Personal Leadership Essay
In my early years, I thought leaders were people who only led big organizations and a country. I always underestimated leadership and never imagined that a father heading a family would be termed as a leader. I thought that leaders are only elected by others to lead in big platforms. They also had to be charismatic in leading their followers towards a particular path. This included having a persuasive speech and unmatched character that made them enviable to all. However, as my age progressed, I changed my views on this aspect. I started appreciating the responsibilities my father was undertaking in the family. I felt that leaders are not determined by the number of people being led or the size of the organization.
My very first experience when it comes to witnessing a true leader was looking up to my dad as an entrepreneur and his common behavioral traits as a leader to help him manage his business and motivate his employees. He was a decisive leader that embraced change and always inspirational and empathetic. He always motivated his employees by challenging them to work hard towards meeting their targets. He made them feel like part of the business by giving them the freedom to make decisions without his direction. This autonomy motivated most of the employees as they felt that the manager appreciated and acknowledged their efforts. In addition, his other personality traits as a leader was to control his emotions, and I value this trait about him. He was always calm, especially in troubling situations when he had to deal with losses and employee turnover. His decision-making skills enabled him to make fast decisions that solved the crisis at hand within a short time.
In my previous situations, I was incomparable to my dad. We always quarreled due to my pessimism and lack of motivation in life. I always complained when given the responsibility of performing simple tasks. Besides, my pessimistic attitude always thought that the business would collapse because of the employee’s laxity. I always complained and undervalued their contribution towards the business. Nevertheless, I have been trying to make passive-aggressive decisions, as I have realized that my mood has a significant impact on my judgment. A leader needs to take the responsibility of managing their emotions mindfully.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Additionally, my present attitude towards leadership has changed. I have realized that it is vital for a leader to be persuasive. Every leader must have the ability to persuade others to follow his dreams. This requires a systematic way of selling their vision and having a concise message of why their path is the right one. I have also known that it is important for a leader to be a role model for others. The employees in a company always look upon their leader before making vital decisions. Therefore, a leader must lead by example and be the image that he wants to see in the employees.
Before taking this class, I had a leadership opportunity to lead my political science team members in a group project. The team members chose me to be the group leader because of my enthusiasm for the course. My work was always authentic, and I never wasted time trying to look like someone else. I always sought advice from my team members, and I tried to be fair. All the group members appreciated how I was concerned about each member. They valued the engagement of each one of them in the group discussions. However, one of my weaknesses that really bothered me during this group project was that I could not control my emotions, which resulted in uncommitted group members. This was a great experience for me to know that being a perfect leader is not easy, and it is hard to keep every person satisfied. I learned that you need to have a mindful control over your emotions.
The current leadership style that I am following is to be the coach of my team to recognize my team member’s strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. This type of leadership style assists team members in setting smart goals and then gives timely feedback to group members. Besides, I work directly with the team members to ensure that we achieve the group goals. I involve each member and make them feel appreciated by the group. This raises their confidence, and most are excited whenever we meet. Moreover, this allows them to own the group and contribute various ideas on how the team can be effective. As a team leader, I always try to lead by example so that the team members can emulate my character. In group meetings, I always keep time, which also motivates the members to follow suit. They are excited to have a leader whom they can look upon and emulate his character. The coach leadership style is one of the most successful styles of leadership as it keeps everyone satisfied and make sure they are happy. The team members are excited to have a leader who acts as their teacher and role model.
Based on the positive feedback that I get from my teammates, I believe that I’m a good listener, problem solver, and I do care a lot about my responsibilities. Whenever I face a problem as a leader, I first try to understand it and secondly brainstorm to find possible resolutions to that problem. I am also a very open person to the comments and recommendations of the group members. My team members have become positively motivated in life due to the encouragement I offer them. They also feel that they have a role model whom they can follow his character and behavior. Most of them are enthusiastic about working hard to achieve positive results.
After attending the leadership course, my opinions about leadership have significantly changed. I have realized that being a perfect leader requires a fully committed person. Commitment involves believing in something and working towards meeting certain objectives. This also yields a driving force towards something since the minds of the leaders are focused on attaining certain aims. Through commitment, the followers are also motivated as they view the leader as a perfect role model for them. Believing in certain aims motivates the employees to work hard and achieve the company goals.
In addition, I have learned that one has to master leadership in their personal life to lead a group of people. It is difficult to lead others if one has not understood his strengths and weaknesses. Understanding one’s ability is the starting step of leading any group. The leader must utilize his strengths to guide the people. Those who lack particular leadership qualities should attend leadership schools and undertake courses that can sharpen their skills. Similarly, understanding the weaknesses is also an important learning step for every leader. Weaknesses are what shapes a person to become a better person. Therefore, a leader must appreciate his shortcomings and work towards improving them.
My concepts about the direct relationship between leadership styles and results have also changed. Achievement of positive results depends on the kind of leadership adopted by the management. For instance, a strategist who communicates his vision properly is guaranteed to achieve positive results in life. A leader must always set strategies with specific timelines to guide the company. Strategies act as a firm’s compass that direct the employees in their daily task. It motivates them to work hard since they know the targets and expectations of the management. Additionally, a perfect leader must maintain sound communication protocols with followers. Open communication channels should be maintained to enable employees to open up their ideas and help the company adopt new changes. Open communication also makes the employees feel appreciated as they can share their ideas in time without being dismissed.
Moreover, a leader must create a conducive working environment for the employees. All the members must feel appreciated by the company for their contributions to reaching specific targets. Besides, everyone must be given the liberty of exploring their talents and skills in life. This can inspire them to be committed and work hard towards achieving company goals. In terms of rewards and promotions, the management should ensure that employees are motivated in their jobs. This can entail awarding salaries, depending on their performance levels. Those who surpass particular targets should be promoted, and this can help in improving their performances in the workplace.
I need to improve my trust in teamwork to become effective in leadership. I have always been struggling to work in a team that does not believe in my values. I have to conquer the barrier of believing that I am always right. In a team, there are people with different skills, attitudes, and mindsets. Each one of the members has a unique contribution he can give in life. Therefore, I have to learn how to appreciate all the team members without despising others.
I can also become an ideal leader if I exhibit agility in life. I always struggle with adapting to significant changes in life. Adapting to changing environments is a problem where I take a lot of time to adjust my conduct. Therefore, if I can become more agile in life, I can become an ideal leader. In this century, there are so many changes happening in the leadership front. Leaders must always be ready to cope with new changes in life. Agility determines the success of a leader, especially during trying times. The ability of a leader to adapt to changing circumstances is vital in driving a company forward.
Another barrier that I have to conquer is sound decision making. The process of making fast decisions is essential in keeping the organization in check. The management must be in a position to make quick decisions, especially in times of crisis. Additionally, the decisions must be sound to avoid driving the firm into a significant crisis. I have been facing the challenge of making sound decisions in a faster way. I always have trouble making quick decisions within a short time. Many are the times I make irrational rush decisions. However, I am trying to overcome this challenge by exposing myself to stressful situations. This is activating my mind to make fast and sound decisions within a short time.
In one of the seminars I attended, I feel that there is an improvement in my leadership traits. I have learned that with time, my involvement in working in a team has improved. It is now becoming more comfortable working within a group. This entails turning the weaknesses of most members into strengths. I have also improved my communication strategies when talking to my team members. I have been adopting more sound communication styles of making my followers believe in my dream. I have also learned the secret of creating a sound communication system where all people feel free to share their ideas without fear. Therefore, my leadership traits have improved with time, and I am gaining more skills in guiding people.