Class 5-Reflection

Course Name	DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP
Course Code	UHPS6013-51
Lecturer and Faculty	Dr. Roslizam bin Hassan, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology
Student Name	Sharina binti Hashim
Student Matric Number	MHL254004

Summary and Reflection for: ODL Synchronous Class 5 (18 December 2025)

THE LEADER-FOLLOWER RELATIONSHIP / LEADING SELF-MANAGED TEAMS / COMMUNICATION, COACHING AND CONFLICT SKILLS

There were three topics presented in this class starting with the Leader-Follower Relationship co-presented by Norindah Binti Khairi (Norindah) and Nornajwa Binti Yusoff (Nornajwa). I learnt that this concept had several theoretical foundations as below:

• Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory
• Social Identity Theory
• Followership Model

The presenters focused their sharing on the LMX theory and explained that this theory represented a change in thinking in leadership research relating to leader-follower relationships. I understand that earlier theories on this concept postulated that leaders treat their followers in the same way and that the followers are homogenous to a certain extent that they can be considered as one namely, a group of followers is considered as one entity. LMX theories challenges these assumptions. I further gathered that the LMX Theory postulates that leaders do not treat everyone the same; in fact, they form different quality relationships with different people.

Upon reflection, from the definitions and the LMX theory shared by the presenters, I noted that both the leader and the follower can influence the interaction through their behaviours, perceptions and interactions. On this note, I recalled Dr. Roslizam’s sharing during the first class about how a leader could end up being a follower. I also recalled how in my previous working experience in the corporate sector, my leader established different working relationships with each of her team members comprising 4 Senior Managers (including myself). With a more junior manager, I noted that she would provide more hands-on guidance and even had a mother-daughter kind of dynamics. As I was a more experienced human resource practitioner (and was older than my leader by several years), she treated me more like a counterpart and even gave me a significant amount of autonomy to manage my deliverables. Our working relationship was more of 2 HR professionals who shared a mutual respect of each other.

It was then my turn to present the topic of Leading Self-Managed Teams. As this was my first presentation in my Master journey, I was admittedly nervous. Nevertheless, while researching this topic I noted that the characteristics for self-managed teams mirrors the work environment in which I am currently operating. The findings from my research on this topic are as below.

1. The concept of a self-managed team has been around since the 1970s with several foundational theories:
   • Socio-Technical Systems Theory
   • Self-Managing Teams Effectiveness Model
   • McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
     
2. For a self-managed team to be effective, it requires leadership both within and outside the team. From my research, the more facilitative approach proposed under McGregor’s Theory Y would probably be the more effective leadership style to be leveraged upon. This makes sense to me on the basis that self-managed teams, whether they are formed in private-sector organisations or within educational institutions (for example), are established for a purpose.

What I have learnt from researching this topic is that self-managed teams are probably here to stay; what is key is to ensure that there is a guided framework on how leadership is practiced so that the team is continuously motivated, engaged and stay on track in accordance with the organisation or institution’s vision and objectives. After I presented, I appreciated that Dr. Roslizam provided me with both positive and constructive feedback which will continue to leverage upon as a guide in my post-graduate learning journey.

The next topic was presented by Balqis Binti Hamzah (Balqis) on Communication, Coaching and Conflict Skills. I note that this topic continued the theme of how contemporary leadership stresses more on the ability to influence rather than just based on authority positions. And within the ability to influence, it becomes critical that a leader is able to communicate, coach and deal with conflict effectively. These are my key learnings:

1. To be effective in communicating, a leader needs to ensure that the intended message is actually relayed. I learnt how there can be gaps between transmission and interpretation in understanding the communication that can lead to distortion and even misunderstandings.
   
2. Within communication, I also noted that active listening (and not just hearing) is an essential skill for both the leader and the followers. Balqis shared a 5-step approach to sending oral messages and how effective communication is more a dialogue instead of a monologue. This, to me, highlights the importance of a leader to not just being able to have good verbal communication skills but how they communicate is also critical.
   
3. As shared by Balqis, communication without the commitment and follow-up is not action but is just noise.

Leveraging on effective communication can even transform an organisation’s culture, as Balqis shared on how the emphatic leadership style of Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s current CEO, transformed one of the largest global technology organisations from a “Know it all” culture” to a “Learn it all” culture.

On coaching, I learnt that it is not a top-down approach but instead is a forward-moving development partnership. On this, I also learnt from Dr Roslizam’s post-presentation feedback on the importance of understanding that coaching is not teaching. Dr. Roslizam advised that “…in coaching, once you give suggestions, there is no more coaching.” Remembering that Dr. Roslizam is a School Improvement Specialist Coach, I realise how important this sentence is to the effectiveness of coaching. As coaching is essentially a non-directive process that aims to facilitate the coachee’s self-awareness on his or her strengths and areas of development, which will then promote personal and professional growth, it is crucial that the coach refrain from providing suggestions to the coachee.

On the sub-topic of conflict, I learnt about what it is as defined by academic scholars and that the key is to manage it constructively. And how it is an inevitable feature of organisational life. A key learning takeaway for me is on how, depending on how a leader manages the conflict situation, it can produce different outcomes. When a leader is able to constructively manage the conflict, it can bring about innovation.

I found the Thomas Killman Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI Model) to be a useful framework for individuals to leverage upon when confronted with a conflict situation. Having emotional intelligence is also key. I learnt about the case study on Apple Pay and Mastercard where instead of conflict, the negotiation teams from both organisations decided to collaborate resulting in a positive outcome that was positively impacted e-commerce.