By Eric Wright
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer
SMYRNA – Academic Dean Elizabeth Fitch exemplifies an effective organizational and
ethical leader. She is planning ahead to make sure the institution
(students, faculty, administrators and staff) succeeds. This example is one of
the many elements in her leadership style – a desire to improve as a leader.
While working
with Dean Fitch over the years, she has consistently been open about plans and
possible opportunities. During her interview, she mentioned honesty as a key ingredient
in being an effective leader by building trust within the campus and earning
respect while giving respect.
Last of
all, I selected her for this interview because she said, “yes,” and her office
was right next to mine. This proximity has afforded me the opportunity to hear
and watch her work on a daily basis. The interview went smoothly with open
comments and friendliness demonstrated throughout the process. Her relaxed,
open and communicative dialogue made the process smooth.
At the
same time, she matched so many of the leadership readings from the chapters in
Hackman and Johnson’s textbook, including “Transformational and Charismatic
Leadership” discussed in Chapter Four, “Leadership Power and Influence in Chapters
Five and Six, and “Ethical Leadership and Followership” in Chapter 11.
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| Photo by Connie Esh for The Murfreesboro Post |
Leadership Path:
Dean Fitch did not start in the
education field seeking an administrative leadership role. While completing her
master’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University, she was offered a part-time
adjunct teaching position in the Biology Department. The department later offered
her a full-time instructor role teaching collegiate biology classes.
She started
working as an adjunct instructor for Motlow State Community College while
working at Middle Tennessee State University, eventually transitioning into a full-time
teaching position. She learned a great deal about teaching and transitioned
these skills into the new position.
Next,
after teaching for Motlow for several years, she became the academic dean controlling
the entire administrative and academic duties over the Smyrna campus. She did
not follow the typical route in seeking an administrative leadership role at
first. However, after attaining the new administrative leadership position, she
started to read more about leadership principles and attended several
professional leadership events.
Dean Fitch did not start off
directly in a leadership route. However, she has attended several training
events, including at least one offered through the American Association of
Community Colleges. During the summer of 2016, she joined the AACC, attending a
meeting in Washington “in their future leaders institute.” This event offered
insights on ways to become a stronger and more effective leader. Also, she
focused on improving her current leadership role and understanding more about
the role of an organizational leader.
When
asked about the definition of a leader, she noted that “a leader inspires
people to do their jobs,” which illustrates one of the many roles of a leader.
A leader helps employees find and understand the significance and purpose in
working. When considering the difference between managing and leading, Dean
Fitch asserted a strong opinion about these two factors being very different.
Leadership Philosophy:
Managing leadership style relates more
to worrying about employees and activities by each one. Micromanaging employees
is another form of management style of leadership. Dean Fitch disagrees with
this method. She prefers the leading approach as an academic dean. Similar to
family elements and interactions, she advocates for individuals to grow as employees
and create an emotional and caring role within the institution.
In an academic setting, the
micromanaging role is not as productive or effective. She said employees need
to feel a sense of autonomy at work. Hence, when discussing her personal philosophy
of leadership, Dean Fitch relates directly to one book amongst the several
leadership books on her bookshelf. She directly quotes from The New
York Times best seller, “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and
Others Don't,” by Simon Sinek.
The quote relates to leaders eating last
to illustrate the importance placed on employees. Thereby, employees eat first
in a banquet line for food while an employer should be at the end of the line.
Consequently, employees feel more important by completing this action. A sense
of safety, security and care emerges by the actions demonstrated in this scenario.
Employees know the leader cares for each one and understands this significance
by witnessing the actions of the leader.
Dean Fitch added that she wishes to
foster a strong sense of care and understanding for each of her employees.
“Everyone takes care of the leader,”
Fitch said. “The leader takes care of everyone.”
In conclusion, if an employee sees Dean
Fitch at the end of the line, then he or she will know why.
Empathy:
During her tenure as the academic dean,
she mentions one specific skill attained over the other ones: empathy. She
believes in considering the mental thoughts and condition for each employee. By
relating to employees from a leadership position, she creates a strong sense of
empathy for each employee.
Often times, she approaches employees
and asks about personal wealth fares as opposed to classroom issues.
Additionally, she continues to teach in the classroom for at least one class
for most semesters. Dean Fitch wants to stay close to the classroom in order to
understand more about the struggles and challenges facing faculty members at
the college.
When it comes to communication, she
exemplifies a broad and open concept throughout her daily interactions.
Additionally, she leads with charm and often laughs throughout the day to
illustrate a more charismatic leadership approach. During the interview, she
would often times laugh and smile in-between questions. Additionally, I have
often heard her laughing and engaging with other administrative individuals
within the office with a positive and charismatic tone. At the same time, she
has a serious side to administrative matters depending on the subject matter.
Dean Fitch characterizes her style of
leadership as “servant leadership.” It embodies an approach to caring for
others and enriching the lives of individuals, one at a time. Consequently, this
approach strengthens the organization from within by creating a sense of care.
Dean Fitch’s “servant leadership” style
creates a strong sense of care by employees across the campus. Not only does she
care for employees, but she takes risks in making tough decisions, especially
campus funding considerations. Sometimes, she has to cut the budget and make
more room for new employees without being able to build additional offices for
these employees.
When approaching this task, she openly
explains the situation to each individual and honestly shares the challenges
with attaining a new office space for the individual. This honesty is another
high priority factor in her leadership style.
Last of all, when asked about how she
learned leadership, she said, “We learn by making mistakes. You can read. You
can read books all day, and I have read a ton of them. We try to get better at
it, but I think we learn by making mistakes. So, it takes time… It is a
combination of experience and dedicating yourself to it.”
She mentioned using individual skills,
which helps, but the need to dedicate time and willingness to learn from
mistakes.
Conclusion:
Calmness is part of Dean Fitch’s
leadership style, which she admired from other administrators at Motlow State
Community College. When pressure builds during certain situations at work, she
considers the calmness element as an essential part of leadership. Additionally, she wants the employees and staff
to realize this trait when seeing her actively engage to overcome the problem.
She believes in responding and not reacting to problems: “How to respond and
not react.”
At the same time, she believes in
learning from mistakes. In these types of situations, she might make a decision
where several employees or individuals do not agree, but she has to accept this
fact. She understands the risks and the challenges with individuals not
agreeing with her decision. Nonetheless, she stands by her decisions, which
shows her leadership to all. Moreover,
she believes in being respected more than being loved as a leader. In the end,
she wishes to continue as a leader in higher education and make a difference.
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