Leadership Aha Moment
Throughout the course and the weekly leadership assessments, I can confidently affirm the fact that I have acquired a few concepts regarding leadership. The economic world today is characterized by intense competition and effective leadership competence is vital for both professional and individual development (Northouse, 2017). Leadership represents one of the essential act of organizational management which is useful in the maximization of performance and goals achievements (Northouse, 2017). Leadership means different things to different people globally. To me, leadership is the ability to inspire and influence others to willingly and passionately work for the achievement of common goals. Partially it can be said that leadership as an art can be learned and developed. Leadership is not just driven by knowledge and competence but also having a strong personality that seeks to create change and positivity. The assessment offered substantial understanding and detailed explanations in regard to leadership and the application of distinct approaches to differing situation. The examination of both the needed skills and leading theories was essential in enhancing my understanding and critical analysis abilities.
My leadership Aha moment is attributed to the fact that I am a task oriented and a democratic leader with great interpersonal skills. This is an Aha moment for me because, it is unarguable that leadership is about being able to influence others, treat them fairly and relate to them well. I cannot lead effectively without the ability to inspire the followers. Being a task-oriented person does not only imply that I am focused but also indicates the highest ability to focus on the achievement of goals without fail. A leader is the one that acts as an example to other people in general (Northouse, 2017). By being task-oriented then the followers can be inspired to commit and passionately work for better performance. Effective leadership is not measured by power but on the output and influence (Northouse, 2017). On the other hand, this aspect is even made better by high scores in being a democratic leader.
Being a democratic leader is surprising and a good thing since such aspects are rare in the contemporary society. Democratic leadership is widely known as participative management, where every member is engaged in decision making which in turn encourages growth and willingness (Northouse, 2017). This strategy is also crucial in not only inspiring the followers but also motivating them by creating a sense of accommodation and allowing them to be appreciated. A democratic leader takes an active role in operations by not only giving instructions but guiding and being part of every day’s operations. This to me is an Aha moment also because democratic leadership is not easy as much has to be abandoned for success to be achieved. This is categorized as one of the most vital characteristics of effective leaders in the modern society that not only leads to better performance but also increased efficiency.
From the assessment as a leader, my weaknesses lie in authoritarian leadership, administrative and personal skills. Personally, I am a good communicator and I relate quite well to others but be authoritative is not one of my strengths. I believe in my abilities but the confidence to instill such strengths and influence on others is low because I am not authoritative. I believe that being a participative leader hinders my ability to express authority on the ground that I tend to perceive authority as a bad thing that mainly discourages others from participating and being active. However, from the course, it is rather evident that authority is not only needed in command but also ensuring that tasks and operations are managed as needed. Authority is required to communicate and enforce strategies that are aimed at creating a healthy surrounding that upholds organizational goals. On the other hand, my strengths are being an effective communicator, strong interpersonal skills, focused and self-driven. Working as a leader is all about person since the task is not an easy one but with inner motivation and self-believe then everything is bound to run as needed in general (Northouse, 2017). These strengths are essential in relating with others and ensuring that operations run as needed. However, in order to mitigate the weaknesses, I believe that the course learning can be useful. The information from the textbook can be used in enhancing my strengths and improving all the leadership weaknesses identified. To begin with, the situational theory can be essential, which means that different skills and approaches are needed for distinct scenarios. This is other words means that the information about leadership traits can be useful in noting the needed skills and working on them (Northouse, 2017).
In summing up, it is evident from the textbook that effective leadership is about understanding the needs of everyone and inspiring them to be better in general. That can be achieved without struggle by using my strengths to improving the weaknesses. This is by focusing on the practical basis of the concepts. Since leadership is something that can be learned I will mainly focus on practicing it which will lead to skills development and stability.
Reference
Peter G. Northouse. (2017). Introduction to Leadership Concepts and Practice. (4th Ed.). Sage Publication.
