discussion

What items did you find to be compelling and enlightening?

The assigned article was highly informative and had some excellent points for leaders to be mindful. The ones that I feel were the most valuable and important for leaders to understand were number ten and communication. Leaders must be effective in their speech and in written form to convey exact information or expectations to their audience. Adams (2012) said that messages should be short and to the point. Run-on discussion in verbal or written form will lose the audience's attention very quickly, and then the message becomes pointless. Number nine being restless is also critical as when leaders give up, it be a sign of weakness. Leaders should never give up on goals because respect can be lost as well as trust. Once these factors are nonexistent with followers, it would be hard to keep the momentum up to get things done. I think it is also important to be somewhat fearless. Without taking chances, one will never know what could be possible. This is a key trait for successful leaders. One of my leaders was always seen as someone who did not have follow-through in a previous role. When a new idea or challenge was set before him, it seemed as if he did not want to take the time to work through the issue. This presented a lazy image associated with the leader. When he needed volunteers to take on projects, no-one wanted to step up as they knew they would not get any help or backing from their leaders. When the staff feels that they cannot trust their leader to work with them or to back them when they need reinforcement, this causes a breakdown in efficiency, engagement, and production.

Emotional intelligence is a leadership trait that centers on how we think as leaders and cope with emotions. Northouse (2018) describes emotional intelligence as the ability to understand emotions and apply that to life and the tasks at hand (sec. 2.1). Having emotional intelligence allows us to understand others' points of view, connect socially, have empathy, and see when situations cause stress or elation. Leaders need to be aware of their follower's emotional as well as their own. Leaders must learn to keep composure at the forefront when dealing with staff. According to Anderson (2020), leaders can do three things to enhance emotional control, take their time when responding to heightened situations, be proactive in preparing for stressful discussions, and engage in mindfulness activities. Leaders should always take care of their own emotional needs before they can support another's needs.