Personal Leadership, Essay Example

One of my five signature themes is ‘belief’ which means I have certain sets of values which guide my life. These values are not written in stone but have evolved over time and may continue to do so as a result of different factors including my life experiences, interaction with people and cultures, and knowledge. I know many people whose value systems change very little over their lifetimes due to their loyalty to traditions and cultures but I have always enjoyed meeting people from different cultural, professional, and economic backgrounds. As a result, my thinking perspectives have expanded (Hyman & Jacobs, 2009) and I have also become better aware of my biases and stereotypes. Not surprisingly, my value system has changed significantly over the years.

In addition, I also enjoy reading on a wide range of subject matters and find inspiration from exemplary individuals including President Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo Da Vince, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. One of the things I have learnt from exposure to different ideas and individuals is that everyone wants to live a life of purpose and these purposes can be as varied as the individuals themselves. For example, for priests, rabbis, and imams the purpose is to prepare for the life hereafter, for a social worker the purpose is to help improve the life standards of the poor people, and for a technology visionary the purpose may be to show us a picture of the future.

I believe that organizations exist for making profit and they have a responsibility to earn high returns for their shareholders but I also believe that shareholders are not the only stakeholders. Organizations also have obligations towards other stakeholders including the communities they operate in and employees, thus, they should find a delicate balance among the interests of different stakeholders. Similarly, I also believe that everyone has great potential though their strengths may be different. In addition, taking care of people may impose costs in the short term but the benefits are always worth it in the long term. In other words, I subscribe to McGregor’s Theory Y (MindTools).

This theme will be quite beneficial to me in both career opportunities as well as leadership positions. First of all, my willingness to listen to different points of view and analyze them with an open mind means I will make decisions more objectively and display high emotional intelligence. In addition, I will also develop productive work relationships with my subordinates and will try to understand what motivates them. I will also make sure they have the room to realize their creative potential and everyone is assigned to work that suits his strengths.

Since I understand the importance of a purpose, I will work with my colleagues and later subordinates to identify common purpose so that everyone is inspired to go out of his way to achieve the purpose. If I am ever in a leadership position, I will make sure that the organizational mission achieves a balance between profits and being a positive force in the society so that employee feel good about being part of the organization and are motivated to work harder.

Having strong ‘beliefs’ or values will also help me hold on to higher ethical standards and build greater resolve again unethical practices that could produce temporary gains. As a result, I will have more credibility in my followers’ eyes and will be able to inspire them to behave in ethical way in the performing of their duties as well.

References

Hyman, J. S., & Jacobs, L. F. (2009, August 12). Why Does Diversity Matter at College Anyway? Retrieved March 23, 2013, from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/08/12/why-does-diversity-matter-at-college-anyway

MindTools. (n.d.). Theory X and Theory Y. Retrieved March 23, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_74.htm