What do you expect to learn in this course that will help you achieve and be successful in your target professional position? I

Assignment 2: Team Assignment

Richard Hairston

GM586-01 Transformational Leader

Dr. Sue Pettine

11/7/17

The discussions between myself and my Learning Partner have been very productive. When I begun setting my goals most of them were irrational and based on my feelings. They were not well thought of in terms of implementation strategies and assessment measures. The intention of discussing my goals with my learning partner was to get an opinion from a person with a sober mind and no vested interest on the matter.

There are some goals that remained the same after the discussions with the learning partner. These goals included, staying humble amidst all privileges and powers as a leader. This goal is important to me because a leader who is full of themselves is cut out for failure.

This goal seemed to impress my Learning Partner because it touched on my character and my behavior as a leader. My learning partner made it clear that humility is not stupidity. This was explained to mean that a humble leader can always stand their ground and further what they believe in regardless of what the opposition says.

The second goal that was in line with the advice is that of trying to achieve a balance between social life, family and work. During the discussion it became clear that the first two points are easily sidelined and people zoom in on work. I realized that this goal is not progressive but rather immediate. From the moment I assume the role of a leader I should make it clear to myself and my colleagues that family is everything and it is not a second priority. By doing so I will make myself clear from the onset and there is no chance of working extra hours if they affect my relationship with my relatives, friends and family.

While these goals seem to agree with the opinion of the Learning Partner most were encouraging. One example of such goal was that of seeking opinions on issues in leadership. This goal is very important in leadership.

According to my fellow classmate, a leader is supposed to be critical and make decisions independent of all other influences. The suggestion therefore was that rather than asking around for people’s opinion, I should set up mechanisms and individuals who are able to collect necessary information for me to make sound decisions. Asking around all the time is likely to create an image of a weak leader.

The discussions we held with my learning partner were revolutionary. Firstly they were not one sided and both of such contributed to the discussion. This ensured that all issues and arguments brought forward were scrutinized and no gaping hopes were left out.

In my aspiration as a transformative leader I failed to acknowledge the importance of goal assessment strategies.

These interactions pointed out that lack of such assessment is equivalent to not setting these goals at all. One of the suggestions by my learning partner is that I should establish timelines. These timelines are aimed at ensuring that the goals are not eternal. With timelines I will be able to access the progress of goal achievement by setting mini-deadlines in between.

In conclusion, this exercise has been an eye opener for me and for my learning partner. The essentials of goal setting and the procedure to observe when setting rational goals were highlighted. As a person who has goals of becoming a transformative leader, goals will be the order of the day. Some of the insights I got from this discussion are likely to accompany me for the rest of my life and career. One that will stand out is that, goals are not made to frustrate us but to guide us. It is impressive to achieve all our goals and it is a lesson when we fail to.