Building Leaders Up, Essay Example

Leadership Definition

Leadership refers to the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and guide other individuals or groups to achieve common goals. Leaders typically possess strong interpersonal skills and can communicate effectively with their followers (Rooke & Torbert, 2005). In addition, leaders must be able to inspire confidence and trust among their followers. Furthermore, leaders must be able to make sound decisions and have the ability to problem-solve. My personal experiences with leadership have mostly been positive. I have had several great leaders who have been highly influential. These individuals possess many of the qualities I listed above. They can communicate effectively, make sound decisions, and inspire confidence and trust. In addition, they have always been supportive and helpful. On the other hand, I have also had some negative experiences with leaders who were not effective. These individuals lacked many of the qualities that make a great leader. They were often unsupportive, indecisive, and lacking in interpersonal skills. The academic literature on leadership generally agrees with my personal experiences. The literature suggests that influential leaders possess many of the same qualities listed above. For example, they must be able to communicate effectively, make sound decisions, and inspire confidence and trust (Rooke & Torbert, 2005). In addition, the literature suggests that leaders must be able to motivate and guide their followers to achieve common goals.

Reflection on Influential Leaders in Your Life

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a highly influential leader in my life. He was a civil rights leader who fought for the equality of all people. He gave many powerful speeches that inspired change. He also led peaceful protests and marches that helped bring about social change. He is an excellent example of a leader who can communicate effectively, inspire confidence and trust, and make sound decisions (Huggins, 1987). He is also an excellent example of a leader who was able to motivate and guide his followers to achieve common goals. For example, his famous “I Have A Dream” speech motivated his followers to continue fighting for social change. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. is an excellent example of a leader who possessed strong interpersonal skills (Huggins, 1987). He was able to build relationships with his followers and gain their trust. He was able to inspire others to take action and make changes. For example, his famous “I Have A Dream” speech effectively inspired others to take action for social change.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is another highly influential leader in my life. He was the first African American President of the United States. He is an excellent example of a leader who can communicate effectively, inspire confidence and trust, and make sound decisions (Greenstein, 2009, April). He is also an excellent example of a leader who was able to motivate and guide his followers to achieve common goals. For example, during his Presidency, he motivated his followers to pass the Affordable Care Act, which provided healthcare for millions of Americans. Also, he motivated his followers to pass the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which reformed the financial system and protected consumers (Greenstein, 2009, April). Furthermore, Barack Obama is an excellent example of a leader who possesses strong interpersonal skills. He was able to build relationships with his followers and gain their trust. He was also able to inspire others to take action and make changes. For example, during his Presidency, he inspired his followers to pass the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

You as a Leader

I believe that some of the traits, attributes, and behaviors that will help me excel as a leader are my ability to communicate effectively, inspire confidence and trust, and make sound decisions. I also have strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with my followers and gain their trust. I can also motivate and guide my followers to achieve common goals. For example, I have motivated my followers to pass the Affordable Care Act, which provided healthcare for millions of Americans. I have also motivated my followers to pass the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which reformed the financial system and protected consumers.

I believe that some of the traits, attributes, and behaviors that limit my effectiveness as a leader are my ability to be too critical of others, my tendency to be impatient, and my perfectionism. I also have a hard time delegating tasks and trusting others to do them properly. As a result, I tend to micromanage instead of letting others take on leadership roles. For example, I have been told that I need to learn to trust others more and delegate tasks instead of trying to do everything myself.

One specific opportunity to be a leader was when I ran for student government president in my high school. I was able to campaign effectively and persuade others to vote for me. I was also able to inspire confidence and trust in my ability to lead. Furthermore, I made sound decisions that benefited the student body as a whole. Another opportunity to be a leader was when I was elected captain of my high school varsity soccer team. As captain, I was responsible for leading and motivating my teammates. I was also responsible for making game-time decisions and guiding my team to victory. I plan to take on a leadership role in my community by becoming involved in local politics in the future. I hope to inspire change and make a difference in my community.

How others view you as a leader

What would you say are my key leadership skills?

According to my observation, some of your key leadership skills are your ability to communicate effectively, your ability to motivate and inspire others, and your ability to make sound decisions. For example, you communicated effectively during your campaign for student government president. You were also able to motivate and inspire your teammates when you were elected captain of the varsity soccer team. Furthermore, you have made sound decisions that have benefited the student body.

How do I influence people around me, or how do I influence you?

You influence people around you by your example. People will follow your lead if they see that you are confident and decisive. They will also follow your lead if they see that you are passionate about what you are doing. Furthermore, they will follow your lead if they see that you are knowledgeable and experienced. For example, you might be passionate about a cause, such as fighting for social justice. You can influence others to fight for social justice by sharing your knowledge and experience with them. You can also inspire them to take action by telling them stories about the difference that you have made in the world.

Can you think of an example(s) where this leadership skill/influence showed itself in my life?

Yes, I can think of several examples where leadership skills and influence have shown themselves in your life. For example, you were very influential in getting me to start volunteering for the homeless shelter. You also inspired me to become more involved in social justice issues. I remember you telling me stories about the difference that you have made in the world and how you believe that everyone has the power to make a difference. These stories inspired me to take action and make a difference in my community.

From your perspective, what are things that I can do to improve as a leader?

To improve as a leader, you could continue to learn and grow your knowledge base; be open to feedback and criticism, and continue to develop your communication skills (Hackman & Wageman, 2007). Additionally, it is important to continue to build relationships with the people around you. These relationships will provide you with support and guidance as you continue to grow as a leader. For instance, you might want to continue volunteering for the homeless shelter and get involved with other social justice issues. By doing these things, you will be helping others, but you will also be gaining valuable experience and skills that will help you improve as a leader.

Your leadership philosophy and plans to act

How should leaders lead?

My leadership philosophy is that leaders should lead by example. This means that they should be confident and decisive in their actions. They should also be passionate about what they are doing and be able to inspire others to take action. Furthermore, leaders should be knowledgeable and experienced. They should be able to share their knowledge and experience with others to influence them. For example, a leader might be passionate about a cause, such as fighting for social justice (George et al., 2007). They can influence others to fight for social justice by sharing their knowledge and experience with them. Additionally, they can inspire others to take action by telling them stories about the difference that they have made in the world.

What behaviors, attitudes or attributes should leaders display?

Some of the behaviors, attitudes, or attributes that leaders should display are confidence, passion, knowledge, experience, and the ability to inspire others (George et al., 2007). Leaders should also be able to build relationships with the people around them. These relationships will provide them with support and guidance as they continue to grow as a leader. For instance, a leader might continue volunteering for the homeless shelter and get involved with other social justice issues (Hackman & Wageman, 2007). By doing these things, they will not only be helping others, but they will also be gaining valuable experience and skills that will help them improve as a leader.

What does leadership look like?

Leadership can take many different forms. There is no one right way to be a leader. Leaders can be assertive or passive, they can be extroverted or introverted, and they can be knowledgeable or inexperienced. The important thing is that leaders display the qualities that are most important to them and can influence others to take action. An example of an assertive and extroverted leader might be someone who is very passionate about a cause and is constantly sharing their knowledge and experience with others to influence them. On the other hand, an introverted and passive leader might be someone who volunteers for the homeless shelter and gets involved with other social justice issues (George et al., 2007). By doing these things, they are helping others, but they are also gaining valuable experience and skills that will help them improve as a leader.

What values or most important when it comes to leadership?

Some of the most important values when it comes to leadership are integrity, honesty, courage, and respect. These values are important because they help build trust between the leader and the people they are leading. Additionally, these values help leaders to maintain their credibility. Furthermore, these values help leaders create an environment where people feel safe and respected. For instance, an honest leader with integrity is someone people can trust. People will be more likely to follow a leader if they trust them. Furthermore, a leader who is honest and has integrity is someone credible. People will be more likely to listen to a leader if they believe that the leader is credible. Lastly, a leader who has respect for others is someone who creates an environment where people feel secure and respected. People will be more likely to follow a leader if they feel respected.

Leadership and Your Service Experience

Did I develop any leadership skills from this experience?

Yes, I developed many leadership skills from my service experience. One of the leadership skills that I was able to develop is communication. I communicated effectively with the people I was working with to get tasks completed efficiently. Additionally, I was also able to develop my organizational skills. I was able to keep track of the different tasks that needed to be completed and made sure that they were completed promptly. Lastly, I was also able to develop my problem-solving skills. I was constantly faced with different challenges and obstacles during my service experience. However, I overcame these challenges by using my problem-solving skills.

Did I see good or poor examples of leadership in my service experience?

I saw both good and bad examples of leadership during my service experience. One of the good examples of leadership that I saw was when the leader effectively communicated with the people they were working with. The leader communicated what needed to be done to get the task completed efficiently. Additionally, the leader was also able to provide clear instructions and directions when needed. On the other hand, one of the bad examples of leadership that I saw was when the leader was constantly changing their mind. The leader would make a decision and then, soon after, change their mind. This led to confusion and frustration amongst the people they were working with.

How did the leadership I saw in my service experience match with my philosophy of leadership?

The leadership that I saw in my service experience matched my leadership philosophy in many ways. One of the ways it matched was that both the good and bad examples of leadership that I saw were effective communicators. As I stated in my leadership philosophy, one of the key characteristics of a leader is being an effective communicator. Additionally, the good and bad examples of leadership that I saw respected the people they were working with. Another key characteristic of a leader that I mentioned in my leadership philosophy is that leaders should respect the people they are working with.

Would you do things differently or the same way as leaders you saw in your service experience?

If I were in a leadership position, I would do things differently than the leaders I saw in my service experience. One of the things I would do differently is that I would be more consistent with my decisions. I would make a decision and stick with it instead of constantly changing my mind. Additionally, I would also be more organized in my leadership role. I would keep track of the different tasks that need to be completed and promptly complete them. Lastly, I would also make sure to communicate with the people I am working with effectively. I would provide clear instructions and directions when needed to avoid confusion.