As
we have learned over the last 9 weeks and in previous courses, traditional
leadership is becoming outdated and relies heavily on top down styles. This doesn’t do too much for motivating
followers since it doesn’t leave too much room for creativity, innovation or
ideas because it is pushed down from the top instead of flowing up from the
bottom. More and more leaders are starting to embrace
change in how they lead and how they understand their followers.
A
way to do this is through the ‘wu wei’ concept (art of inaction and waiting
until the right time to take action). So
does this mean that traditional leadership should completely disappear? Perhaps it should be looked at and the good
parts pulled out and changed up a bit to be more in line with polyarchy styles. More organizations need to become more bottom
up and the way to do this is through change, coaching, motivation and
innovation.
Change
is something that I do and will continue to embrace in order to become a better
leader. I will need to always be ready
and willing to reflect on who I am as a leader and what I can do for my
followers. The biggest impact for me will be to know when to step back and
observe my surroundings without wanting to jump in and try to take the
lead. Knowing when to lead and when to
follow is another factor on how it will affect me as a leader in the future. Once I understand that being a great leader
means stepping back and letting others figure it out and become inspired by
this I will have moved up to the next level of leadership.
As
a leader I will make a more conscious effort to understand and learn about my
followers by challenging them and coaching them to go to the next level. The goal would be to get my followers to level
5 and keep them there. Communication is
so very important to any role inside and out of the organizational
structure. I understand that I must be
willing to be a leader and a follower. I
will be sure to align my vision with those of my followers while allowing for
ideas and creativity.
The
impact this will have on my future strategy is going to be a positive, challenging
and rewarding one. I will never know everything
there is to know and I will not be afraid to admit that but I will be sure to
find the answers. Coaching will help
with this. To coach and be coached will
help me learn and grow in my leadership abilities and skills. I am confident that as I continue through
this program I will learn more ways to be a great leader. I have the skills and the desire to be the
best and my followers will have my trust and faith as well.
The
biggest thing for me is going to be to focus on the strengths of my followers
and helping them to embrace change by facing it up front and not being afraid to
take a chance. Collaboration and team
work is going to be a big focus for me as well as promoting individual growth
from each follower. I am excited for
what the future brings for me and I know I will be able to use everything I
have learned in this class and this program to be the type of leader that takes
my team to the next level.
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