Personal and Professional Journey of Developing Leadership Skills

The aim of this report is to discuss the professional life of a person who develops leadership skills gradually. This report will be detailing the aspects of the personal and professional life so that the leadership qualities that I possess come out and be presented to the others around me. This method of reflection about my own strengths and weaknesses can effectively help me to increase efficiency as a leader. The report will discuss the result of Gallup test in one hand and my classmate’s feedback about me on the other which will reveal some most important facts of my feature as a leader. The theories, approaches and test results will be vitally analyzed so that each factor can be minutely attained so also developed.

As mentioned previously, I have been playing a role of commercial cleaner in Playford Hotel. This is a part time job as I am still a student from other country. I have been balancing my study and job therefore there are issues that affect me more than the others. My immediate boss has found out the accountability factor in me for which I have been made the supervisor of the other cleaners of this hotel. Despite the fact that in my home country in India, I never had done any job for my living but here I have successfully satisfied my boss with my work. This reveals that I have some leadership capabilities in me.

However, in doing this type of job, I have come across different types of challenges. First of which is associated with the other employees who initially did not support me as I got preference from my immediate boss. These colleagues of me tries to create issues so that I leave the job or at least get offensive remark from my boss. However, this type of problem has been reduced as I have communicated well with the colleague and tries to empathize with his problems. This have created a food bond among us and the other colleagues are also convinced with my capabilities to be a leader.

My leadership journey is not very lengthy and important because I have not worked before this particular job. As I have mentioned before, that I only have the leadership experience in the school level when I used to be the class monitor in my school. However, this was important as among all the students present in the class, I was chosen the leader which again reveals my inborn qualities of leadership and I carried out my responsibilities since that early age. I have been constantly getting support from my parents who instigated me to become a leader. As they themselves are well settled in their business, they expect me to grow leadership qualities in me so that I can carry on their business in near future. These are the reason why I have grown a self-image of leader and wherever and what situation I go, I cannot resist my leadership qualities to be flourished. This is the reason why people gradually follow my strategies and respect me.

Analyzing Gallup Test Results and Feedback from Classmates

As the result of Gallup test reveals, I have learning, strategic, focused, achieving and analytical skills which are essential for the success of the leaders. As a leader, I have grown the analytical capabilities which helps me to think a matter from different perspectives. Thus, I make decisions effectively which do not affect or harm the interest of others (Shirey, 2017). Secondly, I am a learner and do not close the paths of learning from any type of situation. This is the reason why, I love to study theories and approaches for effective leadership and analyses the examples where the global leaders make decisions to face complex problems.

Thirdly I am a strategist which is why I make decisions thinking different alternate ways. This is the reason why, when any type of situation appears, I quickly analyze various aspects of the situation and make strategies to solve the problems. I never make any type of decisions based on emotional or sympathetic ground therefore, my decisions remain unbiased in every way. As the result of Gallup Strengths Finder reveals, I am a focused person in my analysis of the contexts. Therefore, I can develop priorities before making any decision and act more efficiently than to solve any type of issues (Walley, 2013). I can effectively perform in an adverse situation and execute all the needed actions for remaining in the right and designed goal. As revealed by this particular test, I have an achieving mentality which helps me to work hard. This is the reason why I study in day and work in the night shift. I feel satisfied to accomplish tasks and remain productive all the time.

The feedback has helped me to see my strengths and weaknesses from the eyes of the other people which is important for the personal and professional development of a leader. From the overall feedback, I have understood that I have some prominent skills and traits of successful; leadership. As the feedback of my class mate reveals, I have pointed out that my passion for learning is known to her also. She has identified my strategy to pursue an efficient professional pathway in the near future through the process of career development both in the professional way as well as personal way.

Secondly, this particular classmate of mine has identified my capability of organizing a very difficult task that is organizing meeting and conveying messages to the others. It is one of the most needed skills for the contemporary leaders (Lundin & Söderholm, 2013). In this meeting, I have successfully prioritized the tasks and communicated with the people completely unknown to me and maintained effective time management. Through the feedback, I have clearly identified the connection between the result of the Gallup test and the perceptions of my classmate about me. This feedback has also helped me to realize the roles and responsibilities of the members with whom I decide to work. From the viewpoint of my classmate, I have developed some of the issues in my character that may harm my progress to be a successful leader. First is the struggle with time that related to my effort to balance study and job and second is the uncontrollable behavior of some colleagues of mine. To my classmate facing such challenges is common but enduring them with resilience is tough which I continuously do to be a successful leader (Boniwell & Smith, 2018).

Challenges Faced and Strategies Used in a Part-Time Job

The implications of the feedback along with my reflection is significant. Most of the factors pointed out in the feedback are however in support of my character and feature to be a successful leader. However, the theories of leadership as point out, I need to sharpen my efficiency level of leadership (Tubin & Pinyan-Weiss, 2015). This is the reason why I need to have a personal leadership development strategy. The feedback of my classmate thus connects me with the learner talent found in the Gallup Strengths Finder test. This feedback has pointed out my ability to maintain a high standard in education that can relate me to the leadership skills. My classmate has identified that I can effectively balance my study with the job for sustaining and meeting expenses in this foreign country which reveals that I am a responsible person who like effective leaders, used to help my friends in their studies so they also can grow like me. In this regard I have to take strategic steps so that this aspect can be used to influence others and bring them to my path.

Secondly, I need to solve the problems regarding the challenges put by my colleagues. To a successful leader this type of issues should not get growth which may question third authority (Forner et al., 2015). I need to bring some changes in my attitude so that my colleagues do not feel insecure with my growing power. Communication is a method to increase popularity which I can attain through proper communication with most of the person around me and do the same task as I. In order to develop communication skill, I need to attain some courses and learn about the human behaviors more so that I can easily point out what exactly the people before me think and expect from me (Gordon, 2017). Thirdly, in order to become a successful leader, I need to be resilient about the criticisms of my actions or decisions but I also need to tackle these criticisms in a positive way. I can unite the team only when I can effectively convince each of the person of the team. Another most impotent thing I need that is to think more creatively. In the feedback my classmate has pointed out my struggle to balance things but the effective leaders do not struggle to do so. They make strategies and divide tasks among the members so that they do not need to struggle in any situation. Moreover, time management is another thing that I need to take care of.

Identifying Leadership Theories and Styles for Success

There are numerous theories present in becoming successful leader. The original traits in me have been pointed out in the Gallup test which shows that trait theory is applicable to me. Io possess many leadership qualities that I did not learn or incorporated in my own behavior (Lucas & Goodman, 2015). However, I think the contingency theory of leadership is one of the most important theories that help the individuals to make decision in the needed situation. The motivation factor is missing in me for with I need to increase the transactional leadership style in me (Bush et al., 2017). However, the most appropriate style of leadership that I feel most fitted in this competitive business world is the transitional leadership style. This style possesses all the necessary factors of a leader that I need to follow effectively (Shirey, 2017).

Conclusion:

Therefore, it can be concluded that leadership traits are not the only thing that the leaders must possess but they also know when and how they will use their skills and learnings appropriately. From the above discussion it is clear that I possess some traits which has helped me till date but for becoming a successful leader, I need to learn more and understand the atmosphere where I work. I need to implement some most important dictions that can transform my weaknesses to strength. 

References: 

Boniwell, I., & Smith, W.A. (2018). Positive psychology coaching for positive leadership. In Positive Psychology Coaching in Practice (pp. 181-200). Routledge.

Bush, T., Abdul Hamid, S., Ng, A., & Kaparou, M. (2017). School leadership theories and the Malaysia education blueprint: Findings from a systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Management, (just-accepted), 00-00.

Forner, V., Jones, M.L., Parrish, D.R., Eidenfalk, T.J., Kiridena, S., Popov, N., & Berry, Y.J. (2015). Positive leadership education and practice: a self determination theory based leadership development program.

Gordon, J. (2017). The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World. John Wiley & Sons.

Lucas, N., & Goodman, F.R. (2015). Well-being, leadership, and positive organizational scholarship: A case study of project-based learning in higher education. Journal of Leadership Education DOI, 1012806(V14/I4), p.T2.

Lundin, R.,A., & Söderholm., A. (2013). ‘Temporary organizations and end states: A theory is a child of its time and in need of reconsideration and reconstruction’ International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.587-594.

Shirey, M.R. (2017). Leadership practices for healthy work environments. Nursing management, 48(5), pp.42-50.

Tubin, D., & Pinyan-Weiss, M. (2015). Distributing positive leadership: The case of team counseling. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(4), pp.507-525.

Walley, P. (2013). Stakeholder management: the sociodynamic approach, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6, no. 3, pp.485-504.