Dr. Lennea Phillips

 

The past three years post COVID have been challenging to say the least, and I have been uninspired to write or blog.  A new work environment and my expertise in leader interaction, leader member exchange, leader authenticity and job satisfaction has inspired me to write about what I have observed occurring among educators and corporate employees. 

As an educator, I have had the honor of working at many urban public schools. My doctoral research on this subject has provided me with the foundation to be an expert in leader interaction, leader authenticity and teacher job satisfaction.  My research is also applicable in school and corporate settings.  It is quite interesting to witness the relationship between leader interaction, leader authenticity and how It relates to teacher job satisfaction.   

Leaders either create work environments for their employees that are supportive or unsupportive. Leaders who are disingenuous deteriorate and destroy the leader member relationship.   A disingenuous leader create a work environment where workers feel used, overworked, overlooked, and betrayed. 

It is so interesting to witness environments (such as schools or corporate work environments) where leaders or administrators talk about being supportive but are unsupportive.  They don’t advocate for their workers or provide them with the tools for advancement.  They don’t take into consideration the employees who get the job done, ensure production is met, or ensure the student achievement exceeds above the benchmarks.

These workers have aspirations!  They want growth opportunities, and compensation that align with their work performance.  They want to believe that their leaders are genuinely advocating for them and consistently exhibiting transparency with them not lies and deception.At the core, the workers want to trust their leaders, or administrators.  Employees want leaders who support upward mobility within the organization, but all too often the reality is a juxtaposition of what they are telling their workers.  I have observed many employees (school and corporate) give up because they realized the leader whom they reported to was not authentic nor transparent.

A lot can be said about a work environment that has authentic transparent leadership. There’s a beautiful cohesiveness that naturally occurs in that environment.  As an experienced educator working in the school system, whenever leadership has been authentic and transparent the staff and students learn, they love, and they trust in their teachers and their leadership. 

Unfortunately, when leaders and administrators are disingenuous this causes the demise and destruction of authentic working relationships among the staff and job dissatisfaction.  I have had the unfortunate opportunity to observe the breaking of these leader member interactions far too many times. 

Once the teacher or employee realizes that their leader or administrator has been disingenuous or unsupportive it breaks their spirit and their will to continue performing the job at hand.  Whereas employees who feel supported by their leaders or administrators thrive and are excited to perform their duties.

Most employees believe they are valued until the truth is revealed, and then they just stop caring.  They become numb to the job and ultimately, they either resign, start over somewhere else, or change professions all together.  In the end they both lose.  The leader interaction, leader member exchange, leader authenticity, and job satisfaction among employees is detrimental to the success of the organization.  Leaders need to be cognizant of how their interactions directly impact their staff.  They need to be vigilant about transparency, have high morals, and make job satisfaction among their staff paramount for success.  What a difference the workplace would be if leaders cared enough to lead authentically and advocate on behalf of their employees. Which leader are you?