Who I am as a Leader

This class as taught me a lot about self-reflection and how I am as a leader. Using the Self-Handicapping book (Decker and Mitchell, 2015) I have been able to recognize some of my strengths and opportunities as a leader. I consider myself to be strong an analytics. I have always appreciated data and trend analysis. I also consider myself strong at reading my employees and understanding their concerns which leads to a collaborative solution.

My opportunities, however, are plentiful. I must concentrate to reduce my tunnel vision as too much analysis makes me miss what is occurring directly in front of me. Also, being able to properly hold others accountable has always been an area of opportunity. I must be able to trust my employees and peer to do their jobs and when they fail I must be able to hold them appropriately accountable.

As a leader I am a collaborator. I do not believe that every scenario must follow every rule 100 percent of the time. There are always certain situations that warrant different reactions and results. I pride myself in the ability to read and understand the employees that I am in charge of. Gaining an understanding from their viewpoint is extremely important to me. It allows me to understand why they made a certain choice and it allows me to lead them to the proper solution or it may teach me a new way of doing things. Being a collaborator also gives me more employee buy-in. Showing that their opinion matters and it is directly used in the solution makes them feel self-accountable and that the goal is obtainable.

Throughout this class I have learned that I need to be more outspoken as a leader. I generally sit and listen more at meetings and brainstorming sessions and wait until it is appropriate for me to speak. At I miss my chance to be outspoken and this has developed into a quieter, less outspoken brand that I need to break. Since starting this class I understand that not just being more outspoken, but my body language will allow me to break this brand. I have begun to overcome this by first realizing what I am doing and stopping it. This can mean being too focused on a task on the computer and not realizing what is occurring throughout my section. I need to make a point to catch myself, stand up, and walk around the section to listen to my employees and see how the interact. I also need to be able to provide my opinion more frequently. I have been catching myself with this by setting goals to speak a certain amount of times in meetings. This does not mean just speak to speak, but it does mean speak if there is an intellectual engaging thought. Being more engaging and outspoken, along with my ability to analyze, will allow me to maximize my potential as a leader.

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie has been provided me with the most feedback on how to be more outspoken and to influential amongst my peers and employees. The book is an easy read and it kept me engaged by putting the practices into reality. The small things that it includes, giving compliments and continuous smiling, has already assisted me in being more approachable and engaging as long as I can catch and correct myself. There are other numerous hints in the book that I will continue to use in order to shape myself into the progressive and proactive leader. I want to become a leader that is able to develop my associates in both work and life. Providing overall development to my employees will lead them to a more overall successful and happier life.