Managing Organization and Leading People - Seven Habits Profile - Essay Example

Managing Organization and Leading People Managing Organization and Leading People Leadership is an important component for successful organizations and their employees because it gives them a competitive edge in the corporate world. On the other side it helps individuals to become a source of motivation, encouragement and help for others in the community apart from being successful employees. Here, it is significant to note that every individual has different leadership styles. This paper aims to discuss contemporary theories about leadership and personal development in order to reflect upon my leadership style derived from the Seven Habits Profile. In addition to this my leadership practice is evaluated with reference to different scholarly leadership theories. In the end I have included my SMART goals so as to improve my leadership practice. Evaluation of Personal Leadership Style Attachment contains my completed copy of the Seven Habits Profile. Reflection on the Results The Seven Habits Profile comprehensively deals with an individual’s personal leadership style while providing results which are beneficial in evaluating the leadership skills. Scores of category 1 indicate that I have an outstanding position in maintaining my Emotional Bank Account. This further reflects that when it comes to public dealings then I am able to act in a kind and considerable way which facilitates me in leading others towards a positive lifestyle. Moreover, I refrain from backbiting people which helps me in gaining their confidence and loyalty. In category 2 I have scored considerably outstanding position which reflects that I try to maintain balance in life. Although I am not entirely successful at balancing my work, family and friends but in most of the cases I try to satisfy all of them. This actually positively impacts my personality as a leader because when I work in a team then I try to consider the needs and concerns of my managers while also looking after my colleagues. Results of category 3 indicate that I am outstandingly proactive. This is the fundamental requirement of being a leader. Since I am able to control my life therefore I am also able to impact other’s life through leading them towards change and achievement. This reflects that I take responsibility of all my actions and emotions rather than blaming others. Category 4 is all about beginning an action while keeping its eventual end in mind. I have scored again an outstanding score in this category which indicates that I clearly understand what I am doing while organizing different tasks in a proper manner. This helps me in completing my task on time and managing work in crisis situation. Hence I am able to lead and influence people even when I am going through difficult times. The results of category 5 indicate that I am able to put first things first. This actually facilitates me in avoiding procrastination and carrying out my plans in a disciplined manner. Moreover, I do few activities on daily basis which help me in achieving my overall goal. I don’t always think win-win but the scores of category 6 indicate that I am very good at maintaining my public circle through co-operating with others and resolving conflicts in a way that provides equal benefits to everyone. However, I need to concentrate upon achieving balance between others’ success and my personal goals to become more effective as a leader. Scores of category 7 reflect that I am very good at feeling others’ pain which actually helps me in understanding their viewpoint in a better way. Since leadership skills require acting empathetically therefore being sensitive to others also helps me in analyzing situations from their point of view. In category 8 I have scored an overall outstanding position which reflects that I am able to synergize well. This actually plays an important role for me to enhance my leadership skills, for instance, I considerably value my fellows while creatively developing new ideas. I really appreciate others to share their view points with me. Category 9 deals with sharpening the saw and here also I have scored outstandingly which indicates that being a leader I am able to look after my physical health. Furthermore, I value relationships a lot and I try to enjoy my life to the maximum level. The overall results of the Seven Habits Profile indicate that I have a profound leadership style where I try to cater others’ needs while achieving my personal goals. I strive to attain balance between my family and work life. This further facilitates me in enjoying my life and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, I am able to lead others through listening to their viewpoints, valuing them and encouraging them to express their ideas. Evaluation of Leadership Practice Following is the evaluation of my personal leadership practice with reference to Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory. This theory particularly focuses on achieving organizational objectives through implementing the practical approach (Goertzen, 2012). Bass emphasized that individuals who practice transformational leadership has certain characteristics and behaviors which specifically influence the motivation level of their followers and their overall performance. According to him such leaders are actually able to achieve three types of goals, for instance, clearly communicating the significance of task outcomes to the followers, persuading followers to go beyond their personal interests in order to support the team and organization. Finally these leaders influence followers to progress in the direction of higher-order needs (Goertzen, 2012). As per Bass’s Leadership Theory I have good communication skills which help me in clearly mentioning the importance of task outcomes to my followers. Therefore, when it comes to convincing them to invest their personal interests for the development of organization and achieving team goals then I perform considerably better. On the other hand I am also good at motivating followers to attain higher-order needs. Following is the evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of my leadership practice (Goertzen, 2012): A. Evaluating Strengths of Leadership Practice 1. The fundamental strength of my leadership practice according to Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory is that I am always confident about my decisions and choices because they are usually based upon unchangeable moral values. Moreover, I develop my personal values in accordance to the organizational goals. 2. Being a leader I particular try to present an alluring idea of the future while creating an overall environment of positive thinking and purposeful actions. 3. Another strength of my leadership practice is that I always try to develop innovative ways for doing different things while invigorating new perspectives. On the other hand I also motivate my followers to build creative thinking in order to meet contemporary and future challenges. B. Evaluating Weaknesses of Leadership Practice 1. According to Jim Collins level 5 Hierarchy leaders who build excellence in organizations do not possess ego and pride rather they perform their tasks through humility and dedication. My most prominent weakness in leadership practice is that I am an egoistic person with high ambitions. Level 5 leaders are recognized for giving credits however, it is significantly difficult for me to accept the responsibility of all mistakes while giving credits of success to others. As per Collins assessment it would be complicated for me to maintain company’s success along with my pride for a long time period. 2. My pride and ego further leads to another leadership weakness which is defined as the inability to invest personal interests for the growth and development of the organization. Collins level 5 leaders possess significantly higher dedication for their companies which only comes when an individual is able to overlook his personal gains in order to serve the organization. On the other hand I give priority to my interests and benefits above and beyond everything else which is actually my weakness as an organizational leader. 3. The 5 level Hierarchy further discusses that successful leaders prepare their successors without causing harm to their prestige. However, I personally feel great when operations cannot be done in my absence which actually supports my pride and builds my self esteem which is also my weakness in leadership practice. C: Recommendations 1. According to the theory of Authentic Leadership I need to first understand myself while developing higher ethical values and moral standards. I also need to recognize others’ efforts while encouraging them to perform better and developing such policies which can actually empower my followers. To manage organizations and lead people I need to change my way of thinking through incorporating positive emotions and behavioral tendencies (Avolio, 2009). 2. To become a successful leader it is highly significant for me to address concerns of my followers (Northouse, 2010). Authentic Leadership theory emphasizes upon inspiring others and respecting their diverse ideas. Hence I need to develop an environment of collaboration and empathy so as to fight my ego and pride issues. 3. Authentic leaders also demonstrate a significantly higher level of self-discipline which helps them in avoiding unnecessary risks. In addition to this I need to increase my understanding of leadership theories so as to transform them in to practice (Martin, 2006). SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) SMART Goal 1: In next two years I need to complete my Bachelor’s Degree with majors in Marketing while maintaining an overall 3.5 CGPA. To realistically measure the achievement of this goal I need to maintain at least 3.7 GPA in each semester. Specific Actions: With the purpose of achieving the above goal I need to take specific actions, for instance, I have to study 4 hours daily to acquire good results in final examinations. On the other hand I also need to do summer internships to practically implement theories that I have learnt as part of my courses. SMART Goal 2: During my Bachelors I also aim to take at least three certificate courses in leadership and personal skills development to increase my employment chances soon after graduation. Specific Actions: Leadership fundamentally requires an individual to attain balance in life therefore prior to enrolling for any certificate course I need to do scheduling so that I can meet my study goals, family requirements and internship responsibilities while also taking out time for my personal relaxation. This will significantly help me in improving my leadership practice. References Avolio, B., Walumbwa, F. & Weber, T.J. (2009). Leadership: Current Theories, Research and Future Directions . Annual Review of Psychology , 421-449. Goertzen, B.J. (2012). Contemporary Theories of Leadership. In C. F. Nollette, Emergency Services Leadership (p. 250 ). USA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Martin, B. (2006). Outdoor leadership: Theory and practice. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics. Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Read More