Mask of Command
By my third week of work at Sloan Kettering I have a better sense of the way my supervisors work. They have thus far illustrated Keegan’s “Mask of Command” theory in their leadership styles. The mask of command is a theory that talks about the boundaries and illusiveness that a leader needs to be effective. A leader must remain mysterious so that they can maintain an aura of respect.
Keegan talks about the importance of maintaining a sense of kinship between leader and follower. My bosses are friendly people who welcome me each day with enthusiasm and wish me well each evening. I feel this evidences a sense of kinship and kindness in my leaders.
They also maintain the imperative of prescription by presenting a clear look at the tasks I need to complete. By the second week they had presented me with a 3-day rotation in my work. One day I work in the office completing administrative tasks, the next day I work in the outpatient recreation room and the third I work making rounds in the in-patient floor. These daily tasks and the expectation that I work hard and with enthusiasm has served as my prescription to work.
My leaders have exercised limited sanctions thus far as they deal with the interns. I hope that I can attribute that to my hard work and inquisitive attitude. However, while they have not yet exercised much discipline their is the looming notion that if things were not done well then we would be addressed. In one instance I mistook an infection control protocol and it was pointed out to me in a important yet calm way which gave me the chance to improve. This was not intense sanctioning but it was serious and made an impact on the way I work.
Finally, they take actions to keep us interns on task. They give us our directions in the morning which involves preparation on their part. They must decide on our tasks and prepare the training. Their actions and dedication inspire us to work hard as we complete said tasks.
Overall I feel as if my leaders have remained involved and friendly yet mysterious and direct. They make us feel welcome yet do not share too much about their personal lives.
It sounds as though this week you were not free-floating as much as you’d described in your last post – excellent. You’ve done a good job here providing concrete examples of behavior/actions that illustrate the theory you are discussing; this will benefit you in the fall when completing your academic assignments for internship. Seems the leaders have struck a balance between developing a collegial environment but not cultivating a culture in which everyone shares all.