Hence, If one is to improve one’s leadership skills and practice, then it is critically important that one is aware of one’s current level of skills, strengths and weaknesses, your values and behavioral patterns and the predominant ways you attempt to influence there (that is your leadership style). Understanding these things is an integral part of being able to respond effectively in a range of leadership situations. Not being self-aware may lead to action that destroys confidence and trust – it may even lead followers into harm.
Self-awareness, otherwise known as reflection is therefore a key to being a more effective leader that we hope to become someday. Upon completion of the Integer’s managerial role, I was able to understand the different facets that a Manager needs to have and also the various roles a manager must be able to fulfill daily to be considered a successful leader. The Analysis sheds more light on each of these roles and they include: the Figurehead, the Leader, the Liaison, the Monitor, the Disseminated, the Spokesperson, the Entrepreneur, the Disturbance Handler, the Resource Locator and the Negotiator.
These are further classified under three categories: Interpersonal, Informational and Decisional. All these roles are present in Managers however some are more eminent and more behaviorally visible. Furthermore, to successfully manage a workplace that is usually evolving and with complex working environment most often than not, he different faceted manager must be able to switch into the various roles as highlighted in the Integer’s analysis.
A leader must be willing to take on different roles and be seen as an all round leader, set a good example, a good role model, show empathy and humility, have emotional intelligence, be able to gather information, have networking skills, excel at conflict resolution, know what not to do when implementing any change to the organization, be a problem solver, be able to manage a budget, cut costs, prioritize, know how to be a win-win negotiator, and lastly, know about distributive bargaining.
All the above listed traits are considered necessary and essential in running an evolving and challenging work environment because the manager will be managing people from different background and there will be different individuals with wide perspectives and a leader has to learn the art of bringing out the best performance among his/her team members and be able to manage any sort of situation that he/she will definitely come across at some point during this leadership function.
In conclusion, to be able to develop far and above my current managerial abilities, I must be ready and ailing to be a follower despite my pay check and job description reflecting my leadership role and also learn to take opinions from my team members. And I must be able to learn the art of delegation and switching roles mentioned amongst the Midwinter’s managerial analysis to enable me record a proper management of people and the company as a whole In Merriam Webster Dictionary, “Strength is defined as the quality or state of being strong, a degree of potency or effect of concentration”.
Simply stated, strength can be any quality of being resilient, highly valued and making a strong impact in any tuition one finds oneself. A strength based leadership thus reiterates the importance of showing high value or strength in any organization or team that one is leading. ‘The strength leader is usually aware of his strength, what he does well and really enjoys doing, what he/she can learn fast and apply wisely and also the value that will shape his vision as a leader”.
Sullen Choosing (2010) To be given strength based feedback as a leader/manager, It will not only increase my self-esteem, production output as I am aware several subordinates will be looking up to learn such strength traits from me, it will also give me a certain sense Of focus that will reflect in my ability to lead and encourage subordinates as my high expectations of myself will overflow into their performance output at the end of the day. Also, it will showcase in my productive daily tasks and will ginger my need to personally build and work on my leadership strengths further and be learning constantly in a revolving world.
To be able to give and receive constructive feedback, I will need to be less direct and succinct with my feedback as I tend to come on as a little too bold and “hitting the nail on the head directly’. My ability to say the truth at all mimes not caring how it affects the recipient may not augur well with the final feedback that may be received should decide to adopt the “direct process of saying as it is” option in the BEAR; Behavior, Effect, Alternative & Result model.
As a result, the need to work on my diplomacy tact during feedback process will come in handy. To work effectively in a multi-cultural environment, the ability to relate interpersonally at all levels regardless of race, culture, status and intellectual capabilities needs to be further worked on and the art of giving constructive feedback needs to be integrated in my earning to-do list.
All the listed areas are necessary to successfully manage or be a part of any multi-cultural environment I will be finding myself either currently or in the near future as the case may be. A successful leader will be able to make a vital case on why the need for change is necessary in her work environment based on transformation experiences she has been able to overcome or a certain critical incident she successfully averted. She will also be able to promote a realistic and common vision for all and also integrate a successful change in an organized manner.
A leader who has been able to make decisions based on reflective approach and a transformation experience she once had, will be able to lead by example and will invariably understand the strengths and weakness of her team and align them with tasks and goals to get the optimum productivity from them. And according to Burns (1978), “to be transformational, the leader had to be morally uplifting”. Also, Bass, Burns and Howell and Viola (1992) argue that “if transformational leadership is authentic and true to self and others, it is characterized by high moral and teeth kcal standards in certain dimensions”.
Transformational experience sets the tone for leadership traits borne out of transformational experiences and certain thoughts reflected upon during those pivotal moments will enable a leader either form the path to either being a villainous leader or an exemplary one. A transformational experience will influence me positively as it will give me an opportunity to engage in self- reflection into my ethical values and give me the ability to know where my strength and weakness lies.
If as a leader, I am able to engage in personal evaluation due to my personal experiences or a pivotal moment in my ramifications period, will be able to show empathy to subordinates and also be able to know how to give feedback, get the optimum performance output from them. And also according to Burns (1978), “Leadership is a transformational process and both the leaders and the led are transformed- changed in performance and outlook”.
Hence, if am able to find myself and be quite certain on which areas I need to work on and build upon, I will be preparing myself into motivating and mentoring my subordinates while putting their strengths and capabilities into huge consideration. On skills that can be acquired from a ramifications experience or critical incident, Joshua D. Marigolds & Paul G. Stools (2010) identified four lenses through which managers can view adverse events to make this as seamless as possible: Control, Impact, and Breadth & Duration.
They went further to characterize these lenses into Individual’s personal reaction to incidents while the latter lenses capture his impressions Of the level of the damage incurred. One of the major skills I will personally need to develop/acquire to effectively lead any team is Resilience. “Resilient Managers shift quickly from endlessly dissecting traumatic events to looking award, determining the best course of action given new realities. They understand the size and scope of the crisis and the levels of control an impact they may have in a bad situation. Joshua D. Marigolds & Paul G. Stools (2010) p. 89. Another essential skill that I will be required to possess as a leader is the ability to effectively give constructive feedback and also be open to receiving feedback from my subordinate as this will promote effective communication and promote a good and realistic vision that they will be Willing to follow through as Patricia L. Harms & Deborah Bruit Roebuck (2009) p. 1 3 stated that “Feedback aligns workplace behavior with the overall goals of a team or an organization”.
Also, I will need to promote the BEAR & BET feedback to enable subordinates check themselves amongst their colleagues and also give feedback to me as a leader to enable me know my performance rating and be able to effect change where necessary. And according to Assume (2008) p. 41 6, the delivery of feedback must be consistent, which will make the feedback more credible ad will aid employees by making expectations more predictable and most importantly, positive feedback should be given”.
I am quite certain he critical moments and transformational experiences one will come across at some certain moments will aid acquisition of certain skills as mentioned above; Resilience, used to overcome the adversity faced during a pivotal moment in one’s difficult times and ability to give constructive feedback and also receive feedback in good spirit like my mother did while effecting change in us and which I have been able to learn and adapt into my present leadership status. “The role of the leader is a central component of their self-concept They have achieved a high person role merger (Turner, 1978) p. 98. Also, according to Robert J. Allis’s “Leadership-the five big ideas”, “good leaders have good character, leaders must collaborate and leaders are self-made”. With these outlined traits, it IS safe to say that the most important traits essential for a leader/manager are “integrity, high skills in learning, adaptable and be able to communicate and also be able to work with their followers to accomplish the right jobs”. Robert J. Olio 2009. P. 9 With the above excerpts, it is evident that integrity and ability to adapt while learning high skills are essential traits that a prospective leader needs to have.
Also, it is essential that a leader possess high emotional intelligence to enable him handle interpersonal relationships among employees and express himself empathetically. My professional values are my obligations to the public that may have placed their trust in me due to my profession. As a result of this obligation, owe the public a certain level of integrity and objectivity as well as competency in my areas of professional specification. My personal values on the other hand has to do with my beliefs about morality or my personal conscience.
These values are heavily influenced by either several events in my life or a major incident but major events that occurred within my personal relationships with close knit people. These are values that I set up due to personal and non-obligatory experiences. Unlike professional values that could have been formed as a result of rules and regulations by the organization or public and which needs to be followed religiously, my personal values are not as rigid and circumstances could cause a rethink.
This does not however indicate that there will not be conflicts between these two as my personal values may at times need to be set aside ND suppressed to accommodate a professional situation that may require me going against one of my personal values. According to Jim Collins, (2009), “If you need help transforming your organization’s wildest dream into reality, introduce a new managerial device that’s as simple as it is effective. Jim Collins article “Turning Goals into Power: The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms” served as an eye opener on the importance of setting not only goals but also setting realistic goals and creating a catalytic mechanism that will enable one make a difference and be able to put plan into action. However, though his article clearly analyses the importance of using catalytic mechanism to achieve results in most organization desirous of change, the resource that was able to align my goal into a realistic pattern is the Personal & Professional Development Plan document.
This document not only tailors one’s goal into a realistic vision but enables one to justifiably reason on its feasibility in the nearest or later future as the case may be. It also enables one so singularly take charge of one’s value and catapult into an action state as the document enables one to not only coin one’s numerous objectives awards one’s goal, it also helps to map out action plans to be taken and even give it a milestone and deadline. This way, one is able to ascertain if one is still on track or the need for a SMART result.
A leader needs to set up a SMART objective/goal to be able to accomplish one’s goals. Hard work and other skills may be necessary to effectively lead a team but a leader needs to put her goal in prosper and achievable perspective to be able to effectively work as a leader. When a leader’s goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Bound, she will be able to dead with the ability to give specific task that will be measurable and attainable within a specific time frame and with these measurable objectives in mind, she will be able to give constructive feedback based on the SMART results rule.
One’s goal may not be executable without indirect assistance from other team members that may be involved. For instance, the goal of a leader may be to be able to effectively communicate with affected employees. This means the cooperation of external parties is necessary and as a result, some external assistance may be required to make a goal with its SMART result. This means a goal may be achievable without approval or need for an outside force but to make it more realistic and attainable, one may not be able to expend the assistance of external parties who may need to come together to make some personal goals come to reality.
Reflecting on my Personal and Professional Development Plan The values, principles and goals that I selected for my PDP were based on feedback received both from colleagues and the Managerial Gap analysis I took during the course of this module. Have always had difficulties delegating tasks to both team mates and subordinates as tend to get impatient when I am on the quest for results and answers.
As a result, I always end up completing tasks myself and this resulted in team mates not been able to execute their professional abilities and potentials in completing team work as I always end up setting tasks and accomplishing them myself, thus no shared knowledge takes place most times. Was aware this was a weakness I should work on but due to my impatience, I disregarded all offers of help and kept on completing task by my “do it myself’ attitude. After a while, it became common knowledge that team members should not offer to elf but wait for me to request for assistance.
This went on for a long while until during the course “Giving & Receiving feedback” that was learnt during this module. I grudgingly sought my subordinates’ feedback and discovered delegation was a gap analysis I will be required to work on if I want to train team members that will be able to work effectively and as fast as I work. These feedback are areas I need to develop as they are going to help in maintaining, improving and broadening relevant knowledge I already possess and sharpen skills that are much needed to enable a positive impact on reactive and also aid my experiences as a learner of such knowledge and skill.
Furthermore, my inability to tolerate mediocrity and delegate tasks to subordinates are areas need to improve on as they are core reflection of my growing up years when I demanded perfection from my siblings at all times without putting into consideration their age and the importance of leading by example and showing them how best to act if I so desire change so badly.
This experience served as personal lesson of different leadership styles as discovered when my mother sought feedback from us despite our young age UT due to the change effect this feedback had on the family, I was able to take note of the importance of sharing feedback if any leader is to effect change among subordinates. For the goals set and the milestones set to enable me achieve them, I am well aware that may derail at some point due to certain unanticipated tasks that may require urgent completion which may then stop my ongoing objectives.
However, what will aid me in accomplishing my goals is to set small goals with a very near timeline which will serve as small stepping stones towards the big achievement. By the time I am able to set & accomplish small goals with immediate achievable objectives, even if the monumental goals may meet all the SMART requirements, I will find this less daunting and it will simply be a step towards the big goal accomplishment that will serve as reminder of earlier goals set and the need to achieve them within set timeliness.
Conclusion As far as leadership learning & styles such as; “The Meaning of Leadership”, “The Learning Leader”, “Learning from Transformational Experiences”, “Values Principles & Goals” and “Putting Goals into Action” are concerned, I feel that these specifics have been one of the most unique areas of learning have mom across in my years of learning. Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed the topics and resources availed to me in these past few weeks under each unit and I found them extremely useful and relevant in the dynamic era of leadership.
I felt that many of the questions raised to be answered in each reflective phase are extremely pertinent which can also have vast impact on one’s leadership career journey. And by seeking to understand many of the principles, theories and other leadership perspective raised in each unit, we are able to take a broader, more critical view on the term “Leadership in a Dynamic Era” and ultimately, in my opinion, e able to develop a global perspective which will in turn open us up to a transformational style of leadership.
Also, through the various shared activities we had, I believe that we have been able to truly achieve and integrate all the leadership ideas into our discussions such as the giving and receiving feedback methods discussed in one of the units. For example, I found our discussion on the BEAR & BET feedback form of learning extremely revealing and insightful as we were able to put practice into learning and draw out the best ways of giving and receiving feedback from our colleagues and course mates without using active criticisms that will serve as a demoralizing factor.
Finally, we were able to work towards developing our own goals and putting it into action with careful measures in ensuring it remains a SMART goal. Also regarding our mode of assessment, I believe it has developed each student including myself both intellectually and verbally by means of these reflective entries. It has allowed us view how well we are progressing and looking back these past few weeks, I am fairly certain many of us have developed maturity in our areas of careful and critical thinking and also our ability to articulate and put words and thoughts in a rather professional and eloquent manner.