Self-Reflection On Leadership 1

SELF-REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP

Name

Course

Professor

Institution

City and state

Date
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Question 1

Reflection On Knowledge And Skills On Leadership.

Leadership is an ever-changing and multidimensional concept that leads many

undertakings, from business and governance to education and grassroots development. It is a

type of management that encourages, develops, and assures other people about the normality and

possibility of attaining the target regarding the challenges at hand and utilizing their inherent

capabilities . Amid leadership, each element of the process contains a different interplay of

vision, strategy, communication, and empathy, as they all contribute to figuring out the way

forward and rotation of the change process towards the better.

Through studying leadership, I have undeniably gained soft and hard skills. Initially, I

spent most of my time comprehending leadership theories and intellectual structure. However,

while advancing, a broad spectrum of abilities responsible for leadership and steering through

turbulence became apparent.

As for soft skills, I have seen marked improvements in communication, empathy, and

emotional intelligence. Through conscious practice and self-reflection, I have developed clear

and persuasive communication competencies for sharing a vision or settling disputes within a

team. Additionally, I have gained a deeper understanding of the feelings and viewpoints of

others, which has helped me to have more empathy and forge stronger relationships. These soft

skills are the pillars upon which team and organisational trust, collaboration, and cohesion

are established.
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Meanwhile, my abilities in many soft skills, including critical thinking, analytical, and

decision-making skills, have also greatly improved. Over the years, through case studies,

simulations, and real-time experiences, my skills at delving into complex situations, weighing

different options, and making sound decisions under pressure have been perfected. An additional

lesson that I gained is strategic thinking. Before any potential challenge or opportunity, I develop

strategies to solve problems and attain my goals. Apart from these, the area of leadership

technology, which includes data analytics, project management tools, and digital communication

platforms, has also grown for me. These skills enable me to effectively leverage technology to

automate operations, boost efficiency, and unify teams in the digital times.

How I have improved resilience as a leader

Through my journey of studying leadership, my resilience as a leader has notably

strengthened. Initially, setbacks could deter me, tempting me to abandon efforts or dwell on

failures. However, I've transformed setbacks into opportunities for growth and learning. For

instance, when projects faced unexpected hurdles, I rallied my team, analysed the situation, and

devised new strategies. This experience underscored the importance of resilience—to persevere

amid challenges and focus on solutions.

Moreover, I've cultivated composure during uncertainty, confidently guiding teams

through transitions. Seeking feedback has also been pivotal; I now embrace criticism as a

pathway to improvement. Overall, my study of leadership has instilled resilience by reframing

setbacks, maintaining composure in crises, and embracing feedback for growth.

Decision-making and problem-solving skills

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the most valuable asset I have acquired is the ability to make proper decisions and solve

problems. This stems from a sound theoretical understanding of the concepts, their practical

application in a professional environment, and effective self-reflection afterwards. From the

onset, every difficulty was treated as a little issue and decision-making and problem-solving

depended on intuition or conventional wisdom. Nevertheless, I entirely changed my leadership

approach when I studied leadership more closely, embracing a more analytical and system-

centered approach.

On a strategic level, how I handle decision-making is taking a turn. Earlier, I used to

make decisions, the foremost of which was a mission led by present concerns or short-term gain.

On the other hand, I've discovered through the leadership examples that for any strategy to be

effective, it should be long-term focused, undertaking a thorough study, and then implementing

action. For example, a task I had in mind during a business simulation was that I was in charge

of a significant market expansion decision . Instead of jumping to conclusions, I conducted

market research, analysed the competition and consulted stakeholders to identify this decision's

potential risks and rewards. Only then could I determine how the decision would affect me

positively and negatively?

Similarly, my problem-solving skills have evolved significantly. Previously, I might have

approached problems reactively, addressing only the symptoms rather than the root causes.

However, through my studies in leadership, I've learned to employ techniques such as root cause

analysis and systems thinking to identify underlying issues and develop comprehensive

solutions. For instance, in a team project which we identified communication breakdowns and
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conflicts, I employed my problem-solving skills to investigate the cause of the problem. Through

the discourse of open communication, my interacting with others with a solid basis, and impartial

treatment of the fundamental issues, I made a great collaboration and an energetic

teamwork atmosphere

Key Learning Areas

The leadership skill that I have learned from my experience and that I found to be the

most important is that of emotional intelligence and the fact that it is directly linked to effective

leadership and cohesive teams. By my academic activities and achievements I learnt a lot and I

understood that leaders with high emotional intelligence can empathize with colleagues and

clients and regulate their moods that leads to making better decisions. They will be responsible to

actualize several factors towards having a trustworthy and motivated team. These will include,

the coherence of the common goals of the team.

An obvious case of this learning process when during a project my conflicting ideas and

communication gaps flowed through and hurt the behavior of the team members. Not all

situations present the same difficulties, and some require a more forceful and directive approach.

Therefore, I resorted to the principle of explicit control (the cognitive part of emotional

intelligence). The leadership character I learned was the ability of emotionally intuitive and

functional leadership and uniting strong and collaborative teams. My studies and experiences

taught me that empathetic and self-aware leaders are the best at handling and moderating their

moods. Teamwork and peers are essential to team trust, performance and team motivation.

Besides these, there are core principles involved in the concept of servant leadership,

which stresses the leader's role in serving the needs of others to allow them to find their full
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expression. Trial and error taught me that authentic leadership is not solely about ego and

ambition but about selflessness and dedication to developing character and making a positive

change through unconditionally serving others.

Question 2.

My Approach to Leadership

My approach to leadership is heavily stimulated via a dedication to non-stop boom and

getting to know, in addition to clearly caring about the well-being. As I replicate my technique to

leadership, fashioned using both my crowning glory of this concern and the insights won from

the previous query, numerous key concepts emerge that underpin my supposed exercise as a

pacesetter. My technique encompasses emotional intelligence, servant leadership, adaptability,

and continuous getting to know, focusing on fostering collaboration, empathy, and personal

boom within groups and groups.

Emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of my leadership philosophy. Effective leadership

is not solely a decision about strategy or tangible results; It is also about understanding and

navigating the complexity of human emotions. As a leader, I strive for self-awareness, self-

management, empathy, and social skills to connect with others, inspire trust, and foster positive

relationships by acknowledging and receiving team members' emotions. Accept I create a safe

psychological environment where individuals are valued, heard, belong and feel empowered to

contribute positively.

One example of how I want to use emotional intelligence as a leader is active listening

and empathic communication. I will consciously listen carefully to the ideas and concerns of

group members, trying to understand their specific experiences and feelings without judgment.
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By expressing genuine empathy, which I truly mean well and care about, I can strengthen my

team's bond. Alongside this, I will pay a lot of attention to how clear and transparent messages

are communicated, that they are presented well, and that everyone is involved. Their opinions are

listened to and treated fairly.

The other significant element that shades my leadership style is the concept of

servanthood. Authentic leadership is undoubtedly not about rule-making and authority seeking

for one's benefit, but it is about much more than that. It is about the group and its members’

needs coming first and allowing others to attain their dreams and constructing through this

vision, using which I want to be an example to the people in being humble, honest person and a

person devoted to the prosperity of those who lead. My leadership role will emphasise team

member development and promote the performance culture I desire by contributing to daily

thriving trust, bonds, and continuous improvement.

Servant leadership is a style of leadership I want to model to my team, and one of the

ways I intend to do so is by creating a culture of mentorship and support within the team.

Together, we will explore individual team member skill sets, identify areas for growth, and find

opportunities that help them develop their professional interests, achieve their goals, and achieve

career growth. Whether by providing a formal mentoring set-up, skill-building workshops or

one-on-one coaching sessions, I would always be there to look out for the development of each

of my team members as I firmly believe that the team's success lies in every team member’s

accomplishments.
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Besides emotional intelligence and servant leadership, my adaptability, which is also a

crucial part of my leadership style, is one of the features of my way of leading. Leaders of the

day must be able to guide through change, take risks, and maintain stability and erosion of

conventional methods to attain their objectives in the face of the unpredictability of the world

today. Thus, adaptability becomes an indispensable capability for leaders who can navigate in an

environment significantly characterised by changes where they use smart moves and do not stick

to outdated approaches to seize each opportunity and tackle every difficulty.

Along with my leadership job, I have planned to introduce an innovative and

experimental culture within my team to improve its working performance. Therefore, I want my

team members to express their minds, be creative, ask questions about the standard way of

getting things done, and keep the willingness to try new ways of solving problems. By

developing a risk-free environment in which I can support experimenting and developing failures

into lessons, I can support the development of learners with a growth mindset instead of a fixed

one and a culture of continuous improvement and change. Additionally, I will lead by example

by being flexible and easily adaptable to new ideas and convincing the team members to

embrace change as a chance for improvement and innovation.

Ultimately, my leadership style evolved centred on a deep belief in continuous learning

and my eagerness to grow. Leadership is a road that goes through experience and new lessons;

you can always grow, improve, and learn. As a result, I am motivated to search for platforms for
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self-assessment, feedback, and professional development involving register programs, mentoring

arrangements, and self-directed programs. Through the perpetual widening of my knowledge

base, deepening of my skills, and, at the same time, challenging my set of opinions, I strive to be

better positioned and more valuable as a leader. I will be able to fulfil my people-lead roles

vividly.

My approach to leadership is based on the principles of emotional intelligence, servant

leadership, transformational leadership, and never-ending learning, which I believe in. I strive to

create a working environment where people trust each other, work together, and team up with a

strong emphasis on personal and professional development, adaptation to change, innovation,

and communication. I intend to use these principles for my leadership journey to inspire others,

help them grow to be value-oriented, and leave a positive mark on the world.