Leadership Reflection - Research Paper Example

Leadership reflection Introduction Leadership defines a person or an entity’s influence over another person or entity, or other people or entities. Different leadership styles exist with different characteristics and each style is suitable for particular environments. In this paper, and based on knowledge from self-assessments, I describe transformational leadership style as my most suitable style and I offer a rationale for the choice of leadership style. Leadership style that best describes me, and rationale behind the choice of leadership styleTransformational leadership style is the one that describes me accurately because of the identifiable consistency between features of the leadership style and my leadership approach.

Transformational leadership defines an influence that is “developing and transforming” to the target group. Its core objective is to empower people and to motivate them towards exploring their developed potentials (Dubrin, 2012, p. 83). The leadership style is further based on assumptions that that people express their allegiance to those who inspire them and that empowerment and motivation is a suitable strategy to success (Rose, n.d). One of the characteristics of the leadership style is the leader’s development of awareness among the led group.

This involves informing the people of their environment, their potential rewards, and the worth in the rewards. A transformational leader also develops a collective mentality among people as opposed to individualism. The leader also assists people to derive self-fulfillment in their engagements and to understand dynamism in the environment, factors that facilitate the people’s desire to make necessary changes. The type of leader also commits to high achievements and ensures a developed trust between him or her and the led population besides exhibiting such traits as charisma, “emotional intelligence,” and support to their followers (Dubrin, 2012, p. 86). The relationship between the leadership style and the personality traits has further been empirically established with more significant features in interpersonal relationship skills and ethical observance in a leader’s interaction with the led group (Dubrin, 2012), aspects that identify concerns and initiatives for developing people’s interest through empowerment and motivation (Eeden, Clilliers and Deventer, n.d.).

These characteristics are consistent with results from my leadership assessment. I for example like offering my ideas to people around me and am usually happy when my ideas empower the people towards success. I also inspire people through my interpersonal skills and personal initiatives that also set successful examples for others to emulate. Similarly, I value collective success and likes recognizing and appreciating other people for their efforts. My leadership approach also focuses on mentoring people and integrating into problems that affect my team or group.

When my group has a high impact assignment, I prefer taking an active role than passing the responsibility to others. My personal assessment also identifies my flexible decision making approach that respects and incorporates other’s people’s ideas. My approach to leadership therefore applies interpersonal skills and ethical considerations to empower, motivate, and influence people towards success at both personal and team levels, aspects that are consistent with characteristics and assumptions of transformational leadership (Dubrin, 2012).

Conclusion Transformational leadership style best describes my personality. This is because its characteristics that motivate, empower, and influence people towards collective success are consistent with my traits that apply ethics and interpersonal skills to steer people to success through influence. ReferencesDubrin, A. (2012). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Eeden, R. Clilliers, F. and Deventer, V. (n.d.). Leadership styles and associated personality traits: Support for the conceptualization of transactional and transformational leadership.

South African Journal of Psychology (38.2) 253- 267. Rose. (n.d). Leadership styles. Retrieved from: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/StudentAffairs/ra/files/CLSK/PDF/Section%20Three%20Campus%20Involvement%20&%20Leadership/Leadership%20Styles.pdf.