Problem identification and analysis

¶ … Reflexivity in a Leadership Context

According to Ann L. Cunliffe (2004) in her article "On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner," effective managerial practice demands an existential understanding of the implications of leadership beyond conventional business theory of 'what works' and what 'doesn't work' in practice. The manager must have a clear understanding of who he or she is and his or her effect upon others. There is no single way to manage and the process is highly dependent upon the social context in which the manager's decisions are taking place. Critically reflexive practice also requires that the leader understand that two people do not always inhibit the same reality: they perceive the world differently, based upon their past experiences. When a leader is giving advice to a subordinate or a colleague, there is no objective 'truth;' rather both parties will look at the world and the problem from their own unique perspectives. This challenges conventional managerial literature which tends to see managers as always knowing the right way to proceed, and meaning that they merely have to overcome potential resistance from followers to fulfill organizational goals. Reflexive practice counsels us that managers can also learn from followers.

The relative nature of truth is also manifested in the realities of the sales field. I have learned from my current position in sales that a manager must try to see the world from the customer's perspective, not simply his or her own vantage-point. That is why my company must keep market data on customer perceptions and buying habits. No good sales manager could say: "I base all of my decisions upon my own personal beliefs." Rather, the manager must abandon his or her cherished assumptions about what he or she desires -- or what 'common sense' wisdom tells him, or even past data alone -- and try to get in the minds of customers and project into the future.

Over the course of my career in the automotive industry, I have slowly become a more reflexive practitioner, which has improved my career and my managerial style. I worked for Mercedes Benz for more than fourteen years. When I first began at the company, I tended to 'tell' my subordinates what to do, rather than explain to them why they needed to do something. I thought that showing leadership qualities meant seeming strong at all times, and thus I had trouble relaxing and 'sharing' information with them, which is essential to create a rapport between a manager and his employees. A manager is not someone who simply knows what to do; the manager must also know how to make other people want to do it.

Cunliffe describes reflexivity as noticing the small details of life -- sometimes, even noticing something as mundane as how you cross your arms can go unnoticed until you stop and think. When I assessed my own performance, I began to understand the aspects of my subordinate's performance that frustrated me the most -- their poor attitude and lack of a work ethic -- was only exacerbated by my 'telling' leadership style. Once I began to relax, have more confidence, and see the world from their perspective, things began to change.

In my current position at a bus manufacturing company, I have a position that requires me to constantly interface with clients as well as fellow employees. As Area Export Manager for the Levant Area (Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon), I am responsible for the sales of all of the buses to the region. I must constantly ask myself: 'what impression I am making? What do my customers want?' so the persona I project inspires confidence and so I can understand the details of my customer's needs. Critical reflexivity about who I am as a leader and a representative of my company is required for me to be effective.

Many aspects of critically reflexive leadership I believe have learned over the course of my career, though a long, slow and occasionally painful process. Had I read Cunliffe's article earlier, I believe that I would have been able to project greater warmth and empathy in my first position as a leader. Even more importantly, I would have possessed a more effective database of 'tools' with which I could develop the capacity for self-reflective leadership on a regular basis. As well as introducing her theory in the abstract, and suggesting the types of questions that a critically reflexive leaders should ask him or herself such as 'what is knowledge,' Cunliffe chronicles her experiences using journaling within the classroom. As a professor she wished to enable students reflect upon different situations and then engage in critically reflexive questioning upon the experience. Her essay is thus not quantitative in nature, and is instead a small 'case study' of a class, as she shows how students broadened their perspective through the process of reflection.