CRITICAL REFLECTION IN LEADERSHIP - Authentic Leaders Drive Engagement Demystified

CONTEMPORARY ESSAY CRITICAL REFLECTION IN LEADERSHIP

Authentic Leaders Drive Engagement Demystified

BY: WAN HARRIS ZAKY BIN HAJI IBRAHIM

[email protected] E-Government National Centre (EGNC), Prime Minister’s Office

SUBMITTED ON: 9th SEPTEMBER, 2015

mailto:[email protected]

Contemporary Essay Critical Reflection in Leadership Authentic Leaders Drive Engagement Demystified

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 3. REFLECTION ON MY PERSONAL LEADERSHIP 13 4. CONCLUSION 20 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY 23

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Situational Leadership II Model ......................................................................................................... 7 Figure 2: Bruce Tuckman’s ‘Forming Storming’ Team Development Stages Model – 1965 .........................11

Page: 2 of 25


ABSTRACT

Leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve results, performance and deliver results within

their teams in any organisations. Leaders looking for the edge explore latest theories and fads and

lately we have seen a move towards authentic leadership.

As the progress of the Nation’s Vision 2035 for organisations in Brunei Darussalam advances

towards technology’s heightened quality, it could be realized how leadership style also follows the

trend. In our ever-changing and dynamic nature of business, authentic leaders take center stage as

they guide organisations and their teams to produce sustainable and consistently good performance.

Authentic leaders have been around for decades but has recently been brought into focus as the

theory by their success. They carries the trend somewhat as they are viewed as real and compelling

to their followers.

Mistrust of leaders in power brings cynicism from employees and creates a workforce that is largely

non-committed and disengaged. In the discussion that follows, understanding these leadership

developments and improvements through critical refection in carrying out projects are to be

discussed. In addition, the effectiveness of the leadership strategies used in my organisation is

reflected upon team’s performance in completing a project.

Can I become an authentic leader? What are the challenges I face currently? How can I harness the

benefits of being an authentic leader? These are the questions that shall be demystified, hence

making a best practice and guidelines in becoming an authentic leaders.

Page: 3 of 25


1. INTRODUCTION

If you have the talent but no skills, you are a Prince. If you have the skills but no talent, you are a

Queen. But if you have both talent and skills, you are a King.

- Jeffrey Archer.

Leadership means being in charge and exerting influence which results in reaching a goal. There

are many examples of businesses which lacked leadership and failed to reach their potential. There

are just as many examples of business with highly effective leadership that have exceeded the

expectations of even their wildest dreams. The difference is clear, effective leadership has an

impact from the top to the bottom of the business. But what about leadership of a team within the

scope of the overall business, would they be able to remain as effective? Could a team be effective

even if the overall business is not? While it is more difficult, the answer is yes. A team can be

effective if the leadership of the team is solid.

Effective leadership does not discount the need for teamwork. Teamwork is the key to

accomplishing goals and finishing projects, but not without effective leadership. Teamwork is

based on communication and the person who is responsible for that flow of communication can

make it successful or a failure. That person is responsible for communication is the leader.

The differences between a manager and a leader will be identified in order to understand their role

and the affect the role has on the team. Establishing the differences enables the individual to

determine if they will take the managerial route or the leader route. This decision will impact the

overall success of the project.

Page: 4 of 25


There are a number of theories and processes that can be utilized in an effort to lead a team on a

project. These theories will be explained in an effort to evaluate the processes the team has

undertaken. Whether the team focuses on the PRINCE 21 theories, situational or transitional

leadership theories will be discussed as will the results of this decision. It will give us insight into

how our processes have gone and how our success or failure of the process is related to the

implementation of the theories.

It is this early opportunity to ‘try on’ different theories and roles to determine what is most

comfortable for me as well as what is successful in the project. This period of trying on different

roles and theories will also help me to determine my ability to interpret the written theories to

action. The questions I ask include: is the interpretation of the theory accurate to the intent of the

theory? Could the interpretation of the theories really change the outcome of the project? Is there

any room in the intent of the theory to allow for personal interpretation and still be successful?

2. LITERATURE REVIEW “Evolution of Situational Leadership Theory: A Critical Review” by Claude L. Graeff, (1997) is a

great place to begin the literature review. This article discusses the need for the situational

leadership theory to receive some changes to clear up some of the ‘more ambiguous portions’. The

clearing up of these ambiguous portions of the situational leadership theory demonstrates the need

for a leader to be able to assess properly the current situation. If the situation warrants a change of

1 An acronym for PRojects IN Control Environments used extensively by the UK Government.

Page: 5 of 25


course or in this case of the theory to change the effective leader will take that information and

make the necessary changes.

Understanding that there are four main categories of situational leaders: directing, coaching,

supporting, delegating, it was difficult to decide on which one I would want to use in my leadership

style. This can be shown in figure 1. There are some negative connotations to the directing

leadership style as it is often considered to be “autocrat, tyrannical, despotic and domineering”.

With the current business climate turning towards building up rather than intimidation, it is difficult

to determine that directing works.

“Situational Leadership Theory: A Test of Three Versions”, Geir Thompson and Robert P. Vecchio

(2009) begins where Claude Graeff left off. The problem with the Situational Leadership Theory

(SLT) is the lack of evidence supporting the theories. Even though SLT is taught in project

management, there is a lack of supporting evidence that this theory actually works. From a

scientific point of view having proper evidence is essential, but what if it is successful from a

practical point of view? This is a question that has been asked by many individuals, this writer

included. How would one be able to move into a real world situation with a theory with little

supporting evidence? By reviewing this article, it became apparent that it is necessary to

investigate, evaluate and adjust as necessary to remain relevant.

Page: 6 of 25


Figure 1: Situational Leadership II Model

(Business Decisions, 2007)

“Situational Leadership-Managing the Virtual Project Team” by Liz Lee-Kelley (2001) discusses

the question of how one can “reduce the uncertainty of outcomes and to protect technical integrity”

with situational leadership. This article is intriguing as it discusses the age old question “Is a

Manager also a Leader?” It begins with the assumption that manager’s control and leaders inspire.

While this has been disputed for years, one has to ask why a manager cannot also be a leader by

combining the controlling aspects necessary for the success of a project while inspiring the other

members of the team.

The belief that a manager and a leader cannot be one caused some introspection about how this role

of leadership would be taken. Does this change how one plans to lead the team if one is focused on

Page: 7 of 25


leading versus managing? Does this change how one directs the completion of the project? Does

this change how one oversees quality management, risk management and communication

management with the word management in the mix? More information would have been very

helpful in order to answer these questions.

“From Transitional Leadership: Learning to Share the Vision” by Bernard M. Bass (n.d.) discusses

the transformational leader and the impact that this leader has on the team. When reading this

article it makes on think of those leaders that were able to generate quite a following but often for

the wrong reason. One could put Hitler as one of the most well known leaders that developed a

large following by being a transformational leader. This brings thought to the impact a

transformational leader can have on their team.

A transformational leader provides charisma, inspiration, intellectual stimulation and individual

consideration to the group. A transactional leader provides contingent reward, management by

exception in an active manner and management by exception in a passive manner and finally

laizzez-faire attitude which includes the avoidance of making decisions as well as the abdication of

responsibilities.

Of the two options, the transformational leader has a better opportunity for the successful leadership

of a group. However, as indicated in the previous paragraph, there is a real potential for this type of

leader to lead the group astray. The transformational leader could encourage and inspire their group

to do tasks that should be done by the leader in an effort to please the leader. This has really

demonstrated the need for balance as a leader. This could certainly undermine the quality

management, risk management and communication management requirements for a successful

project.

Page: 8 of 25


“Leadership and the Project Manager: Developing the Skills that Fuel High Performance” by Art

Petty (2008). This article was probably the most captivating for sheer reading purposes. This

article discusses in practical terms what can go wrong no matter what leadership theory or

technique you attempt. There is a quote from Ernst and Young that brings this whole article into

perspective “80% of the issues surrounding project failure are people issues”. This article brings

into perspective how to overcome the issues that begin with the members of your team. It is

necessary for the leader to know how to avoid the issues and how to overcome the issues once they

do pop up into the team. Also, lessons learned that a leader must go through a lot of practice.

“Management Strategies Theory: Thamhain and Wilemon’s Ways to Have Influence on Projects”

by Schwalbe (2008) states nine important elements that could determine a success of a project.

Those elements are “authority, assignment, budget, promotion, money, penalty, work challenge,

expertise and friendship”. Pursuing this further, “by using expertise and work challenge, it could

make project team a success and vice versa if authority, money and penalty are used in a project”

(Schwalbe, 2008).

“Project Management and Leadership: Equal Partners for Project Success. Part I The Four Project

Management Processes of Leadership and Management” by Ruffin Veal III, PMP (2004) discusses

in detail the difference between a manager and a leader. This was one of the most detailed

descriptions of the roles of managers and the roles of leaders. It discusses how the manager is

charged with producing and maintaining a degree of predictability and order. A leader is charged

with producing change rather than predictability and order. It really broke down in greater degrees

how a manager and leader accomplish these tasks.

Page: 9 of 25


“Creative Leadership Processes in Project Team Development: An Alternative to Tuckman’s State

Model” by Tudor Rickards and Susan Moger (2000) discovers the need for creativity in the

leadership is essential. It is just as essential as the basics of leading a team. This particular article is

based in an industrial setting and offers a perspective that is different than the other settings in the

articles.

Rickards and Moger discuss how the article has focus on the “deliberately stimulating creativity

techniques in business environments” (2000, p. 274). They go on to say that these creative

techniques allow the individual to enhance individual efforts. This creativity is able to respond to

those who are a part of the team who may not be creatively inclined in an effort to include them.

There are team members that are more analytical rather than creative and this creatively can be a

motivation to both the analytical and creative members. Bruce Tuckman wrote “Stages of Small-

Group Development Revisited” (1977). This article discusses the very bare bones to a small group

which has later been named the “team”. Back before there were all the articles that speak about

team building, Tuckman spoke of building up a small group of people and lasting through the

numerous stages of small group mentality.

Those stages are the forming, storming, norming and performing (1977). This can be shown in

figure 2. This is essential for the small group to go through in order to function as a ‘team’ and to

be successful. The small group then will develop the skills for the task activities portion of the

small group development. The model is later refined and added a fifth stage to Tuckman model of

Team of Development – Adjourning stage, which is also referred as Deforming and Mourning.

Page: 10 of 25


Figure 2: Bruce Tuckman’s ‘Forming Storming’ Team Development Stages Model – 1965

(Tuckman, 1965)

This was very important to have the nuts and bolts of a small group’s development in order to know

what to expect in the formation of a small group. Not only that, it was important to know that the

development is normal and if effective leadership was in place there would be success during the

development of the group.

“Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE 2” by Great Britain Office of Government Commerce

(2009) is a very organized step-by-step manual that allows the new manager or leader learn all the

different aspects of leading a group. This group could be either large or small, but it is necessary to

have these essentials before beginning. This book discusses every aspect of what you need to do

from the very beginning to the very end of the project. If there are issues that arise, one only has to

find the page on this issue to find a solution. It really makes the other resources seem redundant

compared to this one resource.

“Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE 2” by Great Britain Office of Government Commerce

(2009) describes what is necessary to accomplish when working on the project as the leader. This

again is a great step-by-step resource for anyone, new or experienced to utilize. The only concern

that I had about this was the fact that there is so much verbiage that focuses on “directing” which is

Page: 11 of 25


usually assigned to a manager rather than a leader. For one who is intending to be a leader rather

than a manager this may be difficult or confusing when attempting to set their path.

The book focuses on the directing, managing and delivering of a project from the very beginning to

the completion of the project. The book gives diagrams in which the various stages are brought

together and one can view where the stages may overlap rather than be completely independent of

each other. It also shares how to best accomplish the individual steps to complete the project.

Again, this is a great resource for anyone leading a project.

“Team Performance Management” by David R. Moore and Andrew RJ Dainty (1995) wrote about

the need to manage the team performance during a project. This article was based on the

construction industry but was very relevant to all aspects of project planning and completion. It

discusses conflict and how to resolve the conflict that would come up in a project. This article also

discusses the need for proper communication to avoid these conflicts. Once the conflicts begin the

steps of communicating to the team the necessity of resolving conflicts for the sake of the project is

essential to begin immediately. To avoid the conflicts that can occur due to changes of the

organization it should be addressed as soon as the conflicts begin. This of course requires effective

communication skills to not only know what to say but to hear what is being said.

“Building High Performance Project Teams” by Key Consulting, Inc. (2010) is very similar in

content to the previous article by Moore and Dainty. The article discusses the qualities necessary

for individuals to possess to be effective as a part of the team and as individuals. This was very

informative to see how much the individuals of the team bring to the table. The need to look at the

individual and their contribution is essential to obtain the best result from the individual and the

team as a whole.

Page: 12 of 25


3. REFLECTION ON MY PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

The first step that needed to be taken in order to lead a successful project was to determine what

type of leader to be. There were many options of leadership styles, but it was essential to find one

that was comfortable for me but also took me out of my comfort zone. I felt that in order to bring

the team together and allow the team to grow it would be necessary for me to grow as well. I

reviewed the information in “Leadership, Teambuilding and Team Member Characteristics in High

Performance Project Teams” by Janet Dukerich (2002) and realized that I am responsible for my

team. I realized what characteristics I needed to possess as the leader - Intelligence, Innovation,

Interactive, Integrity and Intellectual. I believed that these great skills and attributes are readily

found inside my team member.

To be a successful leader, I must be committed and able to articulate the project’s cause and 'sell' it

to my team members. I made the team member believed that the project is as important to them as it

is to myself. There are five vitally important aspects that come into my mind when handling the

project with team members:

• Preparing the meeting place every week.

• Planning the agenda for meeting.

• Orienting group members with respect to their roles and responsibilities.

• Giving everyone an equal opportunity to speak in a meeting.

• Preparing to ask appropriate questions to eliminate time-wasting.

By understanding that there are four main elements to both a manager and a leader, I was able to

determine which fit my personality best. The four elements include: 1. Creating an agenda, 2.

Page: 13 of 25


Developing a team, 3. Execution of the Agenda, 4.Evaluation of the Outcome (Veal, 2004). The

leadership role covering these four elements were more comfortable to me than the manager role

was. I felt the first category I fit in the leadership role of establishing direction rather than

budgeting and planning (Veal, 2004). In category 2, I felt more comfortable aligning people with

the proper tasks rather than the managerial role of organizing and staffing individuals in areas that

they may not feel as comfortable in (Veal, 2004). For number 3, I felt that motivating and inspiring

was more of what I am able to do better than controlling the entire project and problem-solving

(Veal, 2004). This was evident in many different times in my life where I was able to encourage

others to solve problems rather than forcing them to make the right decision. Number 4 does not

differ between the two roles as both need to evaluate the outcome (Veal, 2004). I believe that this is

easier to do as a leader than as a manager as each person is given a clear direction in areas of their

expertise and skill. Their strengths and experiences will enable them to perform at a higher level

than if they were assigned a random project task. This will allow for a more objective evaluation on

all parts.

Once the type of leadership was decided, it was easier to determine how to proceed in doing the

business case as well as the project plan for any project. The PRINCE 2 basic concepts (2009) were

to be used as the main reference point. This was not going to be a straight line approach for the

entire leadership of the project as it will be necessary to remain open to change as needed in the

course of the project. This means adapting to situations that would come up on taking on the

situational leadership theory elements. The difficulty will be remaining free from being autocratic,

tyrannical, despotic and domineering aspects often found in situational leadership gone array.

There were many situations that could have been very difficult but were taken care of in a proactive

manner rather than defensive approach. It was not always the leader that made the decision to be

Page: 14 of 25


proactive, but as a team it worked. My team felt that they could speak up when a problem loomed.

The team as a whole chose not to work themselves into a situation that was not productive. This

would be a great opportunity to bring the accolades to the leader for doing such a good job leading.

However, this was more of an opportunity for the leader to be pleased with the ethical behaviour of

each team member. A commitment was made to ensure that the team as a whole would refrain

from in-fighting.

Communication is one of the key to a project’s success. The real concern as a leader was making

sure that the communication was balanced and managed without managing. There is such a thing

as too much communication. If the communication is more of the focus rather than what is being

said in the most effective and efficient manner then it does not matter if we are communicating. We

are wasting precious time. In the very beginning my team and I discussed how often we were to

meet face-to-face in a weekly meeting, using E-mail, WhatsApp and stored our worked in an

Enterprise Content Management System 2( ECMS). If there is a problem that comes up within the

team it was made clear that the issue would be brought in the team rather than in vicious emails.

With the ECMS that I had developed, it’s intriguing to learn how the team harnesses the

“architecture of participation” and collective intelligence on the web. We used web 2.0 tools (e.g.

Zoho.com) to share and collaborate our ideas and thoughts. The better the qualityof the information

shared, the better the quality of the team decisions in deliberation as well as brainstorming

preparation.

I personally needed to bring up my communication skills to include affirmations on jobs done well,

progress made and be understanding when things do not go as well as hoped. It is very easy for me

to see what they have done and move on to what needs to be done next without really

2 An online network storage similar to Network-Attached Storage.

Page: 15 of 25


acknowledging what they have accomplished. I realized that this can be very devastating to

individuals who believe that their work is going unnoticed. I also determined that it is necessary for

the members of the team to receive feedback in order to know if their work is acceptable. This

feedback gives them the motivation they need to keep up the high quality of success necessary for

the completion of the project.

Observation has shown that when I am more vocal about their quality of their work the entire

atmosphere in the team rises. It is not to say that the feeling of the team is negative, it is not. My

team is positive, but even more encouraged with feedback. This came not by self-awareness but

rather from a weekly meeting where we discussed what was working and what was not working. I

believe opening up the team with opportunities to express what they feel needs to be improved

allow me to be a real leader rather than a manager of the project.

That does not mean that there aren’t issues brought up that I disagree with. I have had to really look

at the manner in which I discuss these disagreements with the team. I have had to go back to the

information received from the Tuckman and Jensen (1977) article about the stages of a small team.

When you are bringing five individuals together to form a working group it is necessary to make

considerations for each person’s personality and skill set.

The hardest part for me in all of this is to understand how to take these individuals with various

beliefs, skills and experience and make them into a high performance team (Grimes, 2010). It

required me to put down on paper what each member specializes in and qualities that they possess

for easy reference. I found that it was wasting more time than necessary asking someone to

complete a task they are not comfortable or familiar with. I have received greater cooperation from

the team by making these notes as part of our daily log and using them during the meetings. The

team has realized how I am trying to make the division of duties as relevant as possible. This

Page: 16 of 25


showed the team that I was able to be considerate of their individual merits and show them my

respect to them.

Quality management is another area that needed to be carefully managed in a leadership manner. I

referred almost exclusively to the PRINCE 2 “Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 (2009).

This was the step-by-step manual that I needed. The quality of our project would be addressed each

step by following the guide found in this publication. I felt that by following these principles and

guides I would be able to make decisions that would be nearly a guarantee that the quality of our

process and the project will be high.

While that statement will be perceived as either arrogant or naive, it is actually a statement of relief.

This process has been tested and proven to be solid in its success. Therefore by using this guide I

will be able to determine how we should proceed and then check back with our progress to the

procedures. This provides us with a check and balance process (Scheid, 2009).

I felt that managing the project and leading the team on the project could be joined together with

more emphasis on leading the team (Borysouich, 2005). There has to be some control over the

project and the direction the project takes without controlling every aspect. In this case, using

“Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE 2 (2009) allowed me to manage the project while

being a leader. The pressure for the control aspects would be placed on the process we took rather

than the person leading the project. I felt that by using the PRINCE 2 principles (2009), everyone

would know what is going to be expected next. This allowed me to focus on inspiring and

encouraging the team.

The PRINCE 2 principles (2009) were use in my team to complete all of our ICT projects. As a

team, we discussed the four stages of small group: forming, storming, norming and performing

Page: 17 of 25


(Tuckman & Jensen, 1977). The team found this valuable as they were aware of what typically

takes place with the small group structure. This was how we decided on the team communication

process.

The team was given the opportunity to share their skills, abilities and experiences that would be of

great advantage to the team. With that information the team decided what tasks would best fit their

skill set. It was necessary for the team to determine the tasks they were best fitted to accomplish

rather than being assigned. The team preferred this method and with the remaining unclaimed tasks

they chose which ones they would rather complete. This allowed each person the opportunity to

choose the remaining tasks no one really wanted to complete, again instead of being assigned.

Sometimes, there were some issues with deadlines in the very beginning. The deadlines were

extended but with encouragement to remain on task with careful consideration to the deadlines.

The problem was handled with the full team present but in a professional manner. As a team, the

deadlines were discussed and then the reasons for the delays in the deadlines. When the issues were

aired out a team solution to the deadlines was made. This appeared to take care of the problem and

no further problem occurred. This was a benefit of learning about situational leadership theories

(Thompson & Vecchio, 2009) and creative leadership processes to solve issues that came up

(Rickards & Mogar, 2000).

The concern for risk management was addressed with the team. There were several ways to address

the potential risk: 1. Identify and assess threats. Once identified, the threats need to be

characterized (Borysouich, 2005). 2. The critical assets need to be assessed for vulnerability and

specific threats (Borysouich, 2005). 3. Determine the risks and the consequences of the risks

Page: 18 of 25


(Borysouich, 2005). 4. Identify reduction techniques for these risks (Borysouich, 2005). 5.

Develop a strategy to reduce the risk by setting the risks in priority (Borysouich, 2005).

The team determined that addressing risk was very important and began prioritizing the risks as it

was determined to be a risk. Once the prioritized list was developed one team member assumed the

role as risk manager. The risk manager reviewed the risk levels and kept the team abreast of the

status of risk. This was very effective as the entire team did not repeat actions by attending to the

risk levels. This resulted in the team remaining aware of the status without repeating tasks done by

the risk manager. This was one example of how the team stepped up to take the lead on areas of

their expertise. The team was encouraged to step up but without taking on too much to overwhelm

them. The fear was that the weight of too many tasks would lead to shoddy performance and

overdue deadlines. This in turn would lower the quality of the project. This is where I found the

connection between my affirmations of their good work and habits to be of true benefit for the

entire team (ACT Centers, 2010).

As the team leader, it was important to make the most of the face-to-face meetings so more time

could be spent addressing the project and less time on the management of the project (Dukerich,

2002). It was imperative to address issues immediately and professionally without ‘drama’ that

often is found in team settings. I looked at the issues that were mentioned and brainstormed as a

team on how to best deal with the issues. When it looked as if there was going to be more of a

problem with the team or individuals in the team, we would tackle the issue as a team. It was an

opportunity for me to lead by empowering the team to pick up where they were better suited. It was

easier for the team to work on this issue as a team rather than the ‘leader’ teaching them a lesson by

forcing them to deal with it alone. The team found the exercise to be rather entertaining and that

Page: 19 of 25


went farther for the team than any other solution that could have been approached (Rickard &

Moger, 2000).

There were no serious missteps conducted by the team and again that has to be accredited to the

talents of the team members. Credit also has to be given to the PRINCE 2 principles that I have

used as my guideline in all of our ICT projects. As I relied on the PRINCE 2 principles to guide

me, we as a team were able to add creativity in our approach to completing the tasks as we did not

have to start from square one (Rickards & Moger, 2000). I looked at how I can improve our

individual contributions to the project while remaining true to the PRINCE 2 principles (2009). I

specifically decided that I would not reinvent the process just the approach to the completed

process. I looked at my team how to be the most effective while being the most efficient in our

efforts. Time saving decisions was made as to communication, risk management and quality

management without duplicating our efforts. Anytime it appeared we were duplicating the process,

we would reevaluate the process and the duplicate steps that we were completing.

4. CONCLUSION

As the leader of the team, I felt the pressure that was placed upon my shoulders to carry the team

from the beginning to the end of a project. The stress was not necessarily placed upon me by the

team expecting me to complete all the difficult tasks. It was placed on my shoulders by me. There

was an expectation on myself to be perfect in all of my leadership responsibilities. I felt that if I

was not perfect I would not be an effective leader. This was contrary to how my leadership was

being enacted. I would allow the team make mistakes and use it as a learning experience. I would

not grant myself the same experience.

Page: 20 of 25


I realized that this was due to the inexperience I felt immediately upon taking on the leadership

responsibility. I knew the theories but I had not put the theories into practice. I questioned whether

or not I had understood the theory properly. What if the situational theory was not the theory to

apply when a change in the process began to show? What if the creative ideas I have for resolving

conflict backfires? What if? There came a time in the beginning of a project that I had to decide to

be confident in all my decisions. This meant that I needed to be confident in my decision even

when I am wrong. If I made a wrong decision in a project then I needed to take responsibility for

the decision. I needed to be confident in what I have learned and share that confidence with the

others in my team. Confidence breeds confidence.

The difference was amazing for the team as the team began to see what they completed take on a

solid tone rather a shaky tone. They began to feel confident with what they were accomplishing.

The team used that confidence to propel the project along. It was a clear sign that my leadership

was effective and I was inspiring the team. I realized that there was a difference between feeling

confidence in giving your answer and actually being confident in what you have learned. It was the

confidence in the theories that really made the difference. These theories have been put into action

all over the world, but never before in our experience.

The issues that I experienced in my team that could be seen as less than positive were related to my

lack of confidence in our decisions. I could see the benefit of experience that was placed in the

PRINCE 2 principles (2009), the situational leadership theory, the transformational and transitional

theories as well as Tuckman’s theory of small group development (1977). These theories and

practices have years of practical implementation and data to support their success. I realized that

with each project that I am a part of as a leader will give me additional confidence in handling

situations that may arise unexpectedly.

Page: 21 of 25


Overall, I believed there is no right or wrong style of leadership, as every situation will demand a

different approach. The best leaders are able to react to the situation and, if the team trusts their

leader, they will respond accordingly. For example, in dangerous situations an autocratic approach

may be needed, whereas in a less urgent situation the approach could be more democratic. The good

leader therefore moves unnoticed from style to style whilst still maintaining control of the situation

and the trust and respect of the team. Further more, an authentic leader must have competencies

skill in visibility, preparation, comfort, listening and blend (Inc.com, n.d.) to excel in supporting the

Brunei Vision goals by the year 2035.

Page: 22 of 25


5. BIBLIOGRAPHY APMG International. APMG-UK. (2015). “PRINCE2 - Projects in Controlled Environments”

Accrediting Professionals from http://www.apmg-international.com/APMG-

UK/PRINCE2/PRINCE2Home.asp

ACT Centers. “Cultivating a High Performance Project Team” (2010) from

http://www.cv.cc.va.us/workforce/act/courses/cultivatinghighperformanceprojectsteam.htm.

Bass, Bernard, M. (n.d.) “From Transitional Leadership: Learning to Share the Vision. Accessed

August 19, 2010. Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Inc.

Borysouich, Craig. (August 2005) “Project Control: Manage Team Performance”.

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/project-control-manage-team-performance-

5478.

Business Decisions (2007). Situational Leadership arrives in Queensland! Retrieved September 29,

2010, from

http://old.businessdecisions.com.au/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=4&

pid=67

Dukerich, Janet. (December, 2002). “Leadership, Teambuilding, and Team Member Characteristics

in High Performance Project Teams”. http://www.allbusiness.com/managment/1013824-

1.html.

Graeff, Claude, E., (1997). “Evolution of Situation Leadership”. Leadership Quarterly, vol. 8 no.2.

Great Britain, Office of Government Commerce, (2009). “Managing successful projects with

PRINCE2”. 2009 Edition. London : Stationery Office

Great Britain, Office of Government Commerce, (2009) “Directing successful projects with

PRINCE2” London : Stationery Office

Grimes, Dick. (2010). “Developing a High Performance Project Team”.

http://projectsmart.co.uk/developing-a-rich-performance-project-team.html.

Page: 23 of 25

http://www.apmg-international.com/APMG-UK/PRINCE2/PRINCE2Home.asp

http://www.apmg-international.com/APMG-UK/PRINCE2/PRINCE2Home.asp

http://www.cv.cc.va.us/workforce/act/courses/cultivatinghighperformanceprojectsteam.htm

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/project-control-manage-team-performance-5478

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/project-control-manage-team-performance-5478

http://old.businessdecisions.com.au/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=4&pid=67

http://old.businessdecisions.com.au/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=4&pid=67

http://www.allbusiness.com/managment/1013824-1.html

http://www.allbusiness.com/managment/1013824-1.html

http://projectsmart.co.uk/developing-a-rich-performance-project-team.html


Inc.com. (n.d.). “Is Your Leadership Showing?” Retrieved August 10, 2012, from

http://www.inc.com/brian-evje/is-your-leadership-showing.html

Key Consulting, Inc. (2009). “Building High Performance Project Teams”.

http://www.consulting.ky/building_high_performance_project_teams_course.php.

Lee-Kelley, Liz. (2001). “Situational Leadership-Managing the Virtual Project Team”. Surrey

European Management School, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Lewin, Kurt. (2010). “Lewin's Leadership Styles”. Management Theories.

http://vectorstudy.com/management_theories/lewins_leadership_styles.htm.

Moore, David, R. and Dainty, Andrew, RJ. (1995). “Team Performance Management”.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid+882819&show=abstract.

Petty, Art. (2009). “Leadership and the Project Manager”. Management Excellence at

http://artpetty.com.

Rickards, Tudor and Moger, Susan. (2000). “An Alternative to Tuckman's Model” British Journal

of Management, vol. 11, 273-283. Manchester Business School, Booth Street, West,

Manchester, M15 6PB, UK.

Scheid, Jean. (September 9, 2009). “Evaluating Project Team Performance”.

http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles149072.aspx.

Schwalbe, (2008) “Information Technology Project Management 6th edition, Course Technology

Thompson, Geir and Vecchio, Robert, P. (2009). “Situational Leadership - A Test of Three

Versions”. Leadership Quarterly, vol 20 (2009) 837-848.

Tuckman, B. (1965). tuckman's forming storming norming performing model. Retrieved September

29, 2010, from

http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

Page: 24 of 25

http://www.consulting.ky/building_high_performance_project_teams_course.php

http://vectorstudy.com/management_theories/index.htm

http://vectorstudy.com/management_theories/lewins_leadership_styles.htm

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid+882819&show=abstract

http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles149072.aspx


Tuckman, Bruce, W. and Jensen, Mary Ann C. (1977) “Stages of Small-Group Development

Revisited. Group & Organization Studies (pre-1986); Dec 1977; 2, 4; ABI/INFORM

Global, pg. 419.

Veal III, Ruffin, PMP. (2004). “Project Management and Leadership: Part I The Four Project

Management Processes of Leadership and Management” Equal Partners for Project

Success.

Page: 25 of 25

Leadership & Management

CRITICAL REFLECTION IN LEADERSHIP - Authentic Leaders Drive Engagement Demystified