Leadership Experience

The present essay is based on a particular case of a company, but for the respect of the Institution, because it belongs to the Government, the name will be reserved. In the analysis of this company we are going to focus in the Monitoring and Control area, in which the main function was to monitor the media, and to make reports about how the candidates were respecting the time and the budget on the different media . In 2013, Ecuador was in a process of elections, so an important institution needed to hire people for some different charges and in different departments. The job had a short duration, it was only for the project of the elections. Basically, the people hired was young people, some of them trying to make money in a short period of time, or to do something on their vacations, or just to learn and have some important experience on a Government Institution. In the different departments were subgroups, and in each one of those subgroups were a leader.

In the Monitoring and Control area were supposed to be hired 6 clerks and 2 Supervisors of a second level, and the candidates for supervisors were supposed to be 2 ladies of 45 and 55 each one. So the 6 clerks were supposed to be the young people, but in this 6 people, there was a young man motivated and inspired for his 1st opportunity to work, and this enthusiastic made that he have helped in the department, by making some installation. He always was trying to learn different things, instead of fool around like most of the young people did. This young man, Alonso Soriano, always have been characterized by his leadership traits and the skills approach that a leader can develop. The two ladies, Ing. Ana Maria and Lcda. Lucrecia who were supposed to be the “leaders”, because of being elder and the experience that they had, they didn’t order the group and guide the young people that they had in charge.

So one of the traits of a leadership that Alonso has, initiative, made him an example for the rest of young people and this attitudes that he had in the job, made that all people in the department respect him and ask him if they can help with something. All the attitudes that he as, made the Supervisors of Level 1 of the department, to study the case if Alonso could a Supervisor of level 2, because they needed someone like him. According to Steve Zeitchik, CEO of Focal Points Strategy, Alonso have the characteristics of leader, because he define that: “Leadership is inspiring others to pursue your vision within the parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared effort, a shared vision, and a shared success.” (Business New Daily, 2012) The attitudes of Alonso, influence and change the Department, that was disrupted, he inspired the young people and also put some order to the Ladies that were supposed to leader the group.

Alonso knew 2 important aspect that helped him to develop as a leader of the group. Kevin Kruse wrote for Forbes, in his article: “What Is Leadership?”, 2 important aspects that ” Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or one’s position in the hierarchy of a company and Leadership has nothing to do with titles” (Kruse, 2013) The supervisors of Level 1 asked for Alonso as supervisor of level 2 to the General Management, and they accepted, so the young man that was supposed to be just a clerk was promoted to a Supervisor of Level 2, and Lcda. Lucrecia was changed to be a clerk. After being promoted, Alonso had some difficulties to manage the situation with the Lcda. because she couldn’t handle the situation that a young man, without a title, teaches her how to develop the work of the department, but his strong character helped him and never hesitate about giving instructions and coaching to the people in the department, including the other supervisor of level 2, Ing. Ana Maria.

Even if Alonso has characteristics of leader, he knew that he has to learn and improve his skills approach. He knew that there were “skills and abilities that can be learned and developed” (Northouse, 2013). Knowing this situation, Alonso looked for some help, so he required the coach of his dad, and with this he learned Competences that allows him to have leadership outcomes. He also researched and learned about important aspects to improve his crystallized cognitive abilities, so with that he could complete the basic skill model. This model is according to the “Three components of the Skill Model” based on the book of Peter G. Northouse “Leadership, theory and practice” The main goals accomplished by Alonso basically was the reports that he creates and manage to submit to the first supervisor. What was the situation?

The company that works for the institution in which Alonso was working, failed with the programs that were supposed to make automated reports, so that he have to develop his own reports to give to his Supervisor. So according to Robbin Benincasa in his article “6Leadership Styles, and when you should use them”, Alonso applies a Coaching Leadership Style and a Democratic leadership, because he consulted the opinion to his people in charge, about the report that he was going to develop in order to demonstrate that the Department was responsible and knew how to handle unexpected situations.

To end this analysis of this case, we can learn how leadership does not depend of a title or the charge of somebody, a leadership will depend of the traits of a person combined with the skills approach; doesn’t even matter the age and in some cases, the experience is not as transcendental as it appears, it is important; but is not a specific issue that will determine the leadership of a people. People have to believe that it will never be enough and that they can handle a situation if they propose to.

Bibliography
BENINCASA, R. (May 2012). Fast Company. Recuperado el 2014, de http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them Business New Daily. (27 December 2012). Recuperado el 2014, de http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3647-leadership-definition.html Kruse, K. (04 November 2013). Forbes. Recuperado el 2014, de http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/ Northouse, P. G. (2004). Leadership Theory and Practice. California: SAGE publications. Katz, R. (2009). Talllina Ullikol University. Recuperado el 2014, de http://www.tlu.ee/~sirvir/IKM/Leadership%20Models/skills_approach_robert_katz.html