Reflect
on what you have learned throughout this course. How can you apply what you
learned to your own framework of leadership? Based on what you learned in this
class, what are some changes you want to make to your own leadership style?
In this course, I learned
that it’s almost impossible to be a good leader if you don’t know your own
strengths and weaknesses (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). Although many of us
suspect we know what our strengths and weaknesses are, one of the best ways to
get better in touch with ourselves is to take a personality test that will help
us understand our core self-evaluation. Self-awareness allows leaders to create
a development plan that will help them to further build upon strengths while strengthening
weaknesses. I’ve become more in touch with the fact that my strengths center
around interaction with people, organization, and working in teams. I’ve also
become more in touch with my weaknesses, like fearing change, avoiding
conflict, and failing to focus on efficiency in my work processes.
Based on the concepts I’ve
learned in this class, I strive to make changes in my own leadership style.
First, I want to improve my attitude towards change – embracing it rather than
avoiding it. I’ve realized through this course that my stress and anxiety level
is high and part of that is likely attributed to my attitude towards change. As
Whetton and Cameron (2016) pointed out, it’s nearly impossible to pay attention
to work priorities when we are trying to manage stress at the same time. To
address this, I will practice prospective hindsight, looking ahead to create a
plan for how to respond to unexpected situations (Levitin, 2015). In addition, I’m
going to make a habit out of finding a few minutes each day to sit alone and
completely relax so that my brain can unwind from stressful situations
(Puddicombe, 2013). This course has taught me
that it’s important to never get too comfortable with something just because it’s
going well. In fact, sometimes being brave enough to abandon
something familiar will actually lead to greater success (Torres, 2014).
I’ve also learned that one way to attract followers is to empower them, make them feel valued, and generally show them that I care. When people like coming to work, they are more likely to spread positive energy and raise the overall mood of the work environment. At the same time, I have learned that conflict is not a bad thing! I must not get so focused on making sure people like each other that they become afraid to challenge each other (Morieux, 2014). One thing I plan to do differently as a leader is to create situations where co-workers can respectfully disagree and create healthy debates. When we amplify differences instead of working to make everyone the same, creative ideas are more likely to surface and new solutions are born (Hill, 2015).
I’ve also learned that one way to attract followers is to empower them, make them feel valued, and generally show them that I care. When people like coming to work, they are more likely to spread positive energy and raise the overall mood of the work environment. At the same time, I have learned that conflict is not a bad thing! I must not get so focused on making sure people like each other that they become afraid to challenge each other (Morieux, 2014). One thing I plan to do differently as a leader is to create situations where co-workers can respectfully disagree and create healthy debates. When we amplify differences instead of working to make everyone the same, creative ideas are more likely to surface and new solutions are born (Hill, 2015).
In my career I do a lot of
negotiating, which is why I was especially interested in the lessons we learned
in module six. Ury (2010) explained how important it is to keep our emotions in
check and consistently remind both negotiating sides what’s at stake during a negotiation. It’s easy to lose sight when involved in a conflict, but I’ve
learned that increasing kindness and walking on the same side as my negotiating
opponents may actually get us to a win/win solution faster.
This course has been beyond
educational - it is going to make a difference in my career and likely even
change my chances of success in the near term. As pointed out several times in
the Whetton & Cameron (2016) text, traditional leadership is changing. My leadership framework will include the expectation that leaders serve as members of the team. My framework will require leaders to focus on developing others while developing themselves. Finally, my framework will clearly highlight the importance of diverse thought, healthy debate, and supportive communication. The quicker leaders embrace these ideas, the faster they will establish themselves as a critical
organizational asset and secure their long-term status as a phenomenal leader.
Levitin, D. (2015,
November). How to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jPQjjsBbIc&
feature=youtu.be
Hill, L. (2015, March 13). How
to manage for collective creativity [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjcZrtcBZi4
Morieux, Y. (2014, January
23). As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MD4Ymjyc2I
Puddicombe, A. (2013,
January). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ&feature= youtu.be
Torres, R. (2014, February
19). What it takes to be a great leader [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUYSDEYdmzw
Ury, W. (2010, December).
The walk from “no” to “yes” [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc6yi_FtoNo
Whetton, D. A. &
Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA:
Pearson.
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