Enhancing Leadership Skills through Insightful Learning

Discuss about the Factors of Learning Leadership Pedagogy.

Leadership is stated to be one of the important factors of learning that everybody needs to go through. It is something that according to me enhances a person’s skill and quality and makes him understand what requires in being a true leader. It allows him to identify the traits that are important in being a leader. I was unaware of many facts related to leadership before I attended the lectures on the same. The common notion about leadership for me was to lead a team, command orders and rip the benefits of a skilled team. However, it is through the lectures in which I got to know that leadership is not only about leading a team but also his true ability in influencing them towards attaining a particular set of goals. There are so many sides to a leader and his ways of doing leadership, establishing relationship with others and getting the best out of them, even in adverse situations. The ways they initiate things, make choices and behave in specific manner are something that requires proper understanding of the ways leaders function.

This was mainly about gaining an insight about the history of leadership and the ways it evolved over the years. I have seen so many films that depicted leadership during the times of the kings and the queens that use to illustrate the fact that leaders have always been the ones who lead from the from and are not hesitant in taking risks. I have also learnt that the potential leaders thrive under challenging situations where they get to showcase their skills and able to perform at their best level. I have heard people saying it is important to watch and learn, but then to watch and learn one should have the proper knowledge to understand exactly what is going on.

This was probably the time I observed that I know so little about such a broad topic like leadership. Various forms of leadership and their styles, the way they function and the differences in the way they behave is something that amazed me. I even got to know the several aspects of the leadership that is significant in understanding the basics of leadership. We get to know so much about the different leaders existing in the world of business like Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Larry page of Google or for in that matter Howard Schultz of Starbucks. However, it is important to understand whether these leaders have been product-centric or people-centric. This is the time I was able to connect the leaders like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama whether them being transformational or transactional. It became easy for me to understand that Steve Jobs has been transformational for his passion to drive for perfection, challenging his employees in thinking beyond the normal thought. Bill gates, the computer tycoon and the billionaire philanthropist has been a transactional leader which I found out after understanding the different traits a transactional leader should have. He is influential, strict and a confrontational taskmaster driving a high-stress environment for work.

Different Sides of Leadership

I had one mis-concept about leadership that it is only possible when someone is holding a stronger position. However, through the lectures I got to reveal that leadership is not about any position but a fiduciary calling. Not everytime, it is the position that brings out the leadership qualities within you, but the zeal to do something good for others or the community at large is what identifies a true leader. Another thing that I misinterpreted is the fact that leadership takes place only hierarchically in the organization, which is not what it is actually. Big organizations have it at different levels.

After coming to terms with the different styles and forms of leadership, I try and identify myself as the kind of leader I am or I could be in future. I understand the fact that communications, motivation along with accommodation are essential features of a leader and those leaders are being termed as transformational. My strengths generally leads to the intellectual leadership character and my apprehension for the people indicates towards a stronger transformational style of leadership. I have tried and reviewed my style of leadership in the school days. I was more of people who avoided conflict through the process of communicating with the others and tried understanding their objectives, issues and associate them accordingly with the goal of the team. For avoiding conflict on various occasions by the process of accommodation and compromise, I at times forfeited the job at hand along with the mission. Since the initiation of this program, I have tried and improve on my ability of resolving conflicts and not accommodating until the situation demands it.

My own observation has been that I am being more effective in the charismatic style of leadership. From the time of initiation till the end, I have tried and maintained a balanced advancement in taking care of the task along with the people. I am capable enough in convincing people for completion of the task by the process of motivating them through the process of appeal and affinity. This course has enabled me to understand that learning does not stop at any point of time. It is through this course that I have learned that leaders need to be organized; they need to set bigger visions instead of small ones for a shorter period of time. During the initial days of being a leader, people tend to struggle with lack of confidence and the organizational skills. Another issue that crops up is keeping the daily plan focused on the task. During school days, I used to take my time for granted, not setting vision for my future purpose and thinking of doing too many things in a shorter period of time. Now I understand that is not the right way to go about things. I started realizing that being organized is the foremost thing that budding leaders should do. It is not all the time that I would be thinking like others, but there is a place for me too in the world.

Leadership Styles and Personal Growth

I have understood the fact that individuals are being motivated by several stimuli. Some are being motivated by the intrinsic requirements and some of the others by the extrinsic ones. My general belief has been that great leaders are in the habit of taking their time in intimately knowing his elements and learning the things that motivates each of his subordinates. During one of my surveys in one of the organization there was a role play where I was given the opportunity to be the leader and I asked all the employees the things that motivates them the most and keeps them driving for better results. The answers to my question were all different, though surprisingly no one mentioned about the factor of more money. There was one lady who was suffering from breast cancer, I was eager to know what actually motivates her in striving for regular perfection.

I have always been amazed by the things we learn about ourselves at the time of making difficult decisions. During the course of this study, I have been learning a lot of things about leadership. For instance, I have constantly had the predisposition of taking firm control of a situation, however, I have not always been conscious of the way it might impact others. For example, when being assigned with a group project, I might jump in and take out the lion’s share. Some of the group members do welcome this as they have to take less burden, while others might feel offended and at times undervalued too. The reflection has helped me in making a mental note of self in backing off a bit when I sense the urge in taking over the projects.

As a leader, I would always prefer to take a neat along with orderly advancement of solving issues. Even during group presentations and other team works, I take into account the strengths of various individuals and position them accordingly for them to perform optimally. I try and approach conflict with diplomacy and try to see changeable perspectives while trying to determine the conflict. Interacting with others is one of the important things that good leaders do from time to time. I too am focusing on this factor in solving the issues and respect the numerous perspectives that others have been bringing to association.

Assertiveness is an attribute that I have liked from my school days, being direct with the individuals or the groups when the situation calls for insolence. Under the present circumstances, I am aware of the interconnectedness existing within the organizations and be predisposed in planning and thinking ahead in anticipating the issues and devise plans accordingly. During him internship, the employees I interacted with have told me that they have found it easy and comfortable in sharing things with me and that I have been a good listener, something a good leader needs to have. Irrespective of my position I tried to understand the issues they face at workplace.

Misconceptions About Leadership

As I have grown up and become matured, I have become much detail oriented. I try and focus on details and be critical of the others work and indulge them in suggesting something if they find issues in mine too. During my younger days, it was sometimes very difficult to temper my thoughts and control my emotions and notice that I was being critical at times. Over the due course of time, I have worked conscientiously in overcoming the debilitation and have perceived big strides and developments.

I have noticed that at times I become way too passionate about my work and if I am being criticized for something at that point of time, I take that too much to heart. For being able to gain the required perspective, I need to work diligently in taking criticism profitably and use it for my own benefit when it comes to certain projects that I am working on. And for the factor of being overly critical or complex at times, I have focused on working in taking criticism constructively and now I am much better at that than I was during my younger days.

It can be concluded that I aspire to improve on a regular basis and never give up under any circumstances. The foundations of who I want to be as a leader has already been laid and the fundamentals are being positioned accordingly. The focus for me is to regularly fine tune my leadership skills and enhance it as per the industry standards. During the course of this study it was important to reflect on the things that I was coming to terms with, something that I knew and something which I was learning for the first time.

Clarke, S. (2016). School leadership in turbulent times and the value of negative capability. Professional Development in Education

Fairhurst, G. T., & Connaughton, S. L. (2014). Leadership: A communicative perspective. Leadership, 10(1), 7-35.

Glauser, M., & Holland, D. (2016). The Leadership Traits Shared by Successful Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange.

Nahavandi, A. (2016). The Art and Science of Leadership -Global Edition. Pearson.

Nichols, A. L. (2016). What do people desire in their leaders? The effect of leadership experience on desired leadership traits. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 37(5), 658-671.

Patterson, E. (2015). ‘What are leaders’ experiences of reflection?’What leaders and leadership developers need to know from the findings of an exploratory research study. Reflective Practice, 16(5), 636-651.

Pendakur, V., & Furr, S. C. (2016). Critical Leadership Pedagogy: Engaging Power, Identity, and Culture in Leadership Education for College Students of Color. New Directions for Higher Education, 2016(174), 45-55.

Ryan, J. C., & Tipu, S. A. (2013). Leadership effects on innovation propensity: A two-factor full range leadership model. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 2116-2129.