Critically Reflexive: My Strengths In Relation To Leadership

Critically Reflexive Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor Date Critically Reflexive Ever since I was young, my personal goal was to become a leader with a transformational ability. From a reflective perspective, the ability to achieve one’s goals are drawn from the efforts which one places both in his academics and his practical lifestyle (Cunliffe, 2014). Not only is such a skill significant in one’s lifestyle, but it also enhances someone’s management skills and understanding the identities and realities of being a leader. According to Bennis (2009), this type of a leader has the necessary skills to share its vision, motivation of the team and realization of a commitment, which will in essence results in inspired performance. I have never had a problem with intermingling with others whenever I am allocated a responsibility. Integrity, trustworthiness and support have always been my slogan, and I have always believed that through teamwork, it is possible to accomplish the set objectives. Kouzes and Posner (2010) explain that for a manager or leader to be deemed credible, he should observe the above qualities. Through practice in my schooling life, I discovered that a shared vision makes work easier on the part of the leader because it encourages the spirit of teamwork towards the set achievement of the set objectives. In this paper, I will demonstrate my leadership development continuum, in respect to the prevailing theories of leadership. My strengths in relation to leadership I have always been good in acting and debating since my days in primary school. My talent was strengthened by the fact that I had a supportive drama teacher who always exuded great confidence in my ability. I was good at articulation of issues, a talent that was quite unique compared to that of other students. I am interested in reading extensively and visualizing what I read. Evidence indicates that leadership equips an individual with powerful skills (Cunlife, 2016). During my free time, I could create an imagery of what I had read and share it jokingly with my peers. Comic books were my best since there is no single time I could get bored. I always got something to cheer me up, from the books and journals that I read. Little did I know that was to be my destiny towards a leadership career. In my entire academic life, I have been serving as a leader in different situations. I have had an opportunity of managing people in varying situations to bring about satisfactory leadership style that makes meaning to everyday life. Being a leader, I believe in excellence that is nurtured through hands-on experience. I agree with Bennis (2009) who supports the kind of leadership where a leader is supposed to know himself through self-assessment, and in the process, set realistic yardsticks and work towards accomplishing the set task by utilizing his strengths and interests. Way back in high school, I was appointed by my fellow students to head the debating and drama clubs. The confidence that the student body had in me, enabled me to shape my future demanding leadership roles in which I was to be in a position to debate and safeguard the interests of the people I represented in any given capacity. Equipped with sound communication skills, I exhibited confidence in whatever I had to say. In most cases, I defended what the students wanted to the school’s administration, especially when it came to furthering their knowledge in management. In my quest to be an excellent leader, I attest to the writings of Kouzes, Bennis, Posner and Tracy who have shaped my thinking, personal development and values. All the instructions, as I climbed the ladder of realizing my potential as a leader, I have always formulated an action plan, with time as the predetermining factor, towards realizing this dream. Time determines the way I have always been perceived whenever I am given an assignment by my superiors and my team members. I am good at planning and organizing the tasks ahead of me. This way, I am able to prioritize what is urgent all the way to the least urgent, so that the backlog of assignments is managed well and within the time specifications. My assignment as a drama and debating leader involved organizing for the regular training, liaising with the other schools for shows to showcase our talents, and also coordinating with the organizers of the national championships for the students to participate. Being the school representative, the school exuded lots of confidence since I had represented the school for two years in a row without any hitches. I remember one day, we had a debate on globalization and its effects, when my school emerged the leaders nationwide. This is the moment when I realized that through effective leadership, there were no mountains that could not be moved. As a student leader, I encouraged an open-door-policy whereby all students were free to air their concerns for me to get a platform to face the administration which was laced with a bureaucratic culture. My skills in problem-solving were well received by the student body and the administration alike. I was able to identify those areas that had conflicts and solved them amicably in a self-managed way. According to Drucker (1999), leaders should find ways to manage themselves in order to make them great achievers. As Phillips, (2007) explains, a leader has the role of identifying, exploring and resolving issues which result into a conflict carefully in a manner that could not steer more acrimony, risk and discomfort in a given setting. My values and how they shape my leadership One such case occurred when one of the students suggested that all the drama members were supposed to be paid for their services in the drama club. I visualized that this could bring opposition on the part of the school’s administration, which in essence, would end up negative morale should the members fail to be paid. Drucker (1999) says that a person does not have to know the talents that he has, but sharing makes a great contribution towards improving ones skills. To nip all this in the bud, I had the concerned student so that I could explain the critical financial aspects that the school was in at the moment and that he should understand for now. Nevertheless, I offered a future alternative in which we were to hold a meeting with all the drama club members to decide on how to grow the club further. This came to pass since all the members entered into the agreement that in future, we were to plan for family shows from which we could charge a fee for the students to at least get some pay. Upon agreeing, I faced the dean of students who facilitated our concerns to the school principal and the issue was resolved. By the time I was leaving the school, the program was still on-going. I left a positive legacy which encouraged students to empower themselves at a young age, even before leaving high school. This program encouraged many students to join the drama club. My contributions towards leadership Sample and Bennis (2002) observe that dealing with the prevailing issues head on by organizing a chai...