Running head: LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW SYNTHESIS 1

Leadership Interview Synthesis:

An Expansive Application of Leadership Principles

Drew Hemesath

Drake University
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Leadership Interview Synthesis:

An Expansive Application of Leadership Principles

Though the concept of leadership is widely discussed, its tangibility often fades when

applied to daily tasks. To understand more about the practices of leadership, three leaders from

different fields were interviewed to illuminate the habits of strong leaders. One leader is a

principal at a 3A high school in Iowa with previous experience as a teacher, vice principal, and

activities director; another is a regional manager for a medical company who manages $32

million in revenue as well as 16 sales representatives across the Midwest. The third leader

focuses on his community through the roles of a high school football coach with two state

championship appearances, the Huddle Leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes

accumulating nearly 700 members, and a former school board member. Through these

interviews, it is evident that there is not one approach to leadership; rather, it is the product of

self-awareness, vision, and calculated action.

Similarities

While the practices of leaders vary widely depending on the organization, there is an

abundance of commonalities in their approach to leadership. When asked about the qualities that

define a good leader, the business and community leaders proposed the same initial response: a

good leader must lead by example (personal communication, September 23, 2017; personal

communication, September 26, 2017). While this is certainly not a revolutionary opinion, that

does not make it any less potent, and the fact that two leaders in contrasting settings are quick to

share the same idea is a testament to its truth.

In order to truly lead by example, the behaviors of a leader must extend beyond the

workplace. A defining quality shared by all three leaders is integrity. In order to be someone
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worth following, a leader has to embody what he or she preaches. One leader advises that the

personal self should not be separate from the private self. “What you do when no one is watching

defines who you are. What you do when everyone is watching defines who they think you are.

Those two things need to be one in the same” (personal communication, September 26, 2017).

The business leader is a bit blunter with his notion, stating, “If you don’t have strong ethics, you

can’t be a strong leader” (personal communication, September 23, 2017). Though terse, his

sentiment is difficult to debate.

The most prominent leadership quality that emerged throughout the interviews was the

value of caring for others. Undoubtedly, this is the foundation on which meaningful relationships

are built. According to the community leader, “A leader has to be able to move the masses, but

you must first win their hearts before you can move anyone into action” (personal

communication, September 26, 2017). Similarly, the business leader agrees that it is essential for

a leader to care not only about the individuals on the team, but it is also important to show that

the leader cares about the system. “Caring about the people isn’t enough. If they don’t see that

you care about the reason for them being [at work], they won’t believe in you” (personal

communication, September 23, 2017).

A fundamental aspect of a strong organization is recruiting and retaining quality

individuals. The notion of seeking likeminded people as opposed to simply seeking qualified

people emerged several times throughout each interview. Each leader emphasizes the

significance of carefully selecting the individuals to be a part of their system. The community

leader proposes that recognizing strengths and personalities is the first step to accomplishing the

ultimate goal of empowering others. Without understanding others’ capabilities, it is difficult—

almost impossible—to put them in a position to thrive (personal communication, September 26,
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2017). The business leader stresses, “Hiring is the most important thing that I do. If I don’t hire

the right people, I end up with a lot of problems that shouldn’t exist” (personal communication,

September 23, 2017). Even if he does not believe a candidate has the most extensive or relevant

experiences, he is willing to be more lenient with a candidate if he or she has “the right stuff”

(personal communication, September 23, 2017) and exhibits promising traits like punctuality,

accountability, and a strong work ethic. In his opinion, someone with these qualities is bound for

success, and it is part of his job to recognize how an individual’s strengths will translate into a

role on his team. As a defining quality of a good leader, he knows it is his responsibility to equip

his team with the right skills from the right people to ensure everyone is in a position to reach

their maximum potential (personal communication, September 23, 2017).

The high school principal echoed much of the business leader’s hiring philosophy. Since

teachers are directly responsible to carrying out the vision of the school, it places additional

significance on thoroughly vetting not only their professionalism, but also who they are as

individuals. The principal contends, “You can train someone to be a good teacher. You can’t

really train someone to be a good person” (personal communication, September 22, 2017).

Considering this statement in context of the education, a field in which the ideal result is a

balanced individual as opposed to a duplicable product, character can carry significantly more

weight compared to other professions.

Clearly, the business leader and principal emphasize the significance of carefully

selecting staff on any level. Their hiring practices focus on the vitality of progress as opposed to

seeking immediate perfection. This reflects not only their pragmatism, but also their confidence

as leaders to trust the effectiveness of the systems they have implemented. Certainly, perfect

systems are not simply put into place; they are built through continuous feedback, growth, and
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direction. Strong leaders understand the relevance of developing individuals in order to sustain a

productive and prolific unit. Furthermore, they understand the gravity of the absence of

development and the aggravations of settling on insubstantial team members.

Differences

Though all the leaders agreed that it is vital to continue to grow, their methods of doing

so differ greatly. Due to variances in leadership purposes and styles, there are significant

differences as to how each leader grows. According to the community leader, the means of

growth have no limits. “The things you read, the people you know, the music you listen to, and

the TV you watch has a direct impact on growth or decline” (personal communication,

September 26, 2017). His avenues of growth, however, extend beyond forms of media. He

explains that in order to continuously grow, it is critical to find a mentor and establish an inner

circle of trusted individuals who will be completely honest. Also, he urges to take time to read,

listen, and associate with others who have a higher leadership level (personal communication,

September 26, 2017).

While the community leader tends to focus on whom and what he exposes himself to in

order to shape him as an individual, the principal underscores reflection. Considering the cyclical

nature of the education system, a lack of reflection can result in the recurrence of the same

avoidable problem every year with every group of students. She reflects on more than data and

practices; she reflects on conversations with students and stakeholders in the community. “You

have to listen for what’s really being said. In such an emotionally-charged field, some people are

quicker to express their emotions instead of their concern” (personal communication, September

22, 2017). A holistic reflection of the processes in place, their results, and how they are affecting
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the district’s population allows her to make adjustments as needed and determine the next steps

in the school’s—and her own—continual growth.

The business leader is a bit less innovative in his method of growth, but not necessarily

less effective. He admits that he does not indulge in professional literature; instead, he gleans his

ideas from conferences. He declares, “They’re not all good, but if I can take away one or two

ideas from each conference, it helps to keep me sharp and in touch with what’s going on”

(personal communication, September 23, 2017).

The business leader’s attitude toward professional literature reflects the balance he

maintains between work and his personal life. He strongly affirms that he never brings work

home in any form, asserting, “I drop my bags at the door; I drop my job at the door” (personal

communication, September 23, 2017). He maintains that there should be clear lines between the

time he spends with his family and the time he spends at work, and one should not interfere with

the other (personal communication, September 23, 2017).

For some leaders, balance is an elusive concept. Regarding a healthy balance between

work, life, family, and interests, the principal blatantly admits, “This is where I fail… There’s no

such thing as a work and life balance for me” (personal communication, September 22, 2017).

Undoubtedly, this is indicative of the prodigious responsibilities of a school administrator. She

mentions that she forgets to eat due to the lack of free time in her schedule (personal

communication, September 22, 2017). The community leader maintains, “There is no balance.

I’ve searched for it years, and for me, it doesn’t exist” (personal communication, September 26,

2017). He does, however, insist that a leader must balance his or her time well enough to work

out in order to keep a fit mind and body (personal communication, September 26, 2017).
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Though both the business and school leaders rely heavily on systems thinking, its primary

function varies. The business leader’s usage of systems thinking is primarily for accountability.

“We use annual reviews and monthly assessments to make sure everyone is pulling their own

weight” (personal communication, September 23, 2017). Through this incremental monitoring

system, he is able to make sure his team is on track to meet their monthly goals and ensure the

company’s success. “We have too much at stake to let someone get too far off track” (personal

communication, September 23, 2017). The accountability aspect of systems thinking is valuable,

but it is not the only way this mentality is utilized.

While the business leader can statistically monitor the value and components of his

system, the principal’s currency is intangible. Data is a factor in determining the success of the

principal’s system, but it may not always be the only factor to consider when evaluating things

such as school culture or the roots of students’ misbehaviors. Because of her previous positions

as a teacher, coach, and activities director, she states, “I’m able to trace the ripple effects back to

the source to find problem in the system” (personal communication, September 22, 2017). To

have a resolute system, she affirms, “You must understand ‘the why’ of the organization”

(personal communication, September 22, 2017). Without this fundamental understanding of the

purpose of the organization, the system lacks meaning and direction.

Surprising Statements or Practices

With the frequent and prevalent emphasis on organization within the role of leadership,

the community leader seems to be an anomaly regarding his use of systems thinking. When

pressed on how he uses this practice, he simply states, “I don’t use systems thinking. I directly

address issues as I see them” (personal communication, September 26, 2017). Being a leader of a

significantly smaller organization on the community level, this approach is more feasible
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compared to the principal and business leader. However, given his success in other fields as a

leader, this statement is nonetheless surprising.

Though he does not emphasize systems thinking, he does have his own method of plan,

do, study, act. When asked for advice for a new leader, he replies, “Have a plan, execute the

plan, evaluate the results and do the plan again” (personal communication, September 26, 2017).

He maintains that this is a practice he has used throughout his entire career in every position. His

widespread use of this process shows its value on any level and in nearly any field.

New Learning about Leadership

Seeing the materialization of progress has been an incredibly insightful experience

throughout these interviews. Monitoring and adjusting goals for team members is the primary

process of pushing individuals to grow according to the business leader, while the principal

places her focus on the importance of instructional coaching (personal communication,

September 23, 2017; personal communication, September 22, 2017). In order to amplify growth

in the realm of education, the principal utilizes the leverage of systems thinking. Rather than

being one quality leader in the form of a teacher, she empowers a community of teachers to

achieve a more efficient mode of progress. Since the nature of the community leader’s goal—to

create better people around him—is a broader scope than the business and school leaders, his

focus on progress takes several faces in the forms of academics, sports, volunteerism, and faith.

Nonetheless, the range of practices reflects the fact that there is not a singular way to lead.

Development occurs in many forms, and it is imperative that each leader must understand how

he will manifest his core values in order to attain his goal.

The responsibilities of a leader, though rewarding, can have unintended negative effects.

Both the business and education leaders voiced a sense of isolation that accompanies their roles
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(personal communication, September 23, 2017; personal communication, September 22, 2017).

The nature of their positions tends to separate them from their organizational teams. The cause of

this sense of distance is not only because of a state of authority, but it is also due to their levels of

achievement. The business leader expresses, “You’re at the top because you’ve separated

yourself from the rest, and sometimes that makes you feel like you’re on your own” (personal

communication, September 23, 2017). With this in mind, it becomes all the more vital for leaders

to keep in touch with the people in their organizations to mend the gap that can result from a

title. Doing so will help prevent tensions from arising between the workforce of the organization

and the leader, and it will keep the leader in touch with the meticulous details that can move a

team from capable to exceptional.