities

Greg’s approach to meeting increasing work demands by working longer hours has taken a toll on his physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The problem with working longer hours is that time is a limited resource, and when it is overstretched, it leads to reduced energy (Schwartz, 2007). Work-related stress, fatigue, and burnout are not only personal issues but also organizational ones, leading to financial repercussions for both the company and the individual (Grant, 2017). Several areas in this case can be improved to enhance Greg’s work-life balance and work performance. Effective delegation is a critical component of successful leadership. Delegating tasks allows leaders to connect with their team in productive ways by assigning new projects and responsibilities while providing the necessary authority, resources, and support to achieve results (Turregano, 2013).

Greg can take steps to reduce his stress and time commitment while improving his energy levels and the quality of his work. For example, he could delegate time-consuming tasks to his staff, such as having his assistant manage his emails. She is a skilled administrative assistant who could be trusted to handle certain emails and prioritize those that require Greg’s attention. This delegation would not only reduce Greg’s workload but also empower his assistant. Additionally, Greg could assign team leaders to attend various meetings, summarize them, and share the assigned tasks. Another area where Greg could delegate responsibility is by assigning a team member the task of ordering necessary equipment to meet project deadlines.

PSY FPX 6720 Assessment 4 Leader Development

Regular meetings and discussions should be held to identify and leverage each team member’s strengths to align with overall goals (Rath, 2009). Since Greg has been attempting to handle everything on his own, he needs to have meetings with his team to share his vision and foster a shared commitment to completing tasks. His team leaders might require additional training, but shared interest and commitment lead to hope for the future and engaged followers (Rath et al., 2008). By learning to utilize his team’s strengths and delegate tasks effectively, Greg could develop new routines that would improve his work-life balance. He could also establish scheduled lunch breaks and set times for leaving work, which would allow him to recharge both mentally and physically while spending more time with his family and contributing to his community.

A second area where Greg could improve is in his approach to multitasking. Attempting to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, such as reading and responding to emails while trying to locate a vendor, caused him to miss an important meeting and fail to complete a report by the deadline. This type of multitasking is ineffective and can reduce productivity by up to 25% (Schwartz & McCarthy, 2007). Eliminating distractions and interruptions allows for better focus and more efficient task completion. Greg should end each day by planning what work to tackle the next day. By scheduling time for more challenging tasks, he could avoid rushing through them at the last minute (Schwartz & McCarthy, 2007).

Work-Life Balance and Energy Management

Employers are increasingly recognizing the importance of promoting work-life balance over traditional work policies. When employees lack a balance between work and personal time, it often results in negative outcomes such as high employee turnover, increased absences, and poor work quality. Work-life education can help employees set goals and establish balance in their daily lives, improving their ability to make healthy choices and create beneficial rituals (Friedman & Westring, 2015). Establishing rituals is an effective way to increase employee satisfaction and positive engagement, leading to enhanced productivity and work quality (Schwartz & McCarthy, 2007). For instance, Greg could establish a ritual of setting aside 30 minutes each day for exercise in the company gym or for taking a walk outside. This activity would help him improve his health, reduce stress, and return to work refreshed and more productive.

Leadership Development Proposal

To become a more effective leader, Greg should create a plan to address his issues with multitasking, delegation, and scheduling breaks, lunches, and personal exercise time. Greg could benefit from training that helps him develop strong delegation practices and skills to improve productivity and focus. Effective delegation is not merely about transferring tasks to others; it enables leaders to manage more complex and demanding issues (Turregano, 2013). Delegating tasks to his team also demonstrates Greg’s trust in their abilities, helping them grow as future leaders. To begin this process, Greg should meet with his supervisors to discuss which strengths should be leveraged and which projects or assignments would be most appropriate to delegate.

Additional training may be necessary, so Greg should collaborate with human resources to ensure that his team receives any required training. Another area for Greg to focus on is improving his ability to concentrate rather than attempting to multitask multiple projects simultaneously. Greg would benefit from training and coaching that provide strategies for organizing and focusing on tasks. Effective energy management is crucial, as many individuals struggle with interruptions from technology while trying to complete complex tasks (Schwartz, 2007). Greg could address this issue by scheduling specific times for tasks such as reading emails, returning phone calls, or holding meetings. By planning these activities ahead of time, Greg would be able to focus on one task at a time, leading to higher quality work that is completed on time.

Solution-focused cognitive-behavioral (SFCB) coaching could help Greg reduce stress, build resilience, and improve his performance. SFCB coaching focuses on developing personal strengths and creating practical solutions to problems rather than dwelling on the problems themselves (Grant, 2017). This type of coaching would provide Greg with tools to manage stress and avoid burnout, while also offering opportunities for regular reevaluation and adjustment through meetings with his coach. As Greg enhances his skills, his leadership style and overall performance would also improve.

Conclusion

Achieving a balance between work and personal life is a challenge for many employees, regardless of their position within an organization. Employees often resort to working long hours and weekends, missing out on time with family, friends, and community activities in an attempt to catch up on work. However, this approach is rarely effective unless the work is better organized and reduced. By identifying areas of weakness, a development plan can be created to provide training, coaching, and mentoring to struggling leaders. As leaders build trust in their teams and begin sharing tasks, growth opportunities and work-life balance can be achieved by all.

References

Friedman, S. D., & Westring, A. F. (2015). Leading the life you want: Skills for integrating work and life. Harvard Business Review Press.

Grant, A. M. (2017). Solution-focused cognitive–behavioral coaching for sustainable high performance and circumventing stress, fatigue, and burnout. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 69(2), 98-111. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000086

McCauley, C. D., Van Velsor, E., & Ruderman, M. N. (Eds.). (2010). The Center for Creative Leadership handbook of leadership development (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths-based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. Gallup Press.

Schwartz, T., & McCarthy, C. (2007). Manage your energy, not your time. Harvard Business Review, 85(10), 63-73.