Self-Assessment and Understanding of Self-Leadership - Personal Statement Example

Demonstrate an Understanding of Self-Leadership Introduction According to Reyes (2007) self-leadership is the process wherein individuals have the ability to control their own behaviour and at the same time lead and influence others to follow their example. Through self-leadership, a person can successfully use various behavioural strategies to empower and lead other individuals. In self-leadership, leaders utilize various skills to attain self-influence and self-motivation, as well as to accomplish a certain self-direction as required in leadership. People who aim at becoming self-leaders should possess specific competencies such as self-awareness, tolerance, adaptability, emotional resilience and self-reflection, among other competencies (Reyes, 2007). Accordingly, for an individual to be a leader in any organization he or she should portray self-leadership skills and specific competencies (Junaidah, 2008). My career goal is to become a university lecturer, carry out research and publish papers in reputable peer review journals and conduct supervision of postgraduate students. The focus of this portfolio is to present a self- analysis of my leadership competencies through a critical reflection based on various assessments and feedback. Specifically, the results from the surveys and 360-degree feedbacks were assessed and analysed and this has become the foundation of this personal profile. More importantly, I accomplished a literature review focussing on the self-leadership competencies considered necessary to support suitable strategies that would improve on my weaknesses and further develop my strengths. Personal Profile I implemented various surveys, the substances of which were covered comprehensively in the first essay. These surveys assessed my personality traits and competencies, strengths and weaknesses. A summary of the results is presented in Table 1. Table 1: Summary of the Results Instrument Findings Scores Strengths Weaknesses 1. Kolb Learning Style Inventory (Kolb & Kolb, 2005) Learning style is converging: Can solve problems and use learning in finding solutions to real issues and problems AC/AE Learning style is converging Creative and innovative, ability to solve problems with ease Difficult to focus and concentrate on one thing 2. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Personal style inventory) Has an original mind and is driven to implement ideas. Independent and quickly sees change patterns. INTJ (introversion, intuition, thinking, judgment) Innovative, highly competent, creative and logical Quiet and reserved and hence may have difficulties in teamwork 3. Realistic optimism Mostly optimistic Internality >3.5, Stability and globality 3.5 Perseveres when faced with difficulties and ready to tackle new and challenging tasks I am too rigid and become worried when the targeted goal is not achieved. 6. Locus of control Internal locus of control 7 I believe that my performance determines the outcome. Sometimes I tend to blame myself for negative outcomes. 7. Type A/B Personality Inventory Mainly non-Type A personality 13 in life imbalance, less than 12 in competitiveness, hostility and anger; impatience I tend to be patient and slow to anger. My life balance is poor. 360 Degree Feedback I carried out interviews involving my colleagues, friends, family and my boss as well. From their feedback, I was able to identify my leadership strengths and weaknesses. In addition, I gathered that one of my strengths is my ability to motivate and influence people. Literature shows that a good leader should be able to influence a group of people because leadership, in essence, entails leading a group of people. Another of my strengths includes being decisive and being tolerant. In addition, through the 360 degree feedback exercise, I was able also to identify some of my weaknesses. One of the identified key weaknesses was being too rigid and not being sufficiently flexible. This means that I have difficulties when it comes to adjusting to change which implies that I am not adaptive. Literature indicates that adaptability and flexibility are essential traits for a leader because a leader with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and unexpected situations has the ability to lead those under him/her. Literature also shows that leaders who are flexible are more effective since they are able to handle unexpected situations in the turbulent world of leadership (Crow, 2012). Therefore, the 360 feedback exercise was critical in identifying this notable weakness. Area for Development The survey, in particular the Self-efficacy questionnaire, indicated that I have the weakness of being too rigid and this implies that I am not flexible and therefore not adaptive. Likewise, these results were in agreement with the 360 degree feedback where the respondents said that my major weakness was not being flexible and not being able to adapt to changes or unexpected situations whenever they arise. Accordingly, the chosen trait for future development is adaptability. According to Yulk & Mahsud (2010) adaptability is the ability of an individual to quickly adapt to unanticipated situations and lead the team to adapting as well. Adaptability also implies that the leader can think innovatively and creatively to come up with solutions. Adaptability can also be defined as the ability to adjust to anticipated circumstances by actively seeking information and depicting openness and support of diverse and innovative ideas (Yulk & Mahsud, 2010) Adaptability is an important trait because it enables leaders to steer their followers or organizations towards change and challenging situations and also provides the individual with the ability to be creative and to devise new solutions for old problems. Accordingly, adaptability is an important area in my life because this trait will enable me to adapt to the many changes that will occur in my life, since life is so erratic and nothing is really predictable. Regarding my career, adaptability will help me adapt to many changes that occur in the business and leadership world. Being adaptable will also increase my capability to communicate and build relationships with other individuals. In the current world where innovation is the order of the day, adaptability is an important aspect (Punia, 2013). Reflection on Behaviours that I need to Change To analyse the behaviours that I need to change, I will use the STAR model (STAR = Situation, Task, Action, Result). Situation After I finished my undergraduate studies, I was offered work in an educational research project as a data collection officer. The project was investigating performance and enrolment rates of public schools in Saudi Arabia. The work involved going in the field and collecting data from various schools. The research questionnaire used in the data collection had 25 questions which were designed to be completed by each respondent. I was supposed to collect the data from 100 respondents over a period of three months. Task/Action The project manager had requested me to always discuss any issue with her in case I encountered problems during data collection. The first three weeks of data collection were exceptionally easy and I managed to complete up to five questions after which I would analyse the data during the evening. During this time, after a day of data collection, we would discuss and analyse the questionnaires with the project manager. For the first three weeks, everything went smoothly. However, during the fourth week, I was informed that the project questionnaires had to be changed to include additional aspects and also, the timeline for the research had been reduced. This meant that in spite of the additional aspects in the questionnaires, the project’s timeline was reduced to two months. By then, I had only finalised a third of the questionnaires and that meant that not only the remaining two-thirds had to be completed within the month, the increased aspects of the questionnaire also had to be completed and that meant that the work was even more challenging. When the project manager informed me of this, I was confused and scared at the same time. I did not know what to do. I thought of quitting the project but then I felt that would be unethical and unfair to the project manager because he would have to hire another data collection officer and that person would have to start from the beginning. I blamed myself and kept thinking that I should have been more efficient from the beginning as the timing of the changes in the project would have found me almost through with the work and allowed me to deal with them in a reasonable amount of time. I felt so helpless since I was afraid of letting the project manager down. I felt that I could not meet the new timelines and at the same time incorporate the new aspects, since I was already familiar with the old questionnaire. Basically, my fear of adjusting to the new changes is what was stressed me so much because I was confused and anxious with how I could adapt into the revised situation. I felt lost and I could not come up with a plan to ensure that the project was concluded successfully. One month seemed so short a time to complete the project with the longer and more detailed questionnaire. After much thinking, I came up with a plan and approached the project manager. I suggested that we hire an assistant who would assist me with data collection for the remaining one month as I envisioned this would ensure that we collected data twice as quickly as I used was able to collect alone. The project manager agreed and the next day I approached a college mate and he agreed to work with me. In spite of the increased aspects, we familiarized ourselves with the questionnaire and began data collection. Results We successfully managed to collect the data and submitted all complete questionnaires on time. This made me feel so fulfilled and relaxed that I had achieved my goal of completing the project on time. I discovered that the unexpected changes were the ones that were making me feel tense and confused. I was blaming myself for the unexpected changes and becoming scared, instead of coming up with a solution. Once I managed to innovate and come up with a solution to the unexpected changes, I was able to adapt successfully to the new situation. Learning From this experience, I learnt that when faced with new, unexpected changes I should focus on being creative and innovative to come up with a solution. Rather than being clogged down with pessimistic thoughts and blaming myself for not having a solution, I should realize that whenever faced with such a situation I need to calm down and come up with a plan to tackle the situation. I also learnt that I should be more adaptive in order to be able to able to successfully adapt into new and unexpected circumstances. Since my goal is to become a university lecturer, carry out research and publish papers in reputable peer review journals and conduct supervision of postgraduate students, I am certain I will be faced with numerous, unexpected situations that will require me to adapt and lead others into adapting. Therefore, my trait of being scared and stressed when faced with unexpected, stressful and demanding situations should change, as this will hamper me from achieving my career goals. Consequently, I need to become more adaptive and have control of myself when faced with difficult situations if I am to enhance and further develop my leadership skills and as a result enable me to pursue my career goals successfully. Goals According to Locke & Latham (1984), a goal is an objective that a person strives to achieve. Goal-setting theory stipulates that goals are the direct regulators of behaviour. Goal- setting theory was developed as a framework for prediction, explanation and influencing of people’s motivation in the workplace (Locke & Latham, 2002). According to the theory, definite high goals result in higher performance when compared to simple goals. Having no or unclear goals is a limiting factor to becoming successful as possessing goal dedication enables more satisfying results—the higher the goal, the greater the performance. Lastly, variables such as feedback, results, incentives, taking part in decision-making as well as competition have positive effects on the performance of an employee (Locke & Latham, 2002). Therefore, the benefits of writing goals include higher performance, persistence in goal attainment, gaining more skills, motivation and lastly goal- setting which leads to gaining new and increased knowledge which facilitates goal achievement. Studies show that consistent goal achievement can increase the probability of individuals retaining their jobs during a retrenchment, getting a promotion as well as receiving bonus or salary increases (Sambedna & Chandan, 2014). Locus of control has been shown to play a significant role in goal attainment. This has been shown to directly affect the relationship between self-set goals and performance where people with high levels of locus control have goals that predict their performance. A recent study showed that individuals with high levels of internal locus of control set higher goals when compared to individuals with an external locus of control (Sambedna & Chandan, 2014). Studies have also shown that goal achievement increases self-efficacy and imparts a sense of pride and accomplishment. The increase in self-efficacy that results from achieving the goals and from satisfaction of having attained the goals leads to individuals setting increasingly higher goals (Sambedna & Chandan, 2014). Goals to develop chosen trait and behaviours I need to change I plan to shadow SMART principles when proposing my goals for developing my chosen trait (Adaptability) and the behaviour I need to change. SMART goals means the goals are Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, and Time-bounded (Day & Tosey, 2011) Table 2: Goals Overall Goal Time Frame How to measure Reward Weaknesses to address How to use my strengths Enrol and complete a training course on adaptability July-July 2016 Completing the course successfully and 360 degree feedback from my colleagues, and friends and family judgement Buy myself a gift and also celebrate with family I am not flexible and when it comes to changes I find it difficult to adapt to the unexpected changes I will use my ability to be innovative, original and creative to come up with solutions to problems and challenges that I encounter in my work, education and life at large. Complete my Masters Program and enrol for my PhD Degree August -August 2016 Completion of my Masters program and successful handling of all challenges that I will encounter Visit Bahamas and Dubai with family I will ensure all assignments are completed on time in spite of how busy my schedule is. I will try to balance job tasks with my school work without being anxious and practise adapting easily to changes. I will use my strength of being persevering, decisive and my ability to handle challenges to deal with all challenges and problems I will encounter. I will attend various seminars and workshops addressing topics related to emotional intelligence July-Sept 2015 360 degree feedbacks from my peers and attendance at the workshops/seminars Go shopping with my family I will interact with other people in attendance as this will promote interactions with other people since I am a reserved person. I will use my confidence and self-assurance to share my views and gained knowledge. I will read the book: (Working Relationships: Using Emotional Intelligence to Enhance Your Effectiveness with Others; (2008), B. Wall; CPP Inc.) To gain a better understanding on reducing anxiety, being flexible and adaptable. Sept-Dec 2015 I will deliver a presentation about my learning from the book. Natural or intrinsic reward (Personal satisfaction) I am normally very anxious and worry a lot when thing do not go according to my plans. I will share the gained knowledge with my workmates since I have the ability to influence people. Learning Theory and Behaviour Change According to Perry et al (1990) learning is a process that leads to relatively permanent or potential behavioural change. As we learn, we change the way we view and interpret things and therefore learning changes our behaviours and the way we interact. As Neck & Manz, 2010 explains, self-leadership involves self-influence attained within a framework of deductive and descriptive social, cognitive, and self-regulation theories. Strategies that are useful in developing self-leadership include; behaviour-focused, natural rewards in addition to constructive thought pattern strategies. Behaviour focused strategies include self-assessment, self-reward and self-discipline. On the other hand, natural reward based strategies include having positive perceptions and being happy about the accomplished tasks. Lastly, constructive thought patterns involve carrying out self-analysis and improving negative thoughts through positive self-talks and positive self-beliefs and positive imagery (Robbins, 2007). As shown in table 2, I will use self-reward, self-discipline and self-assessment strategies to underpin my ability to achieve my goals. More importantly, these strategies will assist me in not only developing my weaknesses but also in further improving my strengths. In addition, I will use positive self-talk and positive imagery to address my anxiety issues and worrying when I am unable to attain my goals. For instance, I will encourage myself to keep on working hard to achieve the set targets despite the challenges I face and paint a positive picture in my mind regarding my success. I will also reward myself for the behaviour change and any other positive developments. Action Plan Table 3: Action Plan Action Step Duration Resources Start End Adaptability Training Course 1 year Books Finances Articles July 2015 July 2016 Complete my Masters Program and enrol for my PhD Degree 1 year Books Articles Finances August 2015 August 2015 Attend emotional intelligence workshops and conferences 3 months Finances July 2015 Sept 2015 Reading 3 months Book September 2015 December 2015 Conclusion Self-assessment is a continuous process where a person explores his/her values, interests, individual resources, goals and decision-making styles as a leader. This leads to self-awareness which helps an individual to improve and become successful in their careers. In this assignment, I collected a 360 degree feedback from my colleagues, friends and family, conducted assessments and reviewed different opinions in the literature to identify my weaknesses and strengths and as a result develop my areas of weaknesses and further improve my strengths. I plan to use strategies such as goal-setting to develop my areas of weaknesses. I also plan to achieve the goals to develop my weaknesses by using the SMART formula. In conclusion, the portfolio outlines the personal weaknesses and strengths that I have identified through self-assessment, assessment results and 360 degree feedback. The portfolio also presents both short and long term goals aimed at tackling my weaknesses. Having gained enormous knowledge in developing this portfolio and having identified how I can improve and develop my weaknesses, I believe the portfolio is helpful in achieving my future career goals. References Crow T. (2012). Adaptability as a Management Competency. . Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57, 705–717. Junaidah, H. (2008). Competencies acquisition through self-directed learning among Malaysian managers. Journal of Workplace Learning, 20(4), 259-271. doi: 10.1108/13665620810871114. Neck, C. P., & Manz, C. C. (2010). Mastering self-leadership: empowering yourself for personal excellence. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Perry, C. L., Barnowski, T., & Parcel, G. S. (1990). How individuals, environments, and health behaviour interact: Social learning theory. In K. Glanz, F. M. Lewis & B. K. Rimer (Eds.), Health Behaviour and Health Education: Theory Research and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Punia B. (2013). Managerial Competencies and their Influence on Managerial Performance: A Literature Review. International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Science. 2(5):70-80 Robbins, S. P. (2007). Prentice Hall’s Self-Assessment Library. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Reyes, E.V. (2007). An inquiry into the applicability of self-leadership to missionary leadership: A case study. Ann Arbor, MI: Proquest Information and Learning Company. Sambedna, J., & Chandan, S. (2014). Improving managerial performance: a study on entrepreneurial and leadership competencies. Industrial and Commercial Training, 46(3), 143-149. doi: 10.1108/ICT-10-2013-0066 Yulk G & Mahsud R. (2010). Why Flexible And Adaptive Leadership Is Essential. Consulting Psychology Journal. 62(2): 81–93. Read More