Supportive leadership covers “a
wide variety of behaviors that show consideration, acceptance, and concern for
the needs and feelings of other people.” (Yukl, 2013)
Developing an environment that fosters positive interactions amongst peoples
allows for lower turnover and higher job satisfaction. Some of the behaviors
that either I exhibit or have noticed within my work environment are showing
concern for another’s personal development, coaching fellow peers, and
providing support when another person is upset.
Showing concern for another
person’s development is a behavior that I exhibit in my work environment. Brand
new Airmen that come out of technical school are provided with many
opportunities to not only have incredible Enlisted Performance Reports but to
also sew on the next rank much faster than all of their peers. A major
contributor towards earning a good report or to sew on the next rank is to
pursue personal education, especially one that gains them their Associates
Degree from the Community College of the Air Force. I highly encourage these
Airmen to be ambitious about their goals towards achieving their degree to not
only help them in their careers in the military but also the civilian life
outside of the military. I even encourage those higher than me to achieve the
next step in their education, which in most cases this is a Bachelor’s Degree
from an institution of their choice. Within the enlisted side of the military,
personnel with Bachelor’s Degrees becomes a rare sight.
Coaching by peers is another
behavior well facilitated by the leadership of my organization; in fact it’s
vital for the development of the organization as a whole. Brand new Airmen
can’t be expected to know their jobs right out of school, so most of the
training they do over the course of the first year is on the job training.
Coaching and mentorship is provided so that they can not only learn how to do
the job, but to do the job right. The breadth of knowledge required for my job
is also incredibly large so to know everything is completely in-human. Everyone
has their strengths and weaknesses and so the leadership mixes and matches
every one of all specialties to further develop everyone on duty.
Providing emotional support for
someone who is anxious or upset is always something that I’m ready for. A while
back I provided voluntary emotional support for those with feelings of
distress, despair, and suicidal thoughts for an organization called Samaritans
in the United Kingdom. I have been able to take my experiences with this group
and apply it in the work setting by showing empathy towards other people’s
frustrations with their work and personal lives. I am also a Victim Advocate
for the 380th Fighter Wing, providing emotional support for those
who survive a sexual assault. Simply by being there for someone, no matter how
big or small the problem, these individuals can lead a much more productive
lifestyle both in their personal lives and at work.
By
showing concern for other peoples personal development, by coaching both my
peers and those under me, and by providing emotional support when required, I
believe I have shown some examples of supportive leadership. While there are
always areas to improve upon and to further grow, simply by showing some effort
in helping others has led to a much more supportive and productive environment.
Leadership is never about a single individual, but the collective growth of all
others.
References
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations.
New Jersey: Pearson.
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