Evidence of Knowledge Acquisition In considering the principled decision-maker competency, a pertinent aspect of it is aligning the driving principles of an organization and applying those principles as a guide to help leaders make influential decisions. In my journey through this Master’s in Leadership program some great insights have been garnered in the past two years. For example, with respect to decision-making in leadership, collaboration when making appropriate decisions in the workplace means everyone is included in the decision making process. Decisions being made must be purpose-driven; there must be a reason for team members to want to participate in the process of making decisions that will benefit the entire organization. Leaders should take it upon themselves to convey the importance of the collaborative process to their subordinates. Decision-making in organizations should be education-oriented as well as voluntary and flexible and must incorporate the values, interests, and beliefs of all members of the organization. With respect to the essential key concepts and theories of leadership that can relate to this competency, leaders must make decisions that will benefit the whole of the organization. While exploring different ideas and notions of decision-making, time is crucial due to the fact that some decisions are made too quick and without much thought put into them. The best decisions leaders can promote are those that are well timed and not forced. Balance is also a key aspect of decision-making in that when leaders put too much thought into the decision the action is put off because there is no balance between thinking and acting. There should be equal thought and action put into a decision before it is made. Decisions making involves action; ethical and moral action must be incorporated in the decision-making process.
Interpretation of Knowledge Every organization is faced with making decisions on a daily basis. Thinking back to various courses throughout this program has brought to my mind the idea that principle-based decisions are rooted in ethical concepts that can apply to a multitude of situations within and outside of the organization. Principled decision-making is based on ethical behavior, such as honesty, respect, courage, and fairness in the organization. In Leadership for a Learning Environment, a big takeaway was that of training and the importance of ethical and moral training so that when it comes to decision-making both leaders and subordinates have the right mindset to make the decision fairly and adequately. Each and every decision made in organizations must reflect the interests and concerns of the affected individuals, or as I learned in LDRS 571, the stakeholders. Honor-based concepts and beliefs take precedence over nonethical issues or principles. Values are translated into principles that motivate and encourage individuals to make virtuous decisions. Decision-making is concerned with putting principles into action and having those actions be consistent with the values and ideals of the organization. Decisions should be made based on their ability to benefit the leader and his or her team members. An ethical leader chooses what is in the best interest of their subordinates; respectable leaders do not make decisions based on power or immoral justification. In the decision-making process subordinates look to their leaders to be trust-worthy, sincere, and to exhibit candor within their behavior. Honesty and communication are crucial when decisions are being made; when both leaders and subordinates play by the rules and seek fairness and equality it is easier for them to make a mutual decision that will be convenient for everyone.
Application of Knowledge When I think about how I have applied this competency to my life I consider my LDRS 561 course entitled Group and Conflict Issues in Leadership. In that particular class we wrote a paper where we discussed various situations in which we were in conflicts at one point or another and documented our decisions about how we responded to and handled the issue that took place. This was extremely difficult for me because I am not a confrontational person. I did some role playing in which I put myself in a situation where someone was trying to say bad things about me at work in my organization and I talked about the way I could have effectively, appropriately, and morally confronted the individual. I thought about the readings in class and the discussions we had about how our responses to conflict affect and impact those around us and the importance of asking questions and trying to understand where the other person is coming from. I decided to inquire about why they made the decision to say what they said about me. This class paper was helpful for me in terms of work situations when someone is trying to push my buttons or is just not being nice. The decisions we make, whether in the workplace or outside of work say a lot about our character as well as our ethics. A huge takeaway for me from this course was to realize the fact that everybody has feelings and the importance of putting ourselves in somebody else’s shoes. In this section I included an example of both academic and professional artifacts.
Creation of New Knowledge With respect to continued growth in this competency, I am in the process of making the decision to move up in my current organization and how to go about doing that or moving out of my organization. This has been hard for me because I desire to take what I have learned in the MAiL program and utilize it to make decisions that I know will put me in a place of stability and positivity. In terms of the S.M.A.R.T criteria, my ambition to want to push myself harder and make use of my leadership skills and knowledge is specific in that I want my career to be focused on mentoring and counseling those around me. I know that any decision I make will impact the way I work and motivate others. My desire to make a decision that will affect my career is measurable in that I want to progress towards succeeding in making small decisions that will lead to me making a big, more crucial decision. This goal is attainable because my career is what I believe God is calling me to and the steps to get there include working on the best version of myself in order to aid others in working on themselves and where they want to be in life. Any goal or desire that God has bestowed upon me is realistic because He is calling me to something bigger and greater than myself. Timing is everything when it comes to decision making because life is short and I need to push myself to do what is in my best interest and do the same for others.