CorinFiskefindsherselfinasituationthatmanyleadersdowhentakingovera

turnaroundsituation.Shedoesnthaveenoughtimetodoitall.Fiskedoeshaveaclear

visionofwhatshewantsWEAAtoevolveto.TheNPRstandardsarehighandwell

knowforbalancingtheartofradioandintegrity.DuringthispaperIwilldiscussthree

leadershiptheoriesthatwillhelpFiskebalancehertimeandimplementhervision.The

initialstepsforFiskewillbeusingsituationalleadership.Thiswillallowhertoassesand

tacklethesituationsdependingontheskillsetandmotivationofeachfollower.Next,

FiskeshouldimplementLMX(leadermembertheory)tocreatehaveherfollowersbe

abletotakesomeitemsoffherplate.Lastly,servantleadershipwillcreateadynamic

environmentwherefollowersfeelsupportedandcaredfor.Thetransformationfor

WEAAwillutilizemanydifferentstylesofleadershipinordertohaveitturnaround.

TheissuesatWEAAfirstandforemostrevolvearounddevelopmentalleveland

accountability.Thestationhasrepeatedlybeenreferredtoasaturnaroundsituation.

Thereissomuchturnaround/volunteersleavingthatthereisnotconsistencytobuilda

foundation.Everyquartersheneededtocompileprogramminginformationfor

mandatoryreportingtotheFCC.Ithadbeenastruggletogetcompleteinformationfrom

herstaffonatimelybasis(Foster2009).Ifthestaffexpectedsomekindof

accountabilitythenthestaffwouldcomplyandalsonotdareshowuplate.Mostofthe

hostshaverepeatedlymentionedthatitwouldmakeadifferenceifthevolunteerswere

paid.Theyfeelthatbypayingthevolunteersitwouldmakeholdingthemaccountable

easier.Sincethereisnomoneytopaythevolunteerstheissuenowbecomeshowdoyou

createaculturewherevolunteersareeagertodevotetheirtimeandproduceaquality
product.ItispossibleandFiskehasseenthisfirsthandwhenshevolunteeredatthe

UnitedWay.BycreatingadynamicenvironmentFiskeandWEAAwillhaveabetter

poolofvolunteerstochooseform.About25percentofthecollegesenrolledstudents

majoredintelecommunications,themostpopularmajor(Foster2009).Thevolunteers

wouldbefightingtokeeptheirspotinsteadofjustgivingitup.

Thesituationalapproachstressesthatleadershipiscomposeofbothadirective

andasupportivedimensionandthateachhastobeappliedappropriatelyinagiven

situation(Northouse,2106p.93).Themotivationisthereforherdirectreports.

JohnsonhasstatedthatshelikestheNPRstandards.JohnsonlikedthefactthatFiske

wasintroducingNPRstandardsandahigherlevelofexpectationsforthestaff(Foster

2009).However,Fiskehasmanydirectreportsandeachareatadifferentlevel

regardingtheirskillset.Mohammedstates.Henotedthattheculturehadbeenone

wheremosthostsdidnothavejournalismorradiobackgrounds(Foster2009).

Byfocusingontheskillset/tasksforeachfollower,Fiskewillbeabletoraisethe

barandnothavetofocusonthesmallerdetailssincetheywillunderstandandknowwhat

theyaresupposedtodo.Developmentlevelisthedegreetowhichfollowershavethe

competenceandcommitmentnecessarytoaccomplishagivengoaloractivity

(Northouse,2016p.96).ThecompetencelevelissubparatWEAA.Oneprime

exampleisthefactthatFiskeknewshecouldnotarguetotryandkeeptheradio

programmingwhenthehostdecidedtomove.However,becauseoftheturnover,

turmoil,andthelaissezfairemanagementapproachatthestationanyhistoryor

documentationabouttheintellectualpropertyrights(e.g.,evidenceofaworkforhire
policyorcontract)wouldbeverydifficulttofind(Foster2009).Thiswouldhavebeen

avoidedifthedevelopmentalleveloftheteamatWEAAwerehigher.Increasingthe

developmentallevelusingsituationleadershipwillallowhertodecideifsheneedstobe

moretaskorrelationsandincreasethecapacityofvolunteerstaff.Asherstaffkeeps

increasingtheirskillsetFiskewillbeabletodelegatesomeofthedecisionmakingtothe

staff.Thiswillcreateanatmospherewhereleaderscanemergethatunderstandwhat

FiskevisionissinceshewillhopefullytransitiontobeingablehaveleadershipstyleS4.

Thedelegativeleaderlessensinvolvementinplanning,controlofdetails,andgoal

clarification(Northouse,2016p.96).AsFiskemovesthroughthedifferentstylesthe

environmentwillchangeincreasingthedevelopmentallevelandalsoaccountability.

Lastly,withthetransitiontoS4theenvironmentwillbeonewerehostsandotherleaders

canemergeandallholdeachotheraccountabletohaveWEAAoperateatNPR

standards.

ByusingLMXtheoryFiskewillcreatethechangearounddevelopmentallevel

andaccountabilitybyutilizingingroupsandbytakingthevolunteerstaffthroughthe

threephasesofLMX.Thechangewillbenoticeableassomestaffmembersmoveinto

phase2.Northousestatesthattherelationshipwilltendtofocuslessontheirownself

interestsandmoreonthepurposesandgoalsofthegroup(2016p.143).Thiswill

increasethelevelskillsetforthestaff.AsFiskebeginstocultivatetherelationshipsand

theybegintomovetophase3,amaturerelationship,Fiskewillbeabletotakesome

itemsoffherplate.Northousestatesthatleadersmayrelayonfollowerstodoextra

assignments,andfollowersmayrelyonleaderforneededsupportorencouragement
(2016p.143).Thegoalwouldbeforthe25percenttotheuniversitytowanttobepart

ofsomethingthatisspecialandsoinvolvedinthecommunity.Asnewvolunteers/staff

comestoworkatWEAAtheywillnoticehowtheingroupgetssomeofthebetter

assignments.Theywillstriveandworkhardtogettophase3withFiskeandshewillbe

abletoonceagaindelegatesomeoftheitemsthatarecurrentlymakingherhavea12

hourdaysweekafterweek.ByutilizingthemovementsinthethreephasesofLMX,

Fiskewillbeabletotackletheskillsetandaccountabilityofthevolunteerstaff.Asmore

andmoreofherstaffreachamaturerelationship,thenewcomerswillwanttodowhat

theycandoreachthatsamerelationshipaswell.

Servantleadershipfocusesonhavingyourfollowergrowasapersonoverall.

ThisisanobleapproachforFisketotakeforturningaroundWEAA.Asshebeginsto

formrelationshipswiththestaffmembersshewillfigureoutwhatmotivatesthemand

helpthemhowevershecan.Northousestatesthatservantleadershipputfollowersfirst,

empowerthem,andhelpthemdeveloptheirfullpersoncapacities(2016p.225).The

followerswillbecomeloyaltoFiskeandwillhelpherhowevertheycan.Shewillutilize

herconceptualizationskillstoguideherfollowers.Conceptualizationreferstoan

individualsabilitytobeavisionaryforanorganization,providingaclearsenseofits

goalsanddirection(Northouse,2016p.228).Asmoreandmoreofthestafffeelloyalto

Fiskeandherleadershipstyle,theywillbeeagertostayandnotdisappoint.Thiswill

createthedynamicenvironmentthatFiskeoncewitnessedfirsthadattheUnitedWayas

avolunteerherself.

Eachtheorybringsitsownadvantagesanddisadvantages.Themainissuewith
tryingtoutilizeservantleadershipformtheverybeginningisthatFiskewillstrugglewith

increasingthedevelopmentallevel/skillsetofherstaffquickly.Thisiswheresituational

leadershipwouldbeabetterchoicetobeginthetransformationofWEAA.Thiswould

allowFisketotackleeverysituationandfollowersituationallytomovetheneedle

quickly.ThiswouldcreateaccountabilityasFiskecorrectsbehaviorassheisnoticingit.

Thebehaviorwillsticksincesheisbalancingthemotivationandskillsetofeach

followersspecifictothesituation.OncetheskillsethasincreasedtheuseofLMXcan

allowFisketocreatethebondswiththosethathavebeenabletoreallyshiftintobeing

partoftheingroup.ThematurerelationshipcanallowFisketodelegatesomeofher

worksoshecanfocusongoingoutintothecommunityandconnectingwithherstaff.

Thiswouldalsoallowhertofocusoncreatingtherelationshipsheneedswiththe

administration.However,LMXwillcausesometurmoilasnoteveryonewillbepartof

theingroup.Thisiswhereservantleadershipwouldbethecherryonthetop.Fiskecan

utilizehavingherstaffgrowasshegainstheconfidenceofstudentthatwillbeeagerto

bepartofagreatprogram.Sheneedstoworkthroughtheculture,helpingtoregainthe

trustandsupportofstudentsandtheadministrationthathasbeenlostduetopriorpoor

management(Foster2009).

ThestaffatWEAAneedagreatleaderlikeFiske.Shehasshowninthepastthat

shedoeshavetheskillsetanknowledgetorunasuccessfulradiostation.Fiskeneedsto

focusondevelopingtheskillsetandaccountabilityofallthestaffatWEAA.Thiswill

freeuphertimefromputtingoutfires.Thestaffwillhavetheskillsettohandlemost

decisionsandshecanfocusonthevisionforWEAA.Withthetelecommunicationbeing
themostpopularmajorattheuniversityandabrandnewbuilding,Fiskehasthe

resourcestocreateagreatworldclassprogram.Utilizingservantleadershipwillallow

thosethatareintheprogramtofeeltakencareofandwillfighttostayintheprogram.

ThesituationatWEAAdoesrequireastrongleaderthatcanutilizemultipleleadership

theoriestobringaboutthechangeneeded.

Reference:

Foster,M.(2009).RadioStationWEAA:LeadinginaChallengingSituation.North
AmericanCaseResearchASsocitaions.RetrievedJune2,2016,from
https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/content/50039137.

Northouse,P.G.(2016).Leadership:Theoryandpractice.ThousandOaks,CA:SAGE