I don't think I define leadership in any specific way, rather it is an ability or calling given to
those capable of guiding others. Those who possess qualities above the typical person,
allowing them to usher in success and inspiration. For me this isn't just those who act
humanely or motivationally, but even those who are capable of finding and steering paths in
direct areas as well.Leadership is art, much like craftsmanship (carpenters, electricians, etc),
musicians etc. It is a craft that has a never-ending stream of opportunity to improve and
learn. Regardless, I think they all must follow the same path in improving their "art" in the
same way musicians and others improve. Practice, trials, expansion of their areas of
expertise, accepting of failure or rejection but the determination to not give up. A good
leader is one who is adaptable to what is around them, they are always eager to understand,
learn and seek new ways to become better than they were the day before. But a leader, like
a true artist, never falls short of the confidence and mentality to continue to move forward
and succeed even as they improve.It is of course necessary for a person to require growth
and development in order to become a more inclusive leader. Our society changes as
quickly as an industry and a good leader needs to be willing and able to continuously grow
with an open mind in order to adapt to the needs of both. This would also be my mindset in
coaching/mentoring. That whoever I work with must always enter with an open mind. To
understand that people and society are intertwined with industry and success. You cannot
have one without the other, and such things do not care about race, gender, sexual
preference and religion. A good leader is one who will always understand their people,
include their people, and be respectful of their people's differences because without it, you
won't find your goals end.For the one question based on our self-assessment. I do believe I
am a good leader, having worked in coaching and HR consulting for some years now, I
have been given a wonderful opportunity to grow alongside everyone I worked with while
showing them new routes to a better workplace. My thoughts in regard to leadership is that
is so great because of so many variables that considered.To define leadership, I would say
is for one to have the ability to acknowledge, understand, and act upon the concerns and
needs of the group(s) being led. Of course, this doesn't mean "agree, give-in, and give up"
but at least a voice is heard.Some of the variables might be within one's control. For
example, what that individual knows to be exclusive qualities and how they choose to act
upon them. Using two extremes opposites could be something like this (please keep in mind
this completely fictional and unbias. These individuals could be of any ethnic background
in the world and gender neutral).So we have two individuals: One individual grew up and
possibly still lives in an environment where there might be a lot of illegal activities (just
keeping it broad and very generic). The instinct or reason for this individual to lead might
be survival. No choice was presented to them and that's all they've known. Now, another
individual perhaps grew up in a safer environment. There may have been some (but not
much) illegal activities surrounding them. There were definitely opportunities to further
their education and so on. So, this individual can decide if they would like to consider
being a leader of something.It becomes even more of sticky situation when a leader has
little support from those surrounding him. That in itself could be for many reasons,
warranted or not. Leadership means to be able to influence others in a setting where each
individual has a different personality you’ll have been able to lead and influence.
Leadership isn’t just a skill applied in work setting but also in a religious, organizational or
team setting. It is important to know the difference between a leader and a manager as
many get it confused. Leading people doesn’t require micro-managing or being rough. It
involves being able to influence and guide someone in the right direction or thought. I
personally feel as if I need more in-sight with finishing classes like this to be able to say
“I’m ready and confident” I think I can study more about being in leadership and how I can
apply that to my current career. I personally have just overcame the hurdles of being able to
coach and guide the different personalities we run into that I use to find “stubborn” but
really learned what it was all about before. It also means taking the time to be
compassionate and learn how to see both sides of a perspective. I personally think I can
coach my leaders with diversity and inclusion by being able to have them support any team
builders that include everybody and what they like for everyone to understand why they
like it or why they like it because of their culture. I also believe it’s important to give back
to our community while practicing diversity and inclusion. Leadership is the ability to take
charge, participate in, and bring innovation to a company, team, or organization. While a
leader is "in charge" they aren't bossy and they don't look down on those who are
subordinate to them. They are willing to get their hands dirty and show others what they
expect from them rather than telling them what to do. To improve one's leadership skills,
one must be willing to acknowledge that they themselves are constantly learning new ways
to communicate and understand that what works for one situation, person, or culture may
not always work for another. I agree with my self-assessment pertaining to my ability to be
a leader in the workplace because I have already seen that I am a healthy and positive
leader both within my own business and while employed by someone else in a managerial
position. I know that I am a good leader within a corporation because when I went on
maternity leave, not only did I receive multiple requests and inquiries from my subordinates
and superiors asking when I would be back, but when my youngest child was having health
issues that required my constant attention, the store I had been running had to close due to
my absence and those who had worked with me resigning when they learned that I was not
going to be able to return. The thing about leadership is that it is constantly changing,
constantly adapting to situations and individuals, no one situation is exactly the same as the
next and the same can be said of people. In order to be a good leader, growth and
development are essential to the loyalty and cooperation of those for whom you are
responsible. My advice to new leaders would be to remember that there is not always one
solution to any given problem, that each person is different and learn in different styles, and
that people will have more respect for you as a leader if you are willing to be flexible,
reliable, and trustworthy. Value diversity is the reason for the variety of ways in which the
same task or meeting could be conducted in many ways. The varied difference in approach
increases the potential of employees and lets a company come up with better solutions.
Women hold only a few of the top leadership positions as compared to men against the
research that shows women are viewed as more transformational leaders because of the
patriarchy in a society where men are given more importance since their birth. Still there
exists families who will keep boys above girls not equal as they believe girls eventually
will marry and be a part of some other family whereas boys are treated as an asset.
Therefore, better education, upbringing, and training are given to them leading to leadership
positions. To change the scenario girls must be educated and given equal opportunities as
boys only then they could compete with men for leadership positions. To foster great
inclusivity, one must maintain a balance between rational and emotional aspects of the
company. The rational approach must be that your task meets the deadline, and it is up to
the mark of the levels of client's requirements as well as better than your competitors
whereas the emotional balance must be maintained by giving enough time to the inclusive
members of the company. The task must be divided by the criteria of the requirement, or
the time is given to do it so that it can be assigned to the team of inclusive members of the
rational members of the company. I personally define leadership as someone who shows
initiative to want to lead others towards a common goal or objective. Leadership is very
much so an art form. Everyone’s personal style of leadership is a little bit different than
others just like art. Most people like to lead others the way that they prefer to be lead
themselves. Based on the results from the self-assessment I think I have the skills and
personality type to lead others effectively in the workplace. My highest scores were
personal stability, productivity, self- management, communication, and teamwork. I think
when it comes to leadership every day is an opportunity for growth and knowledge. In a
way leadership is similar to practicing medicine, we never will truly know everything about
leadership, and it is constantly changing. Learning different inclusive leadership skills will
allow you to reach and lead a wider array of followers that respond to different leadership
methods. Coaches and mentors are great examples of professional leaders who challenge
you to step out of your comfort zone and try different things. When we step out of our
comfort zone to engage with others we often step closer towards the person we are trying to
reach. Merriam-Webster (n.d.), defines leadership as “the office or position of a leader.”
Also, it is defined as having the ability to lead. However, according to Hughes (2022),
leadership is not a position, but rather the interactions between the leader and followers in a
given situation. To be a good leader, I believe it takes the expertise of the position held, the
ability to communicate effectively, interpersonal skills, and open-mindedness. Most
importantly, an effective leader should be able to coach and mentor his followers. I feel to
improve one’s “art of leadership” requires a sense of humility to welcome constructive
feedback. Then not only would you improve yourself but, you'll be able to successfully,
coach others. This presents a greater influence on the followers and helps them carry out
their goals. Of course, this requires training or some form of education. Therefore, in
addition to leadership development courses, you can take advantage of career advancement
and mentoring programs, provided by some organizations. At my current place of
employment, I had the opportunity to participate in the career advancement program. It was
an excellent program that presented college course materials on leadership development. I
scored an 82/100 on the self-assessment. Although I have been placed in leadership roles, I
don’t feel it is best for me. Leadership is good when you have great followers who are not
Passive, Pragmatist, or Alienated . When conflict and or lack of accountability is a concern,
I’d rather not have to deal with the stress that follows. As for now, I will continue to aspire
to be an Exemplary follower. Yes, I feel people need growth and development to become
more inclusive because most biases stem from stereotyping about age, gender, ethnicity,
sexual orientation. So, educating individuals will reveal the truth and possibly change the
preference and remove discrimination. I believe creating an organizational culture that
promotes diversity and inclusion has benefits like cohesion and creativity. So, to coach or
speak to it I’d first educate individuals about stereotyping, equality, and emotional
intelligence. The latter is needed to develop self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, etc.
My current place of employment often hosts diversity, inclusion, and equality conferences
with guest speakers. They even encourage us to join resource groups to support women and
learn about other cultures. It’s another great way to educate and bring about a much-needed
change. A leader I believe should lead by example, it is someone who can teach you and
inspire you to reach goals. I believe a leader should be someone who can communicate well
and be able to understand others. A method to lead is to get to know your team,
communication is a key for success. Support people's ideas and be flexible with other
people ideas and feedbacks.
According to survey I scored moderate, and I agree with this because I mix my personal
feeling when it comes to communicating. Sometimes I think I can a little too honest when it
comes to sharing ideas and I speak from my emotions other than think aa leader. I also see
myself having others take important decisions other than me taking initiative to make them
and be firm in my decisions.
I do agree leaders need special skills and grow in every aspect of leadership. I have worked
with people whose role was not as leader, but have taken initiative to lead, but definitely
knowledge can provide a better outcome.
Being a mentor, I think should understand different personalities and behaviors and now
how to successfully communicate and give guidance.
