MSLD 511 Module 9 - Course Reflection

By revisiting my original definition for leadership and analyzing it with the learnings that we collected through out the course of this class it is clear that my original definition of leadership still aligns fairly well with what I believe the definition of leadership is. My original definition of leadership at the start of the course was an individual that provides or interprets a vision and inspires each team member to commit to supporting the efforts to reach that vision while encouraging personal growth.

In my original definition I start off emphasizing a vision. As stated by Winston and Patterson “the leader achieves this influence by humbly conveying a prophetic vision of the future in clear terms” (Winston & Patterson, 2006). The way I saw it then and the way I see it now is that if a leader and a team is lacking a vision or goal there is not much to work towards, if there is not anything to work towards what is the point of having a team. The second essential that I mentioned as critical to effective leadership is instilling fellow teammates to strive for their own personal growth. No matter the situation, personal growth can be had in one form or another in every single setting.

Ultimately, though my definition of leadership is extremely high level, I would not make any changes to my original definition. I think that it is broad enough that it encompasses much of the additional learning that were picked up in the course of this class. Many leadership theories learned about this semester have made me more clearly identify the leader that I want to be. Two leadership theories that I hope to apply in my own leading efforts are servant leadership, and transformational leadership. The practices from servant leadership include "caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built" (Fuhrmann, 2015). In my professional and personal life I think that acting as a servant leader just really provides and output of positivity for leaders and followers, and I can think of a better outcome. On the other hand, transformational leadership covers a quantity of activities and characteristics “…including creating a vision, motivating, being a change agent, building trust, giving nurturance, and acting as a social architect” (Northouse, 2016). Being a transformational leader is embracing change and inspiring others to do the same. In my current role there is a company wide shift, so having and being a transformational leader is critical, for this reason I know that I will always strive to be a transformational leader for others and for myself.

At the conclusion of this course I have learned a great deal about leadership ideals that will carry with me for the entirety of my career. Though many of the leadership theories are not counterintuitive, they are all intentional, and I will always strive to be an intentional and purposeful leader.

References

Fuhrmann, R. (2015, October 28). What Is Servant Leadership? Retrieved January 24, 2018, from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financialcareers/10/servant-leadership.asp

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice 7th ed. Los Angeles, CA:
             Sage Publishing