Essay: Reflecting On Leadership Style & Improvement Areas.

What type of leader am I and what are the key areas that I need to improve to become more effective?

Leadership Theories and Traits

In this assignment, I aim to reflect on my experiences as an effective leader and its implications in my future life. In this segment, I will deploy the concept of Gibb’s reflective cycle that is popular model for reflection. The model entails six stages of reflection and it is manifest in the tabular format.

                                                              Figure 1: Gibb’s Framework of Reflection (1988)

                                                                  Source: McGregor and Cartwright (2011)

The scope of the assignment is to analyse my roles and responsibilities as an effective leader of my future nation. In this context, I have been exposed to various themes related to leadership and its profound influence on the organizations. At the same time, I have taken participation in numerous questionnaires and psychometric assessment tests that will explain my stance in a detailed manner. At the same time, I will integrate my reflective thoughts with the theories of leadership.

Leadership melds both theoretical and empirical paradigms. It entails a practical skill that involves the ability of an individual or organization that leads the entire organization. Leadership is an overarching concept that can be influenced by any factor (Antonakis et al. 2013). The concept of leadership is hotly debated in the academic and political circles. There are many theories of leadership that can influence the corpus of effective leadership. These are Great Man theory, Trait theory, Behavioural theories, Contingency theory and Situational theory. In this context, Trait theory will be used for assessing the leadership traits of an individual. The trait theories of leadership consider personality, physical, social and intellectual traits to discern leaders from other groups of leaders (Dinh et al. 2014). In this segment, one has to comprehend the leadership traits that will make an individual effective leader. The leadership traits are as follows: job-oriented ken, intelligence, self-confidence, Honesty and integrity, willingness to lead and ambitious mould. These traits are conspicuous among the effective leaders who want to climb the ladder of success.

In this section, I will discuss the questionnaires that I have completed during the period of my course. I have used digitized questionnaire survey and gained 19 upon 25 in the score card. The questionnaires manifest that I can be an effective leader, if I derive substantial support from my colleagues and superior fellows. During my course, I have demonstrated my skills and abilities through various reflective surveys and questionnaires. The standard questionnaires entail basic facts about leadership styles and qualities. By using certain determinants, one has to understand the stance of leadership.

1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Agree
5. Strongly agree

Questionnaire Surveys and Results

                                                                             Figure 2: Survey Questionnaire

                                                                          Source: (as created by the author)

The solved questionnaires are really indispensable for me as it moulds my behavioural traits and propels me into action. With the help of the cumulative results of the questionnaire surveys, I aim to establish an effective space that will hone my leadership skills and qualities.

In the segment, I will explicate the classroom activities that I have undergone during the winter semester. At the same time, I will reflect on my classroom activities that accentuated my self-confidence and intellect. These activities motivate me to capture the saddle of leadership and give me a stimulating platform for enhancing my career goals. There are certain classroom activities that inculcate leadership qualities in every individual. These activities help to mould the career of the child and instil positive thoughts in me. There are certain classroom activities that have inculcated leadership spirits in me. These activities were undertaken during the winter semester of the last year. The life-changing activities are team building activities, art related activities, creative thinking activities teaching planning and regulation of self-confidence. Based on these classroom activities, I have improved my leadership qualities and wielded my cognitive faculties.

Leadership is a significant quality that influences professional and personal life. The fact is some have innate leadership potentialities, while some have acquired it through continuous regurgitation and indoctrination of leadership theories (Úbeda-García  et al. 2017). At the same time, it is important to understand the changing dynamics of political and social life for better comprehension of leadership qualities (Wright and McMahan 2011).

Children can become effective leaders, while some are taught to become a good leader. They should be motivated and the children should gain an opportunity to wield their cognitive faculties. It is indispensable for the parents to foster positive energy in their children. The positive energy will bring in a transformation in their behavioural disposition. If the parents understand that their children do not have the adequate qualities to become an effective leader, they should nurture their goals and help them gain success in future life (Northouse 2015).

In this section, I would reflect on the development areas that need to be improved in an efficient way. Despite being a student of chemical engineering, I have taken an unflagging interest in political science and history of evolution. I had been a very good student of Social Studies during my school days.  Since my school days, I have taken a positive interest in political movements. The Russian Revolution (1917) and the Indian Freedom Struggle Movement (1857-1947) have greatly influenced me and I am very much oriented towards the leadership styles of international stalwarts such as Dwight Eisenhower, Gamel Abdel Nasser, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. I deeply followed the leadership styles of many veteran Australian politicians who represented Australian House of Representative and Australian House of Senate. Honourable Tony Abbott is my ideal Australian political figure who adopts liberal style of leadership.

Classroom Activities and Leadership Development

In order to become an effective leader, I have to understand the needs of my targeted audience first. I have to put them on a priority basis and comprehend the changing equation of political scenario. It is important to acquire certain idealistic traits that will given an impetus to my own identity and the wing that I support. I have to develop certain areas such as effective communication, style of governing people and developing flair of literacy and art. These areas need to be developed for a better understanding of politics and populace. In order to become a leader, one has to hone communication skills (Michie and Sheehan 2005). It is important to project myself as an effective communicator who can build nexus with the mass at large in Australia. For this, I want a mentor who will give proper guidance in this matter. At the same time, one has to understand the style of governing people. I can govern my targeted audience effectively if I master their language and understand their grievances better.

Summing up, the study shows that I am exposed to the current trends pertaining to leadership and its profound impact on organizations. I have always aspired to become a prominent leader and serve the Australian nation. To my belief, leadership entails all-encompassing features that are inculcated in strong-willed individuals. In order to mould my leadership career, I have to identify the discernible skills and calibre that will lead me to a successful path. After identifying the skill-sets, I have to undertake questionnaire survey and psychometric tests for better performance in the corporate and managerial levels. Based on the cumulative results of the psychometric tests and questionnaire survey, I will situate my leadership identity in the broader compass (please refer to the psychometric tests in the appendix section). Leadership merges both hypothetical and observational standards. It involves a useful aptitude that includes the capacity of an individual or association that leads the whole association. Authority is an overall idea that can be affected by any element. The idea of authority is fervently in the scholarly and political circles. There are numerous hypotheses of administration that can impact the corpus of powerful authority. These are Great Man hypothesis, Trait hypothesis, Behavioural speculations, Contingency hypothesis and Situational hypothesis. In this unique circumstance, Trait hypothesis will be utilized for surveying the administration attributes of a person. The quality hypotheses of authority consider identity, physical, social and scholarly attributes to perceive pioneers from different gatherings of pioneers. In this fragment, one needs to fathom the administration qualities that will make an individual successful pioneer. The authority characteristics are as per the following: work situated ken, knowledge, fearlessness, Honesty and uprightness, ability to lead and aggressive form. These qualities are prominent among the viable pioneers who need to climb the step of accomplishment.

References

Antonakis, J. and House, R.J., 2013. The full-range leadership theory: The way forward. In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition (pp. 3-33). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Dinh, J.E., Lord, R.G., Gardner, W.L., Meuser, J.D., Liden, R.C. and Hu, J., 2014. Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), pp.36-62.

Kohtakangas, K., Perttula, J. and Syväjärvi, A., 2015. Modelling of leniency in leadership in the face of hardships. A Seven-scale instrument to measure the romans 12 1 motivational gifts and a proposition that the romans 12 gift profiles might apply to person-job fit analysis, 9(1), p.23.

McGregor, D. and Cartwright, L. eds., 2011. Developing reflective practice: A guide for beginning teachers. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Michie, J. and Sheehan, M., 2005. Business strategy, human resources, labour market flexibility and competitive advantage. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(3), pp.445-464.

Northouse, P.G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.

Úbeda-García, M., Claver-Cortés, E., Marco-Lajara, B. and Zaragoza-Sáez, P., 2017. Human Resource flexibility and performance in the hotel industry: the role of organizational ambidexterity. Personnel Review, 46(4).

Wright, P.M. and McMahan, G.C., 2011. Exploring human capital: putting ‘human’back into strategic human resource management. Human resource management journal, 21(2), pp.93-104.