Harlan's Exploration of Life

Master’s Writing Portfolio

Final Portfolio

The final step of my Master’s of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership was a portfolio that demonstrated I have achieved the program objectives and learning goals.

For each program objective, I list the definition and then provide a short explanation of the selected work in support of that goal. Click on the text to see the entire work as a PDF.

Visionary & Change-Oriented

Demonstrate the ability to envision opportunities and desirable futures; develop means of attaining them and initiate change processes at individual, organizational, and global levels.

The individual replacement model used can be traced to Frederick Taylor (Vandergriff, 2002). This project ties directly to talent management. I mapped the current process as well as the proposed process to demonstrate the simplicity. Reading Meadows’ (2008) text on systems was illuminating. Designing the system right is important. This has been especially useful in identifying areas of waste or unnecessary steps. I have mapped multiple systems at work to identify areas for improvement.  For the management aspects of being a first sergeant, increased efficiencies in some areas free up time to focus on other areas.

I agree with August Cole (n.d.) that fiction is a useful method to explore and demonstrate what could be to build consensus for change. In the Army, leaders have little to no control over the people who are assigned to their unit. Yet, they are held responsible for the unit’s performance. Also, the lack of control over or transparency in the assignment process is a complaint.

Communicative

Understand and apply the theoretical concepts of leadership, organizational behavior, and systems, and evaluate their effectiveness in leading change initiatives.

In 2017, my co-author and I published a piece encouraging our fellow enlisted to write, which won the NCO Journal Writing Excellence Award. We were ahead of our time, as the Army is now pushing all to write, as part of the Harding Project. 

In this training presentation, I examine mission command through the lens of various leadership theories. I conclude with a practical exercise where students demonstrate understanding of the concept.

Global Competence

Develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of the organizational implications of issues affecting modern global organizations and demonstrate an appreciation of diverse perspectives and an ability to function effectively in global situations.

I examine the importance of cultural awareness training in multinational organizations. Additionally, I provide well-researched solutions to develop career-ready competencies in entry-level employees.

I explore the range of cultures I interacted with throughout my military career and personal travels.

Critical Thinking

Apply appropriate research and analysis techniques to investigate complex situations, formulate informed decisions, and evaluate outcomes for individual and organizational improvement.

The first artifact is a critical examination of Theory Y leadership. Trusting people to make the right decisions is a critical component. Instinctively, this is how we all would like to be treated. The problem then becomes at what level we extend trust. I see echoes of Epitropaki et al. (2013) in this. At what level do we trust workers? Unfortunately, in my experience, micromanagement tends to creep in because leaders are accountable for subordinate actions. I would like to highlight the Topeka plant’s participative management model, upending the traditional leadership structure while remaining successful.

Knowledge is always changing with new facts. For leaders to remain relevant, they must be in a constant state of improvement. A hypothesis is never proven, only not disproved.

Collaborative

Develop the capacity to foster successful teams and to create effective formal and informal collaborative networks.

In the LDRS 807 Final Progress Report, I examine my personal failures contributing to a high-performing team. Recognizing my shortcomings and learning from them allowed me to be a better teammate on future teams.

The output of the team project was a chapter that examines power and influence in teamwork. Bases of power, authority, and influence, and the relationship between them and team productivity are explored.

Knowledgeable

Understand and apply the theoretical concepts of leadership, organizational behavior, and systems and evaluate their effectiveness in leading change initiatives.

Theories such as Social Identity Leadership Theory, Implicit Leadership Theory, and Implicit Follower Theory resonated with me. Their explanations confirmed what I had seen in the Army. We expect Army leaders to look and act a certain way. When people think of a drill sergeant, they imagine R Lee Ermey’s character in Full Metal Jacket. Group members have a prototypical leader (Hogg, 2001). The patches and badges on our uniform are a proxy for ability. I have benefited from this, as I have several badges and a combat patch. However, relying on them is problematic. I witnessed people being overlooked for leadership positions because they did not look like a leader, though they were better qualified for it. I consider myself a transformational leader. I find my experience leading soldiers confirms Eppitropaki et al. (2013) findings that successful transformational leaders have positive implicit follower theories.

I focus on how the Army plans to incorporate talent management into daily operations. By using a broad definition, any changes can be thought to support talent management (Human Dimension Capabilities Development Task Force, 2015). While the white paper acknowledges certain limitations, those have not been communicated to the wider force. The Army still promotes based on potential. Senior rater’s evaluation comments are restricted to commenting on potential (US Army, 2019).