Q Topics of Leadership Pequannock Township High School

The Interactional Framework for Analyzing Leadership McGraw-Hill/Irwin© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-2

The Action-Observation-Reflection Model Making the most of experience is key to developing one’s leadership ability. The theory shows that leadership development is enhanced when the experience involves three different processes: Action Observation Reflection Spiral of experience: Colin Powell’s example.

The Spiral of Experience

Reflection and Leadership Development Reflection provides leaders with insights into several ways of framing problems, multiple perspectives, or better understanding. Leaders tend to ignore reflection due to lack of time or lack of awareness of its value. Intentional reflection might prompt one to see potential benefits in experience not initially considered relevant.

The Key Role of Perception in the Spiral of Experience Experience is not just a matter of what events happen to you; it also depends on how you perceive those events. Perception affects all three phases of the action-observation-reflection model. People actively shape and construct their experiences.

Perception and Observation Observation and perception both deal with turning our attention to events around us. We are selective in what we, in turn, perceive. Perceptual sets can influence any of our senses: They are the tendency or bias to perceive one thing and not another. Selective sensory experiences Stereotypes represent powerful impediments to learning. Awareness of biases occurs upon reflection.

Perception and Reflection Reflection deals with how we interpret our observations. Perception is an interpretive activity that solidifies meaning to us. Attributions: Explanations we develop for the behaviors or actions we engage in. Fundamental attribution error: Tendency to overestimate the personality causes of behavior and underestimate the environmental causes when others fail. You see someone trip over a rock, they are clumsy You trip over the rock, you blame the placement

Perception and Reflection (continued) Self-serving bias: Tendency to make external attributions for one’s own failures, yet make internal attributions for one’s successes. Actor/observer difference: Refers to the fact that people who are observing an action are much more likely than the actor to make the fundamental attribution error. Reflection also involves higher functions like evaluation and judgment, not just perception and attribution.

Perception and Action Research found that perceptions and biases affect supervisors’ actions towards poorly performing subordinates. Self-fulfilling prophecy: Occurs when our expectations or predictions play a causal role in bringing about the events we predict. Research has shown that having expectations about others can subtly influence our actions towards them. These actions can, in turn, affect the way others behave in return. Which then continually affects how you react.

The Role of Expectations in Social Interaction

Single and Double-Loop Learning Single-loop learners seek relatively little feedback that may significantly confront their fundamental ideas or actions. Individuals learn only about subjects within the “comfort zone” of their belief systems. Double-loop learning involves a willingness to confront one’s own views and an invitation to others to do so, too. Mastering double-loop learning can be thought of as learning how to learn.

Summary One way to add value to your leadership courses and experiences is by applying the action- observation-reflection model. Be aware of the role perception plays in leadership development. Education and experience can contribute to your development as a leader. To become a better leader, one must seek challenges and try to make the best of any leadership opportunity.