Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. — Jack Welch
In recent decades and especially since the start of the twentyfirst century, views on leadership have changed. Analysing the relationship between manager (as the leader) and employee (as the follower) has produced new insights about how to lead efficiently. “Leadership […] is basically the process by which leaders influence the attitudes, behaviours, and values of others toward organizational goals” (Lusthaus, Adrien, Anderson, Carden, & Montalvan, 2002, p.44).
Globalisation brings with it changes to the work environment including the market, technologies, work force and work force expectations (van Eeden & van Deventer, 2008). These are closely linked to the importance of leadership because the leader, through his employees, influences the organisation’s effectiveness and especially the turnover rate of the company (Hsin-Kuang Chi & Dorjgotov, 2012; Hamstra, Van Yperen, Wisse, & Sassenberg 2011).
Therefore, the shift away from management competencies towards leadership competencies must be a major step in any contemporary organisation to ensure an efficient workforce including managers which are able to inspire employees with new visions and challenging goals. Jack Welch is right in saying that before you become a leader you have to grow, improve your ethics, and strengths to eliminate your weaknesses.
Then when you are successful and you are a leader, support others so they can show their best performance and grow with the challenges the company faces. I share the same perspective as Welsh and I want to become the kind of leader he is talking about, someone who is supporting and accompanying people so they can achieve more. In order to do this I first need to focus on my growth and development. I want to become the kind of leader that I would follow.
In the first section of this report I analyse my personality with self-assessment instruments and my educational and professional experiences to examine leadership competencies. In the second section I define an overarching objective, which is presenting my professional future in the most optimistic way. In order to achieve this I examined my results from the first section to identify strengths and weaknesses which will assist or hinder me achieving my primary goal. The third section includes an action plan devel-oped on the basis of SMART goals. The last sectio
Table of Contents
Introduction
Where am I now?
Where do I want to be?
My SMART action plan
Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this seminar paper is to conduct a critical self-reflection on the author's current leadership competencies and to define a professional development path aligned with personal career goals. The paper seeks to bridge the gap between academic self-assessment results and practical leadership aspirations, specifically focusing on the transition toward a transformational leadership style within a global, flat-hierarchical organizational structure.
- Analysis of personal leadership competencies using standardized psychological assessment instruments.
- Evaluation of emotional intelligence and its role in leadership emergence and effectiveness.
- Examination of cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills in global work environments.
- Development of a structured SMART action plan to address identified individual weaknesses.
- Discussion on the necessity of transformational leadership in modern global organizations.
Excerpt from the Book
Where am I now?
In the following section I will briefly describe where I am currently standing in my professional and educational life. I will examine some of my results from the self-assessment instruments used in the past course work and experiences I’ve had throughout my life to connect them with leadership competencies. To narrow down the content and to show what is important for my personal development I will focus on feedback skills, cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence and the transformational leadership style.
I am currently in my last year of postgraduate studies in HR-management. Soon I will be going back to Germany to start an internship at a HR-department for six months before writing my master thesis in my final semester. In my past I had a lot of chances to train, shape and improve my leadership competencies throughout my four years of university, thirteen years of school, various casual jobs and a lot of experiences outside of my home country, be it travel-related or educational. Not to mention the development of certain competencies from growing up with three sisters, two which are older and one which is younger.
I started the evaluation of my leadership competencies with the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) scale, my score was relatively high (3.83). A high score is related to certain personality dimensions such as submissiveness (Leary, 1983a), avoidance of social comparison (Friend & Gilbert, 1973) and social anxiety (Leary, 1983b). Over the past months I have realised due to the course work and a couple of job interviews how I deal with receiving and giving feedback.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a theoretical foundation for leadership evolution in the 21st century and outlines the author's personal commitment to developing into a supportive, transformative leader.
Where am I now?: Examines the author's personality and professional history using psychometric assessments, highlighting areas such as feedback skills, emotional intelligence, and cultural intelligence.
Where do I want to be?: Outlines the author's professional vision, aiming for a role in HR within a global, flat-hierarchy organization while identifying ethical and professional strengths and barriers.
My SMART action plan: Presents a concrete development strategy using the SMART criteria to improve specific leadership skills, particularly regarding feedback delivery and cultural understanding.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the reflective process and confirms that the self-assessment and action planning have significantly increased the author's self-awareness and readiness for future leadership challenges.
Keywords
Leadership Competencies, Transformational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, HR-Management, Self-Assessment, Feedback Skills, SMART Goals, Career Development, Organizational Culture, Professional Growth, Social Anxiety, Cross-Cultural Communication, Multinational Teams, Leadership Development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this seminar paper?
This report serves as a self-reflection document where the author evaluates their existing leadership potential through academic research and psychological self-assessments.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The core themes include transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, cross-cultural competence, and the practical application of feedback skills within a corporate setting.
What is the author's primary career objective?
The author aims to become a transformational project leader in a global company with a flat organizational structure, focusing on expatriate and manager development.
Which scientific methods are utilized for self-evaluation?
The author employs several diagnostic tools, including the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) scale and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ).
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body details current professional standing, personal psychological assessment results, future career visions, and a specific action plan for skill improvement.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The paper is characterized by terms such as Leadership Competencies, Transformational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and SMART Goals.
How does the author define their approach to giving feedback?
The author identifies a struggle with giving negative feedback due to high social anxiety and a desire for social harmony, which they aim to overcome through deliberate practice.
Why does the author prefer a flat hierarchy for their future career?
The author believes flat hierarchies provide more room for innovation, authentic communication, and professional development compared to strictly hierarchical global corporations.
How does cultural intelligence influence the author's goals?
Cultural intelligence is identified as a critical success factor for working in global teams and coaching other managers; the author intends to improve it through international travel and cross-cultural interaction.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2014, Leadership Competency Reflection Report. Where am I now and where do I want to be?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/301905
