Comment on both discussions:
1. In this case study, Scott Harrison experiences many successes in his quest to improve water quality on a global scale.
Identify three Leadership traits or abilities that contributed to his successes.
When reviewing the case study in Introduction to Leadership by Northouse, many different leadership traits that contributed to Scott Harrison’s success in Charity: Water were apparent. One of the biggest ones was developed while he was an adolescence, watching his mother during here time of illness. This trait is compassion. Scott learned how to view people and their situation without pitying them and trying find ways to help when people are in that situation. Scott saw the people in these countries and saw that they were lacking, he was drawn to help them and understanding there was a way to help these people without taking their dignity away. This was a good trait for Scott when he was an influencer because he was able to see what was something that was important to people and use that to draw them to places, even though at that time those actions did not fulfil Scott.
Scott was very dedicated in his actions. Putting in the work to follow trough with people for his job as an influencer, which helped to make people remember him and the events or places he needed them to be. This was even more important for Scott during his charity work due to the fact people are less likely to give when they do not see the direct actions of their money. This work, while similar, was a lot harder because it took having to meet and convince people over and over again that his cause was worth it. Being dedicated to the actual cause is just as important as well. Being dedicated to the cause means that Scott will put in the work, he views it as important and worthwhile. It also means that this is something that is personal to Scott and will help him feel more fulfilled in what he is doing.
Lastly the leadership trait that is exhibited by Scott during the start up of his charity is that he is a confidence builder. He was able to talk up his charity so that people understood what it was and what good it can do. He was also able to build confidence in his benefactors that this was a worthy investment so that they would give their money to the cause. This was important, especially in the start because there was not a group of people who could back what Scott was trying to do and build. So, all the work and efforts was based on what Scott had to say or to show so that the people he was reaching out to would feel confident in what he was asking of them.
Just as Northouse mentioned in his work, leadership is something you can be born with or it can be learned. With Scott it seems that he was born with the compassion because of how he reacted to his mothers illness and what feelings it created in him when he saw the disadvantaged people in other countries. His dedication was something he was born with, as evidence that he stayed and helped with his mother. However, there are traits he did learn and those ones are the ones that he had to use to be able to get the results he needed for his charity. Being a confidence builder was a learned skill from his influencer days and it was the one trait that he had to utilize the most to be able to make his work a reality.
2. Charity Water Case Study
Historically, leaders have been portrayed as hard and unempathetic. However, according to Northouse, 2021, prefer just the opposite “…people want leaders who listen to and understand their needs and who can relate to their circumstances”. Scott Harrison was challenged with adversity throughout his life. From an early age Scott acted as a caregiver for his sick mother (Northouse, 2021). The responsibilities and hardships he faced helped to instill in him qualities such as compassion and empathy. After being provided the opportunity to work with a nonprofit organization, Scott Harrison felt a duty to serve because he was able to empathize with those he encountered. After recognizing that much of the areas he visited did not have access to clean drinking water he felt a responsibility to make things right. This innate obligation to service that Harrison possessed helped to keep philanthropy at the at the heart of the charity.
When Scott Harrison created Charity Water, he built it on a foundation of optimism/positivity. The primary goal of Chairity Water was to ensure that 100% of donations went towards financing clean water projects. He wanted his donors and potential donors to see and genuinely believe that that their donations could make a direct impact on access to clean drinking water across the globe. He welcomed his investors with a “…grand invitation to join the effort in creating a world where every person has clean drinking water” (Northouse, 2021). As a leader the energy you exude influences your team, “leadership uses positive means to achieve positive outcomes” (Northouse, 2021). He wanted his donors to see giving as be an opportunity and a blessing, not an obligation or a debt. With Harrison’s grand vision he was able to foster an environment where his donors felt respected not used. Harrison created a vision where individuals were able to see benefit of their donation thus allowing his charity to be successful long term.
The second element in creating Chairity Water was allowing his “donors to visibly see the impact of their contributions…” (Northouse, 2021). This proves another key leadership attribute Scott Harrison held was transparency or communicativeness. Chairity Waters donors were able to see their donation through by watching the projects unfold via the internet on cites such as Google Earth (Northouse, 2021). Thus, allowing the members of his donor team to feel connect to something bigger than themselves and to continue the spirt of giving. In another sense of communicativeness, Harrison used Water Chairty as a platform to spread awareness and engage people in issues that do not directly concern them to benefit the greater good. The saying “perception is reality” is a statement that effectively encompasses leadership. According to Northouse, 2021, “it [leadership] is a complex, multidimensional process that is often conceptualized in a variety of ways by different people” (Northouse, 2021). Although many attributes and traits of leadership were noted throughout the case study these are just a few prominent ones.
References
Northouse, P. (2021). Introduction to leadership concepts and practice (5th edition). Sage Publications, Inc.
