Running head: VALUES MAKE THE LEADER 1

Values Make the Leader

Meghan Coletta

Loyola University Chicago

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Dr. Julie Payne-Kirchmeier is the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff at

Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She is also a Texan, not afraid to discuss politics,

and she is also one of the most down to earth people you will ever meet. When a Director of

Residence Life at a major institution that on the opposite side of the country says, If you do one

thing this year, meet Julie, then you know that the persons leadership skills speak for

themselves. Her understanding of leadership is values based but she names the complexity of

that and owns where she can improve as a leader. Conducting this interview with Dr. Payne-

Kirchmeier her multi-facetted leadership style showed through and various leadership theories

showed through in aspects of Dr. Payne- Kirchmeiers leadership.

Transformational Leadership

It became obvious during our conversation that Dr. Payne- Kirchmeier views the values

that a leader holds and the action that they take based on those values as the measure of a good

leader. She is not interested in the position they might hold because she struggles with positional

power and how that continues to perpetuate hierarchical leadership. It is far more about vision,

values alignment, and a pretty strong thread of character, (J. Payne- Kirchmeier, personal

communication, October 13, 2016). That explanation closely mirrors how Northouse (2015)

describes transformational leadership. This type of leadership requires a level of influence from a

leader that has followers going above and beyond what they normally would. This theory ties

back to Dr. Payne-Kirchmeiers ideas of leadership through the factor of idealized influence that

some leaders hold. Such leaders,

have very high standards of moral and ethical conduct and can be counted on to do the

right thing. They are deeply respected by followers, who usually place a great deal of

trust in them. They provide followers with a vision and a sense of mission, (Northouse,
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2015, p. 167).

This type transformational leadership relies on a follower and leader dichotomy to function. It

gives the leader the power to be the social architect for the organization. These leaders

communicated a direction that transformed their organizations values and norms, (Northouse,

2015, p. 173). This is what Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier (personal communication, October 13, 2016).

was articulating when she voiced that,

For me there is a component of inspiration. Can you take this vision and align it with

your values that hopefully aligns with your organization and can you share that back to

inspire others to buy into not you but buy into a direction.

In transformational leadership the end goal is to create change for others. It gives the leader the

power to mold and influence the change that will affect the followers and the organization as a

whole, (Northouse, 2015). Transformational leadership can be a way to influence followers to

invest a great deal into an organization to effect change. The one big question that remains is

who gets to decide what is transformational in a positive way and why do you they get to make

that determination. Is there a certain prototype or model for the type of leader that can effectively

enact that change? What kind of characteristics must they hold? Asking these questions and

having a clear understanding of how decisions are made within an organization is vitally

important because it will hold a leader accountable to those that are affected by their leadership.

Authentic Leadership

Authentic leadership is another theory that is crafted around the values of the leader. The

basis of this type of leadership is that those who practice authentic leadership are seen as

genuine and real. Authentic leaders understand their own values and behave toward others

based on these values, (Northouse, 2015 p. 198). This theory is contingent on idea that the
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leader is trustworthy and that they are morally just in the decisions that they are making. It can

be viewed as intrapersonal or interpersonal. Looking specifically at the leader and their internal

process of self-regulation and the stocks of knowledge that they hold as constants, it requires

them to engage in a reflection of how their leadership is developing, (Dugan, 2017). Being able

to unpack and reflect on their stocks of knowledge to know how they interpret rules or

assumptions that they might have about the world is an essential piece part of being a leader.

Considerable awareness of one's own personal and professional background and biases is useful

in developing greater facility to engage across differences, (Gallegos, 2014, pp. 182). It will

allow a leader to see where their vision of genuine and real, might differ from those that they

work with and for. It requires them to consider the intrapersonality of their role and the

relationship between the leaders and followers and the development that happens between them.

Where this came up in conversation with Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier (personal

communication, October 13, 2016) was how an ethic of care comes into play in leadership,

specifically looking at her identity as a woman.

We grow up to have more of lens of ethic of care and this is a more relational view

instead of a hierarchical view. So, when we come to the table with all these teachings and

learnings and all of the skills we have developed, there is a different level of emotional

intelligence that we bring to the space, which means that many times women get talked

over or mansplained more often than not.

Authentic leadership does not specifically state that an ethic of care is a necessary part of this

type of leadership though it does assume that leaders are considering the morality of their

actions. It is a relational theory that relies on the values and the ability of leaders to maintain
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their values without any checks or balances from those that follow them. When tested in

difficult situations, authentic leaders do not compromise their values, but rather use those

situations to strengthen their values, (Northouse, 2015, p. 199). This theory is one that places

the values and what is morally just on the shoulders of the leader. The question remains though

how can one person be expected to always be morally just or hold values constant that everyone

agrees with and molds after. Are there certain groups that create what those values should look

like and should an individual or a group have the sole power to do that? Looking back Dr. Payne

Kirchmeiers understanding of her identity as a leader as a woman are there certain aspects of

leadership that are inherently expected of women?

On the one hand, female leaders are expected to take charge and approach leadership in

the same ways as their male colleagues. On the other hand, female leaders are expected to

deliver the warmth and friendliness that is culturally prescribed for women, (Eagly &

Chin, 2010, pp. 218).

Do these socially pre-determined traits create the space for certain groups to be formed in an

organization that are based on people prescribing to what a leader should be based on identities

that they hold? How does this affect the development of leaders within the organization and the

building of their efficacy or a persons belief in their capacity to be a leader.

Deconstructing the Leader-Member Exchange Theory

LMX theory suggests that it is important to recognize the existence of in-groups and

out-groups within a group or organization, (Northouse, 2015 p.144). Leader-member exchange

theory works under the assumption that two dichotomous groups exist in every organization that
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hold certain levels of power to accomplish goals and be effective. It encourages a leader to invest

more into the members of the in-group of an organization because those followers will be the

ones that allow the leader to delegate more and will bring more to the organization. The end goal

is the achievement of a mature partnership between the leader and their followers which is

identified by a high amount of trust and mutual respect, (Northouse, 2015).

Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier named an in-group that existed at an institution that she had been

employed. She gave them a different name of gatekeepers but the construct is still the same.

She voiced that she was able to create a good relationship with the administrative staff on the

campus because she deciphered the culture of the campus quickly and the power that the

administrative staff held. Her supervisor at the time, did not notice this and ended up in the out-

group unable to reap the benefits that the in-group was able to utilize. Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier had

to be the in between for her supervisor to the administrative staff. This situation begs the

question of why should there be dichotomy of in and out groups ? LMX is based on the idea that

more resources and effort should be exerted for members of the in-group because they deserve it

more. It also hangs on utilizing the normalize prototype of what a leader is with generalized

traits. Working with an in-group allows a leader to accomplish more work in a more effective

manner than he or she can accomplish working without one, (Northouse, 2015, p. 144). Dr.

Payne-Kirchmeier saw how her supervisor was being excluded from certain resources but as a

young professional who was not sure of her efficacy to navigate breaking down those in-groups

to allow a flow of resources instead pushing against a flow of power. Her identity as a woman

played into this situation as well as she named that she was friendly to the administrative staff

which is how she became a part of the in-group. Her supervisor who identified as male did not

take the same approach when interacting with the staff and was confused when his male
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leadership style did not get him what he wanted. Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier is acutely aware of how

her identities have played into the roles she has had and she acknowledges where her privilege

lies in terms of the leadership positions she has held.

Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier (personal communication, October 13, 2016) was able to articulate

that it bothers her how male centric leadership continues to be and that it has been that way for a

long time. She also recognizes how her identities play into her ability to obtain leadership roles

and affect change.

When I champion and advocate for women, I have to be careful that I am not

championing and advocating for white women, in particular white heterosexual women.

So, for my sisters that are lesbian, bi, transgender, queer, questioning, gender fluid, I have

to be careful that what I say and how I behave are not excluding those groups. Same with

my sisters who are minority identified in addition to be female identified. It is difficult

because it is so easy to just grab onto your feminist identity and go with it, (J. Payne-

Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016).

Without knowing it she expressed that she was a part of the in-group but she numerous times

explained how she tries to ensure that others have a voice at the table because she knows as a

woman what it feels like to be silenced and does not want others to feel that way. She described

it well when she said, The value of the person is far greater than the value of the position, or the

perceived value, (J. Payne- Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016).

Servant Leadership: A Reconstruction

Servant leadership by definition is about the behavior of a leader, not a trait that some

leaders might possess. Dr. Payne- Kirchmeier (personal communication, October 13, 2016).
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recognized that, I know a lot of folks that default to servant leadership and I do not think

describes it for me, there is an element of that though. I believe that there is more servant

leadership in her style than she might realize. Servant leadership is all about developing

followers which Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier denounced early on. Never once during the interview was

the word follower mentioned or used by Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier. She approaches leadership

with the idea that, I do not care what your position is and I do not like saying one position is

lower than others, (J. Payne-Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016).

However, looking past the term follower that is used, I believe that a reconstruction of

this theory that places engaging in critical self-reflection on the leader would allow them to be

the most effective for those that report to them. Servant leadership, allows leaders to understand

the abilities, needs, and goals of followers, which, in turn allows these followers to achieve their

full potential, (Northouse, 2015, p. 239). That idea more directly aligns with the way that Dr.

Payne-Kirchmeier self-describes her approach to leadership. Leaders need to find some way of

getting inside members minds to understand what it is like to be a subordinate in this setting and

to appreciate what followers most want from their leaders and from the organization, (Preskill,

& Brookfield, 2009, pp. 43). The lack of this type of critical self-reflection is a way that servant

leadership is ineffective when used universally. Ensuring that a leader is aware of their identities

and reflecting on their leadership skills will allow them to best serve people.

Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier sees students specifically as a core piece to her work. Anyone that

reports to her will tell you that students are first and foremost and everything that they do

supports them (J. Payne-Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016). Allowing

herself to take a step back to assess how well she is serving students, creates accountability for

her actions and may require her to readjust some goals or revise her values accordingly. To give
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up control rather than seek control is the goal of servant leadership. Servant leadership is an

influence process that does not incorporate influence in a traditional way, (Northouse, p. 240).

She identifies that she does not want to have influence just because of her position or the power

that she might hold. She wants to be able to do that because of the great work she is doing.

Another aspect of her leadership that Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier identified was the

combination of servant leadership with a lens of social justice. There is a lack of consideration

about how even the term follower can create efficacy issues for leaders that might hold target

identities which is a clear weakness of the theory. Taking the time to examine how social justice

would play into the themes and ideas of servant leadership would allow the theory to be used

more universally. It would allow many different types of leaders to see themselves as having

leadership potential in many different ways instead of having the leader holding all the power for

the followers development.

One aspect that I think is missing from Dr. Payne-Kirchmeiers approach to leadership is

the consideration about where the values and ethics of a leader come from. Who holds

individuals and organizations accountable? What are good ethics and values? Do we let

society define that, our political party, our religion, or do we self-define it? One consideration is

utilizing a utilitarianism approach which, weighs the possible costs and benefits of moral

choices. According to this approach, you should seek to do the greatest good for the greatest

number of people, (Johnson, 2015, pp. 176). However, that approach does not account for doing

what is good for the greatest number of people may end up being a mistake. Dr. Payne-

Kirchmeier discussed her view of mistakes and stressed the importance of sincerely apologizing

when a mistake is made. I really struggled with that early on, as a young professional, this

whole obsession with perfection and overworking to obtain perfection which you cannot obtain
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because it is impossible, (J. Payne-Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016). I

believe having the maturity to own up to your mistakes and ensure that steps are taken to prevent

it from happening again is necessary as a leader. For many people, I think a good leader may

be defined as someone who does not make mistakes but that is unrealistic expectation and it

misses the idea that we learn from our mistakes and do better because of them. What is even

more imperative is a leader needs to be able to be recognize how their stocks of knowledge that

are embedded within themselves and their spheres of influence caused them that may have

caused them to unintentionally make a mistake. Johnson (2015, pp.198) deciphers the value of

mistakes when they stated, Evaluate the quality of the decision-making process, not the

outcome; do not condemn those who make good-quality decisions only to see them turn out

badly. Being willing to apologize as a leader when a mistake is made is not easy but a leader

that has the humility to do it effectively and create positive change from that is something that is

needed in higher education.

Higher education is a face paced environment and that can lead to professionals not

taking the time to intentionally reflect on many things. Such things as their social identities

within social justice constructs, how they are performing in their position, and the work-life

negotiation that must happen to have a purpose outside of work. This plays into leadership

because those not engaging in some or all of these pieces leads to overworked and stressed out

individuals that are not able to come to the table at their best as a leader in any capacity. I agree

with Dr. Payne-Kirchmeier that many people default to servant leadership because I believe it

aligns with higher education as a helping field. However, I think the detriment to utilizing

servant leadership as an end all be all in higher education is that helping others too much does

not allow a professional to help themselves to be an effective leader. Creating spaces at

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institutions either at a division or department level to continuously engage in reflection while

also challenging their stereotypical notions of leadership will benefit institutions long term.

Dr. Payne- Kirchmeier said it best when she said, The imposter syndrome sneaks up on

you all the time, (J. Payne-Kirchmeier, personal communication, October 13, 2016). Dr. Payne-

Kirchmeiers ability to openly express her struggle with imposter syndrome shows her humility

in her leadership which is rare. Despite the vast research around leadership that exists, I believe

that the most important thing a leader can do is unpack what a leader should look like and

allowing individuals what that looks like to them. This can only occur through deliberate self-

reflection of their values, identities, and ethics. It is a developmental process that should not have

an end.
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References

Dugan, J.P. (in press). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Eagly, A.H., & Chin, J. L. (2010). Diversity and leadership in a changing world. American

Psychologist, Vol 65(3), Apr 2010, 216-224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018957

Gallegos, P. V. (2014). The work of inclusive leadership: Fostering authentic relationships,

modeling courage and humility. In B. M. Ferdman, & B. R. Deane (Eds.), Diversity at

work: The practice of inclusion (pp. 177-202). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Johnson, C. E. (2015). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Los

Angeles, CA: Sage.

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Payne-Kirchmeier, J. (2016, October 13). Personal interview.

Preskill, S., & Brookfield, S.D. (2009). Learning as a way of leading: Lessons from the struggle

for social justice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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