Personal Leadership Evaluation - Research Paper Example

?Personal Leadership Evaluation In the contemporary organizational context leadership is recognized as one of the most important factors for success.While leadership in the business context is a highly contingent factor, it’s also clear that leadership pervades all aspects of our daily existence. Individuals that demonstrate strong leadership characteristics have been noted to experience success in many areas in life. With such strong emphasis on the importance of leadership, one of the primary questions has become the extent that individuals can learn leadership skills. It seems clear that to some extent individuals can take a broad overview of their leadership qualities, and work to develop responses to the various strengths and weaknesses that are identified. This essay functions to evaluate my current leadership effectiveness. Specifically, the essay includes a review of who I as a leader need to be, what I as a leader need to know, and what I as a leader need to do. In examining who I as a leader need to be, I recognize that there are a variety of elements that must be considered. While I have not entirely decided on my career path, I recognize that I would like to pursue a path related to businesses and organizations. Even as these categorical distinctions involve a wide variety of elements, it’s clear there are a number of universal principles that underline all aspects of leadership. One of the important texts in articulating essential aspects of leadership is Maxwell (2007)’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. In this text Maxwell articulates a number of notions of effective leadership, as well as means of developing these qualities so the reader can attain more effective leadership qualities. In terms of my own leadership, I recognize there are a number of areas of leadership I would like to be as a means of achieving more effectiveness in my chosen career path. One of the important notions of leadership that Maxwell establishes is the understanding that the leader does not simply lead the ship, but the leader charts the course. The text gives an example of a historic trip to the Arctic. The trip was made by two separate groups – one headed by Robert Falcon Scott and one headed by Roald Amundsen. While Scott haphazardly planned for the excursion, Amundsen took great pains to research the terrain and the various environmental conditions. As one might expect, Scott’s trip was a failure and Amundsen’s trip was a success. The underlining principles in this is that successful leaders will not simply follow a set path and expect individuals to simply follow their lead, but will instead by the individuals that foreground that path that will be traversed. When considering the type of leader that I want to be, I am greatly influenced by the notion of charting a course rather than simply leading. In these regards, I would like to lead through example in a leadership model that does not simply follow the structural constraints of an organization, but readily defines these constraints through innovation, creativity, and development. When I consider contemporary examples of the type of leadership that I hope to achieve I consider individuals such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. While traditional notions of leadership present a charismatic figure such as John F. Kennedy or Barack Obama who are able to garner followers and support through rhetoric and charm, I increasingly find myself embracing a different incarnation of leadership. I believe that while charismatic leadership is effective, leaders can also be effective through the demonstration of creativity and innovation. For instance, Steve Jobs has garnered incredible support and esteem through his management of Apple, Inc. By most objective standards Jobs does not exhibit the charismatic elements, but is able to retain respect and influence through his strong and innovative corporate approach. Steve Jobs has soundly demonstrated that effective leaders navigate rather than simply lead. In terms of my own leadership, I hope to be able to find success through innovation in business. Ultimately, I believe that such an approach is an effective model of leadership and one that I hope to achieve. While it’s clear there are a variety of aspects of leadership that I must develop to achieve maximum effectiveness, I also recognize there are a variety of elements that I also must learn about leadership. One of the notable quotes in Maxwell’s text is one made by Bennis and Nanus. In these regards, the individuals note, “It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers” (Maxwell 2007, p. 26). This is an important quote as it gets to the central aspect of leadership development, indicating that effective leaders must continually work to improve their leadership abilities and skills in the specific domain in question. In terms of what I need to know about leadership, I recognize that one of the important aspects is developing a habit of life-long learning. While life-long learning is a broad concept, there are a number of notable elements that are unique to my particular situation. In terms of content area concerns, I am most prominently interested in pursuing a career in a business organization. In these regards, I must continue to learn about the specific field I eventually enter. For instance, if I procure an upper management position in a real estate firm, I would need to remain abreast of market conditions in the specific real estate environment that the firm covers. Similarly, I would need to remain abreast of new means of analyzing these market trends, as well as considering the most effective ways of marketing the specific product. While these elements seem cursory to leadership, as indicated by Maxwell (2007) effective leaders are effective learners, as individual followers will look to the individual with the greatest understanding of the specific area of concern. In addition to content elements, the effective leader must consistently keep a self-reflective practice in regards to their leadership practices; this falls under the notion of continued learning, as the individual must continue to learn and amend their leadership approach to achieve maximum effectiveness. Another important element of leadership that I must come to understand is that in developing my leadership skills I must approach learning as a process rather than an event. This is an important notion to understand on a deep level as it indicates how an individual can incorporate external experiences into their lives as a means of achieving personal development goals. The major distinction between an event and a process is the understanding that an event is singular occurrence, while a process is an on-going occurrence. Maxwell (2007) notes that while an event can be an important motivating experience, events do not result in the achievement of long-term development. Instead, a process encourages development, matures people, and ultimately changes the individual. If I am to become an effective leader I recognize that I must increasingly approach leadership and learning as if it were a process of development, rather than a singular event. In developing this approach I will be able to continually improve my leadership skills and ultimately become more successful in my chosen career path. As leadership involves a variety of principles, it more importantly involves action. In these regards, there are a variety of elements I as a leader need to do. While action rather than simple talk is an overarching concept in these regards, there are a number of specific elements that successful leaders must engage. Maxwell (2007) notes that leaders add values by serving others. In considering the means of implementing these practices, it’s clear that they are in-large part context specific. Still, the underlining notions states that simply because one is a leader and in a position of power, does not mean that they must only instruct or command others. Instead, successful leaders will aid others and in situations serve them. This creates value and a sense of mutual respect among individuals. Another important element that I need to do as a leader is to develop strong personal connections with others. While elements such as magnetism and charisma are in-large part innate qualities, it’s clear that individuals can consciously make efforts to develop strong personal connections with the individuals around them. When I find myself in the organizational environment that is requisite to my career choice, I recognize that it is important to gone beyond simply developing business relationships with my associates, but to develop connections on a deeper level. While such connections require effort and a number of modes of interaction, I recognize that in developing those close bonds then individuals will be more apt to trust me and understand my true character. Through gaining peoples’ trust I will be able to have increasing influence over them, contributing to overriding organizational goals. Another prominent issue within this context of understanding is the importance of influence. Maxwell (2007) notes that the effectiveness of a leader is measured in their level of influence over others. As an effective leader I recognize I must work to achieve this level of influence over others. There are a variety of means that one can work to achieve influence over others. In my situation, I will garner influence through comprehensively learning about the field and organization I am a part of. I also will develop creative and innovative leadership practices. These practices will be effective as I chart the course for my department and organization rather than simply leading. In being such an innovative professional, I will garner support from my associates and eventually influence their actions. Through the collection of these elements I will institute the leadership plan that I desire. Ultimately, it’s through doing these elements that I will find career success and develop into the effective leader I need to be. In conclusion, this essay has presented an evaluation of my current leadership effectiveness. In these regards, the essay has presented an account of leadership qualities that I hope to achieve. For instance, the essay examined the importance I place on leading through innovation and creativity. Another element considered was elements of leadership I needed to understanding in order to become a more effective leader. In these regards, I believe that I must increasingly embrace life-long learning, and the importance of approaching leadership as a process rather than an event. Ultimately, in following these principles, I understand that I will develop into the leader I want to be and find the correspondingly desired career success. References Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Company Read More