Individual Leadership Growth - Assignment Example

Individual Leadership Growth Reflection Teacher               Individual Leadership Growth Reflection It is not easy being a leader, and it is even more difficult being and becoming an authentic leader. In this world where distrust permeates the American society and the world as well, what is needed is authenticity of character coupled with good and effective leadership. This is what I believe I am and this is the path that I want to take in my journey towards leadership in the future. Relevant Self-Discoveries in My Individual Growth as Leader and Reasons for Identifying with Authentic Leadership Throughout the course, I have discovered myself as a leader of authenticity. This is because I have demonstrated as my ideal several qualities. One is that of self-awareness (Kruse, 2013). This means that I am capable of becoming a person and a leader who is aware of both his strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, I believe that the genuineness of my character is also one of my strengths and another reason why I believe I am fit to be an authentic leader (Kruse, 2013). I have also realized that I am a mission-driven person, which means one who is above his concerns for self-interest and is focused on results (Kruse, 2013). By being mission-driven, I could actually effortlessly encourage people to work out a particular project without having to please me, thus they can follow my example and they also do not focus on their happiness. Rather, they focus on the completion of the project for that is the only thing that can actually bring them so much joy and satisfaction. Moreover, by being mission-driven myself and by inspiring others to be the same kind of person, I can personally say that one can accomplish something fast only if he does not focus on the problems of the present or on how difficult it is to do it. In short, being mission-driven makes one ignore the difficulties one would normally experience when trying to achieve a goal. This is therefore one of the major keys to professional success. According to Kruse (2013), an authentic leader leads with his heart and is therefore not afraid to show his emotions. This means that whenever I lead people someday, I believe I will use my heart in leading them, which is through love, concern and example. This is in conjunction with my desire to focus on supporting people and to show them empathy and care, which are essential parts of my leadership growth plans. The best way I can achieve this rather emotional leadership is to acknowledge the hardships that each member experiences while they are trying to accomplish the goals of the group or the company. Moreover, according to Kruse (2013), an authentic leader must possess long-term focus and must emphasize hard work and patience. This aspect of being an authentic leader is not only what I admire but also what I feel resonates in me. Just like the leader I once featured – Abraham Lincoln – there is no time that should be wasted. When Lincoln was still in Congress, there was no time that he did not fight against slavery. Even as he became President, Lincoln remained faithful to his ideal. He was therefore an example of someone whose life was filled with unceasing focus. There was never a moment in his life when he did not think of his goal of emancipating the slaves. This is the same type of leader that I would want to be someday. Being and becoming a leader is therefore all about focus, hard work and patience. Yet, with so many distractions around, there is no way that one can possibly maintain his focus on his work except through discipline. If the leader possesses discipline, it is but natural that his subordinates will also begin to possess the same thing. Discipline does not only make it possible for anyone to accomplish his or her goals but also teaches him which things he should prioritize in order to carry out his tasks well. Thus, through discipline, the leader and his members become extremely efficient in carrying out whatever it is that they have to do. Moreover, I believe that an authentic leader or the leader that I want to be must not only be realistic, disciplined and focused but also one who is full of inspiration. Inspiration is not something that is based on reality. Rather it is based on something that only the mind and heart can perceive, and the high moral character that resides in each one. In fact, according to Cooper et al. (2005), inspiration may be derived from confidence, hopefulness, optimism and a certain degree of awareness that leaders naturally have. There is no way that reality can fuel up inspiration because at times reality can be very depressing and overwhelmingly painful, but it is the capacity of every authentic leader to focus on the positive every time simply because it is the imaginary positive that inspires members to do their best. Another quality of an authentic leader which I want to adopt someday is that of self-development. In fact, according to Walumbwa et al. (2008), “The role of the leader in self-development is a central component of their self-concept” (p. 92). This means that every leader who knows himself must naturally aim for self-development. Self-development must therefore be the goal behind every form of authentic leadership. An authentic leader therefore must not only think of the goals of the project or the company whenever he is tasked to do them. He must also keep in mind that above all these activities and company goals, one of the ultimate goals is for him to attain self-development. As he does this, the leader further transforms himself into a much better and more capable person who is able to lead his members towards their own respective goals of self-development. The authentic leader that I believe I am supposed to become is someone who can actually synergistically combine his goals, behavior and self-concept clarity. In fact, according to Walumbwa et al. (2008), the authentic leader must have “goals [that] are self-concordant, behavior [that] is self-expressive, [and] a high level of self-concept clarity” (p. 92). This means that he knows that whatever task he is trying to accomplish, he knows how to make his behavior and goals align with his true nature. In short, everything is working well for him. There is nothing that he practices that does not serve his purpose for each aspect of himself – behavior, goals, and nature – is trying to help each other accomplish whatever it is he is trying to achieve. An authentic leader is also someone who naturally possesses gratitude and appreciation for his subordinates (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). This means that in all his tasks and in all his dealings he does not forget to thank the members for their efforts in accomplishing such tasks. He also does not assume that his members are merely obliged to do the work and should therefore not be thanked but merely compensated. In short, he realizes the power of words and thankfulness towards others. People do not work or try to accomplish a task just for the sake of compensation or material reward. People are working hard with other members in a group to accomplish a goal and to be praised and appreciated for their efforts. This is something that the authentic leader knows because he himself can put himself in every member’s shoes. He genuinely cares for them and he truly appreciates their efforts. Good and effective leadership is usually not based on obligation or on strictness but in instilling trust and appreciation in one’s members. In fact, this is not only the best way to accomplish a group task – this is also one way to make someone feel that he is a valuable part of the group and that without this member and his efforts, the completion of the task at hand would not have been made possible. Moreover, this is also what I want to become in the future as I believe this is what I am and what I am supposed to be. An authentic leader is also someone who definitely has true and genuine concern for others and has honesty and loyalty for these people. In fact, this attitude is mostly founded on his already strong ethical convictions (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). This means that the authentic leader remains worthy of all respect, honor and admiration in the eyes of his subordinates merely because he is a good man. He values people as a whole and he does not have a negative perception of them. Sometimes, a rather pessimistic and critical perception of people in general would make others in the group feel that that is exactly how the leader perceives them too. In short, what is being accomplished by the authentic leader is not only the goals of the company or the tasks at hand but also an image that is sympathetic to others. In fact, this may even be the reason why some people disrespect or end up fooling the leader because he himself does the same to people in general. I myself do not want to share the same fate as these evil leaders. The worst that could happen to them is that their subordinates would turn against them in defense of justice and goodness. The authentic leader therefore does not think that his members would forever be loyal to him no matter what he does. He should therefore watch out closely what he does for it is the basis of obedience, loyalty and trust. If he does not do good, sooner or later his members will not remain loyal to him anymore and would even oppose him outright. Thus, I have realized that I wanted to become a good leader not only through my own actions and convictions but also through the goodness of my works for this is I believe another basis of good and effective leadership. One may be a good leader but in order to accomplish this, he must be a good person first. This is actually perfectly in line with an idea of mine in my leadership growth plan – that a good leader should make people appreciate his ethical directions and values. Naturally, the only way he can accomplish this is through his own example. Throughout the activities I have done on leadership, I have realized that I value authenticity of character in every sense of the word “authenticity” and so I believe I am destined to become an authentic leader myself. Authentic leaders must also be self-actualized people, according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and because of this they possess a certain degree of authenticity. Moreover, they live under the motto “To thine own self be true” (Avolio & Garder, 2005). This means that the authentic leader is expected to be true to himself and is expected by every member to accept himself fully even before they do. In fact, a good leader must possess “self-disclosure and the development of mutual intimacy and trust so that intimates will see one’s true self-aspects, both good and bad” (Ilies et al., 2005, p. 381). In fact, there is so much humility in a good leader for him to be able to realize this. This in turn makes him accept the members too as themselves, as acceptance is often the key to genuine appreciation. Therefore, if the leader does not know how to accept his members of even himself, it would show in his being critical of them and of people in general. Some leaders are overly strict and dictatorial and these are the types I could never imagine myself to be. These leaders are the ones who cannot seem to accept some qualities in other people, which means that they also cannot accept the same qualities in themselves. Leaders whose presence makes others feel uncomfortable are the ones who are actually uncomfortable with themselves that is why they are communicating the same discomfort towards others. This is certainly not the type that I would want to be if I were to be a leader someday. As someone who values authenticity and good ethical directions, I believe that a good leader must not be selfish in his ways and ideas and must share these with his members. Thus, an authentic leader must be able to give priority to developing associates to become leaders and, through the leader’s behavior, can transform ad inspire others into leaders themselves (Ilies et al., 2005). This means that as a realist, he must realize that he is not the only one who has a potential to become a leader. Everyone, with the exceptions of a few, can actually become a leader, at least in my own point of view. Thus, with proper training and instilling of values, almost anyone can become a great leader too. True leaders recognize this. I have also discovered that I am someone who actually draws out from inside of me everything I need to solve a particular problem. This somehow not only shows what kind of person I am but what kind of leader I hopefully will be someday. In fact, as what Sparrowe (2005) stated, “Being yourself; being the person you were created to be rather than developing the image or persona of a leader is the way to restore confidence in business organizations after Enron and Arthur Andersen” (p. 420). This means that the ideal leader is someone who does not try hard to be one and who does not care about his image of being a leader. In the same way, a leader is someone who knows how to “restore confidence” in something that has not been trusted to work anymore like the companies that failed. He is therefore a natural source of power and inspiration for others. In this way, he is respected. In the same way, this is also what I value as a person and this is what I want to be in the future. Lastly, I believe that every good leader knows how to value practicality. It is believed by many that in America today, there is a “major crisis” in terms of leadership, and that people are losing their confidence in the leaders of politics, government, religion, business, and education (George, 2007, p. 7). However, the basis of good governance and strong leadership as well as national unity is trust. Therefore, there is a great demand for trustworthy leaders, and I believe that someday I will be one of these trustworthy leaders. Moreover, the only way to be trusted by the people is to be one authentic leader. From this principle of trust, what can be learned is that perhaps, if only this country or any other country would have good and trustworthy leaders, there would be less conflict, violence and distrust among the people. Moreover, from this insight, one can learn that in order for a leader to prove himself good, he must be able to apply himself to practical situations, especially those that are of national concern. Three Well-Developed Individual Leadership Development Strategies that Will Support me as Leader in the Workplace In order to support me as a leader in my intended workplace someday, there are three well-developed individual leadership development strategies that I can think of and which are in line with the development of being an authentic leader. I want to be a businessman someday so first of all, I should have constant and regular training about business. If I were to work in a firm regularly, I should therefore be continually trained regarding the technicalities of the nature of business which I am doing. I believe this should go on throughout the first six months of work and will continue as long as there is more or something new to learn. This can be accomplished in a group training class where there is an instructor perhaps for two hours every Saturday. After all, a long training might just make people exhausted since it is the weekend. Something useful for the job itself can be the subject for the training. The end result would most likely be empowerment and added knowledge of things. Besides, I should be willing to learn from the seniors first before I can lead them. Another leadership development strategy that I believe will support me as a leader in my intended business firm someday is individual coaching with a senior employee or any one of the senior advisers of the board. There is nothing that cannot be gained if one asks someone who has already been through all these things that I still have to go through. This can be done irregularly or perhaps twice a week. I should be ready with my questions and come to our appointment perhaps in a café outside the office. The end result of this strategy is most likely added knowledge, wisdom and insight. Lastly, a third leadership developmental strategy is regular sessions with each and every employee. If it is authentic leadership that I am aiming for, then I have to get to know each and every employee even up to the personal level. I should either call each one to my office and get to know him better, or hang out with him outside and try to understand him as a person. An authentic leader will never be afraid to show his emotions and will never be worried of degrading his authority as a leader if he does any of these things. The end result of this is increased obedience on the part of the employee and the development of loyalty, respect and trust. Conclusion Leadership, particularly authentic leadership, is not easy to achieve. Nevertheless, as long as one tries to be himself, is not afraid of showing his emotions to his members, is ethically just and good, is knowledgeable of the reality of the situation, is supportive of the growth of his members, and is optimistic and inspiring, then he is not far from the definition of an authentic leader. This is what resonates in me and this is what I want to be in the future as a businessman. Moreover, in order to further the development of my leadership skills, I should employ certain strategies: constant regular training on the technicalities, constant consultation with senior employees and advisers, and constant communication with and taking the time to personally know my subordinates. References Avolio, B. J. & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338. Cooper, C. D., Scandura, T. A. & Schriesheim, C. A. (2005). Looking forward but learning from our past: Potential challenges to developing authentic leadership theory and authentic leaders. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 475-493. George, W. W. (2007). True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership. MN: Center for Business Ethics. Ilies, R., Morgeson, F. P. & Nahrgang, J. D. (2005). Authentic leadership and eudaemonic well-being: Understanding leader-follower outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 373-394. Kruse, K. (2013). What is Authentic Leadership. Retrieved from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/12/what-is-authentic-leadership/ Sparrowe, R. T. (2005). Authentic leadership and the narrative self. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 419-439. Walumbwa, F., Avolio, B., Gardner, W., Wernsing, T. & Peterson, S. (2008). Authentic Leadership: Development and Validation of a Theory-Based Measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89-126. Read More