Lawrence Williamson's Leadership Style Analysis

Lawrence Williamson Jr. is Director at the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center here at The Ohio State University. The Frank W. Hale Jr. Center develops and maintains supportive programs and activities for the development and advancement of all students and particularly African American students. As director he directs beneficial events, organizes teamwork opportunities, leads meetings on growing and building skills for the work force and everyday life, and oversees the student employment for day-to-day activities. He is the man that handles all the net-working and funding. He also makes the final decisions for the center and with the student events that take place. Lawrence has been the Director of the Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center

I explained why in my opinion he is an example leader, he said to me: “There are many leaders in the world, and they all lead in different ways.” In class we have been building vocabulary and terms to help effectively describe exemplary leadership; he “challenges the process”. I believe his statement shows his modesty as a leader, suggesting that he doesn’t put his success above anyone else’s. He goes on to say that it’s essential for a leader to be able to balance strength and sensitivity. He believes that there is a certain vulnerability that you take on as a leader. In his opinion leadership is based on two premises; “Your formal education and your informal education, your formal education is what you have learned through school and through your academics and your informal education is everything you learn outside of school.” Lawrence Williamson was born into a single parent household on a low- socially economic level; He says without the presence of leaders in his life it would have been hard for him to see the uniqueness in himself as a person; specifically as an African American

Lawrence finds all three skillsets important in leading the Hale Center. He is very admin in saying that in order to have loyal followers and success all skillsets have to work together and balance each other out. Leading with interpersonal skills is at times the one skill that requires more effort. He says that you have to know how to talk to certain people, and to know your limits. Lawrence says that administrative skills help with the business side of your organization, like managing budgets, creating positive net-work ties, and being able to manage a team as they carry out certain tasks. He feels that your conceptual skills help bring creative thinking to the table. Having the ability to apply outside knowledge to a situation proves very effective. He reminds me that if a leader feels they are lacking in one of these skillsets, it is ok to find someone to help that is skilled in the aspect they are struggling with; “It’s ok to accept outside help when you are not confident in