response to discussion 5

Michael

This week’s case study looks at Darlene and her step into a leadership position as the band booster president.  There are times when someone stepping into this type of position can be seen as an abuse of power.  Or perceived power.  While Darlene came in with a positive attitude and was ready to do the work to make sure that the band booster club and parents were on one accord and worked well together, she had to deal with negativity and backlash from the members.  They were upset and hurt from the actions of the past president.  While she could not do anything to change how they felt, she could only do what needed to be done to try to move forward with them.  Her decision to start a meeting with an icebreaker seemed to go over well.  She wanted to ensure that everyone felt safe and was willing to participate in the activity and in later activities.  While most seemed to enjoy the activity, Daryl was a person who did not.  Like many of us, he did not understand the need for an icebreaker.  To him, it was a complete waste of time.  He preferred doing things that allowed him to show his strengths and talents.  There was a very apparent personality clash between the two of them.  While it seems that it would be easy for people to put their individual issues aside to do what is in the best interest of the people that they serve, this is not always the case.  Unfortunately, when there is a change in leadership/perceived power, there can also be a power struggle.  In the case of Darlene and Daryl, the use of clear and effective communication, with listening to understand and not respond being at the forefront, they were able to learn about who each other was and what they stood for.

Cordarius

This particular case deals with Darlene and Daryl who both seem to be great leaders in their way but they clash when it comes to the combined leadership of the organization that they are heading. The chapter case focuses on developing a leadership philosophy, addressing tensions and awkwardness, recovering from difficult situations, and reflecting to arrive at effective change. Darlene is a school counselor and tends to use a lot of her expertise and strategies in the meetings to help with team building and collaboration. Daryl is one of the Vice Presidents of the organization and also has a personal investment in the organization – his sons. The problem is that Daryl and Darlene’s personalizes and leadership styles are different, however, they need to come together for the benefit of the organization. Overall, they were both able to put their feelings aside to communicate clearly with each other about the problems that they felt were hindering their progress. The leadership choices they made included listening to each other,clear and effective communication for resolution, respecting each other and the differences of opinions, remaining focused on the goal of the group, keeping the vision at the forefront, and remaining organized despite the tensions and challenges. They both realized, along with the other members, that they all had a common goal and just wanted to do their very best to ensure that the outcome of that goal was successful. “We all agreed that our number-one goal was to improve the sense of community of the Band Boosters, and we even talked about how all initiatives could be team-building experiences.” (Reid, 2014)

Loretta

An experience counselor was nominated to become the President of the band booster club at North Pointe Highschool. The band booster club was suffering and there was little to none parental involvement. North Pointe Highschool was well known for their Fine Arts program and the wanted to get things back in order. Darlene decided she would take on the new position as the President of the band booster club. She use some of her counseling experience to assist her with leading the adults that were  members of the booster club. Darlene had worked with children for years and understood how  to manage them.

After assigning VPs to  different jobs in the booster club, conflict arose. Darlene thought some team building activities would help bring the team together and also a way for them to learn about one another. However, although Darlene was pleased with the activity; another member of the band booster club wasn’t. Darlene leadership skills were phenomenal when it came to conflict. She allowed  Darryl to voice his concerns. Darryl was the type of person who was hands-on and liked to get things  done immediately. He wasn’t quite the type of person to actually think things through before getting them done. She listen and didn’t interrupt. Although she didn’t agree with what Darryl said, she respected it. So at her next team meeting she took things that Darryl said inconsideration and creatively came up with ways to keep him calm. I think Darlene displays great leadership skills and is a great leader for the program.