My philosophy of leadership has changed after taking this course with Dr. Jim Street and Erin Parish. I would personally consider myself a leader from past positions or actions, although I have “expanded my frame” a lot after being in the Leadership and Legacy class. At the beginning of this semester I saw leadership as a position or skill. I still believe that it is a skill that can be retained, although it is not based off position but rather actions taken. I did not know the large variety of leadership that is surrounding me on a daily basis. I have been taught leadership previously by being in student council, public speaking class, Girl Scouts and being a guest service manager at Lowes Foods. This class has really tied all of those things together for me. Communication is crucial when it comes to Leadership, between other leaders and followers, to be a successful leader one must properly communicate which also means knowing how to listen. …show more content…
It is not a role, but a process of people working together towards completed or achieving a goal together. Communication and listening is also part of this process that takes place during leadership. Leadership will always be a process due to the fact that it can take many years and experiences to be a successful leader to others.
My philosophy of leadership has changed for what I believe is better and more open minded. I know there is more information for me to learn and I am looking forward to learning more about leadership and how to improve myself as a leader. To improve my own leadership skills I think it is important for me to recognize my strengths, weaknesses and values. This is truly important for any successful leader because there is always ways to
I have always known I love change, but from this class, I learned change is the hallmark of a leader. As John C. Maxwell says in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, “Growth = Change.”The leadership assessments allowed me to understand myself in a new way. Because I am a curious green thinker, I need explanations and answers to understand my world. I tend to see the big picture of a project and my mind motivates me toward something new or improved. I am curious about new opportunities because I easily become bored with routine. Learning I have these characteristics has increased my confidence to pursue future leadership roles in a small to a mid-sized position.
My Leadership philosophy is influenced by President Abraham Lincoln and his leadership style which resounds with me on how one should act and leader others. In fact, his willingness to get out of the office and circulate around the people is one of the foundations of his leadership style and is resonated by Master Chief Cantrell as he calls all chiefs to get out from behind our desks and get to know our people. This trait along with his character as it relates to honesty and integrity align directly with how I believe a leader should act. Leadership for me is not just telling people what needs to be done, but in order to be an effective leader we must get to know those we lead and above all we must be honest with everyone around us, both
I believe that my general view of leadership has not changed over this course, however, before I had a very vague concept of what leaders do and how they act but not an in-depth perspective of the exact characteristics that they possess and how they use them to better themselves as well as their followers. Through this course I have been able to see how different people view leadership and the strengths and ethics that people feel are essential for the people to be successful leaders. This course has been very beneficial for me as a leader for several
The essence of this book relates to how human beings communicate with each other, and especially within the Christian community. Communication is the fundamental process by which people share information, integrate and remain connected. Christians relating to one another requires certain communication tools necessary to articulate and share information. According to Muelhoff & Lewis communicating ideas, values and beliefs, “through the study and practice of communication we accomplish crucial aspects in the life of the believer.” This process of communication is a systematic process, in which information for effective communication is important.
I agree with you as a leader it is important to recognize where we are and where we want to go. The knowledge that I have acquired from this course has helped to guide me in the right direction. I feel confident leading others and hope to inspire them. However, I understand that I need to be able to reflect on my current leadership style and make the necessary changes. One change that I plan to implement as I stated on my journal is servant leadership which encourages “leaders be attentive to the concerns of their followers and nurture them” (Northouse, 2013, p. 219). Also, I plan to implement situational leadership. I understand that I should base my conduct on the demands of a particular situation. I learned that if I aspire
When I thought of leadership, I thought of someone good at telling others what to do. Not much has changed about my quiet nature, but my take on leadership has changed drastically. In my high school art class, most of the kids were underclassmen. I befriended them and would always share my experiences and give them advice to help them succeed in high school. I encouraged them to do all their work and get involved in extracurricular activities for a more meaningful high school experience. I realize now that I was more of a leader than I thought. I unintentionally mentored my classmates, and at the same time lead by example because I did all my work and stayed busy being involved. I realize now that encouragement and example are very important aspects of
One of the biggest lessons learned from this course is that to be an effective leader, you must have a diverse skillset. I’m not sure if there is any one magical component or characteristic in being a great leader. One influence during my review of the literature was that; although easier for some, I see leadership as something we must continually improve upon. This is in contrast to my belief during my first day of class, when I thought leaders just
Enthusiasm, connections and a goal for positive change; these are the three most crucial ingredients in the making of a good, successful leader that makes people happy. Positive change is key since it is the end goal, but first must come enthusiasm. Commitment and dedication for change in the world steam from enthusiasm and create an open atmosphere where effective communication can take place. Connections are the building blocks of leadership and fuel to continue. They are the support, the network and the backbone behind successful leaders. Finally, Leadership is the ability a person has to create change and effectively move a group forward though either intellectual, social or physical change.
After I have taken this course, I feel that I have broadened my knowledge in regard to leadership. It’s amazing to me that there is so much more to it than just barking orders. I have learned that some of the things that I have been doing are completely wrong and need some improvement especially in the field of communication. Reflective listening seems to be what I have been using the most in my daily life since I have been taking this course. It’s when someone listen and try to understand what others have to say and put it into his or her own words and feed them back to the sender. (Lisper, Rautalinko, 2004) I feel that this is the most effective strategy for me to communicate and I believe it shows most people I have conversed with that
Perspectives are a fundamental part of leadership. Leaders have an obligation to explore different perspectives and allow input from others in order to become an effective leader. Obtaining these perspectives allows leaders to understand others as well as their ideas rather than keeping a narrow vision of the world and who is in it. By allowing this broader view, leaders are also able to connect with more people, learn more, along with a continuation of growth and understanding.
There are two main points to what we have begun to discuss in this course, our leadership styles and how to improve as a leader. If I want to make a difference in this world then I need to become a leader, and my specific personality and strengths will make me a different leader than others. I need to take everything we have talked about and apply it so that I can improve as a person and as a leader.
The second practice that I will focus on for change, is lead more with my head and not just with my heart. Under the authentic leadership theory as stated by Waite, R., McKinney, N., Smith-Glasgow, M., Meloy, F. (2014), “Leaders who model fairness, execute justice for others, and include their convictions of the heart can be received as authentic leaders” (P. 284). This perception by others, at times, has influenced me to lean a decision more toward the employee out of empathy instead of making a better business decision. One of the underlying components of authentic leadership is, authentic behavior/action. Also, according to Waite, R., McKinney, N., Smith-Glasgow, M., Meloy, F. (2014), “when a leader is consistent and acts in agreement with his or her values, convictions, and desires, then authentic
As the president of a company, I would promote honesty, respect, service, excellence, and integrity (Manning & Curtis, n.d.). All values are essential for a company to be successful, but these particular values mean more to me. These same values will also provide me with the guidance that I need to deal with people, products, prices, and profits.
It is hard to quantify what I have learned in the semester of Leadership because the courses focus was not about memorizing data, but rather learning about having the will to lead and finding the courage to make it happen. A majority of the information I learned from this course came from learning about myself. Through readings, course activities, and various projects, I learned what makes a great leader, but more importantly what traits I possess that will make me a great leader. In order to be a great leader, one must have an understanding of what leadership is. Leadership is a social influence (Stogdill, p. 25). It means leaving a mark. It is initiating and guiding, and the result is change. Leading is the result of your passion coming to life.
During the past ten weeks, I have strengthened my concept of what constitutes effective leadership. Importantly, it is a leadership style that maximises the contributions of followers to achieve the desired outcomes for the organisation they represent. As Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy (2014, p.57) explains, effective leaders need to balance the drive to achieve a task with managing relationships. Therefore, it is essential for good leadership to not only focus on the task but develop, motivate and empower team members to strive for the achievement of task goals.