Reflect and Professional Development - Assignment Example

?Reflect and professional development Reflect and professional development Introduction According to the module, personal leadership development entails empowerment in which an individual who lacks personal meaningful goal increases his or her action towards the attainment of an objective individual goal (Avolio, 2005). In addition, the individual observes and reflects the impact of his actions through drawing on the experiences, self-awareness and skills developed towards the attainment of the personal leadership development goal. Strengths and weaknesses can impact on the attainment of the personal leadership development goals. Byrne (2006) asserts that weaknesses can hamper feelings which contribute to the ultimate failure of personal leadership development. According to the module, the strengths will enhance self-awareness, knowledge and skills development thus facilitating inter-personal skills development and conflict resolution when interacting with others. The module has made me aware of the personal empowerment process that entails identification of a power oriented goal that increases the effectiveness of social interaction. Canals (2012), is of the opinion that an individual must understand the leadership knowledge and skills and have self-efficacy. Self-efficacy entails taking actions to accomplish the personal goals and developing competencies that are essential in dealing with peers in a team. However, I acknowledge that the process of personal leadership development is dynamic and entails numerous skills that are essential in communicating, motivating and controlling individual emotions. After studying the module, I appreciate the importance of building a self-appreciation, sense of capability and self confidence. Personal leadership and empowerment ensures that individuals have a sense of responsibility that is crucial in outlining the personal life goals and aspirations which finally contribute to personal life fulfillment and happiness (Chambers, 2007). This paper will reflect on my personal leadership competencies development and my learning experience throughout the module. Personal leadership addresses various psychological and moral development of an individual that impact on the skills and competencies of the person as a leader (Ciarrochi and Mayer, 2007). This can be technically referred as the inner development of a person that leads to the outer development of the person as an effective leader. Farcht (2007) asserts that the key components of personal leadership include technical knowledge and skills, proper attitudes towards peers and psychological self-mastery. According to the module, there are three areas of personal leadership knowledge that are essential. The knowhow areas include time management, group and individual psychology. Some of the basic skills that foster individual leadership development include problem-solving skills, goal-setting skills and ability to manage the team processes (Greene and Burleson, 2003). On the other hand, the right attitudes towards personal leadership development include appreciation, caring, service to others and interdependence. According to the module, developing the above right attitudes will lead to distinctive capabilities that allow the leader to share a common vision and create self-awareness that is essential in dealing with self-esteem issues. The module made me acknowledge the need to avoid defensive tactics especially while discussing emotive matters which is essential in ensuring effective communication (De Janasz, Dowd and Schneider, 2008). I encountered several successes and difficulties during the learning process and personal leadership competencies development. I was organised and hardworking in this module, but I was able to gain trust of my subordinates without much struggle. I was able to maintain self-discipline in time management. However, I encountered difficulties in understanding cultural diversity and handling disappointment with my peers. I initially encountered difficulties in persuading my team members to commit their efforts towards shared goal since a majority of them lacked self-motivation (Lawson, 2008). I also encountered difficulties in maintaining my attention during the long working hours and taking extra tasks such as note-taking roles. However, my proactive attempts to inspire the team members, resilience and willingness to handle criticism as well as avoid unnecessary distractions facilitated my learning process and personal leadership competencies attainment. I was able to bounce back quickly in the event of disappointments due to my self-motivation to accomplish the personal leadership development goals and objectives (Rothstein and Burke, 2010). I was surprised that individuals have unique attitudes, norms, values and belief systems depending on the cultural norms. For instance, I was surprised that some team members were not time conscious. In addition, some team members preferred formal discussions while others preferred informal discussions. I was also surprised that the dressing code and language mattered a lot to some individuals. It also came to a surprise that some individuals in the team required a formal recognition of the authority of the team leader while others proposed that no such authority was necessary for the successful accomplish of the team goals (Murdock, 2003). However, the members finally agreed to abolish the power structures within the group in order to facilitate informal working relationships. The course enabled me acquire knowledge and skills on how to appreciate others especially while dealing with multicultural groups. I am able to appreciate the cultural diversity of my entertainment team since I recognise our distinct cultural backgrounds especially our differing religions, ethnic language, values, norms and beliefs that are essential in our interactions (Russell, 2005). The module has taught me the importance of self-awareness in developing personal leadership competencies. Self-awareness ensures that an individual is conscious of his identity and the extend in which his or her personal perceptions comply with the way peers perceive him (Gill, 2010). The module has made me aware that self-knowledge is a critical component of emotional intelligence that enables individuals recognize their emotions, moods and inspirations (Ryan, 2012). I am personally driven by the need to see my followers succeed in their personal goals and life aspirations. I also perceive myself as a calm individual who welcomes the opinions and suggestions of others. My peers have also termed me as calm and welcoming person who is capable of allowing others advance their differing opinions. I also appreciated the need of self-regulation that is essential in gaining commitment to a shared vision in a group. Self-regulation has enabled me commit my efforts and attention towards the attainment of my personal leadership competencies through maintaining and enhancing the progress towards achievement of those competencies (Ryan, 2012). This personal attribute is useful in reducing discrepancies between individual perceptions of self and peer perceptions on the individual thus attaining goal congruence while dealing and interacting with peers. The module also discussed the importance of self-motivation which is the internal drive to accomplish a certain objective (Ryan, 2012). The module introduced me to the need to develop personal and inter-personal behavior that is essential in interacting with my colleagues. I was able to discover my strengths and weaknesses while communicating with other people. I learned that personal development entails all activities and actions that improve self-awareness and self-identity formation. Before the module, I was not aware that self-awareness has the potential of developing ones potential and increasing the chances of success in career. In the module, I learned the concepts of cognitive self, affective self and executive self that helped interact well with all the members of my team. In addition, our mood state will influence both the positive and negative self-views since when people are happy tend to think about more positive things and attributes (Palus and Horth, 2002). I have learned that there must be effective communication and awareness for any meaningful communication to occur. It entails understanding and appreciating the individual differences in order to connect effectively with other individuals. Effective communication requires much more than listening to others, but to understand the intent and respond according to the speaker’s intention of communication. Communicating with others in a team requires awareness of individual communicating styles and conscious awareness of different types of people. I have learned that there are essential leadership traits that influence the relationship with sub-ordinates. Some of the traits include honesty, inspiration, courageousness and ambition. As a leader, I should have the determination and personal drive to articulate the vision to the subordinates. Although some people may have negative feelings towards the shared vision and goals, I have learned how to avoid such resistance and maintain the commitment to the shared vision despite the negativity of the naysayers. I have learned that personal leadership development starts with an individual regardless of the role or the academic qualification of the person. Mastering leadership skills and taking advantage of natural talents can help in interactions with peers. I acknowledge that there are certain personal leadership competencies that are essential in leading teams. The competencies entail clusters of knowledge, behavioural traits and attitudes of the individual towards others in a group. Such competencies are measurable and observable and are linked with attainment of personal leadership desired goals. According to the module, some of the competencies include the ability to inspire and motivate the subordinates, inter-personal communication capabilities, critical and strategic thinking and ability to take care of the needs of the subordinates and followers in a team. Some of the core competencies of personal leadership development include having a shared vision, emotional intelligence, building trust and relationships, developing the self-awareness, ability to adapt to change and mentor the subordinates. I believe that I performed excellently in the team. The first step in my team was the forming stage whereby everyone struggled to gain acceptance by the others. At this stage, I avoided controversy or conflict with my fellow team members and serious discussion issues. I gathered enough information on the impression and make friends with the team members. The next stage in our team was the storming stage in which we addressed the issues that were expected to be solved. At this stage, I was able to identify and appreciate the team members’ differences in values and belief systems. I tolerated the differences and ensured each member was committed to fulfillment of his or her responsibilities. The next stage was the norming stage in which all roles and duties of each member were fully documented and understood (Robbins and Hunsaker, 2008). The team members also worked towards the attainment of a shared mission and goal. I empowered the upcoming artists in the entertainment industry through mentoring them and ensuring that they understand the importance of confidence when interacting with their fans and music listeners. The upcoming artists in my group were able to take responsibility for their success and worked hard towards the attainment of the team goals. The last stage of the group was the performing stage in which the team performed effectively. I was able to deal with personality conflicts within the team through dialogue and diplomacy. In addition, I was able to communicate effectively to all the team members. I also managed to fully motivate the team members to improve their productivity in enhancing their creativity in music composition and doing their home works. I also ensured the autonomy of the subordinates and respected the autonomy of the team members in their decision-making process. I believe that I performed effectively in the team due to my personal leadership skills and competencies that enabled me to respect the cultural diversity of the team members, acquire right inter-personal skills and control my emotions when interacting with others in a group. I created and fostered an enabling environment for team work and encouraged all my peers to openly discuss the issues and criticize each others opinions in order to arrive at a shared and mutual opinion (Northouse, 2010). There are several things that impacted on my engagement and performance on the module. The learning environment facilitated my engagement and performance since I was able to set my personal leadership competencies development goals and select my unique learning method. The learning environment was inclusive, respectful and catered for all members. The module was also inclusive as it catered for my learning needs and the code of behaviour prohibited discrimination and bullying from peers (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). The module entailed the use of enough academic resources and tools such as lecture materials, staff and group discussions that facilitated the successful knowledge acquisition and competencies development. The module also encompassed constructive feedback on the learning progress that enabled me to evaluate my skills acquisition and plan on how to improve on the identified weaknesses. I had mixed feelings at various stages of learning. Initially, I could not differentiate management with leadership skills. At the initial introduction phase, I was nervous that I could not get any supportive peers during the learning process. However, after several topics of the module, I was able to identify my strengths and interact positively with peers. During the module, I recognised individual differences and solved cultural-conflicts effectively. I acquired communication skills and inter-personal competencies that facilitated my learning process. Finally, I realized that I had acquired enhanced creativity, enduring positive mental attitude and personal responsibility for attainment of my professional development goals. In addition, I could identify my unwavering commitment towards the ongoing personal and professional development in my future aspirations. Currently, I am capable of establishing clear, measurable and attainable goals in my future leadership development (Mabey and Finch-Lees, 2008). I received favorable feedback from my team members. My self-awareness and inter-personal skills were essential in the team formation stages. The team members congratulated me for instilling cordial learning relationships within the team and clearly outlining the team work goal. The team members also congratulated me for respecting the unique opinions of each team member and accepting constructive criticism. In deed, every member viewed me as a role model for their professional development due to my commitment to my personal and professional development goals during the module (Rickets, 2011). I appreciate the need for further improvement of the upcoming artists through team spirit and new working methods. Besides, such artists should be allowed to showcase their creativity and make mistakes that are essential in effective learning process. I appreciate the need of self-confidence and feedback in empowering the team of upcoming artists. Conclusion The module has taught me how to understand the impact of my emotions on others and how to develop a solid sense of personal worthiness. This sense of personal awareness was crucial in learning how to control emotions and respond to changing circumstances. I have come to acknowledge that effective personal leadership development will entail pursuing optimism, transparency, integrity and passion for team success. This also entails staying ready for any new opportunities that may foster the attainment of the team’s mission and goals. I have also acknowledged the importance of maintaining a social environment that is essential for managing relationships with others. Some of the essential competencies that foster cordial working relationship and an understanding of the feelings of peers include empathy, conflict resolution skills and building alliances with other close partners. I find the relationship-oriented approaches towards personal leadership are the best approaches in establishing trust within a team and ensuring that duties are completed within a timely manner. I have come to understand that self-awareness and cultural diversity awareness has enhanced my quality of interpersonal relationships and facilitated the attainment of my long term career aspirations. The course also introduced me to personal leadership competencies that are essential in inspiring the followers towards the attainment of a shared vision. Reference list: Avolio, B.J. 2005. Leadership development in balance. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. Byrne, J.C. 2006. The successful leadership development program: how to build it and how to keep it going. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Canals, J. 2012. Leadership development for a global world: the role of companies and business schools. London: Palgrave. Chambers, R. 2007. How to succeed as a leader. London: Radcliffe Publishing. Ciarrochi, J and Mayer, J.D. 2007. Applying emotional intelligence: a practitioners guide. New York: Psychology Press. De Janasz, S., Dowd, K and Schneider, B. 2008. Interpersonal skills in organisations. 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