3 Styles of Leadership: Autocratic, Essay Example

I feel that earning a degree in the field of informatics will benefit my academic, professional, and financial future because the informatics degree is in well demand in many parts of information technology, computer science, as well as rigorous and scientific fields of study. Finance, accounting, along with other business fields have a well-rounded use of technology. Informatics is also highly associated with health care and nursing in the unique field of health informatics. Military defense requires use of informatics in their information technology and intellectual property. Just about every professional and academic endeavor in some way is associated or requires the use of informatics skills. (Washington) (Weintraub)

Informatics, by text book definition, is the study of information, technology, and people. People all over the world use computers. Loads of data are continuously being relayed over the internet by the second. Use of social media, internet marketing, along with all of the uploading and downloading of virtually unlimited masses of files that fuel internet traffic are a never ending sequence of information. When we consider all of the information in the world that exists within every field, profession, and academic, it can become quite overwhelming to the human mind. (Dictionary) (Indiana)

With a degree in informatics, I would be able to make the connections between information technology and human uses of it. Informatics compiles, classifies, and generally organizes all of the information that exists on the surface web so that users are able to comprehend such large masses of data in their relevant fields of study. (Helfert)

I understand that with a degree in informatics from the iSchool, comes the necessary elements of leadership and innovation. I have demonstrated such elements in previous works in my life that are also relevant to business informatics in a sense. One major project I can recall which exemplifies both of these values is a company analysis and comparison I did for an accounting class. Now, this was the first time I was ever exposed to accounting so I was actually very unfamiliar with it from the start. I spent a great deal studying the concepts and practices to keep up with the high pace of the class curriculum.

I knew accounting was analytical and mathematical, but as I started studying the practices I realized that accounting was different from any other math I had previously taken. I later learned that this was because the study of accountancy was its own field of math. The concept of how credits and debits work are specific to accounting and of course would not apply to other forms of math such as statistics. Along with the mathematical components of accounting came the laws and regulations imposed on businesses and accounting practices.

As the class was drawing to a close, we were assigned a group final project. My group consisted of four other class mates. We were all smart and had done well in the initial accounting assignments, but they selected me as the team project leader. I generously accepted the role as I saw this as an opportunity to apply my profound elements of leadership and gain experience in a leadership role.

The team project assignment was to select two publically traded companies and conduct a financial company analysis on them to determine which company would carry more favorable investment opportunities. I knew from a previous business course that there were three types of leadership approaches I could take. I had a choice between autocratic, democratic, and free reign styles of leadership. Considering that all of my group members were equally smart, competent, and reliable, I chose to take the free reign approach of leadership. I did not feel that I needed to micro-manage my team members, nor did have any desire to. Worrying to much about my other team members would only impair my own commitment to the project. (Chand)

We all agreed to conduct a financial company analysis between Microsoft and Apple. After deciding on the companies we would evaluate, I then delegated specific roles and tasks to each of the team project members, including myself. This way, each member would know their assigned task, and I would be able to focus on my own task as I could rely on the other team members to get their part done without me pestering them. Once all of our tasks were complete, we put all of it together to make up the 12 page financial company analysis between the two companies. (Chand)

In other scenarios where my team mates may not have been as reliable, I would have taken the democratic or even the autocratic approaches to leadership. Deciding which leadership approach to take all depends on the situation, the project at hand, and the circumstances. I am able to execute all approaches as well as combinations of approaches to leadership. This accounting project me and my team finished ended up receiving an A and it was a good experience to practice my leadership skills.

It is a cliché that everybody is unique in their own way. Many people say this, but there is so much more detail behind this statement. A person’s diversity and mixture of life experiences is unique in a way that it can never be replicated. This concept extends far beyond physical features or even finger prints and DNA. A person goes through life experiences of all kinds of levels of emotions, mentality, and intelligence. These experiences are unique to that person as it is the foundation of their character from the day they start to obtain memory. As this diversity in life experiences builds a person’s character and intellect, they can collaborate with other individuals to expand on innovative ideas.

It is important to have multiple perspectives and ideas so that a diverse group of individuals with a common interest can obtain their goals in the most effective way. An individual may not always see their own flaws, so it is imperative to have other individuals point them out. At the same time an individual may not even be aware of their own talents and abilities, so it is just as important for other individuals to make them aware of such things.

I know I can contribute to this community through my own unique set of personal experiences and background because I carry the element of versatility. Versatility is such an important element to have in one’s character because there is greater opportunity for innovation when one is able to see both ends of a perspective. It is my ability to work in the grey area that can contribute to the community in an effective and innovative way.

In order to be successful at anything, one must be passionate about it. I have a passion for information technology and the field of informatics in computer science. I have always especially had a passion for number, analytics, and data compilation. I want to contribute to making the connections between information technology and human users because I know that this can be beneficial to the economy and every other profession from health care, to business, and even historical preservation. Informatics is the one field of study that remains ubiquitous and I want to be a part of it. I truly feel that the informatics program at the iSchool is the perfect place for me to start this exhilarating endeavor. (Indiana)

My transcripts, experience, and resume all present that I carry the adequate enough skills which are necessary for a career as innovative as informatics. I do not only meet the qualifications to pursue a degree in informatics, but I also have the drive that can carry not only me but the community which I share common ground with.

If I am given this opportunity at the iSchool to pursue a degree in informatics, I will put in the same drive, ambition, innovation, and commitment that I have put into every other endeavor in my life. My transcripts show how successful I was in my previous education, and I can apply that same work ethic into pursuing a degree in informatics. The components of my resume present my adequacy for being able to fully commit to the work load that comes with the degree in informatics and the iSchool curriculum. I want to take my goals relating to informatics to new levels and I know that this is where I need to begin.

Works Cited

Chand, Smriti. 3 Styles of Leadership: Autocratic, Democratic and Free Rein Style. n.d. 23 May 2015 <http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/leadership/3-styles-of-leadership-autocratic-democratic-and-free-rein-style/28002/>.

Dictionary. Informatics. n.d. 22 May 2015 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/informatics?s=t>.

Helfert, Markus. Business Informatics: An Engineering Perspective. 2008. 23 May 2015 <http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol7/JITEv7p223-245Helfert354.pdf>.

Indiana. Informatics Defined. n.d. 23 May 2015 <http://soic.iupui.edu/about/what-is-informatics/>.

Washington, University of. What is Informatics. 2015. 23 May 2015 <https://ischool.uw.edu/academics/informatics/what-is-informatics>.

Weintraub, Arlene. Consider Pursuing a Career in Health Informatics. 26 March 2014. 22 May 2015 <http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2014/03/26/consider-pursuing-a-career-in-health-informatics>.