The Value of Genuine Leader/Follower Relationships

I just finished my first week interning for Porter Isaac, a staffing and recruiting firm out of Tyson’s Corner, Va. Porter Isaac lacks an office space so working remotely is nothing new to them and has made for an easy introduction for me considering COVID- 19. But with COVID- 19 my supervisor has not had to travel to meet with clients or companies which has left him with more time. The business was started just seven years ago and only has two employees, Derick the CEO and Founder and Mike the VP of Operations. Considering it was such a small group of employees, I did not know what to expect for the relationship between supervisor and intern. I have been very lucky thus far and been able to work first hand with Derick, the CEO and founder. Each day this week Derick has spent about an hour and a half with me – sharing insight, brainstorming ideas, giving instruction, and answering questions.

I found that Derick was very trusting from the first day and was very willing to give me many responsibilities. Starting from my first day he was getting me involved in phone interviews, getting my feedback, and having me start writing bios for candidates. I felt he was very encouraging for me to speak up and convey my ideas, creating a comfortable environment even through the phone. Derick took the time to get to know and he was willing to share his personal knowledge with me and take the time to teach me. I found this extremely positive, especially since he has been doing this business for so long with really only one other person which could have left him closed off but he proved to be very open to others having an influence on his business.

When analyzing Dericks leadership style, I found him to be quite innovative in his field because he has taken a new approach to running a staffing/recruiting firm. He wanted to be different and has definitely shed a new light on the industry. Additionally, I found him to be direct, in the sense that he was very comfortable being the face of his business and interacting with others. I have found Derick to be a transformational leader. Bass told us there are four factors to transformational leaders, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualize consideration. I find Derick to hold be extremely strong in two of these factors, idealized influence and individualized consideration. I have learned that Derick is very charismatic and makes me want to do great work for him. Additionally, he has taken the time to get to know me and make a genuine relationship which also makes me want to do great work for him.