Introduction
Among the most famous people of all time, politicians, philosophers, and writers are often mentioned, yet very few respondents recall artists, which is not quite fair since the latter introduce their specific vision of the universe to the rest of humankind. One of the most honored artists in the sphere of illustration and a perfect teacher for those who want to approach the mystery of the art, JT Steiny who works at Otis College of Art and Design, is sadly unpopular among the population. With the help of his art, JT Steiny manages not only to convey his ideas to the rest of the people and make the plot more twisted but also to provide a perfect example for the theory of leadership, being a perfect leader incarnate himself and implementing the postulates of the leadership theory in the most explicit way.
One of the most efficient ways to consider the manner of JT Steiny to take leadership and provide an example for the rest of the illustrators to follow will be a personal interview since the latter has all the required elements to depict the main features of the artist’s character and enumerate the means that JT Steiny resorts to in order to improve his leadership skills and to occupy the position of a teacher and an authoritative person, as well as understand why his personality is so enthrallingly versatile.
Main Body
Speaking of the leadership theories that are going to be used in the given paper, the considerations of P. G. Northouse are going to be taken into account. Comprising various viewpoints, it proves the ultimate one of all existing. Hence, Northouse’s ideas are going to be intertwined with JT Steiny’s vision of art and leadership.
Considering the interview with the artist, one should mark JT Steiny’s specific vision of what being a tutor and a teacher of arts is. It is quite peculiar that JT Steiny considers his teaching experience as a pinnacle of enjoyment and values it to a considerable extent. “My teaching experience has been and is nothing but paradise,” (Personal Interview, 1) JT Steiny confesses, which characterizes him as a doubtlessly good tutor and quite a good leader. Though not being able or willing to be a faultfinder when it comes to his teaching experience and search for the disadvantages of a teacher’s career, JT Steiny is obviously a strong leader, since he is determined to take the teaching process as something highly valued and, thus, of utter importance for him. JT Steiny obviously sets the right relationship behaviors and chooses the right tactics, which must contribute to an efficient studying process, as Northouse (69) claims.
From the viewpoint of Northouse, the way JT Steiny began his teaching and leadership career were not quite favorable for the efficient work, since JT Steiny did not decide to teach himself, but was offered the position of a teacher; however, the aforementioned fact did not prevent him from developing leadership skills and teaching the students the essential skills, hence, proving a successful leader. However, one of the features of character that allows JT Steiny to stand out among the rest of the teachers is the fact that he is, as the artist admits himself, “an entertainer” (OtisCollege). That is his way of presenting the news to the class, and, miraculously enough, JT Steiny’s ways work.
Concerning the weaknesses and the strengths of the artist and the teacher, one must mark that JT Steiny is rather resourceful, able to convey his ideas in a “clear and concise” (JT Steiny, Personal Interview 2) way, and possessing considerable experience. Meanwhile, JT Steiny’s weaknesses are being too demanding and at the same time unable to insist when there is a need, which is rather undesirable for the leader since the latter is supposed to take the issues into his own hands.
It cannot be denied that JT Steiny’s experience provides a plethora of food for thoughts. Displaying certain weaknesses, he still possesses a number of traits that a real leader is supposed to. Hence, he can be taken as an example to follow.
Considering the artworks of the illustrator and the teacher, JT Steiny, one must mark that his personality is rather complex, which the interview displays quite clearly. Though JT Steiny cannot be entitled to who Northouse called “an effective leader” (1), there is still a lot to learn from this outstanding personality and a genius of drawing. Summarizing the interview in which JT Steiny expressed his opinion of what a real teacher and a leader should look and behave like, it will be reasonable to emphasize that JT Steiny’s viewpoint is somewhat different from the one that Northouse presupposes. While the latter insists that a real leader is supposed to be persistent, JT Steiny still believes that a good teacher has to be somewhat milder and not so tough on the students. Judging from the above-mentioned, one of the most valuable lessons that JT Steiny can teach his audience is the fact that, apart from possessing the qualities that help him to be an orderly, no-nonsense and reasonable person, a real leader has to introduce a certain element of creativity into his actions and give his subordinates – students in the given case – some space for their personal considerations and reasoning.
Considering JT Steiny’s observations from the viewpoint of the leadership theory as explained by Northouse, it is necessary to emphasize that the artist’s comments on the idea of leadership coincide at a certain point with the ones of the scientist and the theories of the leadership idea. One of the most striking examples of the coincidence of the two viewpoints is the idea of a leader as a man of great creativity and big ideas, the inventor who is always ready for another discovery. Moreover, JT Steiny goes even further, enhancing the students to be creative, since they follow his example. “I’ve completely designed this job,” JT Steiny says (OtisCollege), meaning that he presupposes that the students will possess the same degree of creativity and will contribute to the development of the art he created. Therefore, JT Steiny agrees with Northouse, who claims that a leader must possess a tint of creativity that will broaden the horizons in front of him and show the new prospects, as well as the alternative ways of visualizing a phenomenon or solving a problem.
As Northouse explains, “Factor 3 is intellectual situation. It includes leadership that stimulates followers to be creative and innovative and to challenge their own beliefs and values as well as those of the leader and the organization” (179). Since JT Steiny follows factor 3 rather precisely, he can be posed as an efficient leader. However, certain divergences in the way Northouse and JT Steiny communicate the idea of taking the lead of someone also differ essentially. Among the most obvious differences, the way in which JT Steiny came to being a leader – as Northouse explains, taking the lead of a certain team of people is not something that comes out of a sudden; the choice to be a chief of the certain group must be a decision made consciously, like all the decisions made by the future leader. Moreover, as Northouse explains, “an individual does not become a leader solely because that individual possesses certain traits. Rather, the traits that leaders possess must be relevant to situations in which the leader is functioning” (16). Hence, the way JT Steiny obtained his leadership does not seem reasonable, yet proves to be quite efficient. Hence, it can be concluded that the leading theory has a partial relation to JT Steiny’s case.
Conclusion
Hence, the given analysis shows that, despite the discrepancies in the theory offered by Northouse and the approach that JT Steiny undertook in his teaching practice and the layout of his own ideas of illustration as a science to be taught, there is still certain similarity between JT Steiny’s ideas and the theory by Northouse. It is necessary to admit that, according to Northouse, a perfect leader as a wise and caring person, should allow the subordinates to convey their own ideas and develop their own viewpoints, mastering the art of the leader, which JT Steiny manages perfectly well with. Analyzing the model of leadership offered by JT Steiny, one must admit that, despite certain flows, it proves quite efficient. Possessing the features of a true leader and at the same time comprising them with certain flaws, which makes him more humane, JT Steiny is a portrayal of an inborn leader. With the profound basis reminding of Northouse’s theories, JT Steiny is free to choose his own leadership style, being sure that his choice is going to help students master the art of illustration.
Works Cited
Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CT: SAGE.
Otis, JT. “JT Steiny.” ThisIsBelieve, n.d. Web.
Steiny, JT. Personal Interview. n.d. Microsoft Word file.
OtisCollege. “JT Stenly Otis 1984.”YouTube. 2010. Web.