Introduction to “Model the Way”

Introduction to “Model the Way”
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Introduction to “Model the Way”
We are reading the first practice of the book "Model the Way". The core of this concept is that a good leader needs to have his correct values and, on this basis, promote the entire group to find the values that belong to the team and then always practice the set values with consistent actions to set an example. To put it simply, this concept mainly wants to express that the most important thing a good leader needs to do is "consistency between words and
actions". The first thing an outstanding leader needs to do is understand themselves, their own goals, and the team's goals. A more precise plan can be formulated only after a clear understanding of individual and group beliefs. Other team members believe and follow by insisting on actions consistent with shared values.
This chapter is divided into two parts. Commitment #1 focuses on the importance of
clarifying values. This section begins with a compelling example to emphasize the importance of values in leadership. The protagonist of the story, John Banghoff, knew from an early age that he wanted to join the university's marching band, and he got his wish after he entered his first year ( Kouzes & Posner, 2009). However, his life in the military band was not as good as he imagined. The band had a tradition of bullying incoming students, and the bandleader was fired from the academy shortly after the bullying incident became public news. The whole band seemed suddenly to be in trouble. John once had the entanglement of whether to stay in the band, but his firm belief in wanting to play the trumpet made him finally clear his mind and stay. With this clarity, he found other bandmates who shared his ideas. After being elected as the new band squad leader, John and his colleagues designed a blueprint for the band, which clarified the new values: "a tradition of excellence, extraordinary respect, and an attitude of gratitude." And in the lead of the new values under the circumstances, the band began to regain its direction, and everyone naturally United and worked towards a common goal. Such mutual respect and gratitude pushed the band to the right track and eventually regained its former popularity.
This story demonstrates the two main points made by commitment #1. The first is
“Find your voice”. This section points out that leaders must first fully discover and express their ideas. Only when you have a clear understanding of what you care about, can you
position your goals, and it will be more helpful to keep your words and deeds consistent in the leadership process in the future (Kouzes & Posner, 2009). In John's story, he made it clear early on that he wanted to play the trumpet, and since then he has stayed in the military band and carried out a series of
work because of the support of this belief. When the values are clarified, the corresponding will know better what to do. The right values can effectively help plan actions and make choices.
And, having clarity of values helps leaders establish authenticity in achieving their goals, which in turn builds trust in teams.
In addition, expressing ideas in your way is also indispensable. Authentic voices help others quickly understand the leader's thoughts and know how to respond. Jacob is cited as an example of a residential advisor (RA) in this part of the book. Jacob's greatest strength in this experience is that he was also a beneficiary of this federally funded education program.
Therefore, by sharing his story, he can let the new members put down their guard and gain a sense of security, so they are more willing to integrate into the group. Jacob's approach has
indeed been successful. After he shared his experiences, values, and stories, others became more courageous to share theirs. And this kind of sharing makes the relationship between each other further drawn. As you can see from this example, expression is a powerful move in the leadership process. In the face of different situations, different expressions suitable for the
situation can be adopted. But the prerequisite is that expressions should always be based on one's
own language. Only when you express yourself authentically can others truly understand what you think and think, and this understanding is an important foundation for establishing shared values.
Further, the second commitment is to “Affirm shared values”. In the same story as John, he chose to stay in the military band driven by his strong desire, and with the support of this
firm belief, he found some people who had the same thoughts as him and wanted the band to be better. Driven by the same goal, John and his colleagues established a new value for the band and finally reproduced the glory of the band under the guidance of this value. This is the importance of shared values. When the values of everyone on the team are aligned, each member will naturally have the motivation to work hard, and this is because the same values make them identify with and take pride in their team from the bottom of their hearts.
Overall, Commitment 2 emphasizes the significance of setting an example within your organization. In this case, your actions as a leader speak louder than words.
Oftentimes, we have managers and executives that have expectations and are constantly telling us to follow a certain set of rules. However, the question is, are they implementing and following these rules that they are creating? Leading is not about dictatorship. If people see that their organization leader is not following the rules that he or she creates, there is no sort of incentive or inspiration for everyone else in the group to follow suit. As a leader, it’s important to create new opportunities by becoming involved. People need to understand that the leader can bring the group out of ...